A Classic Replay with American Songwriter and Producer Desmond Child

Published Aug 19, 2024, 7:00 AM

Join @thebuzzknight on this Classic Replay with the great songwriter Desmond Child. Desmond is responsible for writing some of music's biggest hits including: Joan Jett's "I hate myself for lovin you", Aerosmith's "Dude Looks Like a Lady" and "Angel", Bon Jovi's "Livin on a prayer." and countless others.

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Taking a Walk.

I think that you know, we're hardwired to being comforted by music or excited by music since the beginning of time, but lyric content it can be healing as well. We've received so many letters that the purpose that Lewin on a Prayer got them through cancer, got them through the death of family member.

On this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast, Buzz interviews one of the most influential figures in music history. This musician is a prolific pop hit maker known for so many songs that have been the soundtrack of our lives. Bon Jobi hits like You Give Love a Bad Name, Aerosmith hits like What It Takes and Crazy. The list goes on and on. Desmond Child is the author of Living on a Prayer, Big Songs, Big Life, and he's next on Taking a.

Walk Bears Maestro th thanks for having me on, thank you for being on a virtual Taking a Walk, and congratulations on Living on a Prayer, Big Songs, Big Life.

Well, thank you. I had some big songs, but actually my life is the bigger than my songs.

How different was the writing process for you compared to the songwriting process.

Well, you know, a song can be written in nur and half. This what I call my seven year Joe House Confession. You know, it took a really long time to you know, to write because you know, I've lived a long time, and so I'm going to be I'm actually going to be seventy at the end of the month, which is like really scary, but you know it. It had to be written because you know, I had to set the record straight on a lot of stuff that you know, I had been out there. You know, sometimes the artists, you know, kind of changed the story a little bit to suit you know them. But I had to tell my side of the story but also take responsibility for a lot of stuff that I didn't do right. And my motivation was my sons were getting older, and they're twenty one years old now, but when I started the book they were they were a lot younger, but still I wanted to have something that they would remember me by as not just Doddy with the big checkbook een check book. It's like, wow, now they decided roman in there in their last year at NYU. Now they're deciding to go to law school. So that means the party doesn't stop, and they're right, They're not just going to go out and get jobs. They're going to just like keep going, keep rocking. So you know, it's like, okay, as long as you're learning, it's all good.

Was the process of writing the book therapeutic for you?

It was because well, you know what, I don't know. It's like I've been doing the audiobook and it's like reliving all those stories again. I mean sometimes I just can't even get through it. You know. It was therapeutic in that, But it's also like kicking over a hornet's mess too. I like stuff, you know, it starts to hurt again, and then I obsess about it. So I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's just like it's my life and I have to, you know, like put it out there.

You've been in Nashville a long time. Do you consider yourself an insider now? Because I don't think you were an insider obviously at the beginning.

Well, you know what, I my husband and I got there in ninety two where we rented a cabin and then by ninety five we built our own on the tail top and all that we call it broke Backrack Mountain. And you know, I'm still an outsider. I mean, even though you know, we have a lot of friends and all that, people that came like decades after me, you know, are more insider than I am because I'm not really in country music. It's just that, you know, we wanted to raise our sons there Remain and Nero, and so you know, we've become part of the community, more like neighbors than you know, like like you know, special people or anything like that. And uh, you know, we have a beautiful group of friends that we love so much, and our sons, you know, all the parents from the schools that our kids went to and all of that. So we love Nashville. But I've never been on the inside.

So I'd love to get your reaction to some of the catalog which you have been responsible for. It could take us days to go through it, but I'm just going to pick a couple of artists and songs out. Let's start with this guy named John bon Jovi, who you've done some work with, like Living on a Prayer. Describe that experience.

Well, I when I first worked with them, they had gotten my number from Paul Stanley of Kiss, who recommended me, and I think, you know, I later found out, like not so long ago that the real motivation for writing with me was to try to write some hit songs, let's say, for other artists, because they didn't consider me like one hundred percent rock and roll like they were, I guess. I mean, I mean, they were like twenty two and twenty four at the time. And so I got there and I had a tridle in my back pocket, you give Love a bad Name, And when I pulled it out literally on a piece of paper and read it, John's face lit up and I never saw so many teeth. Well, I said, oh my god, this guy has got it. He's got the h's factor. And they decided to keep the songs for them selves. So then we started tried writing another song, and that song ended up being Living on a Prayer, her title in my book. And John at first didn't want to record the song because you thought it was a bit sentimental and bit you know, kind of sad sounding, uh. But when they got in the studio, they rocked it up with their producer, Bob While it was Bob Rock was the engineer and Bruce Fairburn was the producer, and they turned it into a masterpiece. So, you know, I've also had extraordinary luck, you know, because it, you know, does take luck, you know, not just effort and talent. And I guess I was meant to do all of this because maybe there's a role for me in the world to bring people hope.

What was it like working with that shy flower by the name of Joan Jett.

Well, you know, first of all, she's so her presence, you know, it's amazing strength and integrity. And we got together and you know, Kenny, her manager, called me and said, I want you to write with Tony, you know, and so so I did it, and I'm not sure she was that comfortable. And then I had the title again called I Hate myself for Loving you, and she said, no, I don't sing the word love. I said, but you do. And I love rock and roll, I said, She said, I wear it out. I'm not saying the word love, but you know, I said, but you also say the word hate, you know, I hate myself for loving you. And you know, I finally, you know, wore her down and talked her into it, and it's become like her second biggest hit, you know, after I Love rock and Roll. And it's also a Sunday night football theme. And on top of that, Dolly Parton just recorded it for her Rockstar album featuring Joan Jet. So that song just keep keeps, you know, the gift that keepsun given.

And then since I'm based in Boston, I got to bring up those bad boys from Boston Aerosmith, who you've done some amazing work with.

What was that like, well there again, I mean they didn't want to write with me. I was forced on them by their A and R guy, John Kladner, brilliant, legendary guy. And you know, they flew me to Boston and then the car picked me up and brought me this big like airplane hangar kind of rehearsal space that they were working on. There was a stage built and there were like one hundred guitars on the ground level, you know, just like all in stands ready to go, Sparky, Tiger, Zebra, you know, you know, Fenders, Gibson's, every kind of guitar ever, just in case. Joe had a kind of hanker in for like a different sound. Right, So when I walked in, I didn't even say a word, but Stephen grabbed me and like we went to like the side of the stage, and they were working on this loop, this backwards guitar loop that went like and then Stephen started singing cruise and all the lad is and then they stopped and they said, what do you think of that? And I said, I think that's bad, you know, point blank. And I said I don't think man Heron would put that on the B side of the worst record, which I said to be funny, and they didn't laugh. And Joe crossed his arms and kind of leaned way back and looked at me sideways. And then Stephen, you know, who's more like a people pleaser kind of guy, and he said, well, when I first started singing the riff, I was singing, dude, looks like a lady. I said, stop right there. That's a hit title. And just said, well, we are there what that means. And you know, we don't want to insult the gay community. I said, dude, I'm gay, not insulted. And I dragged them into you know, that stairline, and what had happened was that Stephen how he came up with that title. They've gone into a bar on the shore with the roadies and all that, and sitting at this lonely you know, a way off in the corner at this empty bar was his vision of loveliness with a big platinum mullet, porcelain skin, black nails and bangles and a curvy, you know figure. And all of a sudden she turns around and it's Vince Neil with Motley Crue, and Stephens said, dude, looks like a lady. Do look second, lady, Do look second, lady. And then it's stuck. And that's where where hoo came came from. And I said, Okay, that's the story we're going to tell. And they went along, you know, Jerry, reluctantly. But it's turned into one of the classics for them. And so I'm very very you know, honored that. You know, that song has stood the test of time, and it was ahead of its time because the second verse goes, neither Georgeill looked by its cover? Oh who you're going by your lover? How ahead of its time was that?

It's amazing?

Oh my god, I love it.

You spent a couple of years with Bob Crwe, who is known for so many strings of hits, from Frankie Valley Work to Four Seasons. He's another one we could go on and on with about his catalogue. What lessons did you learn about the art of songwriting from Bob Crue?

Well before I met Bob Krue, you know, because I was a singer. I'd sit at the piano, bang out some chords and just mumble some stuff, you know, singing melodies, and then hope that those mumbles sounded like words. And then I'd kind of like a little bird, take a little string and then kind of build a nest out of it. But he wouldn't even let me touch the piano unless we had a sired title and a concept. And you know, we built everything that we wrote, thirty eight songs that I wrote with him, Everything was built towards paying off the title. That's the correct way. And ever since I learned writing that way, I started having nothing but success because you get right to the story. What's the song about? What is it supposed to say? What's the title? And he taught me to write titles that had opposites, you know, like you give rib a bad name, you know, love bad. I hate myself for loving you. How can we be lovers if we can't be friends? Heaven's on fire, you know, and you know that's that's how you know he taught me to write because just by looking at the title, they would draw in the listener like say, oh, well that's that sounds like it could be interesting, and then the song gets gets heard and that's all it takes up the songs good. Once it's an ear warm in somebody's head, then they have to hear it over and over and over again. And that's why I think that my songs have stood the test of time, you know, because you know that's the thing. You know, It's like there's techniques. And also Bob Crue taught me to write the courses with tight rhymes, like you know, not off rhymes, and he said, well, maybe it's okay. Like during verses you can do kind of like off rhymes, things that kind of sound alike but they're not really rhymes. But when it comes to the chorus, it's much easier for us stadium full of people to know what's coming next to be able to sing along too. And if it's not a tight rhyme, they can't memorize it. So that's Those are some of the secrets that I reveal in in my book Living on a Prayer of Big songs, Big Life.

We had the great Jimmy Webb on a previous episode of the podcast. I'd like to get your reaction to something he said. He said that improvisation is a bridge to creativity. Your thoughts on that, well, first.

Of a, why I just spent the week and watch Washington d C. With Jimmy Webb and his gorgeous wife Laura Savini, and we were there lobbying, you know, for songwriters because of AI and the dangers that are posed to you know, all creators with AI, and you know, we want to get in there, you know, before they start laying down kind of compulsory rates and things like that that we don't want. We want people come to make us, offer us if they're going to use us, use our music to create you know, their Frankenstein's with So, you know, Jimmy Webb is like my idol. You know, he's just the premiere you know, American songwriter. His songs just live forever. And improvisation well he's a pianist, you know, and so you know, I think that's important for him, you know, But like I said, I learned the other way around, you know, the opposite way, which is know what to going to say and go out and say it, and then everything falls into place after that. So we write, we write kind of with opposite techniques.

Well, lastly, I want to say to you that we have another podcast we produced which is called Music Saved Me, and it's about the healing powers of music. Do you believe music has supernatural healing powers?

Well? I do. I think that. You know, we're hardwired to be comforted by music or excited by music since the beginning of time. You know, you can just imagine, you know, the old history, you know, stories being told and then embellished upon and made very dramatic by whoever was was singing it. And you know, because of that, we're hardwired to respond, you know, to to music. And you know, I think that there's other things that happened. The lyric content can be healing as well. We've received so many letters that told us that living on a prayer got them through cancer, got them through you know, the death of you know, a family member. And we once got an extraordinary letter from a young man that said he had had it. He decided he was going to end his life. So he you know, drove his car like crazy up to the bridge, trumped out of it, let the engine running, the radios on and he was leaning to like go jump off when Living on a Prayer came on the radio and he said, oh wait, that's my favorite song. So he said, okay, I'll just go and listen to my favorite song and then that'll be the end. So he gets back in the car. By the time it got to the final modulated chorus, the fifth in New York chorus, he drove home. And you know, I think that's a beautiful story.

I love it. I want to congratulate you on the book, Desmond Child, and thank you for the many gifts that you have given us.

Well, thank you so much. And if if I just want to follow me does mean god Child on Instagram? My links are there. And I even got a skin line called you don't make a skin line because you know, celebrities have to have a skin line, and so you know the diet and Brad Kid has a skin line. You know, I figured, you know, if he has a skin line, I have to the only thing is that you buy his skin line. You had that looking right, Brad.

Chrid, I thank you, my friend.

But it's fine, it's fine. It's our natural product and all that. And I always have lotions and potions because I would sneak it to my mom's bedroom and open off the little charge and smell them in the plant and all the time of stuff there. I travel anywhere without like like a suit sister around my lotions and potions. Everybody makes fun of me. Thanks Desmond, thank you, thank you for having me on. And I hope that fans coming visit me and find out all about magnetic. You're the best.

Thank you. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Taking a Walk with the fascinating story of Desmond Child. Please share this in other episodes of Taking a Walk with your friends and follow Taking a Walk on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leave us a review as well. Thanks for listening to Taking a Walk.

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