Guitar Player Sept 1984 MK Interview (selected bits)

[Fletch]

Bob Dylan is probably the most obvious influence on your singing and writing.
I was hugely influenced by him about the age of 14 or 15, going round to girls houses, drinking 75 cups of coffee, smoking 90 cigarettes, and listening to Blonde on Blonde 120 times. I heard Bob Dylan from the very beginning, the Hard Rain days and went with him all the way up, and i`m still with him. I think he`s great. Blood on the Tracks is one of my favourite records...
On the last record [Infidels] to hear the first lines of I And I, thats enough to make anyone who writes songs want to retire....
My favourite records, by and large aren`t wonderful technical acheivements, with the exception of Chet Atkins. But generally speaking, all you`ve got to do is listen to a Howlin Wolf album - thats just soul.

Do you have any particular strong literary influences in your songwriting?
Lots and lots. That was my subject at university, and I taught English for a while. Theres too many to name : Shakespeare, a lot of American writers, such as Raymond Chandler, metaphysical poets.

Do you find that certain keys or chord progressions give pieces a more majestic quality?
Yeah, I like certain keys more and more. I`ve been doing a lot of stuff in F and Dminor. Down to the Watrline is Bminor, which is a nice key as well.

What made you start playing lead with your bare fingers?
It just started to happen. I remember sitting in a house in London - starving to death at the time - playing a cheap Japanese acoustic with really light electric guitar strings on it. I knew then that it was on a turn, it was developing. I was doing things with my fingers I couldnt do with a pick - really fast things and what have you. I still love to play with a pick, and sometimes you have to record certain parts or songs with a pick - for instance Expresso Love. But its interesting that now I`m not nearly as comfortable with a pick as I am with my fingers.

What does your picking technique consist of now?
Its the thumb and first two fingers, and I tend to anchor with the back or my hand and my other two fingers, so its a solid base.

Why did you switch from your Fender to a Strat style Schecter?
I didnt want to keep flogging a Strat around the world, getting it smashed to pieces. Same thing with my beautiful Telecaster that David used to play rhythm on in the band. Its a double-bound sunburst custom Tele, about a 67 or 68 and Im not inclined to have it smashed to bits. The Schecter is beautifully made and very strong.

Do you ever work out solos ahead of time on a session?
No, not really. Sometimes it might break down the middle, and then you figure out which way it should go, and punch it in. But generally speaking, its pretty rough and ready. Ill often play three passes, record them all, and then make something by stitching them together.

Do you vary your amps and settings much in the studio?
We just take potluck and go. For stage, I have two amps set up for different things. They`re Boogies with Marshall cabinets.

Whats the most inebriated song you ever wrote?
Once Upon A Time in the West was one of them. I was watching the film on TV in a slightly altered state.

Is there anything else you`d like to add?
Just this [picking up his red Schecter] down, da-da-da-da, down-da-da-da.....
 

[Fletch]

Picked up this nice interview from ebay. My fingers are pretty slow, so i tried to pick the most interesting bits (to me anyway). Apologies for any misspellings.

[dustyvalentino]

Yeah, great interview, I picked it up on ebay a while back, still available quite cheap.