Christian:
Razzy, please tell our European readers about yourself.
Razzy:
Well, I’ve been in the business about thirty years or so and I recorded for RCA five years and had much number ones and top tens and then I recorded for MCA for about five years and had some good chart records, but didn’t do as good as I did with RCA. And I’m a songwriter and record producer and I have a studio "Razzy’s Hit House" and it is in Goodlettsville. And my e-mail-address is
razzyshithouse@hotmail.com, so anytime you wanna write me an e-mail or some, I’ll be loved to talk to him. And … I’m just doing my thing: writin’ songs, producin’ and I fixed up an new recording coming out, it’s called "Whiskey California".Christian:
Can you tell us a little more about the new album?
Razzy:
Well, it’s … I’m really proud of it, because we take in about two hours … two hours (?) …I mean two years in putting this album together, we’ve done a lot of thought with it and ah, a lot of songs … searching to find songs, we felt like was right for it to say, what we wanted to say and I’m really pleased with it and excited about it.
Christian:
What’s the biggest difference between the early days of your career and now?
Razzy:
Well, age is one thing (laughs) … I’m a little bit older than I was, but … you know, I don’t know … I feel better about my music, because now I don’t have these many people telling me what to do – musically, which … I’m not criticizing it, ‘cause we had a lot of good hits back in the early days, but now I get to find myself little bit more with the music and do the things, that I like to do and I would like to think, that they are quality songs.
Christian:
So, how would you describe the music you playing?
Razzy:
You know, it got the flavour a little bit of the seventies music and that was my favourite ten years in country music was the seventies back, when Willie Nelson and David Allen Coe and Waylon Jennings and, you know, all in all, Kanwe Twittie (?)and George Jones and all these guys were on the radio and that was a time, that I really loved music. We would not cover seventies-songs, we tried just make the tracks sound a little reminiscent of seventies’ music.
Christian:
What do you see as the biggest difference between country music in the early days and today?
Razzy:
Well, in the early days it was … the lyrics meant more, you know. Like the lyrics were really important to songs and they wasn’t as much just loud rock-music behind, what was supposed to be a country-song. Not to say […] really great written country songs not totally gone, but for the majority, everybody sounds like they’re just walk into the studio and playin’ with the same band and turnin’ out songs as quick as they can, instead of thinkin’ about quality.
Christian:
Which message do you like to send the fans with your songs?
Razzy:
Well, I hope it’s a sincere message and, you know, an original message, that people can enjoy and just be myself and I really love people and when they appreciate what I do, it’s just is my biggest reward.
Christian:
Is there anything we haven’t talked about that you’d like to?
Razzy.
Well, once again I’d like to state that I’m a record producer and I’m enjoying producing tremendously. I have always enjoyed producing, so I’m getting to do a lot of projects now, some of them country naturally and some of them rock ’n roll and rock things, you know, like alternative rock and I have a good time with that.
Christian:
Thanks for the interview.
Razzy:
Thank you, Sir.
Christian Lamitschka (
Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de )