Intro:
("Can't Take Love for Granted" plays.)
Laura Buxton: She can write them all. Mary Chapin Carpenter. Hugely
popular, she's won Grammys, she's won Country Entertainer of the Year.
Fascinating, she's a graduate of Brown University and her lyrics, her
music is, well, I think they're pretty much incomparable. She's got a
new album that's out, it's called "Party Doll--"--which is a Mick Jagger
song--"--and Other Favorites." It's got some of her best there, and
she's just a really wonderful, down-to-earth lady. Here she is, Mary
Chapin Carpenter.
Interview:
LB: Good morning to you, Mary Chapin Carpenter.
MCC: Good morning, Laura, how are you doing?
LB: Hey, doing really well. You know, the last time I talked to you was
not too long ago. We were talking about your book, "Halley Came to
Jackson."
MCC: Right. Right. That's right.
LB: And I told you I'm from Lafayette, Louisiana, and "Twist and Shout"
is special, so I feel like I'm talking--I feel like I'm at home, when I'm
talking to you.
MCC: Good! Well, that's good.
LB: And I do want to clear up your schedule, because I know you are
Humphrey's bound, June 4th, Friday, 7:30.
MCC: That's right. Yes.
LB: You've played Humphrey's venue several times, haven't you?
MCC: Well, I certainly was there last summer, and we had a wonderful
evening, and I was there with a wonderful Irish band called Altan.
LB: Yes.
MCC: And this year I'm going to be there with another Irish band called
Solas, and, um, I'll have my dogs there--(LB and MCC laugh)--and my band
and it'll be that beautiful setting. We love playing there. We had a
great time.
LB: It's so perfect for your music. You know, I'm looking at this
"Party Doll and Other Favorites." Can I just go down a couple of these?
Because I, uh, some of them are wonderful and I know you have a couple of
new ones on, but can we start, of course, with my favorite, "Down at the
Twist and Shout," which is a live recording from Super Bowl XXXI.
MCC: That's right.
LB: What's the story behind that?
MCC: Well, Laura, when I was putting this record together I didn't want
to have just sort of the same songs that were on the original recording
when I was putting the record together as a "Greatest Hits" package. And
I thought, well, why not try to find alternative versions if they exist--
LB: Yeah.
MCC: --of, of the songs, something maybe that just had a chance to air
once or that sort of thing, and so I got permission to use a lot of these
recordings and, uh, stuff that maybe people haven't had a chance to hear
before. And, you know, I just thought that that made it different and
maybe a little bit more special than your typical "Greatest Hits"
package.
LB: It's such a rallying song, you know, for any of us who grew up in
that marvelous part of the country.
MCC: Yeah.
LB: Now, um, okay, what was your inspiration for "Shut Up and Kiss Me?"
(MCC laughs.)
MCC: Use your imagination, Laura!
(They laugh.)
LB: And you know what, I just saw "Fly Away Home."
MCC: Oh, yes!
LB: You know, whenever it comes on, I have to watch it. I've seen it
five times. But that song, "10,000 Miles," is so beautiful.
MCC: I'm so pleased to be able to have that song on this record because
they didn't release a soundtrack for that movie.
LB: Why?
MCC: And, uh, I don't know.
LB: Well, it's Hollywood, right?
MCC: Who knows?
LB: Who knows.
MCC: Anyway, I, in the end I'm so glad. I get to put it out. So.
LB: You know, the song "Passionate Kisses." I'm just looking down at
this song. "Passionate Kisses." How did you decide which ones to put in
here?
MCC: It was hard.
LB: Yeah.
MCC: That was the hardest part. Because there's only so much
music--minutes of music you can put on a disc. And I, uh, (laughs) I
probably would still be working on this record if my limitations hadn't,
you know, hit me in the face. So, it just took me a long time to put it
together, but, you know, it was a real labor of love. It was much more
than a contractual obligation, and, uh--
LB: Well, I think that's the way it is with all your CD's, Mary Chapin.
Now, what made you do a cover of Mick Jagger's "Party Girl?"
MCC: "Party Doll."
LB: "Party Doll." Excuse me.
MCC: That's okay. Um, it's just one of my favorite songs. And that was
part of the intent of this record was to put my favorites on there.
LB: Well, I guess as you say in cut number seven, it's "Quittin' Time."
By the way, I used to live in Nashville because I went to school in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
MCC: Uh huh.
LB: Is the Ryman Auditorium, the old home of the Grand Ole Opry, isn't
that a great place to play?
MCC: It's an amazing place to play. There's a lot of history, a lot of
good vibes there.
LB: Oh, good vibes across the board with you, Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Hey, look, we'll see you June 4th, you and your dogs--
MCC: Okay.
LB: --and your backup, your great backup group, June 4th, we'll see you
at 7:30, we'll be with the boat people. (note: Humphrey's is a hotel
that sits on Shelter Island in San Diego Bay. The concerts are in the
center courtyard and part of the atmosphere includes people watching from
boats to the performer's right of the stage.) Yelling to you. (MCC
laughs.) Okay?
MCC: Okay. We'll wave to you.
LB: Thank you. "Party Doll and Other Favorites." Thanks a lot.
MCC: 'Bye.
LB: 'Bye.
Wrap up:
LB: By the way, when you talk to Mary Chapin, you call her Mary Chapin.
You don't call her Mary, Chapin-Carpenter. It's Mary Chapin. In case
you ever run into her, at Humphrey's, on June 4th.
Thanks to James D Leverton for having the day off and not sleeping late allowing him to catch this interview and then providing us the transcript :-)