Going back to the latest album, it was described to me as a kind of “electric gospel album.” Do you think that’s an accurate description? What were some of the sonic sounds you were going for on it?

Well, I’ll tell you what. I didn’t understand it because I hadn’t been doing that playing live. There’s a lot of difference. What Damon explained to me that made sense, he said that the voice is what I’m trying to capture. And sometimes you overproduce—you got too much music going on. So the people are busy looking behind you and looking in front. You know, he said I just want the simplicity of it. So even though it’s electronic, you still have a leader to lead the electronic. And I was singing lead and played some. And it was amazing to me that the people really reacted and I’ve cut a lot of records, but they really reacted to this. I guess because it was different. You know, the songs were the same, I mean I’m singing, they were the same. But it was just a different feel, you know, and dominantly, as a singer, all of me will come out. All the time. You know I don’t take it to be spiritual, gospel, electronic, rock, pop, long as I’m singing it. I’m gonna bring it to where I can relate to it.

The thread that ties through all the styles you just mentioned is your voice.

I feel like when we’re onstage, and it’s never happened, but I can stop and go into any song and he’ll follow me. He can follow me, he’s just as crazy as I am! [Laughter.] I say, “Hey, Nate!” Sometimes I’m singing just so he can hear it.

You’ve played some legendary concerts. Can tell us about a show of your own that was particularly memorable, also maybe a show by another artist that you’ve seen—when you were younger or recently—that you just left being like, “Wow, that’s how music should be.”?

I just got through doing a Van Morrison cut on his new album. And then I did Ricky Ross, his album. That was different for me. But when I listened to the tracks I say, “OK, I can be into this,” ‘cause it’s something I’ve done. Or, you know, it’s close to what I’ve done. And working with Aretha Franklin was very soulful because we cut the same way. And in the day, back in time everybody did. So for me it was a thrill to come outta the old school and see what fits in today. ‘Cause I says a lot of artists did not have that chance. I can go from Marvin, Otis Redding, I can go to Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. It’s been a great change in the music business, period. So I feel lucky to be here. I still throw my little two cents in!

I don’t know where it’s gonna land but at least it’s in there. And I can’t criticize—which I used to do—about some of the artists. I said, “They all sound alike. I can’t make out what they’re doing. They’re not creative.” But I came in a day where if you heard a Sam Cooke, you knew it was Sam Cooke. You heard Otis Redding, you knew Otis Redding, you heard Ray Charles—they all had different styles, you know. And today I miss that because I say, “They don’t know who to follow.” You know, you hear one act that’s gigantic for a minute and then you don’t hear about them.

The performers you just mentioned are all musicians whose music has remained current for almost 50 years.

I think it’s good to grow as long as you keep your sound your sound. Whatever the song may be, you know, you can tell it’s a Rod Stewart. And he’s got a very distinctive voice, you know. We all learn from somebody. You know, I like to think so. I like to say, I drive a pretty late night. You know what I’m saying? I mean, because if they’re with you, they inspire you deeply. It’s important and it never stops.

That spiritual vibe is very important because if music don’t connect to the people, although they on the same page to hear what they come to hear, they will all have different walks of life. So when you connect to them spiritually, you have done what you’re supposed to do.

How much emphasis, as the band’s frontman, do you put on entertainment and showmanship versus the freedom to let the group explore?

I like to keep that energy, you know when it’s there and you know when it’s not. And I feel that when it’s not, I have to take the responsibility of the band, ‘cause I say, “I’m leading the band, let me find out what’s happening.” So I just stop and say, “Anything y’all wanna hear that y’all haven’t heard? Does anybody want me to leave? I’m not going.” [Laughter.] That’s funny when you cover it all, everybody go to the bathroom. Somebody gotta go to the bathroom ‘cause we’re not clicking. I came here to have a good time, shit.

In a sense you turn the audience around and ask them for their money back.

It’s reaaalllyyy funny when you can relate, honestly, to people like that. They understand that it’s different. Sam Cooke used to always tell me, “Bobby, simplicity—you don’t have to make it too complicated.” You know he used to always laugh and say, “Listen at the news. I can listen at the news with a melody. Then hear it ‘cause it sounds so bad.” You know, so he always taught me simplicity with songs. And that’s one of the greatest things. I played with him, for a long time, guitar. And I played with Ray Charles a long time. And they had two different styles. You know, and I appreciated both of them, I learned from both of them.

Sam Cooke and Ray Charles were two of your early teachers. What is a lesson each of them taught you?

Well, Sam taught me publicity. And I think Ray taught me feel. You, know, you felt everything Ray did. And the other stuff went with him, he said, “That’s my surroundings.” The other stuff. They could stop playing, you would never know the difference.

But I tell you what, you know the difference when you can go from one country to another and even though they don’t speak the language—we don’t speak the language, the vibe of the music, they know exactly what you’re saying. And that’s unbelievable to me. Until somebody reminds me they don’t speak English.

I always felt we were selfish to say, “How come we don’t ever learn their language? They know ours!” but they don’t. Because when I go out to talk and say, “How’d you like the show?” [Laughter.]

I have heard that Japanese audiences can be polite to the extreme.

That’s funny that that can bum you out to a point and I said, “Damn.” It never, ever bothered me, I just felt like I was somewhere in America performing. They understood.

That music is the universal language.

And I respect that blessing, a spiritual blessing that the heads come, they know the songs, they all hang out together, they all rejoice together, but there’s a whole ‘nother world out there that don’t know who I am. You know, and it don’t matter! You know, I can’t capture the world, I just capture people that wanna listen, that believe in my stories.

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