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Clarence Fountain (The Blind Boys of Alabama)

Conducted 08/26/04 in Santa Barbara, CA by Gavin Conaty

Q: You and Ben have a history together in the studio and on stage. Making a record together seems like the natural next step. How did this come together?
A: Well, we went into the studio to do one song. Since we had so much time on hand, Ben said he wanted to stretch it out. So we told him "bring it on!" Me and Ben all right anyway. We just good friends. He like me and I like him, so that makes it better. I can feel him; he can feel me. Hey, that's what it's all about. So we decided to make it and it's completed and done and it will be out in 5 or 6 more days.

Q: What kind of expectations did you have going into this record?
A: Well, we didn't expect nothin' and we got somethin'. So we're grateful for that because, you know, hardly you ever get a rock 'n roll guy come over and sing gospel. But with me and Ben it wasn't complicated. We just started out to make one, and we ended up doing ten or eleven?whatever it is. So we happy. He happy with it, and I'm very happy with it. So that makes it more better. We did a few interviews across the world - in England, France, and Australia?and?somewhere else. In other words, I think it's going to be fantastic because we've crossed a lot of bridges, and whatever Ben write - I like it because I think he's a good writer. And we just correspond together and that makes it better than Maxwell House coffee, and that's good till the last drop. [laughs]

Q: Can you describe the writing process?
A: Don't know too much about writing. All I know he had some very fine words, and his melodies are sweet. When you can feel what the man is writing when you sing it, that lets you know that's good writing.

Q: In "Church House Steps", you guys added a new refrain. Certain things like that, did you guys make up yourselves?
A: He came up with the idea and showed it to us, and we said "I think it will fit perfect. Let's do it." So we did it.

Q: Do you think there's potential for a fourth straight Grammy?
A: I sure do. I believe we gonna be a winner, because the Blind Boys are winners, and Ben is winner. So put them two together and you can't lose! [laughs]

Q: How do you think the people who don't normally listen to gospel are going to react to this CD?
A: We don't know yet, but we're trying it out on stage, and it works pretty good on stage. You see, gospel is kind of complicated: when you look at it from the light of the standpoint we talking about one thing; when rock 'n rollers - when they sing they talkin' about my woman, my baby - and that ain't hard for people to understand. But with the gospel if you don't run on about the Lord, it's always complicated to understand what you're singing about. But we wouldn't sing it if it wasn't down our alley. We wouldn't sing it at all 'cause we don't sing songs that could be controversial. We don't do that because it makes it complicated. And we don't want people to think that because a guy sings rock 'n roll, that it doesn't matter with us, because we not the keeper of his soul. So if he come up with something good and bring it to us and we like it, we sing it.

Q: Do you think you have to be a Christian to understand this music?
A: Well, maybe. More than likely yeah because if you don't understand the words and what they mean, then you really don't understand the song unless you just like the beat, or something of that nature. 'Cause when you go in foreign countries, people don't understand what you're saying, 'cause they don't speak English. But if they like the beat they'll bounce to it. That's just the way it is. It's all music. Music don't change too much. From gospel came everything else. And I know that for a fact because there was a choir in heaven, and the devil was the big star in the choir?till God kicked him out. That means that if there was a choir singing about God, then it has to be the right music, and everything else came from that. So that's my theory of the whole subject. If you want to talk about music, that's right down my alley. And I love to talk about it 'cause it's good! And the first music is going to be the last music. If you go to heaven, what you hear is gonna be gospel music.

Q: How did you and Ben hook up in the first place?
A: Well, coincidence. Ben was playing in New Orleans one night - a late show. And he invited the Blind Boys to come over and sing on a tune with him. And they went, and the house went wild, and people liked it so we've been contacting each other ever since. Of course I like his writing, 'cause I put a couple of his songs on the first Grammy winning CD of the Blind Boys.

Q: How did you pick "Give a Man a Home"?
A: Ohhhhh!!! I like the tune. When you hear something and you like it, then if you able to sing it, then you'll sing it. All you had to do is get permission from the guy. So we did it and that's it.

Q: Let's back track just a little bit in your career. There was a big shift from gospel music to R&B in the 50's & 60's, but you guys continue to play gospel throughout your entire career. Were you ever given that chance?
A: You remember, when Little Richard first got popular, we was on the same label that he was - Specialty Records, which was based in Los Angeles. And we had a chance to go then. But we told the Lord, when we first got together and thought about going out singing gospel, we told the Lord, if he has blessed us and enabled us to do the things that we wanted to do - all we were looking was for something to do and not necessarily trying to make a living out of it, but it came out that way. So we figured in our mind that's how the Lord wanted us to be - sing gospel for Him and work for Him. You know when you wait for the Lord, he'll peel you off - guaranteed. That's a guarantee. So we just kept on working for the Lord, and now we getting our dues. You know?now! But back then if we would have gotten it, it probably would have been a different story.

Q: Do you have a personal highlight from your career?
A: Sure. Broadway has been the big thing for us. We were in this play, called "The Gospel at Colonus." And that was the highlight for me because you never get a chance to go to Broadway no more. But if it's the will of the Lord we will. But we just took that chance to further our career, and it did. After we come off of Broadway, we was able to go worldwide. And that was great because it added more to our career, and it put more money in our pockets, so that was the thing to do.

Q: Have you accomplished everything that you've wanted to? Do you have anything more that you want accomplish?
A: Ben Harper's record I think will go - gonna bust that million sales wide open. And I'm a part of that. You know God like I told you before - His way is not our way. If He hadn't wanted it to be, it would not have been. So I'm thinking long term. Ben is a record seller. Blind Boys is a record seller. So why not look for the million?

Q: What music do you normally listen to?
A: Everybody. Bonnie Raitt - she's one of my favorites. Back to a long time ago - "Spell is Broken". We like a whole lotta folks. We like B.B. King. All the folks that sing good music, we love 'em. Because to us it's not nothin' but music. But to God it's another color. If you sing working for Him, it's all right. But if you're not working for the Lord, then the horse is not the same color. But we do listen to it, and we do get ideas from other folks singing. You'll find chords that you'd put in yours. You just copy it out, and put it in your mind, and do it!

Q: Finally what advice can you give to aspiring musicians?
A: Get a hit record. If you don't get no hit record stay at home 'cause you gonna starve to death. [laughs]


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