Rock and roll is decidedly not dead, it has just changed according to Al Harlow, frontman of Vancouver classic rockers Prism.
Prism play two shows in Lethbridge for Canada Day — a June 30 pre-Canada Day party at Average Joes and across town at Coyote Joes for Canada Day.
“ It seems like rock and roll culture is on the increase,” Harlow observed, warming to the subject.
“ We have three generations of people coming to our shows including young kids who grew up listening to our songs on the radio,” he said, adding that is true of many “heritage acts” who formed in the ’70s and ’80s and who are still touring. Though he said he doesn’t like to consider Prism as a heritage act,” he accepts the fact audiences usually come to see Prism to hear their many mega-hits like “Spaceship Superstar,” “ Flying,” “ See Forever Eyes” and “Take Me To The Kaptain.”
“ I went to see Paul McCartney in Vancouver a month ago. He was amazing, but he put a few new songs into the set which were amazing, but he realized why the people were there— to hear his hits. I wanted to hear his hits too,” he said.
“We play a lot of shows with bands like Chilliwack and Kenny Shields. We were playing with Chilliwack and I told Bill Henderson ‘you’re a national treasure,’ and he said ‘No, we‘re a national treasure,’” he related.
“We put on a real rock and roll show. We may not dress up in the costumes we did in the ’70s, but we’re dressed to play a rock and roll show. It’s powerful and to be part of it is exciting,” he said.
He noted while the business has changed the primary motivations of artists hasn’t.
“Young people playing music aren’t in it to become millionaires. We weren’t. When we were 20, recording was a big deal. You had to go to Hollywood or somewhere to record. Now you can have a studio in your basement,” he said.
“When we were 19, you had one platform to be heard, now you have 380 platforms and maybe you get .0009 of a cent for each one,” he said.
But I have a new CD ready. I love doing it and don’t plan on stopping,” he said.
He said it is important for him to write new songs. Audiences respond to them too.
They released “Big Black Sky” in 2008, which is currently sold out on Prism’s website.
“Tangiers” from that CD is still part of the set, it seems to resonate with people. And we play ‘Big Black Sky ’ and ‘Say You Want Me,’ which is more my favourite because it is a big Rolling Stonesish rocker,” he said, adding Prism is almost done writing a new CD.
“ I have a new Prism Cd almost done and a new Al Harlow CD,” he said adding the solo Cd explores his love for the blues and folk music.
Harlow said it is important to give his fans a good show when Prism plays.
“ I don’t just want to stand and stare at my shoes. I lose five pounds after one of our shows. I’m a happy guy and it shows when we go out and play. It’s like getting up in the morning and putting on a nice pair of freshly washed old jeans,” he said.
“I went to go see Tony Bennett, He’s 81 now and still performing. He’s got the drink in his hand and wiggling around. It’s not rock and roll, so he’s not getting that calisthenic workout but he’s amazing,” he said, adding he’d love to be performing when he‘s that age.
Harlow has a million stories to tell so he is writing a book about them.
“There are a lot of books out there and I’m in them, but there is a lot of misinformation about me,” he said.
“So I’m writing one I’ve written 500 pages, but I need to trim it down to 400 as soon as I get off my lazy ass and do it,” he chuckled, reminiscing about hanging out with Long John Baldry back in the day when Harlow was broke and starving in London, England in the ’70s.
“I remember being broke and starving in London, I’d spend my last five pence to call him and he’d come and get me,” he said.
He recalled writing the band’s hit “Flying.”
“ It’s a true story. I was in Britain with Rocket Norton ( Prism’s original drummer) and we met these two girls. We took off to Paris on whim. And I guess Rocket and this girl fell in love, so he brought her back here and it didn’t go well she wasn’t used to didn’t like his boorish, braggart ways, so I ended up taking her on dates. There’s pictures of us in front of the Empress Hotel in Victoria. He ’d already paid for a return ticket,” he said.
“Three weeks ago I was going through old photo albums for my son. I got him into Jaguar cars. And I found a picture of that girl. It was the first time I’d seen that picture. She must be 70 now. She was a lovely girl. I never did see her again after that, so c’est la vie. So that song is about her,” he reminisced.
He is always looking to discover new bands. His current band is young Irish band the Strypes.
“There has always been crap music coming out. But there‘s always good music being made. You just have to research it and find it. The Strypes are these 18, 19 year old kids and they just go 100 miles an hour,” he said adding he is also a fan of the Shins as well as songwriter Seasick Steve.
He enjoys playing Lethbridge.
“We’ve played there a lot even before we were Prism, when we were the Seeds of Time (The core of Prism including Harlow, lead guitarist Lindsay Mitchell, keyboardist John Hall and Rocket Norton who formed in the late ’60s with Jim Vallance and Bruce Fairbairn, who went on to become renown songwriters and producers). I’ve played big festivals there and smaller stages. We played an outdoor stage with Honeymoon Suite and Kenny Shields and we had a big 40 foot stage to run around on it. It’s a different dynamic playing on smaller, 15 foot stages in a bar when the front row is right there. But it is always cool when we play Lethbridge. We’ve made a lot of friends there like Rob Mereska and a guy who plays jazz guitar at the university,” he said.
Prism plays Average Joes, at 8:30 p.m., June 30. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. They play Coyote Joes at 9 p.m., July 1. Tickets are also $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
