- Title: USA: Singer Chris Isaak gets "Lucky"
- Date: 27th February 2009
- Summary: CHRIS ISAAK AND DRUMMER KENNEY JOHNSON SINGING "WE LET HER DOWN"
- Embargoed: 14th March 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA1B4EXF2349EQ5K9SAAOWHGABQ
- Story Text: Singer-songwriter Chris Isaak is back in the public eye. He is host of a new talk show "The Chris Isaak Hour" on the Bio channel and has just released his first studio album in 7 years, "Mr. Lucky."
Singer-songwriter Chris Isaak is back in the public eye.
He is the host of a new TV talk show, and has just released his first studio album in 7 years, "Mr. Lucky."
"The Chris Isaak Hour" debuts Thursday (February 26) night on the Biography channel.
Each weekly one-hour episode will feature a musical guest with interview and performance segments.
The CD dropped in stores on Tuesday (February 24).
Isaak described the selection of songs on the disk, and even strummed part of a new single.
"Some of it's really pretty and sad," explained Isaak, 52.
"You know, lost love romantic ballads. And then there's other stuff that's really like upbeat and you know, 'Take my heart…'"
According to Isaak, the title of the album is rooted in his personal life experience.
"Mr. Lucky, I guess that's me," smiled Isaak. "And I think of it as two ways. Mr. Lucky is like a nickname for, you know you call a fat guy 'Skinny'? Well sometimes I'm Mr. Lucky in that way. In then in another way I am lucky, because I sing for a living, my parents are you know about to be 60 years married. They're still together. My family all gets along with one another. And as far as I know from my last check-up, I'm healthy. So I've got my health, a job and a good family. No complaints."
Isaak is known for his affinity for guitars.
He confided that he believes each instrument has something special to share.
"When I go into guitar stores, I have this kind of, I look at guitars and always think 'I bet there's a good song in there.' Like some part of me actually thinks that the songs are inside the guitars and you just have to like 'Come out of there. Come out.'"
Isaak has been making music professionally for more than 25 years.
His best-known song is "Wicked Games" from his 1989 album "Heart Shaped World."
Isaak is also no stranger to acting.
He starred in "The Chris Isaak Show" on Showtime from 2001 to 2004.
The first series starred Isaak and his band playing themselves in fictional plots about the backstage life of a rock singer.
With the new "The Chris Isaak Hour," Isaak will conduct extensive, free-flowing interviews with popular musicians and allow them to play their hits and cover songs by artists who inspired them.
Guest will include Trisha Yearwood, Cat Stevens, Stevie Nicks, Smashing Pumpkins, Chicago, Glen Campbell, Michael Buble, and Cat Stevens.
Isaak told Reuters he made sure the show format suited his tastes and allowed artists to relax and be themselves.
"At first when they said 'Let's do this,' I said 'Can we do-I don't want to do any of the things that I don't like on other music shows. I don't want to have to spend like two minutes talking with the person. I want to be able to talk to them for a long time. And we do. We talk, we might talk for two hours and just cut down to the best parts. And then I said, 'I don't want them to just be able to play their hit. I want them to be able to come out and play like four or five songs, maybe more."
Isaak joked that his white Maltese, Rodney, assists him with the hosting duties.
"He will answer simple questions. Logarithms, arithmetic, art, science, you have it."
Isaak said that in making music, he is living his lifelong dream.
"To sit with a bunch of guys in a room and start singing or start playing a song is the biggest kick, the best toy on the block. You know, you can go into a room and go 'You know, hey I want to try this, you know. Well I'll never know how much it means.' And they go 'Ahh' and hit a chord behind you, and you go, 'This is fun.'" - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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