Rockline 1992 ELP Interview

Rockline Radio Interview, 1992

Bob Coburn: Welcome back to Rockline, live from Hollywood and London. Our guests are Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and for each caller who gets on the air tonight, we've got a copy of Black Moon, the brand new CD from ELP. That will be released in record stores across America on June 9th. It is released in Germany right now; some people have imports of that, but it's released in the States and I believe, Canada as well, on June 9th. That's courtesy of Victory Music and PLG Records. Each caller will also receive a copy of The Best of Emerson, Lake & Palmer on CD, brought to you by Columbia House Music Club. Look for our ad in the coming issue of Rolling Stone to get more information about our offers. Columbia House, entertaining America, one person at a time. That includes Russ, in Marino Valley, in southern California, a listener of 95.5, KLOS. Russ, you get to start the show tonight.

Russ: Yeah, hello Bob. First of all, glad to have you back, we missed you.

Bob: Hey, thank you, it's great to be here.

Russ: Keith, Greg, Carl: it's wonderful to have you back! Hello to all of you!

ELP: Hi - hello, man, how're you doing?

Bob: Hey, man, I got a "great," and you got a "wonderful" - what's going on here?

Russ: I've been waiting fourteen years for these guys to get back together! <chuckles all around> I have two quick questions tonight. Rumor has it that Emerson, Lake and Palmer have a home video coming out soon; I'd like to know what's going to be on the video.

Carl: A home video…? What we've got actually taking place is - this is Carl speaking - we're putting together a kind of documentary. Archive footage, up-to-date performance, obviously, once we get out on tour we will film "x" amount. I would say that it's probably a year away, six months away, depending on how much progress we've made. There's an awful lot of it together right now. I think we need to get some new footage of us actually playing, which will be the last thing that will be inserted, but that will be out I think soon. As I said I don't really have a date on it, but within the year, for sure.

B: Now there is a date on the actual CD cover that comes with the new music that says the official ELP video biography will be released sometime in June 1992. Obviously, that is not correct any longer - it will be out a little later. Second question, there, Russ?

R: OK, the second question - I'm not sure, Carl may have answered it - I was gonna ask if they were going to do a concert video of the Black Moon Tour.

CP: Well, it will be included - how much of the actual concert the Black Moon Tour, the concert, will be included in this documentary that I'm talking about, really depends - but obviously there will be sections of it included in the documentary. I think what we wanted to do as a band was, for the first time, actually document everything that we've done in one film, if we could. It seems the right time, the appropriate time, to do it now, with the new album and going out on tour.

GL: One other thing - this is Greg here - we've just heard yesterday, the day before, we've just booked a show in the amphitheatre in Verona, Italy, which is like the Coliseum in Rome, it's a two thousand year old amphitheatre. We're actually going to be filming a show there, so, that's something else that'll be done in the future.

B: Well, Russ has waited fourteen years, and he wants the whole thing!

GL: <laughs> Not a day longer!

B: There you go. Russ, thanks for calling and thanks for the comments, too. It's Don's turn as we head to Cleveland now - 100.7 "The Buzzard" is our affiliate there, and Don, you're on the Rockline.

Don: Good morning, how are you guys?

ELP: Good morning - good morning, Don.

D: Oh, this is wonderful to talk to you. My question is for Keith in particular - I'm a Hammond organ buff and I just wanted to know if, are you going to use a tone wheel Hammond on this tour?

KE: Well, Don, yeah, I've got the C-3, the original one which I used; in fact, it's what I used with The Nice in 1968 as well. It's all been resurfaced and midi-ed up. It goes through two different Leslies; one which is custom-built, and a standard Leslie 122 [1-2 too?]. I don't know if you've heard the record yet, but I'm pretty happy with the organ sound, there.

B: Don, thank you very much for the call. We're going to play a song called "Paper Blood" right now, and since many of you have not heard the new CD by ELP, I would like to get the band to kind of set up each song for you, and tell you a little bit of how it came about. Greg, again, you wrote the lyrics for this. This was contrasting images of rich and poor in London that you saw that kind of inspired this song? Why don't you tell us the story.

GL: Well, simple story - I was actually driving along in my car one day, and I pulled up at a light, traffic lights - and on the right hand side of me, a chauffer driven car pulled up with a dog sitting in the front seat. The ridiculous sight of this chauffer driven dog, and on the left of me there was a guy picking food out of the garbage can. It just was a very strange and disturbing thing to see, and I thought, that was money that caused that, really. I thought, money is like blood, and money is also paper, so therefore, "Paper Blood." That's how that came about, really.

KE: Bob, I'd like to add something here. There's one credit on the album which is missing: the fact that Greg plays harmonica on this too, so we refer to him as "Muddy Lake." <giggles>

GL: You promised not to tell!

B: <laughing> Muddy Lake!

GL: I shan't forget that, Mr. Emerson! <laughs>

B: Now Keith, were you given lyrics first, and you or Carl, and you applied the music to this, or how did the music fit the lyrics? ("Paper Blood")

KE: Gosh, I…it was, I think it was really the result of a jam - this is Keith speaking, by the way - it was the result of sort of a jam, and we made a recording of it, and Greg took it home, and the next thing I realized, Greg had the lyrics to it. It was pretty instantaneous actually, I think it's the way the best things always work, you know, when they're that instant.

GL: A lot of things on this album were like that, where they came about very quickly. I think actually, "Paper Blood," Carl had got this rhythm pattern going, and then we sort of played over it. It's hard to tell sometimes, the ideas develop so quickly, it's a job to actually remember who did what at what time. A very quick song to come about.

B: Well, let's listen to it right now, "Paper Blood," new from Emerson, Lake and Palmer, from the new CD, Black Moon, on Rockline, on the Global Satellite Network.

<"Paper Blood" plays>

B: Brand-new from ELP, from Black Moon, that is "Paper Blood" with "Muddy Lake," on harmonica, there. <chuckling>

GL: I'll never live that down!

B: <laughing> It's public knowledge now! Now let's head to Larksville, Pennsylvania - we have Tim on the line, eagerly waiting his turn. He's listening to Rock 107, WEZX, in Scranton. Tim, you're on the show.

Tim: Good morning, Keith, Greg, and Carl! How are you doing?

GL & CP: Hi, Tim.

T: Hey, I've got a quick question here. I read back in 1987 that you had commissioned H.R. Giger to do a reunion album cover. Whatever happened to that album cover, because I know it appears in the book, Biomechanics.

KE: Right…um…yes, '87, we did commission Giger to do it, but, I forget what happened, actually…Giger's very sort of set in one particular style as you probably realize. He's just done all the scenarios for Alien 3, and I think we wanted something a little bit different than what we had on Brain Salad Surgery. As far as I can remember, he was into lips, at that particular time and we weren't really into lips. <laughter>

GL: We'd gone through our "lip" period.

KE: That's right.

KE: It was good, but I think we had sort of rejected it, at the end.

B: Tim, thank you very much, this is Part 2 of our special with Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Part one was last March. During the break, we're gonna tell you about next week's show, which is also an outstanding program. This is Bob Kober with Emerson, Lake and Palmer - they're in London, and I'm in the Rockline Studio, and I'll pull it together during the break, I promise you. We'll be right back.

<break>

B: We're with Emerson, Lake and Palmer. As I said, many people have not seen the new album cover, or whatnot. The artwork is rather interesting. Would one of you like to attempt to describe it? I'll start; it's a carousel, and it seems to be in motion, and there's money either heading toward or leaving from the carousel. Which is it?

GL: Well, the whole thing was based on this sort of, "the world gone mad," you know, "stop the world, I want to get off" type of thing. It was a cover done by a man called A. West, a crazy and wonderful person in Los Angeles who, when we were out there mixing - we were in Conway Studios mixing the album - he came up with this album cover concept, and we just somehow felt that it captured the whole atmosphere of the album.

B: There's also a new logo that appears on the inside part of the CD that would match the carousel; it appears to be taken off of one of the wooden horses, or something.

GL: That's right, he's got a whole history, his whole family were fairground people, and I think that's…isn't that how it came?

KE: Yeah, that was done by a Russian lady, actually, and I can't remember her name now. She's credited on the actual cover.

GL: "Mrs. Vladimiro."

KE: <laughs> That was actually done with a ceramic, I think, that logo…

GL: Oh, that's right…

B: Really?

KE: It was actually built, yes…then photographed.

B: That's amazing. We have Leah on the line who would like to talk with you; she's in Alexandria, Virginia, listening to 98 Rock in Baltimore. Hello, Leah!

Leah: Hi, guys, how are you doin'?

ELP: Hello Leah - hi Leah - hi.

L: It's a great honor to talk with you, finally.

GL: Thank you for that.

L: I've heard the new album and I have to say, it's an oasis in the desert of popular music.

B: <chuckles> Good phrase!

CP: Very nice!

L: My question is this: I read in Keyboard that the song "Affairs of the Heart" was co-written with Geoffrey Downes, and I was wondering how that corroboration [sic] came about.

GL: I was actually working with Geoffrey; we were songwriting for about a year in '89, I suppose…was it '89? I'm getting a nod telling me that it was '89. Thank you very much! We wrote a whole succession of songs, and "Affairs of the Heart" was one of them. I actually wrote the lyric in Venice, which, I was staying at this beautiful hotel called The Danielli. In the lobby there, there's this wonderful chandelier - Venetians are famous for their glasswork - and there was this very beautiful chandelier, and it sort of shot light out all over this lobby. It was the most wonderful sight. We decided to do it, I think it was a good counterbalance to some of the other material on the record. Some of it was quite serious and hard hitting, and I think a romantic song like "Affairs" was the right thing to have.

B: I understand, too, Greg, there is a song coming on the forthcoming Asia album that you and Geoff have co-written; kind of a trade-off, almost.

GL: I believe that's right…yeah, I believe that's right. So there you go.

B: We're gonna listen to, from Black Moon, right now, "Affairs of the Heart." Emerson, Lake and Palmer - brand new, on Rockline, on the Global Satellite Network.

<"Affairs of the Heart" plays>

B: We have Ray on the line in Norfolk, Virginia right now as a listener of 98.7, WNOR - Ray, you are on.

Ray: Hey, good morning guys.

ELP: Hi Ray!

R: I have a question for Greg, a two-part question. Do you consider yourself primarily as a guitarist or a bass player, or for that matter, primarily a vocalist? And also, what instruments do you plan to bring on tour with you this year?

GL: The answer to the first part is, I don't know anymore, I've sort of lost track of it all! I started off as a guitar player you know, and I still play acoustic; I love the guitar. I suppose what I'd like to think of myself as is a singer and lyricist; but I love playing all the guitars, and I've got a whole battery of them to take on tour - some very interesting ones. I've just started working with this midi bass, which is very interesting, because I can fire all kinds of things off it. And that was about - what was the second question? I've forgotten the second part, now!

R: What you'd be bringing on tour this year.

GL: Oh, that was what it was, yeah…no, I mean, too many to mention - a lot of nice acoustics, I just love acoustic guitars. As I said, the midi bass, which is interesting. Other than that, I've got a whole selection of just very nice bass guitars. If you do come to one of the shows, just give us a shout backstage and I'll show them to you.

B: There you go, Ray. Michael, it's your turn; he's in Long Island, listening to 92.3 K-Rock in New York. Michael, you're on the Rockline.

Michael: Yes, good morning, ELP - how are we doing?

ELP: Good morning - hi, Michael.

M: I guess you won't mind, since I'm calling you in England, to say hello, Henderson, Snake, and Charmer. <background chuckles> I just wanted to say that New York is very excited about seeing you. I'm going to be seeing you at Jones Beach on the tour in July.

ELP: Good!

M: I wanted to know if - basically, directed to Keith - will any of the music be published of Black Moon, or possibly, more desirable, the Karn Evil 9 suite, because I'm a very big keyboard player.

KE: Yeah, I hope so, Michael. I would hope also, that a lot of the back catalog of ELP's is reissued. I think Warner Brothers did three books; Tarkus was one of them. There was also the ELP Anthology, which had "Pirates" in it, and pieces like that. There was also an Emerson, Lake and Palmer one, which had things like "Take A Pebble," and other pieces. Yes, I don't see why we shouldn't be releasing some of the music from Black Moon, also.

B: So look for it, Michael - it may be coming out, so hit the music stores there, and thank for your call; good luck with your playing. We have Dave waiting, in St. Peters, Missouri. KC-95 in St. Louis, our long-time affiliate - Dave, you are on.

Dave: Thank you! Hello, guys, how're you doing?

ELP: Hi Dave!

D: Question regarding California Jam, Ontario Speedway, California, back in 1974 - is there gonna be a video of that released, because the only time I saw it was when it was on ABC at that time. There was no VCR's back then!

ELP: <chuckling in agreement>

CP: This is Carl speaking, Dave. I don't think there's going to be a video of that particular concert, but we are putting together a documentary which will involve some clips taken from that concert. Apart from other archive footage, and some present day sort of "in concert" from the Black Moon Tour, so I think that's what there is to look forward to in the future as far as new video footage of Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

B: Is there anything that stands out about that performance in your minds, other than the fact that it was a long time ago, and there were hundreds of thousands of people there?

CP: That was the famous concert for the flying piano, wasn't it?

B: That's right, that was that era, wasn't it?

CP: Yes, he took off that night!

B: Dave, thanks for the call. Let's talk with Glenn; he's in San Jose, California, a listener of 97.3, KRQR, in San Francisco. We welcome Glenn to the program; hi!

Glenn: Hello! I have a question for Keith. I met you and Carl when you were in Campbell back in 1988, and you guys took a fancy to my black Dino. Do you remember that?

CP: Absolutely; I remember your black Dino…

G: At the time…Keith was…

CP: I think you gave me a bottle of wine, Glenn; how about that for a memory?

G: Yes, I did!

CP: How about that for a memory!

G: But I should tell everyone that you did not drink it. <chuckling>

CP: That's absolutely right!

GL: <chuckling> What the hell did you do with it?

CP: (to Glenn) Maybe you could get it right next time.

G: So, I wanted to ask Keith, you had mentioned to me that you were going to, uh, you played a song called "Creole Dance," at the time, and you said you were going to be putting that on your next album. I was curious why it didn't make it.

KE: Yes…um, well, I don't know. I've done several recordings of it, actually…um, but it hasn't been released yet. I don't know, maybe sometime in the future I might do a piano solo album or play it with the guys, here. I don't know…you'd like me to release it?

B: Glenn, there you go…apparently he does, yeah! There you go.

CP: Actually, Glenn, we could get him to run one off just for you. <everyone laughs>

B: When he says he showed you his "Dino," I assume his Dino Ferrari; is that the case?

CP: Yes, he did, yes.

GL: I wondered what he was talking about! <more laughter>

B: I showed him my Dino, yeah! <everyone laughs>

GL: Let's get our Dinos out, here! <laughter>

B: Well, people who drive Dinos should be handing out free bottles of wine; thank you very much, Glenn, for the call. Couple more concert dates, quickly: on the fifth of August, in Quebec at Lagoura (?); also, Montreal on the seventh; Rochester, NY on the eighth of August, and into Toronto on the ninth; Cleveland, OH on the eleventh; Detroit, the twelfth of August; and Cincinnati on the thirteenth. We're going to play the song, "Changing States," right now. Any story anyone can provide us about this song; fill us in on?

KE: Yes, that started out about two years ago, I was in California, and I wrote this piece, and did a version of it there. Greg and Carl heard that version, and liked it, and we got together and sort of extended it a bit more. It was called "Frontiers," then, actually. <chuckles> I don't know if I should get into the story of that, really…<clears throat>…no. It's now called "Changing States."

B: And runs about six minutes' worth, and here it is for you on Rockline.

KE: Absolutely.

<"Changing States" plays>

B: Yes! From Black Moon, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, "Changing States," and during that song Keith Emerson mentioned to me that he wants to dedicate that to Rand-McNally - the way the world is changing these days. We'll be back in a moment; it's An Evening With Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Part 2, as a matter of fact; an extended Part 2 of Rockline with ELP. The number to call is toll-free, 1-800-344-Rock, on the Global Satellite Network

<break>

B: Hey, thanks for coming back, it's An Evening With Emerson, Lake & Palmer, on Rockline, on the Global Satellite Network. Ed is on the line in Parsonsburg, Maryland, and he's listening to The Beach, 93.5, WZBH, in Ocean Beach, MD and Ed, you're on the show.

Ed: Good morning guys; hey, it's great to talk to you, you're my favorite band.

ELP: Hi Ed! Hi.

E: How're you doin.' What I'd like to know is, what caused you to break up back in '79, and then what caused you now, 13-14 years later, to get back together again? Was it the music, friendship?

GL: They're all looking at me. <background snickering> Hi Ed, this is Greg here. I think, really, the bottom line of it was, that throughout the 70s, we used to play on average approximately 180 cities a year. Apart from that we've made, I suppose, 8 or 9 records during that time. I think, really, we just became artistically and physically drained at the end of it. I think we just realized that it was time to stop. That, basically, was the reason for it stopping at that time. The reason for it starting again, was that a friend of ours, Phil Carson, who we'd had a long involvement with over our career, asked us if we'd like to do a film score for his new record label, Victory. We were enthusiastic about it, and we started to do it and that was how this album came about, really - it's a product of starting to work on that. I hope that answers your question.

B: God bless you Phil Carson, for doing that! Thank you, Ed, for being on the show. It's Mitch's turn, in New Orleans, a listener of 99.5 WRNO, here's ELP for you, Mitch.

Mitch: Good morning from Sin City, gentlemen.

ELP: Hi Mitch!

M: I've been a fan for 20 years and I've seen you live 4 times. My question is, did the drug culture of the late 60's and early 70's ever influence your music of that period?

GL: Carl??? <laughter>

B: Silence…heavy breathing…<everyone laughs>…Keith, passing the buck…

GL: Keith! Get up off the floor, Keith!

KE: The drug culture of the 60's?

B: How do you answer that?

KE: Well, you're referring to the 60's?

B: Yes the 60's & early 70's…

CP: He is, yes.

KE: Well I think that, that whole period was very experimental. I came in on a band called The Nice, I don't think we really experimented that much. It was around, <someone chuckles> but I think that the music was more experimental than the…

GL: You were pretty out of it when I met you!

KE: I was out of it, was I? Yeah…there you go.

B: Very diplomatic.

GL: That was the time of sort of this whole, "peace and love," and people breaking through, new discoveries of awareness…I think, yeah, we were all part of that, really. Children of the 60's, 70's…

B: And now we've found out that we can have peace and love without drugs, and we're all better off. Mitch, thanks for the call. We have Rob on the line in Niagara Falls, he's listening to 97 Rock in Buffalo - it's your turn, Rob.

Rob: Good morning, Greg, Carl, Keith - how are you guys?

ELP: 'Morning - hi Rob.

Rob: Hey, I'm looking forward to the 9th of August when the Black Moon will loom over Toronto. My question is in regards to the B side of the new single, "Black Moon." I understand that it's a track called "Blade of Steel," and it will not appear on the album. Are there any other tracks…

CP: "Blade of Grass."

Rob: I'm sorry?

KE: It's called "Blade of Grass."

Rob: "Blade of Grass," my apologies. Are there any other tracks that were left over and can we expect them into release? And Carl, for us Asia fans, can you please tell us who's in the current lineup.

KE: I don't think there are any left over from this session…actually, are there, Greg?

GL: No…I don't know…

KE: There's bits and pieces…

GL: There's certainly music that we didn't tackle. Funnily enough, I was playing a cassette yesterday and I found a whole load of stuff that you'd written that we'd never actually got 'round to playing. Here, I'll play it to you.

KE: Really…<laughs>

GL: You'd be very interested to hear it!

KE: Would I?

GL: What was it…Carl? Did you want to say something?

CP: Oh yes, Asia…we were talking about.

B: Yes, he was.

CP: I think it's Geoff Downes, Steve Howe; there's a new drummer there called Trevor Thornton - I believe I pronounced that right - and there's another guitar player playing along with Steve Howe, called Vinny. His surname, I'm not sure of. I believe they're going on tour in the next ten days, in Japan.

B: Rob, there you are, thank you for being on the show.

CP: And John Payne on bass; singing in place of John Wetton.

B: Ah, there you go…

CP: Thank you so much, man.

B: There's the lineup for you, there. We're going to play "Burning Bridges," which was not written by a band member; it was written by the gentleman who produced the album. How did this come into the CD, and what kind of a job did he do producing you?

GL: This song was written by Mark Mancina, who produced the record, and it was in fact the way that we met Mark. We heard this song, from Mark, and we instantly liked it and liked the way that Mark worked. When we met him, he was really, he understood the music of ELP. He was a fantastic producer, he really did an amazing job on this record. Despite - I mean, I've been involved in the production mainly throughout the group's history - and I never thought I could ever be totally happy with someone else being in that position, but I have to say that at the end of this record we all really felt - he was fantastic. Not only did we get a fantastic producer but we also got a friend out of it. We also got a fantastic song - he wrote "Burning Bridges," and we were really happy to be able to play it for him.

B: What nice things to say! Let's listen to the song right now, "Burning Bridges," Emerson, Lake and Palmer on Rockline.

<"Burning Bridges" plays>

B: Welcome back to Rockline, Part 2 of our Evening With Emerson, Lake and Palmer continues. A couple of more concert dates, quickly: August 15th in St. Louis; the 16th, Chicago, at the venue called The World - you've gotta like that; Indianapolis on the 17th - great race yesterday, by the way - also, Atlanta on the 18th of August. The 20th, ELP will be in Dallas, followed by a date in Houston on the 21st; San Antonio, the band rolls into that city on the 22nd; into Phoenix on the 24th; San Diego the 26th of August; and then a couple of dates in the Los Angeles area: the 28th at the Universal Amphitheatre, and the Brenn Event Center in Irvine on the 29th, followed by Las Vegas on the 30th of August. That's part of the tour itinerary for ELP; more to follow if we have time. Right now a call from Jacksonville, FL; it's David, he's listening to - I'm sorry, Jacksonville, AR - he's listening to Magic 105 in Little Rock, and David, you're on with ELP.

David: Hello, ELP, and BC! How's everybody doing?

All: Hi, David. Doing good - hello, David.

D: Ahh…Greg Lake, I love your stuff, I'm a fellow bass player and I really love listening to your music.

GL: Thank you very much.

D: I was wondering, y'all have done several different classical remakes. You've done "Fanfare for the Common Man;" you did "Mars" on the Powell album. How do you go on about choosing some of the songs that you've felt like doing your own version of?

KE: Mainly because we like them very much, I think, David. We've always tried to maintain the integrity of the pieces rather than sort of, do joke rock & roll pieces out of them. When I've done most of these adaptations, I've really got into listening to the original orchestral recordings, buying the orchestral score; if there's a piano reduction, buying that - checking that out. Also, if the composer has been alive, I've made contact with them, too. I know that Copland was very excited about our version of "Fanfare," as was Ginastera when we did the "Toccata." I don't know if you know, on Black Moon, we've done an adaptation of the "Romeo and Juliet," Prokofiev piece, which we're quite excited about.

B: It's an outstanding version of that, as a matter of fact; David, thank you for a good call. We're going to move to Detroit right now; let Jim have his turn - a listener of 101 FM, WRIF - long-time affiliate of Rockline. Jim, you're on the show.

Jim: Good morning, everyone - I just wanted to find out here, Carl, in particular - how does your playing style differentiate between your ELP style and when you played with Asia?

CP: Obviously, playing in Asia, my approach was a lot simpler. The band basically played songs - was more of a pop group, you could say. Maybe that's the wrong terminology, but that was the basis of the music; it was very commercial. With this particular band, obviously, there's more expanse to the music, there's more things to be played - we are a three-piece and not a four-piece. There's a lot more room here, than what there was with Asia, as there always was. I would say that this is probably more enjoyable from the point of view of the actual sort of "percussive-ness" of it. There's no doubt that I can play more here, stretch out, and when a song comes along, I know how to treat that, too. So, I would say that this is probably more enjoyable, but the Asia thing is something that I recommend that every drummer does at some stage in his career - play songs - because knowing what's needed for that, a song, is very, very important, really. You have to experience it to know what it is. Unfortunately, when people write songs, they don't always know what a drummer should play, so drummers really end up not playing as much as what they should. When you're on the other side of the drum set, and you're listening to it, there's an awful lot that can be done. I had a great experience with that band, but as far as the percussive arts are concerned, there's a lot more on this side of the fence for me to actually perform and play.

B: Well-stated and a good question, Jim - thank you. Al is waiting on the line in Saginaw, MI - a listener of 93.9 KQZ; hello, Al.

Al: Good morning, gentlemen, it's a pleasure to talk to you and an even greater pleasure to have some new music by you. I have a couple of questions: first, has your stature given you more artistic control overall than most performers today? Did you go into the company and say, 'Here's the album, let's go with it,' or were there compromises?

CP: Hmm…good question.

GL: No, it's not a question of…I suppose we're in a fortunate position, especially with this record. Really, all throughout our career we've been in a fortunate position of it being a coincidence: we make the music we like; we don't make it really as a commercial project. We obviously hope it's successful but we make it because we like it, and in this instance, Victory just had the courage to give us a free hand to make the album we wanted. That's what we've made, so it never really comes about. We make the music and we hope that people enjoy it.

CP: I think - this is Carl speaking - I think you have to bear in mind here, that this particular relationship with Victory Records was via Phil Carson, who has been a mutual friend of the band for probably, twenty-odd years, so you know, there's an awful lot of trust. We were very fortunate to be in that position, because there are restrictions placed on bands today, but this didn't happen with us.

B: That's nice to have creative control. Al - another good call, thank you. You know, I just realized that I only have a couple of more dates here in North America; the rest are in Europe and overseas and whatnot. Sacramento on the 1st of September; San Francisco on the 2nd at the Concord Pavilion; then into Portland, OR on the 4th of September - you'll love this: George Washington, at the Summer Music Theatre on the 5th of September <chuckling>; and Vancouver, BC on the 6th at the Orpheum Theatre and that is pretty much the North American tour as it stands right now. I think one of my favorites on the new CD Black Moon, you wrote solo, Greg - it's the song that wraps up the album - "Footprints in the Snow." What can you tell us about this?

GL: Some songs are written from the mind, and some songs are written from the heart. I suppose when you hear this one, you won't find a lot of difficulty seeing where this one came from.

<"Footprints in the Snow" plays>

B: From the heart - Emerson, Lake and Palmer; "Footprints in the Snow," from Black Moon. I'm Bob Coburn; it's Part 2 of our two-part special with ELP. We have Mike on the line; Mike's in Pasadena, a listener of 95.5 KLOS. Hi Mike!

Mike: Hi, how are you guys doing? Welcome back, Bob - it's nice to have you back.

B: Thank you!

M: I had a question, first of all, for the band, and then second of all, for Keith specifically. I wondered, do you guys have any longer compositions planned for the future along the lines of "Pirates," or "Tarkus," or do you pretty much feel that time has passed?

KE: Concept albums are a thing of the 70's. When we started this album, we thought in that general direction, but I think concept albums only work if there's a relationship between all the pieces. In this particular case, making Black Moon, each individual track didn't have a relationship with the other piece; where we were coming up with so many different ideas. I don't actually see why in the future we shouldn't do a longer piece, you know.

B: It's not actually ruled out; it's just not on this particular album. This album, even though it's new, sounds to me almost like a "greatest hits" record. That was a real compliment, Mike. It's Wendy's turn, in Atlanta, a listener of 96.1 WKLS-FM. Wendy, you're on with ELP.

Wendy: Hi, I'm calling from Karnsville (?), Georgia, and my question is directed to Greg. I would like to know what inspired you to write, "Farewell to Arms," because it is such a beautiful song and - all of them are beautiful on the album - but I really love that song.

GL: Hi Wendy…Yes, "Farewell to Arms," it was at the time of the Russian Revolution, you know, when they were bringing these tanks through the town, and it just was…it just felt to me like there was a chance, for once, of freedom from war, and an end to the arms race, and just generally that feeling of having a chance to escape from war and armaments. It just seemed like a good time to make that statement, and I just loved the melody that Keith wrote, and the music there - it just, it seemed the right statement to make. Thank you very much.

B: I agree with you too, Wendy, and in fact I wish we had time to play all ten songs on this new CD, Black Moon; we do not, however. Please come back after the break for more with Emerson, Lake & Palmer. It's Rockline live, as it happens, on Global Satellite Network. Our number is toll free, 1-800-344-Rock.

Commercial announcer: <ELP songs play in background> Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, Carl Palmer - Radio City presents, Emerson, Lake and Palmer - this Wednesday and Thursday nights at 8 at Radio City Music Hall - an evening with E, L, and P - Tickets available now at the box office, Ticketmaster or call 212-307-7171. Welcome back! An evening with Emerson, Lake and Palmer!>

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