By Loretta de Haan
October 08, 2019
Rick Price returns to his roots on the ‘Heaven Knows’ Album cover-to-cover tour in solo acoustic mode. Rick tours Australia twice a year and in 2018 his ‘Heaven Knows’ cover-to-cover’ shows were so successful he returns to some venues by popular demand and takes the tour to regions he has had a long hiatus from including Western Australia, Far North Queensland and Wollongong. Rick’s only Sydney show will be at the prestigious Seymour Centre for an intimate night at the Sound Lounge.
Rick Price smashed the ARIA charts with hit singles, ‘What’s Wrong With That Girl’, ‘Not A Day Goes By’, ‘A House Divided’, ‘Walk Away Renee’ and ‘Heaven Knows’ back in the ’90’s.
‘Heaven Knows’ was first released through Sony Music in July 1992. The Album peaked at #3 in Australia and spent 23 weeks in the ARIA Top 40 charts. The second single and title track ‘Heaven Knows’ charted across Europe and Asia and won the APRA ‘Song Of The Year’ Award.
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We caught up with Rick for a chat about his tour, that includes a show in Wollongong, his musical career and more.
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Welcome back to Australia Rick is it good to be back home?
It’s always good to be back in Australia!
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So you live in Nashville now, as do so many Australian musicians, What is the attraction in living there?
It’s just music city with a concentration of music being made there. It’s a hub and has been like that for many years with country music of course and then expanding to different styles of music coming out of there.
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Do you miss Australia and how often do you get back here?
I usually get back 2 or 3 times a year and I am here for 3 months of the year. So I get my fix of Australia and don’t get to miss it because I am back pretty regularly, usually twice a year, six weeks at a time.
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Heaven Knows was a major hit for you. How did that song and album change your life and career?
Well it was a really big life changer because you go from being an anonymous person that no one knows to a somewhat very public person that people see you on the television, videos, radio etc. That of course is part and parcel of becoming successful. It also gave me the opportunity to travel all over the world to promote the album, through Europe, Asia and America. So it was a big life changer and because you go from being a private, unknown person to someone everyone knows, it does change the everydayness of your life.
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Your musical career spans more than three decades. What is the secret to the longevity of that?
I’m not sure I have a secret, I wish I did as I would certainly tell you (laughs) I thinks it’s just like careers go up and down, sometimes I have had periods of success and other times it’s been quiet, records that sell well and others that don’t. So I have had the full range of experience with that I suppose. All I can say is that I have always tried to put out good music and tried to make good songs. It’s really that simple although you can make it sound tricky and elaborate but it’s really not. It’s just that you have to write a song, record it, then put it out and then you go out and play it live. That’s the whole business right there. Some of those songs over time develop a real character and life of their own and really hit a chord with people. So it’s hard to say and there really is no guarantee in this business. I have young artists asking me that all the time and I just say do your best work and put it out there, it’s all you can do.
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What are some of the highlights of your career?
I think travelling is certainly one and seeing different parts of the world, getting to perform and talk to people, connecting with people in cultures and counties that I wouldn’t have ordinarily had an opportunity to get to. That’s probably been one of the big highlights. Over the years there have been many performances that have been amazing experiences and connecting with audiences. Some of those haven’t always been at big shows but at the smaller shows I have had that connection. I think it’s the overall experience that wow I get to make records, perform and tour all over the world! That in itself is probably the most profound thing that I have experienced. Of course along the way getting to work with people I admire and getting to write or record with them. I do a lot of record production as well. I suppose when I go back I could find many highlights. There have been many memories and they are good memories to have.
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You are just about to embark on your extensive ‘Heaven Knows’ tour that concludes with a show in Wollongong at Centro CBD on November 16. What can fans expect from the show?
I am going to be performing the album cover to cover in the sequence of the album and I will also do some songs from the additional CD that was released with that album when we did a re- release the year after the initial release called Rarities. I will also be playing some brand new songs as well.
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This is not your first time playing at Centro CBD is it?
No I have played there before! I love it there it’s a great venue.
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You are originally from Queensland and kick off the tour there this week. Is it good to play in your home state?
It sure is! I get to visit with a lot of family while I am there so that’s a highlight of playing in Queensland. There is something special about playing in your home state. . . I like it!
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This tour is acoustic, do you have to re work the songs to suit this mode?
Yes, yes you do somewhat. Performing songs in solo acoustic mode they actually end up reaching back to how I actually wrote the songs because usually songs are written on a single instrument like piano or guitar for me. So they kind of make their way home to their original arrangement. They come back around and do a full circle back to their original birthday suit (laughs).
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Do you enjoy performing your older hits and the connection they must have with your fans who have been with you from the start?
I do I really do because the songs have developed a life of their own. Once they are recorded and go out there people develop their own relationships with the songs and they In some ways develop a life of their own. So even as the songwriter now when I am playing and singing those songs it’s almost like I am talking to an old friend, it may sound cliche but it’s true. It’s like a conversation with an old buddy. Even though I am the songwriter of those songs they don’t feel like mine anymore and could be any song I was up there singing like say Hey Jude because those songs have developed a life of their own.
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As well as performing you also write, record and produce music. What part of the process do you find most rewarding or fun?
Well at the end of the day they all bring different points of value. It’s very satisfying to write a song, just simply to write a song. That’s probably one of the most powerful and rewarding aspects of it. Then to get into the studio and record that song that’s pretty exciting too. then going out and performing the song live, that’s another thing again. It’s hard to compare and say which aspect of it I like the most because they are all really so different. If I had to choose one I would probably choose performing because that connection with the audience live is a very exhilarating experience.
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You have co written and produced for many artists including Tina Arena and most recently producing Dami Im’s record. Is there an Australian artist that you haven’t previously worked with that you would like to work with?
There are many actually, yeah there are quite a few. I am quite a fan of a beautiful singer called Katie Noonan. I really like her and would like to work with her sometime.
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Your most recent album ‘Californian Dreaming’ was a collaboration with fellow 90’s artist Jack Jones, and I must just say that you both rocked those long locks back in the day. Was that a fun album to make?
Yes we did rock the long locks (laughs). It was amazingly fun! We recorded the album in my studio in Nashville with a bunch of incredible musicians and Jack is such a delight to work with, he is such an incredibly talented guy and a beautiful singer and phenomenal guitar player. Just such an intuitive and skilled musician.
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Any plans for a new solo album in the future?
Yes I am working on it right now and will be releasing it in the new year.
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You have been involved in the music industry since the age of 9. How do you keep that passion for your craft alive?
By trying to do new things. I love working with other artists in music so that’s part of what’s kept it alive for me. Not repeating the same thing over & over is another. That would make me not enjoy it as much. I mean I am me and do what I do and I can’t really be something I’m not. So I’m not doing a punk rock album one day and a blues one the next. There always is the thread of connection in what I do but I just like to mix it up a bit and keep it interesting. Another thing is I have always tried to tell my stories and that’s what keeps it original for me. Telling my own stories from my own experiences, that’s what keeps it somewhat original for me. Musically I am pulling from all different styles like country, rhythm and blues, jazz, folk you name it. Also I think what it is that every day in the moment of whatever I am doing, being present and bringing as much enthusiasm to a project as I can and it’s funny enthusiasm seems to feed off itself. If you cover something with enthusiasm and good spirit it tends to give you so much back!
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After this tour what’s next for Rick Price?
I will go back to Nashville and I am touring in America with a good friend of mine Tommy Emmanuel.I will also be in my studio working on my new album. Always keeping busy!
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Thank you so much for your time today Rick and we look forward to welcoming you back to Wollongong at Centro CBD on November 16.
It was lovely to chat with you Loretta and I am looking forward to being there at Centro CBD soon. I love that venue! Hope to see you there.
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Rick Price plays at the Centro CBD, Wollongong – Saturday 16 November as part of his ‘Heaven Knows’ – album cover to cover tour.
Get tickets to all shows here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsOO8h3-Omk
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