Article and Phone Interview in Philippine Newspaper 10/23/2011

“He’s a great human being and we had a lot of fun. There aren’t singers like him anymore. He can sing anything from classical music to jazz to something like (You Are So Beautiful), it’s so unbelievably soulful.”

That’s Chris Botti summing up his experience working with Michael Bolton on Gems – The Duets Collection, Bolton’s latest (the 21st) studio album on which Botti sings with Bolton a duet of, that’s it, You Are So Beautiful, one of the 12 selections.

Added A.R. Rahman (on Sajna), “When I first met Michael, we got to talking about music, philosophy, the universe and many things that we had in common. I wanted Michael to do a bit of singing that he’s never done before, without compromising on his musicality.”

Released locally by Sony Music, the album also carries these songs: Love Is Everything (with Rascal Flatts), Fields Of God (with Eva Cassidy), Pride (In The Name of Love) with Anne Akiko Meyers, I’m Not Ready (with Delta Goodrem), Over The Rainbow (with Paula Fernandes), When A Man Loves A Woman/It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World (medley with Seal and James Brown), The Prayer (with Lara Fabian), Hallelujah (with MB’s Children’s Choir) Steel Bars (with Orianthi) and Make You Feel My Love (with Helene Fischer).

“It was an incredibly rewarding experience recording this album,” said Bolton. “The opportunity to work with legendary talent like David Foster, Dan Huff, A.R. Rahman and some of the absolute, greatest singers and recording artists in the entire world was inspiring. I can’t wait to share the special music we all created with the world.”

The good news is that Bolton will be performing “live” as special guest in Hit Man Returns: David Foster & Friends (Asian Tour 2011) at the Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday, Oct. 25, together with Philip Bailey, Ashanti, Russell Watson and Charice. (For tickets, call Ticketnet at 911-5555.)

Last week, Conversations did an exclusive phone interview with Bolton (who was in Canada). Excerpts:

Let’s start with Gems – The Duets Collection. Why those 12 songs on it?

“Those are beautiful songs. I think you could spend your whole lifetime finding gems…those amazing compositions that kept being embraced by different generations and different styles of artists. Gems started out as just trying a few directions and it turned into an amazing opportunity to perform with different artists from all over the world. We started getting phone calls from different record executives who represented different artists such as Helene Fischer, the biggest artist in Germany…different artists who grew up on my music. They were teenagers when they were hearing my music. There’s also Eva Cassidy who has passed away but her family gave us the permission to turn her version of Fields Of Gold into a duet.”

Why didn’t you include a Filipino artist like Charice (photo) who’s a protégé of David Foster who worked with you on the album? Do you know her?

“Oh yes, I know. I wish I had met her sooner. But I am going to be working with her on this tour — you know, David Foster and Friends. Charice and I are working on a little surprise, so I do have a chance to perform with her. She’s amazing!”

Is David also involved in your and Charice’s “little surprise”?

“Hmmmmm. As I said, it’s a ‘little surprise.’ David is a pleasure to work with. In Gems, he’s involved in three tracks: The Prayer (with Lara Fabian), and a medley of When A Man Loves A Woman (with Seal) and It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World (also with Seal and James Brown joining in). Performing with David and Charice in Manila would be fun. I asked David if Charice and I could sing together and next thing I knew he got back to me and said, ‘Yes, you could.’ I don’t want to tell you what it is Charice and I are going to do but my plan is that Charice and I can do something together onstage.” (Foster was quoted as saying, “I woke up at 6 o’clock one morning with the idea that these two songs [the medley] could go together, with these two great voices from different genres, and they embraced it. This is a powerful, powerful moment. It’s a real shootout, and it’s impossible to say who wins because they’re both amazing.”)

Oops! The “little surprise” is out of the bag, partly.

“Okay, we might do a recording together.”

Of all your songs, what are your top three favorites?

“One of them is Nessun Dorma. I first had to learn it to sing it with Pavarotti. It was a great honor to sing with him. After that, I started studying opera…I’m studying, you know, the voice. I can’t name two more because there are so many of my songs that I love for different reasons and at different times.”

What gives you the most satisfaction as a singer, as an artist?

“It’s something that happens when you connect as a vocalist. It’s a power that happens when you are singing something with a breathtaking melody and you are emotionally connected to the audience. Like The Prayer. Whenever I’m singing that, its melody is so powerful that it takes me to a very respectful place, an emotional place, and there’s something that happens in those moments that an artist can experience. The great thing about an artist is we get to do that in front of an audience and the audience responds right then and there. If you are a great painter or sculptor or a writer, you don’t get that kind of immediate feedback. You have to release the artwork and then somebody else tells you his reaction much later.”

From what or from whom do you draw inspiration?

“From what? I would say from life. Life experiences deepen through the years because you look at life very differently and you appreciate life from a different place. The irony is that you finally understand what life is all about in your later years and not in your earlier years. That’s why they say that ‘youth is wasted on the young.’ Life experiences teach you so much. There are things that happen that become songs.”

What about heartbreak? Do you sing better when you’re in love or when you’re out of love?

“I think you have to be vulnerable to heartbreak in order to feel joy. There’s some belief, and it has been written about, that the same low that pain comes from is the same low, the same depth of emotion and spirit, that love also comes from. If your heart can’t be broken, then you are probably not experiencing enough love.”

What is the current state of your heart. How’s your love life?

“Hahahahaha! Hmmmm, right now I’m single. And I’m not in the same city for more than two or three days, you know, until end of December. I’ve been touring for the last couple of years almost non-stop, so I’m single and not in a position to be otherwise right now.”

Oh, single for how long now?

“Uhm, for two and a half years.”

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