Bonus Episode: Rock Legend Glenn Hughes Remembers Living with David Bowie During His Wild 'Station to Station' Era in 1975 Hollywood

aid of exorcisms and supernatural spells. Famously fortified with a diet of cocaine, milk and red peppers, he stayed awake for days at a time, driving himself to the brink of madness through malnutrition and sleep deprivation. It was a dangerous period for me, he would admit in later years. I was at the end of my tether physically and emotionally,

and had serious doubts about my sanity. Somehow, during the depths of his personal hell, he produced the landmark album Station a Station, which many fans rank among the best work he ever made. Of just six songs, including a sprawling title track, he redefined not just his sound, but the sound of rock and roll. The album opens with the sound of a steam train, perhaps not coincidentally, the vehicle that brought the plane phobic Bowie to Los Angeles

in the spring of ninety. For the first few months of his stay, he lived with his friend Glenn Hughes, a rock icon in his own right. Glenn was in the midst of his tenure as the bass player for Deep Purple. They had met in Hollywood the previous year, when the band was recording their hard rock epic Stormbringer and David was in town for his Diamond Dogs extravaganza.

The pair hit it off and stayed in touch. When Bowie moved from New York to LA to make his feature film debut and Nick rogues The Man Who Fell to Earth a few months later, he decided to stay with Hughes to keep a low profile. Desperate to escape the messy legal and business fallout from a split with manager Tony de Freeze, David sought refuge and a friend and certain substances. The excesses of the period of Gone Down and rock lore. You've heard most of them, I'm sure,

which is exercising pools, phantom falling bodies, Nazi newsreels on loop. Thankfully, both men made it out of the Grips of Addiction, David DeCamp to Berlin the break new musical ground with albums like Low and Heroes Which Will Get Too soon enough. Glenn Hughes continue to enjoy a remarkable run in Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, the supergroup Black Country Communion, and a host

of solo projects. Most recently, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer joined the group The Dead Daisies, writing nearly all of the lyrics for their latest album, Holy Ground, which was released in January. In addition to bass duties, he also sings lead on the collection, proving once more. Just in case there's any doubt why they call him the Voice of Rock. I spoke to Glenn about his new music and his time as David Bowie's housemate back

in I guess to start. I wanted to ask you about the first time you met David Bowie was in the summer seventy four when you were in l A recording Stormbringer. That's right, How did you first get connected? We were down there, you know, making the album and um number one. I didn't know he was in the hotel and it was a Saturday night. I was having a bit of a party and uh. His ward showed up Angie and she came to me and asked me

if I'd like to meet him. So I went upstairs to his suite with myself and Keith Moon and Ronnie Wood, my friends, and I met David for the first time. And as you know, in that period, he was going through his R and B period and he was all fascinated by Black American music as most of us were

back then and still are and we were. He was fascinated that I was this rock and roll, rock and roll guy that was really into R and B. He had seeing in the California Jam video concept idea with the Proper and he was taken back that I was such a R and B fanatic and he was in that world at that time. He was, as you know, forever changing. And that thing about David we love the most, he was never ever gonna stop changing. Yeah, you can say that again. And I know you were both big

John Lee Hooker fans. Was that at an early point of connection early on, Yeah, we spoke about all the Blues legends and we're talked about the Sole legends, and we we were very very similar in in what we believed was the right thing to do at that period for me as well. I mean that was the night we we met and we basically went on a long run together, um, which we can talk about, but but in general, it's difficult when you actually it was difficult being in a place with David. He wanted to spend

a lot of time with me talking about whatever. So we got a chance to do more meeting up when I went to New York. I spent a lot of time in New York. But in general, I'd say the summer of seventy four is when we first made that that that that meeting. What were your first impressions of David in the flesh, because, as you said, you're hanging out with Ronnie Wood and Keith Moon. In what ways was he different than those guys. When you get one on one with someone, it doesn't matter that the profile

or not. You have to give your yourself the opportunity to hear what they're saying and deal with they're saying. And David was a person that liked to make a point. He had so much energy behind everything that he all he was concerned about was making the next move on the table. For him, that would have been young Americans. You know, he had David Live out already and he was really getting ready to to do young Americans. Is there anything that that you learned from him in that era?

I think it was in your memoir where you said that he would tell you, you you know, if everyone's going right, go left, you know, go go with it, go against the grain. Like what what? How did he How did he share that with you? How did he show that to you? Well, he knew I was friends with Stevie Wonder, and he knew that I loved Stevis were and he got me alone one day he said, listen, Glenn, you should listen, or you should maybe listen to something else,

or you know, some other artists. Like he always kept on about newness a moment. But I understood what he was saying because he wanted to go against the grain. Uh, not an ego away, he just loved uh, fighting that his own cause, you know, and you could never penned David down. He was always changing. That's the most remarkable thing I've learned about him, which is I've taken into my life never be afraid to change. The only thing that happens in life our pain and change and there's

been a lot of both of those evolution. Yeah, that's a beautiful way to put it. One of my my great constant regrets that I never got to see was the Diamond Dogs tour um. I understand you saw it in um September or seven before. What was that like to see? If I did. I was at the old Universal Ampitheater when he was outside and he did five nights. I was there for two shows. Oh excuse me. Incredible Trulian master. We all know about David. A master at

its crap, completely a master at his crap. David remember Dave sambleand Sacks, David Cherry, and I hadn't known too much what he was doing on that particular run until I saw it live. And again, this is when he was deep into the R and B collect connection, which I I've always been, And when I saw him on those two occasions at the Universal, it was mind altering. He really was. It was the thing with David. He was mysterious. And that's the way I like to keep

my life too. It's being aware of your surroundings and and having some privacy and and always you know, turning right instead of turning less. How did it come to pass that David came to live in your house in the in the spring of because you were away on tour when he first arrived, right, so he was all by himself. This is the craziest thing. This is David Bowie going to travel alone on the train from New York alone. Um. And he wanted me to pick him up at the uh Grow Central down in the left.

And I couldn't beat that because I was actually in bok arrest or Paris. So I had the guy that was working for me at my house pick him up. And when I got home three days later, he was there in my home. Um, I think it's I spoke about this before. He wanted to disappear from New York, or disappear from the people he was working with, if you will, or how can I say, Tony defriest he wanted to distance himself from from from the business aspect, and he he he wanted to come and stay at

my house. Uh. We kept we kept an agreement that no one would know, no mell or, no no friends would know he was coming out. So when I got home there h after being in Paris, I was three days late to that party, and he was waiting and we uh, we had some great, great, great times together. Yeah. I was gonna ask what was the typical day like for you? What would you like to do together? Well, we didn't leave a lot we uh we. I mean, what I'm not gonna do is I'm not gonna grandiose.

I'm not gonna you know, set the benchmark for being grandiose with behavior. Um, let's just say we were. We were both enabling each other, if you will. Um, it was the two of us. Um. We did burn the candles, but we did get a lot of work done as far as you know, bits and pieces of music. Uh. He was totally full blown into the third right. He was fascinated by the World War One and War War two, and he would watch videos and all kinds of stuff

in my home. But the fascinating part about David's stay at my house was this is where he came up with the album Station into Station And I was pretty to see that at work in front of my very eyes. Oh, that is one of my all time favorite albums. What was this creative process like around this time? Was he still doing the William Burrows kind of cutting and paste lyrics? He was absolutely doing that he was, and that was new to me, and it took me a while to

realize what what is it? He never told me so one when day I said, hey, what's going on here? Then he walked me through it. You know, so again he was pressing another button, wasn't he? The album was completely off kilter for I thought it was a wonderful piece of music. But again he was showing me, kind of laying a blueprint out for me, really, I mean about what I should do. I mean I was into proper as you know, a great big rock band, I mean a hard rock band, and I was questioning if

that's where I wanted to stay. And um, but everybody knows I've always been a Black American soul not. Can't help myself as the way I was raised and what David was doing now on stage in the station was was far different what's going on in young Americans. And again, this is the thing that intrigued me about it. He wasn't frightened to delve into something new. And I think of your first solo, I think it played me out. I mean that's got a lot of soul and funk

influences on it too. I feel like yes, he was. Yes, he he was going to produce that when he was at that time, he was he was going to give to Berlin. So that didn't happen, but we were thinking about playing me out with David producing it, and I was definitely in that mindset. As you can hear the album, it's nunlike anything else I've ever done before. It's a complete orchestrated background singers, deep funk, consul and it's uh.

I wouldn't say to tip of the hat towards David, but it definitely gave me a lot of confidence to do my own work like that. Did you keep in touch with David after he moved out of your house and in with Michael Lippman and eventually into his own place in l A. Yes, I did, yes, And I spent some time with David dhin um and also when he went to back to the UK with Iggy and the and the sales brothers. Um. Yeah, I mean we kept in touch for a while and um, it was

an interesting you know the story. David always changed with the weather, you know, and he was it was a different with David, but if you're really close to him, he kept in touch with you. I know those those times. I mean, he's he's mentioned I think you said to It was kind of a dark time for him in the mid seventies and and also for you. But you came out the other side of those kind of scary time getting sober. What where did you find the strength? What got you out of it? Um? Being sick and

tired of being sick and tired. It wasn't I didn't get sober for a girl, or I got sober because I knew that I couldn't survive. There was a point where, you know, I kept asking my higher power for help and he was busy, obviously, and he didn't get to me in Christmas until Christmas Day and I had that break through, a moment where I had someone drive me to the hospital and check me in. It was something that I needed to do for myself. Um, I didn't

know what was going on. I was so paranoid, but I knew it was going to take me if I didn't surrender. And that's what I did. And you are healthy today and busier than ever. You just released your first full length LP with the Dead Daisies, who you joined in. How did you first link up with these guys, because I know you go pretty far back with Doug Aldridge. Yeah, I mean Doug was in my band in two thousand fifty um, and then you know, I mean, so I

should have been so busy. Um. About eighteen months ago, out of a call from the Days management if I'd like to meet with David Lowie who lives in New York, and he flew out to meet me in l A. We had, you know, the Sunset Marquis. We had, you know, an exchange. It was about what they wanted to do moving forward with their own brand. I would I like to be involved with it? And would i'd bring some songs with me? And I said sure. My only concern

was I need to be friendly with these people. I gotta be really honest at this point in my career. I gotta be really part of a brotherhood. And that's that's what we have called a company. I was gonna say, working so for a number of years now, how was it adapting back into sort of a band mentality? Was that a big mental weak for you? Or it wasn't so easy? Actually, because I have been running my own figure so long. It was one step at the time.

Remember this album is recorded record COVID Recording November, sam Out nineteen so. And in France, which is wonderful place to sound me in the southern places, lots of Greek studios, a huge chateau, a remarkable place to make music and to uh, you know, prepare some song. There was an interview gave recently where you said that a lot of your songs, almost all your songs start on acoustic guitar, which surprised me. Even the hard rocking ones start from

this comparatively delicate place. What is it about starting on acoustic guitar that really works for is allow you to to see here the dynamics more clearly or what is it? I think? For a time in my life I was writing on electric guitar, excuse me, and then the last few albums I wanted to write acoustically because if you can create a song acoustically, you can really hear everything that you need to hear. There's no affects on the guitar has known nothing, and I've written some very heavy

songs on the Black Country album Monaco Guitar. So for me, the acoustic has been my friend, really has been really close friends I I love so much of the album. I love the track like no other. You you cut that one live? Right, You've got a lot of these tracks live. Yeah, you know, I'm not approach those. Guy. Um, I've been making records a long, long, long time, and let's just say, in the nighties I did a few

things that that didn't sound right for me. And then, you know, sort of early two thousands, I started to say, I'm going to go back to making, you know, especially on some movie which my dear friend Chad Smith. We we we went in and cut that live. And I've been doing that with Black Country and all the solos I've done since then. I have to ask you, as a passion and amateur basis, I never forgive myself if I don't. How do you get that? Based on what do you use? Oh? You know, and this is a

good question. Off the top of my head, the obvious answer for me is it's in the fingers. Um. It's first of all, it's in the soul, and then it passes through it's in the fingers. I think it's in the way certain people play instruments, whether it's the way John Bottom held a drumstick, you know, you know, so certain soccer players kick a ball. It's it's an acclamation of the single clarity of a tone, or like, oh

I only got that tone. Um, And for me, I go a lot of Basically, I can't pick any of any of rob and you wouldn't even know it is a difference. But I guess, I guess. I truly am a man that loves to play bass guitar. And people basically know me as a singer. But a lot of people don't, well not a lot of people, but people don't know what played, babe. Now that's starting to realize. They do and they go and hang on a minute,

have you heard like no other? And they like, it's just a it's just a piece of Glenn, It's just what I do. Now, you're you're mostly a pick a pectum guy, right as opposed to a finger style player. And I'll tell you why. Um. When I joined the Ancle find Just Keepers when I was seventeen, I got a call on Wednesday night. I was playing guitar in another band on Friday night. They wanted me to join and I had two days to learn the songs and yeah, and and I couldn't play with my fingers because you

have to learn how to do that. So, but what I need you to know is that anybody hearing this, I think with my thing, there's any sound like I'm playing a pick. I've learned from the great space players in the world. From that people that don't use a pick, you know, the greater space players, And I've learned from them what not to play. You know, it's important for me not to, oh, listen, I do rage on the

base so like the water. But if you listen to the work I've done in a new band of Obedience, there's a lot of holes and spaces, and I really I am in love with playing backs again. I think it's pretty obvious if you if you hear what I'm doing now, you can see them. I have a lot of fun, a lot of fun, and and a lot a long way that continue. Absolutely. I hope we can get out there and see you having fun very soon. And how have you been doing in the past year?

So have you been adapting, staying healthy and happy? Have you been writing a lot? I've been writing a lot. I've wrote a whole bunch of new material. Um, I have a studio here. Let's just say six months of last year was locked in my studio preparing some new work. Um, and that's ongoing. I have been blessed to be a songwriter.

In the seventies and eighties, Okay, I got some success as a writer, but when I got sober in the early nineties, that all changed for me because I started to think about the human condition and walking through the fear and letting go. Those things for me are so important. Is there something since you got sober that is the most important thing that you've learned since then, something you would like to to pass along to two fans and listeners.

You can't live in the past. It's there's some wonderful memories. I've gotten some in different and crazy memories, but I can't go there because it can't be redone. And if I go into the future, it's a dangerous topic because you just don't know. And the only place I'm gonna be it's totally here in this mond now. It's taken me lifetime to talk like this, a life time to understand about the present moment. And it's very basic to me,

very very basic. If I'm either in the past or the future, UM, I just gotta remember, come on now, you're not there and just stay here, and if I stay here in the presence, then I'm going to have a good good time. Makes you a happier person. It probably makes you a better musician to just being there and hearing what's happening in that exact moment and how to respond to it. Oh, it really does the last listen new songs of written of later or all about

that actually holding ground? The album I wrote the lyrics too, is about the same subjects as well, so I think for the rest of my career, if I can say this, that's what I'm going to be thinking about. I don't like to sing too much about fiction. I like to talk about stuff that we're all going through and to be a HeLa if you will. Off the Record is a production of I Heart Radio. If you liked what

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