And now here they are, Nick and Sue on Chatterbox. When the stars talk, they talk to Nick and Sue. Hello there and welcome back to the Chatterbox Redux podcast with Nick and Sue and today our special guest is Marty Wild. Nick and Sue are chatterbox giving you all you need to know about musical entertainment. Oh yeah! Chatterbox! And now in Chatterbox UK, we're just lucky enough to welcome back Marty Wilde. Marty, how are you? Welcome again. Hello, Marty. Thank you. Hello
to you too. Lovely to see you. Marty, last time we spoke, it was lockdown. And you were saying what you were planning, you know, for when it actually got back to normal and you could turn and do things again. Quite a lot's happened since. And now you've got a new release you've also undertaking or just about to undertake a massive tour and that's to celebrate your 85th birthday.
Yes, yeah it's still a busy time for me which is unusual for a man of my years to be doing all that work but I love it you know I just love this industry and I love I love making music and I love my tours, I love working, I really enjoy that. Stage work in particular, obviously. And recording, I mean, writing and, you know, the whole thing, the whole package, I'm very lucky. Even down to driving to the shows, I adore
driving, and I love travelling. I get it always, you know, the only time it gets tough is sometimes... If you're getting home around about three in the morning and you're driving, then you start feeling a bit sorry for yourself. You get tired. But other than that, I feel great. Well, it's not like it's anything new to you, is it? You've been doing it a very long time. Just great, is it? I started to work out when your first hit was, was it 1957? So we are. I started in 57.
I think 58 was my first hit, but I started in 57. It's been a lot of years. It's over 60, I know that much. It's fantastic. I see, I was just going through the hits that you've had and towards the end, you brought out, I was looking in the USA, of course, Bad Boy, which you paint yourself, got in the top 50 there. And then I just looked down and Abba Goveni, which didn't do much, that became a hit in the USA as well, 67 time, I think it was. You are known there,
so that's pretty cool. And of course, not only in your name as an artist, of course, you've also known in America, of course, for penning or co -penning songs for Kim. Yeah, we had a... And particularly in Europe as well. Europe was our big stronghold, really. The UK and Europe. For Kim's records, it was great. It was terrific. Kim had a top 20, I think her number 12 was turn off or something like that for kids in America. But then she had number one with you keep hanging
on. So but the thing is, you know, if you're going to do all that, you've got to go over to America, you've got to work really hard. At that point, there were other things going on and Kim didn't have the time to get out there. You really got to. If you're going to be a hit in America, you've got to really dedicate yourself out there for a while. And we couldn't do that, which was
a shame in a way. But I think Kim's happier, to be honest with you, having just the European market and the UK market is big enough, I tell you. It's hard work because she's just been... She's been working all over the place. She works every European country you can think of. They love her there. So it's lovely that she's got those markets. But it is hard work. And I think America is particularly hard work. I'm not sure I could handle it myself personally. I don't
know. I just think it was great with you as a songwriter. You've written some great songs over the years and it's brilliant to see that when you weren't recording yourself, and I don't know if you do much touring the early 80s, but it was great that you could be writing the songs for Kim. That was great. Keep it in the family. Very good. But I have got a fax here. that the I'm just one of those sort of guys who just keeps working and keeps his head down and trying to
do his best. I mean, it's a nice thing, but I don't think about it too much. But nevertheless, it's an honor. It's very sweet, very nice. Nice for the people to remember as well. It's just brilliant. Now, we've got this single. We have already played it once on our Sunday show. week back. But yes, Two Eyes Streaming has released officially released on the 19th of April, and this is a release to celebrate your 85th birthday the same week. So tell us about that song. Why
did you choose that? What's the meaning of the song to you? What is the idea was really the basis of the story of the song was somebody leaving you know a child and a woman or maybe you know. Yeah the child woman at the key side and the guys on a boat or submarine always going away
on a plane. saying goodbye and saying that i will be back don't worry you know don't don't stand there crying all the time you know i will be back and things will come back to normal and they'll be peace again you know it's a. it's um yeah it's kind of it's like virulins will meet again but in a more modern idiom because he's going to come back and he's going to write letters and i might have got that wrong i'm not sure if anyone's abroad these days like in in
the services that they do write letters i'm not sure whether they email or they do it that way anymore probably messenger or something i don't know yeah they should write nothing more special than a letter though of course but yeah um okay now do you have an interest uh with this tour you've got coming up is that the song that two eyes streaming is that the song that you finished with like a little bit of tongue in cheek that you'll be back again perhaps no no we no we we
we funny enough we do it after um we do it after bad boy which was the very first hit um that i ever had uh as a writer with that was way back in 1959 I think and so we use that as like to balance on someone here's what I'm writing now it's one of the latest songs you know and because I've been non -stop writing really for quite some time now since well since really since the 80s. I never paid a lot of attention to writing. I was writing hits without paying attention to
being a writer. I was always doing other things. And I think, oh, I need a song. OK, I'll write this or whatever. But I thought with Kim's career, I started to concentrate a lot more on writing. I concentrated on writing lyrics and stories.
I wanted to write stories. that's been something i've really enjoyed doing as well over the years bad boy was an amazing song though that was a great uh great one to have a first hit with and uh i remember asking you some years ago you probably thought i was being silly for asking it but i was like of course you've been happy about it all the way through which is amazing uh i have to ask you what the secret is sometime but uh sorry love that um it's uh very much a case of
I remember asking you was that a from a personal experience said no no I just felt like writing it and then what a great song it was. It still sounds good to this day, it really does, I love it. Well, you have to, when you're writing lyrics, you know, sometimes I was listening to one of Tim Rice's lyrics, I Don't Know How To Love Him Today, which is from Jesus Christ Superstar. And of course, you see, you're a man putting yourself in the place of a woman, really, in
that sort of idiom there. And I was always... trying to put myself in a place of what Kim would be, you know, what a woman would be thinking for when Kim sang the lyrics. And sometimes I never found it difficult, but it is a rather strange thing. You know, I write lyrics for men, but I'm happier writing lyrics for women, I think. Must be myself to touch. And of course, just a reminder, of course, you have written hits
for other people other than Kim, of course. And of course, one that comes to mind that may be overlooked is, of course, Jessamine by The Casuals. Yeah, Jessamine was a sweet song. I didn't think when we first demoed it, you know, all those years ago, I didn't think, I thought, well, it's a bit off the wall. It was a bit different to some of the other songs that were out at the time, and I thought, well, it won't make it, but never mind, let's just do it anyway because
it's good fun. The bystanders recorded it, a Welsh group, a very fine Welsh group, and they did a brilliant version of it. It didn't hit. It didn't have that commercial sound that the casuals had. The casuals took it to another level, really. It's certainly in commerciality. Well, yeah, it stalled at number two, after all. So that's pretty good. You know, it was. Are you still I see you have had number ones in other countries, but are you still after that elusive
number one in the UK? I think anyone, any writer would love to have a number one. I mean, but I'd be, you know, I'm happy, right? If I could get a top 10 or something like that, you know, I'm happy as a writer. It's very difficult. And I mean, now there are so many markets, you know, there are different charts, different things. And I see one chart and it will say that a certain artist is number one. And then I look at another one. I don't know what to believe in the end.
I know there's vinyl, there's charts taking everything, there's downloads only, there's this chart, that chart, I know you're quite right, heritage charts and fab charts, yeah you're quite right. I'm in heritage charts, that I do know. Brilliant, fantastic. Let's hope we can get you in the CBUK Airplay Chart as well, that'd be good. I'm sure you will make it there as well. Sue, before we, we are going to just talk about your tour in a second, Marty, but have you got anything to
ask Marty? Not at the moment. He's not going to be around for long. Question I have, can we go and see? Go to East Grinstead. We can go to East Grinstead and see Marty. We can't. You heard that, didn't you? We're going to see you in East Grinstead, apparently, Marty. So there you go. Right. Marty, it's great, sir. It has already started. But by the time this goes out. We are going to be looking at 24th of March, Browrie Hill Civic Hall, 31st of March, New Theatre Peterborough.
Yes, so we come along to the show in East Grinstead. What can we expect? Have we got a warm -up group or is it you doing a concert with a break in the middle? It's just me and my band, the Wildcats, been with me a long time, over 40 years some of them, and so it's just us. We do both halves, the first half and second half, and it's just a lovely show. It's a very warm show. It's a fun show we don't take ourselves too seriously.
I'm not trying to be a big idol anymore I'm not trying to have to live up to things I just get out there and I talk to them like I'm talking to you in it I say whatever comes into my mind now that's dangerous sometimes but I do say my mind and sometimes the audience are like, I think they, I remember one comment, I won't say the line, but I said a line and the audience actually gasped. I thought, Marty, you've come too far, mate, you've come too far, stop that, stop that.
But I do say what comes into my head, but I've wanted to... feel that kind of freedom and I wanted it to be genuine I didn't want to come out on stage in a big I mean I come out in a flash jacket but that's what you do this part of my and I love all that it's rock and roll it's not you know it's not church meeting so I thought okay we're rock and roll jacket but I'd have to talk to people naturally and and say things that are natural not you know not
hide things you know you know people i like to be open on stage very open and um and i hope that comes across to people i want honesty i want an honesty in my show and that's fun honesty don't get me wrong i laugh at myself and my age and all the silly things that happens to people when they get to my age but it's fun you know it's it is there's a great humoring in getting older and if you but not many people can look at it and laugh but i do Some of the things that
happen to me, you know, if your legs are getting stiff or whatever, you know, and you can't do the things you used to do, sometimes I just have to smile. And so I don't take it too seriously because I've been lucky to come this far. That's the way I view it. Well, fantastic. And I want to be talking to you when you've had your ninth decade of hits. So don't you go anywhere. I know you'll go as long as you can. And let's just wish that to happen. That'd be wonderful, I tell
you. Let's ask you about your new song now. Going back, I think, am I right in saying that your son Rick was producing? Kim's songs, is that right? Yes, he still does. He's producing your songs now when you bring something out, is he? No, we split apart. Kim and Rick went one way and I went the other. And it was a good thing in a way because I didn't want to... sort of, you know, like, keep appearing on one of Kim's shows or appearing, you know, in her shows on
stage. It wouldn't be fair. You know, she's got her career. And I like her to keep this separate. She comes on a few of my shows sometimes. The odd one once in a while, maybe twice a year, once a year, she'll come out on one of my shows and we sing together. We enjoy that. But by and large, I wanted her to have a separate career. So Rick still produces and works with Kim. I envy them a lot because they... Recently they've been touring all over Europe and I've been to
Holland, Sweden, Germany, France. They were in Paris. Well, I love Paris as a city. I'd love to work there as well, but I'm not known in Paris, of course, but Kim is and she had a great, great night there. So, you know, it's it's it. We keep our careers two ways, two very separate and it's good, I think. That's brilliant. And I do know that, you know, you said sometimes she comes on the show with you. I have spoken to you in recent years, I know where. Kim did some backing
for you. Was it a Christmas song or something a while back? Yeah, it was. I remember having Roxanne on the show and chatting to her. It was really great fun, that was, to meet her as well. So just looking also, the songwriting, we have mentioned that before, but just for the sake of the listeners here, you've written things for Status Quo, Lulu, No Patrol, Tom Jones, Hot Chocolate, so brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
I and hopefully there's there's many more artists will take and there's no reason why they won't take your songs and but yeah I didn't know about status choir or snow patrol. So fantastic stuff.
Well they they what happens there is artists pick up sometimes they pick up your song they'll hear a song and and I used to I go under a pseudo name on some of my sometimes I do in the old days in particular I never went under Marty Wilde because it was too otherwise people would never have cut jesamine they would have said oh you know he's he's he's a rock and roll singer what's this you know he can't write he doesn't write the stuff like this you know and i and i so i
like to keep that side That kind of shy it's a shy way of approaching music as those but it also is the best because otherwise people people are inclined to put you into a box you know box and that's what you are and i'm not i'm not in that box i don't i never have been i never have been with music my choice in music is eclectic i. I love, you know, spend a lot of time listening
to classical music. And so it's not just, you know, there again, I can listen to Elvis or Carl Perkins singing rock and roll and totally love it. But I do like to mix my music up. You know, I still watch the American charts, the top 50, and I watch the UK top. uh 50 as well so um but yeah so i'm still i'm still interested in music in all forms fantastic what did you think going way back when you were given the name the stage name Marty Wilde. Did you think what's this or
did you like it straight away? It was great. A manager gave that to you. I think he was in charge of a whole load of you and Mark Winter was there so he called him Mark Winter and you Marty Wilde. What did you think when you first given that name? Did you like the sound of it? No, I didn't. I thought it was Marty sounding like some red -faced American schoolboy. sucking an ice lolly, you know, and I thought, no, no,
that's not me. And wild, well, you know, I thought, well, yeah, sometimes, you know, there is a wild side to me, no question of that, I guess. I was doing this with everyone, but the Marty side I didn't like. And then around about, oh, about
three months. three months into my career I saw there was a hoarding and it had my and and I was a very I was put onto one of the bills as because I was beginning starting off and it said and an early appearance of Marty well I looked at the on the billing and I thought wow it looks pretty good actually it was better than Reg Reg Patterson which was what the name I was going under oh And so, you know, it was like Elton John and Reg, you know, he was a Reg and they
changed him to Elton. So it was a good move, no question. And my father found it difficult all those years ago. I think he must have wondered what the hell was happening. But my mother took to it immediately. And within a few days, I didn't hear the word Reg. I just said, Marty, there's
a phone call. Oh, wow. really well it's done you no harm has it so uh we'll let you go in just a moment and uh give Sue a chance if she wants to ask you something that's one another question about the marty wild thing the all these years on do you like when you finish with me do you go back to being yourself and you just become marty well to speak to me or or you go on that stage and you become marty wild and can you keep the two parts parts of your life separate
is that it's too easy Yeah, I do. I do. I've managed to do that for a number of years. You know, all my friends, it's never mentioned. I don't talk about none of my friends, none of my close friends, apart from my family, know anything about my work, my songs or anything. And sometimes they'll say, oh, we saw you in
the paper. and I just shrug you know because it's best to and it's best that way as well I don't want you know all my friends treat me just you know like some ordinary boring bloke you know which you can all be at times so you know and I'm very happy that way the only time I change is on the day of a show when I once I started getting ready and I'm and I go out that starting to go out the door I'm Marty Wild And from then on in, right the way through till after that
show, when I get in the car and going home, gradually I'm coming down into being a reg again, you know. But up to that point, I'm a pure Marty Wild on that particular moment of those days when I need it, you know. But you've got to keep the two separate. Otherwise, this business could drive you around the bend. If you start taking yourself seriously, you'll end up in a psychiatric ward. You know, you've got to... You've got to remember who you are, where you came from, and how good
you are and how bad you are. You've got to analyze it. I have to constantly remember as well how lucky I am. Near me, there's a gentleman who's been very handicapped. I often see him, and when I do, I'll be driving down, I'll see this man in the shop sometimes, And it makes me think, Marty, you'd stop moaning and don't you dare moan anymore today and how lucky you are, you know, so. Well, I thank you. There's not many people we have the opportunity to ask something
like that. And I really appreciate you sharing that with us. That's brilliant. Thank you, Marty. Have you got a question for Marty before we let him go? Yes, Marty, where would you like to be in two years time? Where I'd like to be in two years time, not in a box. We don't want you in one. No, I don't want to be I don't want to be dust in a little box. I would like to be in all honesty. I don't I want to live as long as my
my good lady without her. I would think I'd be a very lonely man so I wouldn't and I wouldn't I know I wouldn't enjoy life to its full which I can now because she's been such a great asset to me so yeah I just want I'll just keep I'd like to I'd like to stay around as long as she is because we're staying together and maybe we'll leave the planet together, who knows. Okay let's do the social media bit Marty, you've got a website which is www .martywild .com that's www .martywild
.com if we click on that we can find or the listeners can find your dates that are booked so far. I appreciate it's being updated all the time as new dates are added. And then if we scroll down to the bottom, we can find your other social media such as Facebook, Twitter, which I still can't get used to calling it X. That's there. And a little click for your YouTube channel as well. So it's all there for people like to go
and have a look. Marty Wilde, it just leaves me to say thank you for chatting about your new tour, your new song, and your thoughts as well. That means a lot. It's been an honour, Marty, and thank you. Take care, Marty. It's my honour. Thank you to you and Sue. It's my honour, and especially at this time of my life. So thank you. Be lucky. Have a great, great show. Thank you. And we'll see your links wasted. You just keep up the great work. You're a good team. Thank
you, Marty. Thank you. Take care. Bye -bye. This edition of the Chatterbox Redux podcast was presented by Nick and Sue. We thank our special guest, who was Marty Wild. Our email address is nickelbum at myyahoo .com. Alternatively, we have a postal address, which is PO Box 26, the old Observer Building, Telford Road, St. Leonard's -on -Sea, East Sussex, England, TN389LZ. We thank you very much for your company and look forward to welcoming you again next time for another Chatterbox Redux
podcast when our guest will be Eden Kane. Catch you then. Bye bye. This is Nick and Sue with Chatterbox giving you all you need to know about musical entertainment Chatterbox the best interviews with Nick and Sue the best news