And now here they are, Nick and Sue on Chatterbox. When the stars talk, they talk to Nick and Sue. Hi there, welcome back to the Chatterbox Redux Podcast with me, Nick. Today my guest is Tony Christie. This is Nick and Sue, a chatterbox giving you all you need to know about music. And now on Chatterbox UK, we're just lucky enough to welcome Tony Christie. Tony, welcome. How are you, sir? I'm good. Yeah, I'm busy, busy, busy, which is good. Yeah, you're looking good.
You're looking really good. Oh, thank you. I was delighted a few weeks ago to receive a press release from your promoters on this thing. And we've got an album and we've got reimagined versions
of... Is this the way to Amarillo? yeah tonight um okay what made you after all these years want to reimagine the songs um well we did decide if you're gonna do them what's the point in doing them in the old way we just fancied um doing different versions you know making them more up -to -date let let uh the musicians have a go and do what you think then it just it just turned out great we let them do their thing and
we We loved it, I think. Oh, plus the fact that we put in two songs which I've been doing on stage for donkey's years, Chess the Bell and Mr. Bojangles, and that's been recorded now, so that's part of it. The album's called A New
Life. My wife is our new wife is it You may be getting yourself into trouble Well what we've done we also do a show called hit or miss and I'm sure you know the station because back in the 70s Radio North Sea International was bobbing about on the North Sea when you were having your first string of hits in the 70s so you may well know the station but that like Radio Caroline Radio North Sea International is now a proper radio station and where we do our live shows
as well and we do one called hit or miss and We played your reimagined version of is this the way to Amarillo? It went down really really well and a listener on the beach in Spain of all places said That is a chillout song. That is absolutely amazing and to be perfectly honest with you that and walk like a panther If I'd heard them for the first time in the reimagined
version. Yeah would actually be some of the greatest soft chilled songs of all time Well, I think so I mean, you know, that's why we did it we said what's the point of Free redoing them and in the same way we so, you know This is just we said let's do and let the musicians as well. Have it. What do you think any ideas? If they got any good ideas, so they'll keep that keep that keep that and we did it that way. Let's Just make it different I think it's worked out
fantastic. It has worked out fantastic and it is like just so, so refreshing as well. I mean, obviously is this the way to Amarillo is obviously later you Craig became an anthem, didn't it? Through obvious things, but the football version of it. But I could never have imagined it coming out like. it's been presented on A New Life. I couldn't have imagined it at all. You've done an amazing job. In fact, one I haven't played yet, and I must do that's on there. It's all
different. You know, as we said when we were planning it, what's the point of doing it in the old way? Let's do it in the new way, you know, because everybody knows the old versions. Let's try and update it, make it sound different. OK, you've got some concerts. Quite a lot. You're
having a very busy time at the moment. So If I was to go and see you in manchester or one one of the big cities you are What would I be expecting because obviously you'd be promoting the new album, but of course then again people They also love the they will Amarillo course walk like a panther and avenues and alleyways are anthems basically And are concerned. So do we get both versions or what would we be expecting? um It's a mix, really. You can't really ruin
them. We've kept it as near as possible. I think we've done better versions, to be honest with you. And we're doing, well, the show now, we put songs I've been singing from like the 60s. Jezebel, you remember Jezebel? Yes. and Bojangles I do that in the live show and I've never never recorded them but they're on this new album. I see also because I did what I did for Maria. Vegas, Amarillo and Avenues and Alleyways, we've
mentioned already. Let's go down to Reno, all the way down to our mansions, drive safely darling, sweet September, happy birthday baby. We got that, right. Now... If somebody really wanted something I mean is that do you say some of the things for on calls? Maybe when you do a concert now is it? Yeah, are you expecting things to be asked for and you you really do save it to last like the faster version of Amarillo something
I do do you like expect it to be asked for? Yeah, I do things that if you know people send messages backstage. Can you do this and if I've got them? I know if I know them and the piano player knows I'll I'll just do it with piano and voice You know if they want to hear it I'll do even if it's just a half version But I always try to I try to do the show that people want to hear so, you know all the songs that they want to
hear and They're going down. Well, which really is and I'm doing now Different shows I'm doing like with with three or four musicians instead of a full band And people are people are liking that better because it's more in it's more intimate. Yeah Yeah, it's unplugged. We call it the unplugged versions and they're going down an absolute storm. Wonderful, yeah. I do like the orchestrations, a little bit dramatic perhaps, but I do like
the backing on that. Orchestrated sound are saved, it's probably totally wrong, but that's how I would describe it. It does sound very good. And you can hear those instruments in the background, you know, you really can and it's just... Makes the whole package great. You know, I'm sure I found the whole thing totally refreshing although if you're available for the interview today You
hadn't done this album. I still love to talk to Tony Christie, but it is nice to have this This delightful new New concept of your songs, which is good. This is Nick and Sue with Chatterbox giving you all you need to know about musical entertainment Chatterbox Chatterbox Chatterbox I've got one question I would like to ask you from a listener. This guy, Norman Peacock from Stockport. Now, he's been seeing you I think
since the 60s, 70s, whatever. He says yeah, I see Tony live in clubs of quite a few times really great But how does Tony feel about Peter K? Bringing him back to new audiences to revive him again. Is that actually what happened? Did Peter K really make you a superstar or or how did it happen? Well, I mean at the time one kicked my Peter K did that You know for that for that comedy thing My wife and I have been we were living
in Spain. We've been living there for like 15 years Because we had a place there because nothing was happening in the UK for me It was happening everywhere around Europe and the rest of the world. I was touring Australia New Zealand all these places But nothing in the UK and then suddenly when PDK did that It really made that cause my wife and I to return to the UK I think was to that was it 2005 I would say 2008, but then you go the years, no, it wasn't, no, no, 2005. 2005,
yeah. I do it with my... Yeah, we came back and, you know, to do a tour and all that kind of thing. And we just fell back in love with the UK and we just said, we've got a place in Spain, but I, you know, I do miss the UK. And 2005, I think we came back and we've stayed ever since. I mean, it was something amazing, like seven weeks, eight weeks at number one. It was an incredible stay ahead, didn't it? It was quite amazing. Oh, it was, absolutely. I mean, awful. Frightening.
It was great. It got me back into the UK, which is great, you know. So who selected it? Was it the BBC selected it? And did they then come to you? Or how did that come about to be their song for 2005? I don't know. I think it was Peter Gale, wasn't it? Oh, he was down to him who came up with it. Well, it was... No, we'd asked him if he'd be in the video. Sorry, you'll have to
edit this. We asked him if he'd... Universal, we're going to release the album for Christmas 2004, and release Is This the Way It's Going, Marillo? And I wrote Peter's manager and said, would he be in a video for it? And they said, yes, that would be possible, but would Tony do... Would my dad sing? a thing for Max and Paddy, which we did. And then when we asked if we could do that, he was busy, so fortunately he couldn't
do that, the video for us. But then he approached the label again in early 2005, saying that he wanted to do a video for the Is This Where John
Rillo?, which is the original. hmm a lot of people think it's re -recorded which is it's not it's the 1971 original with just a video that peter did you know um and that's how that happened but it's it's quite a long it's fine no it's a great it's interesting i wasn't aware that peter was only miming but now that's great there you've answered it you didn't know i was miming no i did know i did I knew Peter Kay was miming.
I didn't think that was Peter Kay singing for one minute, but a couple of people I do know that did think it. I mean, it kind of gives the game away as well. Not only does it sound like Tony Christie, it also says, mimed by Peter Kay. Gives it away a bit, doesn't it? Oh, right. Okay. I did know that much, I assure you, but no. Now we know the whole story. Thank you for that. Yeah. Brilliant. It takes two to tangle And two to present a radio show So here's Nick and Sue
Your musical duo Now, one question. Let's come to see my other half. Now, I've seen how it was filmed on YouTube and they're all on these sort of like treadmills and that. There is one scene with you, Tony, against Peter Kay. Now, has that all been a bit of a wonderful early AI or were you actually on a, for that little clip that you were on next to Peter Kay, were you on a treadmill yourself during the war? Yes. Yes, I was, yeah. Oh, wonderful. Great. And it was
one take. I thought it was a rehearsal. I did one take. I said, OK, I was filming. No, that's finished. I said goodbye. Oh. That was it. One take. Well, look, I'm the age you were when you did that now. And even just those three, you were certainly there. I've been exhausted after a little bit of that, you know. Oh, yeah. You made, yeah, you made a lot of people very, very happy. I'll tell you what, it's just that the
whole thing was just light, wasn't it? It's light and it leaves everybody from memories of that. When I think of that now. Yeah, it was brilliant. I really enjoyed doing it. Perfect. If I could ask you now, it's actually personal, but it's an important question. My father, for the last eight years of his life, had vascular dementia. Now, obviously, it's been announced in the news that you have been diagnosed with dementia. I mean, obviously, at this moment in time, it's
not affected you at all. But I mean, what's your advice to other people that are also Getting diagnosed with vascular dementia because it seems to be an awful lot these days. It seems incredible What what is your advice to them to carry on because obviously you're doing your concerts, but What would you say to them? Because that's
a big shock when you get told that news. Yeah, what I do I was I was told by the doctor You're very fortunate here in the music business because music it's one thing that That helps listen to music stop stop Let's stop worrying about it and have music playing, which then takes your mind away from it. And that's what I did. And that's what I tell people to do. I ignore it. I don't. I put it to one side and it's not there.
I ignore it. No, that's amazing. I mean, I think that's very important to ask you, even if it was might have been a bit awkward because it goes to a lot of radio stations. There's a lot of people will. It was good to ask you that advice because when you're known to the public for half century 60 years, you are a person they can look up to, so brilliant advice. Thanks for answering that for me. It's very important to come from
somebody like you, I really do. Well, if you can ignore it, that's what I was told to do by a lady doctor. she says and you're very lucky that you're in the music business because that helps music helps so if you've got it play music have have music in the background or in the car or whatever or a radio on your kitchen have music playing and it takes your mind off it that's what i was told Well, in your case, it's been
a life of music as well. So nothing's gonna change there is it so that's that's what's wonderful This is Nick and Sue with Cheddar Box giving you all you need to know about musical entertainment You've got a wonderful website Tony Christie comm and I'm looking at it now and You've got a really busy time I can see, which is good. Yeah, I mean you've gone to some great places
I can see. where are we so this will go out friday so yeah we we get most of them uh i've got i could see just just off the top of my head yeah i could see places like canock and over uh kingston upon the whole some great places briar on the hill and wow you were i think you're watching germany quite hard in the in the middle of may as well so yeah yeah yeah yeah because it's like yeah i'm busy i would i like i like being busy that's you know i'll get that it's perfect um
and also uh other social media i can see here uh so people what they want to find you on facebook uh there's the facebook symbol there they can click on that they go straight to tony christy's facebook and then we have twitter now known as x we can click that and they can find your x twitter account as well so one place all they
got to do tonychristy .com and they can find the rest there so yeah and a great website i must say um not only that we got some videos of you wonderful gallery photos and everything people want to know so that's a great little website there tony so now this before i let you go this tour yeah there's the great farewell it doesn't look like you're looking at you it doesn't look like you're going anywhere anytime soon I find this hard to believe it's a great
farewell at all. It is, but it's... It's just going to go on and on. It's going to take years. It's a farewell to the world, basically. So that includes Australia, New Zealand, and all these places that I've been touring for donkey's years. So, you know, there's going to be... Suddenly, when they said, when it came out, the farewell tour, suddenly, my manager, my son's job... was getting phone calls. Can we book in for the Australia,
New Zealand, this, blah, blah, blah. And there's about two and a half, three years booking already ahead. So I'm going to be very, very busy. It's great. And no doubt, I'm sure you're an artist, because I've always been aware that you're one that you've always been there for the for the audiences. You just love it. I can't imagine
you not not doing it. So if you live to 95, i still i see or even older i see you'll still be doing your great farewell to her is that how it's going to be yep absolutely i love it tony i mean i've been doing radio a long time you've been singing a couple of decades longer than i've been doing radio and i don't know how we've not met yet but i'm so glad we have now good Be great chatting Tony and I hope there's a next time but every success with the health you've
got a great manager there in your son I could tell and it's great to have him on the hand I know so you got him for everything you need haven't you said and uh yeah love it and um I'm looking forward to whatever you're doing next and I know this tour is going to go on and on but another re -imagine something whatever it might be let's have a chat then Tony and I appreciate your time so much it's been great having you on Chatterbox UK. It's been fantastic. Thanks a lot, mate.
And thank you. And a big thank you to you, Sean, as well, sir. That's great. Thanks, Mick. Yeah, thanks a lot. Appreciate your time, Sean and Mick. Good guys. Thank you. Bye -bye now. Cheers. Bye -bye. This edition of the Chatterbox Redux podcast was presented by me, Nick. I thank my special guest, Tony Christie, who was accompanied by his son, Sean, who is also his manager. Anyone who's affected by dementia and its effects, or whose family members are affected, may like to
contact Alzheimer's .org .uk or DementiaUK .org Alternatively, for younger people, there's the youngdementionetwork .org My email address is nickelbum at myyahoo .org Alternatively, our postal address is P .O. Box 26, the old Observer Building, Telford Road, St. Leonard's -on -Sea, East Sussex, England, TN38 9LZ Thank you very much for your company and look forward to welcoming you again next time when our special guest is Lee John of Imagination. See 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. Chatterbox, the best news.