THE PSYCHEDLIC FURS RICHARD BUTLER MAKES SOLO DEBUT

By Rob Nagy

It isn’t often that a vocalist is able to deliver a song with such a distinct and unique style that you instantly know that artist as soon as the first note comes out of their mouth. The Psychedelic Furs front man Richard Butler is just that and more. Forming the, now legendary English group, “The Psychedelic Furs” almost thirty years ago which he still fronts, Butler has most recently embarked into un-chartered territory with the release of his solo debut simply entitled “Richard Butler”.  Collaborating with fellow musician Jim Carin, who has worked with Pink Floyd, Pete Townshend and Bryan Ferry, Butler has produced a captivating collection of eleven songs that reflect where Butler has been on a very personal level with the perspective and insight that only a well-versed musician could successfully pull off.  Each track is mesmerizing with impressively tight and, often melodic, music guided by Butler’s contagious and often haunting voice. “I’ve been through quite a bit the last few years, both good and bad”, says Butler. “I lost my father and experienced a failed marriage which has changed me tremendously. I now have a young daughter, which I am raising as well. These songs reflect all of it and because of that they’re some of the most personal and important songs I’ve ever done.” Butler added, “It’s very different than singing with a band. I didn’t want to feel like I was fighting for space with a band. I wanted the vocals to be the centerpiece, which I think I accomplished.” With such an amazing piece of work it is hard to put one song above another. Standouts include the opening track, “Good Days, Bad Days” which sets the tone for the rest of the album, “California”, Breath” “Satellites” and “Last Monkey”.  “My goal was to make a very honest record”, says Butler.  “One that people will listen to and understand, the best they can, what went into making it.  It is very much a record for people at my age when lots of things come into question, life, mortality, things that we don’t really think about when we are a kid and consider ourselves to be invincible.”  

The Psychedelic Furs first came onto England’s burgeoning punk scene in the late 70’s fronted by the Butler brothers, Richard on vocals and Tim on bass. Their 1980 debut simply entitled “The Psychedelic Furs” managed to reach England’s Top 20 but did little to break the fickle U.S. market. Their follow-up “Talk, Talk, Talk,” the following year, gained the band a much needed presence in America reaching the top 100 and yielding two charting singles in Britain one of which was the original version of “Pretty In Pink”, which would later be used in the American film by the same name.  Nineteen Eighty-two would be the break through year “The Psychedelic Furs” needed releasing “Forever Now”. The albums only charting single “Love My Way” made its way into heavy rotation on college and alternative radio stations through-out the U.S. FM radio could no longer ignore the band and “Love My Way” reached the Top 50, giving “The Psychedelic Furs” warranted attention for the first time.  Building on their momentum 1984’s “Forever Now”, produced by Philadelphia’s own Todd Rundgren, became the bands biggest selling record yielding the single “Heaven”, “The Ghost In You” and “Here Come Cowboys” gaining the band continued mainstream airplay and a cult following that was, by now, becoming quite substantial.  The Psychedelic Furs appeared to be on a roll with a very bright future.  After going a couple years of not releasing any new material, the band re-recorded the film version of “Pretty In Pink” gaining airplay on a massive scale.  With a solid track record and a stable line-up of musicians “Midnight to Midnight”, their first album in two years, was released and soon became the bands biggest commercial success to date.  The song “Heartbreak Beat” reached number 26 on the U.S. hot 100, charting even higher in Europe, and fell into heavy rotation on MTV. Appearances on Arsenio Hall, David Letterman and other late night programming were finally getting “The Psychedelic Furs” the national media attention and respect that they had worked so hard to achieve. Follow-up releases carried the group into the 90’s but did little to further the cause.  The band called it quits following the disappointment of their 1991 album release “World Outside”. Richard Butler didn’t lye dormant long forming a new band “Love Spit Love”. They released two albums that made little noise but still gave Butler that creative outlet. By the late 90’s Butler found himself without a band and writing songs for a supposed solo effort. Continuing to work with brother Tim, Richard brought “The Psychedelic Furs” out of seclusion reuniting in 2000. Both the Butler brothers and John Ashton, the core of “The Psychedelic Furs”, had now taken up stakes in upstate New York. A co-headlining tour with the “Go Go’s”, another highly successful 80’s band, proved that there was still an audience for “The Psychedelic Furs”. Sellout club dates through-out the U.S. were, again, becoming routine for the band and in the fall of 2001 they released “Beautiful Chaos”, a live album capturing the band at their best playing all the hits and introducing the song “Alive”, the groups first single in almost a decade. Today, with a renewed interest in the 80’s music, the band continues to perform throughout the U.S. and abroad. “I think it’s fascinating that the 80’s is getting as much attention, musically, and being as influential as it is”, says Butler, It is really wonderful. I am getting so much more out this than when I was younger and less aware of what was going on around me.” While Butler continues to write music he surprisingly spends most of his time building a new career as a painter of original works of art. “I was a painter before I was a musician”, says Butler having studied painting many years back. “I do figurative works which I started working on in earnest about ten years ago. At the moment I do more painting than I do music. When I’m not making a record or touring I just get up in the morning and start painting.” It is one of Butler’s paintings that serves as the cover for his new cd. Richard Butler’s artwork can be seen, in greater depth, by going to www.casola.com  With all the that Richard Butler has accomplished he has reached a point in life and a state of mind that is at a crossroads. “I feel more comfortable with myself than I ever did before”, says Butler. “Personally things have changed so much. I am very happy and relaxed with where I am in life. I am looking forward to doing things on my terms and my pace. I am hopeful that the new record will do well enough that I am afforded the opportunity to do another one.” 

Richard Butler recently played World Café ,fronting a trio, to an enthusiastic crowd of Psychedelic Furs fans. Butler was on vocals joined on stage by two musicians playing guitar and keyboards. The seventy-five minute set featured all of Butlers new solo album as well as Psychedelic standards “Love My Way”, Heaven”, “Ghost In You”. Butler’s three week tour winds down on April 8th in Santa Barbara, California. The official release date of his solo cd is April 18th. For more information go to www.kochrecords.com The Psychedelic Furs embark on a month long tour of Australia following his solo tour with dates scheduled for the U.S. this summer.. There is talk of a new Psychedelic Furs album in the works for 2006. 

Live Photo by Rob Nagy