George Thorogood Interview 2024
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00:00George, my name is Paul Kelly from Classic Rock.
00:02We got George, we got Paul, and he's John and Ringo.
00:06You're from 102.9 MGK in Philadelphia.
00:09I've never gotten to do this, so please allow me to introduce, ladies and gentlemen,
00:13the one and only George Thorogood.
00:17Yeah, I am the one and only George Thorogood.
00:19I hope there's only one and only.
00:21I don't think the world's ready for two of us.
00:25That you know of.
00:27So the tour just kicked off.
00:30You got one date under your belt, and yeah, this tour marks a major milestone for you.
00:36Why don't you tell the listeners what this tour is all about for you?
00:39Well, a lot of the dates are being done with John Fogarty, who was an international legend,
00:45and he's also a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
00:49But touring with him, you have to understand something.
00:53John Fogarty, when he was with Creedence Clearwater Revival,
00:56every time I have to remind him that the Beatles came to see Creedence Clearwater,
01:01all four of them at the same time.
01:03Now, how many people can say that?
01:05So to tour with John is more than an honor.
01:09It's historical.
01:12It also marks a milestone for you and your band on your 50th anniversary.
01:15Tell us a little bit about that.
01:16I'd like to tell you very little about it.
01:20It's not something I'd like to elaborate.
01:22Hey, we've been playing for 50 years.
01:24That's what it means.
01:25I get it.
01:26Ain't no real big deal about it.
01:28It's just a matter of we were lucky enough to stay healthy and stay on the radio
01:34and keep our fan following going.
01:39There's hundreds of bands out there that have been playing for 50 years.
01:42Aerosmith and Van Morrison, they've been playing for 60 years.
01:48So everybody else treats it like something big of a deal.
01:51I just say, hey, I punched the clock for 50 years.
01:55How's that, Paul?
01:55Well, you've got a couple more dates there in the Carolinas
01:59before you come to the MGK Big Gig Show here.
02:02And in Philadelphia, let's not understate your fanhood here.
02:05I want to mention some of the places that you played here.
02:08Go back to the early days, talking about the Wilmington Stopping Grounds,
02:12the Barn Door, the Buggy Tavern.
02:15You know, you're going to have people that saw you at these shows
02:18coming to see you in this pavilion on Friday night.
02:22What's your question?
02:24The question is, can I read some more of these venues
02:27where you played around the Philadelphia area, like the Bijou Cafe,
02:29the Main Point, the T-shirt that I'm wearing today?
02:33Yeah, we played those places, the Bijou.
02:35We played the Main Point.
02:37We did about every one of those streets,
02:39every street we did in Philadelphia, you can name it,
02:46Walnut Street, Chestnut Street.
02:48They're all named after nuts.
02:50Maybe that's why they wanted us to play.
02:52The Schubert Theater.
02:53There, you know, there seemed to be one on every street.
02:58And, man, we played them all.
03:01J.C. Dobbs.
03:03Yeah, we did that.
03:05Absolutely.
03:06So the crowd is looking forward to seeing you here in Philadelphia, obviously.
03:10Really?
03:11Yeah, absolutely.
03:12Who have you been talking to?
03:14Well, there's Steve from Wilmington.
03:15There's Joe from New Hope.
03:17There's Dennis from Kennett Square.
03:20Any women?
03:20Well, their wives, but they didn't want to give their names at this point.
03:24Their wives?
03:28That's not what I want to hear.
03:30Well, I'll tell you what, brother.
03:32They might be their wives then, but when I get done playing,
03:34they won't be their wives after that.
03:37Always bad to the bone, man, no doubt.
03:40Always been number one, no doubt.
03:42My mind is number one.
03:44So the home crowd, it's got to feel good for you to be up in front of this crew
03:48this coming Friday night.
03:49How much are you looking forward to this?
03:50I mean, you're in the Carolinas now, but coming back to the Delaware Valley
03:54to play, looking forward to it.
03:58Yeah, I look forward to all our shows, but that'll be a little, you know,
04:03remember something.
04:04We played that area with, you know, the other high-profile acts.
04:11We played in the Delaware Valley.
04:12We played there with the Rolling Stones.
04:14We played there with ZZ Top.
04:15So to do it with John Fogarty is like another notch in a pistol belt.
04:20And, of course, you were here for Live Aid.
04:22I saw you at Live Aid here at JFK.
04:25I thought you looked familiar.
04:26I'm a little more together at this point, but thank you.
04:31I appreciate that.
04:33I'm glad you're appreciated.
04:36A call from a listener.
04:38This obviously goes back to the Bad to the Bone video, the concept for it.
04:42The pool hall, getting together with Bo Diddley and Willie Moscone.
04:46Whose idea was that?
04:47I mean, just a great concept.
04:48That was our Mark Robinson who directed that video.
04:53That was his idea.
04:55Originally, I wanted to do it with a poker game.
04:58Like, so we had to flip a coin whether I wanted to be Steve McQueen or Paul Newman.
05:05Small question about that.
05:07And which one did you want to be?
05:09Really?
05:10I mean, really?
05:10You knew which way you wanted the coin to fall?
05:12No, he pointed the way because Steve McQueen did the Cincinnati Kid where he was a stud poker player.
05:18And Paul Newman played the part of a pool shooter, an extra pool hustler in the movie The Hustler.
05:26Right.
05:26So that's what we were looking at, that kind of theme.
05:29And I was swaying towards, not that I'm a bigger fan of either of them or either movie,
05:34but I just felt more comfortable with cards in my hand than a pool cue.
05:39But Mark Robinson said, no, we're going to do what's going to be pool shooting.
05:42I said, because we could get Willie Moscone, that's why we did it as a pool concept.
05:51Or as they say, billiards, pool, whatever.
05:55Tell me about the show that happened, you and John.
05:57How are things working out with you guys on the tour?
05:59I mean, I know it's early on.
06:01Well, we started last night.
06:02And, you know, I've known John for a long time, which is great.
06:09And, you know, like I said before, working with him, I mean, he's the guy that the Beatles went to see.
06:14So this is a high watermark for me.
06:17And it's a high watermark to Snow and John.
06:20To have him as a friend is, to me, I hold even a higher value than playing with him on tour.
06:28Although I love that.
06:29The fact that we're friends means even more to me.
06:33That's really cool.
06:34You know, I was thinking the other day, as the interview was coming together,
06:38and, you know, people like that, John Fogarty, that you are a friend with and touring with.
06:42Is there anybody out there that you would like to collaborate with on a recording that you have not?
06:47Sure.
06:48Sure.
06:49There's people I want to collaborate with.
06:51Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards.
06:55Okay.
06:55I mean, that's the top of the scale, isn't it?
06:59Well, not everybody wants to work with other musicians.
07:01Some just know I'm me.
07:03You got to have goals in life.
07:04You got to have dreams.
07:06You know, if you don't have a dream, how can you make a dream come true?
07:09Well, we'll work this word along.
07:10You never know who's listening and what could happen.
07:13That's right.
07:14This guy from Philadelphia, Paul Kelly, was talking with George,
07:18and now George wants to work with some of these folks.
07:20And, ding, there goes the phone.
07:21There goes the text.
07:22You never know.
07:24You never know.
07:26I'm waiting for Lady Gaga to call, but I don't think that's going to happen.
07:29All right.
07:30Well, you know, Taylor's out there.
07:31She's got an extra couple minutes here and there.
07:33Maybe she'll take your call.
07:36Well, I ain't cheap, but I can be had.
07:40Everybody's got their price, right?
07:45Right.
07:47Good.
07:48Well, I appreciate your time today, George.
07:50And, like I said, the radio station, Big Gig 2024, featuring you and John Fogarty,
07:55the celebration tour for us on Friday.
07:58And we can't wait to see you.
08:00So, again, thank you for your time.
08:02Rock and roll never sleeps.
08:03It just passes out.
08:06Love it, man.