The View From The Hill - Justin Hayward

Songwriter's Monthly
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Justin Hayward

Part One: The View From The Hill

[Welcome to Part One of a Three Part feature on Justin Hayward. After thirty years of writing incredible songs for The Moody Blues and other projects, there's just too much good stuff to try and whittle Justin's experience and achievements down into one issue. The first installment focuses on Justin's latest solo release entitled The View From The Hill which is available on CMC International Records.]

Songwriter's Monthly: Let's start of with the basic, where does the title The View From The Hill come from?

Justin Hayward: It comes from a couple of things. Firstly, a few years ago I just got disillusioned with things that were happening in England and so I came down here to the Mediterranean to live. Since then, I've found a lot of great musicians here and some good pals. Anyway, I happen to live on a hill and I've found that I've written more songs since I've been here in this particular place... and I'm only in a small little apartment. I've built mansions to write songs in, but then never written anything worthwhile there because it just didn't work. Now, here I am, writing in probably the most unlikely place. The view is beautiful and that's, I suppose, inspiring, but there's something about being a foreigner, as well. The title has also got something to do with the fact that I think I'm just about to go down the other side of a hill and wave goodbye to some things that were on the side that I just climbed up.

SM: Anything in particular that you're saying goodbye to?

JH: It's just a few changes in my life... life things, I don't mean I'm leaving the band or anything like that. I suppose that you could read that into what I just said, but that's not what it means, it's just taking a turn in my life, that's all.

SM: You have a fantastic way of summing up your songs with a perfect title, does that come easily?

JH: It's finding a good thing and beating it, you know (he laughs). It's finding the phrase that sums up what feeling the music gives you and then explaining it. I do have problems with titles, most of the titles for the songs on this album came very naturally, like... "I Heard It." I called it that for ages, but every time I listened I thought, "That's rubbish, you can't call a song 'I Heard It.' What does it mean?" And so I did call it something completely different, "The Bell at Midnight" or something like that, a bit, sort of, deeper. But then I just thought "That's stupid!" and I just came back to what was obvious. There are some songs that I'm still not sure of. For instance, the song called "Broken Dream," I never had a title for that... and I'm still not sure that that's the right title. When we recorded it, it was called "Helpless." Then all the musicians started calling it "Hopeless." They would, you know (he laughs again). And I had a song called "The Voice." Everyone said, "Oh yeah, I love that," but it only said the word once in it and I never had a real title for that, at all. The sleeve was done and everything, the record was going out and they said, "You've got to make up your mind what it's called!" and so I just said, "Oh we'll call it... The Voice." Then that was it and it was too late to change it.

SM: There's a song on the album called "Troubadour" that sounds a little bit like an autobiography. Is that song based on true experiences?

JH: Yes, absolutely. "Troubadour" is exactly what happened. It's a lyrical way of telling a nice little story of what happened to me.

SM: There is also a touching song that takes a brutal, uplifting look at a family in crisis.

JH: Yes, "Something to Believe In." I didn't write that, I wish I had. There are two songs on the album that I didn't write "Something to Believe In" and "The Promised Land." "Something to Believe In," is about a real situation...about a real family. It was written by the guitar player and producer Phil Palmer and Paul Bliss, Moodies keyboard player. I love that song, actually.

SM: How did you end up on CMC International?

JH: I'm not sure who approached whom, but I believe Tom Lipsky heard I was making music and was interested. We sent him things as we went along and he really liked a couple of the tunes... he really liked "The Way of the World" and a couple of other things and it just sort of blossomed out of that! I'm so pleased with CMC and the muscle of BMG, as well. It's absolutely fantastic! I've personally forgotten what it's like to be with a proper record label. Polygram or Polydor-which I'm on with The Moody Blues-is great on catalog, but they're not much of a current record label. This was just such a breath of fresh air, it was wonderful.

SM: What is you feeling on catalogs?

JH: The catalog is our biggest competitor. Often people come to concerts and they think, "I really like the Moody Blues. Look, they've got a new album out! But mind you, I did love the 'old stuff' so I'll buy a greatest hits, or I'll buy one of the old ones again." There's only so much music that you can give people, really, and we've made an awful lot of it. An awful lot of great music, that is, so stay tuned because next month we really get into the meat of Justin's songwriting!

SM is available at Barnes&Noble bookstores and at Tower locations across the country, or you can contact us directly at a1foster@aol.com or by calling 1-800-574-2986 or by writing :

Songwriter's Monthly, 332 Eastwood Avenue, Feasterville, PA 19053. Thank you.

Special thanks to Allen Foster of Songwriter's Monthly for allowing Part 1 of this 3 part interview to be published on The View.

Copyrights held by their respective authors. Original text/graphics copyright 1996, Forosisky/Rucker.

Last modified on Sunday, December 29, 1996