Judy Collins Lives the Sweet Life
(© James Veysey/Camera Press)
This fall will be a particularly prodigious one for the legendary singer-songwriter Judy Collins. As usual, she’ll be performing around the world, including a two-week stint at San Francisco’s popular Rrazz Room, starting on September 20, and a one-night only concert at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on December 23. Next month will also bring the release of her newest CD, Bohemian
THEATERMANIA: What can fans expect who come to see you at the Rrazz Room?
JUDY COLLINS: It will be similar to the shows you’ve been to at the Café Carlyle, where I do material ranging over the 50 years of my career. I’ll even be doing some brand new songs from Bohemian. I am going to try to do two distinct differently shows, so there will be the opportunity to hear something new every night. With me, you can never hear all the hits in one show.
TM: Can you tell me about some of the songs that will be on Bohemian?
JC: There’s a song called I wrote called “In the Twilight,” which resulted from the untimely death of my mom. I duet with Shawn Colvin on a song called “Big Sur” that’s sort of autobiographical and very poetic. I wrote a tune called “Morocco,” which came out of nowhere. It’s very otherworldly. I’ve actually never been to Morocco, though my mother went there. I love this political song called “Veteran’s Day” by Michael Vietch. I discovered a couple of years ago through this contest on which I am one of the judges, “Songs to Life.” I knew it was a real jewel, and I saved it for myself. And I also recorded a song called “Pure Imagination”, which is from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I’d actually never heard it before I saw some commercial for AT&T in the UK recently on which it was used, and it was just one of those moments. I heard it and was immediately enchanted with the song.
TM: What is your songwriting process like, and how has it changed over the years?
JC: I think I’ve become a better songwriter, because a lot more things have become more interesting to me over the years. And the songs definitely come faster; my thoughts are more complete than they were when I was younger. But I really do need time to sit at the piano and work on a song — I keep notebooks with me and journals, so I’m always writing my thoughts down — but once I am at the piano, I can really wrestle a song to the ground.
JC: It’s really the whole story of my life. I talk about everything, from my affairs to dealing with alcoholism. It’s all the tragedies and triumphs. It was very cathartic to write. I’m sort of in withdrawal right now. Of course, a lot of what I first put in came out because of editing, and there are things I wish I hadn’t caved in on. But I’ve learned you have to fight battles that you can win. And nothing that’s left out was really essential. Plus, it can go in the next book.
TM: There’s an old joke that if you remember the 1960s, you weren’t there. And you were definitely there. So how did you remember everything for the book?
JC: Actually, I learned most of what happened from my datebooks. I’ve really kept everything, and now I’m trying to get rid of some of it. I’m sending some of my archives to the Library of Congress and I will scan anything that’s scannable.
TM: There’s also going to be an audiobook of Sweet Judy Blue Eyes, which you recorded yourself. What was that experience like?
JC: It’s very exciting to read all of your own book out loud. I even sang parts of it; they told me I could sing a line or two if it felt comfortable. And then I recorded some bonus tracks for it; there are five songs, including “My Father,” and “Since You’ve Asked.”
TM: So, what’s next for Judy Collins?
JC: I want to keep operating as a continually working artist. I think that’s any artist’s goal. I want to keep on discovering, changing, and savoring all the extraordinary experiences I can.
