“… some artists are driven by success money fame sex drugs and all the peripheral stuff. I think he is driven by the art of what he is doing and it’s on his terms only”

…. that was my introduction to Billie. Sensitivity and beauty, and then there’s the other side of Billie with his songs that I think are snarling, aggressive, cynical and yet not bitter. I can’t explain that. He is an observer.

Snarling short vignettes that are angry. I just love it. And just as you want the song to go on a little bit more … he teases you, and then it’s over. Because he doesn’t want to say any more. He’s stirred up your interest you know and I think too many songwriters they labour the point, their craft goes on and on …. he’s the master of the very short story.

I suspect as an artist he probably has a willful temperament and streak and I’m not sure, some artists are driven by success money fame sex drugs and all the peripheral stuff. I think he is driven by the art of what he is doing and it’s on his terms only.

He doesn’t play on the album, but he is a musician. I suspect that he is a great manipulator of the chemicals … putting them together. And he’s a moments man. He’s into that performance, which is a very Van Morrison thing as well. If it’s going to happen it’s going to happen, if it’s not it’s not, and I suspect that once it’s done he’s not that really bothered about it, he’s moved on, because in his mind there’s something else happening you know. Look there’s a track there on the album, track 12, ‘Midnight Alibis’. The beginning is pure Hot Chilli Peppers. It sounds as though it could be a massive monster American hit but no one knows about this song. It’s something that people should be grabbing and doing cover versions of because it’s a classic.

Oh I don’t really, well look, play the game? Do you really want to go there? The biz, the biz, the gigs the bullshit, the hype …. aah!, …. the image, some people just aren’t cut out for that crap you know. Five percent creativity and ninety five percent of the lifestyle. They want the creativity but they don’t want all the other stuff that goes with it and at the end of the day, publishing, record companies, the machine, it sometimes destroys people.

maybe Billie’s time is coming. Maybe it’s needed a period of being buried away, for people to come along and discover him, to love his music, to love his songs and say …. for others to be champions, and I see nothing wrong with that at all, and I’m an advocate for Billie for his art.

I suspect that someone will find something in him …. Fiddy (50 Cent) would find something in one of his songs and use it in a rap and it would be just the coolest thing …. why not. I think that should happen you know. What more can I say.

John Young (Musicologist)