Bruce Hornsby MSN chat – June 2002

Another MSN chat between Bruce and fans, this time the day before the release of Big Swing Face.

Bruce chatted briefly with his online followers the day before the official release of Big Swing Face. Due to MSN’s site constantly re-routing me to UK-specific content, I wasn’t able to get it all – what I caught went like this:

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: To go buy a new suitcase for the road because I leave Thursday. And do a little work on the solo piano compilation record I’m working on.

DishDiva says: Kim says: Bruce, I love all your albums, but Hot House is my favorite. It seems like your version of Billy Joel’s “Nylon Curtain”, an overview of all the different styles of modern popular music. Just wanted to say thanks for the many hours of pleasure that record has given me.

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: Kim, I’m sorry to inform you, I’ve never heard the song “Nylon Curtain” much less performed it. I am sure glad you liked “Hot House” the songs on that record are some of our favorites to peform live. Maybe one of my improvisations sounded so much like “Nylon Curtain” you may mistook it for that. Now I am curious so I am going to have to go listen to it. I am more into rayon these days.

Hornsbyfan2 in Onstage1 asks: Bruce, since your nephew plays with you, will your sons ever join you?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: My sons at this point, couldn’t be less interested in playing music. They’re little jocks, fairly much immersed in sports. My nephew RS sits in with us from time to time which seems to always be a mutual pleasure.

glitteryprincess1 in Onstage1 asks: Hey, what is your favorite music artist besides you?Jenna

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: First off, why do you call yourself a Glittery Princess – to answer your question, I have no one favorite type of music. I’m equally intrested in jazz music, blue grass and folk music, modern classical music, and soul-R&B music.

Emo_Rock_Ryan in Onstage1 asks: I like piano driven music, what inspired you to learn how to play?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: Don’t buy my new record because there’s hardly any piano on it. I was inspired to play the piano from the record “Tumbleweed Connection” by Elton John and “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” by Joe Cocker. Also the record “Feel It” by Ralph Lunsten and Leo Nilsson

I think CD prices are too high. We allow people to tape our concerts and I’m totally fine with people bootlegging them off the internet. But when people get for free something that you’ve spent, in some cases many thousands of dollars to produce, well for instance, if you owned the company in charge of making Snickers bars and you had a cost of doing business and people got the bars for free, would you be in business for long?

MSN chat – June 2002

DishDiva says: SLR says: Do you miss playing around Charlottesville?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: No. (laughs) I just played there last year though in November 2000, so that’s not too long ago.

VirginiaGentlemanInCa in Onstage1 asks: Any more big collaboration concerts coming? (Pat Metheny, Bonnie Raitt, etc)?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: My next “big” collaboration will probably be a Bluegrass record made with Ricky Skaggs.

Hornsbyfan2 in Onstage1 asks: Bruce, you said at a Border’s appearance in Chicago that you’d like to play with Mark Knopfler. Think you might do it someday? Joe

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: Well it’s not something I’m pursuing, but if there was in inquiry made about my interest, I would certainly pursue it.

kimmy_jo_35 in Onstage1 asks: At what age did you realize you were musically inclined?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: My parents have a tape of me singing “Zorro” and “Hound Dog” by Elvis at age 4 so maybe that’s when it was realized.

hama4 in Onstage4 asks: Do you plan on making a trip into Canada? I haven’t seen you live since Night on the Town.

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: It is a real drag that we haven’t been to Canada since ’93 and I will try to fix that situation by booking some shows in the fall, but I’m just not sure about it.

outrageouswoman101 in Onstage1 asks: hello, do you think making music, was a good career to get into?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: Yes, certainly it has been. I’m glad I didn’t pursue basketball as my career because I would have ended up teaching drivers education and coaching the JV team somewhere. Which would have been a fine life but not as enjoyable as this.

DishDiva says: s_and_k says: What do you like/hate most about being famous?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: I like the opportunities being “famous” creates for my sons. They’ve been able to “live life on the front row” and it’s fulfilling for me to do that for them.

Madshus2010 in Onstage4 asks: Hi Bruce. I know there were plans to originally sell ‘Big Swing Face’ only at your shows this summer. Was that because you had any reservation about the general public’s reception due to the album’s unique style and direction?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: That was a record company idea – they wanted to find a new way to get the word out to the listening public. We decided to let them try to do this, but promoters and retailers shreiked in protest.

BADWULF in Onstage4 asks: hi bruce, i wanted to know if you are gonna put out any song collections of the GRATEFUL DEAD when you toured with them???

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: No. It wouldn’t be my place to do it, although I am on two songs on their box set “So Many Roads.”

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: And two of the “Dick’s Picks” releases – one from Madison Square Garden and one from Boston Garden.

Hornsbyfan2 in Onstage1 asks: A question from left field: since you just released a GREAT non-piano CD, any chance you might do a piano-only CD in the future? Or are we done with piano for a while? Joe

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: I’m compiling right now a solo piano concerts record and that will possibly be my next release. So I may be instantly returning solely the piano.

RabbitTrans7 in Onstage1 asks: What was it like to work with Metheny?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: Pat Metheny is the most inspiring guest we’ve ever had on a record. He added the most to the two albums he played on. We talked about having him play on our latest record, but the scheduling didn’t work out.

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: He also gave us some very funny underground tapes that we’ve gotten a lot of milage out of through the years. And he has a lot of jokes to tell also.

DishDiva says: fall_is_my_favorite says: Hi Bruce. What does the image on the cover of the new CD mean?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: It doesn’t really mean anything. I just like the way the guy looked. He’s “my kind of guy.”

DishDiva says: all_foryou says: How important is the Internet to you with the release of this new CD?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: As a 47 year old musician, trying to get the word out in an increasingly youth driven popular music market, the internet can be a huge factor in apprising the general public of my new record’s existence.

_TheTodd_ in Onstage4 asks: Hi Bruce, could you give your opinion on the current state of high CD prices and the continuing use of MP3’s to trade and download music?

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: I think CD prices are too high. We allow people to tape our concerts and I’m totally fine with people bootlegging them off the internet. But when people get for free something that you’ve spent, in some cases many thousands of dollars to produce, well for instance, if you owned the company in charge of making Snickers bars and you had a cost of doing business and people got the bars for free, would you be in business for long?

DishDiva says: Bruce, thanks for joining your fans tonight to talk about your latest CD “Big Swing Face.” From all of your fans and all of us here at MSN Live, best of luck with the release tomorrow!

Bruce_Hornsby_Live says: Well I didn’t talk that much about my new record, but I wasn’t asked that much about it. I hope the music speaks for itself.

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