And by contributions to your pbs station by viewers like you. Thank you. Welcome back to night two of our conversation with the incomparable bam, there she is annie lenox and her project nostalgia. We were supposed to talk last night for one show because she has so much to be doing. I begged her to stay in the chair. The conversation last night was so rich. If you didnt see it, go to pbs. Org, and find last nights conversation. You will not want to miss what we talked about last night. I think a good jumping off point from last nights conversation, annie, is this notion of nostalgia why as the title of this project . Its interesting because ive been exploring songs. Mostly theyre from the 30s, you see, and theyre american. And i realized one day this word came into my head nostalgia. Its like time travel. Youre going back. All of us have our own personal and collective nostalgia. And these songs being written so many years ago in that time frame, so many things are different nowadays than they were before. In the times of the 30s when carmichael was writing memphis and june, this of precivil rights movement. There was a very different social class, economical divide that was going on in this country. And i started to compare and contrast and was thinking, wow, imagine that. There was still black people could not get on the same place on the bus. I thought in some ways its encouraging because you think you know what, with the civil rights movement, things changed. Theres definitely some improvement. I dont know how much, i dont live here so i cant comment on that. But you see, in the work that ive been doing over the last decade, where ive been going to countries where people have nothing. Theyre living in poverty. They have all these challenges. And i think of the distinction thats made between the western countries and the countries where theyre continuously facing these challenges. I started to realize that the themes in some of the songs havent gone away. Its just the same as it ever was. Two things one, last night on this program, you mentioned cole porter want tonight you mentioned hoagie carmichael. You should know that im smiling on the inside as are my fellow hoosiers because both cole porter and hoagie carmichael are from indiana. I grew up in indiana. So anyones smiling now. Hoagie carmichael and cole porter. Go, hoosiers had to ease that in since you mentioned their names. Yeah. You mentioned also, annie, that you obviously werent born in this country, werent raised here. Scotland is your home. And youve interpreted so many songs in the american songbook that were put out how do i nut put this as charitably as i can put out when america was introducing its dark side, night side especially for people of color. A long way of asking how it is that a white girl growing up in scotland ends up being so connected yeah to the struggle of people of color in this country, of people of color in south africa and around the globe. How does that happen for you . What was the answer to that . You know, even when i was a child i have to tell you, i come from the northeast of scotland. I was dancing to motown and stacks of music that came through our dan halls. You see dance halls. You see, this is the beauty of music, it travels, it journeys. All the teenagers were dancing to the music, and it was infectious. In the same way that the beatles and the Rolling Stones there was this wonderful wave, exchanging cultural wave of music. The beatles in the British Movement came to america. We also had the benefit of american music. And and im thinking to myself when im a kid and sort of seeing that there is Something Like racism. It always hurt me. It always hurt me. And there could be this segregation and separation. When i heard about apartheid as a teenager, i couldnt believe it. When i heard about fascism and nazi germany and how people were marched off to concentration camps, and i saw the film that proved this happened, i couldnt believe it. I saw how cruel humanity can be toward each other both on a personal level and on a sort of global level. And how the same thing travels on through. For me this journey of nostalgia, you could say, sentimental, and there is sentiment and sweetness. Like if life. You have . Butte like life. You have this beauty and kindness. At the same time, coexisting, you have the shadow side, the darkness. And everybody on the planet here and now is going to witness. What side you fall on. To this day when i think about the penal system and how many africanamericans must be politically correct, you see in prison, why is this . I ask these questions, you know, because it affects me. Have you always been were you curious as a child . Have you always been a curious person . Always, always. Led me into trouble. Yeah. It usually does. But it led to interesting experiences, as well. Yeah. Im very passionate about things. I couldnt tell. Yeah, no. I guess. Nice that you came out of your shell. Yeah. Sometimes people are distant sometimes and immersed we get immersed in our own bubble, of course. I have my own bubble, a safe place. I cant turn away from Human Rights Violations and injustice. I cant. We talked last night you referenced a couple of times your babies, your precious my daughters. Your precious children. Yes. You have concerns for raising them in this world . My daughters now are in their early 20s. And of course every parent, you know, has a concern for the babies, toddlers, young children, adolescents. And the concerns change from, oh, my goodness, are they going to fall out the window to are they going to get on to some heavy, you know, drug or whatever. Kind of different sorts of concerns. Sure. So far my sdraurts tudaughte turned out beautifully. I still always have the concern. Heres the deal becoming a parent is the greatest level of all. And you know how precious a human life is. And then as a mother, you say, oh, id like all mothers to have the opportunity to raise the children safely, well, with opportunity, with education. All things that they tend to take for granted. You see all children your heart opens up. You say, i want that child there with the bare feet and the no ragged clothes and all of you know, no food to eat. And danger they want that child to be well. They strive to want things to be better. What do they do with the energy . Thats the question. Am i talking about it or am i going to be able to make a difference in some way. You said you were always curious even as a child. Was there always interest in being an artist . And if not, how did that journey happen . Yes, but i didnt know it. I was a creative kid. I was a dreamy kid. So all my report cards when they came out, every one consistently said, ann could do better if she just stopped daydreaming. But it did you ever every day. Every day. I think it reflects what was happening in the classroom. Maybe i had attention deficit disorder. These days they have terminology for those things. Its the dreams that are part of the krafb procecreative process. Nowadays i think we have more insight. And all children dont learn the same. Yeah. And i think if there is an indictment on my part, not that you asked, but if i have an indictment of my educational system, there are many, but one is that we think that all children learn the same, and they dont. Absolutely not. Also, if i remember rightly, im left handed. I was lucky because i didnt that means youre really creative. They say. Right brain, left handed. In any case, i was fortunate that i wasnt reprimanded as so many of my generation of kids coming up and our parents and grandparents before them, they had the ruler on the like going, you must learn how to write we were taught with a very kind of somewhat abusive, you know, kind of hard core style that really now that we know better, we know that kids dont have to be reprimanded. They dont flourish when they are being punished. There are great alternatives. Theres a great societal debate. I could cite the incidents on the front pages of sports pages and news pages about whether or not there is a better way to discipline children. Are you talking about Corporal Punishment as opposed to nonCorporal Punishment . One aspects of it. Thats right. Thats right. I want to get back to nostalgia in a second. Before i do, that id be remiss for all of your fans i mentioned last night that you sold some 83 millionplus records around the world, solo records, and your eurythmics stuff. When you look back as a solo artist on the eurythmics days, what do you think . Well, i think we were extraordinary survivors. I do. What people see are the results of creative work. They see videos, they hear the music. Maybe if if theyre still into buying some ancient vinyl or whatever, they might still c. D. S. Thats what they see. They see the results. What they dont know are the back stories and what it took in terms of our survival to make those things happen. They dont need to know those stories, but i know them. I lived them. And it didnt just come overnight. Dave and i and the tourists the Previous Group that we created with pete cooms, we made three albums, we toured the world. Its not like it came overnight. When dave and i came out of the ashes of that band because we broke up, we made another record for eurythmics. Our first as eurythmics was called in the garden. And Nothing Happened with that in terms of commercial success. To be frank, you kind of need that if its gasoline in the tank. Then we created sweet dreams. At that point, we were on our fifth album that we ahed made. I was ready to go to scotland with my tail between my legs and take on a teaching profession or something. I thought time to give up. And with perseverance, things started to happen. And it goes on from there. It was hard, hard work and challenging, and it is. It has its own momentum. And it was a decade of creativity like it. It it is extraordinary. Im amazed myself that we lasted the course so well, we came out of it sane. That were still alive and kicking and both doing our special thing. Yeah, not just alive and kicking but still creative. Still innovative which is tough to do in this business. Certainly. Its getting harder and harder. When i hear Record Company executives talking about, you know, the background of like what it is to have a young artist these days or the artists themselves or anybody in management, anybody within the Music Industry talking about what does it take to break a young artist okay, we know some of those ingredients, the real diesel how dye sustao you the artist . And how do they stay sane and seasoner . Thats an issue. How sober . Thats an issue. How did they stay healthy in psychological terms apart from everything else. Young artists come up like this. I can almost guarantee you will see them going down on a tailspin. Thats not healthy for that person. So your saurm if i were to use argument is that if i were to use, its better to take off like a jet plane than a rocket . Its better to take off on a smoother gradient than rapid acceleration and explosion and burnout to nothing. I think that must be so, so hard. When they say star, there it is, and theyre all aspiring to be a star. They have no concept of what that entails. And its like a team of people put that celebrity person together. Then you have flatout burnout. And that person is discarded. Theres nothing worse than thinking of yourself as a has been. I am valueless. At 24. At 24. Yeah, yeah. To what do you attribute your sustainability across decades . Ooh. I think its good question to ask other people because they would have their comment about that. I will say that because i come from my background where we didnt have much and my values in my value were socially conscious, politically conscious, too, i think that has stood me in good stead. The other thing is that i didnt get hooked into drugs or alcohol abuse. I have to say that. Its not because im whiter than white. Im a person with many, many flaws. I was fortunate not to go down that route because it would have destroyed me. And then also this word celebrity that i mentioned before. That one . Have you heard that one . It seem to be the currency nowadays. But its about superficial thing that has no substance, no value whatsoever. And everybody gets tagged with the same brush, celebrity. Its meaningless, useless. You know, like youre just tossed out like yesterdays garbage. That is disconcerting for me. And im i always said, im a human being. Im a creative personment a musician. Many things. Celebrity is just anomaly for me. I try to avoid the places where people are pumped up to be red carpet. Opening of a plastic bag, as you might same. Were all there. This side of this Music Industry ive never been comfortable with ever. I love to talk about my work. If ive done work yes, ill talk about it. I will avoid all of that lifestyle. Its not for me. I was in a conversation with a friend the other night. He was making the distinction between celebrities and stars. And the point was that anybody these days can be a celebrity. You can be famous for being famous. You havent really done anything. Youre famous for being famous. Theres celebrities all around us. Bona fide stars, you know, is a different sort of thing. I see you beyond not just a celebrity. I dont even go for the word star. In a weird way, i think im always maybe for some people. But thats a projection. You dont have to accept it. Im putting it on you. Youre putting it on me. My show. Yeah. Its not an insult. Not at all. It is not an insult. Speaking of insults, have you been insulted in this business over the years . Are there things that have you taken as ininsults. Yeah, yeah. From the industry or public . Yeah, many, many, many how many times can i say many . Many times. Movi mucho. Mucho. Heres the deal, you get put on a pedestal. People see you, youre on the pedestal. The best thing since sliced bread. Amazing. The flip side is that youre a piece of something that can i i will not say on your program, under your shoe. Gum. Gum. Youre a piece of gum, and there you are. And people like it hammer you. So its a schizophrenic experience that people put you up on this thing so youre holier than thou and down there. When i its tough. When i hear nice compliments and i like them uobviously, peope like to be complimented i take it groish us on aciously, let it go to my head. I let it go. The other is hard to process, youre hurt, angry, and you want to kind of punch back, baugh do that. You have to do that. What i think about that is that it makes you more grounded. You have to see it for what it is and understand the game. Then know your strengths, know your weakness and know that youre a human being like everybody else. Thats the great leveler. I want to ask a question, and ill tell you why im asking before i take your answer. Did you have to fight, did you have to work hard to do this project nostalgia, which is your reinterpretation of many of the classics in the american songbook . Or did it come easily . I ask it because oftentimes artists get boxed in by the industry, by their fans. And this by your own admission is something youve never done before. Does the question make sense . Absolutely. Totally makes sense to me. For years, eurythmics and myself, solo artists, had to try to keep the influence of Record Companies and Record Company decisions, you know, keep it controlled because obviously the Record Companies want whatever the Record Companies wanted. I have been fortunate. Once i may nostalgia, i said, i want to be signed to blue note records, the classic jazz label. Its been going for 75 years. And the new head of blue note is don worth. And i happened to meet don worth in february in los angeles. And i played him my album. He loved it. I said, i want to be on blue note. Is that possible . Hey is, yeah, come on board he said, yeah, come on board with us. Im on blue note. And blue note are a subsidiary of Capital Records. They have a new head, steve barnett. He has been the Music Industry really, we dont even know whoer wee. We are like the polar bear on the sort of dissolving ice what do you call though things . Ice caps. Ice caps. Yeah. So here you have sort of a dissolving Music Industry, people trying to understand where is the sustainability. Ive been very, very fortunatement here in america, im signed to blue note under Capital Records label. And everybody has been incredible. Its the first time that i feel personally that ive really worked collaboratively. Why . Because they understand what im trying to do. And theyve given me the freedom weve had to sometimes have our kind of goto. Thats natural. Thats understandable. But they have facilitated making this vinyl album so beautiful with the artwork i was about to go there. Can you get this . I love can i just say i love . Good lord. That is a gorgeous photo. Well, the idea is that theres a timelessness in all of it. The sky is the one thing that accompanies all of us from the dinosaur times up to now. That is the one continuum we have. The element of the planet and the sky. And that is the nostalgia. The deeper meaning of nostalgia. And the sky dont you think the sky is such an amazing thing. From an artistic point of view. Im always looking at the changing mood of the sky. And music is again, another evoktive thing that brings out feelings in people. Sky is amazing. One more time, jonathan. So is that dress, though. Look at that dress. Can we yeah. I didnt make it mize myseys. Did you feel good in it . As a performer, you want to wear something that is appropriate for your performance, you know. So ive had the opportunity wear things on stage to emphasize the performance in some way. This is a slightly surrealistic dress. Talking about silly stuff locker fashion is although fashion is not about fashion. The costume is the tool of your trade. If you think about somebody like james brown and the godfather of soul, he was psychedelic and those incredibly interesting innovative ways people dress and caught attention. It was the costuming of music that was interesting, too. Speaking of costumes, there is silly, but i want to say it anyway. One of the things aside from your powerful and brilliant and lovely voice, when i got turned on to you, what turned me on is who is this woman with this cool, sexy, short haircut. In all of these years, you rocked the look. Its easily maintained. Is that by choice . Very economical, easy to do. Its just easy. Thats the way it goes. You sport a short haircut yourself. Mine is not so much by choice. It gets thinner as you get older. I raise that only because your fans, you know, know you by your voice and look. And that look is its worked for you for all of these years. Were all born with what nature gives us. We try to make the best of it, face it. Youve done that. You have done that. This is a wonderful other wonderful project. And i have so much enjoyed this conversation. Im glad you could stick around for two nights. Fantastic. Thank you. An opportunity. I enjoyed it. The new project from the one and only annie lenox is called nostalg nostalgia. A wonderful project where she reinterprets in her own way, of course, these wonderful classic songs in the american songbook. Were talking georgia on my mind, i put a spell you on, and summertime, and strange fruit and nearless of indigo. Thanks to blue note. We get to hear annie do something shes not done on record. Theres a vinyl version of it, bam. C. D. Version, bam. And the real version of it bam. Here i am. Annie, loved to have you here. Thanks for being here. Ive enjoyed having you. Thats our show for tonight. Thanks for watching. And as always, keep the faith. Georgia georgia sweet georgia on my mind for more information on todays show, visit tavis smiley at pbs. Org. Hi, im tavis smiley. Joining me next time for a conversation with musician dave koz with his new holiday c. D. , the 25th of december, plus a performance. Well see you then. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Welcome to film School Shorts, a showcase of the most exciting new talent from across the country. Experience the future of film, next on film School Shorts. Film School Shorts is made possible by a grant from maurice kanbar, celebrating the vitality and power of the moving image, and by the members of kqed