Whenever
Bryan was away touring I would fill the time by writing with other artists
(38 Special, Aerosmith, etc). In the autumn of 1983, as Bryan was about
to embark on a six-week tour of Europe, he began insisting I go along
with him, so we could spend every spare minute writing songs.
I know how hectic tours can be, and I told Bryan it would be a waste of time, that very little writing would actually get done. But Bryan insisted there would be ample opportunity to work on music and lyrics as we travelled from town to town. Eventually he wore me down and I agreed to tag along.
On September 11, 1983 I flew from Vancouver to London to begin a journey that would include Frankfurt, Hamburg, Dortmund, Amsterdam, Paris, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg, London, Manchester and Sheffield.
Most of the travel between cities took place on a rented tour bus, usually departing after the show (midnight) and arriving in the next city the following morning. But somehow the wrong bus had been booked. Instead of a "sleeper" with bunk-beds, a regular bus had been hired, so we had to sleep sitting up, which resulted in little sleep, if any. The bus was also freezing cold, and everyone took turns having the "flu".
As I predicted, Bryan's itinerary was extremely full, with a rigorous schedule of radio station visits and press interviews in each city. During the thirty-one days I stayed with the tour, Bryan and I had only two brief opportunities to write: once in an Amsterdam hotel room, and once backstage before a concert in Gothenburg, Sweden ... about 30 minutes each time.
On the positive side, we did manage to complete one or two lines of lyric for "She's Only Happy When She's Dancin'". I also had the opportunity to witness an amazing audience reaction during a concert in Sheffield, England. The room (the size of a school gymnasium) was so hot and humid that condensation was literally raining from the ceiling. Towards the end of the concert the crowd spontaneously broke into a soccer anthem, the highest compliment a European audience can pay a performer. I believe it's the first time that had happened for Bryan, and I know the Sheffield concert remains a highlight from his early career.
I know how hectic tours can be, and I told Bryan it would be a waste of time, that very little writing would actually get done. But Bryan insisted there would be ample opportunity to work on music and lyrics as we travelled from town to town. Eventually he wore me down and I agreed to tag along.
On September 11, 1983 I flew from Vancouver to London to begin a journey that would include Frankfurt, Hamburg, Dortmund, Amsterdam, Paris, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg, London, Manchester and Sheffield.
Most of the travel between cities took place on a rented tour bus, usually departing after the show (midnight) and arriving in the next city the following morning. But somehow the wrong bus had been booked. Instead of a "sleeper" with bunk-beds, a regular bus had been hired, so we had to sleep sitting up, which resulted in little sleep, if any. The bus was also freezing cold, and everyone took turns having the "flu".
As I predicted, Bryan's itinerary was extremely full, with a rigorous schedule of radio station visits and press interviews in each city. During the thirty-one days I stayed with the tour, Bryan and I had only two brief opportunities to write: once in an Amsterdam hotel room, and once backstage before a concert in Gothenburg, Sweden ... about 30 minutes each time.
On the positive side, we did manage to complete one or two lines of lyric for "She's Only Happy When She's Dancin'". I also had the opportunity to witness an amazing audience reaction during a concert in Sheffield, England. The room (the size of a school gymnasium) was so hot and humid that condensation was literally raining from the ceiling. Towards the end of the concert the crowd spontaneously broke into a soccer anthem, the highest compliment a European audience can pay a performer. I believe it's the first time that had happened for Bryan, and I know the Sheffield concert remains a highlight from his early career.