The 'Alternating Currents' Legacy Interview: Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs
The Furs' lead vocalist in a 1991 conversation on unity, The Osmonds and Bob Dylan
Prologue
It may be cool or not so cool. What I mean is, if you think Richard Butler is cooler than cold, that The Psychedelic Furs are mired in an angst-ridden world of frigidness, think again.
When questioned about the band's ‘secret’ gig at the Paradise this past summer, Butler answered, “It’s like a public rehearsal. It’s not quite that bad. I mean, you don't stop songs and go ‘Hang on! That's the wrong chord!’” Wherein, he let out a good, long laugh. Sakes alive, this guy is very loose.
That’s how our phone conversation continued. Butler sounded at ease from his manager’s office in New York City as he talked about a solid band, a solid life, and a solid new release, World Outside. Butler's patented Liquid Drano delivery has never sounded better: fully formed on the haunting “Until She Comes” and mystically ambient on “Don't Be A Girl.” A large part of this has come from a stable band line-up and the fact that the cast has assembled in one place: New York City.
“I just don't like being in England,” Butler stated. “I find it miserable and cold, especially in the north.” Living for nearly a decade in the Big Apple has suited him better as it “fit in with my hours and the way I wanted to live. I wasn't up ‘til four in the morning watching some program about making cheese because that’s all that was on television.”
Another sticky point was that the core trio were separated until recently. Butler and the Furs’ bassist, brother Tim, in New York City while guitarist John Ashton remained in England.
“It was more of a problem than we thought at the time,” said Butler. For most of the mid-’80s, they would send tapes back and forth and make frequent plane trips, but as Richard concluded, “It wasn't until we started making the last two albums [Midnight to Midnight and Book of Days] that we realized how much better it was to have John here all the time.”
Bouncing ideas off his bandmates has also helped. That includes the other ‘newly’ recruited Furs: keyboardist Joe McGinty, second guitarist Knox Chandler and drummer Don Yallech. Butler cited creative unity as the key factor to the quick turnaround of World Outside.
The Psychedelic Furs – Until She Comes/℗©1991 SONY BMG Music Entertainment/YouTube
“We did this record with the whole band in the studio at the same time, just fooling around. It was like different people coming up with different ideas and then the whole band developing them.”
“The worst record we made,” he continues, “was the one we spent the longest time making, which was Midnight to Midnight.” As was the case with Midnight to Midnight, the previous album Mirror Moves had been pieced together, with the band working on songs in the studio. Unfortunately, Midnight to Midnight didn't come together as easily. “We tried to come up with good ideas, but nothing came out. I won't do that again.”
So this time, Butler went in prepared with a mindset to get the deal done, even though they allowed space for “Tearing Down” and “All About You,” written during the album’s recording. Hot man-of-the-moment Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur, The Darling Buds) was co-producer. Butler enthused, “he did a great job, and I'm looking forward to working with him again.”
Someone else Butler works well with is his younger brother Tim. It may or may not be a tangible link, but could Butler imagine being in a band without him?
“I’ve never tried to, but I imagine it’s entirely possible,” he responded laughing. “It’s funny, but I never think of him as my brother. I think of him as a really good friend. We haven’t got any rivalry.” Another brother, Simon, was also in the band for a brief period, but, as Butler admitted, “I kicked him out. I didn't want it to look like The Osmonds!” At this, both of us howled with laughter.
The Psychedelic Furs – Don't Be a Girl/℗©1991 SONY BMG Music Entertainment/YouTube
We did recover long enough to ponder over the Furs’ longevity and how they’ve stayed alongside the likes of Public Image Ltd., Depeche Mode and The Cure. I asked Butler, who’s in his mid-thirties, if he felt, well, to put it delicately, old.
“Not at all,” he answered firmly. “Not even slightly.” He then broke up in laughter. “We get a lot of bands that say we inspired them, but then we have a lot of bands saying that about our second album as well. It doesn’t make me feel old. I guess when I feel old, I will be old,” he said, laughing again.
We then touched down on some Fur-ry subjects: Molly Ringwald and Pretty In Pink (“My involvement with the movie was nil”), the effect of MTV on his career (“I’m the wrong person to ask”), Morrissey (“I think he writes interesting lyrics”) and Bob Dylan (“I’m dying for him to make a good record!”). But ultimately, what of The Psychedelic Furs future and the continued stream of 'angst-ridden' material generated by our languid Mr. Butler?
“If I was to ever try and tailor-make music for an audience, I would do it badly. I would probably make really crappy music. It’s hard enough to make good music and it’s even harder if you’re not following the dictates of your own taste. You have to believe in yourself. Otherwise, it’s not worth doing.”
Epilogue
The Furs, 2024. Credit: Mary Bodimer/Instagram
