WALLY: First of all, I'm grateful some people do believe in me. Now here are the answers to the questions:
MIKE: What was your childhood like?
WALLY: Although I was born in 1948 - Valentine's Day - the war's weight was
heavy on me. My parents met in a concentration camp, and luckily survived.
So I owe my life to Hitler (sic).
(Someone outside is screaming "Veronica", a couple of days for a couple of
hours, and banging her door. I know where she is: she split).
My father was a guitar player, who couldn't get the work he wanted. So he
worked steel mills and dockside jobs, and was very active in union work,
organising labourers to fight for their rights. My mother has the most beautiful
alto voice I've ever heard. She's still very good looking, with pitch-black
hair down to her bottom.
So you see, my friend, it wasn't easy. But on the other hand: Saturday was
a fine day. At 13.00 o'clock my Dad got paid. My mother and I walked some
fifteen minutes to the dockside. He gave her 70 guilders, and she let him
keep 20 guilders to buy genever and beer. Mama started kooking (Russian.
My mother's parents straight from the Soviet Union, my father of Russian
descent)..... delicious.
Enter: Uncle Wassily Krimsky came in with ballalaika and supreme baritone
voice (if he had some money for half-liter vodka).
Enter: Uncle Rinus with mouth organ and beerenburger.
Enter: Auntie Till with accordion.
Enter: My brother Fedja (Fred) with his single drum.
The neighbours were not only amused, they crowded our little apartment, and
stood listening in the street. Good food and entertainment for free.
MIKE: How did you first get interested in music?
WALLY: I got my first musical instrument when I was about three. But it was
a phoney piano: the black keys where painted on. I was very upset about this
and sold it to the idiot in the street, who still has it, but uses it as
an ashtray.
At six years of age I got a good guitar, a "Cerlino Prima Donna" (Italian
with gut strings - about 110 guilders). At about eight I started collecting
mouth organs and cheap flutes.
MIKE: Tell me about your first group, what kind of music did you
play?
WALLY: My first real group was "Danny Raven and the Outsiders" when I was
about eleven. I dropped the Danny bit. Frankly, I am a better singer, and
the name of the band was mine. Besides, I had a goddam Telecaster (1100 guilders)
with a real amplifier. We played R and R.
MIKE: How did you meet up with the rest of the Outsiders?
WALLY: The usual way: I dropped my off-tempo drummer and bassplayer, and
put an advertisement in the window of Ma Herman's music store (Ulrechrse
Straat). We tried out a few people 'til Leon (Buzz) and Appie Rammers showed
up (drummer and bass player should be married, they were in a musical sense).
By the way, Splinter was already with me, we met at school.
MIKE: When did you start writing songs, and what was the first song you
wrote?
WALLY: I wrote words in Dutch to songs I dug since I was about six years
of age. At ten I also started writing melodies. The first was for my mama's
birthday, it went something like this:
Good evening dear mother / Here's a bunch of flowers / Not stolen / I got them on loan
MIKE: Who were your biggest influences?
WALLY: My father was into Gypsy jazz (Django) and R and B (Louis Jordan)
and also Satchmo, Parker, etc.... I still dig all of them. My ma was into
russian folk songs, opera, operette - Louis Alberto del Parana, Antonio Machino,
etc... Still dig 'em all.
Later on, Elvis and country music got to me, as well as Ray Charles and Charles
Aznavour. In a way I was in a fortunate position. We had a sailor's home
'round the corner. Those cats would bring us the new hot stuff from everywhere,
and I'd show them the red light district for Buddy Holly records and a little
money. A fine deal indeed.
Later on, I wasn't really influenced anymore. But I still listen to music.
Sorry, I forgot the one who hit me hardest ,'cause I try not to think of
him. I loved this man so dearly, I can't get over his death at 38: Tim Hardin.
And, of course, the king of Amsterdam, Johnny Jordaan (Amsterdam songs).
He even beat Frank Sinatra in the U.S., Sinatra on 2, Jordaan on 1 in the
fifties.
MIKE: Did the way you looked cause you a lot of problems?
WALLY: The way I looked caused me a lot of trouble since age eleven, when
I started to wear my hair long. I was kicked out of a lot of schools so many
times. I remember a lot of them not anymore.
My father used to write letters (after receiving ones with comments about
my dressing like a girl and my awfully long hair) to schools stating: "My
boy ain't gonna cut his hair because of you. If he wants it long - fine with
me. If he wants it short - no problem. He has the right to dress the way
he wants. I refuse to be treated as an asshole, F.G. Tax.".
So the answer is: not really.
MIKE: Was the song "Monkey on your back" inspired by someone you
knew?
WALLY: Yes, it was. A friend of mine got deeply into morphine and coke, and
he was slipping away. I loved this cat (for he was a fine artist in many
fields and a nice man), and the only dope I used was a little grass, and,
if touring got too tiring, a doctor's pep pill. I can tell you the man's
name but I won't.
MIKE: What other dutch bands did you like from around that time?
WALLY: We were all friends and enemies, like the London scene at the time.
The best bands at the time were not into rock, and were slipping fast (not
making money). We smelled a chance and took it. Let's say we respected each
other.
MIKE: How do you feel about the solo records you were making at that time,
like the "Love-In" LP?
WALLY: I loved doing these songs. They were in my heart for such a long time
when Philips said "You can do 'em". I loved it (still proud of 'em).
MIKE: What did the other Outsiders feel about them?
WALLY: They were opposed to them, but since I never let somebody tell me
what to do I told them to go fuck themselves or play with me.
MIKE: Why did Tom, and then Appie leave the group?
WALLY: The both of them left in the same period of time. I didn't know of
any plans. Well, Appie is a great bass-player. I was glad to get relieved
of Tom: he was a lousy musician. I was glad they left, because I think we
made our best album after they left: "CQ".
MIKE: What was the concept behind the "CQ" album?
WALLY: The concept of "CQ" was change the universe.
"CQ" credits: although the credits say otherwise, I wrote the words. I gave
them some money by sharing credits, and even giving my part away. I wanted
to keep the band together, and lost. I wrote most of melodies with Splinter.
By the way, Frank Beek has been shot to death some half year ago.
MIKE: Why did the Outsiders finally break up?
WALLY: It was my fault, and I think it's the best thing I've ever done. It's
hard living with me. I'm so fucking serious. They were not.
MIKE: Was it hard to find acceptance for your music in the years after
the Outsiders had split?
WALLY: No problem: sold more records and had the chance to do romantic stuff.
MIKE: Of all the songs you've written over the years, which is the most
special to you personally?
WALLY: Maybe the most close song to my heart is a bit misused. I think "It's
raining in my heart" is the greatest song I ever wrote. (By the way: I stole
the title unknowingly).
MIKE: What kind of music do you listen to these days?
WALLY: Lately I listen to: Aaron Neville, Elvis Presley, ZZ Top, Don Covay,
Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Connie Francis, Buck Owens, and the others like
Mozart, Satie, Brell.... Just about everything.
MIKE: What are your plans for the future? Any new records?
WALLY: The answer is yes, and I'm doing a movie. I've got a great band, Ben
Waalwyk is keyboards and director.