Our favorite Rocker has generously taken time out from his extremely busy schedule to sit down and write some of the greatest answers we've ever seen to your never ending questions about his extremely interesting (and sometimes bizarre) life!
Our Number One Question for Jack was from Terry from Toronto who asked, "Jack, can you tell us a bit about how your collaborations with Ian Orkin & Bev Bevan came about in writing 'Sweet Lover' & 'Another Day, Another Dollar'?"
Jack said, “When I was living in Ibiza, we used to hang out at a place called Café del Mar. Nowadays it’s famous and people from all over the world go to Ibiza just to visit it. Then, it was just another café that played good music albeit a very comfortable café with amazing décor. One day Jackie and I sat at a table that had somebody already sitting at it. It was Ian Orkin, he was on holiday, we got chatting and I told him I was a musician/songwriter, he said that he wrote lyrics, so we drove back to mine and knocked out a couple of songs. Over the next few months he visited Ibiza a couple more times and we wrote some more. I haven’t seen him in years. I wish he’d contact me. Writing with Bev Bevan was set up by my manager Peter Kuys who was handling Bev and Kelly and some of the guys from ELO. The thing is, I never met him. I spoke to him on the phone and he sent me a lyric he had written. It was a pretty naïve lyric but I managed to cram it into a song that I’d already written. He was a very nice guy as far as I could tell.”
Question Number Two was from Wes from Orange County who asked, "Were you ever thinking that your music might have changed as many lives as it has?"
Jack replied, “No When I was young I was very in to the Beatles and I can understand how their music could have changed people’s lives but it never occurred to me that my music could ever have done that.”
Question Number 3 is from Kim from Bangor, Maine, U.S.A. would like to know, "Hello Jack, my question is this. Do you believe in life after death. Thank you."
Jack’s very interesting answer was this, “Don’t get me started on this! The simple truth is I don’t believe there is life after death. If there were, there would be more substantial proof.
Question Number 4 is Warren from 'Parts Unknown' would like to know, "Did you go to the Pretty Things 'Silk Torpedo' release party? I've heard it was pretty wild..."
Jack said, “When I was living in Ibiza, we used to hang out at a place called Café del Mar. Nowadays it’s famous and people from all over the world go to Ibiza just to visit it. Then, it was just another café that played good music albeit a very comfortable café with amazing décor. One day Jackie and I sat at a table that had somebody already sitting at it. It was Ian Orkin, he was on holiday, we got chatting and I told him I was a musician/songwriter, he said that he wrote lyrics, so we drove back to mine and knocked out a couple of songs. Over the next few months he visited Ibiza a couple more times and we wrote some more. I haven’t seen him in years. I wish he’d contact me. Writing with Bev Bevan was set up by my manager Peter Kuys who was handling Bev and Kelly and some of the guys from ELO. The thing is, I never met him. I spoke to him on the phone and he sent me a lyric he had written. It was a pretty naïve lyric but I managed to cram it into a song that I’d already written. He was a very nice guy as far as I could tell.”
Question Number Two was from Wes from Orange County who asked, "Were you ever thinking that your music might have changed as many lives as it has?"
Jack replied, “No When I was young I was very in to the Beatles and I can understand how their music could have changed people’s lives but it never occurred to me that my music could ever have done that.”
Question Number 3 is from Kim from Bangor, Maine, U.S.A. would like to know, "Hello Jack, my question is this. Do you believe in life after death. Thank you."
Jack’s very interesting answer was this, “Don’t get me started on this! The simple truth is I don’t believe there is life after death. If there were, there would be more substantial proof.
Question Number 4 is Warren from 'Parts Unknown' would like to know, "Did you go to the Pretty Things 'Silk Torpedo' release party? I've heard it was pretty wild..."
Surprise, Surprise Everyone, Jack DID attend that party, and belt up your seat belts kids, because he sure did enjoy himself and he didn't hold back with his wonderfully poetic recollection...
Here is Our Favorite Rocker's reply, "If you mean the party at Chislehurst caves, then yes I did go to that party. I must admit though, it’s a bit of a blur.
I remember Gordon Edwards and I travelled there on the journalist’s bus. After a while we realised that on the other side of the aisle there were two journalists getting extremely intimate. During a particularly vocal moment the girl knocked over her handbag and all these pills fell out. Gordon and I gallantly scrabbled about on the floor helping her to retrieve them. They were mostly Valium and assorted uppers and downers and after we’d pocketed quite a few we gave her the remainder back. So by the time that we got there, we were pretty smashed.
It was quite a weird night. They had topless girls in the cloakroom and strippers dressed as nuns encased in jelly (jello) in coffins that they would sporadically burst out of. George Melly was on stage and threw buckets of jelly over the audience. Apart from that huge amount of detail, all the rest is a blur..."
(I think that I'd have liked to have attended that party too Jack! ~Robin)
Question Number 5 is from ‘Jessica from Canada’ asks, "How do you keep from having a big ego when people come up to you and tell you how great you are all the time?"
Jack’s cool answer is this, “It’s easy, when you’re as interesting, clever, talented and as gorgeous as I am”.
Question Number 6 is from Anna Marie from Paris had an interesting question, "How did you relieve tension from touring, especially after a great performance..." (Anna Marie sent some interesting photos too.)
Jack’s tongue in cheek answer is, “Sex and drugs mostly, as I’m not a big drinker. Seriously though, I’d do what everybody else does, which is sit about talking till the early hours then crash out.”
Question 7 is from J-Gas’ most frequent visitor, David B. from Anchorage, Alaska who asks, "What's the funniest thing you've ever seen someone famous do?"
Jack replied, “Most famous musicians have such enormous ego’s they would be horrified to think they were being thought of as funny. However, one story always amused me. On Elton John’s birthday, Marc Bolan sent him a life size cardboard cut out of himself with the words “Happy birthday Elton love Marc.” Emblazoned across the front. Marc thought this was amazingly funny until his own birthday when a huge removal van arrived carrying a 32 foot high cardboard cut out of Elton(!), with the words “Happy Birthday Marc, thanks for your little card, love Elton.”
Question 8 is from Emma T. from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and she is very interested in the answer to this question. "Did you ever play pranks on your fellow band members? I know that you said in an early question that Marc Bolan introduced you once and said, "This is Jack, he's got a few things to say to you.." And then he left you hanging there on the stage.
Jack’s extremely funny answer is a great story that had everyone just howling with laughter. Here it is Emma, fellow J-Gas members and guests…
Question 8 is from Emma T. from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and she is very interested in the answer to this question. "Did you ever play pranks on your fellow band members? I know that you said in an early question that Marc Bolan introduced you once and said, "This is Jack, he's got a few things to say to you.." And then he left you hanging there on the stage.
Jack’s extremely funny answer is a great story that had everyone just howling with laughter. Here it is Emma, fellow J-Gas members and guests…
”One of the most amusing pranks I remember was when I stayed in an 11th century castle in Geneva while I was recording with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. There were about 11 people staying there, including roadies etc. Late one night we were all sitting in this huge and quite spooky gothic room, when suddenly there was all this howling and moaning coming from the front of the house. Everybody rushed to the window to see where it was coming from. Suddenly we heard even more horrible ghostly noises coming from the other side of the house and everybody rushed to the back windows to see what was going on. Everybody was quite spooked, except Ritchie who sat reading a newspaper and when somebody asked him “Did you hear that?” or “What the hell was that?” He said “It’s probably a cat” and didn’t look up from his paper. That’s when I knew something paranormal wasn’t going on. What eventually transpired was that Ritchie, with the help of a couple of roadies had left tape players strategically placed with timers around the castle. I, I’m proud to say, was the first to figure out what was going on but was told by Ritchie to keep quiet about it. During the 6/8 weeks that we stayed there, one by one everybody sussed it out. All except one person, the keyboard player Don Airy. By the end of a few weeks he was genuinely frightened and wouldn’t sleep in his room, he’d sleep in the living room with all the lights on. What had made up his mind was that every time he left his room, Cozy Powell and myself went in to his room and changed all the furniture around. Everybody ended up acting for this guys benefit, saying how terrified we all were. It was pretty funny.”
Question Number 9 is from Andrew K. of Toronto asks Jack, "Who is the person that you most like, living or dead, to work with, music-wise. And why so? Thank you in advance Mr. Green."
Jack’s reply is this, “There are so many people I would have loved to work with. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Bob Dylan to name but a few. I’ve liked everybody that I’ve worked with, well mostly everybody; there are always a few…”
And finally Question Number 10 “Willow from Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S.A., would like to know, "What is the nicest thing you have ever received from a fan? And what is the weirdest? Thanks Jack!”
Jack very kind reply was this, “The nicest thing any fan has ever done for me is to buy my music. Robin from J-Gas sent me a really nice shirt recently. The weirdest thing was a dried plum from a Japanese fan.”
Thanks to everyone who sent The Jack Green Appreciation Society a question, and don’t be discouraged if Jack doesn’t answer your questions immediately.
With over 100 emails (and counting!) per week, we receive many questions and many requests for Jack to reply to questions, autograph records and guitars. Unfortunately, we can’t as of yet have Jack sign all of what his many fans would like to have him sign as he would be spending enormous amounts on postage and he would be signing everything until his arms fell off.
However, if you have a Stratocaster or Telecaster type of guitar where the pickguard can be removed, there might be just a possibility in the future that Jack can sign his autograph on them for you. You would of course have to pay for the postage both ways, and include some form of tribute to Jack in the process.
As well, J-Gas Members have also toyed with the idea of having some of the autographed Jack Green Memorabilia place on Ebay so it would be fair for everyone to have a chance to own something autographed by Jack, with the entire Ebay auction proceeds going directly to Jack. As he gives so much to us directly from his heart, we feel it is only fitting that his generosity is returned. Your feedback is always appreciated so let us here at The Jack Green Appreciation Society know what you would enjoy seeing online!
Jack, a huge 'Thank You So Very Much!' for taking time out to answer everyone's questions.
Jack, a huge 'Thank You So Very Much!' for taking time out to answer everyone's questions.
Robin & The Jack Green Appreciation Society
