Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist Colin Hay is in the midst of an international tour promoting his latest album Man @ Work Volume 2, which includes Men At Work's classic tunes, new material and solo album highlights.
Hay, known for being the front man for the 80's hit making group Men at Work, spoke to WBGO's Doug Doyle about his amazing four decade-plus career, mostly as a solo artist. Men at Work won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1983.
"Well the whole Man @ Work idea was the record company's. I first signed with Compass Records in 2003 I think it was, they said 'Look there's not that many people who are aware of you name. The Men at Work brand is much stronger so would you consider doing an album called Man @ Work?' So we wanted to do different versions of Men at Work songs coupled with new songs. That's what we did with that album. That's what we did with this album as well."
Hay, who makes tour stops in Tarrytown Hall on November 7, The Keswick Theater in PA November 8 and the Bergen PAC November 9, often performs with his wife Latin music star Cecilia Noelle.
"I met Cecilia very briefly in New York in the 80's actually, but I didn't see her again until '93. I used to take people to see her band which would play at The Baked Potato (Jazz Club) in Hollywood, in the valley there. She had this incredible band called The Wild Clams. So we knew each other for quite a long time before we actually got together. She's a great musician and a great bandleader. She's taught me a lot over the years and I've stolen quite a few musicians from her."
Colin Hay's career took off in the early 80's with the Australian rock band Men at Work. The group pumped out smash hits like "Down Under", "Who Can It Be Now" and "Overkill". His strong vocals and catchy lyrics turned the band into a household name on the charts. What's even more impressive is that Hay continues to thrill audiences with his amazing vocal range.
"It's like anything, it's a muscle so you have to exercise it. I warm up before I sing and I have a vocal coach who gives me exercises to do. Sleep is important. It's really what I don't do more than anything else. I'm not giving myself a hammering like I used to so that's also a good thing."
Early in his solo career, Hay got the opportunity to work with jazz icon and legendary pianist Herbie Hancock.
"It was incredible. I was in London making record with a great record producer and Englishman called Robin Millar. I was make the album and we finished the track with guitar, bass and drums and the vocal was there. Robin said to me 'You know who would be great on this record, Herbie Hancock?' I said that would be great."
It turned out that Hancock was in London at the time and had an open night. He came into the studio with Newark's own saxophone legend Wayne Shorter.
"They just walked in. I didn't know Herbie that well. I had met him a couple of times. He sat down and had a little glass of red wine. He went into the studio and sat down at the piano. We played the track and recorded him four times and said "Do you have enough? We said we had plenty. And that was it. Wayne played as well but Robin didn't end up using the saxophone because he thought it was too left. We ended up just going with the piano that Herbie played which was sublime."
Hay recalled some memories of his early days singing as a teenager.
"Well I used to sing at home, just to myself in the bedroom, before I left Scotland to go to Australia. But I remember singing on the ship on the way over to Australia. They had a little talent contest there. I think it was about when I was 14 years old that I started to sing and play in little folk clubs from when I was about 15 years old."
You can SEE Doug Doyle's entire interview with Colin Hay below.
