THE RUM DIARY: A COCKTAIL INSPIRED BY THE FILM

FROM PEOPLE

If there’s one thing JOHNNY DEPP’S film characters love, it’s their rum.

First there was CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, quotably wondering where all the rum went. Now JOHNNY stars in THE RUM DIARY, which opens today.

Based on the novel of the same name by HUNTER S. THOMPSON, the movie tells the story of journalist PAUL KEMP (played by JOHNNY), who moves to Puerto Rico and has a series of alcohol fueled adventures.

For fans looking to get into the spirit of THE RUM DIARY – literally – here’s a recipe for the CARIBBEAN KISS specialty drink from BRUGAL RUM:

1.5 oz. BRUGAL ANEJO RUM
.5 oz. Amaretto
1 oz. Simple Syrup
1 oz. Pineapple Juice

In a shaker with ice, combine ingredients, shake well and strain into a martini glass.

Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

EMMA WATSON: MAKEUP MAKES ME LESS PALE & ENGLISH

After countless premieres and red carpet appearances, EMMA WATSON has finally found the beauty routine that works for her.

Crediting her pixie cut with what she calls a more experimental relationship with makeup, she told STYLELIST: “There’s no way to hide when you have short hair. You really have to go for it.”

The secret to her trademark look, which includes flawless skin, bold brows and a pinch of glamour, is an arsenal of reliable beauty tools.

“I’m a creature of habit,” she told Style.com of $45 GIORGIO ARMANI BEAUTY LUMINOUS silk powder (bottom right).

“I like to find what works and keep buying it.”

She also brightens up with bronzer or blush, like YVES SAINT LAURENT’S $38 CREME DE BLUSH (top left) because, as EMMA put it, “I am so pale and English.”

But the focal point of EMMA’S look is the eye, which she prefers with a bold brow and major lashes.

“I get my eyebrows threaded,” she confides.

“Blink is really good,” she said of the London based beauty bar’s line of products, which includes defining pencils (top right).

For that kewpie lash effect, the star looks to $25 HYPNOSE DOLL mascara (bottom left) by LANCOME, for which she is an ambassador.

“I’m big into Twiggy so I do bottom lashes and top lashes,” she explained.

“This is really cool because it is specifically designed to get that look.”

GRACE KELLY: A NEW FILM IS IN THE WORKS

She left the big screen for good in 1956, going from the cinematic version of HIGH SOCIETY to the actual upper echelons of wealth and privilege…and now, nearly 30 years after her death, the late PRINCESS OF MONACO will take another turn in the movies.

According to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, European producer PIERRE ANGE LE POGAM has won the rights to an in demand spec script about one of OSCAR winner GRACE KELLY’S greatest triumphs in her second life as treasured royalty. The film will focus on the six month period in 1962 in which PRINCESS GRACE used her smarts and charms to save the small nation’s government from being overthrown by the French.

The basic history goes like this: French President Charles de Gaulle was unhappy that Monaco was a prime tax shelter for his citizens and told PRINCE RAINIER III that if they didn’t change their laws in half a year’s time, there would be repercussions. That’s when the Princess sprung into action, using her smarts and charm on the European political system in much the same way she did in Hollywood.

GRACE KELLY was 33 years old at the time, a former Hollywood beauty who set the international stage alight with her smile and regality. She had starred in a long string of Hollywood hits, including three films for ALFRED HITCHCOCK, HIGH NOON, MOGAMBO – for which she was nominated for a BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS ACADEMY AWARD – and THE COUNTRY GIRL, which netted her the golden statue for BEST ACTRESS.

For more on the film, click over to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

WALKING TALL: LEIGHTON MEESTER DIGS HIGH HEELS

LEIGHTON MEESTER’S label happy on screen alter ego BLAIR WALDORF is content to pick up the closest pair of LOUBOUTINS she can find. Off screen, however, the GOSSIP GIRL star said she searches for shoes “that really speak to me,” regardless of designer name.

“If it’s my daily kind of shoe, I usually go for the same type of style. Like a platform with a thick heel,” she explained.

“But I think variety is important.”

Speaking to PEOPLE Tuesday night at the ROGER VIVIER FALL/COUTURE SHOWCASE to benefit MUSIC UNITES in New York, LEIGHTON said she actually prefers heels to flats.

And when searching for shoes, her top requirement is “definitely not comfort.”

Wearing a J. MENDEL dress, BULGARI jewels and VIVIER shoes — which she called comfortable — LEIGHTON admitted that there is one time of day when you won’t find her in platform heels.

“When I’m walking the dog, I wear sneakers,” she revealed, “because they look and feel better.”

Though BLAIR WALDORF would never imagine lacing up a pair of sneakers, the character does have a lot of surprises in store for her on new episodes of GOSSIP GIRL.

“It’s just so crazy, I can’t even begin to tell you,” LEIGHTON said of upcoming events that include a wedding, craziness between CHUCK BASS and BLAIR and additional drama with DAN HUMPHREY.

“I get to live vicariously through the good and the bad,” she shared, “which is really fun.”

ANTONIO BANDERAS: DISCUSSING THE SKIN I LIVE IN

FROM THE CANADIAN PRESS

PEDRO ALMODOVAR’S THE SKIN I LIVE IN contains some gruesome plot twists that will have many moviegoers squirming in their seats, but star ANTONIO BANDERAS has some advice for them: Give it time.

“Pedro needs to be metabolized, he needs to be digested,” ANTONIO said during an interview at last month’s TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.

The actor, of course, knows of what he speaks.

PEDRO ALMODOVAR is widely credited with launching the Spanish hearthrob’s career in the early 80s.

“Those were movies that were unbelievably controversial,” recalled ANTONIO.

“I remember when Law Of Desire came out some people wanted to literally kill us, you know. It was unbelievable. But nevertheless, those movies 20 years after became classics of the Spanish cinema.”

THE SKIN I LIVE IN, about an obsessed plastic surgeon with a mysterious past, marks the first time in more than 20 years that ANTONIO has collaborated with his old friend.

The project, he said, had its genesis about a decade ago when the director mentioned he’d been inspired by the THIERRY JONQUET novel TARANTULA, on which the film is based.

Then, about two years ago, ANTONIO was in New York doing a workshop for a musical when he got the call.

“I came out and I answered the phone and literally, even without saying hello, he says: ‘It’s about time.’ And I said: ‘OK. Do you have a script all ready?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’…Two days after that he sent the script and I read it and it was quite extraordinary.”

ANTONIO, who has earned a reputation for wildly diverse roles, is very careful about that crucial first read through of a script.

“It is the only time that you are a spectator of your own work. Once you have read the script…you are contaminated, all ready in the process of creating whatever you are going to do. And it (initially) produced pretty much the same impact (in me) that I can observe now in people that are coming out of the movie theatre.”

ANTONIO was captivated by the structure of the movie. The first half raises multiple questions (why is the surgeon keeping a beautiful woman captive in his house?) which are slowly answered as his back story is revealed.

“It positions the people in terms of morality. Little by little…the story starts being developed, you reposition the whole entire movie and it’s like ‘Oh, my God.’”

PEDRO ALMODOVAR allowed his actors almost a month and a half of rehearsal and ANTONIO said the filmmaker helped him reach new heights as a performer.

“He made me play some notes that I didn’t even know I had. For me, the first tendency when you read on paper a character that is actually bigger than life is to show some acting muscles and go more Caligula, if you will. And he said: ‘No, we have to take (this character) down and make him very economical and minimalist.’”

THE SKIN I LIVE IN is by turns dark, campy and sometimes downright outrageous. ANTONIO acknowledges that audiences may have to sit with the material for awhile, reaching for a colourful comparison to describe the effect of PEDRO ALMODOVAR’S work.

“(It’s like when) they serve you a dish that is very edible and in a package you recognize and a flavour you recognize. When somebody gives you a complicated dish you may have a reticence, you put yourself immediately in a defensive way.”

“What is happening? I don’t understand this…You start a game with yourself….In a way, time is the best friend for (Pedro).”

“When you think you catch him he just takes a leap that is bigger than you think it’s going to be.”

FOR THE WIN

Our Friday musical highlight is THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING by NANCY SINATRA.

That’s all I have to say.

STEVEN TYLER & DAUGHTER CHELSEA: ROCKING OUT FOR ANDREW CHARLES

He’s been known to steal his daughters’ clothes, but STEVEN TYLER will probably back away from their closets now that he’s inspired a line of his own.

The AEROSMITH frontperson and AMERICAN IDOL judge is the face and muse of ANDREW CHARLES, a sportswear line with an edge available now at MACY’S stores.

Announced as the face in August, STEVEN has been busy shooting ads for the campaign, which costar his daughter CHELSEA, who models complementary women’s looks.

“I love working with him,” she told PEOPLE last week during a bash for the brand at MACY’S in New York.

“It’s so relaxed and we have a lot of fun with it…and I really love so much of this line. I’m happy to be supporting it.”

The men’s collection features items like bold patterned cotton shirts and cotton and spandex coated denim jeans, plus a scarf collection aptly named ROCK SCARF. The women’s side offers jeans, embellished tops, skirts and tanks.

“It’s been phenomenal,” STEVEN told PEOPLE of working on the campaign.

“I’ve been wearing this stuff forever. It’s just another side of it to think I’d be able to sell this and pass it on.”

And he’s happy to be sharing the responsibility with his daughter.

“He’s really so supportive in anything that makes us happy,” CHELSEA shared.

“If there’s one thing as a dad that he’s really excelled in it’s really just embracing…not asking so many questions, more just, ‘Do you love this?’ and ‘Do you want to do this?’ And if he sees that passion in us then he’s so for it.”

“We’re joined at the hip,” STEVEN said of his relationship with CHELSEA, as well as daughters LIV and MIA and son TAJ. “I’ve got a great little brood going on.”

CHELSEA agreed, adding, “Our family unit is really something special.”

TIFFANY: ADDING SPARKLE TO THE GREAT GATSBY

LEONARDO DICAPRIO and ISLA FISHER will shine even more on the big screen next year thanks to TIFFANY & COMPANY.

The storied jeweller is partnering with WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES and BAZMARK as the exclusive fine jeweller for THE GREAT GATSBY, a new film starring LEONARDO, ISLA, CAREY MULLIGAN and TOBEY MAGUIRE.

The cast will glimmer in period jewels inspired by TIFFANY’S archives, including one of a kind platinum and diamond encrusted bracelets, rings, headpieces and long pearl necklaces created especially for the film.

“The Tiffany & Company archives have proven to be an invaluable resource in looking back at this Golden Era of affluence and fine jewelry,” GATSBY costume designer CATHERINE MARTIN said in a release.

“The continuing tradition of excellence and exquisite craftship has allowed us to both create and recreate pieces that we hope will do justice to this extraordinary novel.”

THE GREAT GATSBY hits theatres on DECEMBER 25, 2012.

REVELATION ROAD: A DISCUSSION WITH SHELBY LYNNE

This article is written by MIKE RAGOGNA at THE HUFFINGTON POST

MIKE RAGOGNA: Shelby Lynne, you’re back for another visit. Thanks. How are you?

SHELBY LYNNE: I’m doing great, man. How are you?

MR: Doing very well. Since you’ve been here before, I think it’s best we just dive in. Your new album REVELATION ROAD, to me, is a collection of paradigms of faith. Did I get that right?

SL: Well, I’m glad that you got that from it, Mike. To me, it’s a collection of the songs that are a reflection of my life today.

MR: Nice. I love how in the song REVELATION ROAD you use the sinner vs. the preacher analogy. That sort of seems like a reflection of the times, wouldn’t you say?

SL: I mean, that’s where I am. I can’t imagine thinking what anybody else is thinking, you know? That’s why I write songs and I’m lucky to be able to do that and write what’s in my head and in my heart. I think that it almost feels to me like a crossroads of some kind.

MR: Nice. On a more personal note, would you mind sharing what inspired you to write these songs?

SL: Well, I think it’s just about letting the past be the past and living your life in as much of a positive way as you can. If you hang on to things you can’t change, you tend to get stuck. So if I’ve learned anything in my life, it’s that you have to keep rolling on.

MR: That kind of ties in nicely with the sentiments of the song WOEBEGONE, doesn’t it?

SL: Yeah. That song is just a clever way of saying that I’m tired of being miserable. I just want to move on and be where life takes me for a change, you know?

MR: This album seems to be the most personal one you’ve made so far.

SL: It is personal. I wrote songs on there about my sister and growing up and such. I really concentrated a lot on writing this record for me. There’s lots of lyrical content about feeling like I’m back in Alabama and being a kid. I really looked at it in a positive all love kind of way. It was amazing how the songs kind of wrote themselves when I let go of any bad feelings I may have had.

MR: A revelation that came to me after listening to songs such as WOEBEGONE was just how often during rough times, I had no choice but to turn to friends and family as a source of solace. Was that the same for you?

SL: Well, it’s not quite the same for me. My family is not where I go for comfort. For me in life, you choose the people that you want to be around and sometimes family is not necessarily it. So, if you make the right decisions, you’ll know it because you’ll start figuring out who you want to be around and who’s not good for you to be around. Sometimes, you realize that you’re pretty damn lonely in doing that, so you have to accept the fact that being lonely is quite all right.

MR: Right. Has this been a year of making those kinds of decisions for you?

SL: Well, I’ve made them all my life, but I never really decided to write songs about it before. As a songwriter I’m pretty fortunate in getting to write about my life through songs. I can either put it all out there literally, or I can disguise it within a melody or poem, but it’s what I do. I’m very fortunate and I like doing it.

MR: Shelby, one of my favourite songs on the album is I DON’T NEED A REASON TO CRY.

SL: It kind of says it all in the song. Sometimes, you just sit down and cry. You don’t need a reason.

MR: Another of my favourites is HEAVEN’S ONLY DAYS DOWN THE ROAD.

SL: It’s a song I wrote from my father’s perspective after he had gone over to the other side. I guess you can make the song as complicated or as simple as you want. But this song is a personal avenue for me.

MR: That’s so beautiful. Now the last time we talked was before Christmas 2011. What have you been up to since then?

SL: Well, let me see. I went on tour in Europe, which was great. It was just wonderful going there and playing for so many wonderful people. Then I came back and started writing songs for this record. I knew I had a little bit of time to sit and work, so I moved into a recording space where I could go and work in my free time. That’s how I made this record. It’s been a great process and I’m glad that it’s done and the record is coming out. I’m really happy with it.

MR: And this record was written, performed and produced by you. I bet that feels pretty fulfilling. But that’s quite an undertaking, wouldn’t you say?

SL: Well, I got a really small simple recording space to work on this one. I would just go in every day when I felt I was ready and work song by song. There was lots of experimenting. I didn’t know if any of these songs would come out worth a damn. (laughs) I just thought I could go in and feel it out, peck away or add stuff, you know? It’s hard to explain. I had something in my head and I just tried to go and put it down on tape.

MR: The mixing and overall sound turned out well too.

SL: Thank you very much. You work with what you have, you know? I like to try to keep it as analog as possible because I like that sound and feel.

MR: Nice. So that’s how you got that sound?

SL: Absolutely. I still roll 2 inch tape.

MR: Where do you even buy that these days?

SL: You can get it if you’re looking. Sometimes, I worry about finding it because it can’t last forever. The world we live in just doesn’t roll that way. But as long as they keep making it, I’m gonna keep doing it.

MR: Well, they predicted CDs would be obsolete by now, but they’re still around.

SL: I give that a year.

MR: Really? Do you think we’re all ready at the end of the CD age?

SL: I think so. I’ve been talking to all of my people about it because when you have a record company, you have to think about all of those things, you know? I think in a year or two, they just won’t be around. I mean, I still buy vinyl if I can. It’s weird because my record is coming out on vinyl, but we include the digital download inside the vinyl. That way, you can get the artwork and record and you can still put it on your iPod. I just wanted to do both. Another problem with CDs is that there’s just nowhere to put them. (laughs) That’s just the world that we live in now. There’s no more room to store stuff like that. (laughs) We live in a world that’s fast paced. Everything can be done at the touch of a button.

You have to really concentrate on making a record on tape or putting a record onto vinyl. Even playing a vinyl on the stereo is a foreign concept because you have to get your body up and turn the record over to hear side b. (laughs) I have forced myself to use tape because I like the creative aspect of it. I just don’t get inspired through looking at computer screens. I like to see the tape running and feel it.

MR: That’s beautifully put. Working with tape just makes a very different sounding track.

SL: It does. With 24 tracks, you have to make a commitment. I like to layer a lot when I make records. I may put in 3 or 4 guitars or 3 or 4 harmonies. Then I start counting down every time I add something because I’m running out of tracks every time. With digital, there’s an unlimited amount of tracks and I just don’t find that to be very creative.

MR: Were there any major differences working on this album over others now that you were the producer?

SL: Well, there’s nobody to argue with except myself. (laughs) And it’s a lot less stressful. I mean, I like working with producers, but this time, I didn’t want to. The record business has also changed so much. I could go into a million reasons about why I didn’t want a producer, but in the music business, you’re either the wonderful BEYONCE, who I love, with a big label and lots of money or you’re on your own. Right now, I’m really enjoying being on my own. And I just wanna say I love BEYONCE and that new record. (laughs)

MR: (laughs) Yeah, it’s awesome, but what do you think of ADELE? I can’t get enough of those two albums.

SL: She’s amazing, such an incredible singer. She’s the real deal…and to be so young and so gifted? That’s awesome.

MR: Yeah, she’s great. Looking to go back a bit. What would you say the major differences are between REVELATION ROAD and, let’s say, I AM SHELBY LYNNE?

SL: I would say the most major difference is the songwriting. It’s just me going it alone with no collaborators. As far as the recording part goes, it’s basically the same. I used 2 inch tape on that record as well. A lot of the ideas in my way of recording come from the lessons I learned back when I first started. I like the way that record turned out. It’s a layering process – you put down a performance and then you layer your record around it. That’s the way I feel like I like it.

MR: Shelby, another favourite song from REVELATION ROAD is TOSS IT ALL ASIDE. Can you tell us more about that song?

SL: It’s an emotional song because it takes a relationship that’s over to another level. There’s nothing left to do but end it all, so that’s what it’s about lyrically. That’s a song that I actually wrote a while back but I never had a chance to put on a record until this one. I thought it fit perfectly. I thought about it a lot in the ordering of the record.

MR: I enjoyed being able to take the time and digest a lot of your songs before we spoke again. To me, it’s so important. Have you ever been in a situation where someone hadn’t listened to your music before an interview?

SL: Yeah…and it makes me mad. (laughs)

WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM: A CONVERSATION WITH JACKIE DESHANNON

This article is written by MIKE RAGOGNA at THE HUFFINGTON POST

MIKE RAGOGNA: It’s a joy to be talking today with JACKIE DESHANNON who has a new album: WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM. Hello there, Jackie.

JACKIE DESHANNON: Thank you. It’s a joy for me as well.

MR: Jackie, I want to start out by recognizing that you have in your repertoire some of the biggest anthems of all time. One is PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART and another is WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE. You like this love thing, don’t you?

JD: I think that’s part of who I am. I grew up in Kentucky and started singing gospel songs when I was very young and the give someone a hug and try to be nice to people and help anyone you can way is really part of me. I think that, especially today, we need some love, sweet love and we need to put a little love in our hearts for sure.

MR: And we need to not be looking at the world through BETTE DAVIS EYES.

JD: (laughs) That’s funny. Yes, for sure.

MR: Readers may be confused by the BETTE DAVIS EYES reference. Don’t worry. We’ll get there, gang. So today we’re talking about the new album WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM. It’s another compilation of your staples, filled with hits and a couple of songs here and there that have very interesting backgrounds. But Jackie, let’s talk a bit first about the early days. How did you get into the music business?

JD: Oh, well. That’s about eight hours…That’s where the camera pulls back. (laughs)

MR: Hey, we’ve got plenty of virtual space, Jackie. (laughs)

JD: (laughs) Actually, my parents were both singers and played musical instruments and I come from a varied background of classical and country blues and my mom was a big band singer. We always had musicians in the house, so music came to be pretty naturally. But, you know, in those days, it was pretty hard for a girl my age to actually break through. I just sang at different places to try to get noticed, made some demo records, made a few records that were breakouts locally and ended up meeting EDDIE COCHRAN. I worked with him at different parties we would do for disc jockeys when they had dances and were promoting their records.

He said, “I think you should go to California. You look like a California girl and I think you’d be successful there.” So, I said to my parents, “Well, if Eddie Cochran said so, we have to go,” and that’s kind of how I got out to L.A.

MR: What was your first big break?

JD: Well, I signed with LIBERTY RECORDS and that was the start of my recording career, basically. It just sort of happened. They were, I think, pretty much a singles oriented label – they were not like a COLUMBIA who did four or five or six albums with someone before they actually started selling. They were a young record company and I liked the president, so I ended up signing with them.

MR: One of your first hits NEEDLES & PINS was written by JACK NITZSCHE and SONNY BONO.

JD: Yes, that was a song that was written for me for a recording session. I had worked with JACK, he did a lot of arranging for me and we were really, really close friends. I helped with it, but didn’t really get any credit for it, which is fine. The thing was that the record company didn’t want to record it and I just ended up saying, “Well, if we don’t do this song, then I’m not gonna go into the studio for a while.” So they gave in…and that’s how the song happened.

MR: WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM is another one of your hits and across the pond as they say, we have a group called THE SEARCHERS, who also had monstrous hits with NEEDLES & PINS and WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM. What gives?

JD: THE SEARCHERS were a very big group in England and when my record of NEEDLES & PINS came out, they covered it and had a very, very big success with it. They were fans of mine and it was a little disappointing that it didn’t really happen as fast for me, but at that time, there was kind of this thing with BILLBOARD and CASHBOX where you needed to have bullets, as they say. You needed to be in the TOP 5 across the country and NEEDLES & PINS, oddly enough, was maybe TOP 5 in Chicago and then it was TOP 20 in Washington. It was just bouncing around. So we didn’t get the big broad connections that we might have. Nevertheless, THE SEARCHERS did a great record and I think that people were covering records more in those days, so they would’ve had a hit with it anyway…They were very big in London. And, of course, being a songwriter, I was absolutely over the moon that they recorded WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM.

MR: And then there’s BREAKAWAY, which became a classic in a strange way and is my favourite TRACEY ULLMAN recording. What is the story on that one?

JD: I don’t know the story on BREAKAWAY. (laughs) It kind of has a life of its own. I was so amazed to see it in THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, being performed at the kitchen table by ALICIA KEYS and QUEEN LATIFAH and JENNIFER HUDSON. It was amazing. It just has a life of its own. I really don’t know how to say much more. TRACEY ULLMAN did a fantastic version of it that was a major hit in the U.K. It’s just, you know, one of those songs that does its own thing.

MR: Now Jackie, there is a certain BEATLES connection – a certain someone went on tour with them. Would you care to elaborate?

JD: Well, I had the great honour of performing with and opening for THE BEATLES on their first U.S. tour, which went across America. It was for about six weeks and I just had an amazing, amazing time. And of course, nobody needs to say how great THE BEATLES are, but we’ll say it anyway. They’re the best.

MR: Um, this same certain someone dated ELVIS PRESLEY, right?

JD: Well, yes…We had some interesting dates. Our dates were musical dates. I would go up to the house and sing with ELVIS. He loved gospel music and he’d have THE JORDANAIRES up there. And, you know, being from the south myself, we had that connection with the church and gospel music. I went to see him a couple of times in Las Vegas and he introduced me from the audience. He was an amazing guy. I learned a lot from ELVIS. He loved his fans more than life and he just was so humble and so amazing. I think that people who have a big attitude are not on the right path, because this guy sells more records than practically anybody and his fans love him. I think that’s great.

MR: There are so many ELVIS stories and they range pretty broadly. Of course, people like to tell the horrific ones, but there are all those beautiful stories as well, like the one you just told.

JD: Those negative stories? That was not really ELVIS’ spirit and if you ask anybody that’s had an opportunity to see him or meet him, they will tell you exactly what I did – that he was an amazing talent. And actually, he didn’t have as much opportunity to show his talent as he could have. ELVIS was a great actor, but for some reason, the Colonel didn’t really push him or get him out there the way he wanted. I think ELVIS was always frustrated by that.

MR: You were also friends with THE EVERLY BROTHERS and RICKY NELSON.

JD: Yes, yes. One of the things that would happen out in Los Angeles at that time – when I was recording and when other people were recording – we used to go to each others’ sessions. If I was recording, maybe they would drop by or I would go to one of their sessions. It was just kind of a thing that artists did in those days.

MR: It was almost like a big support group.

JD: Yeah, it was. It was very different and I love that and cherish those memories for sure.

MR: Jackie, you also were a movie star!

JD: (laughs) Oh, well. I think SURF PARTY has circled around the globe by now.

MR: (laughs) Everybody has seen that movie.

JD: I think that, you know, it’s a classic. And C’MON, LET’S LIVE A LITTLE is a classic too. But I did have an opportunity to do some of the TV shows, which I really was a big fan of. I did THE VIRGINIAN and THE NAME OF THE GAME – I did a lot of fun stuff.

MR: And of course, there was READY STEADY GO!

JD: Of course, of course. You know, things were happening and I was right at the centre of the scene at the time. It’s hard for me even to think back and go, “Was I really there?” But I was!

MR: I also want to ask you about your MARIANNE FAITHFULL connection with COME & STAY WITH ME. At the time, you and future LED ZEPPELIN member JIMMY PAGE were writing together. How did that come together?

JD: Well, I was in England recording and I was very used to working with people like GLEN CAMPBELL and JAMES BURTON and TOMMY TEDESCO – all these great, great guitar players. So when I was there I said “Who’s an amazing acoustic guitar player that I can have on my sessions?” and they all said that JIMMY PAGE was the guy, because he had played on a lot of different hit records at the time and was one of the guys on the A list of studio musicians to call.

So I said, “Great, let’s have him,” and they said, “Well, you can’t get him here because he’s in art school.” I said, “What???” Anyway…He did come over and I knew right then that he was an amazing talent, so he played on a song of mine called DON’T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME, BABE and we did some writing together. One of the songs that was inspired by that relationship was COME & STAY WITH ME. MARIANNE FAITHFULL recorded it and it was a big hit for her. We’re big fans of MARIANNE’S.

MR: After that, you started cowriting with RANDY NEWMAN.

JD: I did write a couple songs with RANDY NEWMAN, which I’m very proud of. I don’t think he’s cowritten too many songs with that many people. He was a friend, and again, people were just kind of hanging out. I think he was writing some songs for the publishing company that I was with and I was fortunate enough to have him for a partner.

MR: You’ve also musically partnered with VAN MORRISON.

JD: Yes, I was fortunate enough - again - to work with VAN. He’s an amazing talent. I did a little back up for him on a couple of his concert dates and we ended up doing a few sessions together and writing a couple songs.

MR: And a couple of them are on my favourite album of his: WAVELENGTH.

JD: Oh, I love that album. It’s amazing. I’m such a VAN MORRISON fan, all the way from ASTRAL WEEKS on down.

MR: With him, it’s hard to find what album is your favourite – most people say MOONDANCE or ASTRAL WEEKS or SAINT DOMINIC’S PREVIEW – but for me, it’s definitely still WAVELENGTH. It has KINGDOM HALL, WAVELENGTH and the hit that should have been: NATALIA.

JD: He’s awesome.

MR: He is awesome. Let’s move on now to the BURT BACHARACH and HAL DAVID song WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE.

JD: WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE was a song that I think that several people had passed on. I was told that I would have the opportunity to work with BURT BACHARACH and HAL DAVID and I was really over the moon. I was so excited to work with them. We were rehearsing songs that would possibly make the session and HAL DAVID wanted BURT to play WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS LOVE and he was kind of reluctant to do it. So, finally, after a bit and going over some more songs, he said, “Please play this for Jackie.” So he did play it for me and after I learned it, BURT just said, “That’s it. We’re going to New York. We’re gonna record this song.” He was very excited about the way that I sang it. It’s become a classic, so I’m very pleased about that.

MR: You’re also in the SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME.

JD: Yes I am and I…wow. That was a pretty special evening.

MR: How so?

JD: Well, I think every songwriter would like to have that happen to them and although there are women in the SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME, there are less women. I kind of love the fact that a lot of times, I would be so inspired by ELIZABETH COTTON and some of the great blues singers that will not get the recognition that they should or haven’t to this day. The first thing that I thought of was ELIZABETH COTTON and I thought, “Wow. This is so cool. I’m a woman and I’m in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.”

MR: And then there was a certain song called PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART, which has become a perennial.

JD: (laughs) Well, that song is definitely my favourite for a couple of reasons. The first one is the fact that, as a songwriter, a lot of my songs were passed on to other people when perhaps I might have had a hit with it, but who knows? But I got a chance to sing this song and it became a very big record. And I love the message. That’s what makes it my favourite song.

MR: And then, of course, it was redone by ANNIE LENNOX and AL GREEN years later.

JD: Oh yes – there have been so many great records of it. But it doesn’t get a lot better than AL GREEN and ANNIE LENNOX. And to have MAHALIA JACKSON record it and so many other great singers…It’s just a gift that keeps on giving, really.

MR: What was it like to create that song? We haven’t even touched on your creative process yet. Can you use this song as an example?

JD: Well, I wrote that with my brother RANDY MYERS and JIMMY HOLLIDAY. We were working on an album at the time and he was actually just at the piano playing this little theme (Jackie sings) and it was one of those things that kind of fell out of the sky. The whole chorus came out very fast.

MR: There’s no better song that I can think of that sends out that message.

JD: It’s interesting because I will be at a place and I’ll ask somebody about that song, just off the cuff and they know that song. It’s just one of the best feelings you could ever have to be able to write something that people remember and that reaches them in a very spiritual way.

MR: We’d be remiss if we left out BETTE DAVIS EYES.

JD: Yes, don’t leave BETTE out!

MR: What’s the story behind that song?

JD: Well, it’s kind of an interesting story in the sense that DONNA WEISS and I wrote the song and we made this rock demo with a very driving rhythm – a really uptempo beat. (Jackie sings) I was going into the studio to record it and I thought that it would be the same arrangement that I had on the demo, but in contrast, the producer and I had a disagreement on how the song should be recorded. In those days, the producer really was the guy that had the last say. At the record company, it was a, “Well, what do women know?” kind of thing and we ended up recording it that way…and it was a good record, but it was a different record. So, DONNA happened to take this demo to KIM CARNES and she was recording. Obviously, she liked it and she recorded it. They went on a big promotional tour and finally got a lot of people to listen to it and it became a great record.

MR: I believe it’s the first official sort of new wave song that hit the top of the charts with the synth patterns and all. (sings synth part)

JD: Yeah, it’s definitely a classic and of course, KIM did wonderful vocals on it. The whole record, I think, is just a masterpiece.

MR: Yeah, I think so too. MISTAKEN IDENTITY was a very strong album. Speaking of masterpieces…

JD: …Uh oh, here we go!

MR: (laughs) You were portrayed in a certain NBC series: AMERICAN DREAMS. I loved that show. It’s a real shame it went off the air so soon.

JD: Wasn’t it a great show? It was an amazing show.

MR: The very lovely LIZ PHAIR portrayed you in it.

JD: She did and I was invited to watch her film that and the tears…I was just crying. She was so perfect. She’s such a great talent and I couldn’t have had anyone do it any better. She just owned it. It was so amazing.

MR: Jackie, what advice do you have for new artists?

JD: (laughs) Well, it’s such a different planet today. I guess that you can just get on the internet and get your exposure. It’s very easy to do in that sense. When I was doing it, there were just a few tiny labels, so it was very, very hard to get your songs out and get your music out. But I think the main thing is you have to believe in yourself and have the drive to continue when people say, “I’m not interested,” or “I don’t want to know.”

Adding to that, the other thing I would do is get a really great music attorney so that you get paid for whatever you do and so that you really understand how the business side works and so that when you make decisions, you are informed. So many people coming up in my day just didn’t understand and a lot of people don’t want to listen if you say, “You have to think about this because you may not get paid the way you think you will.”

They’re so excited to do something that they don’t take the time to make sure that they understand it from a business level and then when the disappointment comes and they don’t get paid properly and they don’t see the kind of royalties they’re looking for, then they don’t understand what happened. So I think being informed is really, really, really important.

MR: You have a new song on WHEN YOU WALK IN THE ROOM: STAY IN MY LIFE.

JD: I do. I’m very proud of that song. I haven’t been writing a lot lately, but that kind of got me on a roll and I’m starting to write a lot more.

MR: Ooh, so you’ll be recording another new JACKIE DESHANNON album soon?

JD: I will. I’ve got like five songs all ready. I’m a little bit of a cook in here.

MR: Congratulations, Jackie. Great news. Are you going to tour?

JD: I am doing a day here in Los Angeles – OCTOBER 24 – for THE SOCIETY OF SINGERS and I will be doing a lot of the songs from the new album. I think we’ll have to see how it goes. But we’re going to do this set pretty much acoustically. We’re going to sing a lot of the favourites and I’m really looking forward to doing that. Hopefully, as it goes along, we’ll just see what the muse has in store for us.

MR: The acoustic approach on this album is so smart, because sometimes when a pop record is produced, songs get lost in the production. But not these with the approach you took.

JD: Exactly. I wanted it to be like that. What we did is revisited the songs, so it’s no comparison to the real record; we never tried to go that direction. It’s, “Gee, I’m stopping by your house for a cup of coffee. Would you like to hear Put A Little Love In Your Heart? I happen to have my guitar with me.” It’s that kind of thing. It’s inviting someone into your living room or just sitting on the beach and playing the songs and letting the audience get a picture of what the songs are about – as opposed to the production being the focus.

MR: On the album cover, there you are sitting on the couch – in your living room maybe?

JD: I’m sitting on the couch. The photograph – I am so proud of – it was photographed by HERB RITTS, who was one of the most brilliant photographers. He goes everywhere, from VANITY FAIR to all of these great portrait pictures. It was a great honour to have him photograph me and I’m so sorry that he’s not with us – but he is in spirit. I said to him, “I never really knew myself until that photograph.” It was a picture of me, really of me, as an artist. I was so grateful and feel so privileged to have that photograph that he did on the cover.

MR: We’ll have to stop there, Jackie. But this has been incredible, as always. Whenever we do this, I’m giddy for weeks.

JD: We have a good time! We’ll do it again.

MR: Jackie, all the best with the new album.

JD: I appreciate your support and thank you. Thank you.