Styx’s Lawrence Gowan sat down with Rock History Music for a new interview and recalled meeting the drummer Beatle Ringo Starr for the first time.
Gowan recorded his 1985 album ‘Strange Animal’ in Starr’s studio. After the singer shared the story of their encounter and how he treated him, the rocker explained how humble the drummer was:
“Initially he would pop into the studio and then the longer I was there over the course of months he would come in more frequently. He wouldn’t spend a long time there but he would basically speak to you as if I’m in a band, you’re in a band, there’s no difference between the two.”
Gowan’s Reaction To Starr’s Behaviour
The frontman went on to talk about recording his album at Starr’s place:
“I remember one day I didn’t want to ask him about Beatle stuff or anything in 1984. It was at a point in his life where he had done a bunch of his solo records and I think he was it was looking for what the next phase would be. I don’t know, but I mean, I do remember that the script for the Tank Engine arrived while I was there, which is an amazing thing.”
Gowan shared the moment he was surprised at the most and recalled Starr’s shocking behavior:
“I took the weekend he asked me, ‘Hey pal, is it all right if I use the studio this weekend? I got to do this script thing.’ I thought, ‘Wow.’ I mean it’s his house, it’s his gear, it’s his everything. He didn’t say, ‘Hey listen, I’m gonna use the studio this weekend so buzz off,’ it was, ‘Do you mind if I use it?’ I said, ‘Do you know who you are?’”
Gowan’s Words On ‘Strange Animal’
‘Strange Animal’ was a huge success in Canada. It featured popular singles like ‘A Criminal Mind,’ ‘(You’re a) Strange Animal,’ ‘Guerilla Soldier,’ and ‘Cosmetics.’
In a 2015 interview, Gowan was asked what the 1985 Gowan would think that he was still talking about the album today. He responded:
“I think 1985 Gowan would be thrilled with the fact he’d be alive and talking about anything in 2015. I’m grateful for that to begin with, but to take that question seriously, you can never really hope for longevity when it comes to music, you just don’t know what’s going to stick around and what’s going to kind of go by the wayside.”
You can see the interview below.