Terrific interview from Guitar Player

BLUE JOINT
George Thorogood

“I’m still a mofo on the guitar,” proclaims George Thorogood, the former semi-pro second baseman and life-long aficionado of Chicago blues, barroom boogies, cheap beer, and various forms of hellraising. The Wilmington, Delaware, native traded his infielder’s glove for a guitar after seeing John Hammond in concert, and, soon after, became a fixture on Boston’s blues club circuit. His 1977 debut album, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, included the signature song “One Burbon One Scotch One Beer,” and the tune established a blueprint for everything that has happened since. The still boyish 52-year-old recently released his 14th studio album, Ride ’Til I Die [Eagle], which, not surprisingly, maintains the high-energetic trademark of his past albums.

GP - The new CD features songs by John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley—all artists you’ve covered many times throughout your career. Is it difficult keeping fans interested when you consistently mine the same material?

GT - Well, I am doing different songs from those guys. I can understand some people saying, “Well, he has covered all of those people before, so forget it.” But other people might say, “Holy smoke! George has done another Chuck Berry song that I’ve never heard of. I’m gonna go out and buy the record.” See, it works for you, and it works against you.

GP - How do you recreate the same excitement in the studio that you and the Destroyers establish so successfully in concert?

GT - I pray [laughs]. Being onstage is a very religious experience. Recording in the studio is pure torture. The only motivation I get from recording a song is that someday I’ll be able to get onstage and play it.

GP - What originally drew you to your trademark Gibson ES-125 guitar?

GT - They’re the only ones that I can play! They stopped making them in 1970, so be sure to put this in your article: “Please don’t steal George’s guitars.” I also use a Dobro pick, and they don’t make those anymore, either. I’m screwed if my stuff gets stolen.

GP - How would you rate yourself as a guitar player, on a scale from one to ten?

GT - A struggling five. If I was a baseball player, I’d say I’m almost a .300 hitter. Rhythm and slide are my specialties. I can make a living playing, and that’s all I can ask for—that’s respectable enough.

GP - Who taught you to play slide guitar?

GT - Do you know who taught Robert Lockwood how to play slide? It was Robert Johnson, who was his stepfather. That’s why he calls himself, “Robert Lockwood, Jr.” So Robert Lockwood should know something about playing slide guitar. Do you know who taught me how to do it? Robert Lockwood. He personally sat down with me in 1973 and said, “You’re doing it right.” That’s why I have to laugh when I hear people saying stuff like, “Thorogood doesn’t know anything about slide.” Both Robert Lockwood and Hound Dog Taylor showed me how to do it. Hound Dog Taylor learned it from Elmore James, and Robert Lockwood learned it from the source himself. Muddy Waters once told me I played “I Can’t be Satisfied” better than he did. You see what I’m trying to say? All of these heavy duty cats have told me I’m doing it right, and then some 19-year-old white kid from Harvard is telling me that I’m doing it all wrong. I’m caught in a crossfire here.

GP - Who would you rate as the greatest bluesman of the 20th century?

GT - Robert Johnson. I wouldn’t say he’s my favorite, but he’s the best. His recordings are absolutely flawless, and he had it all covered. He could sound like a whole band, his voice was unique, and no two songs of his sound the same. My personal favorite, though, is John Lee Hooker. I never get tired of listening to him.

GP - How have you managed to keep your music so fresh for the past 30 years?

GT - I’m honest. If you believe in what you’re doing, and you approach what you do with all of your heart and soul, you can stand behind it, and honestly say, “I’ve delivered something worthwhile here.” That’s my approach.

—Elliot Stephen Cohen

- view interview -