Coinciding pretty much with the new Rolling Stones release Hackney Diamonds featuring his great mate Keith Richards, Alan Clayton and his band The Dirty Strangers are also offering a new album.
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00:00 Good afternoon, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers, and it's
00:06 always great fun to speak to Alan Clayton, not least because when we speak we generally
00:10 go on and on and on about the Rolling Stones and our shared devotion to them, but this
00:15 time Alan, we're talking about your own new album, which you are going to be launching
00:20 in Chichester at the Chichester Inn on the 18th of November, two days before your own
00:27 birthday, your 69th birthday. A birthday launch for the album is called Hunter's Moon, and
00:32 goodness, this is the latest album for a band that's been going 45 years, that's remarkable
00:37 isn't it? It is remarkable, not as remarkable as someone who's gone as long as the Rolling
00:43 Stones, but getting up there Phil. You will catch up eventually I think. Well, I hope
00:49 so, yeah. But tell me about the album, what's happening on the album? Well, the album's
00:54 called Hunter's Moon, and I'll actually see the name on the house, the name called Hunter's
01:02 Moon, and I thought that's a good name for an album, and I don't know if you know about
01:06 the Hunter's Moon, it was the last moon before Christmas, last full moon, it's called the
01:14 Hunter's Moon, it's the one after the Harvest Moon. Anyway, with that inspiration I wrote
01:18 a song called Hunter's Moon, and I mean, Covid, I started writing the album during Covid,
01:27 and with all the difficulties, some of the songs on the album reflect that time, and
01:32 then when we come out of Covid it seemed that I wrote all the danceable songs. And sadly
01:40 you were saying in the meantime you've lost your keyboard player Scotty. We've lost Scotty
01:44 Mulvey who's on four tracks, who's been on every album, everything I've ever done, so
01:51 that was a real sad moment in the band. Yeah, he passed away two years ago. He passed away
01:56 two years ago, but you know, his spirit lives alive on the album. And the spirit of the
02:01 album, you were saying rock and roll, not enough. It's rock and roll, it's rock and
02:04 roll in a danceable, get up and have a good time, mate. And all the original songs, obviously.
02:12 And from all you say, you're very, very pleased with the album, aren't you? Well, I'm very
02:16 pleased, and what's nice about it, because you never really know how your album's going
02:21 to receive, because it's personal to you. But it's got great reviews across all the
02:26 major magazines, Mojo, Classic Rock, Viva Rock, Rock Candy, all these. And you'll have
02:33 some feedback before long from Keith Richards, no less. You've given him a copy, haven't
02:38 you? I've given him a copy, yeah. He's probably at home trying to learn the songs at the moment.
02:42 Is he? How long have you known Keith then? I've known Keith for 43 years. Yeah, a long
02:53 time. Probably not as old, you know, yeah, it is a long time, yeah, 43 years, a lifetime.
03:01 And the songs just remain utterly inspirational, don't they? Yeah, yeah. As I say, they're
03:08 continually setting the standard, raising the bar to be original songs with a lot of
03:16 spirit and still put it out. It's brilliant. I love it. And you've exchanged albums with
03:20 Keith then? I have exchanged albums with him. Well, to be honest with you, I've given him
03:25 one of my albums, but I didn't have any of his around at the time. So he owes me an album.
03:30 Well, it's number one in 14 countries, isn't it? I know, I know, I know. I have heard it,
03:36 because I heard it on the downloads. You approve? You approve? I look forward to it. Brilliant.
03:45 And I'm sure, even though I love all the songs now, they'll grow on me, because that's what
03:50 happens with Rolling Stones songs, they grow on you. Yeah, absolutely. You like it on first
03:54 listening, but I think I'm on about the 10th listening by now, 11th class listening, and
03:58 it just gets better and better and better. It's a brilliant album, isn't it? Well, what
04:03 I'm going to do, I'm going to edit that, and I'm going to put that before you talking about
04:07 my album. I've listened to it, haven't I? Yours, I'm sure, will be even better. Well,
04:13 you've got that to look forward to. I will look forward to listening. And Alan, you'll
04:18 be playing The Dirty Strangers, playing the Chichester Inn on November the 18th. Tickets
04:25 on the door, ten quid. They're on the door, or they're available from Time Machine Records,
04:31 or WeGotTickets.co. They're available in all the good usual outlets.
04:37 Brilliant. Well, have a great gig, and a very happy birthday two days later.
04:41 Oh, and then, Phil, you have a good time watching your George Harrison tribute thing. And we'll
04:47 see you at the next gig, and thanks for your support.
04:50 My pleasure. Good to see you.