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Carol
Decker
Carol
Decker first appeared on the music scene in 1987, fronting the successful
pop/rock band T’Pau. Instantly memorable with a huge voice and a mass of red
hair, she made an undeniable impact on the public. The
first album, Bridge Of Spies went quadruple platinum.
Spawning a string
of worldwide hits, including ‘Heart and Soul’, which stayed on the U.S
billboard chart for six months, peaking at number four; and ‘China in Your
Hand’, which occupied the number one slot in the UK for five weeks.
Platinum album Rage,
and the Promise followed adding to the band’s global success. T’Pau
toured continuously with the likes of Bryan Adams, eventually selling out their
own arena shows such as at Wembley Stadium and The NEC The original line up
split in1991, but Carol has continued to tour and record. After
successfully pursuing separate careers in performing, writing and production,
Carol Decker and Ron Rogers (T’Pau’s songwriting team) have begun writing
together again, culminating in the release of Carol’s first solo single
release, ‘Just Dream’ is available for download at the T’Pau website.
Q:
Do you think of your lyrics as poetry? A:
I would say yes. As I seek to make lyrics rhyme so by definition they must be
poetry. Also, many of my lyrics are an alternative to keeping a diary. There are
hidden messages in some of my songs that remind me of who I wrote it about or
why I wrote it, but I strive to conceal them so that the listener can place
their own thoughts or feelings over them. Q:
Do
you think it is important that songs rhyme and if so why? A:
Personally,
I tend to rhyme my songs. It is the way I hear the rhythm (school of limerick
songwriting!). But it is not necessary. I don't think I am clever enough to have
a more prose-like approach. Q:
Do
you think song lyrics must conform to recognised song structures such as clear
rhyming schemes, choruses, refrains, hooks and bridges or that songs can also be
like free verse? A:
I tend
to yes, as I feel the story then hangs on the music better, neatly… The story
is usually told in the verse, the scene is set, then the B verse begins to
gather momentum to get you to the chorus, which is the climax of the tale.
Usually the chorus is repetitive, reinforcing that point of what is to be done
or what happened. The lead break is a point of reflection; we take a breath
ready to let the chorus take us to the end of the story. Q:
When you read poetry in school or elsewhere did you recognize any
connection to the music you enjoyed? A:
No. I don't think I realised the impact it had on me at the time, but looking
back I can see that I got the sense of rhythm and internal rhyme. Q:
Was
there anything about poetry in books that influenced your songwriting? A:
I am really crap at naming individual poems as I have the worst memory, but I do
have a clear recollection of when a deep sadness or true emotion was succinctly
put. Like in 'Do Not Stand’. In a 3-minute pop song you have to efficiently
get your message across. Q:
Why do you think songs are more popular with people than poetry is? A:
It's the modern way of doing it. The music makes it accessible. Poems are a bit
poncy for your average Jo or Joanna.
copyright
© Carol Decker |