By Glen Williams
With her new album Dedicated winning rave reviews, soul legend Renee Geyer is very happy. It’s the 22nd album of her standout career and she knows the work is some of her best. That may be because after years of fighting her demons, including drug abuse, depression and weight gain, Renee is now in the best form of her life. So it’s a mellow and good-humoured Renee who meets Woman’s Day in a St Kilda cafe.
Growing up, you stayed a lot in your room keeping to yourself and immersing yourself in the music of Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin?
For a lot of kids their room is their refuge. I’m a loner, I always have been, always will be. It’s just the way I am. Even with my family I’m sort of a loner. that’s the way I live.
In your autobiography, Confessions of a Difficult Woman, you said “My father and I never got on. I don’t think he liked me.”
Yes, but we’ve resolved it now. We get on pretty good. It’s all part of growing up and I was quite an unusual, and stubborn, obstinate little child.
Your father sounds a character. Is it true he once said, “Of all the st music out there, my daughter’s s–t music is the best.”?**
It’s a classic line. It’s a huge compliment from a man who is a Mahler lover! It’s very funny. He is a character, but it’s the fact he doesn’t realise he’s a character is what makes him who he is.
Is it true you once had a bizarre run-in with Robert DeNiro in the reception of the Chateau Marmont?
Yes, he’s a moody man. It was funny I was looking at him and he was looking at me and then we started poking our tongues out at each other. And the man behind the desk looked at us as if to say, “When you two have finished poking your tongues out at each other what would you like?” Then we both laughed at the ridiculousness of it.
You love Aretha?
(Rolls up her sleeve to reveal a tattoo, “Aretha”) Yes, that’s how much Aretha means to me. It was a gift from my Maori audience. They are my biggest audience. The elder women in that society are called aunties, and I’m officially an aunty now. I stay away from Aretha. I don’t stay away from songs that she’s covered. But there’s no way you’re ever going to see me do Natural Woman. You cannot recreate a gem. When I do a classic it’s got to be completely re-arranged and done in such a way that it proves the song rules.
Are you living a contented life?
I don’t know about content. It’s up and down. I’m never content. I know I’m good at what I do. I’m modest in the way I speak, so a lot of people think I don’t know how good I am. I do, I really do, (laughs). But I’m always wanting to be better and so that’s why I’m never content.
Is there a little pang you didn’t find a soulmate?
But my life ain’t over! I just think I’ve had so much fun in my life and I’ve got so many dear friends of both sexes and I’ve had incredible times romantically. I live on my own because it’s the way I like to live at the moment. I think if I found my ultimate soulmate I would still have my own abode. And I think that would keep romance going longer. I think once you shack up, that’s when the trouble starts. At the moment I’m single but I’m never closed for business. Never, never. But it would take someone formidable to sweep me off my feet…
You liken your new album, Dedicated, to being let loose in a lolly shop.
Yes, I’m there among the cobbers and freckles. Thanks to EMI I’ve been let into a lolly shop. To promote the album like a pop record, I’m thrilled. It jumped eleven spots in the last couple of weeks. So we’re hoping slowly it builds in the charts. Then ultimately word of mouth is what’s important. Great reviews far.
Do you enjoy songwriting?
I wish my writing came up to the level of my singing. But my singing, and the ego concerned with it, is much greater than that of a writer. The song choices come from me as a singer wanting to sing the best songs. If one of my songs that I’ve co-written happened to cut the mustard then great. A lot of artists put a lot of their stuff on their albums for publishing’s sake. I think an album is already hard to get out there in these times. So when you do make an album it should be all killer and no filler. It’s very important because a lot of people think if they put four or five really strong tracks down, the rest can be whatever they think or feel regardless. I record a lot of things but I pick 11 of the strongest. That way you have a fighting chance.
Your mum survived Auschwitz. Do you think that’s also why you’ve managed to survive in such a tough business?
I don’t know, I can’t say because I’m too busy doing it. Whenever I’m asked how things are going with my career my answer is always I don’t know, I’m a soldier in army on the battlefield. I’m not a general overlooking and strategically planning things. I’m out there doing it. I don’t stop and ponder a lot. It’s only in retrospect, when you look back and see the trail that you leave, that you see what’s going on. But I don’t ponder it as I go. I think anyone who does, doesn’t last very long.
Is it true you had a lot of arguments through the Countdown years with Molly Meldrum?
Not really. Molly loves the thought of drama and he wears it well. There haven’t been that many, but people look back and make a big thing out of something that might not have been as big but sounds great. People say I slapped his face, but if you watch the footage, it was all in good fun. Molly and I have great respect for each other. I love the fact that he’s still enthusiastic at this point in his career, if not more than he ever was. He’s a rare breed. He and people like Michael Gudinski are very rare that at their age it’s no longer money that drives them, that their artistic decisions are still based on absolute excitement of great music. I respect him greatly on that level. We don’t hang out together but we all do respect each other very much and we would stand up for each other if need be.
You’re great live but do you enjoy recording as well?
I’m only just getting good in the studio. I’ve always been very, very strong about what it is I sing and what I don’t sing. I’ve never been made to sing a song that I don’t want to sing. Any records that have not been so great, the blame is on me. Oh yes. I’ve always decided my own material. Always. I’ve never been made to sing something that I didn’t want to sing. In the older days I used to leave the producing and mixing to other people. Only since the last four or five records I’m a lot more hands on with that and it seems to be paying off for me. My records are getting better because of it. My style is R&B — it is such a spontaneous genre.
Your live gigs are often sold out.
I’m getting better and better at it. I think it’s very dangerous in this ageist society we live in, especially in the arts, especially in music, where aesthetics are so important. Thank God that’s not why my audiences come. They come for the music. I sometimes get comments on my website saying, “How dare you wear that terrible thing and those ugly boots.” I always say, “Thankyou, you obviously care enough to write — but now that ‘terrible thing and ugly boots’ will be worn even more.” It’s like a red rag to a bull.
Do you enjoy black R&B artists like Laverne Baker and Laura Lee?
Yes of course. Laura Lee is one of my all-time favourites. But she’s not that well known. People say she sounds like Rod Stewart. No, no Rod Stewart sounds like her. Women’s Love Rights has always been a contender for me to cover. I only end up doing a song if I’ve really turned it around into something where the song has got a new slant to it.
You do a version of I Wish It Would Rain on the album. Does it have a special meaning?
Yes. I’m calling it the farmer’s anthem for those doing it tough. I would love this song to be a rain dance for the farmers. I hope they play it until the rain comes.
Do you have a favourite song on your new album?
Oh it changes. I can’t say. The original songs are always personal favourites because they are new babies. And I want them to see the sunlight. Leave Your Light On by Paul Kelly is an absolute classic. It’s on his new record too.
Read more of this interview in Woman’s Day (on-sale December 31, 2007)
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