Questionnaires
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Questionnaire 1979
Stage name: Robert Palmer
Real name: Robert Palmer
Date of birth: January 19, 1949
Place of birth: Yorkshire, England
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 135
Colour of hair: Brown
Colour of eyes: Grey
Hobby: Photography, throwing things away
Car: Don't know how to drive
Married to: My wife
Children: Jim (January 6, 1978), ? (December 21, 1979)
Education: Nothing learned at school has been of practical value. Self taught
Home address: Island Records, 444 madison Avenue, NYC, USA
+ Play guitar, drums, bass
Questionnaire Bravo Magazine 1980
Stage name: Robert Palmer
Real name: Robert Palmer
Date of birth: 1.19.49
Place of birth: UK
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 9 1/2 ST
Colour of hair: Brown
Colour of eyes: Grey
Married to: My wife
Divorced from: My mother
Children: Jim (3), Jane (1)
Brothers: Mark (21)
Sisters: -
Instruments: Bass, drums, guitar, synthesizer, percussion
School: Navy School Malta, Art School Yorkshire
Professional development: Semi-pro from 16-20, various groups 20-25, solo 25 to present
Career influence: Soul, Ska, Byrds
First public appearances a/ stage, b/ film, c/ tv: a/ Yorkshire night club, b/ -, c/ Grey Whistle Test TV show UK
Manager: Dave Harper, Chris Blackwell
Do you own animals?: No
Favourite coulour: Yellow
Favourite food: Sushi
Which car do you drive?: -
Lucky charm: -
Awards: I can't remember
Hobbies: Photography, painting, snorkeling, throwing things away
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Questionnaire Sixteen Magazine 1985
Real last name: Palmer
First: Robert
Middle: Allen
Stage name: Robert Palmer
Do you have a nickname? How did you get it?: No
What is your height: 5'10"
Weight: 140
Eye color: Grey
Hair color: Brown
When were you born? 1949
Where? Yorkshire, UK
Where do you live now? (give place and describe home): Bahamas detatched 3 bedroom house on the sea in the deserted part of the islands
Do you have any pets? (give name and describe): Alsatian. Buster
Do you have a car or motorcycle? (give brand, style, coclor, year): No. Can't drive
Who are your favorite actors and actresses? Klaus Kinski, Al Pacino, Ornella Muti, Pia Zadora
What are your favorite movies? Fizcarraldo, Pale Rider, Woman In The Dunes, Scarface
What are your favorite TV shows? The Explorer Channel
What kind of books do you enjoy reading? Fantasy, biographies (Vance, Mishima, Wolfe)
What do you do in your spare time? Read, watch movies, compile and edit music
What sports do you like to participate in? Watch? None
Can you cook? What foods? Pasta
What's your favorite food? French, Italian, Japanese, Indian
Have you ever been in love? Always
Describe your first date? A walk in the woods, nervously holding hands
Are you married? If yes, give name, give children's name(s) and age(s): Yes. Sue, Jim (8), Jane (6)
What type of person do you usually find most attractive? Women
What type of person do you usually dislike? Agressive, loud, cliquey, snobs
When you give presents to someone special, what do you usually pick? What I think they'd love
What was the biggest thrill of your life? The birth of my children
What was the biggest disappointment? The lack of success of my album Pride
Out of all the places you've been to, which one would you most like to go back to? Why? Umbria, Central Italy, because it's beautiful and peaceful
Who are your closest friends in the business? Dony Wynn, my drummer, Dave Harper, my manager, Chris and Tina Frantz (Talking Heads), Chaka Khan
Financially, how do you indulge yourself? Clothes, food, wine, property, books, records
What is your most prized material possession? My collection of signed 1st editions of Jack Vance
What kind of Cologne do you use? None
Do you regularly wear jewelry? If so, describe: None
What are you afraid of? Fear
What do you like best about yourself? My patience
What is your worst habit? Over doin' it
Your best one? Work concentration obsessiveness
Describe your personality: Introvert, adaptable, intense, optimistic
What is the most serious problem you've had to solve? Organizing burglar alarms after repeated break-ins in the Bahamas, which unsettled my family
What do you daydream about? Places other than where I am
What do you like to do on an evening tour? Eat, see a show, go somewhere intimate
Do you dance? What's your favorite kind of dancing? Yes, close to my partner or James Brown
What are your favorite colors? Grey, pink, black
What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you? Embarrassing things happen to other people
Are you a worrier? No
Are you superstitious? No
Are you right or left-handed? Right
Do you wear glasses or contacts? No
Do you smoke? Yes, 20 a day
What makes you laugh? My own misfortune, misunderstandings
What makes you cry? God
What kinds of gifts do you like to recieve? Any
Give family info: parents' names, brothers and sisters names and ages: Father Charles (60), mother Anne (50), brother Mark (26)
Are any of them in show business? In what role? No
Where do they live now? Yorkshire, UK
Did your parents always approve of your choice of career? No
Do they now? Yes (since they tried my pool)
What was your first ambition? To be a flier
Who has helped you most with your career? What career?
What do you like most about your work? Singing
Least? Cameras
If you weren't in show business, what would you have done? Be David Attenborough (Life On Earth)
Do you ever regret choosing show business as your career? Nonsense
How did you get started in the business? Love of music
How do you feel about being regarded as a sex symbol? Better than being famous for being a drug addict
Have you ever dated a fan? Yes
What is the best way for a fan to approach you? Boldly and politely
What advice would you give a young person who would like to get into show business? Get into music or acting or whatever first, then show business is a side effect
How does a would-be performer know if he/she has any talent? By the ease of his/her progress
Do you have any idols? Did you when you were younger? Jack Vance (author)
Do you read your fan mail? Yes
Do you personally answer fan mail? Occasionally
What is the best place for fans to write you? The record company (Island Records NYC)
What are your personal and career plans for the future? To keep on doing it
What is the main instrument you play? Bass
Do you play any others? Guitar, drums, synth.
What other bands have you been in? When? Mandrakes '65-'70, Alan Bown '70-'72, DaDa '72-'73, Vinegar Joe '73-'75
What's your favorite kind of music? Honest, heart-felt
Your favorite male artist? Marvin Gaye
Female? Billie Holiday
Your favorite group? Comsat Angels
Do you listen to the music of other bands? Constantly
Do you watch their stage show? Rarely
What's your pre-show routine? Get there, get changed
Do you have any superstitions about that routine, your stage costumes, etc? None. I have no superstitions about anything
What's your after-show routine? Go to bed
What odd jobs have you had along the way? Milkman, graphic designer
Were you a member of a band in high school or college? Yes, The Mandrakes
When did you begin playing your instrument? I began singing at 9, playing guitar at 12
Did you get lessons or instructions, or are you self-taught? I took guitar lessons for 1 month but mostly I was taught by listening back to a tape recorder which I started using at 11 years old
How did you meet the other members of the band? The manager? How did you get your first recording deal? The band asked me to join when they heard me playing harmonica on the school sports grounds while avoiding rugby by feigning illness. The manager knocked me off my bike (15). My record company bought the group I was in to get me (21).
Do you enjoy being on the road? Always
What do you take with you to make things more comfortable? Hi-fi, a band
What's the typical schedule for a tour day? I usually fly ahead of the group in order to meet promo commitments, meet them at sound-check, nap until show-time, crash afterwards in a local hotel while the band travel overnight.
Do you take family and/or friends on an entire tour (A)? Or do you fly them to big city dates (B)? B, occasionally
Do you have any regular exercise or meditation routine to loosen up and stay in shape? Music does all of it. It's an overwhelming discipline
How many instruments do you take on the road? As many as it takes (2 guits, 2 keys, 2 drums, bass - etc)
Do you write songs while on tour? No, it's another head
How do you usually write a song? Music first? Lyrics first? They write me
Where do you get ideas? Who knows? People and relationships (particularly boy / girl) are always new and timeless at the same time
Are any of your family members in the business? No
Where did you grow up? In the Mediteranean
How did your parents feel when you decided to become a professional musician? What advice did they give you? Not keen. Get some legit. credentials first
If you have or plan to have children, how do you feel about them being in the business? That's their business (don't pot your daughter on the stage, ma)
What's your responsability as a role model for children? Constancy, sensitivity to other's needs
Did you have a teacher or friend when you were growing up who was especially influential? How? Singers on record always inspired me with their attitude, opened up the possibility of feeling that way too
What's the name of your current LP? Riptide
Does it have a theme? Love and interpersonal relationships
List some song titles, what they're about, what inspired them:
Addicted To Love - self explanatory - woke me up in the middle of the night
Didn't Mean To Turn You On - originally recorded by a girl, written by 2 men, its sexism offended me so i attempted an irony by role-reversal
Riptide - I heard as a tot and was reminded of it years later while researching material for a big-band project I was working on in NYC with 16 girls
I've Come To Rely On You (aka Get It Through Your Heart) - an attempt at an overtly sentimental ballad, no irony, no cynicism
How much do you rehearse before recording? Very extensively on arrangements
Are you in the studio for the entire process of recording? Yes, I like the responsability, i usually produce, write and arrange
Do you write or modify songs as you go along? Yes, that's the reason for such extensive pre-production, so that the sessions can afford to be spontaneous without getting off the track
Do you ever get behind the console and work with your producer / engineer? I delegate to the engineer. That's his expertise, just as much as the bass is the bass-player's
How long does it take you to record an album? 3 months
Do you have a studio at your home? Yes, I use it all the time, it's a hobby, still
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Questionnaire Billboard 1994
Full name: Robert Allen Palmer
Date and place of birth: January 19, 1949 Yorkshire, England
Most significant achievement: Discovering my own heart
Career goal: Keep on doin' it and get better at it
Favorite book: The Eyes Of The Overworld by Jack Vance
Favorite movie: Fizcarraldo
Favorite song: Money - The Beatles
Favorite album: Look How Long - Loose Endz
First record bought: Soul Ballads by Otis Redding
Last record bought: And She Closed Her Eyes / Stina Nordenstram
Musical heroes: Billie Holiday, Marvin Gaye, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee
Favorite cartoon character: Squeak The Mouse
Favorite singer: Billie Holiday
Nonmusical heroes: Jack Vance, Gene Wolfe, my Dad
Oldest childhood memory: Seeing Mount Vesuvius erupt from an ocean liner
First crush: Anne Mintoff - Malta 1956
Most embarrassing moment: Accepting a grammy with my flies undone
Pet peeve: Born again non-smokers
Favorite food: Italian
Favorite drink: Glen Grant Scotch
Favorite color: Grey, blue
Most prized possession: My publishing catalogue
Favorite expression: Confusion hath fuck its own masterpiece
Hobbies: Building radio-controlled cars
Dream date: Francesca Dellera
Favorite magazine/newspaper: Herald Tribune
If I could be any animal, I'd be: A dolphin
Questionnaire Q 1994
What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning ? Look at the time to see how long I can procastinate before I actuallly get up.
What's the first gig you went to? A high school dance in Yorkshire in 1960. I can't remember the name of the group but they played pale blue Fenders (which I thought were ugly - it was the first time I'd seen electric instruments). I attempted the twist and embarrassed myself.
Which song do you wish you had written? Happy Birthday.
When did you last cry and why? Last night listening to a new Andy Fraser song - he moved me.
What is your most treasured material possession? The copyrights of my songs.
Who was the last person you slept with? John Taylor, Andy Taylor, Tony Thompson and Bernard Edwards.
What do you think of Bob Dylan? I hear you got a new boyfriend, I ain't never seen him before. I saw you making love with him, you forgot to close the garage door. You think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for. It's your brand new leopardskin pillbox hat.
What is the best advice you ever recieved? Grow up.
What characteristics do you think you've inherited from your parents? A love of music and travel, an accurate bullshit meter and nice fingernails.
What is the biggest myth about fame? That it's desirable.
What are you like when you're drunk? My handwriting goes to pot, I can't articulate chords, my pitch goes out the window along with my diplomacy, I say what I mean and yes, I'll have another.
Who would have play you in a film? Robert Palmer.
Pick five words that describe yourself: Generous, introverted, optimistic, sensual and silly.
Is there one piece of criticism that sticks in your mind? Arnold Schwarzenegger being described as a condom full of walnuts.
Do you believe in God? Yes, God is good.
What is your greatest fear? Falling out of love.
What is your most unpleasant characteristic? If I'm asked to do more than one thing at once, I have a tendency to be irascible, churlish and childish.
What ambitions do you still have to fulfil? To be involved in the instigation of the making of a major motion picture based on the book Eyes Of The Overworld by Jack Vance. Otherwise, ambitions seem to dissolve the closer one gets to achieving them.
Are you afraid of failure? Not yet.
What do you never leave home without? Money, keys, lighter, cigarettes, wits and clothes.
Who is your best male friend and your best female friend? David and Mary.
Who would you most like to meet? Francesca Dellera.
What music would you have played at your funeral? Anything by Billie Holiday up until 1959 (except God Bless The Child and Strange Fruit).
When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see? No. Good living has blurred my once taut outline.
Do you have anything to declare? I declare the song I've written (You Ought To) Know By Now is the best piece of work I've done.
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