Rod Stewart Article about tour with Stevie

[kak125]

Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart missed being enshrined with his old band, the Faces, in April in Cleveland because he came down with the flu. But he'll be here tonight to launch the Heart & Soul Tour with Stevie Nicks at The Q. Stewart, 67, spoke to us by phone before the Rock Hall festivities.

Stevie Nicks and you toured together last year, too. Why is this a good pairing?

Well, we're both old people. [laughs]

I've always admired her voice. Technically, she's not a great singer -- same as me. But she has a lot of personality in her voice.

We tried it last year, and we got some great crowds. Sellout crowds. So we thought we'd do it again.

The combination of the two of us seems to work. She has a tremendous female following, and she's one of the few support acts where the house is nearly full when the curtain goes up, which is great. Makes it easier for me.

We've been friends for a long time.


Before this, did you cross paths often?

She tells stories about coming to my house in Beverly Hills years ago. But I can't remember. Must've been too drunk.

We do a couple of numbers together onstage. We do "Leather and Lace." And I think we're going to do "Young Turks" or something. I'm not sure yet.


Beyond the tour, what are you excited about in the coming months?

I have a Christmas album coming out. It's produced by David Foster. That'll be coming out at Christmas! [laughs]


Good timing.

My autobiography is also coming out at Christmas.

And the best news is that I have a studio album coming out next year. How's that for a workload for a 67-year-old?


Impressive! What musical direction are you headed in on the new album?

Maybe an updated "Gasoline Alley" [Stewart's seminal 1970 album]. When I signed with Universal, the head of Universal [Lucian Grainge] said to me, "All I want you to do is make an updated 'Gasoline Alley.' "

So that's what I started doing. But I've tackled what I call grown-up problems. There are songs with advice to my kids, and I've written a song about divorce. I haven't written anything like "Hot Legs" or "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?"

It's a pretty grown-up album. There are hardly any ballads on it at the moment. But I still have a few months to record. I might just keep working at it. We've got 15 tracks finished.


Does the album have a title?

I haven't got one yet. We have a bloody good version of [the Elmore James oldie] "Shake Your Moneymaker," which we also do live. But that isn't a good representation of the album. It's not a blues album.


How is your voice holding up?

Couldn't be better. I play Vegas three times a week [at Caesars Palace]. It's brilliant. There isn't a bad seat in the house. The sound is beautiful. And they look after me like I was Elvis. I'm loving it.

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