New York — How does Rick Astley handle one of his songs that are part of the largest internet meme in history? Obviously, he rolls on it.
"Listen and face it.'Give You Up'has become a sort of thing," he says. "The video and songflowed into ether and became another, and I'm very grateful so far."
The song is 35 years old this year. , Still very alive. Supported by Chapter 2 as a gentle joke, someone seduces you with a fascinating online link. This link points to a 1987 dance pop video. smash. It's called rickroll.
Thirty-five years later, Astley sings this summer on a 57-day "Mixtape Tour 2022" tour with New Kids on the Block, Salton Pepper and Amborg. A remastered version of his 1987 debut album has also been released, featuring "Never Gonna Give You Up", of course.
"I would never make a song this big and I knew it to some extent while it was happening. I would never beat this." I thought, but I also thought, "Well, how bad it is."
Astley has always had a lot more than just that song. After the explosion in the late 1980s, he frustrated show business with the release of a powerful album, "50" in 2016 and "Beautiful Life" in 2018.
"In many cases, Act 2 will be more fun. Alistair Norbury, President of BMGUK's repertoire and marketing with Astley, said:
The passage of time, and the fact that Astley is a very sweet man, has softened any sharpness, he says, understanding how the past looks different with rosy glasses. The rock star recently says he loves his voice.
"And I'm really. I thought I would have tied me up in the village square," he laughs. I will say while. "They probably did that at the time, but over time I think it only changes your perspective."
Astley, 56, said. The youngest of four who grew up near Manchester, England. His sister played a lot of progressive rock and worshiped David Bowie. The brothers are big fans of Queen and remember that Queen's "A Night at the Opera" album was played in a loop. Astley absorbed everything from Stevie Wonder to The Smiths.
He belonged to a school band. They once had police playing "So Lonely" with Astley on drums and songs, and wiped the floor with rivals in band battles. He went to the gig and dreamed of becoming a music star.
One day, he remembers being surprised when he found a Smith bassist walking in town. "This can happen." He remembers thinking. "You may be from the town where I bought the record, but last week I was in Top of the Pops."
Astry's debut album, "Anytime." I was in my early twenties while recording "Whenever I Needed". He is a trio of songwriting and record production known as Stock Aitken Waterman, who created the songs for Bananarama and Dead or Alive.
"I sold a lot of records. I had a lot of hits, but now it's like touch and go. What happens because I have to create another record? Is it? "
Burned out and frustrated, 27 years old I left. I didn't have it. I did not do it. I didn't want to do that, "he says.
He praises the longevity of pop stars like Madonna and Kylie Minogue. "I don't really know how they did it," he says.
Being a pop star ruins your head, and Astry says it happened to him too. "I think my days were counted anyway, but I think I managed to escape before they abandoned me." He didn't play for 15 years.
"I sold a lot of records. I had a lot of hits, and it's come to the point where it becomes like a touch and go. "
Unlike other pop stars, he didn't invest his ego in him. Appearance and perceptions of others. "I was never cool. It wasn't cool when I had a hit record," he says. Astry is nothing more than compassion for those who have been bitten by a monster of fame. "It must be incredibly painful."
Astley revived from self-exile in 2016 and was named "50". From his age at the time, he wore a hat on Adele and was named a powerful album that changed from gospel to electro funky.
Norbury remembers being impressed by the first few demos on the album. He asked Astley's manager who wrote them. The answer was "Rick Astley". He asked who was the co-author. The answer was "everyone". Who produced it? "Rick." Then who played all the instruments? "He played all the instruments."
Norbury described Astley as "probably one of the most hard-working people in the business, always with humor, a spirit of collaboration and partnership." I'm doing that. "
Rickrolling started in 2007 and was in the early stages of YouTube. Confused Astley. At first. His songs and videos in "Never Gonna Give You Up"were used as part of the Internet bait-and-switch, what did that mean?
"I was worried about it too much and wondered what it was, and our daughter told me — she was about 15 at the time — She just said, "You are aware that it has nothing to do with you." .. "
" She was a little wrong because she's still kicking here and there, "Astley says. "But I think the emotions she was saying were really, really valuable. I accept my past, but I don't have to accept Rickroll as well. It has something to do with me. Because I accept the fact that there is no. "
This song is on YouTube 12 It has won 100 million streams and is listening to 559 million Spotify. Time Out magazine asked Rickroll why he was always a little confused and didn't want to hear the buoyant mega jam, saying "3.5 minutes of Canon's most vibrant time of the 80's."
Of course, Astley takes a different view of "Never Gonna Give You Up" than the people who use it to attempt confusion with his friends. He admits that this video is "incredibly cheesy in the late 80's", but "it's a good memory. It's like a good memory."
For Astley, it makes him Copenhagen. It was the song that led him, where he met his wife, Lene Bausager. Without that song, he wouldn't have had a daughter or traveled around the world. "I've been to some of the most amazing places in the world where most people are on the bucket list."
He respects established acts New art I look back on the days when I was at home. Today, he is a veteran professional with a wealth of songs, including moments to please the audience.
"At that time, I was envy, greenish, and completely anxious. Well, when I went out on stage and sang those songs, I just said," Yeah, How lucky I am. It's not that great. "