For many music fans, Sass Jordan is known as the killer backup singer with the instantly recognizable voice but as she puts it: “I’m not sure about the ‘backup’ singer part,” she says laughing, “because of the fact that it was a problem; my voice stuck out so much. A good backup singer is someone who can blend in so you don’t notice,” she says still laughing, “but I’ll take the compliment, hey, what the heck.” But Sass has also had a well rounded and long lived solo career, and is about to release a new album. Her best selling album ‘Racine’ turns 25 so Sass is releasing ‘Racine Revisited’ shortly.
nightMair Creative: you have a new album coming out shortly … fill us in on that
Sass Jordan: I have a ‘new’ old album coming out – it’s a redo of an album that came out in 1992 probably before you were born (laughing), but its super old for me. Probably… 25 yrs ago, Donna. I decided that in honor of it, and all the people that loved it, I would redo it a different way. Although its not all that different from the original. But what I really wanted to do was to see how it would sound recorded now that it was 25 yrs old. Songs are like children and so they grow up just like you do. And so I thought “let’s do it again from the perspective that I’m at now, instead of what one would normally do” – which is modernizing it. I said, “why don’t we try and take it back to when it should have been recorded, in the 1970’s!” That was the whole idea behind it and I actually think – because of course I’m me – I think it turned out amazing. Some of the songs have a slightly different arrangement because I’ve been playing them live so long in that way. There’s not a whole lot of keyboard on this new arrangement but there are some. And of course we had a blast doing all this.
nMC: I really love that idea… there have been a lot of bands lately who have had 20 and 25 year old albums and tours – they’ve either modernized them, or kept them original to 25 yrs ago, so I really love the idea of what you’re doing with them – its totally different.
SJ: I’m a big proponent of never doing anything original (laughs heartily).. no, seriously, you’re never going to re-invent the wheel especially in rock and roll, so I thought “what can I do to make it different for me?” And because its coming out on vinyl, this was an ideal thing. And because I love the 70’s music so much, and the 70’s was when I first starting doing live and touring, it just seemed to fit.
nMC: when is the album due to come out?
SJ: it comes out Sept 15th. Or the 16th. No I’m pretty sure it’s the 15th (laughing). Its hard to keep track of all this stuff going on- one of those days – 24 hrs wont make a huge difference (chuckles). (Sass is correct, her site lists Sept 15 as release date)
nMC: it will be available on iTunes, CD and such, and vinyl as well… since you’re a huge fan of the 70’s is the vinyl going to have the album liner notes?
SJ: oh god yes! (laughs) Whohoo. And we left all sorts of things in in – like at the end of one song, the vocal take we used, I say ‘oh my god that sucked’ (laughing) We left that in. I think that’s what I miss most about records these days – leaving the personality in the recordings! Those little things that would happen when the tape kept rolling, little squeaks and squawks of amps and guitar twangs. We left all that stuff on – It makes it more fun.
nMC: yes! Everyone wants to spit polish it to such perfection that its lost its charm.
SJ: yes! I agree 100%! And so things aren’t totally perfect – I don’t care. Life isn’t perfect… lets go with the life approach (chuckles).
The Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins started his career in my band… so when the Foo Fighters were in town recently, he called me up and asked me to come sing a song at the show. I was like, “sure I’ll do that, especially if you pay me $150.00” (that’s a joke, that’s a joke haha) And it was a cover song; Stay With Me by the Faces. I know it, but I don’t know it really well. At 2pm that day we decided on the song and at 8pm I’m doing the song with the band live. We’re on stage, and I look at Dave Grohl and say, “Dave there’s a strong possibility I might fuck this up,” to which Dave says, “Sass. Just fuck it up! Its way better when you fuck it up.” (laughing) This is definitely a man after my own heart. There is just something more human, and more personable, and more fun, and more exciting… I don’t mean a complete total rain wreck, but its more… we’re all human and its just better. And that’s my approach to making records.
nMC: do you think that the not worrying so much about perfection and wanting to just enjoy it more is also about maturity and experience – older and wiser?
SJ: absolutely! You realize there are a lot of things out of your control. There is no such thing as a perfect record, and for me personally anything perfect is boring. I really love and relate to things that have little imperfections. Even in a face! In a personality.. it’s the little quirks that make things interesting and appealing. In this day and age I find Instagram and what have you – we’re supposed to be these perfect beings, I mean For fuck sakes! Seriously. I don’t find that interesting. Let’s just enjoy ourselves and whatever.. if nobody likes it nobody’s forcing them to listen to it. That’s my mantra – enjoy myself. And when I do that I find there’s a whole lot of people around me that are enjoying themselves too, and that’s a good thing.
You do the very best you can do, in the moment you are doing it, and that’s my commitment, but let life have its own input and great things can happen!
You can pre-order Racine Revisited now and receive an autographed copy by heading to Sass’ site HERE. and check out Sass with the Foo Fighters performing Stay With Me below.
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