Tom Hooker
Hi Tom,
Thank you for agreeing to doing an interview with me. I’m a huge fan and I love your work as Tom Hooker, Den Harrow, Lou Sern and many other projects you were a part of. Tracks like ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ rate as one of my all time favourites. Not just for the production Tom, your voice gives it and many more tracks like it something extra.
Now for the questions:-
1. What was your first real lucky break to get into the Italo\Euro dance scene?
a) I wrote a song called "Flip Over" based on a hit called "Pop Musik" by "M" and it appealed to the President of the Italian Deejays Association. He told this to a record company in Italy that ultimately signed me in 1980.
2. Where did Tom Hooker the person come from?
a) I was a drummer who grew up in Geneva, Switzerland and produced that first single in the studio. Singing was not my main gig but I feared the arrival in masses of drum machines and the studios was getting scarcer as a result of that "drum machine fad".
3. Music is clearly a huge part of your life, what kind of music influenced you when you were growing up?
a) My first love for music started with "Soul". Otis Reding, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. I bought all these record compilations that were brande "Soul music" at the time.
Of course after that, I listened to best musical period of all time. The Beatles who led the way to Opera rock where groups would write songs that lasted 12 minutes and weren't geared towards radio hits. I'm talking about, Early Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull etc...
4. What is your fondest memory of the industry in the 80's, do you have any funny stories to tell?
a) My fondest memories of the 80's was spending all night in the studio for days on end and finally calling it a day around 5 o'clock in the morning to end up in a bar in the center of Milan and eat a "panino" before going to bed.
5. You have had a number of hits in the 80’s, Looking For Love (Tom Hooker), Future Brain (Den Harrow), Swiss Boy (Lou Sern), just to name a few. For you, which hits were special and why?
a) "Don't break my heart" for the Den Harrow project was special because I wanted it to be for myself. The record company didn't let me and they wanted it to be the new single for Den Harrow. To this day, I never got to sing that song in front of an audience. On a lighter note, "Looking for love" changed my life and the shows and money started coming in in a big way.
6. What was your favourite Italo\Hi Nrg track not realised by yourself and why?
a) I am a bit jealous of Raf, with his first song "Self Control" that sold 23 milion copies. It took me over 7 years to have any real success. My favorite Italo song is probably "Masterpiece" by Gazebo.
7. Do you keep in touch with any of the artists from the era\genre and if so which ones?
a) I've been seeing Miki Chieregato alot these days because we are writing some new songs together with a new group called "Hooker Chieregato". Chieregato wrote all the hits by Eddy Huntington, Den Harrow, Paul Lekakis and Tom Hooker with me as a lyricist.
Turatti never wrote the music or the melody lines. He was in fact a co -producer with Miki who shared the song writing royalties with him in 50/50 split.
They eventually broke up as a team because Miki got tired of being a Santa Clause. Turatti eventually found another musician to compose the music for him.
8. You have a new album out called ‘Unconditional Love’ and new singles out like ‘Change your Mind’. Can you tell us a bit about the new Album?
a) After fooling around by making new versions of old songs with newer sounds. We finally realized that today's sound don't really appeal to us and the songs don't either. Many of the songs talk about "partying, raising your glass, thank you DJ etc..." Very "moronic" and boring. We finally decided to call ourselves "Hooker Chieregato" and do "Electro-Pop" with an 80's sound. We will continue to do songs as we did in the 80's as if the time hadn't passed for the project called "Hooker Chieregato". We may do newer versions of old songs with a newer sound also under the name Tom Hooker.
9. Tom as you are one of the early pioneers of dance music, what do you think of the dance music scene today?
a) As I said before it is very formulaic. The lyrics have to be about "partying, drinking, thanking the DJ and having a good time". Very recently, they aren't even songs anymore but the repetition of chorus without a verse or a bridge!
10. As I’m Australian can I ask? Have you ever had the opportunity to travel to Australia?
a) It's on my bucket list!
11. What projects are in the pipeline for Tom Hooker right now and where can fans hope to see you perform?
a) My performances will be on Youtube for now. I have been asked to do shows but I would cost too much money to do live concerts the way I would like to do it. I've never really been into the "playback thing"!
12. Last question and it is important. Where can we buy your new music?
a) My new music is available on iTunes and Amazon.
Once again Tom, thank you for letting me do this interview. I know the fans on my Facebook and website pages will really enjoy hearing some more about Tom Hooker.
Note all answers are quoted word for word from Tom Hooker, for this interview. Therefore the answers are of his opinion and not necessarily those of the person asking the question.
Thank you for agreeing to doing an interview with me. I’m a huge fan and I love your work as Tom Hooker, Den Harrow, Lou Sern and many other projects you were a part of. Tracks like ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ rate as one of my all time favourites. Not just for the production Tom, your voice gives it and many more tracks like it something extra.
Now for the questions:-
1. What was your first real lucky break to get into the Italo\Euro dance scene?
a) I wrote a song called "Flip Over" based on a hit called "Pop Musik" by "M" and it appealed to the President of the Italian Deejays Association. He told this to a record company in Italy that ultimately signed me in 1980.
2. Where did Tom Hooker the person come from?
a) I was a drummer who grew up in Geneva, Switzerland and produced that first single in the studio. Singing was not my main gig but I feared the arrival in masses of drum machines and the studios was getting scarcer as a result of that "drum machine fad".
3. Music is clearly a huge part of your life, what kind of music influenced you when you were growing up?
a) My first love for music started with "Soul". Otis Reding, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. I bought all these record compilations that were brande "Soul music" at the time.
Of course after that, I listened to best musical period of all time. The Beatles who led the way to Opera rock where groups would write songs that lasted 12 minutes and weren't geared towards radio hits. I'm talking about, Early Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull etc...
4. What is your fondest memory of the industry in the 80's, do you have any funny stories to tell?
a) My fondest memories of the 80's was spending all night in the studio for days on end and finally calling it a day around 5 o'clock in the morning to end up in a bar in the center of Milan and eat a "panino" before going to bed.
5. You have had a number of hits in the 80’s, Looking For Love (Tom Hooker), Future Brain (Den Harrow), Swiss Boy (Lou Sern), just to name a few. For you, which hits were special and why?
a) "Don't break my heart" for the Den Harrow project was special because I wanted it to be for myself. The record company didn't let me and they wanted it to be the new single for Den Harrow. To this day, I never got to sing that song in front of an audience. On a lighter note, "Looking for love" changed my life and the shows and money started coming in in a big way.
6. What was your favourite Italo\Hi Nrg track not realised by yourself and why?
a) I am a bit jealous of Raf, with his first song "Self Control" that sold 23 milion copies. It took me over 7 years to have any real success. My favorite Italo song is probably "Masterpiece" by Gazebo.
7. Do you keep in touch with any of the artists from the era\genre and if so which ones?
a) I've been seeing Miki Chieregato alot these days because we are writing some new songs together with a new group called "Hooker Chieregato". Chieregato wrote all the hits by Eddy Huntington, Den Harrow, Paul Lekakis and Tom Hooker with me as a lyricist.
Turatti never wrote the music or the melody lines. He was in fact a co -producer with Miki who shared the song writing royalties with him in 50/50 split.
They eventually broke up as a team because Miki got tired of being a Santa Clause. Turatti eventually found another musician to compose the music for him.
8. You have a new album out called ‘Unconditional Love’ and new singles out like ‘Change your Mind’. Can you tell us a bit about the new Album?
a) After fooling around by making new versions of old songs with newer sounds. We finally realized that today's sound don't really appeal to us and the songs don't either. Many of the songs talk about "partying, raising your glass, thank you DJ etc..." Very "moronic" and boring. We finally decided to call ourselves "Hooker Chieregato" and do "Electro-Pop" with an 80's sound. We will continue to do songs as we did in the 80's as if the time hadn't passed for the project called "Hooker Chieregato". We may do newer versions of old songs with a newer sound also under the name Tom Hooker.
9. Tom as you are one of the early pioneers of dance music, what do you think of the dance music scene today?
a) As I said before it is very formulaic. The lyrics have to be about "partying, drinking, thanking the DJ and having a good time". Very recently, they aren't even songs anymore but the repetition of chorus without a verse or a bridge!
10. As I’m Australian can I ask? Have you ever had the opportunity to travel to Australia?
a) It's on my bucket list!
11. What projects are in the pipeline for Tom Hooker right now and where can fans hope to see you perform?
a) My performances will be on Youtube for now. I have been asked to do shows but I would cost too much money to do live concerts the way I would like to do it. I've never really been into the "playback thing"!
12. Last question and it is important. Where can we buy your new music?
a) My new music is available on iTunes and Amazon.
Once again Tom, thank you for letting me do this interview. I know the fans on my Facebook and website pages will really enjoy hearing some more about Tom Hooker.
Note all answers are quoted word for word from Tom Hooker, for this interview. Therefore the answers are of his opinion and not necessarily those of the person asking the question.