Phil Perry: Into the heart of the man

Heart of the Man… Pure Pleasure… One Heart, One Love… My Book of Love…

The titles of Phil Perry’s four previous solo recordings from 1991 through 1999 say it all about the amazing commitment to romance that defines the singer and his music. When he says, "Love’s the only thing that stands the test of time," he’s not simply explaining why his focus has always been love songs; his solo artistry is living testament to that truth. Perry’s Peak Records debut, via the label’s new association with Concord Records, Magic takes the flowing passion to new levels while showcasing more than ever his development as a songwriter. Long one of adult contemporary music’s great vocal interpreters, Perry co-wrote nine of the 11 songs on Magic, collaborating with renowned composer/producers like Barry J. Eastmond, Peak Records co-owner Russ Freeman, Chris Davis, and Lee Ritenour.

"I’ve been singing love songs since the beginning of my career, writing on occasion while seeking out a few great tunes among hundreds that were submitted," says Perry. "Being so deeply involved in the compositional side of things this time out allows me to offer a unique perspective while continuing to do what I love. I always put all of myself into songs that were not my own, but singing songs I’ve written means that every emotion comes from within, from a purer place. I wrote about many kinds of love about the people and things that mean the most to me… my wife Lillian, our four children, my career. Love has many faces and stages, and the material here reflects that. Lee Ritenour wrote and produced In the Morning (A Father’s Lullaby) about my late father’s assurance to me as a kid that if I prayed before I went to bed every night, everything would be fine in the morning."

Perry has been "doing his best" since about age 10 in his hometown of East St. Louis, when the nuns at his parochial school were blown away by a hymn he sang for midnight Mass; he also learned gospel singing with his pianist mother at her Baptist church. He launched his professional career with ’70s soul group The Montclairs, scoring hits like Make Up For Lost Time and Dreamin’ Out of Season before cutting two albums for Capitol as part of the duo Perry & Sandlin. After the duo split, Perry established himself as a first call background vocalist and session singer in Los Angeles. His trademark has been versatility – singing at local clubs with Lee Ritenour; doing studio dates with James Ingram, Quincy Jones, famed composer Michel Colombier, Sergio Mendes, George Duke, Barbra Streisand and Patti Labelle; singing the title theme from Arthur II; and touring in Japan, the Pacific Rim, Europe and Brazil with Ritenour and others.

When Capitol Records executives heard him sing at a Ritenour date at the Hollywood Bowl, they signed him again to the label for the acclaimed 1991 recording Heart of the Man, which spawned the #1 R&B hit Call Me, a cove of a classic Aretha Franklin tune. Performances with Dave Koz, recording dates with Fourplay (on Between the Sheets) and a vocal on GRP’s The Benoit/Freeman Project increased Perry’s popularity in smooth jazz circles and led to a deal with GRP. The acclaimed Pure Pleasure (1994) featured the hit singles If Only You Knew and Love Don’t Love Nobody. One Heart, One Love (1998) was Perry’s debut recording for Peak Records via their then distribution through Private Music/Windham Hill; he then released My Book of Love on Peak/Private in 2000. He’s toured on and off with the Rhythm of Love Tour since 1997 and recently contributed several vocal tracks to the Ritenour-produced Twist of Marley.

On Saturday, Oct. 19, Perry will do a concert with Bobby Caldwell "live" at the Araneta Coliseum, starting at 8 p.m. with Pauline Wilson as special guest, produced by Crossover Manila. (For ticket inquiries, call Crossover at 731-1667 or 0917-8321052; SM Ticketnet at 911-5555; or 844-2947/844-8159 for 24-hour reservation and delivery service.)

Here are excerpts of Funfare’s interview with Perry in L.A. three weeks ago:

I heard that you have Filipino friends here in L.A.

"Yes, definitely! My family and I frequent a Filipino restaurant near our place. The Filipinos there are very, very nice. I’m looking forward to my trip to Manila."

Have you had a chance to listen to Filipino music?

"Some of it. I’ve enjoyed it from a music perspective."

It’s the first time you’re doing a "live" concert with Caldwell. But have you performed together in some other project?

"We did a background thing together for Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Sergio Mendes, George Duke and others. Working with them is a learning experience. To be in the same room with Quincy is a treat. Duke is such a teacher and a nurturer of talent. Mendes is rhythmically acute."

What about Aretha Franklin who’s part of your album?

"I had the opportunity to record one of her songs. It’s called Call Me. Why that? Well, her first single on Ariston, United Together, was co-written by Jack Jackson and me, and it kind of put my roots here in L.A. I think the best way to pay her back was to do one of her tunes. She’s a sweetheart of a lady, the Queen of Soul."

How did you get started in singing?

"I started singing back when I was in a Catholic school. The nuns heard me singing during a midnight Mass; I was about nine then. The nuns were cool... very nurturing and very loving people. They sensed the talent that I had and tried to develop it as good educators do. You know what the song I sung was? Adesti Fideles (O, Come All Ye Faithful)... for the Christmas midnight Mass. The nuns asked me to join the boys’ choir and the rest, as you would say, is history."

How did you develop your falsetto sound?

"Oh, it took years and years and years of constant singing... singing at the top of my natural voice and then always trying to go a step higher, then trying to sing softer. I always try to sing in a falsetto voice while singing in my natural voice so I can have two different sets of delivery for the same note."

When did you start singing professionally?

"I had my first record when I was a junior in high school. The song was called Hey, You which I did with the group The Montclairs. Later, Kevin Sandlin (member of Montclairs) and I formed a duo, doing records for Capitol."

You’re fascinated with remakes...

"...I don’t think it is so much a fascination as it is tribute to individuals who paved the way for me to do what I do best. There are so many singers that I admire that if I have to record every year ‘till the day I die, I probably have that many ‘covers’ to do."

You’re very romantic judging from your songs.

"You have to if you plan to make a career of singing romantic music. You can fool people sometimes but you can’t fool them all the time. If you sing what you feel, if you sing what moves you, then people who listen to you know two things: 1) they know that you believe it, and 2) they feel the passion that you have for it."

What sort of music won’t you do?

"Hip-hop and rap. That’s not to say that I don’t respect them as an art form; it’s just that they’re not my favorite things to do."

Boy bands are the current craze in music. If you were starting your career today, would you join a boy band?

"Hmmmmm. That’s a good question. No, I won’t. I would probably enjoy that kind of music but I don’t know if I would pursue that line of music. I guess because I’ve always been an individualist, so I would probably be where I’m starting today... solo and not with a band."

Do you have a favorite song, one that you like most and that touches you most?

"I’ve been pretty fortunate in my career. I’ve had an opportunity to sing some great songs. But there’s one that I like most, A Postcard in Winter. I don’t know the composer’s name, but it’s a beautiful song. I like the honesty of the song. It’s a song that tells a story about an individual in a particular environment in winter. As he revisits this particular environment, he’s reminded of a relationship he was in. It reminds him of the feeling and the woman and the places that they went to. It’s very nostalgic. It’s a really, really, really beautiful song."

So what can we expect from you during your concert in Manila?

"Everything that you expect me to do, every song that you expect me to sing."

Including, of course, After the Love Has Gone.

"Definitely!" (Proceeds to sing a few lines from the song.)