UK Theatre Network

Steve Burbridge In Conversation With . . . Catherine Porter

Catherine Porter’s diverse career has included leading roles on West End, Broadway and worldwide theatre stages with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Michael Crawford, John Barrowman and Michael Ball to recording and touring with rock legends Queen. Her latest album, Gems For Ruby, is a collection of songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s that is dedicated to her three-year-old daughter, Ruby.

Gems For Ruby is a stunning collection of cover versions that are a gift for your daughter. What inspired you to record the album?

Following the birth of my daughter, and having had to be a full-time Mom for a while, I wanted to do something creative again. I also wanted Ruby to hear songs that I loved, but in a way that I heard music when I was her age. When I was three, my parents used to play Julie London and Doris Day and my grandparents were Italian so we would have Italian arias being played and ballads by Mario Lanza, so I developed a fondness for a ballad with lots of strings. I thought it would be fun to take some songs from the 70s and 80s that I’ve always loved and turned them on their sides. It was very risky and we had a lot of nerve but people will see that I’m not making fun of the songs, that I’m kind of reinventing them and giving an opportunity for the lyrics to be heard in a different way.

You must have been thrilled to perform a Queen song (Somebody To Love) with accompaniment on the guitar from Brian May?

I worked with Brian years ago on his ‘Back To The Light’ tour and we’ve remained friends ever since. When I told him I was doing this we played the track to him and the opportunity arose to invite him to play on it, which he did. That made the album all the more personal for me.

Was it difficult choosing only eleven tracks and how did you decide which to include and which to leave out?

It was really hard. We went through – I don’t even know – thousands of songs during the two year process. I was dying to include a Stevie Wonder song but it didn’t work out, which was disappointing and there were songs that I knew had to be included such as ‘More Today Than Yesterday.’ The guys came up with ideas and I came up with ideas and we finally came down to these eleven.

You’ve recently completed a series of gigs at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s club. Tell me about that?

That was fantastic! The album was studio-recorded, so performing there was my first chance to sing the songs live. I played with some real hot, talented musicians and it was very well received.

Are you now concentrating solely on your recording career or would you like to do more musical theatre?

I wanna keep doing what I’ve been doing. I’ve always gone back and forth between recording, concerts and theatre and I enjoy that.

Who are your biggest influences?

At the moment, my daughter. I am inspired in various ways by different people. I have to say that Brian May is an inspiration and when I was touring with him I learned an awful lot. I was inspired by Petula Clark and I absolutely adore her as a performer and a human being. For being such a legend, she has no airs and graces, whatsoever. Musically, there are hundreds – Ricky Lee Jones, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Elaine Paige to name only a few!

Who would you most like to sing a duet with?

That’s a toss-up between Stevie Wonder and Randy Newman.

What has been the proudest moment of your career, so far?

I think, probably, this album. But, you know, I feel proud of everything that I do.

Easy listening music seems to be enjoying a renaissance at present. Why do you think this is?

Oh, people are very stressed! I think easy listening helps them to calm down and chill out.

Gems For Ruby by Catherine Porter was released on 30^th March 2009 on the Swing Cafe Label. Distributed by NOVA via Universal Music Operations Limited.