THE HOUSE OF STEWART

The Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart has returned with The Ringmaster General, just one of the multiple projects he always seems to have on the go, as Tim Jones found out

 T he word “polymath” could’ve been coined for Dave Stewart, producer, songwriter, guitarist, singer, film-maker, DJ, artist, club owner, friend to the stars. After setting out on his musical sojourn over 40 years ago with Long Dancer, he fell into the London 70s punk scene with his muse and amour, Annie Lennox, playing with The Catch and The Tourists, before going on to form The Eurythmics, who conquered the charts throughout the 80s.

By the next decade, he’d branched out with his Spiritual Cowboys and worked his production magic for, inter alia, Tom Petty, Bob Geldof, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan and Jon Bon Jovi. The noughties saw him conspiring with Bryan Ferry and Ringo Starr, penning tunes for the likes of Bono, Joss Stone and Katy Perry, acting as a driving force behind Nelson Mandela’s 46664 campaign and, in 2011, working both with Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks, and the supergroup, Superheavy.

Throw in a 2007 coffee-table book/CD Songbook, varied film and TV work, noughties musicals, Barbarella and Ghost, not to mention his Platinum Weird spoof band, and comic books, and you wonder how he ever found time to write and record another solo album, in this instance, with Alison Krauss, Diane Birch, Joss Stone, Jessie Baylin and Michael Jackson guitarist Orianthi.

RC met Dave at his uber-plush The Hospital Club, a …

by Tim Jones
<< Back to Issue 407

You must be a subscriber to view the full article, subscribe now for full access to all online content.

Already a Magazine Subscriber? Register now for online access.