PRESS
BLACKPOOL GAZETTE
FIREWORKS MAGAZINE
BEAT MAGAZINE
SUNDAY MERCURY
MOJO MAGAZINE
BASS GUITAR MAG
EXPRESS & STAR
SUNDAY MERCURY
GOODTIMES MAGAZINE (GERMANY)
GOODTIMES INTERVIEW - ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Always tired - but many new projects
Noddy Holder may have been the voice and the face of glam rockers Slade but their bass player / violinist Jim Lea was mainly responsible for the songs even though he preferred to stay in the background. Both their former colleagues Dave Hill (guitar) and Don Powell (drums) are still touring using the old band name, whereas Holder and Lea finally retired in *1992. In our ‘Good Times' interview 2015 Lea made a first public statement regarding his problems with cancer, so our reporter Philipp Roser thought it was appropriate to enquire about his health while he was talking to him about the re-release of his only solo album THERAPY.
Q: First let me ask the most important question: how are you feeling now?
A: I am ok. I’ve been having treatment for the last two years which is still ongoing. The PSA value which indicates the status of the prostate cancer is nearly zero, It is amazing how widespread this illness is, So many people suffer from it and they all have different stories to tell.
Q: You have re-released THERAPY - what was the reason?
A: I was working on a few new things and mentioned it to my brother Frank who used to work in the record industry. He said he was going to have a think about who should release the current titles. He then brought up Wienerworld, one of the oldest labels in the UK. They were about to go to the Music Fair in Cannes and were looking for material. This is when Frank let them have a few songs from THERAPY. The reactions from theitr partner firms all over the world were almost enthusiastic, and then it all happened really fast….
Q: There are a number of bonus tracks on the double CD and the vinyl version….
A: Yes, this question came very quickly, so I looked in my archives and found a few suitable tracks. THERAPY contained a few psychological aspects , therefore the other songs had to fit the mood.
Q: Like on the 2009 release you have included a bonus CD of the live recording of your show at the Robin 2 RnB club in Wolverhampton from 16.11.2002…
A: I wasn’t keen for a long time because I thought it was rubbish.The sound quality is really basic because the concert was recorded on mini disc. I then had a chat with a former writer of ‘Melody Maker’ who said even though it sounded rough, it had certain charm and a brilliant atmosphere. This convinced me to add that part.
Q: This has been your only ever solo gig hasn’t it?
A: Yes, I had no desire to go on stage. Now I regret it. I didn’t want to go on tour but in retrospect it would have been nice to have played in some club or other about once or twice a month. But I can’t change it now, and I can’t work live nowadays because my voice has suffered as a result of all the medication and is too weak. I was the youngest in Slade , Dave and Don are around 70 now and still touring. But they don’t have to do the singing. I met Elton John at a concert a while ago and talked to him about it. His voice is not what it used to be either. It is a lot deeper but that is just what happens when you get older.
Q: You were mentioning new songs earlier. Can you tell us a bit more?
A: I have two projects, which should have been released in the first half of the year. But at the moment I can’t say any more about it.
Q: Is this the STRING THERAPY which you have been working on for years?
A: Yes, that is one of the projects. However, there are a few technical problems because I am a one man string orchestra and some pieces overlap during mixing which doesn’t sound right. I need to resolve this problem quickly because Wienerworld already have plans for its release. The other project should be released before STRING THERAPY but I really cannot talk about that yet - we need to do another interview (laughs).
Q: You have always made yourself scarce and had almost disappeared altogether - why?
A: This has been due to my own ill health but I have also been looking after my dad who suffers from dementia, and after my brother who hasn’t been well either. However, I never stopped writing, even though I wasn’t in the studio much. Furthermore I have another problem: I am always tired and nod off from one second to the next, especially in the studio. If you see that now you wouldn’t imagine that in the old days I used to drive the others crazy with bouncing ideas around. But unfortunately I have had sleep problems for a number of years now.
Noddy Holder may have been the voice and the face of glam rockers Slade but their bass player / violinist Jim Lea was mainly responsible for the songs even though he preferred to stay in the background. Both their former colleagues Dave Hill (guitar) and Don Powell (drums) are still touring using the old band name, whereas Holder and Lea finally retired in *1992. In our ‘Good Times' interview 2015 Lea made a first public statement regarding his problems with cancer, so our reporter Philipp Roser thought it was appropriate to enquire about his health while he was talking to him about the re-release of his only solo album THERAPY.
Q: First let me ask the most important question: how are you feeling now?
A: I am ok. I’ve been having treatment for the last two years which is still ongoing. The PSA value which indicates the status of the prostate cancer is nearly zero, It is amazing how widespread this illness is, So many people suffer from it and they all have different stories to tell.
Q: You have re-released THERAPY - what was the reason?
A: I was working on a few new things and mentioned it to my brother Frank who used to work in the record industry. He said he was going to have a think about who should release the current titles. He then brought up Wienerworld, one of the oldest labels in the UK. They were about to go to the Music Fair in Cannes and were looking for material. This is when Frank let them have a few songs from THERAPY. The reactions from theitr partner firms all over the world were almost enthusiastic, and then it all happened really fast….
Q: There are a number of bonus tracks on the double CD and the vinyl version….
A: Yes, this question came very quickly, so I looked in my archives and found a few suitable tracks. THERAPY contained a few psychological aspects , therefore the other songs had to fit the mood.
Q: Like on the 2009 release you have included a bonus CD of the live recording of your show at the Robin 2 RnB club in Wolverhampton from 16.11.2002…
A: I wasn’t keen for a long time because I thought it was rubbish.The sound quality is really basic because the concert was recorded on mini disc. I then had a chat with a former writer of ‘Melody Maker’ who said even though it sounded rough, it had certain charm and a brilliant atmosphere. This convinced me to add that part.
Q: This has been your only ever solo gig hasn’t it?
A: Yes, I had no desire to go on stage. Now I regret it. I didn’t want to go on tour but in retrospect it would have been nice to have played in some club or other about once or twice a month. But I can’t change it now, and I can’t work live nowadays because my voice has suffered as a result of all the medication and is too weak. I was the youngest in Slade , Dave and Don are around 70 now and still touring. But they don’t have to do the singing. I met Elton John at a concert a while ago and talked to him about it. His voice is not what it used to be either. It is a lot deeper but that is just what happens when you get older.
Q: You were mentioning new songs earlier. Can you tell us a bit more?
A: I have two projects, which should have been released in the first half of the year. But at the moment I can’t say any more about it.
Q: Is this the STRING THERAPY which you have been working on for years?
A: Yes, that is one of the projects. However, there are a few technical problems because I am a one man string orchestra and some pieces overlap during mixing which doesn’t sound right. I need to resolve this problem quickly because Wienerworld already have plans for its release. The other project should be released before STRING THERAPY but I really cannot talk about that yet - we need to do another interview (laughs).
Q: You have always made yourself scarce and had almost disappeared altogether - why?
A: This has been due to my own ill health but I have also been looking after my dad who suffers from dementia, and after my brother who hasn’t been well either. However, I never stopped writing, even though I wasn’t in the studio much. Furthermore I have another problem: I am always tired and nod off from one second to the next, especially in the studio. If you see that now you wouldn’t imagine that in the old days I used to drive the others crazy with bouncing ideas around. But unfortunately I have had sleep problems for a number of years now.
SHINDIG
TOTAL MUSIC MAGAZINE
FIREWORKS
JUST BACKDATED
SLAYED FORUM
R2
BEAT
CLASSIC ROCK
MIDLAND BEAT 1964
Maybe Jim's first ever mention in the press (even though his surname was spelt incorrectly) - 1964 - thanks to Chris Selby for providing the cutting.