Credit - Renata Hearn
Soaps.com was recently contacted by a representative from Icon Music Entertainment Services to discuss the opportunity to share with us the highly anticipated new DVD, recently released by Rick Springfield. The DVD is from a live performance the Coronado Theatre, in Rockford, Ill. Filmed as part of an HDNet concert series, it includes all of Rick's Greatest Hits as well as new classics! Still awaiting my autographed copy, I promise to update Soaps.com readers and Rick Springfield fans as to just how much I enjoy it!
In addition to playing the devastatingly handsome, Dr. Noah Drake, Rick Springfield is one busy man. Last year alone, he released a couple of CDs, including "The Day After Yesterday", which features covers of some of Rick's favorite songs - songs he wishes he would have written. The sound is great, making fans too wish he'd written them! Last year, a 25th anniversary special edition of "Working Class Dog" was released, which includes 3 bonus tracks and a 2 disc anthology, was also released, called "Written In Rock"!
I had the pleasure of previewing Rick's newest CD, "The Day After Yesterday" and already have my favorites, but noticed a difference between this album and many of his other ones. Soaps.com's GH writer, Julie Clark Robinson caught up with Rick, early last Friday, when he took some time to talk with her on the phone. "Your new album is much harder than we've heard before. Any particular reason that you went in such a different direction, and was the writing cathartic for you," she asks. Rick makes things a little clearer, "It's more how we play live. I like to write new songs that actually work live. We are doing a new song now in our live show that is pretty heavy, called 'Who killed rock and Roll?' They just suit our live show better." This makes a lot of sense, and works for us! He goes on to tell Julie, "Yes, when I have issues to deal with it's (the writing) better than a therapist!" This is something I've noticed for years on some of Rick's other albums, and of course, like anyone else, listening to some of his recordings has been cathartic for me too, at times!
Always touring, playing somewhere in the vicinity of 100 shows a year, it's surprising he has little time for anything else, but he was sweet enough to chat with Julie. She asked Rick to tell our readers about his new DVD, and Rick excitedly, reported that it was (recorded) about 8 months ago at the Coronado Theater in Rockford, Ill. �It is very representative of what we were doing live at that time. We did a lot of the songs from the last studio CD.� The DVD has a 17-song set list plus bonus material, (exclusive interviews) making this DVD a must have, for any Rick Springfield fan out there!
Courtesy of Rick Springfield
Rick talks a little about his family, being famous and his loving wife, Barbara. When Julie asks if Barbara (Rick's wife - sorry girls!) comes along on tour, he replies, "No, not really. She comes to special events and things like that." Julie goes on to ask how the kids (Liam and Josh) feel about their famous rocker dad. He replies, �They're fine with it. They have a good sense of humor about it.� Josh is his youngest, at 17 and likes 60's Motown music. His eldest, Liam, is 20 and likes Hendrix, Zeppelin and the new heavy bands like TOOL! This prompts Julie to ask Rick how he feels about singing "Jesse's Girl" all these years later, and he graciously says, "It's like a member of the family by now!"
Christine Fix (Editor-in-Chief, Soaps.com) spent some time in "Rick Chat," which is an online chat, based out of Rick's website, for fans to get together to discuss, guess who!? After convincing fellow fans that I wasn't Rick, impersonating the Soaps.com Editor-in-Chief, they opened up, letting me in on a few questions they wanted to see answered from their long time rock God! Although I heard some of the new music, I was embarrassed to admit that I didn't know that he was building a recording studio in his home. Julie asked him about this, and he shared that his youngest is about to go off to college. Julie made a comment, wondering if he had 'Empty nest syndrome'. She was right on the mark! This is something Rick has been feeling, �That's why I'm doing the recording studio�trying to fill it (the gap) up.�
Julie wraps up the interview, asking Rick what his hopes and plans for the future are. He tells her, "I did the cover CD (The Day after Yesterday) which included a lot of the songs I wanted to re record and now I want to write and record new songs."
Fans can look forward to a second part interview, with a Q&A with Rick, sometime before the holidays, as well as quotes in a few articles from our Latest News section, on the main pages!
Don't forget to watch Rick Springfield as Dr. Noah Drake, on General Hospital, and purchase his new DVD, "Live In Rockford" on Rick's website.
Many thanks to Mark, for getting us in contact with Rick, for Rick Springfield, for giving us a glimpse into his work, and to Soaps.com's dedicated GH writer, Julie Clark Robinson. Thanks Julie, for kindly taking over this interview! Great job!
Julie Clark Robinson (GH News Writer) with Christine Fix (Editor-in-Chief)
Soaps.com
I'll let you know when the DVD comes!!! 
