I've been a record collector and music fan for over 40 years and just now have I heard the most straightforward and honest premise of songwriting. RIP Jack, you may be gone but your music lives on forever !!!
I met Jack in London 1986.I was a lawyer in a firm called Steggles Palmer in the Holborn area of the city.A studio had seized original tape recordings of Jack's material and were refusing to hand them over.Your grandpa wanted me to negotiate their release.We had the meeting in the firm's board room and in there was a fully stocked drinks cabinet.I took to Jack immediately and offered him a drink.I recall his tipple was vodka and there was a full bottle of Smirnoff in the cabinet.The meeting started at 3pm and went on until 7pm when the bottle expired.Jack's a lovely,warm ,friendlyand compassionate guy and a great story teller.He told men all about how he came to write Hanging on the Telephone with a picture book of Beatle's songs being the primary inspiration. Anyway,I guess we must have got a bit rowdy with Jack starting to sing and all!! and the senior partner of the law firm bounded into the room wondering what the hell was going on.He saw the empty vodka bottle and Jack in mid flow and started going apoplectic and glaring at me with a "You're fired!!" expression.All I had to say was "Boss,meet Mr Jack Lee,the original writer of Blondie's hit "Hanging on the Telephone"and the situation immediately calmed down and my boss asked Jack for an autograph for his daughter and insisted on taking the both of us out to dinner!! As the writer of Blondie's biggest selling UK hit my boss immediately realised that Jack was a valuable client to have for his firm!!
I've never heard someone describe the songwriting process so succinctly and realised as Jack Lee does in this clip. It's a powerful feeling, "Like a lightning bolt". What an unrealised gem he was. Rest easy Jack. Your influence will be felt in waves for eons to come. Humble too.
What a great breakdown of how he writes songs. I think he might be the first person I’ve ever heard actually explain his “process” in an interesting and humble way.
I was just looking up The Nerves and shocked to See Jack had passed Rest in Peace Jack, You brought many joy through your music that will last forever ! Thank you Jack
Jack Lee must be really happy when he visits TH-cam and sees/hears all the great covers of his song that have been made. I was really surprised to see that there were more than a dozen here.
That's the process of inspiration, accurately described. It happens TO you and comes from somewhere else and passes through you into the rest of the world. If you cannot do this, it is magic. Hence celebrity and fame.
Wow, this was posted in 2006 (the start of TH-cam?), it must be one of the older videos on the platform. Nice to see it. Appropriate he discusses Dylan and the Beatles while Dylan's "Tangled up in Blue" is playing in the background.
this film could have been done 20 years ago. We're not told. Check the dates on the comments below. It was very casual. I was afraid he was going to burn his finger. ashtray time!!!
This really angers me. The link states Jack Lee with versions of Hanging on The Telephone and his version, Blondie's version, plus The Nerves and after the inteview finishes you are suddenly listening to something completely different. A marketing ploy I think is in bad taste and really isses me off.
This really angers me. The link states Jack Lee with versions of Hanging on The Telephone and his version, Blondie's version, plus The Nerves and after the inteview finishes you are suddenly listening to something completely different. A marketing ploy I think is in bad taste and really isses me off. Ann Munday
![Blondie (Debbie Harry & Chris Stein)- Interview - 1981 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zPUZD0ceGBk/mqdefault.jpg)
1952-2023 🕊️ Rest In Peace 🙏 Jack Lee ~ ty for the Music 💿
I've been a record collector and music fan for over 40 years and just now have I heard the most straightforward and honest premise of songwriting. RIP Jack, you may be gone but your music lives on forever !!!
I met Jack in London 1986.I was a lawyer in a firm called Steggles Palmer in the Holborn area of the city.A studio had seized original tape recordings of Jack's material and were refusing to hand them over.Your grandpa wanted me to negotiate their release.We had the meeting in the firm's board room and in there was a fully stocked drinks cabinet.I took to Jack immediately and offered him a drink.I recall his tipple was vodka and there was a full bottle of Smirnoff in the cabinet.The meeting started at 3pm and went on until 7pm when the bottle expired.Jack's a lovely,warm ,friendlyand compassionate guy and a great story teller.He told men all about how he came to write Hanging on the Telephone with a picture book of Beatle's songs being the primary inspiration.
Anyway,I guess we must have got a bit rowdy with Jack starting to sing and all!! and the senior partner of the law firm bounded into the room wondering what the hell was going on.He saw the empty vodka bottle and Jack in mid flow and started going apoplectic and glaring at me with a "You're fired!!" expression.All I had to say was "Boss,meet Mr Jack Lee,the original writer of Blondie's hit "Hanging on the Telephone"and the situation immediately calmed down and my boss asked Jack for an autograph for his daughter and insisted on taking the both of us out to dinner!! As the writer of Blondie's biggest selling UK hit my boss immediately realised that Jack was a valuable client to have for his firm!!
I've never heard someone describe the songwriting process so succinctly and realised as Jack Lee does in this clip. It's a powerful feeling, "Like a lightning bolt". What an unrealised gem he was.
Rest easy Jack. Your influence will be felt in waves for eons to come. Humble too.
What a great breakdown of how he writes songs. I think he might be the first person I’ve ever heard actually explain his “process” in an interesting and humble way.
Too many people act like they dont know anything and didn't try
Who knew Willem Dafoe was so passionate about music.
Probably a great guy to do a film about jack lee
I was just looking up The Nerves and shocked to See Jack had passed
Rest in Peace Jack, You brought many joy through your music that will last forever !
Thank you Jack
Listening to The Nerves during Covid. Jack is a genius. Just wonderful tunes.
they’re great. their record got ripped off spotify today. such an awful horrible day for nerves fans everywhere
Spotify is for losers. Blessing in disguise
the greatest rock & roll song ever written.
this song is phenomenal
Man I’ve always loved this song 🎸🎸
Hanging on the Telephone is legendary.
The way he describes the rush of writing a song is so freakin' cool.
One of my all time favorite songs, so grateful Jack Lee put it all together.
Jack Lee must be really happy when he visits TH-cam and sees/hears all the great covers of his song that have been made. I was really surprised to see that there were more than a dozen here.
what a fantastic, honest, humble explanation
RIP you legend
Great video. One of the best pop songs ever.
RIP Jack. Passed today
That's the process of inspiration, accurately described. It happens TO you and comes from somewhere else and passes through you into the rest of the world.
If you cannot do this, it is magic.
Hence celebrity and fame.
That's a talented dude right there....
Was fortunate enough to be in LA and see Jack perform live for his album release party around 1983 at FM Station.
Wow, this was posted in 2006 (the start of TH-cam?), it must be one of the older videos on the platform. Nice to see it. Appropriate he discusses Dylan and the Beatles while Dylan's "Tangled up in Blue" is playing in the background.
JACK LEEEE!!!!!!!1
this is awesome. play more music!
Jack Lee must put ou more music. Would have been nice for jack To be in Austin with Paul &Peter at that record store playing.
Great interview!
❤
Oh Yeah, You was always a Playa, Jack - I had your number years ago!
What's the Bob Dylan book Jack mentions?
??
Probably the Anthony Scaduto biography from the seventies.
Chronicles! From 2004.
this film could have been done 20 years ago. We're not told. Check the dates on the comments below. It was very casual. I was afraid he was going to burn his finger. ashtray time!!!
Yes...original is the one...though I DO like the way Debbie Harry makes "affection" sound like "infection"
Willem Dafoe..
Thats the first thing I thought.
Jorge Roca Funny. Now that you mention it, he does resemble him.
Yep lol
I see both Willem Dafoe and John Paul Jones
Does anyone know what documentary this is from?
or where i can find any extended footage of wherever this is from
Beatles Illustrated 1969
Dylan Tarantula 1971
Jack would have been 17 to 19 yo
If that interviewer says "right" on more time, I'm going to punch a hole through my computer.
Write a song about it instead.
Right?
et on peut le joindre ou mister JACK ??,
Probablement pas, bien sur.
check out Peter Case, he's actually the gift of this band
"E flat" - minor.
Seems a lovely guy. Hope he's not too much of a T bird junky.
This really angers me. The link states Jack Lee with versions of Hanging on The Telephone and his version, Blondie's version, plus The Nerves and after the inteview finishes you are suddenly listening to something completely different.
A marketing ploy I think is in bad taste and really isses me off.
This really angers me. The link states Jack Lee with versions of Hanging on The Telephone and his version, Blondie's version, plus The Nerves and after the inteview finishes you are suddenly listening to something completely different.
A marketing ploy I think is in bad taste and really isses me off.
Ann Munday
Appropriate there's a Dylan song playing in the background. "Tangled up in Blue."