What are your memories?

I remember it being an incredible piece of luck because...

I think I was number 40 or something in the chart.

And I'd started off at like about 112 or something.

And it had like gone creeping up.

And Top of the Pops never used to go that low, really, to get a person on.

But because some of the big acts like Duran Duran were busy in America or somewhere like that, they actually went down to number 40.

Hide and See, what do you remember about it all?

that's it and in the the billboard article that that came out this morning um you talk about uh technology of today not comparing to the synth of the 80s so like what um I guess, how do you feel? Did you expect technology to develop better than it has over the past 40 years?

Well, in the field that I'm in, the music thing, it's been pretty impressive the way things have moved forward.

I mean, even with the piano, which is my primary instrument from the age of seven, I was able to do concerts from Hamburg in Germany to pianos all around the world, which is pretty far out technology really, and with video.

And so people were in Steinway showrooms with the piano actually playing what I was playing in Hamburg you know live and just things like that just blow still you know blow me away and then we've got the whole AI um thing that we don't quite know how that's going to play out at the moment but in the past artists have always managed to grab hold of new new technology and make something new with it um I don't think AI's theme is is that is taking stuff from the past and mashing it up and you know not really being original but um but artists will find a way of doing that that I'm very hopeful about that I mean in the process people are being um you know their work is being scraped and you know used to create these ai models and but that's kind of what happens isn't it you know there's people unscrupulous uses of every technology that comes out we just should make sure that artists can still survive because we don't have artists having a unique voice you know that's that's trouble for society so yeah So it's a pivotal moment, really, isn't it?

But earlier this year, you also had a live album.

Yeah.

Yes, that's going right back to the beginning.

We found these old multitracks and is it live at the Marquee you're talking about? Yes.

You would think he would have opened up a buffet, but no, concerts are good.

And raised literally millions and millions of pounds that did save thousands of lives.

And it's still doing that now.

I mean, there's still a legacy of that going on.

So I really wanted to be part of it.

I just did one song, as Sonny said, a song called Hide and Seek at the piano.

It was Freddie Mercury's piano.

So what was it that inspired you?

So I'm so where are you? Are you a Rush fan at all? Is that like Geddes playing? Does that inspire you at

all? I have a connection with Geddy because Rupert Hine produced one of their albums.

And I met Geddy in London for the first time when they were doing a charity event and he'd flown over for it.

And so we just kind of bonded straight away.

I suppose he could hear all that influence in my music.

And that's really come from listening to Yes and Genesis and I used to just love listening to all kinds of music and I was also studying classical music at the same time so you know I think there's a big connection isn't there with those kind of bands and classical music it's the kind of classical music of that era.

I think I've been influenced by every piece of music I've ever heard, but it's very eclectic.

What can you tell me about this little kid, Richard Blade, and his time on the radio?

So I'm so where are you? Are you a Rush fan at all? Is that like he's playing? Does that inspire you at

all? I have a connection with Geddy because Rupert Hine produced one of their albums.

And I met Geddy in London for the first time when they were doing a charity event and he'd flown over for it.

And so we just kind of bonded straight away.

I suppose he could hear all that influence in my music.

And that's really come from listening to Yes and Genesis and I used to just love listening to all kinds of music and I was also studying classical music at the same time so you know I think there's a big connection isn't there with those kind of bands and classical music it's the kind of classical music of I think I've been influenced by every piece of music I've ever heard, but it's very eclectic.

And I hope that I keep doing that, you know, being influenced by all different music.

with

You want to talk about that a little bit?

yeah the story I mean if I go right back to the beginning I was doing a couple of shows in Singapore and Jan and I went for a walk in the local upmarket mall and there happened to be a Steinway showroom there and I had to go in, of course, because I play the piano since I was seven and I have a Steinway at home.

So I walked in and the piano was playing itself in the corner, some amazing music.

And I thought, I didn't know that Steinway had developed this.

And I thought, all these bells went off in my head about what I could do.

If I could program stuff as well as play it, I'm sure I could create some unique pieces for this instrument.

And then it took me months to actually make a connection with Steinway.

Talk about the two different versions of that and how you came to record it with Phil Collins.

Did you see this as the new guard, you and Thomas Dolby, effectively being blessed by the old guard of Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock?

You know what? I didn't feel like that, no.

I was super pleased to be on the same stage as him because I was a huge fan of, especially Stevie, because, you know, I'd listened to his music since I was a teenager.

And also he was such a great exponent of new keyboards and new technology, you know.

And his lyrics and his, you know, very socially aware stance in his lyrics, I loved that.

But, you know, me and Tom, we were doing it the new way, you know.

we were using computers, we were using sequences and, you know, doing shows live like that.

Now, as we close up, any other Toronto or Canadian-based memories that you'd like to share with our listeners?

that's it and in the the billboard article that that came out this morning um you talk about uh technology of today not comparing to the synth of the 80s so like what um I guess, how do you feel? Did you expect technology to develop better than it has over the past 40 years?

Well, in the field that I'm in, the music thing, it's been pretty impressive the way things have moved forward.

I mean, even with the piano, which is my primary instrument from the age of seven, I was able to do concerts from Hamburg in Germany to pianos all around the world, which is pretty far out technology really, and with video.

And so people were in Steinway showrooms with the piano actually playing what I was playing in Hamburg you know live and just things like that just blow still you know blow me away and then we've got the whole AI um thing that we don't quite know how that's going to play out at the moment but in the past artists have always managed to grab hold of new new technology and make something new with it um I don't think AI's theme is is that is taking stuff from the past and mashing it up and you know not really being original but um but artists will find a way of doing that that I'm very hopeful about that I mean in the process people are being um you know their work is being scraped and you know used to create these ai models and but that's kind of what happens isn't it you know there's people unscrupulous uses of every technology that comes out we just should make sure that artists can still survive because we don't have artists having a unique voice you know that's that's trouble for society so yeah So it's a pivotal moment, really, isn't it?

But earlier this year, you also had a live album.

Yeah.

Yes, that's going right back to the beginning.

We found these old multitracks and is it live at the Marquee you're talking about? Yes.

I believe?

... well, I, I, I suppose, uh, y- you know, it, it, it goes back to, um, you know, the Shakyamuni Buddha, you know, 4,000 years ago.

Um, and he, you know, teaching the Lotus Sutra, which was a bit revolutionary really, 'cause it said that everyone, everyone has Buddha, and everyone is a Buddha right now.

You just have to uncover it.

Um, and then, and so the title of the Lotus Sutra is Myoho Renge Kyo, and that's what I chant.

I chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, um, which sort of encompasses the main th- theme of, of that, of that teaching.

So it's k- kind of got a, um, you know, this great heritage, so it's very, very meaningful and, um, and works for me, you know.

in Germany, around the same time that you had your early success.

[laughs]

Well, I've always, I've always been a person to, to try and, you know, roll with, roll with the changes and, and use the best side of things, you know.

Like, you know, you, you remember how people freaked out when samplers came along, and people were sampling bits of records and predicting the complete demise of the music business and all that stuff.

Well, you know, I mean, there were people who were ripping, [laughs] ripping each other off.

But also, sampling was just a wonderful new way of, you know, giving people new sounds and new things and messing with things and, yeah, uh, I mean, so, you know, w- I mean, that, the same thing g- go back even further with synthesizers.

People thought they were just, like, gonna ruin it all as well and stop people being, probably putting musicians out of work and all that stuff.

Well, you know, that didn't happen.

Now, is there an almost didn't happen time? This event, if you hadn't have done whatever you did or didn't do, things might not be the same as they are today?

[laughs]

Well, I've always, I've always been a person to, to try and, you know, roll with, roll with the changes and, and use the best side of things, you know.

Like, you know, you, you remember how people freaked out when samplers came along and people were sampling bits of records and predicting the complete demise of the music business and all that stuff.

Well, you know, I mean, there were people who were ripping, [laughs] ripping each other off.

But also, sampling was just a wonderful new way of, you know, giving people new sounds and new things and messing with things and, yeah.

Uh, I mean, so, you know, w- I mean, that, the same thing g- go back even further with synthesizers.

People thought they were just, like, gonna ruin it all as well and stop people being, probably putting musicians out of work and all that stuff.

Now, is there an almost didn't happen time? This event, if you hadn't have done whatever you did or didn't do, things might not be the same as they are today.

Where you sold fruit and veggies?

Going round to people's houses.

But one night, we were out on- on the- on the- on the road at night, parked, serving a customer, and a drunk driver smashed into the vehicle.And pinned Jan underneath.

Jan was trapped and it was like, oh my god, I mean, it was bad.

It g-

(laughs)

It was like, you know, throw off your mental chains, you know.

It's important to not just dream about stuff but to actually put those dreams, make those dreams real.