It is published by ABC books. Anni has also created an "on-line companion" to the book, with background information, excerpts and some short "sound bites" as teasers to the full interviews. Although the book was "officially" launched in Adelaide during Adelaide Writers Week festival, in March, Anni has decided to hold a local event, to benefit the CTC@Robertson. This local launch will take place on Thursday 10 April, starting at 5:30pm.Anni has sifted through hundreds of interviews on ABC Radio National's "The Music Show" (which has been hosted by her husband Andrew Ford since 1995). She has then transcribed the "best bits" - perhaps the funniest, perhaps the most poignant, and hopefully the most perspicacious insights which Andy's subtle interviewing style has prompted from the guests.
Seemingly Anni's favourite interview is with Nick Hornby, for her transcription of that interview has been selected as a sample interview, to be accessible via her website, here.
There are extended transcripts from interviews with 45 famous musicians, and small extracts, often the "pithy one liners" which add charm to an interview, or to a book, from a further 125 other, equally famous musicians. No doubt the choice of which interviews to feature was a subject of much anguish on Anni's part, but the selection of interviews is clearly her own, none-the-less. As Andy comments in his foreword, Anni was able to make dispassionate choices in selecting the interviews to feature in the book, but yet sufficiently close to the source to be able to seek an interpretation of any arcane comments or mumbled responses which might have puzzled her, while listening to over 1000 hours of tapes.There will be a local launch of the book at the CTC@Robertson this coming Thursday evening, and copies of the book will be available from the CTC for a special price, and sales from there will result in a donation to the CTC.
I confess a slight disappointment in that there is not an extended interview with Kinky Friedman in the book. As regular readers know I am not a musician, nor even much of an appreciator of music, but I did go and see Kinky Friedman in person at Tilley's Cafe in Canberra several years ago. I am fascinated by his character - so full of contrasts. After all, anybody whose trademark is as a Texas red-neck Jewish Cowboy, and is a novelist as well as a musician, has at least got complexity in his favour. But above all this book is about Music, as is the show from which it derives, and I suspect that Kinky is more well-known to the likes of me for his personality than for his insights into music. But his name adds character to the title.
"Talking to Kinky and Karlheinz" (the book) consists of 45 long interviews (in bold) and short extracts from 125 other interviews, and the list is available via the web, on Anni's webpage here, as part of the "On-line Companion for Talking to Kinky and Karlheinz". So you can scan the range of interviewees, prior to purchasing the book.
Better still, go along to the Robertson CTC this coming Thursday evening. You will be able to talk to Anni about the book, or to Andy about the program, and get yourself an autographed copy of the book (and help the CTC at the same time). The evening will start at 5:30pm, Andy will say a few words about The Music Show from 6:00pm, and then, with "formalities" (very informal, no doubt) completed, people can relax and enjoy the evening, which will then transform into the CTC's regular (every second) Thursday "Music Night" from 7:00pm onwards.
No doubt a good evening will be had, and it is special because it is our own local talent which will be on show - through Anni's book, through hearing Andy talking about the legendary Music Show on ABC Radio National, and with the home-grown live music to follow.
Do come along and show your support, and make the event even more local, and more satisfying to all concerned.
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