Tim Rice Interview – Q&A with Country & Town House
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Award-winning lyricist and producer Tim Rice loves cricket but don’t get him started on wind turbines…
Childhood ambition? To swim The Channel. Swimming was the only thing I was ever good at.
Your creative inspirations? A good story is key. You can get away with a great story and a bad score, but it won’t work the other way around.
Advice to aspiring lyricists? Try to create something funny and uplifting. Nobody wants to hear doom and gloom from somebody new. And no one really listens to demo tapes. You need to put on a live performance, however humble the venue.
Proudest moment? Holding the LP album of Joseph in our hands for the first time.
Favourite musical? It varies a lot. Joseph will go on for longest. Evita is probably the most professional show we’ve done. But there are things you like and things you don’t in all of them.
Favourite songs? Elaborate Lives from Aida and Circle of Life from The Lion King are pretty good.
What makes your heart sing? Waking up and having nothing to do that day. Playing and watching cricket.
What makes you angry? Wind turbines: they’re verging on evil. They’re dishonestly promoted, they don’t do much good and they wreck the landscape. And being told not to smoke all the time. Everybody knows you’re not allowed to smoke on public transport. They might as well tell you not to murder the person sitting opposite you.
Best thing about Britain? The English language and the weather, on the whole.
Home sweet home It’s a nice old house in London, which has a bit of a mish mash of styles.
Life’s motto? Make new friends but stick to old, one is silver the other gold.
In another life you would be… A vicar in a quiet parish somewhere. That appeals.
How do you relax? I enjoy going to Lord’s for the day and I once walked the length of Britain, which took quite a bit of time. I also love reading, staring into space and walking the dog.
Where are you next going on holiday? Cornwall, I have a house on the Lizard Peninsula.
Favourite character? Eva Peron.
Ultimate extravagance? I’ll always travel first class if I can, particularly flying.
Watch out for: Tim has written new material for the 2017 Beauty and the Beast film starring Emma Watson.
Tim Rice’s Little Luxuries
Smythson stationery – I still use a paper diary
I just bought a pair of Perrin sunglasses
A stay at the Goring Hotel.
The Short List
City Sydney
Shop Any good bookshop
Accessory A watch my father bought in Egypt in 1942 – it still works
Shoes Teddy boy winklepickers
Moisturiser Couldn’t name one. What is it?
Comfort food Bacon sandwich
Gadget I loathe most gadgets, so a pencil and paper
Car 1934 Austin Ten
Colour Royal blue
Magazine / newspaper? The Spectator
Book Dan Jones’ The Plantagenets
DVD The Lives of Others
Painting Holbein’s Sir Thomas Moore
Gallery The Frick Museum, NY
Museum The museum at Lords
Scent I’ve got a David Beckham shower gel, it’s quite a nice smell really
View Helford River, Cornwall
