RT: No, I don't think so. I think drummers suffer from a misrepresentation of image too often. Traditionally, drummers have been regarded as the stupid ones in rock bands. It's a bit unfair, and because of it, being a drummer is a thankless task sometimes. There's responsibility involved in what I do, but it's nice to broaden ones horizon. These days it's funny, because I think of myself as more of a musician than a drummer.
RS: Why the change?
RT: Well, it's because I've been spending alot of time in control rooms, I suppose. Also, half my job in Queen is drumming; the other half is singing. I started off as a drummer and then all these things like singing and writing sort of followed.
RS: How do you balance your singing and writing with drumming?
RT: Strangely enough, singing and drumming never bothered me, although I know of drummers who do have problems with the two. See, back when I was in school, the singing bit was forced on me one day when the lead singer in the band I was playing with suddenly picked up and left. We had to do the gig and I had to sing. That's basically how I became a vocalist.
RS: Sounds as if it was a very spontaneous thing.
RT: In a way, yes it was. But before that I used to do some backup singing. I found singing and drumming much easier than I expected. Mind you, that was a long time ago. I never had a time problem, so that was a big plus. But physically speaking, it was very exhausting. I mean just playing drums itself is very demanding.
RS: Do you do anything to keep in shape?
RT: I wish I did. I'm thinking of getting a bit of gym equipment to keep at home because I'm getting older. It's definately time to start shaping up.
RS: How did you get involved with writing songs? Did you always write?
RT: No, I didn't. When we first started Queen and I first met Brian [May, Queen's guitarist], I wasn't really good enough on the guitar to write. You can't really write if you just play drums; you need something else, like the guitar. I enjoyed playing the instrument and eventually, I taught myself to write by watching and listening to other people. It wasn't easy at first, and in the beginning, the songs were far from great.
RS: How accomplished are you on guitar?
RT: Well, I really don't know how good I am on guitar. I know I have a good sense of rhythm. I wouldn't say I was accomplished on the instrument, but I'm not bad.
RS: How do you go about composing a song? Is there any personal methodology you use?
RT: These days, I find it much easier to write melodically on keyboards because piano is more geared, I think, for song writing. than any other instrument. The guitar is quite a difficult instrument, actually, when you're trying to compose melodically. You have to have all your chords together, and then you need something on top. With keyboards, you cam write the whole song right there. So what I've been doing is using a sequencer or something, and keyboards to write material.
RS: How many instruments do you play?
RT: Guitar, keyboards and drum. That's it really, although I do a bit of knob twiddling with electronics. I recently got a Simmons sequencer. Sequencers are quite good. I've been using a Simmons mixed in with my regular drumkit for quite some time now. The trouble with doing that is that you've got to treat them; you've got to go through a lot of boxes to make the drums sound good.
RS: You wrote the single off Queen's latest LP, The Works, "Radio Ga Ga." It's quite an interesting song. Where did the idea to write it come from?
RT: I liked the title, and I wrote the lyric afterward. It happened in that order, which is a bit strange. The song is a bit mixed up as far as what I wanted to say. It deals with how important radio used to be, historically speaking, before television, and how important it was to me as a kid. It was the first place I heard rock'n'roll. I used to hear a lot of Dorris Day, but a few times each day, I'd also hear a Bill Haley record or an Elvis Presley song. Today it seems that video, the visual side of rock'n'roll, has become more important than the music itself - too much so, really. I mean, music is supposed to be an experience for the ears more than the eyes.
RS: It's no secret that songwriters and bands are writing songs with videos in mind, more so than actual musical ingredients.
RT: That's right. But it's wrong. Upside down, isn't it? It's really a bit silly, not to mention ironic, because now a days you have to make a big, expensive video to promote your single.
RS: Back to the album for a second. Besides "Radio Ga Ga," did you play a major role in the creation of any other songs?
RT: Well, the members of Queen contribute in one way or another in the arrangement of songs.
RS: In 1981 you released a solo album,"Fun In Space". From a drummer's point of view, what was the solo record experience like for you?
RT: That album was a bit of a rush job, actually. I thought I'd run out of nerve if I didn't move on it quickly. And I did it much too fast. I spent most of last year when we weren't making "The Works", making another solo album. It's in a much different class than the first one. It's a much, much better record.
RS: In what ways? Can you be specific?
RT: Well, for one thing, I took a year making it. I made sure the songs were stronger and simply better. I threw out a lot of songs in the process. I also did two cover versions of other people's songs that I'm quite happy with. I did a version of "Racing In The Street" by Bruce Springsteen. I've always loved that song. I did it kind of mid-tempo. hopefully the way he would have done it, if he would have decided to do it mid-tempo. His version, of course, is very slow. The other cover tune is a very old Dylan protest song which I did sort of electronically. The song is "Masters Of War." Strangely enough, a lot of the lyrics hold up quite well today. This one is done slower than "Racing In The Street," but it's very electronic. I use a Linn on it. It works quite nicely.
RS: What prompted you into solo recording in the first place?
RT: Well, I felt I was getting more creative, and I wanted a bigger outlet for it than Queen gave me. I wanted, I suppose, to be more than just a member of the band.
RS: When you write a song, how do you decide if the song should be a Queen song or one that belongs on a solo album of yours?
RT: It depends on what we're doing at the time. If I get a song on paper and the others like it, it'll go to Queen