THE PANEL

INTERVIEWER: Since leaving his hometown of Queensland a little over a decade ago, our first guest has gone on to be one of the biggest country names in the world. For those that are not familiar with his work, here is but a little taste...

(SHOW FILM CLIPS OF KU WINNING HIS AWARDS, KU AT THE PARAOLYMPICS, AT THE GOODWILL GAMES, "WHERE THE BLACKTOP ENDS" & "WHO WOULDN'T WANNA BE ME" VIDEOS)

INTERVIEWER: Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Keith Urban!

INTERVIEWER: Can I say ever since you played at the Goodwill Games, when Glen, Kate and I saw you, we have been bugging the office and asking is Keith Urban in town this week because we have always wanted you! One thing I have to ask: do you remember gigs? Do you remember the Goodwill Games?

KEITH: Oh yeah! Terrific!

INTERVIEWER: Because it was terrific for the people and I just figured you travel the world. So, you do remember big events like that?

kEITH: Oh yeah, especially back here. It's really significant. It was such a big turn out...and yeah, it was great!

INTERVIEWER: Was it kind of funny to come back to Queensland, where you're so big in Nashville, the U.S.?

KEITH: I love it! It always reminds me of where I come from. I love it!

INTERVIEWER: It grounds you?

KEITH: Yeah, that's right. It grounds me.

INTERVIEWER: When you first left Australia and arrived in Nashville, it took some time to get a break.

KEITH: It did a good good few years. It's a really tough town, especially if you want to do it in your own way. It takes a lot longer.

INTERVIEWER: Was being Australian a help or a hindrance?

KEITH: It wasn't a help. Everyone though I was nuts. I can see why now! I didn't think it would take so long!

INTERVIEWER: I have a burning question. You quite obviously know how to write a hit song. My question is what is it that makes a song a hit? When it comes to songwriting, are you the kind of songwriter that writes lyrics first, then music? Or how does it work for you?

KEITH: Any combination of the above.
Recently, I have written with Rob Thomas
who was on recently too. You just never
know. It comes out in the lyrics or in the
melody and in the most inopportune
places like a shower...something like that.

INTERVIEWER: Do you think you always
know though? Obviously, you must do so
much writing, but every now and then, you
have written something and it just stands
out from the rest?

KEITH: Ah, yeah...and you try not to think
about it when you are writing cause you
can really mess it up.

NOTE: POT OF GOLD is an old talent quest show in Australia from about 20 years ago. The judge was really mean to people. His name was Bernard King.

INTERVIEWER: We were looking at IDOL, a talent quest. Is that right you were on POT OF GOLD when you were young? You're a real Australian! We have it here! (They were pretending that they had the clip.) Do you remember that, Keith?

KEITH: Yeah, ya know I do. Because Bernard King was the judge and I remember I sang a Dolly Parton song and you can imagine that Dolly wasn't one of his favourites. And he said, "Stop trying t sound like Dolly Parton" and he said, "Escape the mediocre. Get out of country and western. Get yoruseld into some real music or you will end up sounding like Dolly Parton and be absolutely useless. 8 (his score)."

INTERVIEWER: That was out of 25, wasn't it?

KEITH: Yeah, out of 25.

INTERVIEWER: Did it set you back for a while or did it spur you on?

KEITH: Ah, I really liked country then and still do, but he was right: I needed to stop singing like Dolly!

INTERVIEWER: Can I ask? Have you got a guitar-shaped pool? That's when you know you have made it in Nashville. I imagine the only pool shop in Nashville has eight versions of guitar-shaped pools. That's when ya know you made it in country and western.

KEITH: Or a pool-shaped acoustic would be good...

INTERVIEWER: Well, you haven't got that then?

KEITH: Nah, I don't have that yet.

INTERVIEWER: Everything I read about you says, you're pretty keen, you're a pretty good guitarist! Is there a sort of cult amongst good guitarists where you judge each other, and who’s the best and who you like, that kind of thing?

KEITH: I don’t know? No. Everyone’s got there own thing. It's always something, like Tommy Emmanuel, I still think he is one of the greatest ever, but he does things that Eddie Van Halen can’t do and vice a versa.

INTERVIEWER: So, they can’t mix their styles then?

KEITH: No, I don’t think so, but it would be good if they tried though.

INTERVIEWER: It would be interesting.

KEITH: Yeah.

INTERVIEWER: Keith, the album Golden Road has some great songs penned by you. Also, one of the daggiest songs ever written in the 70’s.

KEITH: Jeans On? (giggles)

INTERVIEWER: Jeans On by the great Craig Dundas. What inspired that?

(LAUGHING)

KEITH: That’s right, that’s right! That song
just kind of stuck with me and actually my
memory of it was a lot cooler than when I
actually heard it again.

INTERVIEWER: And the opening lyrics
being?

KEITH: Ummmmm, when I wake up in the
morning light!

INTERVIEWER: I put on my jeans and I feel
alright! (All laughing together.) Riveting
stuff! Are the jeans like a metaphor?

KEITH: Like I say, when I recorded it for the record, my memory of it was...what ever it was. And so I went in and recorded it...and recently, I just heard it again. And it sucks! The original sucks!

(All laughing)

INTERVIEWER: What happened to Mr. Dundas, I wonder?

KEITH: I dunno???

INTERVIEWER: Speaking of political controversy, is the Dixie Chicks a big subject amongst country music?

KEITH: Yeah, yeah. Well, because it's such a delicate time in the States to be, you know, speaking your mind, and unfortunately, that’s what Natalie did.

INTERVIEWER: Did she confuse it for a democracy? Or something? (all laughing) Did she think she could actually have her say? You played with the Dixie Chicks, didn’t you?

KEITH: Yeah, I did. I played on one of their records. But, you know, it's pretty much speech goes both ways. That’s the whole thing.

INTERVIEWER: Yeah sure! Is it harder in Nashville? Like if you speak your mind in Nashville, then it is like in New York or L.A. or something?

KEITH: In country in general, yeah. In the south, it’s a little more conservative. And I think that maybe some of her views were taken a little out of context a little bit too…Whipped up a little?

INTERVIEWER: Well, are you going to do a song tonight? From the Golden Road...

KEITH: Yeah, with the Dixie Chicks!

(All laughing)

INTERVIEWER: I thought Blue Jeans would have been a nice one! A nice touch...(All laughing) Keith will, in fact , be touring Australia in October with LeAnn Rimes, I believe? So, that will be a sensational double act if you get a chance to see them.!