Uit Interview met Tom Hooker
Zeljko: Tom, I have information that came from a famous Italian female singer. I don't know if it is true or just a rumor, but I've heard that Den Harrow actually doesn't exist as singer. Den Harrow is... you! Could you please tell me what is true?
Tom Hooker: Saying that Den Harrow doesn't exist as a singer is incorrect. He was very popular amongst the very young girls, ages 12 to 15. Den Harrow became a brand name like Coca-Cola. This was music business. There was a small problem, however. He couldn't sing. So the solution was to never let him sing, or to put his voice so low in the mix that it was non existent. He started as an image. He would work on his costumes and clothes and someone else would sing on the records. The truth is, vision is a more developed sense in humans than hearing. People tend to buy and listen what they like to see. I have never officially told this to anyone but this is the exact truth in chronological order:
"Future Brain" 12"
"Don't Break My Heart"
"To meet me" and a "Taste of love" was Chuck Rolando's voice. He had a contract with Durium record label and had to stop. Then came Silvio Pozzolli from "Dream". He sang "Mad Desire" the single's version. Although a very talented singer, his English wasn't very good. I remember in "Mad Desire". He sang "Ear I Ham" instead of "Here I am". Freddy bought my contract from Merak at the time and bought the whole Den Harrow project with his money, and I sang "Future Brain". I don't think Den (his real name is Stefano Zandri) ever came to the studio. "Future Brain" was a huge hit in 1985. We had to do the album. I re-sang "Mad Desire" for the album. It wasn't any better than Silvio's but we wanted some continuity. It couldn't go from fluent English to an Italian accent. Too many people in Germany and Scandinavia can speak English. Then came "Bad Boy" and all the rest of the hits.
After two albums of good hits, and making money, I wanted "Don't break my heart" to be a Tom Hooker's song because I felt close to it. I also felt, Freddy was not pushing me because of the money machine of Den Harrow in Germany and France. We got another singer from England who had a much higher voice than mine. I can't remember his name. I still co-wrote the songs. The Album was "Lies". I think, this was the end of Den Harrow's run. It was not at all what it used to be. Maybe it was the songs, maybe it was the different voice. Who really knows...
After Den Harrow left Baby Records, the records sales were small numbers. I think he sang on "Ocean". He continues to make records that don't really sell to do his live shows because it's easy money. Basically, he still has a name. He is human, he wants a nice car and all that stuff. It's a shame he can't really sing, because he makes a good star.
Everybody wants to make money. When I had the success with "Looking for Love", my old record company Full Time, released an unauthorized album with demos and tried to pass it as the new Tom Hooker album. This album was called "Only One".
This really ruined my career at that time. The distributors who bought it after the success of "Looking for love" were taken aback with this crappy album that came out way before "Bad Reputation". FullTime management sold crap but it was easy money and it ruined it for the real one, of course. But hey, you see it as music Zeljko. As a professional, I saw it as a business.
) liggen. Hmmm, zal mijn platen maar weer eens tevoorschijn halen. Toch vond ik future brain best wel een goed nummer.
nog niet verder mee bezig geweest.. Heb wel de complimenten gekregen van Ben Liebrand!
