I Still Believe: The Tim Cappello Interview

The night of August 17, Record Archive was truly alive. Tim Cappello rocked the stage where over 100 people gathered to witness in the back lounge of Record Archive. Record Archive has a handful of regulars that come in every Wednesday night to let loose and unwind with truly great music. These regulars were met with a gathering of humble fans of Tim Cappello. From start to finish the crowd was loving it. Behind the bar, myself and my fellow co-workers were having a ball. This night hardly felt like work at all. The staff alongside the crowd were rocking all night as if we were hypnotized by Tim’s stage presence and his mastery of the saxophone. We were induced in this sort of Dionysion drunkenness, where the true meaning and intent of Record Archive was put on a display.

Tim Cappello for those who don’t know is a professional saxophone player who has toured with the likes of Tina Turner, Peter Gabriel, Ringo Starr, and others. Most notably, Tim is remembered for his musical performance for the 1987 movie The Lost Boys. Standing over 6 feet tall, Tim is full of muscle and is usually oiled up for his performances. This was inherently true for his performance at Record Archive.

Before the performance I had the honor of interviewing Tim. Where we truly “walked and talked” as Tim put it. Below are the questions and answers from the interview:
You have toured with Tina Turner, and produced the soundtrack of the 1987 hit movie The Lost Boys. What would you say was the defining moment or the highlight of your career? To my surprise, Tim revealed that his favorite part of his impressive career is now. In an honest answer, Tim is happy touring for himself, as he humbly said “I am no one’s second banana.” Tim mentioned that his shows are selling out, and this solo tour is not a hindrance financially by any means. The packed houses make him “happy as a damn clam.” Tim is
impressed and delighted that after 35 years of the initial release of The Lost Boys, he is able to perform his hit song “I Still Believe.” Which is the track he performed during the filming of the movie. Tim says that he is going to be performing for audiences until he “hits a high g, and has an aneurysm right on the stage.” From the first question I could tell that this is a man that is simply just doing what he loves.

Your album that was released in 2018 (Blood On The Reed) has influences of Chuck Berry and other greats. Did they help you directly to cultivate the album or was it more of an ode to the legends of rock and roll?

Tim shared with me that the cultivation of his album Blood On The Reed was for certain an ode to his favorite musicians of Rock and Roll, but it was produced in a way that gave Tim the ability to make the album his own. Tim says the music from the greats, as mentioned above, “it’s music that is so deeply ingrained in me” which helped Tim find ease in the production of his
album. Tim expressed his ability to make existing music into his own style. For example,Tim says that he was able to make Bob Dylan’s music his own by “turning it into a heavy metal Jamaican dance hall.” Or by taking “I put a spell on you” from a ballad and “turning it into a heavy sort of 80’s dance song.” Tim mentions that he has always wanted to make this kind of
music in his own way, but couldn’t because of his time touring with other musicians and artists. Blood On The Reed released in 2018, but Tim was unable to tour because of the pandemic brought on by COVID-19.

I’ve sold countless tickets for your performance here at Record Archive. The public seems to be very excited that you are performing. What are you looking forward to during your concert Wednesday night? Also are there any more concerts that are coming up that you would like to acknowledge?

Tim makes it clear that after his performance at Record Archive, he has ten more weeks of his tour. In total Tim’s tour is thirteen weeks long. In an enthusiastic response to the second part of my question ,Tim states that “ my thing is just to see those smiles, that’s just it, to see those smiles, see people laughing, see people dancing.” Tim goes on to elaborate that after the show he receives a rush of euphoria that “knocks you back a little.” Tim recognizes that this tour and the feelings he receives from finally touring his solo album “is absolutely the most fun I have ever had.”

Just three questions regarding his performance at Record Archive, his career while touring with music greats, and information on his solo album, have led me to believe that Tim Cappello is a very humble individual with clear intentions to make people smile and have a good time. I was able to take in and learn a lot from Tim and his experiences as being a professional musician.

I would like to thank Tim Cappello for taking the time right before his performance to talk with me as well as putting on a great show. Everyone enjoyed it, and being able to witness a unifying enjoyment with everyone that night was truly a moment I hope to never forget.
Thank you to my boss at Record Archive, Alayna Alderman, for setting up the interview. Thank you to my co-workers at Record Archive for welcoming me aboard with open arms and showing the utmost patience in making me feel comfortable. Last but certainly not the least, thank you to the supporters of Record Archive. All my joys in working at Record Archive would not be possible without the kind customers who come in everyday.

Brandon Sweet Record Archive
08/24/2022

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