Memories of Rory

Mutsumi Mae, former chair of the Rory Gallagher Fan Club, was perhaps one of the closest Japanese people to Rory. Ms. Mae served as chair of the fan club and later became an interpreter/translator.

We asked her, from a fan’s perspective, what is Rory’s charm and to speak a little about her friendship with Rory. Given the recent regrowth in interest, she wondered if the era of Rory has come again… We also asked her about her work as an interpreter and taking over as the president. With a laugh, she thanked us and agreed to answer.

Thank you. First of all, can you tell us when you started listening to Rory’s music? What other music did you like?

Originally, I liked the UK. The first band I was crazy about was Led Zeppelin and then, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. So, I was really listening to ordinary pop or normal pop before. But then Zeppelin debuted and then they came to Japan for the first time and I really liked them, particularly Jimmy Page. Also Jeff Beck or British bands like Traffic and Cream. I followed Clapton, listened to him. And then I got into American music. I really liked Chicago or Grand Funk Railroad. Then around that time, Rory Gallagher’s Live in Europe came out. I thought it was fantastic… When I first listened to Live in Europe, it really struck me. I thought it was amazing. I had listened to Rory Gallagher’s previous album Deuce as well.

At that time, Rory had so many fans. Were they mainly enthusiastic women?

No, some were girls. That’s it [smiles]. Just like with the Partridge Family or the Monkees (laughs). I was listening to that sort of Western music as well. Lots of people were, but with Zeppelin or Beck, I think very few of us in Japan listened to them. I felt like I was alone at school. The people around me were saying, ‘Listen to this. Listen to Rory’s album. Something like that’ (laughs). And it was good.

What is the connection with the fan club and Led Zeppelin?

I created the first Led Zeppelin fan club in Japan. In those days, it was hard to get hold of information. In terms of magazines, there was Music Life and Music Scene. Music Life took a month to get to Japan. I read it from corner to corner, but Zeppelin were my favourite band and it was hard to get information on them. So, I decided to make a fan club. Using Western style calligraphy, going to buy foreign magazines, they were on sell just once a week and only one copy was available. So, because it was first come, first served, I would leave school and get there as soon as I could on the release day. I would look for it and buy it (laughs) Melody Maker magazine. Anyway, Western style calligraphy, go quickly, buy it and translate it, myself. I was doing that.

So, then the fan club meeting… there was an interaction between the members and even ourselves. I felt like I wanted to create a fan club of my favourite band. I went to the record company. But there was only one official fan club. It was the same with Rory Gallagher at that time. So, I said, ‘If anyone quits the fan club, please give it to me when it comes to it.’ I was hoping. I liked Rory Gallagher. Fan clubs were trendy, so I happened to accept it. ‘I would like to do it, so please come.’ And I was asked to do it (laughs)

How long ago was that?

When I looked it up, that was 77.

I want to ask about the story in chronological order, but first, let’s talk about Led Zeppelin’s visit to Japan. They came in both 71 and 72, didn’t they?

Yes, I watched them. I’m old! (laughs).

It was after the second visit to Japan, so I think it was 73 or 74. It was a far more relaxed time back then and the artist was more involved with such things. So, I agreed to do Rory’s fan club. That was in 77. But before that, in 74 and 75, Rory came to Japan.

Did you go to see him at that time?

I went, I went.

Do you have any memories of him coming to Japan in 74?

As I had listened to his live album before, when I saw him, it was like a video. Naturally, it wasn’t, so the first time I saw him moving when I watched, it was shocking. Very hard live! It’s strange to say… I mean, there was a great momentum. When it started, he ran out onto the stage. Suddenly, he played greatly. With much enthusiasm and heat. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. Watching for the first time, it was amazing.

Was there a big difference between listening and watching?

Yes, the impact when I watched, it is true. It was amazing. By the way, that was his first visit to Japan. The concert hall performance (23^rd January 1974). As I said, Rory rushed out and rock and roll!

And how about the fan club? Did you work on it?

I went to the record company, got a photo or a foreign book article, translated and put it out with the fan club. I put letters from members… create the feeling of the artist. Collect as much as you can and do it. I put details in a newsletter about Rory Gallagher, a little information, ask some people to write articles. That was it. Rory Gallagher and also [Yukihiro] Takahashi who was in Player at the time. My husband is a great fan, so I had him write as well. Also Yoshihiro Hoshina I have written it. Catch various people like that. Help write articles on Rory Gallagher. That was it (laughs)

Mr Hoshina, for sure. I saw in 1973.

That’s right. Such information. It was noisy, so somewhere, even if you ask me the phone number etc, relax, call directly and ask (smiles) My friend ran a Johnny Winter fan club. In the early stages, she helped me as chairman of the fan club. In the case of Funk Railroad, I was also helping out, so there was a horizontal connection between the fan clubs. There was a flow. And that kind of… by the way, I’m a writer. Masanori Ito, who was still a college student at the time, got on board too. Also, I know Mr Toshiyajima.

There’s an article by Mr Toshiyajima about Rory Gallagher in a separate volume of Player.

Yes, an article when he went to Gallagher’s home. He came out to his mother’s home in Ireland. To the person. So I call Player, with Mr Toshiyajima who went there. ‘Tell me the phone number’ (laugh) At that time, Mr Yajima came to London and he got Donal’s number and passed it onto me.  I wanted to set up the fan club. So, after calling him, he said, ‘My brother is back in Japan at the end of the year. He is back in Japan so at that time I’ll contact you if you do.’ I also met Mr Yajima at the end of the year. At that time for the newsletter of the fan club. The negatives he took, I put them in the newsletter. Rory with his guitar at his mother’s house.

The newsletter of the fan club has this image, a girly manga-style illustration.

Yes, after a member asked, I drew this illustration. There were many people who drew illustrations for the fan club. Me as chairperson drew various ones. That’s it. And she actually became a manga artist [smiles] Many people draw such pictures. So instead of having a photo, we had a picture…

So, the magazine was a bit like a girl comic. But it wasn’t. It was mainly about music. The next generation of our generation… Cheap Trick fans are like that. But our generation was harder. There were many articles about music, but with titles like ‘Woman Note’ or ‘Woman is Rock.’ I was silly, so I joined, rebelled, but I was listening to the music. It’s just a face. It was [laughs]

That said, when he was young, Rory was cool.

That’s right. He was cute. He was similar to Jimmy Page. Long ago, looking at the photos of that time, there is a photo of Jimmy Page and they’re similar.

So, in 77, you became chairperson and Rory performed in Japan in October. I can imagine that the fanclub was very excited about the visit.

Yes, Rory was already quite popular at that time. It was his third visit to Japan. I was excited about it. It was really exciting. I went to the hotel where he was staying to have tea. Then Rory’s tour manager, his brother, came and said, ‘Let me know if there’s anything I can do. He gave me a lot of help. And the people of the record company. An itinerary, which dates, which hotels. When they were going on the bullet train. Everything was written in the newsletter (laughs).

So, now that I decided to start doing a newsletter, I needed a name. When I asked, Rory said, ‘What if you call it Deuce? With the Rory fan clubs in other countries, the newsletter was also called Deuce. So, we also give the newsletter the title Deuce and that title on the cover was written in Rory’s handwriting. Handwritten by Rory. That’s when I met Rory for the first time.

Are you sure?

When he first came to Japan… (laughs) It was very lax at that time so when he first came on tour, we called the hotel and asked, ‘Is Rory Gallagher staying here?’ and they would tell you (laughs). So, we called New Japan and found that Rory was staying there, so I went to school and then after I took a friend with me to drink tea at the New Japan. We saw Rory at a nearby table. He was there, so I watched him at this table. My friend and I sat together and drank tea for about an hour. That’s it. We said, Konnichiwa.’ Rory left shortly after, but we were very excited. So, yeah, we had tea for a while. I often went to that hotel to have tea and watch musicians. I was impressed that it was like that and I liked it more and more (laugh). After that, of course, Rory was on his next visit to Japan, this was the third time, and I was at the hotel. I’m drinking tea and he pays for the tea! When I try to go out and pay, I’m told, ‘I’m sorry, the foreigner paid for it already’ (laughs).

I heard that he did the same thing for Young Guitar too. The staff said so at the New Japan bar. The same is true when I interviewed Rory. It seems to have been what he did.

That’s right.

So when you had tea, what kind of person was Rory?

I felt like a fan. I told him I liked Live in Europe. I remember. And I mentioned Johnny Winter. What did I ask? I think I named musicians and asked if he liked them.

And did he?

I think so.

What kind of people did you name?

Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Clapton. He didn’t say, ‘Everyone is amazing.’ I was just a high school student at that time, so I didn’t talk too much.

So, that was when he came to Japan in 77. He was very popular in Japan. However, my impression is in the first half of the 80s, Rory was still a cool guitarist, but it was all about image.

So, around that time, there was a dip in Rory’s popularity. Did you think so?

That’s right. Yes, in the 80s, I think he was still popular, but he didn’t come back to Japan at all until the 90s. So, when he didn’t visit, he was forgotten about a little. And on the contrary, more and more people started coming to Japan, so everyone forget about Rory.

He also didn’t release as many records then and when an album doesn’t come out much, that’s another matter too.

That’s right. For some reason, he made less and less albums, and was no longer as popular. I think that was the case.

In the 80s, he did plan to come to Japan several times, but it never happened (Rory was supposed to come to Japan in 1980 and 1988, but he cancelled due to his fear of flying)

That’s right. He said he would come. He had a plan to actually come, but wasn’t keen on the plane. When I went to London, I went to Rory’s office to see his brother (Donal) who was always Rory’s manager. When I heard from him, he said that Rory was struggling with flying and that it was a very long flight to Japan and he didn’t want to do it. Perhaps that was the biggest reason. In 1988, even when I went to the office, Rory’s office, the rehearsal room was in the same building, so I came and met him. At that time, I was with Virgin Records and the airline Virgin Atlantic had just been set up. I said, “I’m with Virgin now. Virgin Atlantic. You could come to Japan first class, is that okay?’ ‘I’m sorry, I can’t.’

But still, he came to Japan in 1991. At that time, his live show was really good, but he was fat and his body, it didn’t seem to be in good shape…

Exactly. You are right. I’ve heard a lot about this from many people. I’ve been told that because of his habit of drinking too much alcohol and becoming almost an alcoholic [sic], the condition of his liver got worse as a result, according to his younger brother. You know the paint on Rory’s Strat is torn and peeling off, isn’t it? That’s because his sweat contained loads of potassium or something and it dissolved the paint. I heard that his immune system was so strong, and because of his genetic makeup, it somehow damaged his liver. Therefore, he started taking medication and, as a side effect of those drugs, his face became swollen, and he experienced weight gain. That’s why he looked that way. Hence, his body had been in a poor condition for a long period of time. When I met Rory in the 80s, he didn’t seem very well. So, whenever I met his brother, I remember I always asked, ‘How is Rory?’ He had come (to Japan) in 1991 though, but obviously he wasn’t in great condition back then.

Did you meet him when he came to Japan in 1991?

I met him. By that time, I knew his brother quite well and we went to this hotel where everybody goes to eat rice. Rory was playing at the Club Citta Kawasaki and his brother said, ‘Get on the bus and come to the hotel with us.’ So, I got on. We got on tremendously well. Donal is a good person (laughs)

Ireland is not part of mainland UK, is it?

No. And I feel like Irish people are like Japanese people. Or rather, the depth and warmth of their character. I have the impression that there are many like that.

I have often heard this story from his brother Donal, so I would like to ask. In 1975, Rory was asked to join the Rolling Stones, but he refused and came to Japan.

That’s right. Rory was in Rotterdam before coming to Japan. He was called for an audition with the Rolling Stones. Ian Stewart called Donal first. (note: the Stones called him the sixth member). The phone rings and it’s Ian Stewart. He thinks it’s a joke, so he hangs up (laughs)

Then he called again. ‘I really am Ian Stewart.’ It’s actually him. The Stones are looking for a guitarist. Can Rory come? When? So, he went to the rehearsal, but he was waiting and waiting for Keith. He didn’t wake up. He had to get to Japan for the tour, so Rory left a note and came to Japan.

I see. So, if there was no tour in Japan, Rory might have joined the Rolling Stones. Anyway, you’ve said a bit about it, but what kind of things did Rory talk about?

I could speak better English by his next visit. Before, I couldn’t say too much. However, one thing I remember is that he really liked movies. Particularly Akira Kurosawa. He really liked Japanese movies and Japanese culture and Japanese history. He liked learning about Japan.

Speaking of movies, I think the movie 007 Dies Twice (original title You Only Live Twice, released in 1967 released) was set in Japan. The James Bond’s theme song? Yes, he sometimes played it, right?

I saw that in the UK one time. He started playing that song. He was really interested in spies like 007. There is a song, Philby, which is about a famous spy.

(Kim) Philby, a double agent for the Soviet Union. He’s a spy.

That’s right

Also, Continental Op, it’s a spy number.

That’s right. So, I also wanted to talk more about that, but I couldn’t at the time.

Then the blues started to become popular again.

Yes, in the 1990s. Clapton brings out an album. I wondered if Rory’s time had come again.

Around the 90s, Virgin Records focused on blues. John Lee Hooker and Buddy Guy came back. Then in such a place, Rory could have come again.

Yes, if he was alive, I really thought so… I really wanted to do interpreting for Rory Gallagher (laughs). After that last visit to Japan, I hoped so, but I was never contacted.

If you went to London, did you see Donal?

I saw him, but I didn’t meet Rory.

So, how did you find out that he had died?

At that time, someone… no, certainly it was in the newspaper. It was in the Asahi Shimbun. So, I called the bassist Gerry McAvoy. I didn’t want to bother Donal, so I called Gerry. But at that time, it was a complicated situation… I remember him saying, ‘I’m going to Ireland now.’

Considering all of Rory’s works, what is your favourite?

My favourite live album is still Live in Europe and next is Irish Tour 74. I think you know that it was a difficult time in Ireland there and Rory went back every Christmas to perform. He brought a lot of happiness to the young people. Made them very cheerful. By the way, U2’s Edge was also there. When I listen to Irish Tour 74, I think it has a deeper meaning. There is a great version of Tattoo’d Lady.

For studio albums, Tattoo, which also included Tattoo’d Lady. Otherwise, Blueprint. I like the formation at that time. When the keyboard was included. And although it’s a different line up, Deuce is also amazing. I think it’s a good album.

I prefer the Polydor era…

That’s right. Personally, I prefer the Polydor albums from that era.

Finally, former fan club chairperson, as a modern music fan, what music do you listen to?

It’s still Rory.

Why?

It may be that he’s part of my youth, but Rory Gallagher is a very good guitarist. I still listen to him. He is really buzzing when he plays. The improvisation, the blues, the Irish touch. He is a great guitarist, but he also plays the mandolin, harmonica, acoustic, electric. He’s a good songwriter and has a real variety of good songs. There are so many. And before every one he says, ‘I hope you like it.’

You know, live videos have come out. You can really see his raw energy. Even if you haven’t seen him live, you can really get a sense of his stage presence by watching them…

He was sincere, remained single his whole lifetime. He was a person who was married to his music and he was happy that way.

Anyway, I’m always talking about music, wherever I go and whoever I meet.