AFFAIR OF THE HEART

Keeping Track: With a new album on the way, GH's former wonder from Down Under, Rick Springfield, is in line for some good karma

For Rick Springfield, 1981 was a very good year. The Australian native experienced an exciting phenomenon: He shot to fame simultaneously as a rock star and as GH's resident Casanova, Dr. Noah Drake. "Looking back, I was on during the golden summer of soap," he says. "Everyone was kind of coming out and saying, 'Yeah, I watch soaps.' And Genie [Francis (Laura)] and Tony [Geary (Luke)] were on the cover of Time. I happened to sign on at the right time, I guess."

However, had Springfield heeded the wrong advice, 1981 might have been much less than stellar for him. "When I was first offered the GH gig, it was just after I'd finished Working Class Dog," he recalls. "I was advised by the album's producer not to take the job because he said it would play against my music credibility."

But Marvin Page, GH's then-casting-director, pointed out to the ambitious up-and-comer that his new album might fall off the charts quickly, just as his previous three records had. Furthermore, Page suggested, appearing on GH actually might help boost the album's sales. "As it turned out, being on the soap became a gigantic springboard to notoriety for me, "Springfield marvels. "I started getting recognized from that long before I was for the music, even when the music [which included the hit single "Jessie's Girl"] started getting played heavily!"

Flash forward 18 years, and the actor/rocker again is getting ready to launch a new album. Due out in mid-January, Karma captures today's rock sound while still maintaining the performer's signature vocal style. "It's guitar oriented," explains Springfield, "but it's also acoustic-based with lots of human loops that make up a repetitive rhythm pattern. It's also probably more spiritual than anything I've done."

Named for the title track, the album signifies a coming of age for the artist, who recently was introduced to Buddhism by a friend. "Now, I've finally got a clear understanding of the concept of karma, meaning that you are completely responsible for your actions," he confides. "Having been raised on the forgiveness of guilt kind of thing - which never really rang true with me - understanding the redemptive quality of karma has given me a new direction in my life."

For Springfield, the decision to return his focus to music was a long time in the coming. "Although writing songs is the think I love to do most, I took a lot of time off when my children [Liam, now 13, and Josh, now 9] were born in order to be with them," he says. "I basically started acting because it was a way to be at home and still work. And although I enjoy it, I'll admit I've done some things in my career that I wouldn't have done if it had been music. Basically, acting has kind of supported my music jones."

PAGING DR. DRAKE
Of course, the acting job that started it all for Springfield was playing the wily Dr. Noah Drake, whose attention, not to mention bedside manner, was sought by both young Bobbie Spencer and former B-movie actress Tiffany Hill. "If Noah was my doctor, I would have kicked him out long ago," laughs Springfield. "He was too busy trying to make out with women! He was a nice guy, I guess, but basically, I just played a more confident version of me."

The actor left GH after a year and a half (during which he won a Grammy Award), and went on to film such movies as Hard to Hold, Dead Reckoning, Silent Motive, and Nick Knight. Returning to his television roots, he found limited success in the short-lived 1992 series THE HUMAN TARGET, which was based on a comic book hero, and more recently in the popular show HIGH TIDE, which was syndicated nationwide, from 1995 to 1997.

Last spring, Legion, an independent film in which Springfield starred with Parker Stevenson and Troy Donahue, aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. "I played a guy that morphed into a monster!" he chuckles. "It was very strange, but interesting."

And on Sunday, January 17, Springfield will be the subject of at VH-1 BEHIND THE MUSIC documentary. "There's a lot of live footage and history in it," he explains, "including videos, live performances, and interviews with a lot of people from my past," (A VH-1 rep has hinted that even Gloria Monty, GH's former executive producer, has a few words to say.)

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Still, the veteran performer knows that the success of his new album depends on the fans, so for the first time in more than a decade, he's currently on a world-wide tour. Getting back out there "has been really great - it's like riding a bicycle, especially for someone like me who's been doing it as long as I have. I started touring when I was 17!" he acknowledges. "Of course, I was a little nervous when I first stepped out on a stage, because I wasn't sure what it would be like. My live shows have always been give-and-take with the audience. But the nerves went away when I saw that the energy for my music is still there."

Surprisingly, Springfield even considered returning to GH in the hope that it again would provide a springboard for his music career, he says. "GH and I approached it a couple of times. I was really interested a little while ago because the record is coming out, and I thought I could get some visibility. Unfortunately, it just didn't work out."

But, since GH isn't Springfield's only soap connection, don't count him out of the daytime lineup just yet. "I met Doug Davidson (Paul, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) in an acting class when I was 26 and he was 19. He's been my dearest friend ever since, so it would be a lot of fun to work with him on another show."

But wherever Springfield ends up, even with 12 albums, five Grammy nominations, 17 top-20 singles, and thousands of nostalgic GH fans behind him, one thing's certain: Success hasn't spoiled him yet!