LIVING ON THE BRINK
RICK SPRINGFIELD
HAS IT ALL

By Carol Tormey
March 16, 1982

It's all happening for actor/musician Rick Springfield. With two careers booming, this appears to be a turning point in Rick's life. His recognition as a musician has reached a new high with his latest album, Working Class Dog going platinum, while his portrayal of Dr. Noah Drake on daytime TV's top show, "General Hospital" continues to generate incredible excitement among viewers.

For too many years, Rick had to struggle against his teen idol image as portrayed by the media. The publicity machinery behind Rick's career, as often happens, was locked into their idea of a promotable concept for selling records. What was the trade-off, I wondered, thinking there must have been some personal commitment, a viable belief in his growth as a musician, that kept Rick going. I found out during the interview that it was Rick's involvement in acting and his continuing belief in himself and his music that kept him from chucking it all and returning to his native Australia.

Relaxed and informal during our interview, I noticed that Rick and Noah Drake have a few things in common: A straightforward persona, disarming manner, great sense of humor - just for starters. Rick may be somewhat more impulsive than Noah, but his career seems to have been pretty much a series of very deliberate moves. Living on the brink of one success after another may be unsettling - but it would seem that's the way things should go. Rick explains:

Q. Are you in New York primarily to do the WNEW Christmas show and the concert in Westbury (Long Island) next week?
A. No, I had some promotional projects to take care of and will be flying back to California. With all these flights back and forth (sometimes ten times a week), I'm getting to know more stewardesses...

Q. There have been some rumors about movie offers. What about them?
A. Yes, there are some offers that are being talked about.

Q. Since you've been in New York, have you been able to walk around without being recognized? Do you get hassled?
A. No...I've been walking around, and so far, it hasn't been a problem.

Q. You were just voted top male vocalist in the singles category by Cashbox, and your new album, Working Class Dog has just gone platinum. As you're now working on a new album, do you feel you have to top what you've done previously?
A. We've just finished the album which will be released in February. Yes, you always feel the need to top what you've done, but that's just a natural growth that happens as an outcome of your work - a progression from what you've done previously.

Q. Is it sometimes a conflict, or does it involve too much juggling to keep up your music and tape for "General Hospital," too?
A. No, actually. When I tape, it's for an entire day, two or three days a week and then they are very good about giving me time off when I have dates with the band.

Q. Do you ever watch yourself on "General Hospital"? What do you think when you do? Are you critical of yourself?
A. Never. Well, actually I did watch one of the first episodes I ever did. And I thought…terrible. So, I never watch. I'm super critical of myself.

Q. Do you write most of your own material - the songs on your new album.?
A. Yes, most of them. Nine out of the twelve songs on the new album were written by me.

Q. Noah Drake is a very laid back character. How does he react when he finds out about Bobbie's past as a hooker? Does he have a strong reaction?
A. No, he handles it very well. It's always been, you do your things, I'll do mine. He's always been up front with her. He's not ready to make a commitment that he can't keep, so he's very understanding about Bobbie's past. Noah's not ready for marriage, so he doesn't make demands.

Q. Have you seen the scripts yet for the episodes of "General Hospital" after Jackie Zeman leaves the show? Do you have any idea who your new love interest will be - Anne (Susan Pratt) or Stacy (Robin Eisenman)?
A. Not yet. I know there are some new people they are bringing in, so it may be one of them. I'm not sure what they're planning at this point.

Q. Music is an emotional, gut-level expression, whereas acting is more cerebral. Does your work in either help your growth in the other?
A. Yes, I've learned a lot about discipline through acting. Writing music involves a lot of discipline. Performing though, is sometimes straight our expression. Sometimes it happens for you - on stage performing, or in a scene while you're acting with someone else. Acting has given me a greater sense of security also.

Q. Do you have your own method when working on scripts for "General Hospital"?
A. I usually block out (the actions) first, and then go over the lines until I know them, on the same day as the shooting.

Q. Do you go pretty much with the dialogue you're given or is there some improvising?
A. There is room for some improvising - yes.

Q. Do you play Rick Springfield playing Noah Drake or do you play the character Noah Drake?
A. I do play myself doing things as Noah would do them, but there are a lot of things Noah does that I would never do. For instance, Noah is not at all possessive or jealous. I'm very different and can be very jealous.

Q. Have you enjoyed being a teen idol?
A. Have I enjoyed being a teen idol - yes...but sometimes after a show, the girls will be waiting - it's not so much the teenagers you have to worry about, but the older girls who manage to grab onto your neck or pull your hair.

Q. The new bands that are coming out of Australia now - do you feel an affinity toward them because of having the same roots? Are they new-wave oriented?
A. They're doing some great things. I heard some great music when I was there. They seem to be doing mostly pop.

Q. You were thirteen when you got your first guitar. Did you immediately become obsessed with playing?
A. Yes. I'd played piano. I started playing all Beatles' songs. I even tried to electrify this five-dollar guitar I had, by sawing it in half, because it was too thick. It was very frustrating when I'd finished putting it all together and found it didn't work. I still have a picture of that guitar - before it was sawed in half.

Q. Did you have formal music lessons or did you learn to play mostly by instinct?
A. I had some piano lessons.

Q. When you first became involved with music, your family was very critical. How did they react to your first successes?
A. They were wonderful - very happy, very supportive. They encouraged me as soon as they started seeing I was serious about it.

Q. When were you in Vietnam with your group, Rock House, what kind of music did you play?
A. Fifties pop.

Q. In previous interviews, you've talked about the lighter side of being in Vietnam - was it another kind of experience as well?
A. Yes, we saw some terrible things. We had no idea what it would be like when we went over. We really didn't know - at any time, we could have been killed. It changed my outlook on many things.

Q. When you first started to get some recognition with Zoot, had you always expected it would happen for you?
A. Yes, it seemed like a natural progression. You work toward something. You write, work on music, then you make a record - somewhere along the line you're offered a contract - it all comes together.

Q. Do you have a favorite band?
A. Not a band, but records. Whatever records I happen to be into at the time. Right now, I like the Police's new release, U.K. Squeeze and have been listening to "Carousel".

Q. Have there been any self-destructive tendencies you've have to overcome?
A. Mostly a continual battle with self doubts.

Q. Those three years after you left Columbia, because they insisted on promoting you as a bubblegum idol - how did you get through it? Was it sheer tenacity; did you believe in yourself?
A. Mainly, I didn't want to say I had a chance and blew it. I didn't want to have to go back to Australia with my tail between my legs. It's also when I started acting to maintain productivity. I just kept going and continued working on music.

Q. When you're on the road, do you party, drink, smoke, take drugs - or are you sensible?
A. No. I can't. It's too exhausting with my taping schedule. I used to do some drinking but recovering interferes with work, so I've stopped. I'm not a addictive type anyway, if there's such a thing. I find that if I'm drinking too much tea for instance, I just stop.

Q. When you had to do the bedroom scenes on "General Hospital" with Stacey (Robin Eisenman) and Bobbie (Jackie Zeman), was it difficult for you to do in front of the cameras?
A. No. You don't think about the cameras. They're there all the time. The thing about acting is that you have to focus on, becoming totally immersed in whatever it is you're doing in the scene. It was supposed to look as if I wasn't wearing anything, but with pajama bottoms on - I felt that it just wasn't natural wearing them - especially when Noah is supposed to be all involved, eager to make love after being put off for so long.

Q. Can you recall any memorable events or scenes on the set of "General Hospital"?
A. Walking down the hall arm and arm with Elizabeth Taylor numerous times while they were shooting a scene. We walked and walked and finally, she whispered to me, "Acting can be so dumb!"

Q. You seem to have a good sense of humor, not easily upset - what kind of things get to you?
A. When you're doing everything you think you should, and it just isn't happening - especially work-wise.

Q. Do you sometimes feel that there's a price for success that you don't like? Perhaps, lack of privacy, phony people...
A. Not really. Most of the time it's just fine. I wouldn't like to find someone looking in my window; then it would be a problem.

Q. As you become more successful, is there a letdown, a sort of anticlimactic experience when you've achieved something?
A. Not at all. I love it. It's a wonderful feeling when your record is successful. It does make me want to work harder.

Q. What do you like best about making it?
A. The freedom I have to work - and without worrying about paying the bills.

Q. Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) and Tony Geary (Luke Spencer) especially, have found working with Gloria Monty a unique experience. Do you also have this kind of special rapport with her?
A. Yes, Gloria's been wonderful to me. Working with her is an incredible experience - she's an extremely creative, brilliant woman.

Q. What do you see yourself doing in ten years?
A. Continuing with writing music, performing and expanding in acting also.

Winding down, we spoke about the album cover for Rick's Working Class Dog. His two-year-old part Great Dane, part Pit Bull dog, Ron, posed as the model for this unique presentation, which shows a very alert, proper-looking doggie attired in a man's button-down shirt and a black tie. In the doggie's shirt pocket is a photograph of master Rick Springfield.

Well, it's off to California again, hullo to some new stewardesses and then back East for the concerts. We hope to be there!