Let me start by saying is a real thrill to finally meet you.
I feel like I know you
and to sit down --
Likewise, I'm sure.
Well it is terrific and I mean
I've known your career for a long time
as a Maritimer somebody worked in radio in the in the 70s and 80s
but I was still surprised at all the superlatives in your career
the tens of millions of records that you sold
the four Grammys
the multiple Junos
the Hollywood Walk of Fame
when you think back, particularly to the late 70s early 80s
like the height of your superstardom
a lot of people describe you as a significant artist
how would you tell people watching now
what was the most significant thing about Anne Murray at that time?
I think the most significant thing about me at that time
was having a family
that was the most important
certainly the most important thing to me
but my career was taking off
and I had another child and
that just was a slog
tough go
that is one of the things that comes out very clearly in the documentary
is this how conflicted you were
as you tried to build your career
and the pressures to deliver albums and tour
♪ The snowbird sings a song he always sings ♪
[Murray] I figured that if I got all that exposure
that it could do nothing but help me.
And what it really did was tear me down
the pressure was just too much for me at that point
I had worked close to 365 days straight
it was my job
when snowbird became a hit
that was it
I had a job
I had to do it
I loved it so much
but I missed a lot because of that.
There's some really touching moments in the documentary
with you with your kids
like a classic mom moment in the pool
or playing with your kids
it sounds to me like that you feel like there weren't enough of those moments
oh no definitely not
I missed a lot
being away
I was very naive
to think that I could have a full-fledged career
and have a family and
do justice to both
because in order to do the job that I was expected to do
I had to be away from home
a lot of the time and
that's not how to raise the family
it was my job and I had taken it on so
I persevered.
We will come back to that topic though
because it definitely is something that is important to you
but let's talk a little bit about the the the superstardom music part of of your life
and there's this picture
like I love this picture
which I hadn't seen until recently so
so there you are a young woman from Spring Hill with John Lennon
Alice Cooper
Mickey Dolans from The Monkeys
and so I know there's a you know particular story about this picture
but beyond that, I just think of all the people
you rub shoulders with
you must marvel when you think back to some of the people you had contact with.
Well, yes I actually do
I have people who are really surprised that
Jerry Seinfeld opened for me for a few years
and I go yeah
Jerry was there I mean
he opened for me in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe
and Reno and places like that
and he hung out with the band
and I knew his act down cold
because every night I'd be in my dressing room
getting ready and he was on stage
so I knew every line that he had
but he was everything that he was on tv
he was exactly the same yeah.
So next to you on that table is
one of the four Grammys that you won
any Grammy is an amazing achievement
yes
but the Grammy that you got for You Needed Me
best female pop vocal
like that's one of the big awards
that's one of the big ones
well that was a highlight for me
because up until that time
people seem to want to categorize me as strictly country
and so
when I was nominated in the category with Barbara Streisand
and Olivia Newton-John
and Carly Simon and Donna Summer
and I was sitting at home because I was seven months pregnant
watching and in disbelief when my name was mentioned as the winner
um it was quite a thrill
♪ So high that I could almost see eternity ♪
♪ You needed me ♪
So, You Needed Me, like any Canadian of my age
you know it's a song I know really well
and worked at radio stations where we played it maybe a little bit too much
yeah I'm sure
but here's something that I didn't know until the documentary
and I love this story is that
not only did you know in the studio that this was it
this song was going to be a hit
but also when they were going to put it on the b side of the 45
so for people who don't know what that is
that's a song that ends up getting forgotten
you went to LA
you went to the Capitol Records building
and you went to the president of the label
and you said this needs to be the first single
[Murray] I walked into the Capitol Records tower
and I went right up to Don Zimmerman's office
he was the president of Capitol at that time
I looked him in the eye and I said
I have this feeling
will you please go with me
when I went in to talk to record people
they were all men
but after I became a mother
when I talked to them
I did it with more conviction
I was more determined than ever to have my own way
I just said
you've got to go with my instinct
and Don Zimmerman listened to me
he actually had to call
to say stop the presses
we're going to do You Needed Me as an A side.
What's amazing to me about that story is two things
first of all your confidence and commitment
to do that
like I don't know that a lot of artists would be
would feel comfortable doing that
and that secondly
that he did do it
I mean what does that say about --
That was the most amazing thing
For me, I knew it
there was no question in my mind
that this song was special
and he acquiesced so quickly
so maybe he felt kind of the same way
I don't really know
and I don't think I ever --
I was so surprised that he agreed so quickly
that I never ever discussed with him
why he was so agreeable
If I name songs like Snowbird
Danny's Song or You Needed Me
could you guess who my next guest is?
Anne Murray
You Needed Me was huge from the U.K. to Australia
number one in the states
but international stardom never changed that downhome style
You want me to take my shoes off?
Are yeah taping this?
[Jann Arden] Anne was super beautiful
and you know had this great vibe about her
but she wasn't overtly sexualized
she led with her integrity her voice
her thoughtfulness
and you know women looked at that going
you don't have to cater to what men think
about music
[Ian] I love that quote so Jann Arden says
you're super beautiful but not overly sexualized
this is you know in your career
what do you think of that assessment?
uh
that's pretty accurate I mean
I was a tomboy
I never really thought about that kind of thing
I wanted to sing
is what I wanted to do
and um
I think I was
always true to myself
in the sense that I don't think that
I was ever that different on stage
than I am sitting here with you
I don't think so.
The other thing I love about the fact that we're doing this interview
is that we're doing it in Nova Scotia
I didn't know where you lived
I didn't know if we were going to have to find you in Vegas
or Toronto --
Oh, Vegas, god forbid.
But here you are back home
and how important is that for you?
It's very important to be here
I dreamed about coming home
I mean what Maritimer doesn't?
But I made the decision
and I'm so happy to be here
amongst so much family
where there are two degrees of separation
with everybody knows everybody
it's just it's a wonderful feeling
and you know
how friendly people are
and how helpful and kind
um so
it feels really good to be here
nice
and let me finish with this
for somebody who's watching this who maybe is younger
or only moved to Canada recently
and they hear me talking about all these amazing things in your career
but they don't really know who you are
what should they know about Anne Murray?
All I can think of is that
I did my job and I did it well
short and sweet
yeah
well you did do your job
I mean, it wasn't hard
it wasn't easy to do the job that I did
because of all the compromises
but i'm
I'm not looking for sympathy
yeah
I'm just saying the way it was for me
yeah
and it was tough
but you can't go back
well you made Spring Hill proud
you made Canada proud
and it's just a real privilege to finally after all these years
get a chance to sit down and talk with you
so thank you very much
thank you