Bryan Adams is set to be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The ‘(Everything I Do) I Do It For You’ hitmaker – who released his 15th studio album, ‘So Happy It Hurts’, today (11.03.22) – will be honoured alongside his longtime collaborator and songwriting partner, Jim Vallance, at the ceremony at Toronto’s Massey Hall on September 24.
The pair – who have in recent times worked on the music and lyrics for ‘Pretty Woman The Musical’ – created magic on rock legend Bryan’s 1983 album ‘Cuts Like a Knife’ and its follow-up ‘Reckless’, the latter of which spawned hits ‘Summer of ’69’, ‘Run to You’ and ‘Heaven’.
Meanwhile, Bryan’s new album saw the ‘When You’re Gone’ singer challenge himself by playing the drums for the first time on his own record.
He said: “One of the things I did on this record, which I’d never ever done and never imagined I would have done, is drums. It was always my dream to be the drummer in a band. Just before the lockdown happened, I had bought a drum kit. It was a perfect opportunity to see if I could make this work – and it worked.”
The 62-year-old musician’s drumming idol is the late Led Zeppelin sticksman, John Bonham.
He added: “Well, our mantra – jokingly of course, because by no means am I up to the ankles of this person – was always, ‘What would (John) Bonham have done? He couldn’t have done that – you’re right. Let’s go back and do it again.’ That was kind of the mantra I had for the tracks. And that could be one of the reasons it’s so up.”
Bryan also revealed that British comedy legend John Cleese, 82, came to record a spoken-word piece on the track ‘Kick Ass’ after he spotted him at a restaurant.
He told Cleveland.com: “I happened to be having lunch at a place where John was having lunch, too. I sat next to him and asked him if he’d be up for narrating a song, ‘cause I’d done the narration myself and it was not working. It needed to have somebody more commanding. I’ll tell you what – we had such a giggle putting that together. Even now when I think about it, could you have chosen a better voice? He’s incredible.”