Just like sea captains with their ships, musicians love to think of their instruments as women. Heck, B.B. King even named his Lucille. But few players have ever made the connection between an axe and a lover as overt as Chris Birkett does on his new single and the title track of his latest album “She’s My Guitar” —a hymn of devotion that’s positively hot-blooded in its fretboard-caressing metaphors.
“Looking at her body every night/So clear and so bright, she treats me right” Birkett rhapsodizes, conjuring up an image of his perfect lover until we can practically see her ourselves. “Running my fingers through her strings/I know that everything will be all right”. He just loves that pearl-inlaid lady of his, and he wants the world to know it. “My guitar, she sings to me so true/ I can hear sweet melodies from you.”
The song came out of Birkett’s participation in The Acoustic Guitar Project, a global initiative that supplies musicians with an acoustic guitar and a simple recorder and challenges them to write and record an original tune within the space of one week. (No editing allowed!) They then have to sign the guitar before passing it on to the next artist on the list, so the process can start all over again.
To Birkett, it seemed natural to write not just on the guitar but about it. The result ended up pleasing him so much that he later went into the studio and added electric guitar, bass, drums and piano to his original track. It’s that embellished version you hear on the single, with its distinct Latin sway and searing lead lines. Caliente indeed.
The song is the title track to Birkett’s latest album—somewhat of a concept record in that it’s made up of material likewise composed on the acoustic guitar. Lyrically speaking, however, none of the other new songs is “about” the instrument in such a concrete way, instead covering subjects like self-help, true love and the rejection of materialism. It’s a highly personal work, in terms of both Birkett’s personal belief system and his approach to recording. He played all the instruments himself, except for the flute, which was provided by Shari Tallon on three tracks. And the only voice on the album other than his own is that of Lisa Hartt, who sings backups on “I Bring You Love.”
Music has been Birkett’s salvation since the age of 8, when he figured out that the guitar could provide an escape from the poverty and violence of his hometown, the London suburb of Farnborough. By 21, he was touring Europe with Memphis artists Rufus Thomas, King Floyd, Jean Knight and Ann Peebles; stints soon followed in the chart-busting pop group Love Affair, (“Everlasting Love”) and in Omaha Sheriff (an outfit taken under the wing of legendary David Bowie/Moody Blues producer Tony Visconti).
While pursuing his dreams as a working performing musician, Birkett fell into a thriving side career as a producer, arranger and sound engineer. His work in that area has encompassed a slew of international award-winning projects: He recorded and produced Sinéad O’Connor’s iconic “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and he’s collaborated with other A-list artists like Talking Heads, Dexys Midnight Runners, Alison Moyet, The Pogues, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Quincy Jones, Mel Brooks and Steve Earle.
Birkett’s mounting industry successes have necessitated moving his home base several times, from London to Paris to Toronto; along the way, he’s kept some sense of continuity and stability by maintaining his standing as a recording and performing artist in his own right. He’s now recorded eight albums of his own music, four of them solo forays. She’s My Guitar is the latest and perhaps most heartfelt addition to that list.
All told, Birkett’s studio endeavors—including his own projects and collaborations with other artists—have sold well over 100 million records. He’s received four Canadian JUNOs, a Grammy, a Polaris Music Prize, a Canadian Screen Award, a Community Service Award and three international AMPEX Golden Reel Awards for excellence in the music business.
And yes, it’s all because of one little instrument with six strings. And an elegant neck. Oh, and some well-placed curves.
