Posted on 08/01/2006 10:58:33 AM PDT by weegee
AMSTERDAM — A Dutch journalist has been sacked for making up an interview with American singer-songwriter Scott Walker.
The article by journalist Paul Hegeman appeared a few weeks ago in Dutch television listings magazine VPRO.
Newspaper 'De Volkskrant' reported on Thursday that the deception came to light when a music journalist rang the VPRO to ask how Hegeman had managed to get an interview with Walker, who is known as reclusive and media shy.
He said he did not believe Hegeman had actually spoken to Walker as he had been trying to get the founder of the Walker Brothers to agree to an interview for ages.
Hegeman was unable to give a satisfactoryexplanation when confronted by the management of the magazine.
The editor decided to cease taking articles from Hegeman, who later admitted to 'De Volkskrant' that he never spoke with Walker. His article was based on material from two other publications. He insisted his other interviews for the VPRO magazine were genuine.
Walker formed The Walker Brothers in Los Angeles in the early 1960s. The band attained worldwide popularity with pop ballads before breaking up in 1967. He moved to London in 1965 and continued to make music. He released 'The Drift' this year.
The sun ain't gonna shine anymore. . .
I am a huge Scott Walker fan. He is famously a near-total recluse who refuses all publicity.
He puts out an album about once a decade - his early style was 50s crooning, he moved on to darker and more orchestral material like the work of Jacques Brel and now makes records that sound like postmodern free jazz lieder.
Fascinating artist.
He's American but he's lived in the UK for 45 years - to give an idea of his idiosyncrasy, in 1967 he wrote a Sinatra-style ballad with horns about his mournfulness over his fear that the Third World radical movements of his day were adopting a more Stalinist version of Marxism-Leninism.
His latest album has a song about the execution of Mussolini by partisans in the waning days of WWII.
Never heard of him.
I'm not either (although I may be able to find some song of his I know).
I do know that the media engages in these tactics more than they care to admit.
That was my main reason for bringing it to FR.
I ran across it on a music related headline site that I visit.
who is Scott Walker?
Scott Walker was/is an easy listening music type singer. Not bad, if you're into that kind of music.
ahh - sure I've heard those...yup, easy listening - my all-time favorite easy listening must be Karen Carpenter
His last two records owe more to the notion of postclassical lieder, in my opinion, and are certainly not catchy pop songs.
I remember both of the songs well, but am blanking out on the group. Thanks, DJ, I'll have to do some googling.
It was indeed good stuff. :)
that's quite interesting - haven't heard
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.