Exclusive Interview with Ruby Topaz

Music's Week: What made you decide to pursue a career in music?

Ruby Topaz: I was always musical and listened to a lot of music. I also watched a lot of TV. Every Sunday night, my family tuned in to watch the Ed Sullivan Show. On Sunday night, February 9th, 1964, I was 6 years old, The Beatles came on The Ed Sullivan Show and forever changed my life. I wanted to get a Hofner violin shaped bass and sing like Paul McCartney,  which finally happened when I was 11 years old.

After being given Led Zeppelin’s first album in 1968, that changed everything. I switched to guitar, copying Jimmy Page, and started singing high like Robert Plant.

Music's Week: What inspires you to be in the music industry?

Ruby Topaz: I love performing (I did a lot of acting), and I love tone... painting pictures with sound, which is also why I love recording, engineering, and producing. Every piece of gear, from instruments to recording gear, has its own sound, and is another color of paint on my tonal palette.

Music's Week: How did you come up with "Ruby Topaz"?

Ruby Topaz: In the late 60s and very early 70s, the band’s name was Shir, Hebrew for music or song, and it had a 60s connotation... sheer, plastic or see through. Somebody suggested we change the name. One of the band’s girlfriends asked what my birthstone was. I said “Topaz”. So, she started rattling off names of other birthstones to pair with it. When she came to Ruby Topaz, I said: “That’s it!!! Ruby Topaz, like Alice Cooper!!!” Glitter, Glam, Theatrical rock was very big in the early 70s and I was really into it, and really part of that scene, dressing very glitter/Glam. It was perfect.

Music's Week: How would you describe your work style?

Ruby Topaz: When I’m in the studio, I get lost... time doesn’t exist. I chase the rabbit down the hole and don’t come back until I’ve caught him.

Music's Week: Where did you get your inspiration for your music?

Ruby Topaz: If you’re asking influences, it’s The Beatles (and later Paul McCartney’s solo work... with Wings and alone).

Also other British Invasion bands like Who, The Kinks, Gerry and The Pacemakers and Herman’s Hermits. It’s the pop of the 60s and early 70s, where the Wrecking Crew (amazing studio musicians who played on EVERYTHING), and great songwriters like Jimmy Web, Paul Williams and Burt Bacharach, and acts like The 5th Dimension, The Four Seasons, The Grass Roots, The Guess Who, The Turtles, The  Monkees, The Mamas and The Papas, The Cowsills, Three Dog Night, The Carpenters, and many more, made great music.

The heavy music... Led Zeppelin, early Black Sabbath, Edgar Winter (White Trash and The Edgar Winter Group), Johnny Winter, Cream, Santana, Grand Funk Railroad, and many more.

Glam... Alice Cooper, Ziggy Stardust era Bowie, Mott The Hoople, Queen, Golden Earring.

Progressive, Fusion, and Art Rock... Mahavishnu Orchestra, Frank Zappa, King Crimson (the 80s version), Yes, ELO, Bebop Deluxe, Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow album... and so much more.

I also loved musical soundtracks and play soundtracks, Iike Hair.

I loved the orchestrations that John Barry did for the Sean Connery James Bond movies. They greatly influence the orchestrations that I do for my songs.

Music's Week: What is the story behind the song "Want You Now (2024 Remaster)"?

Ruby Topaz: I was very much in love with a married woman, and she with me. We never did anything, but the draw, for both of us, was intense.

Music's Week: How important do you think video is to your music?

Ruby Topaz: I don’t have any videos, for this album... yet.

I hope to eventually have some.

Music's Week: What was it about your music video that enticed you?

Ruby Topaz: As I said... none yet.

Music's Week: Do you take the context of the song in consideration when creating the video? Why/Why not?

Ruby Topaz: The last production video (having to do with a song, not live videos, which we have plenty) that I did was the 1988 “Magic Moments” and yes, it stuck closely to the storyline of the song.

Music's Week: Where can potential fans find out more about you?

Ruby Topaz: www.rubytopaz.com