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Love back in studio, clean and sober
2006-10-20
Courtney Love rocks back and forth, lights a cigarette and sings -- words coming to her as she finds the melody. Producer Linda Perry says, "Yeah, yeah. I like that." The band finds the beat, and the song that materializes is one of the last to be recorded for Love's new album. They've been in Perry's recording studio in Burbank, Calif., for months, doing 50 takes of some songs. For Perry, who wants to capture Love at her rawest, this is a labor of love. One of the most sought after songwriter/producers in the business, Perry has worked with such superstars as Pink and Christina Aguilera. But here, she's not getting paid. "Courtney is the queen of rock 'n' roll to me," says Perry, who's put Love on her Custard imprint (also the home of James Blunt). "Damn it all to hell. She is the last one." If Perry has her way, the embattled Love will regain her throne. Love says she's more than ready. Love has been sober for more than a year. After a string of drug and assault charges, she says it was jail or rehab. "I was backed up against a wall," she says. "I had f***in' nothing." For a short time, she even lost custody of Frances Bean, her daughter with late husband Kurt Cobain. She was also broke. Perry and Love first worked together on Love's last album, "America's Sweetheart" (2004), a project Love admits was doomed for two reasons: She was high as a kite, and the label didn't understand the album. Perry eventually walked out on Love. "I said, 'When you want to make music, give me a call,"' Perry says. QUIET TIME Love called her from rehab. Perry brought her a guitar. "My hand-eye coordination was so bad, I didn't even know chords anymore," Love says. "It was like my fingers were frozen. And I wasn't allowed to make noise (in rehab). So I'd sit there and try to quietly write and struggle. I never thought I would work again. No one is ever going to talk to me. I'm never going to get a record deal. I'm never going to get on stage again. So, I just kept writing. This is a very personal album." Love wound up playing guitar on every song, even though she claims Perry is a better guitarist. Perry says: "I told her, 'If you want to work with me, you're going to have to write. I can't write for you. You're going to have to sit down and write music again, Courtney, because I think you got a little lazy."' Love's career peaks and valleys are legendary -- from platinum-selling artist and a feted actress in such films as "The People Vs. Larry Flint" and "Man on the Moon" to suffering addict; from having money to burn to not having a penny. But slowly, she's building her team, her self-esteem and her bank account. To mend her financial situation, in April Love sold 50 percent of Cobain's Nirvana publishing catalog to Primary Wave Music Publishing for a reported $50 million. The unusual deal gave her the cash flow she needs, allows her to maintain control over creative decisions and puts the catalog in the hands of someone she trusts, Primary Wave partner and CEO Larry Mestel, with whom she had previously worked at Virgin Records. MAKING AMENDS The new album features a sequel to Perry's Christina Aguilera hit "Beautiful" titled "Letter to God." Perry wrote the song at the same time as "Beautiful." Love and Perry "Courtnified" the song, recasting it in minor chords and adding what Perry calls "Courtney swagger." Billy Corgan also lent his hand to a few tracks. "I think we made a beautiful, vibey, magical record," Perry says. "Courtney Love's name should be right next to Bob Dylan when they say 'best lyricist of all time'." Love says that now that she's clean, she's looking at movie scripts and would consider doing a play in London. She also has a hardcover book of her diaries and letters coming out next month. "It's an insight into how I think. Not sure that's a good thing or not. But it's me." Does Love have regrets? "I always thought I'd be that girl that lives with no regrets," she confesses. "I've written so many amends letters, I can't even count them. It's still not enough. Drugs make you an a**h***." Reuters/Billboard
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