Episode 13: Sydney Youngblood RMN Podcast
Ford was born in Texas in December 1960. From an early age he loved singing. He won a competition aged six in his hometown where his grandmother called him ‘youngblood’ for his ‘vibrancy’ to perform. He played in a number of bands but at age twenty, he was drafted into the US army and served in Germany for five years. Ford returned home and returned to music straight away, only this time seeking fame and fortune as a solo artist. Signed to Virgin Records, his first release was a cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine", which made a short appearance in the lower section of the UK Singles Chart in 1988.
Youngblood had two top 40 hits in the UK and Europe in 1988 and 1989, "Sit and Wait" and his debut "If Only I Could", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.[1] The song uses the bassline and drumbeat from the Raze track "Break 4 Love".
In the US, the song "I'd Rather Go Blind" (originally sung by Etta James) enjoyed heavy rotation on the dance scene and made the top 10 on the Billboard Dance chart. "Sit and Wait" reached number 16 in the UK in December 1989.[2]
Youngblood continued his success with the album Feeling Free, which also contained his earlier single, "Ain't No Sunshine".
In 2018, Youngblood participated in the 12th season of the German reality show I'm a Star – Get Me Out of Here! on RTL Television.
00:00:00 - I sold my soul, a prostitute of my talents, for R.M.N.
00:00:18 - Yeah, that's right.
00:00:20 - And George.
00:00:23 - I remember
00:00:27 - If I could hear that city's name
00:00:32 - Sydney, young one
00:00:36 - Everybody all around the world
00:00:39 - Stand down, home of brothers
00:00:43 - Joining our hands
00:00:46 - United with stronger
00:00:50 - Fighting for peace, caring about our loved ones. Trusting ourselves, sharing our feelings.
00:01:05 - Believe me.
00:01:07 - Now I hear you.
00:01:09 - How are you?
00:01:11 - Now I hear you.
00:01:13 - That's fantastic. We've finally got there in the end. That was a plaba.
00:01:18 - Yeah, don't worry about it. It's all good. Let me turn you up. I need to turn you up a little bit louder. No problem. Okay, hang on. All right, now I'm ready. No, no, we got there.
00:01:31 - So how is Mr. Sydney Youngbloods? Oh, I'm doing fine. Thank you. During this pandemic, you have to do, you know, better somehow, you know, all the shows being canceled and and it's kind of hard, you know, being a musician and the singing.
00:01:49 - But I'm, you know, I'm living, I'm hanging in there, you know?
00:01:52 - Good, good, good, good.
00:01:54 - Well, I mean, listen, I mean,
00:01:55 - I'm a fan of what you've done and a fan of the music that you've made.
00:02:00 - And, you know, I've been a music producer for many years and, you know, and I listened to songs like,
00:02:07 - If Only I Could and, you know, and I remember hearing that for the first time you had the original style and original kind of vibe going on and it was incredible can you tell me tell me a bit about your past history how did you come to become in Germany first of all and how did you manage to get into the music industry what happens how did it all start well it actually it all started well I mean I was you know coming from San Antonio Texas and I started
00:02:40 - I was a big fan from Queen, and I looked at the album credits and looked and I said, oh, they was recording in Munich, Germany, and I just loved the sound that they was bringing that they brought out.
00:02:58 - And I figured, well, that's where I have to go.
00:02:59 - So I joined the Army.
00:03:00 - It was a cheaper way, you know, instead of asking my parents, you know, and joined the Army.
00:03:08 - Yeah, and I got, you know, sent to Germany, New
00:03:12 - Frankfurt, Mannheim, and I ended up, yeah, going to the disco, the German disco clubs and stuff like that. And I found that how they were, how the recording is totally different from the way the Americans, you know, the voices by the Americans, it's real loud, but here in
00:03:34 - Europe, everything, you know, with the bass and the from bass drum to kick and everything is much so powerful and loud and I love that sound.
00:03:42 - And that's how it all started for me.
00:03:46 - I started doing live shows here in Germany with my own band and ended up somehow in Ibiza.
00:03:55 - And that's where the balleric sound with the Spanish guitar and I should bring that somehow into my music.
00:04:04 - And it worked.
00:04:06 - It was just a great formula, you know, working with three other German guys at the same time.
00:04:12 - So it was, it was just fantastic.
00:04:14 - It was a good formula and it worked, you know.
00:04:20 - I mean, I mean, and so how did you come up with this style then, Sidney?
00:04:25 - Because I mean, you know, you have this incredible voice, this depth of tone, and you had this kind of great vibe going on in all of these tracks.
00:04:34 - I mean, and you had this really purple period where it was, you could do nothing wrong.
00:04:40 - I mean, it was just hit after hit after hit.
00:04:43 - And I mean, it was just coming.
00:04:44 - I mean, so come on.
00:04:46 - I mean, I mean, life must have been good.
00:04:48 - I mean, life must have been good.
00:04:50 - It wasn't that easy.
00:04:51 - I'm going to be honest with you because I kept going to different German record companies and they kept refusing that sound, you know?
00:05:03 - But it took a while until we ran into one of the guys in English guy, Billy Lorre, who is Lulu's brother, right?
00:05:13 - He was the one that found us to be with Virgin Records.
00:05:17 - So then I had a chance because then there was like back in the, I think around like 86, 87, there was a song called Break For Love.
00:05:27 - And it never made the charts.
00:05:29 - So the idea was to take the drum loop and the bass sound from that bridge and put it into if only I could.
00:05:41 - And it worked.
00:05:42 - Like I said, it was like a phenomenon because actually,
00:05:46 - I did not think that if only I could, it was a single.
00:05:49 - You know?
00:05:50 - I thought it was, no, really.
00:05:53 - I really considered that one as an album filler.
00:05:56 - And I was really basing my sound, many do what they have here in Germany called the Neue Deutsche Belle, you know, it's like new wave and and I'm you know trying to mix all these elements into my music and at the same time yeah I'm trying to bring that the soul into it which was actually during that time in 89, 88 was very very different you know and England was the first one to ticket you know I was so proud of myself. Oh my God, I landed a record deal living in Germany and it just worked out fantastic.
00:06:36 - Yeah, I mean, I mean, you don't come to the UK a lot. I mean, I've tried many times. I mean,
00:06:44 - I think back maybe going back five, six years ago, I tried to get you over here and I found it really tough because it was it was like one of the things and I met I tell you who I met I met
00:06:59 - London beat you know the guys from London oh my god oh I love them love them yeah so so I had them
00:07:07 - I had Jimmy, Jimmy Helms who's the lead singer, Jimmy was in the studio with me and I said to him I said what's happening with Sydney Youngblood and he went I know Sydney and he said
00:07:23 - He said, I've got his number and so it gave me your phone number and then I phoned your phone and I got this crazy answering machine. It was like you laughing and it was like, hi
00:07:36 - Sydney young one. And then I couldn't actually, I don't know whether you, I don't know whether you, you know, but I couldn't get a hold of it and I wanted to bring you because
00:07:47 - I think I don't think you realise that you've got quite a fan base over here in the UK and because you don't come over so much.
00:07:55 - Well, I mean, you know, I've really been trying to get over there, but somehow it's just somehow never connected. And just like, you know, before the pandemic came started, we had some shows lined up with Howard Jones and Spandau Ballet and so on and so on. And I was so proud that we was going to go on tour and they cancelled of course they had to cancel it and I really didn't know it was that big you know well these songs I'm charted these songs I'm charted I mean I'd rather go blind charted and yes only I could charted and and you know and and and for me I was always was like, this guy's great. Where is he?
00:08:42 - Oh, thank you.
00:08:44 - I mean, I was actually, last night, last night I spoke to Paul Peterson from Prince's
00:08:53 - Band of Family.
00:08:54 - Oh, okay.
00:08:55 - And we did an interview and we were talking because in 2006 I was working in Paisley Park with Prince and so on.
00:09:03 - Wow.
and he was like this guy you could never phone him he never had the telephone number he never had this way of contacting him and you are kind of like my answer machine yeah i've got this crazy answer this crazy sip me up with answer machine and yeah i can't get you on stage.00:09:31 - I mean, God, that must have been a while ago because, you know, and I have people when they come, you know, when they try to get in touch with me, they just call my, you know, telephone number and then they hang up because they don't know how to react to it because like I do James Brown, you know, you nobody at home. Yeah, you know, because of the beat tone, hit me.
00:10:01 - And if your religion hang up, it's wild.
00:10:06 - It's wild. I would love that answer, because, because, because, because then I could have
00:10:10 - And I went, yes, I'm in, do you call?
00:10:13 - Yeah, exactly, but so what's happening now then?
00:10:20 - Because I've seen lots of stuff, lots of YouTube videos of you doing kind of big concerts in Germany and all over and you've got this incredible live band and you've done so many great gigs and I mean, obviously the pandemic just now, but I mean, you might have be planning ahead to do more stuff in the future? Oh yes well I just released a new song it's called
00:10:48 - Fun with another, with a German disc jacket, his name is Tom Poults. You can check it out on YouTube and it's an old, it's like an old 80s type song and it was just like you know he sent me the track and asked me hey what do you think about them? I said well let me sing something to that you know and like I said it's like the 80s retro type song and like I said fun check it out it's on youtube now just been released last week in the 19th and it's a fun song yeah like I said it's called fun and it's a different type of young love but you still hear me in it you know and I love I love it I'm kind of proud of it because I didn't really have to go into studio I did it here at home the vocals the vocal work and it was just like transferring back and forth in the internet you know what I mean so doing data files and and they worked and it was
00:11:49 - I'm really proud of that one because actually it's my first time not going into a professional studio recording at home and just sending it off to someone and now it's yeah it's out there on the market now. That's the way to do it nowadays Sidney,
00:12:05 - That's the way to do it. I mean, that's, that is it. I mean, that's, that's, I mean, it's like, you know, we, during the pandemic, we have recorded, I think, about 50, 60 songs and five of them have charted in the UK. And it's people collaborating, you know, you're, you're getting someone in Los Angeles putting on a baseline, you'll get someone in in Hawaii doing a vocal, you'll get someone in the UK doing a mix. It's like, you know, it's great well we definitely got to do something together if you want to hook up we can do that we do we love to we love to do that i'd love to do that so so what tell me the vibe then i mean one of the videos that i remember really clearly of sydney youngblood was the first time time, I kind of saw you and you came on with the military outfit in the video.
00:13:00 - Oh, the sitting way.
00:13:01 - Sitting way.
00:13:02 - Yeah.
00:13:03 - Sitting way.
00:13:04 - Yeah.
00:13:05 - Yeah, a great video, great video.
00:13:10 - But I always want to ask you, but you've answered the question already because I was always going to say, well, why the military outfit, but then you were in the military.
00:13:20 - Right. That's right. And that was one of the reasons why I wrote that song because, you know, you got to have little patience. And I was always, I mean, I'm a patient type of a guy, you know, and, you know, and some, you know, I know some singers here in Germany that, you know, they want to be, they want to make it to stardom, but do nothing for it, you know what I mean?
00:13:43 - And, you know, I worked hard for it.
00:13:48 - I was, you know, I went into studios and I was bugging the engineer and I said, what's that button for?
00:13:54 - And what's that knob, you know?
00:13:56 - You just learn and learn.
00:13:58 - Yeah, you have to.
00:14:01 - But, you know, that's why I came up with this song, because there's some people that don't have the patience and they want, you know, the so-called stardom.
00:14:10 - And I just wanted to, you know, make music and say,
00:14:13 - Yeah, that's a good song.
00:14:15 - And you know, to hear myself on one time on the radio, all my dreams came true, you know?
00:14:20 - If it happens that I'm gone tomorrow,
00:14:24 - I accomplished everything in life and I'm really happy, still, you know?
00:14:29 - Amazing, amazing, amazing.
00:14:32 - No, listen, it's been a fabulous career.
00:14:34 - Tell me the story then, just because the kind of audience that we have for this is that,
00:14:42 - You know, people like yourself that's went on a journey, you started off in America, you went to Germany, you became a pop star all over.
00:14:51 - And I mean, how hard was it for you, Sidney?
00:14:56 - Was it challenging or was it quite easy?
00:15:00 - Well, in the beginning, it was kind of hard.
00:15:05 - How can I say then, it was challenging.
00:15:09 - But then again, I love to talk about, you know, my music of how it all, you know, how it was all created.
00:15:20 - But the only thing was, it's kind of hard when you go from country, one country to another, and you have to, you know, you mainly, you know, if it's always the same question, you know, and you repeat yourself, you repeat yourself.
00:15:36 - And I always have to keep in mind, but this is, you just made now the charts in France.
00:15:41 - So this is new, you know?
00:15:43 - And how we got the same questions over and over and over.
00:15:48 - But, you know, I just try, you know, always just to be myself and, you know, and stay on the ground and don't let the start of get to your head.
00:15:58 - And that was the main thing that I really, still as of today, I just don't, you know, get to my head and just just be yourself and be myself and you know you enjoy life as I do each and every day you know Sidney thank you so much for your time I would love to do another one with you man but thank you so much for your time and everything you you got everything man thank you
00:16:25 - Thank you so much, Sidney. I love you.
00:16:27 - You got it.
00:16:29 - Thank you so much. Take care of my time.
00:16:31 - You too. Bye-bye.
00:16:55 - I would rather go blind, babe
00:17:00 - When I see you walking away from me
00:17:05 - I would rather go blind, babe
00:17:10 - When I see you walking away from me
00:17:15 - I was just, I was just
00:17:21 - I was just sittin' here thinkin' about it
00:17:26 - I was just, I was just, I was just sittin' here thinkin' about it
00:17:35 - I rather go blind, I rather go blind
00:17:45 - When a reflection in a glass that helped turn my lips
00:17:51 - Revealed the tears that were on my face
00:17:56 - See, I love you so much, don't wanna see you no more
00:18:01 - One thing I know, I don't wanna be free no more
00:18:06 - I would rather go blind, babe when I see you walking away from me
00:18:16 - I would never go flying, baby
00:18:21 - R.M.A..
00:18:25 - R.M.A..
00:18:25 - You need to know
00:18:27 - R.M.A..
00:18:29 - R.M.A..
00:18:31 - R.M.A..
00:18:35 - R.M.A..
00:18:38 - R.M.A..
