The ’90s were a time of music that we can all appreciate, guilty pleasures or not. You may recognize the iconic group from the decade known as “The Face”, but if you don’t, that’s fine because Danny Burton proves that he is and has been here to stay.
The new song “Dangerous” from UK rock icon Danny Burton is everything you can hope for in modern Rock. The song rips in with his extremely captivating voice that instantly ropes you into the 3 minute Rock banger. His voice and guitar work hit you with a sense of experience and the “Dangerous” (but yet wonderful) attitude of the song. Once the chorus hits, you’re wondering where your drink is and the closest dance floor. The song is a pure release of endorphins and for a brief moment, can make you feel unstoppable. Talk about catchy, this is the kind of song that you can easily sing along to, without any question. When the song is done, you get a sense of “I want to hear this again” and chances are, you play it over and over as we have.
Danny Burton’s solo album Electric Universe showcases that he can be more than just someone who graced us in the ’90s, but also someone we can listen to today and fall in love with. He has had many ups, such as getting love from Radio 1, to being in a band with iconic players who have played for Ringo Starr and Robbie Williams. However, he had a life-threatening experience when he was once attacked with a knife back while celebrating his star roll in Pete Townsend’s hit music “Tommy”. This spiraled a dark state for Danny, however, he has risen up from his dark place and is now on a path of spiritual enlightenment, which can be seen on the cover of his album “Electric Universe”. Danny Burton is absolutely unstoppable and you can certainly expect more from our favorite Brit rocker of the ’90s!
Listen to Danny Burton's "Dangerous" here.
Danny, what inspired you to write “Dangerous” and what is the message you’d like listeners to take away?
‘Dangerous’ is on the surface a familiar story of two people in a relationship struggling to get along. Giving it one last go at finding some common ground and be able to sort out their problems and make a go of it. My character in the song takes it badly and spirals into self-destruction. If you delve deeper into the meaning of the song, then you will find that my character in the story has some definite reoccurring issues with Alcohol and substance abuse, which the other character in the song has had to continually deal with and comes the conclusion that enough is enough! Leaving my character to wallow in his own spiraling, ever deeper feelings of self-loathing and self-destruction. As the song says “Then you’ll go home and I’ll drink alone because I’m too Dangerous Tonight” My character in the song is definitely in denial about what he is becoming and is blaming everyone else instead of looking at his own behavior. In and some respect he believes his behavior is in some way just because he is playing the part fate has felt him. That being said, I always like to leave it up to the listener to make their own interpretations of my songs. Relating it to their own life. But I might have just ruined that!
What has been your biggest challenge as an artist from a powerful and money-driven music decade such as the ’90s, coming into a new world in 2019 with streaming services such as Spotify?
It is definitely a totally different game to what it was like in the ’90s. Record sales have plummeted, and in turn, the days of million-dollar record deals are few and far between for the up and coming artist. In the U.K it is extremely hard to get what's left of the old school record companies to invest and develop emerging artists. Wanting you to have the product and the audience before even considering getting involved. Social media is king now and if you aren’t au-fait and up to speed with how to promote yourself then it can be a steep learning curve. But… The power is in your hands, you don’t have to rely on Managers, Agents and Record Companies to get your music out to the whole world. You can make an album in your bedroom and release it yourself. Be your own publisher, and with a bit of savvy and a lot of time-consuming hard work. You’re in control of your own destiny. But it’s not as easy as that, but it is possible! Whether you’re thirteen or seventy years old If your music is great and you can find your audience then you can be successful in your own right. Hopefully, that will put you on the radar of the major labels and propel onto reaching a bigger and wider audience. Well, that’s what I’m banking on…..
We notice from your album art of “Electric Universe” that you are spiritually in tune. Are there any deeper messages on your record about this?
I had a spiritual awakening around 2012 after I found myself reading and researching everything I could on the subject. Trying to get some clarity on what had happened to me because it was quite a scary experience as I had no reference point. I finally got involved in the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and the path of Kriya Yoga. The Album ‘Electric Universe is Autobiographical and is a kind of purge of sorts. Dealing and coming to terms with everything that shaped me so far in my life. There are a lot of spiritual references within the lyrics of the Album and I would urge your readers to check it out and see. Anyone can ask me any questions about any of the songs and their meaning on Twitter or Instagram @thisisdanburton
I’d be more than happy to answer any questions.
What has been your favorite memories from the ’90s, as well as from the past decade?
I have a lot of great memories and stories from the ’90s, it was quite a crazy time to be involved in music and in particular, being part of the wave of Brit-Pop bands coming through at the same time as my band ‘Face’ Oasis and Blur to name a few. One particular memory stands out for me. The face was recording what was to be our debut album at the house of the John Entwistle the legendary Bass player from The Who. A sprawling mansion in the heart of the English countryside, like something out of Spinal Tap, with his own pub in the house which we would convene every evening when taking a break from recording. John would hold court and tell us all stories about all the amazingly talented Rock Stars that he had the pleasure to have been around in the ’60s,70’s and ’80s. I’m a massive Jim Morrison fan, so I would ask him all sorts of questions about Morrison and being an impressionable young man would gawp in awe at the stories that followed. He concluded by saying “I was never a fan of The Doors” when I asked him why the answer was typically John. He concluded “Because they never had a bass player” it was all about the bass for The Ox. Later that night we recorded The Who song ‘Substitute’ With Entwistle on bass. What a memorable night! And what a lovely genuine man. Who is sorely missed! I’m in the process of writing my memoir’s of that period in my life which I’m hoping will come out as a book in 2020.
What is next for Danny Burton? Can we expect more music and a North American tour from you soon?
I’m writing a new album at the moment and getting ready to start recording that early next year. A YouTube channel and podcast are in the pipeline too. Lots of gigs in the new year in the U.K and Europe. We would absolutely love to come over to North America and tour. Hopefully, that will be on the cards for late 2020. Watch this space! I absolutely love playing live. There is nothing better than getting that interaction with an audience and having people sing along with your songs. That makes all the knock backs and years of struggling as an artist all worthwhile!