A rare 1984 Scott Walker interview

In this case when I use the adjective rare it has less to do with the footage of this interview being difficult to find and more that he almost never did public appearances by this point in his career. Like any recording artist, he was undoubtedly expected to promote his new album, Climate of Hunter, and the first single off the album, Track 3.  So, what you will see is a brief interview followed by the video for the new single.

The question about whether or not he missed fame definitely amused him, and he responded with some dry humor I deeply appreciate. Same with his response to the interviewer's characterization of his new album as a comeback. This was not a man who, now middle-aged, aspired to appear on the cover of GQ, Vanity Fair, or Rolling Stone or SPIN. He would have certainly fit in just fine. He just didn't need that sort of fame nor did he want it. Nor does he come across as reclusive. Rather he comes across as a person who is content to go to the market or pub unbothered. Nothing wrong with that.

From listening to the entirety of Climate of Hunter, I can see why Track 3 was the inaugural single. It's catchy, has a wonderful hook, is well-crafted, and - dare I say it - sounds radio-friendly. I could imagine the video for Track 3 appearing on the MTV rotation. The content may be dark, but there was certainly an audience for his work. If you like art pop from the mid-1980s in which the artists explores some dark themes, you'll be rewarded. This single and the album are arguably less of a clean break from his creative past and more of an update and refinement of his work from Scott 4 (1969) or his side of The Walker Brothers' Nite Flights (1978). In spite of what I understand were rave reviews by the critics at the time, the single never really charted, and the album was a commercial flop. After the output of a recording session with Eno and Lanois was shelved not long after, he would be dropped from Virgin and would not release any new recordings until a decade later - at which time it was obvious he was making a clean break from his creative past. One creative door was about to be shut but a new door was opening. Fame may be fleeting, but respect can last a long time. Scott Walker was already well-respected by the mid-1980s. In his remaining decades, he would become a well-regarded avant-garde composer.