Clem Curtis of The Foundations
January 2003 Interview

Ever wondered what happened to Clem Curtis the voice of The Foundations?
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QuestionsAnswers
Where Are They now?

Do you think your era is a forgotten one?
Clem: Even groups today record songs from our time and they go to No.1, or use them to rap over and I just think that anyone is making that sort of music anymore. If you think that 35 years ago one had a few records that were in the chart, they're legends now. On practically every compilation you'll find The Foundations.

So you can't be doing bad for royalties.
Clem: Ah that's another problem. You have so many different aspects of a label doing things that nothing has changed since the old days in terms of how easy it is to get royalties. A lot of people out there are owed a lot of money, including myself.

So are you ever going to retire?
Clem: How many musicians do you hear saying they'll retire. I heard Eric Clapton saying he'd like to stop but most musicians don't. They always have to come back and play, that's what we do. God willing that if I can make it that far and still sing, I'll be doing this in twenty years time. It's not a job for me, it's a way of life. And I enjoy the way of life that I have.

What do you do when you're not touring?
Clem: I live in a little market town. It's very rural and out of the way. And I like to collect junk. I have stuff in my house from my travels that tell a little story about how I have lived. I like good company. I like living in the country and I have some really nice friends. I like peace and quiet.
So what's next for The Foundations?
Clem: Right now we're doing a new version of 'Build Me Up Buttercup' and we're hoping to get a deal from some label somewhere and put that out?
Why?
Clem: There are two songs that the audience by heart wherever we go, 'Baby Now That I Found You' and 'Build Me Up Buttercup'. On a tour I did recently, all these students were asking me "Why don't you do a dance version like you get in the charts now?" It's a little bit different.
What do you listen to these days?
Clem: I listen to everything. But I do like the '60s music the best. I'm crazy about Marvin Gaye and Lou Rawls and people of that era. You don't hear music like that anymore. I've nothing against today's stuff but it all sounds the same.
You used to be a boxer, did that ever come in handy?
Clem: [Laughs] I've had my moments, that's all I can say.