Calum Scott about duet with Whitney Houston: “I made sure to be respectful”

The British pop singer Calum Scott (36) released his new album “Avenoir” on October 10th, on September 11th he surprised in advance with a special single. In an interview with the news agency Spot on News, the musician tells what the album title means and how the duet with Whitney Houston (1963-2012) came to “I Wanna Dance with somebody (who Loves Me)”. The new “The Voice of Germany” comeback coach also reveals who helps him find his balance on tour and why he started taking flight hours.

Calum Scott: I wanted something for the title to make people think. So I did a little research and came across the word “Avenoir” created by John Koenig. It stands for the desire to see memories in advance. We always move forward, but we can only look back. But wouldn’t it be astonishing to turn around the rowboat and to see everything? You would see your wedding day and the happiest and most difficult moments of your life. I thought about it and think that it is the twists and surprises in life that make it magical. Not knowing what’s coming next is it. It makes life fragile, but then you really want to live it and really pay attention to it and appreciate it.

Scott: Just recently someone told me: “You have to start writing all your experiences, otherwise you will forget them.” And I understand that. I think back to the moment when I sang for my king at his coronation ceremony. I stood on stage and sang in the Windsor Castle Gardens. I remember that afterwards I called my mother by FaceTime and cried and said: “I can’t believe that I sang in his garden for the king. That is crazy.” Or I was on tour with Ed Sheeran and have three songs with over a billion streams. These are incredible things, I am very happy and grateful that they will happen to me and I would like to hold on. Maybe then it becomes an autobiography at some point, who knows?

Scott: It was two years ago when the authors of “I Wanna Dance with somebody” contacted me and suggested me a song that they had written for me. That didn’t quite work out, but we stayed in touch. And then there was a point where we got the voice of Whitney Houston. They said: “We think you should play around with it and see what you can make of it.” I had recorded a version within a few weeks, sent it back, and it ended up at the Whitney Houston estate. They found them sensational and I was able to take the studio. It was incredible. Whitney, together with Celine Dion, Michael Jackson, Prince or George Michael, is one of the voices that my mother loved and that she always played us.

Scott: I paid attention to being respectful. It was very important to me that Whitney started the song and sings the entire first verse itself. When I caught the headphones and was ready to record, I was sitting in the cabin and listening to her so carefully that I just forgot to sing (laughs). We had to start all over again. For me it felt very natural to sing with her. I can hardly wait for the world to hear it.

Scott: Everyone who has worked with her tell me how she made the room shine. She was just an incredible talent. She had a godly talent. She had nothing but love for people and her singing was very shaped by faith. She had a lot of soul. She was one of these talents where one says: There will be no second Whitney Houston. It is just one under millions. And I admire your work ethic. She went to the studio and said: “Okay, that’s it. I gave everything.” She is inspiration and a role model for all artists to work hard and love what you do.

Scott: No, tours are always the best part of my job. I love to see how my music arrives at people. That makes me very happy. Of course it is exhausting. You are on the road for a long time, far away from home, you have to do without your comfort. You give everything at the show for an hour and a half and then do Meet & Greets. But as exhausting as it is, it is still what I prefer to do, and it will always stay that way.

Scott: I try to explore the places in which I am, as well as possible. I do a bit of sightseeing, go around and take photos, eat in good restaurants and drink in good bars. I also have a small dog, a bulldog called Elvis. He has changed my life in a way because he reminds me of what it feels like to be loved by someone who relies on you. That made me even more to become a father and one day to have their own children. I am a real family man.

Scott: I started taking flight hours and flying little Cessnas, which is just crazy. I never thought that I would become a singer, let alone pilot (laughs). The first three hours were my mother’s Christmas present. I was very nervous at first. When I got on the plane, I thought: that just doesn’t feel safe (laughs). But then it felt so liberating and free to just be in the air and not have to worry about anything. When I looked out of the window, all my problems seemed so small. I felt that I had no worries for an hour. I’ve been flown a few times now. Who knows, maybe I’ll fly to my appearances next year.