roomis almostquiet,theTVturned
off,theonlysounda softrainthathas
beguntofalloutside.Smithturnson
a fewlowlights.Avoidingthemore
comfortableseatingintheroom,she
movestowardsa straight-backedchair
nexttowhatlookslikea gamingtable.
Beforeshesitsdown,shemovesa pink
raincoattooneoftheemptychairs,
brieflyrevealingthelabel,whichbears
thenameoftheexclusiveGerman
designerJilSander.Smithlooks
momentarilyannoyed,whiskingthe
coataway,sayingwithoutbeingasked:
“Rosemary[Carroll,herlawyer] gave
it tome.”It seemsanodddisconnect,
giventhatSmithalwaysseemedabove
somethingsocommonplaceas
materialism– livingfrugally,spending
hermoneyonrare,out-of-printbooksor
ontraveltoplacesimportanttoher.
ButSmithhasalwaysoccupieda
uniqueniche.Horsesestablishedheras
anartistwhobelievedshewasserving
somethinggreaterthanherself.Vocal
primitivismbumpedupagainstliterary
sophistication;lyricscamestreaked
withblindingflashesoftranscendental
images– remarkable,incantatory,mesmeric.Herlackofpropriety,
regard for form,andherfearless,imperiousbearingin
Mapplethorpe’scoverphotographstillreverberate.
“Igotupinthemorningandputontheclothesthat
weresittingbymybed,”sherecalls.“ItwaswhatI
woreonstageatthattime,myBaudelairelook:white
shirt,blackjacket,blackribbon.Robertaskedmeto
takemyjacketoff.I flippedit overmyshoulder,and
immediatelyfeltlikeFrankSinatrainTheJokerIs Wild.
Thatpictureis justthewayRobert and I worked at that
time.Wetrustedeachother.”
Somewhofellinlovewithherwitchyinsouciance
andknowingassuranceonthatfirstalbumcameto
seeherasa bellwether– moreofanoraclethana
rock’n’rollstar.She’sseenvisionsfromtheoutset–
hallucinationssheexperiencesbecauseofhighfevers
shesufferedduringa boutofscarletfever.William
Burroughs,whoalsosufferedfromthesamechildhood disease, told
her,“Feverpermanentlyopeneda certainportal.”
Higher states; higher purpose. Smith’s goals have always been
didn’tknowwhattoexpectasa
performer.I imaginedthatI had
changedquitea bit,becominga wife
andmotherandwithdrawingfrom
publiclifeforsolong– thatI wouldbe
a lotquieteronstage.I imaginedthat
I wouldbesortofstraightforwardand
dignifiedandsomewhatfolky.I was
kindofamazedtofindthat[that’snot
thecase]. Therearecertainthingsthat
havechanged.I amolder.I haveless
agitatedadolescentenergy.Butinplace
ofthat,I haveanotherkindofenergy.
Differentstrengths.Insteadofa real
aggressivesexuality,maybea different
kindofsensualityorsomething.It
amusesmetofind,rightinthemiddle
ofthesong,I think,yeah,I knowthat
person,I rememberthis,I stillgot
thatandI’mstillreadytokicka
photographerintheface.Things
haven’t changed all that much.”
I
T’SeasyenoughtospotSmithearlier
thatdayintheMiyako’slobby,
visibleamongthevisitingsumo
wrestlersandJapanesebusinessmenin
theiridenticalblacksuitsandslicked
blackhairreadingnewspapersinthelowchairs.Slenderandtaller
thanyoumightimagine,sheattractsnoticewithouttrying. After all
thistimeawayfromthepubliceye,shestillcan’thide
herlight,evenbeneaththemassivegreyhoodiethat
fallsalmosttoherknees.Shemoveslikea wraith
throughtheearlyafternoonbustle, her head down,
hergaitdeterminedandfast.
Shehaslefthertwochildren– Jackson,then14,and
hissisterJesse,nine– inthecareofToddRundgren,
whoproducedher 1979 album,Wave. Rundgrenhas
promisedtoshowJacksonandJessethe sights while
theirmotherattendstobusiness.
Smithis sequesteredinoneoftheMiyako’sWestern
Roomsonthesecondfloor– alas,there’snoJapanese
soakingtub.Lookingaround,it’spossibletosee
evidenceofitsoccupant.A leatherbomberjacketlies
strewnonthebed,a pileofbooksarescatteredabout–
SmithhasjustvisitedLawrenceFerlinghetti’sCityLightsbookstore
- andtwonotebookswithherscratchywritingarearranged
haphazardly but artfully on the melon-coloured bedspread. The NIELS VAN IPEREN/GETTY IMAGES
PATTI SMITH
“Horsesspoke
tothepeople
whoneeded
tohearit
PAT T I S M I T H
OCTOBER 2019 • UNCUT• 69
“SHEWASTHISEXTREMELY
INTENSEPRESENCEÓ
BassistKasimSulton on making 1988’sDreamOfLife
“I
hadgottena callfromToddRundgrento
gototheHitFactoryin NewYork.Patti
wasin thecontrolroom.Buttherealforce
in thesessionsthatI wasinvolvedin was
herhusband,Fred“Sonic”Smith,whowas
producingDreamOfLife, anda realsweetheart.
It wasFredwhogavedirection,andthenwasthe
conduittoPatti.Asmuchasit wasa PattiSmith
record,it wasa FredSmithrecord,too.Theyhad
starteda family,andPattiwastakingtheroleofbeing
a mumreallyseriously.It was,‘Thestudiois whatI do.
Butmycallingin lifeis beinga parentanda wife.’
I gottheimpressionthatshehadturnedeverything
overtoFred.Shetrustedandlovedhimsomuchthat
sheknewthathewouldbethepersontobestrealise
their ideas on the album. She was working through
him,butit wasmoreorlessunspoken.A coupleof
timesshewouldwhispersomethingin Fred’sear,then
hewouldsay,‘Maybeweshouldtrythis.’Pattiwas
knittingorwritingin hernotebook,butsheknewwhat
wasgoingonthewholetime.Shewasthisextremely
intensepresence.Shedidn’thavetosayanything
verballytosaya lot.If youdidn’thavesomething
importanttosay:bestnottosayit.
“Therewasn’ta lotofanimationin thestudio.I’ve
workedwithpeoplelikeMeatLoaf,andthey’re
yellingatyouandjumpingupanddowntoraisethe
excitement.It wasthepolaroppositewithPattiand
Fred.Wewereworkingonuptemposongs.Butit
waslikeyouwerehavingicedteaonthedeckon
a summerday,and just shooting the breeze.”
NICK HASTED
Onstagein
Amsterdam,
February 8, 1996
