Danger Zone

Danger Zone
Kenny Loggins was the king of '80s soundtracks, with contributions to such classics as Caddyshack, Top Gun, Over the Top, and what's the other one? Oh, yes: Footloose. We wore a hole in our red shag carpet dancing to that soundtrack, which we still occasionally slip in to the car stereo on long, solitary drives, when no one can laugh as we shout at the top of our lungs: "I'M FREE!" Unfortunately, that's almost all we know about Kenny Loggins, as evidenced by the following Q&A, which we did in anticipation of Loggins' appearance with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. On February 20 and February 21, the DSO accompanies Loggins and his band as they play the hits, along with selections from his two children's albums and It's About Time, his 2003 adult contemporary album.

Didn't I just see you on the Grammys?

Yeah. It was sweet of Michael [McDonald] to throw it my way for a second.

I don't think I've ever seen you without a beard.

I've had the goatee going on for quite a while now. Five, six years.

I guess I'm kind of behind. And Richard Marx, who also resurfaced at the Grammys, you have a new song with him--"I Miss You."

"I Miss Us."

Right. Who are you? Why are you calling me?

You never actually said that. Don't be dramatic.

But this interview is going so poorly. And I really like you, Kenny. Look: I even put up your press photo in my office.

That's sweet. Actually, I think the interview went fine. Keep going.

OK. So anyway, back when I worked in day care, we used to put on your children's album every afternoon at naptime. The one with "All the Pretty Horses."

"All the Pretty Ponies."

Exactly. So we put it on, and that song always put the kids to sleep. Which is maybe a backhanded compliment.

[Laughs] But it works!

It does. Do you play the children's album for your own children?

My records replaced me at bedtime. I used to sing to my kids, and now they listen to the album. Still, to this day, my 10-year-old listens to it every night.

Wow. Do you ever get sick of it?

That's why I made the second one.

Do you ever get tired of performing the old songs?

Occasionally. I dropped "Whenever I Call You Friend" for a while. I dropped "Danger Zone" for a while. If I'm doing something like "Footloose" that people love to hear, then I enjoy doing it. --Sarah Hepola

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