Thanks again Müfo for the link, I would like to commment on some quotes from this interview.
The abstract is bullshit - I hate the journalists who copy each other not bothering to check if what they copy/paste is really true, for instance:
He was going to lose his house when he got a surprise royalty check: "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" was a hit in America, reaching #12 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Fool reached №12 in USA charts yet in May 1978, being sung by Chris himself, while what saved Chris from being broke was 1981 remake by Elkie Brooks, this is what Chris got so badly needed royalties for, right before Christmas 81/82, he spoke about it in 2009 interview about Driving Home song.
"Fool (If You Think It's Over)" got Chris Rea out of debt, but it put him in a kind of musical prison that took seven years to escape.
We all know that Water Sign was the "escape" album, after 4 years of no-win battle with the label authorities, while the next album, 1984's Wired to the Moon seemed to be made of what Chris really liked to do and was allowed to.
Some of his best songwriting was done sitting in London traffic, where he composed his masterwork, The Road to Hell, his first #1 album in that territory.
2 previous albums by Chris, Dancing with Strangers and New Light also topped the UK charts.
His next album, Auberge, also topped the UK chart, providing the funds to feed his amateur auto racing habit and buy a Ferrari or two.
By the time of Auberge release in Feb 91 Chris had already sold his Ferraris (512 and TestaRossa) and turned to racing Caterham instead.
But then there are some amazing replies by Chris himslef:
Is this the same place you were living which took you on the "Road To Hell"?
Chris: Oh yes, same place.
This proves my assumption that after residing at the Sol Mill in Cookham from 1995 till 2007 Chris moved back to his old house he lived from mid 80s till early 90s.
Chris: That's right, yeah. I had a terrible job with that during the Grammy week because I was in this top radio station and I was thinking, I don't know why I'm here. This guy asked me what the song was about. Now, in the north of England you have a phrase, if somebody leaves you, they "blow you out." Now, in America that can mean something else.
Songfacts: Oh, yes. [Especially if you leave off "out".]
Chris: The guy told me to get out the studio. He phoned security. It seemed Chris Rea was determined not to be a success, which wasn't the case, it's just that's how it went for me. I should never have used that term.
I overheard this story before in an old interview by Chris but the sound quality was bad so I could not get right what he meant. Now I see it is about his English words judged by the Americans as a --- slang or innuendo. Stupid media people.