THE VOICE, Part 3: Russell Watson Talks About His Forthcoming Tour!

"I've learnt so much from Claude-Michel Schonberg; it's amazing. To sit and watch and listen to somebody of that stature working, taking notes from them, it's remarkable. The first day we went in the studio was interesting. I walked in, started singing the first song, the first recording, on the first day. Halfway through, intercom: 'One more time from the top, please, Russell.'

"OK. I start singing again, I'm about a quarter of the way through - 'One more time, please, Russell.'

"OK. I've been recording for 13 years and I've kind of got used to running the show myself. Halfway through - 'One more time from -'

"'I'm going to come in, Claude-Michel.'

"I walked in and I said, 'Claude-Michel, I need to sing the song through so that I get to know it. I need to sing it through a few times.'

"'Yes, Russell, but you need to sing it correctly.'

"And that was the beginning of our beautiful friendship.

"The tour will commence in March - we've got a heck of a lot planned for next year. It's an international project, and the first international project I've had since my second record, which was 2002. In real terms, it's been ten years since I've had a record which would be considered as a body of work with international appeal. We've got a massive campaign in France planned for April and May there, a campaign in Asia before the UK tour in January and February, and Japan and China in the latter part of the year. It's very, very exciting. I'd like to think some of it's to do with me, but the appeal of Boublil and Schonberg internationally is unquestionable."