Courtney, where did your Love go?
James was listening to answerphone messages. They were full of the usual stuff. "James, I'd love to meet you". He was tempted to press fast forward. "I got your number from a friend". Yeah, right, he thought. "But you never looked at me in Wales did you!!" He felt strangely bitter. Then there was more of the same, and giggling. He sighed. He'd have to change his number again. But he always listened right to the end. A familiar voice came on the line. "James Dean Bradfield, right? This is Courtney. Can we meet? Get your people to contact mine". He almost dropped his drink. He picked up the bottle. He'd drunk quite a lot, maybe he was imagining things. He pressed rewind. Sure enough, there it was again. He finished his drink and phoned Nicky. No answer. So he phoned Sean. Sean picked up the phone. "Sean speaking" James couldn't get it out. This was more exciting than meeting Fidel. "Courtney Love rang me!" he exclaimed. James sounded drunk. "Are you sure?" asked Sean "Someone's not having you on?"
"She wants to meet us!" Sean didn't know what to say. James played the message to Sean. "Listen to that!" he said. "James, shall I arrange it?" asked Sean, realising James was a bit spaced out. "Er yeah, if you would Sean... I can't believe it". So Sean sorted it out. He knew though, that when it was reported, it would be Nicky meets Courtney. Never mind he'd be the one to put up with them beforehand.
Somehow he forgot to tell Nicky, he assumed James would. James thought Sean would tell him. But Nicky didn't answer his phone that week, because his fans had got the number again. So no, Nicky didn't know. Courtney flew into the country with her entourage, and stayed in one of the top hotels, insisting the whole floor was closed off. And then, she summoned the manics.
Nicky finally picked up his phone. He didn't say anything. "It's Sean, you know we have to go to London today?" Nicky was puzzled. "We do?" "Yes, didn't James tell you?" "Can't James do it?" "Nicky! This doesn't happen every day". "What doesn't?" So Sean told him. He could hear Nicky's reaction. He was more freaked out than James. On the train to London, Sean thought to himself. He knew James would have got drunk last night. But he couldn't believe James forgot to tell Nicky.
They all met at the station and got a taxi to her hotel. No-one spoke. They couldn't. They felt worse than meeting Fidel. Finally they arrived. "There's no going back now" said James. "This is it". "Thank you very f****** much for making me feel worse!!" said Nicky. "I can't do it!" he continued. "I'm too scared". James looked up at the hotel. "Oh s***" he said, and went in. Sean took hold of Nicky's arm. "Come on" he said. "You'll be ok". But Nicky didn't feel ok. Inside the hotel Sean went up to reception and announced their arrival. "Come this way please" and they followed. "Is this how our fans feel meeting us?!" wondered Nicky.
Courtney waited impatiently. She'd got a new dress, and had been trying to remember their names. She sprayed her favourite perfume around the room. Finally, there was a knock on the door. She opened it to see them standing there, looking scared.
"Guys, come in" she said. They followed. "It's so nice to meet you, I've heard so much about you". "All good I hope" said James, staring in awe at the hotel suite. "Even we don't get this". Oh how embarrassing, thought Sean. James is acting like a rock star. "So, you're James, Nicky, nice to meet you, and..." she was looking at Sean. She had to get his name right. Panic spread across her face. Then, she remembered. "And you must be Sean". But he couldn't speak. "I love your album" she said. Nicky looked at Sean. She went to the stereo and picked up the case. "A friend gave this to me, with your number". For once not a word left the manics mouths. "And I love the different mix of styles you guys have on here". "Lots of people hate it" said James. "They have no taste" replied Courtney, clutching the case against her. Both Nicky and Sean stared in awe. "And the lyrics, I just love the lyrics, I just had to meet you".
"We always wanted to meet you too" said James. "We're big fans of yours". Neither Nicky or Sean had said anything yet. "There are no good bands anymore" she said "but this is different... I've been working on some new songs, one especially with you in mind". Sean looked at Nicky. "For instance, I really love the way you put words together, sometimes so childlike, yet so..." she looked at Nicky "dangerous".
Nicky was totally in Love. "My lyrics have been described as s***" he said. Sean didn't know where to look. "I got into trouble for playing your songs too loud" she said. "Some stupid person downstairs". She picked up a tape. "This is for you".
She held out the tape, and Sean reached out to take it. "It's a rough demo, there's no drums. I trust you". "Thank you" he said. She smiled. "So maybe we can rehearse it sometime?" "Sure, no problem" replied Nicky, with a frown. "You know I'd love to sing with you. Get your people to contact mine". They weren't quite sure what to do next. "Next time" she said "I'll come to you. And thanks for coming". She kissed each one of them on the cheek.
In the taxi to the station, Nicky could finally speak. "Do you realise what happened in there? Courtney Love talked us into recording her song". James took the tape from Sean. "I'll take it and get copies and make sure this is safe" "James, be careful with it" warned Sean. "We listen to it, then phone eachother with ideas, ok". James waved their train off. A few days later they received their copy of the song.
Each nervously put it on and listened.
Sean's part was the hardest, he had to write it from scratch. He rang James "we need to get in a studio". James replied "we go in for a week, get it done and Courtney can come down". "A week?" "How long do you need Sean?" "Couple of days" James didn't think it was long enough, adding "I'll see when she's available".
They booked the studio for a week, Courtney was to come down towards the end. Sean knew what he wanted to do. Nicky was already saying James should play bass, but James told Nicky he was playing it. "What will Courtney think if you don't". They worked on the track all week. They swore at eachother, they argued, they told eachother exactly what they thought of their playing. But somehow, they did it. And then Courtney arrived. Magically, each Manic was suddenly angelic.
She put down her case. "I came from the station". A man stood behind her. She turned and spoke to him, and he left. "Useless bodyguards" she said, looking around. "Did you manage ok?" "Want to hear it?" asked James, picking up his guitar. Nicky picked up his bass. Sean went and sat behind the drums. James had the words taped to the mic stand incase he forgot. Sean counted them in with his sticks. Now she was the fan, as they played her song. At the end of it, she had tears in her eyes. "That was the most beautiful thing I ever heard" she said. "Can I sing?" James stepped aside. She took a drink of his water.
Sean counted them in again. She closed her eyes and sang along to the music. Sean could not believe how much better it sounded with her singing, and it sounded good before. The song finished and she stood there for a while, her eyes still closed.
Finally she turned around and went up to the drums. "That was amazing. It was only half a song before". James put down his guitar. "All the thanks should go to you" he said "wish we could write like that". "You need a break. Show me around this place?". So with her body guard in tow, they showed her around, telling her lots of stories to impress her. She told them there would be some kind of announcement from her people about their collaboration.
They went back to the studio and went through it a few more times. Then recorded a few takes live. "Maybe you can use it as a b side" she suggested. James thought that was funny. "I think you're worth more than a b side". Finally she had to leave, kissed each of them again and went back to London.
The press reported that the Manics had recorded a song with Courtney and everyone was surprised. Without even hearing it, fans started slagging her off and the press said the manics were using her, and vice versa. Sean threw the paper down in disgust. He was sick of hearing it by now. They would slag it off when it came out, if it was good or not. Recording the song was easy, it was everything else he hated. Courtney was also sick of it all and one night phoned Sean to talk about it. "Over here they're saying I've gone mad, working with an unknown band who hate america". Sean tried to calm her down, telling her it was a similar reaction over here.
Then, she swore him to utmost secrecy. "I've been wondering if I should tell you, and decided that I can only trust you". Sean wondered what she meant. "The song I gave you, I know I said I wrote it, but I didn't". Sean didn't know what to say. "I should have told you, but if the press find out, they would never accept what I've done". "But if you didn't write it, who did?" "Can I trust you Sean? Can I trust you with something you can never tell your bandmates?" Sean had no idea what she was going to say. "Yes" he replied "I won't tell anyone". The line went silent. "Another of your heroes wrote the song" Then, she'd gone. He immediately guessed who she meant. But he knew he could never tell anyone. Courtney knew that they were the only band to do his song justice...
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