LINCS FM 2003 INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION JOHN MARSHALL INTERVIEWS ANDY BELL J-Andy so the new album is HITS!, yeah, I guess a proud moment in your career, is it looking back at all of this fantastic tracklisting? A-Well I wouldn�t say proud.. J-Oh? A-but hm, no, it�s good, it�s very good to have it out though because hm, it kind of reminds people of who we are, and that we�re still here, we�re still going. J- Do you have a favourite track? if you look at the listing there, on the album? Do you pick one out? A I like Always and Blue Savannah J-So do I. Hm, it�s often the case, a lot of artists realeasing a greatest hits album they put on a new track or two, but you�ve not gone for that option, tell us why? A-Oh why, oh you mean a new, brand new? J-A brand new track A-Well we tried but, hm we didnt think they were good enough, so J-Oh really? A- Yeah, so they�re on the b-side of the Oh L�amour single, that�s being very very honest, you see? J-it was very honest A-and now we�ve written 5 new songs for the new album for 2004.And we�re gonna keep writing, writing writing writing until we�ve got probably 10 or 12 J -Excellent, well I was gonna ask you about a new album a little bit later, honestly, last time I spoke to you you mentioned Saints and Sinners, are there other titles that you�re gonna reveal today? A-Oh no, Saints and Sinners ended up being one of the b-sides J-did it? A yeah, which is now called, hm, Nothing lasts forever J- oh, yeah ive got to listen to that A-and, no I mean, we�ve got 5 songs but there are no working titles, just song1, song2, song3 song 4 J-Oh I see, right, we dont give too much away A-nope J the new single is the remake of the classic Oh L�mour, you�re pleased with it? A,Hm,quite pleased J-.ok A-Nothing with, I think the originial�s really good on this album, anyway J-I agree, yeah. A-I thought it was better than the Dollar version, which the radio played J-I agree again, yeah A-So, I�m hoping they�re gonna play this one of ours. J-we are A- Thank you. But we just kind of wanted to re-release it to let people know that we�ve written it anyway in the first place, J-sure, and I continue.On the new single, the DVD there�s Victim of love live in Copenhagen, A- right J- can we expect the whole show out on DVD? A-Hm, I th..it�s. the show they�re talking about at the moment putting on DVD is the Phantasmagorical Entertainment show, but I would li..., I think they�re gonna, they might be doubling them up like doing one set of Wild Tour with the The Circus Tour, and things like that, but I�m not sure J-Oh, really? A-But, on the second DVD they�ve got kind of clips from all the shows, I think 2 songs from each show, each tour sorry,and, and the, and all the EPK�s we�ve done, some few little extra bits and things, but I think the DVD hit the video one it�s very good value for money cause you get 35 songs on there J- Yes an awful lot on there A-yeah J-well that should be good. And rumours or the other way, anyway, the Country and Western album is that A-Yeah J- Is there any thing in that? A-Yeah, we�ve finished it. J- That is real, it�s a real rumour. A-It�s real, yeah J-we heard it and then it was denied, and, and well it�s happening A-we�ve done, yeah, it�s done J- So, what, is this original material or? A-this is a, still Erasure material so we can�t release it after the Hits! album because people will start getting bored of old stuff so we�re gonna release new stuff and then release the country and western album (album) when it�s time. J- So it�s Erasure hits with a country and western twang to them A- yes, it�s a lovely it�s really fantastic, I�m very proud of it. J-Fantastic,did you enjoy the recent tour? A-Yeah, it was ok. I was kind of hm I overdid it a bit, though, I wasn�t, you know I wasn�t really, I mean I was in good shape.but then I didn�t, eh, the flexibility in my hips went, so I was in agony next day J-were you? A- you might have not noticed, yeah, but I was in agony, honestly, every night when I, after when I came off I couldn�t even walk the next day J-Andy, that doesn't bode well, for another tour A-No, no J-which is my next question A-No no,But I�m getting ready, I�m doing all physiotherapy and all that kind of stuff J-Oh yeah A-Ready for next summer, yeah J- That sounds like, promises, I heard acoustic tour maybe, is that what�s happening? A-Well, the acoustic tour, we wanted to do some acoustic shows for Xmas to coincide with the new country and western album, but as that�s not coming out, we�ll do a proper Erasure tour next year and then wait on the acoustic until the country and western comes out, but this all depends on Vince cause he�s the,hm, you know, the ship�s steerer. J-yes, so, hm, do you think, it what is the plan if you do a tour next summer, the new album with original material will be around by then? A-I don�t know, I dont know, it�s very, it�s, it�s very weird because people don�t li..., don�t seem to like hearing new stuff, you know,or hearing something that they�re not familiar with, they always, it doesn�t go down very well. You always gotta do stuff that people know J-Hm Hm Hm A-Unless you do still ALL of the new stuff and that�s, and that�s all but, I dont think people will be satisfied with that J-Sure that,they wanna hear those classics as well A-Yeah J-Do you ever get a little frustrated that a bit less media or attention these days when you�re still tuning up a good product A-yeah, you do,cause I think, I think, they�re not, you know there�s, the hm, the media�s not really very supportive.I well, I dont, I don�t mean to hm, it�s mostly kind of national radio things, be...cause if, because if they say we�re too old and all this kind of stuff and I think that�s rubbish, you know.And also,they, it�s kind of, they don�t seem to embrace their own home grown ta.. home grown talent and it�s all kind of 19 management stuff, you know all this,hm, Pop Idols and Fame Academies and all these people.... J-Turned out A-It�s like, almost like, hm, your place in the chart is a game show price now J- Absolutely, absolutely agree, yeah. Andy, on the, on the day when we run this interview we�re gonna do, play a lot of your tracks, we already do, by the way, but I wonder if I�d say the titles of tracks, if you could just say whatever comes in the head about each track, would that be OK? A.What? Like hm, word association you mean, or? J-Well not word assoc...it�s just a memory of recording the track or, you know, A- Oh yeah, yeah. J-you�re sure what I mean?, just so what we�re planning to release over the intro of each track. A.yeah J-we�ll kind of, play a bit of you, whatever you say A-I�ll try. J-Ok, well, let�s see here goes. Hm...A little respect. A- A little respect. Vince said you can�t call this song A little respect because there�s already another song called A little Respect by Aretha Franklin. And I said, yes we can, and put my foot down. J- Very good, see? it works. Breath of life A- Breath of life, Vince is not keen on this, but I love it, cause it�s ah, cause it�s kind of like a Donna Summer disco song. J-Brilliant, you�re good at this, you see?..Ehh, Sometimes. A.Sometimes,we knew we had a hit when we went (singing) a-ha-ha, a-ha-ha, a-ha-ha-ha J- The Abba covers A-Abba covers, I love Abba J- Very good...Er, Victim of love A-Victim of love is a Motown baseline, is kind of white northern soul J-Fantastic, Ship of fools A- Ship of fools was another song that wrote itself, didn't think about the words on that one J- Really? A-No J-Ok well, it�s nearly through,, hm, I promise...Chains of love A- Chains of love was a hit in America, it�s another one that Vince doesn�t like but I love, cause it�s Motownish J- Excellent, Always, you�ve probably said a bit about that but it�s.... A-(singing)"Always something that you remind me" J-Ok, Stop A-Stop was a present from Vince, we�ll be together again J- Oh right! Er, Blue Savannah A- Blue Savannah is our tribute to Roy Orbison. J- Really? Go on, expand A-Yeah, well, I think it�s the kind of song that he would love to sing, and it�s one of those songs that you can drive on your car across the desert J- True, and, finally, Solsbury Hill A-Solsbury Hill, not my choice, but in hindsight, I think we did a good job, and, there is no Solsbury Hill anymore, they cut it off. J-Oh, really? A-Yeah J- I didn�t know that A- It�s gone J-Excellent, right. Ok, I�ve got er, one or two more little things, I think that we can do Andy, is that alright? A- Yeah, yeah. J- If you could do, so we could use it as a promo, for th.., cause we�re doing like a big winning day for your album A-yeah J-Hm, if you, I don�t know if you�ve got a pen you want to write it down so you can remember it A-Fantastic J- "Hi! This is AB from Erasure, win Hits! The very best of Erasure this Friday on Lincs FM" is all I�m after A-Yeah... Hello, this is mister Andy Bell from Erasure, and you can win Hits! The very best of Erasure this Friday on Lincs FM J- First take, brilliant I�ve got one or two questions if I had time I said I�d do this from the EIS members A- Ok, J-Is that ok? A-Yeah J- Cactus wants to know, any chance, he said you can ask whether the Mute/EMI deal will be best for you in the long run A- Well, I think they�re putting out this Hits! The very best of, so it�s down to them, so, which it seems to be a good promotion for us, so yes. J- Right, and Michael says please ask why Phantom Bride still hasn�t been given it�s dues. Tell him fans fans think it should be released as a singleor mixed or recorded acousticly at least A-Well it was covered by some lady that did a hi energy version, I can�t remember the name, sorry, hm, but, I don�t know. J-A favourite of yours or...? A-It�s alright. I don�t like singing about brides. J- Don�t you? A-No J- Why not? A-I can�t, cause I can�t be one J- I thought you got married A- No, I was going to, but, I called it off J- Did you? A-Yeah J-And, nearly there friend, Terry says, do you and Vince feel you need to constantly develop/change Erasure�s sound versus being pleased with Erasure�s sound and not feellike it neccesarily has to change A- No J-One more. He�ll be pleased with that when he hears this, and Kev says ask Andy if he has got any contact with backing singers from previous tours. A-Some of them J- Do you have any of their names? A- Derek, ah, James, Val, Emma, not the twin J- That�s, not the twins A-Don�t know where they are J- Oh I see A- Love them, don�t know where they are J- Andy, well, thank you very much, I think we�re through everything we need A- Thank you! J-Thank you for your time, bye-bye. A- Thank you, thanks. THE END |
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