CROWDED HOUSE

Edited transcript of the Chat with Crowded House. Sunday 15th January 2000.
Conference Services provided by Telstra ConferLink

Interviewer: We have Neil and Paul here with us now, so we are about to start the chat :)
Interviewer: Are you all ready?
Interviewer: Welcome to our chat this evening with Crowded House. Tonight we have the pleasure of presenting you Neil Finn, Paul Hester and Nick Seymour. Everyone has the chance to fire-away long awaited questions about these legendary songwriters and to find out all about their latest release, "After Glow". Hows this for a funky giveaway: One lucky person wins exclusive After Glow gold status award which was presented to one of the band members. How cool !
Crowded_House: Hello all

Interviewer: Bridie asks: Neil, what is your fave song on the album?
Crowded_House: Its Love you Dawn

Interviewer: Marck asks: hi, guys -- i bring greetings from the Tongue in the Mail. to many people, Afterglow feels like a cohesive album. was that your intention or is that accidental?
Crowded_House: I knew that there was a number of worthy tracks that have been released and I have put as much energy into it as too insure it was worth releasing I messed with the mixers and the order alot.

Interviewer: corporal_hemisphere asks: What made you decide to include a pared down version of Private Universe - a "Youthless" version, if you will?
Crowded_House: Youth was there that day when the guitars went down, and that was mixed but when I heard that mix I liked it better then how it ended up together alone.

Interviewer: GoTheAllBlacks asks: Paul, did you have to force "My Telly's Gone Bung" to get on the album?
Crowded_House: Paul: remarkabely NO! I think neil remixed it and sent over a CD to melbourne and it seemed to be a popular choice.

Interviewer: gfbf asks: What promted you to release another album??

Interviewer: Nick Seymore has just joined Neil and Paul in the interview :)
Crowded_House: Record company presure! and overwhelming support from the public... its all we could offer! so we said lets do an another album.

Interviewer: beagle asks: Is there any kind of music you guys detest?
Crowded_House: the music they have on hold on this phone~! they should have a volume option Omo- Reboto!

Interviewer: goo asks: "Neil: Did the Enz reunion result in any new studio stuff? Any chance of an album ?"
Crowded_House: Umm... oh very remote I would say but..... if nobody dies in the next five years there might be a bit more music in us.

Interviewer: Siobhan asks: How long did it take you to complete After Glow?
Crowded_House: 15 years :90 :) A few quick weeks at the end.

Interviewer: wonderchick asks: Neil, did you and Tim have to learn to sing those gorgeous harmonies, or were the encoded genetically from birth?
Crowded_House: Pauk: Is Nick in bed with somebody?? We umm.... my mother used to bind us to the kicthen chairs and make us sing :)

Interviewer: Vancouverfan asks: Who are you waltzing with in Time Immemorial?
Crowded_House: Umm..... I changed one line for this new album and I think it never made it in the first place because of that it was changed from: to face up to what you have done from the back to the tired old girl.

Interviewer: of the songs which didn't make it onto "After Glow", which was the one that was most difficult to decide to drop?
Crowded_House: ahhh.... don't know I didn't know we had that many songs anyway We have volume 2 so we didn't want to blow it all We are looking for the orginal demo of Don't dream it over..

Interviewer: What do you think of the Australian music industry at present time? We've had so many great new acts arrive - Taxiride, Killing Heidi and a number of others. It seems as though it's a great time to be involved with the industry right now. How do you see it?
Crowded_House: This is trick question be wary!!! I never heard any of these bands The girl from Kil;ling Hedi is a great singer but I don't know The Australian music industry is a contradiction in terms I think the face in Australian music is in a difficult stage at the moment because its is badly possitioned. and we can't do buisness with New York! Too much funny money coming in from the government there is alot of good stuff coming out of brisbane eg.. powderfinger.

Interviewer: Dubliner asks: Neil, Paul & Nick - What was Mark Hart's reaction to "After Glow"?
Crowded_House: We havn't told him about it we should get him in here! :) he knows about it.... he is very enthusiastic The last stretch of time with crowded house and mark was pretty bad.

Interviewer: robyn asks: are you guy's going to tour someday as 'crowded house' ever again? =)
Crowded_House: We would probably tour as crowded house not crowded house ever again :) maybe at the holiday inn's We don't want to put managment back together, we are too scared.

Interviewer: sallyandchris asks: i've seen you on david letterman's show a few times. what's it like doing that show and other shows like it? any fun?
Crowded_House: Cold! you never meet david, and he doesn't know who you are, But Paul Shafer is really good and a good musician.

Interviewer: Sure asks: Are you all enjoying more time to pursue you private lives now that CH is no longer a full time job or have all your lives been just as busy??
Crowded_House: umm...its been pretty busy But I'm less frenzied about traveling as it once was. Paul: I'm loving it and I am more busy than ever before.

Interviewer: robyn asks: what is your all time favourite crowdie song after all these years neil and paul?
Crowded_House: Thats a boring question :) Its hard to chose anything, Tonge in the mail.. Whats more interesting is the songs that we don't like for all you people in the chat tonight, one of the ones I like is Killeye which some people might not like, Chocolate cake is another one.. I don't remember the others. Somthing so strong is one of the ones that all of us did not like but it became a hit

Interviewer: kazy777 asks: Nick,Neil and Paul: Is this the first time you guys have caught up for in a while?
Crowded_House: Yeah it is yes quite a long time, and it is the most peculiar way to visit, this should have happened years ago, We should learn to operate computers ourselves, so we can do it ourselves.

Interviewer: Pat asks: Will any of you be dropping by the U.S.A. soon?
Crowded_House: You don't just drop by.... you have to buy expensive plane tickets, but I'll probably be there later this year (Neil)

Interviewer: privateuniverse asks: Good Morning from a very early am in the UK-What have you all got planned for the year 2000?
Crowded_House: umm... I'm waiting for peaches to ripen on my trees Neil: I will have a record out at some point, Swiming in the ocean Paul: Neil will have a try at swiming in the ocean for Australia next tour, Brilliant promotion stunt.

Interviewer: Vancouverfan asks: Neil, are you composing for Moulin Rouge? Score or song??? Please say Celine Dion isn't singing it...
Crowded_House: umm.. No, I'm not Paul: and yes she is! :)

Interviewer: iris3 asks: Is the songwriting process any different for you now with your new projects or is it pretty much the same as with Crowded House
Crowded_House: Niel: umm, its a bit different everytime It always seems mysterious each different time you do it Some of the stuff I've done on my new record was co-written with Wendy Malvoin. Paul: shes from Wendy and the rockets giga ginga gink! :)

Interviewer: gizmo asks: neil, what is your favourite lyric out of the mountains of fantastic poetry which you have written over the years?
Crowded_House: Niel: umm.... :) I'll pluck one out Oh god; Paul: I much rather a trampoline in my front room than a isolation tank, Thats good for the train spotters.

Interviewer: sallyandchris asks: how hard was it to stay focussed at your farewell concert with all that crowd surfing and other 'acrobatics' going on?
Crowded_House: Who are these other acrobats and what were their names? Nick: Contrary to common knowlage, we are blind as bats It was pretty good we glided through it until it came to Dont dream its over because it was the last song, Paul McDermot gate crashed back stage and they started how they began with an idiot back stage, no towels no food.

Interviewer: jackiewacky asks: So do you regret any of the Crowded house stuff..songs..photos..videos..hair-dos?
Crowded_House: heheheh, This is a long one, Not a bad collection; the dance step on top of the pops; the wood face costumes; no... the coloured ones; Paul: any of my photos from 1987 to 99; Shirt off in the weather with you film clip; My blond hair in distance sun.... my fart in the hammersmith odeon.

Interviewer: Kam asks: Will there be anymore Finn Brother conglomerations?
Crowded_House: umm... thats a strange way to put it..ahh.. yes probably.

Interviewer: NicEllis16 asks: Is "Help is Coming" a fair representation of the type of sound CH were heading towards on the 5th album (before the split)? Also, Neil, the Enz shows rocked.
Crowded_House: hmm.. thats a question foloowed by a comment, we did a session in auckland, with a number different feels, that was the only one that was complete. There is a nice base part on that nicky.. well done son. We could possibly re-unite as the 4 cledsem

Interviewer: AdelaideFan asks: Nick: Love the artwork on after glow: Tell us more about it.
Crowded_House: Nick: Its umm a combination of 2 pictures from my Journal.

Interviewer: privateuniverse asks: Paul, how much do you remember the wild days of CH ie throwing beer in Bradford and knackering the equipment in 1992 ???
Crowded_House: Paul: ahhh!! yes I remember it well Monsier Laparge, They are long over due a apology, Has any one seen Laparge?

Interviewer: Dubliner asks: Neil - Who's that singing backup on "Scared Cow" ?? Paul or Tim ?

Interviewer: sacred cow that shold be :)
Crowded_House: I don't think its tim.. Sacred Cow was done before tim joined, we did it down before tim lobbed, it could be anybody... I think it was mitchel.

Interviewer: raviolianna asks: when are you going to do another live shooooooooooooow?
Crowded_House: We've already been asked that you can't say that really who knows????

Interviewer: Annie2000 asks: OK, who cryed during Don't Dream at the FTTW concert??
Crowded_House: Mark Hart did Fare well to the world We didn't want to cry we wanted to wrestle.

Interviewer: Nicko asks: Who named the albums? and why?
Crowded_House: No named the album "and why!" :) Temple of low men came from a book that chad blake owned... and wood face came from a original bit of art work from nick Who named the last one????? It was neil.. together alone!

Interviewer: sallyandchris asks: Paul - was mick molloy's show really all that bad or did it get unfairly treated?
Crowded_House: Paul: It got unfairly treated and it was really bad :) but mick was good.

Interviewer: Karena asks: Karena (girl with the hat at the Enz shows) - Neil - those enz gigs totally went off - any hope in the future years of something like that with the Crowdies (for people like me who missed them!)
Crowded_House: umm... third time we've been asked!!!! Special occasions can't be planned for.

Interviewer: robyn asks: hey Paul, is it true you use your music awards as chopping boards at home... ie. plaques?
Crowded_House: no thats not true, I actually used them to put toilet paper on, I took the MTV award and put it upside down and its perfect for toilet paper. Many a morning I snapped one off and remembered the good old Rock and roll days.

Interviewer: TinkaW asks: What is the worst cover anyone's ever done of one of your songs?? Personally, I think Peter Andre ;)
Crowded_House: WHAT?? what has his done? Niel: he did message to my girl, Yes it must be the worst one but I havn't heard it I like Jimmy Littles cover.....

Interviewer: Finnfan asks: What happened to Hessie's Shed?
Crowded_House: umm.. well umm.. I've actually got it and I'm going to try and get it going again this year...I'm just waiting fro the storm to calm.

Interviewer: andika asks: Neil, what was it like being on stage with Paul McCartney?
Crowded_House: Niel: umm.. its hard to say..I really didn't have anything to do it was brief and embarrassing at the same time, You feel a bit redudant, Maccas FAB! All you could you hear on stage was the base.

Interviewer: brian asks: Neil, do you think that all your songs can be traced to a catholic upbringing and the stuff associated with that? a lot of people feel that is an influence on your songwriting.
Crowded_House: Niel: Well its a rich source of imagery. I don't think it has that big a deal or has much to do with it.

Interviewer: Nicko asks: Why do you think so many Aussie bands broke up the year CH did - eg Hoodoo Guru's, H&C's etc?
Crowded_House:copy cats :) does that sound funny??? no! No it was the year after... we were the first to break up.. we started a trend.

Interviewer: Dubliner asks: Neil, Elvis Costello told me co-writing with you would "be good" - comments?
Crowded_House: Niel: He's amazingly prolific.. and pro-motivated musician I've ever met and would sit down over a guiness and play anytime.

Interviewer: sallyandchris asks: was there any particular reason the farewell show was done in sydney and not melbourne where you seemed to develop the band (we're from melbourne!!!!)?
Crowded_House: It was the case of were the best set was, we had 2 greats in melbourne... The ones in melbourne we knew everyone there.. so it was the intimate goodbye... and Sydney was the BIG goodbye.

Interviewer: Ok guys, we are wrapping it up now - thank you everyone for your questions.
Crowded_House: Paul: thanks everyone for tuning in!!!!
Crowded_House: Niel: go out and get some exercise guys
Crowded_House: If anybody knows a really good system for voice command to control a computer and do typing... lemme know!!!! PLEASE!

Interviewer: Over 500 people have joined us tonight, that was fantastic!
Crowded_House: Thanks everyone who bought the after glow album.... a lot of those songs were fantastic.... they had an emotional tie, listening to it all. We hope you'll have as much fun listening too it than we did making it! Best wishes.... may you all find Joy in 2000.

Interviewer: EMI and PlayNOW! wish to congratulate the winner Kazy777 who has won the exclusive After Glow gold status award which was presented to one of the band members!
Interviewer: We will get in contact with you shortly via email Kazy777
Interviewer: Ok, thanks again guys....cya next time - hope you all enjoyed yourselves!
Interviewer: We regret that we couldnt answer all of your questions, as time didn't permit. The transcript will be up tomorrow, keep chatting in one of 104 rooms in bigpond.com/chat

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