(Flavio) Why AJ, Andy or Weller didn’t think of a real video for this single (Andy, curiously enough, made a video for the b-side) and why this single was not promoted at the tv?
THE SHORT ANSWER IS MONEY! IT WAS REALLY EASY TO QUICKLY MAKE A VIDEO FOR "TELL ME ONCE AGAIN YOU LOVE ME" BECAUSE IT COULD BE DONE IN A DAY WITH BASIC CAMERAS AND A BIT OF ANIMATION, KNOWING IT WAS GOING TO BE ON YOUTUBE AND NOWHERE ELSE. TO MAKE A VIDEO FOR "ARE YOU TRYING TO BE LONELY?" WOULD HAVE NEEDED A BUDGET OF THOUSANDS TO MAKE IT GOOD ENOUGH FOR BROADCAST ON TV, WITHOUT EVEN THE GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD BE BROADCAST. TO PROMOTE A RECORD TO TELEVISION WAS BEYOND THE REACH OF THE TINY BUDGET THAT WE HAD. IN THE EVENT IT DIDN'T MATTER..."ARE YOU TRYING TO BE LONELY?" WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL RELEASE THAT FEATURED PAUL WELLER IN 2007, WITHOUT TV AND WITH ONLY A BIT OF RADIO PLAY.
Do you feel connected to Mod movement? What is your idea of Modness?
THE MOD MOVEMENT HAS INFORMED AND INSPIRED ME EVER SINCE I WAS ABOUT 11 YEARS OLD. I STILL FEEL CONNECTED TO THE IDEOLOGY, THE PASSION, THE MUSIC AND THE STYLE THAT INFLUENCED ME THEN. MOD OR MODNESS IF YOU LIKE FOR ME IS THAT IDEA THAT THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO BE DISCOVERED. AND I GUESS THAT THE ULTIMATE BASIS OF MOD IS MODERNISM-A BELIEF THAT THE BEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES ARE IN FRONT OF US. YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK FORWARD. BUT IN THESE POST-MODERN DAYS EVEN THE IDEA OF A BELIEF IN THE PROMISE OF THE FUTURE IS A BIT RETRO, ISN'T IT?! THERE YOU GO, THE INHERENT CONTRADICTION OF MOD IN A NUTSHELL!!
(Ian Child) I would also be interested in knowing if your position in the band is permanent or are you just contracted tour by tour ?.........and if it is just tour by tour, has he been signed up for the next one ?
MR CHILD, WITH A QUESTION LIKE THAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING MY MANAGER? I NEED PEOPLE IN MY LIFE WHO CAN ASK QUESTIONS LIKE THAT ON MY BEHALF, PREFERABLY BEFORE I SIGN ANYTHING! SERIOUSLY, ALL I WILL SAY IS THAT WHATEVER THE CONTRACTUAL POSITION I FIND MYSELF IN WITH ANY OF THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH (WHICH I WOULD NEVER DISCUSS IN PUBLIC) I NEVER TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED AND TRY AND PLAY EVERY GIG OR MAKE EVERY RECORD WITH AS MUCH PASSION AND PROFESSIONALISM AS I CAN, LIKE IT'S THE LAST ONE I'M EVER GOING TO GET THE CHANCE TO DO.
It seems you’re a “melting pot” of many many influences, John Barry, Morricone, Northern soul, etc? Are you listening music all the times?
I DO LISTEN TO A LOT OF MUSIC, ALWAYS HAVE DONE. I'VE ALSO BEEN A BIG RECORD COLLECTOR...I DO FALL IN LOVE WITH SONGS A GOOD DEAL AND THEN SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY TRACKING THEM DOWN! THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD MUSIC BEING PLAYED ON THE RADIO HERE IN THE UK- 6 MUSIC, BBC LONDON, RESONANCE FM, AND ALSO ON THE INTERNET- MOD RADIO UK IS GREAT, AND THERE ARE DOZENS OF BLOGS AND WEBSITES THAT INTRODUCE YOU TO GREAT SOUNDS THAT YOU WOULDN'T HEAR ANYWHERE ELSE
What’s your last favorite LPs?
I JUST TODAY BOUGHT "ROLLING BLACKOUTS" BY THE GO! TEAM AND I THINK IT'S AMAZING. INNERSPEAKER BY TAME IMPALA WAS A GREAT ALBUM FROM LAST YEAR. ALSO I AM IN LOVE WITH (AND THIS IS NO EXAGGERATION) "BROADCAST AND THE FOCUS GROUP PRESENT WITCH CULTS OF THE RADIO AGE"- IT'S MY ALBUM OF THE CENTURY SO FAR. I'M ALSO REDISCOVERING (MAYBE THANKS TO BROADCAST AND THE FOCUS GROUP) EARLY ELECTRONIC MUSIC AND MUSIQUE CONCRETE-I GOT HOLD OF A COMPILATION ALBUM LAST YEAR CALLED "FORBIDDEN PLANETS" THAT TURNED ME ON TO SOME TRULY WONDERFUL SOUNDS. AND TO ROUND OFF, "MORTAL MIRROR" BY A US BAND FROM 2002 CALLED QUIX*O*TIC IS NO STRANGER TO MY STEREO AT THE MOMENT.
· So what are the stakes of this new mini LP? Why a mini one before a complete one? Can’t wait?
I JUST CAME UP WITH A SERIES OF SONGS THAT I FELT WENT WELL TOGETHER, AND PEOPLE I PLAYED THEM TO THOUGHT THEY WERE TOO GOOD TO KEEP TO MYSELF. I HAVEN'T HAD A RECORD OUT IN THREE YEARS SO I'M AWARE I'VE A BIT OF GROUND TO MAKE UP. I DON'T HAVE MANY FANS AND I FEEL THEY'VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH, SO THEY MIGHT AS WELL GET A LOT OUT OF ME THIS YEAR! AS FOR THE STAKES, WELL ANYONE WHO BRINGS OUT A RECORD HOPES IT'LL DO WELL. I'M NOT NAIVE ENOUGH TO THINK THAT "41" WILL GO MULTI-PLATINUM, BUT I HOPE THAT IT ACTS AS AN INTRODUCTION (OR A REMINDER) TO WHAT I DO MUSICALLY, AND SETS THE SCENE FOR AN INTERESTING MUSICAL YEAR. IF IT DOES THAT MUCH, I'LL BE VERY HAPPY.
How do you feel to use your voice as a lead singer? Are you confident about it?
IT STILL TAKES A BIT OF GETTING USED TO, BUT I MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT BECAUSE I'M AT THE HAPPY STAGE WHERE I LISTEN TO THESE SONGS AND IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE ME SINGING THEM. THE SONGS HAVE DEVELOPED A LIFE OF THEIR OWN. FOR ME THAT NORMALLY ONLY HAPPENS WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE SINGS THEM! I THINK I'M MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT SINGING THAN I WAS BEFORE. ABOUT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH MUSIC, IN FACT... I THINK THAT SINCE BEING INVOLVED WITH THE WELLER BAND I'VE HAD TO RAISE MY GAME AS A MUSICIAN. MY PLAYING AND SONGWRITING HAVE GOT BETTER, AND SINGING BACKING VOCALS ALMOST EVERY NIGHT FOR EIGHT WEEKS IN A ROW HAS STRENGTHENED MY VOICE AND TOUGHENED UP MY DELIVERY A BIT. I'M NOT CLAIMING TO BE A GREAT SINGER, BECAUSE I'M NOT, BUT I FEEL THAT I HAVE VOICE ENOUGH TO GET MY POINT ACROSS ON THESE SONGS, AND THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.
To be continued with Andy's agreement!
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