from=January 1996

Articles-'Downtown Radio' Interview


Interviewer-Johnny Hero


Transcribed by Peter Shevlin




Johnny: The Corrs, good morning to ya'
All: Good morning
Johnny: You're lookin' all very fresh, were you out last night?
Andrea: Maybe
Johnny: Ah, go on tell us somethin'
Jim: One of us were, the rest of us were in our bed by ten o'clock, I swear.
Andrea: You liar (laugh)
Johnny: Oh, right, so is it all as clean cut as it looks then, your image?
Caroline: Of course
Andrea: Of Corrs
Johnny: Of Corrs, aye
Andrea: Oh God, you've gotta be careful, we've been playing this game in the car all morning, where we have to answer questions with questions, so now we're completely in that mode of thinking
Johnny: Ah, c'mon do us a favour
Caroline: What favour would you like us to do (laugh)
Johnny: The last time I saw you was at that Celine Dion gig in the King's Hall, when was that November?
All: Yeah
Johnny: I think you did say you were goin' off to the states shortly after that
Andrea: November 7th
Caroline: Oh, straight after the 'Point', we...
Andrea: We actually went the day after that
Johnny: So what did you do in the states?
Jim: It was just more....
Johnny: Was it for T.V. and stuff like this?
Jim: We've done Beverly Hills 90210, I think that was the nightmare trip. After we did Dublin, we did the Kings Hall in Belfast and flew straight to Dublin, we did the point with Celine Dion and then went straight to Los Angeles the very next day. And we started, we spent a full day on the set of Beverly Hills 90210, and then after this, I mean this was a nightmare trip. As soon as that finished, it finished about eight o'clock, at ten o'clock we were on a flight to New York and it's called the 'red-eye' flight because you arrive with really red eyes. We got into New York and we did the CBS morning show, got in at six o'clock in the morning, this is with no sleep and as soon as the CBS morning show was finished we got straight back on the plane back to Los Angeles and played the VH-1, VH-1Billboard convention. I mean I think we slept for about 36 hours after that (laugh)
Caroline: Yeah, we were dead!
Johnny: So for everybody who thinks it's all fun and glam being in a band....
Caroline: No way, it's not.
Sharon: It is exciting, it's very exciting though
Johnny: What else would you be doin', are you all qualified to do anything else apart for playing music
Sharon: Well, I'm a rocket scientist (laugh)
Andrea: I'm a neurologist
Jim: I'm a brainsurgeon
Andrea: Same thing, that's how much he knows about brain surgery, see that, you're snared Jim.
Jim: I'm snared
Johnny: So, at last Ireland is catching onto the success, we were just looking through the Hot Press polls, and you hadn't seen them before
Andrea: No...
Johnny: And you feature in sort of, basically all the catagories you're entitled to be in, you're, you're up there for, nominated for best...
Andrea: Except for best T.V. show, I don't know why we didn't get that
Johnny: So you're in there in the runnin' with best album, best band, best single, even best album sleeve an' all
Andrea: It's brilliant, it's fantastic
Sharon: Oh yeah, it is it's really, We're delighted obviously because this is our home country or whatever, it's really great to have the album well received here 'cos thats probably the most important to us, it's very important y'know, when your playin' Irish music and you mix it with pop and rock music, you don't know how it's goin' to be received especially in Ireland where the music comes from, so it's great and now that it's number 3 in the Irish charts, it's just, we're delighted, we really are...
Johnny: Have you had, sort of, if you like, the purists, traditional music fans sayin' "How dare you take traditional instruments and use them in that fashion?"
Andrea: No, we've had nothing but a positive reaction as Sharon said this is what means most to us, is how it's responded to in Ireland, y'know, because of the traditional Irish sound to it all, in all it's been a great response
Caroline: I'm sure everybody has their feelings about it, but, eh, I mean , we don't know we're never here anyway to know, but...(laughs)
Jim: The majority of people that we've talked to are delighted to see music evolving the way that it is, with what 'Moving Hearts' have done and 'Horslips' did with music and I hope that we're trying to do the same thing aswell, sort of blending pop with rock with traditional Irish. I think with any music it's not, in my own opinion, it's not good to sorta put it into a box and allow it to stagnate, I think that it has to constantly evolve, and I hope we are doin' that
Johnny: You've got this album under your belts, so obviously this must have been done a couple of years ago, was it all written a while back?
Caroline: We spent five years at home in Dundalk, em, writting it in a bedroom studio around the corner from our house, yeah, we spent a long time and we've got lots of material, more material written that actually wasn't put on the album, but we picked the best, and put it on
Johnny: So is there a new album in the pipeline already?
Sharon: We try to, wherever we go, we try to put things together, I mean it was five years that we were working on 'Forgiven Not Forgotten' so obviously we have....
Johnny: Hold on now! How old are you (to Andrea)
Andrea: I'm 21
Johnny: You're 21 and you were workin' on this when you were 16?
Andrea: While I was at school, yeah, Caroline aswell, so we'd do it at night and go to school in the morning
Johnny: What were your parents thinkin' of, lettin' you get involved in Rock'n'Roll when you were supposed to be doin' your homework?
Jim: They were actually so supportive and so encouraging, they were involved in the music business themselves for 20 years, our father still plays in the local church in Dundalk, y'know just fantastic support and we're very very lucky to have that from them because I think, obviously with reason, with good reason, a lot of parents would try to steer their kids away from an industry like this because of the pitfalls that are associated with it, thankfully, its brought nothing but good to us, y'know, they're delighted with the situation
Johnny: Ah, fair play to them, right we have a tune, 'Runaway'
Andrea: OK so I'll run over to you
Johnny: No we're gonna play somethin' off the CD
All: OK
Johnhy: It'll be easier
Caroline: We'll finish readin' the Hot Press stuff (laughs)
'Runaway' plays
Johnny: Yeah that's the Corrs and 'Runaway' from the album, what's the album 'Forgiven Not Forgotten'? Very cryptic, does it mean anything?
Andrea: It's just a lyric, the title track of the album the first track on the album is 'Forgiven Not Forgotten'
Johnny: So you're tellin' me it doesn't mean anything
Andrea: No it does, if you listen to the lyrics of 'Forgiven Not Forgotten'
Johnny: Wait 'til I get my lyric sheet out then (laughs) Right you're gonna' sing a song now, that's what you're gonna sing actually, go on ahead
Jim: I'll just get my tuning here
They play 'Forgiven Not Forgotten' acoustically
Johnny: Oh that's brilliant, thankyou very much, that's class.
Jim: My tuning is wandering
Johnny: Y'see, I'm gonna go home and my mates'll be sayin "I hear you were talkin' to 'the Corrs'" "Yes, and I was surrounded by them" Jim, do you have to act the big brother now and again, when the men take an interest in your beautiful sisters?
Jim: Not at all, these are very very strong women, believe me, personality wise, they can handle every situation that comes their way
Caroline: He might get a little beating with a baseball bat if he starts interfering (laughs)
Johnny: Right, OK
Jim: They used to bully me when I was younger
Caroline: If you believe that you'll believe anything
Johnny: I'll cancel my next question then
Jim: What was your next question?
Johnny: No, I'll not ask it now you've told me what the girls are like (laughs) Are you gonna' sing another one? Yeah, the 'The Right Time'
They play 'The Right Time' acoustically
Andrea: It is definately morning time (laughs)
Johnny: Brilliant, thanks very much, now I'm gonna' do the whole like tourist bit now, I wanna' get my photograph taken and all here y'know. Are you gonna sit there?
Caroline: Well I might aswell
Johnny: Right, I need to ask you another thing, you said you had trouble, you were stayin' in the 'Europa' last night and you had trouble with you baggage an' all, what happened? Just tryin' to make excuses for your guitar playing (laughs)
Jim: I know, it just keeps wandering with the heat change. We had got the baggage transfered, it was going via Amsterdam, from Hamburg to Amsterdam and we were delayed getting into Amsterdam so we nearly missed the connecting flight, so as a result of that because we weren't on the plane, they decided not to put the baggage on the plane, it's supposed to be coming on the next flight, so the priority thing was to get the guitar. I had to go to this very kind gentleman, Derek, in Matchetts Music and he lent me this lovely...
Andrea: I hope your listening, Derek
Jim: And I still haven't got the guitar, the rest of the baggage arrived last night and the guitar, I don't know where it is. We're doin' 'Kelly Live' tonight so I'm really hoping that it turns up before that
Johnny: What about gigging up here in your own right, 'cos you went down a storm at the Celine Dion gig in the King's Hall, no concerts arranged for yourselves up here?
Caroline: We're really trying to find time to do it because y'know we're trying to get a lot of territories at the one time and we've already done a lot in America and we've just done a lot in Europe, so we're just trying to find time and hopefully in April or May we're gonna get back and do Europe and Ireland aswell which would be brilliant
Johnny: So, we've gotta wait until then? You're busy, swaning off in all these places, eh?
Caroline: We'd hope it would be earlier but...
Sharon: We're in Australia next month actually, we have to, we have to go to Atlanta, Canada, Japan and Austrialia in three weeks next month. And then we do another promo tour of the States in March and then hopefully we'll start on Ireland and then work our way around Europe and then do a real big, big enough tour
Johnny: The way you're sayin' that Sharon is 'ach we've gotta go to Australia and we've gotta do this', is it hardship or is it....
Sharon: Well we do have one gig which is incredible where we have to be in Australia when we've already done Japan and we have to fly back to France to do their major TV show in France which is gonna come out on St. Patricks' Day so we've to go from Australia to France and straight back to Australia, so y'know I think sometimes it's a little bit daunting but it's great to see the world definately
Johnny: It's funny 'cos the big news that broke locally here this week is that 'Fyfe' the drummer from 'Therapy' has resigned.
All: Oh really?
Johnny: Yeah, because of the touring, the record company just said to him we've got another 6 months for you in America and he said 'I'm not goin', I'm fed up'
Caroline: He's fed up, right
Johnny: So do you ever envisage gettin' fed up seein' the world?
Jim: Well it's for our own good, what we love doing is playing to people and y'know we have to get out there, we have to, it's all about gettin' known and unfortunately you have to do that, but what's wonderful about it is the experience you gain from being on the road. I mean it certainly broadens your mind
Andrea: But also we're very lucky as a family y'know because we have that, we have a bond between us, we all have the same objective and aswell as that you're not just seeing these places alone, you always have, the excitement is always shared. I mean I'd say it would, I'd say it's very hard on other bands in that you're very much alone at the same time being in your hotel, but like, we're a family so
Johnny: I suppose it's great for you because if you'd've been in a band with other people you'd be ringin' home sayin' "I'm in America, you wanna' see this place!", but you're all there
Caroline: It's great yeah, I can understand, definately somebody gettin' fed up but you have your good days and your bad days and that's the way it is
Johnny: Well we're gonna' say 'Cheerio' shortly, you did one of these things for me at the King's Hall, y'know the jingles, gonna do this live on the air
Caroline: You're springing this on us!
Johnny: No you've jus' gotta' do one of those,'Hello we're the Corrs and your listening to Johnny Hero' and all that stuff
All: Oh right, OK
Andrea: What will we, will I, yeah?
Jim: Hi, I'm Jim
Caroline: I'm Caroline
Sharon: I'm Sharon
Andrea: I'm Andrea, we're the Corrs and you're listening to Johnny Hero
Johnny: You see the folks back home can now, they know how these things are made when they hear them, 'How did you do that?', and it's as easy as that..
Andrea: But I didn't say the radio station
Johnny: It's on downtown, go on
Andrea: On downtown
Johnny: No do the 'Johnny Hero on downtown', right, go on ahead
Andrea: (laughing) This is funny go
Caroline: (deep voice) Hi I'm Jim
Andrea: (deep voice) Hi I'm Jim
Jim: Hi, I'm Jim
Caroline: (laughing) Hi, I'm Caroline
Sharon: (laughing) Hi, I'm Sharon
Andrea: (high pitch) I'm Andrea, (normal)We're the Corrs, your listening to Johnny Hero on downtowm radio
Johnny: Thankyou very much, thanks for comin' in, you're on TV tonight on 'Kelly'. So we'll get that taped, are you allowed to tape from TV?, no
Sharon: No, just don't say it (laughing)
Johnny: Right thanks for comin' in, best of luck
All: Thankyou
'Love to love you' plays


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