Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher - Aired April 23th, 1997. Guests Michael Hutchence, Howie Mandel, John Schneider & Helen Thomas.
Bill: All right. Welcome to the show. Let us meet our panel. INXS perform Elegantly Wasted, with some of the Rosie's band helping out with Keyboards.
Rosie: Back with Michael Hutchence, it's so great to meet you.
Michael: Great...Ok...
One of the most distinguished figures in American journalism, the grand dame of the White House press corps, Helen Thomas is over here.
[ Applause ]
And there she is. Hello, young lady. A handshake won't do it. (kiss) How are you? Please sit right down.
He is a singer, songwriter and actor who starred in "Grand Hotel" on broadway. He is also Bo Duke in the upcoming "Dukes Of Hazzard: Reunion In Hazzard." John Schneider, yeah! Hey, John, nice to meet you.
John: How are you, Bill. Nice to meet you.
Bill: Thank you.
John: Thank you, thank you.
Bill: An actor, a comedian and a cartoon character.
His new HBO Comedy Hour is called "Howie Mandel On Ice."(laughs)
I love that. Howie Mandel.
[ Applause ]
Bill: That's very funny. How are you, buddy?
Howie: Good to see you.
Bill: And finally, this man has sold over 20 million CDs as lead singer of INXS.(is he not a singer, songwriter, actor too?!?)
Their new one is called "Elegantly Wasted." Michael Hutchence.
Yeah. Pleasure to meet you. I'm a big fan.
Okay. All righty.
Well, we have something of an international panel here today. So I want to talk about the big international story.
I guess we all saw it on the news yesterday, what happened in Peru. There were hostages that were there for like four months.
And ah, yesterday there was a surprise attack on the embassy and they took it-- And some people are mad at this. The Japanese government is terribly mad. I don't know why. Because if anybody knows about surprise attacks, they should.
[ Laughter ]
Bill: I'm kidding. I'm just kidding.
John: That's right. We're not coming. We're fine. We're fine. We love Hawaii.
Bill: But Uhh...
Helen: Why are they mad?
Bill: Why are they mad? Because they were supposed to be informed, I guess.
And also, because a lot of people said that President Fujimori of Peru should solve this peaceably at all costs. I disagree.
Now, one hostage was killed. It's terrible when anybody is killed.
But I think a lot of people live in a world where they think that the choices are between a perfect world and an almost perfect world.
And really the choices are between a crappy world and a really crappy world.
[Laughter]
John: Right.
Bill: They're upset that...
Well, how do we know that there's only one... how do we know that the one person got killed?
I mean, was that the point that the press made about the war?
Bill: Yes.
John: So they did not underline the success, they underlined the
supposed failure?
Bill: Well, anybody who dies --
John: Why do they have to do that? I mean, yeah, somebody gets killed --
Howie: Just one was killed?
Bill: Yes.
Howie: Well, the acceptable number is always eight.
So I think that we came...
[ Laughter ]
[People talking at once]
John: Is that where "Eight is Enough" came from?
Michael: Laughs
Helen: All the rebels were killed. It wasn't just one person. It was one hostage.
Bill: But they're rebels.
Helen: So? Who do they think the American revolutionaries were?
John: They're the instigators of the problem...
Michael: This is a low, low statistic for one of these operations, by
the way.
Bill: Yes. Very lucky.
Michael: Most hostages are killed when they're being saa...rescued.
Howie: Really?
Michael:Yeah, 80% of all hostages are killed when they're being rescued.
Bill: So, don't be a ....
Howie: Where do you read that?
John: "Ransom."
[ Laughter ]
John: Read it in "Ransom"
Michael: Don't you think...
Howie: But even if one person who was killed, I don't know how
spiritual you are, I'm sure he's happy to be out of there, too.
[ Laughter ]
Bill: Helen, you say the rebels... I mean, and people talked about the rebels, the Tupac Amaru, they had a -
-
Helen: But they were human beings.
Bill: They were human beings, but you know what, they were Marxists.
And people talk about them like "Oh, you know, they're beret
wearing, Che Guevara types." I mean, this isn't "Evita."
This is not a movie, this is real life.
[ Talking at the same time ]
Helen: So all Marxists should be dead?
Bill: What happened?
Howie: So you're upset that they were killed?
Helen: I think that you always try to resolve conflicts peacefully if possible.
Howie: And a hundred and twenty-six days...
John: Wait a minute now. If these people who were fighting for what they believed in --
Helen: You shouldn't run out of patience when you're trying to save lives.
Michael: They were fighting for what they......
John: Were they fighting for what they believed in, these folks who got killed?
Bill & Michael: Yes.
Howie: And what they beleived in...
John: If you're fighting for what you believe in, and you die fighting for what you believe in, then I think that --
That's okay. If you're not willing --
[ Laughter ]
John:No, seriously. Seriously, if you're not willing to die for what you believe in,
then you don't believe in it. Right?
Howie: That's always been the rule. I watched "Dukes of Hazzard." and you...
[ Laughter ]
John: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Howie: I don't care if you have to jump over cars --
John: Yeah.
Howie: You get killed, you're fighting for what you believe in.
[ Laughter ]
John: That's right. Between the two of us --
between the two of us, we've had so many television shows that
have failed that we have proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, we
are willing to die for what be believed in.
Howie: So you think that it was totally wrong, that they went in at all? (speaking to Helen)
Helen: I think you should always keep trying, for a peaceful solution.
It saves lives.
John: But peace is not the absence of conflict.
Peace is what happens after a conflict has been completed.
Helen: You still have the chance of negotiating to the very end, I think.
John: But don't you think if people... especially if you're talking about spiritual --
[Talking at once]
Helen: Waco was the same kind of thing in terms of losing patience.
And you can lose patience, I grant you.
People keep prodding you, don't just sit there, do something. So, undoubtedly --
John: But if you've got people who are diametrically opposed because
-- based on religious beliefs, which the United States constantly gets involved in, and I think that's a mistake because we don't get it. We don't get that.
But if you've got two people that believe firmly that they are right in the eyes of their God, then I don't think we have any business getting involved in something like that.
I realize that's not the question. But back to if you are dying for what you believe in because you
believe that God is on your side, then you're willing to die.
So I don't see the problem with that.
Bill: But Marxism...These guys were Marxists.
And people forget that Marxism has caused more pain in this world than probably anything except the Bubonic Plague.
John: MmmHmm
Bill:So I don't have a lot of sympathy for the cause they're fighting for.
People forget that. They just see the berets. They got berets, they're cute.
Howie: They look cute.
[ Talking at the same time ]
Bill: But Marxism is Godless.
They were not fighting for any God.
John: Well, but we're talking -- we're still talking about the basic
concept that they're willing to die for what they believe in, God or not.
Howie: They are human beings and killing human beings is wrong, but
you probably saved a lot more human beings by doing this.
Bill: Right.
[ Applause ]
Howie: Even Marxists, who may have an idea and they want to go about
doing the same thing.
They see that, "Hey, if you're going to make this decision, you
could possibly die." You know, they had the choice.
They could have given up.
John: Marxism or something -- a beret or something else.
Michael: It's how you'd get to be treated yourself...if you were doing it by them...
[Talking at the same time ]
Helen: But they had a chance to kill a lot of people and they didn't.
Michael:-- You know what I mean?
What would the Marxists do if -- if you turn it around.
Bill: Right.
Michael:Would they just come in and just blow the crap out of the
place the first 15 minutes or would they treat you as well as you
deserve to be treated?
And I think that you have to -- if you're in the right about this and they're in the wrong -- and that's what you're thinking, the
Marxists are wrong -- you have to treat them as well as you want to be treated yourself.
That's why you have opposing parties.
Bill: Okay. I have to take a break.
We're way over time.
We will come right back.
Michael: Ok...
[ Applause ]
[ Applause ]
Bill: Okay.
We are talking about Peru.
And another reason I wanted to bring this up is because President
Fujimori, he's my kind of guy.
And he's a very decisive leader.
And Not only in affairs state, but he went through a nasty divorce while he was in office.
And actually had to lock his wife out of the palace. Umm And I wanted to compare this to --
Helen: Now what's funny about that?
[ Laughter ]
Bill: Nothing.
Nothing at all, Helen.
[ Laughter ]
It's the crowd.
Yes.
Howie: You are a nutty chick. (talking to Helen again)
You are.
[ Laughter ]
[ Applause ]
Bill: And the Dean of the White House press corps.
Howie: Oh, I didn't know.
Bill: Now, We have seen in Washington in recent days -- Newt
Gingrich needed $300 to pay off a bar tab or something, an ethics fine.
And he got it from Bob Dole, because he was afraid to ask his wife.
And Bob Dole gave him the money, but couldn't even tell his wife.
He revealed that -- he couldn't even tell his wife.
Colin Powell, who is my choice of President. No nonsense, tough warrior guy, but couldn't run because his wife
wouldn't let him.
[ Laughter ]
Bill: Why are the Republicans so whipped?
John: No, No no...Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...
[ Laughter ]
John:Why are the Republicans so what?
Bill: Whipped?
John: Wait a minute now --
Bill: Majority whipped.
[ Laughter ]
John: A marriage --
[ Applause ]
John:Hold on now. A marriage is a partnership. Okay?
The most important -- well, you don't have no ring. So you don't know what you're yapping about.
Bill: But
John:A marriage is a partnership. And in a partnership there's a certain amount of corporeity.
Do you agree?
Helen: True, absolutely.
John: There's corporeity in there, and I do believe personally that
the husband is the leader of the household.
I believe that. However...However...
Helen: No, no, no.
[ Many talking at once ]
Howie: If...If...If she lets you.
Michael: Laughing...
John: No, no. Wait a minute. No, no, no.
[ Laughter ]
John:I believe that. I believe that, because I believe that the responsibility is --
Helen: I thought you said it was a partnership.And All of a sudden, you've got a leader.
Howie: Are you married? You're married, right?
John: Oh, yeah, I'm married.
Howie:And you're wife's watching, isn't she?
[ Laughter ]
John: No, wait a minute. No, it's on at 10:00(or 2?) in San Diego.
Howie: Guess who's getting laid tonight?
John: Oh, Howie.
[ Laughter ]
[ Applause ]
John:Point being... That a good leader -- a good leader will seek wise counsel.
Now, if you have not chosen a wise counselor in your wife,
Bill:But if...
Michael: Laughing...Getting Laid...
John: that is so shallow. (towards Michael...like John can talk!! Michael actually seemed a bit upset.) You have not -- you have not selected wise counsel in your husband and wife relationship, and you cannot count on your wife as a husband to be the best counsel you've got, then you have no business being married to that person.
Bill: But the wife isn't the best counsel if she doesn't let the husband run for President.
[ Laughter ]
John: No, no, no, no. Uh-uh.
I don't believe this. See, I happen to believe like I said --
Bill: The man wants to run for President and his wife won't let him.
John: Oh, but you can't tell me that -- you were talking about your
choice for President. And so this is a wonderful man, a wonderful military man?
You think he's a wimp now because he listens to his wife?
Helen: I don't think he wanted to run that bad.
If he did, he would have run, and she would have gone along. Women -- most women don't want their husbands to be President.
But they all capitulate.
I mean, this is really a question of what the man really wants to do in that case.
Someday it will be a woman running for President and then we'll
have some real great President.
[ Applause ]
John: Don't you think that this is the same thing, that people don't
believe these days that a man's ability to be true to his wife has nothing to do with his ability to run a country?
I think that's such garbage. I really do.
I do believe in the unity of marriage.
And I believe that it's important.
Bill: You mean, you think a man can't cheat on his wife and if he does, he'll cheat on his country?
John: Absolutely.
I think if his wife can't trust him --
Bill: How does that work practically?
John: If you, See, you can't go there because you're not there.
If I can lie to my wife, then I can lie to you, and probably
will, to everybody else.
Howie: But I believe you can lie to me.
[ Laughter ]
John: I will not lie to you. "Bobby's World" was my first favorite cartoon television show.
Howie: That I believe.
John: It's true.
Howie: Thank you.
John: That's very true.
Howie: I don't think that the woman has all the power.
I think, though, if she doesn't agree, then that's enough power. Because in the workplace, if you're with somebody who doesn't
agree, you can leave. If you're in any other kind of situation, you can leave.
But your wife, you can't leave.
You can leave, but then she takes everything with her.
[ Laughter ]
Bill: I have to leave right now and we will come back.
[ Applause ]
[ Applause ]
Bill: Okay.
I wanted to talk a little bit tonight about science. Because every day there's something incredible in the news about science.
Cloning we had earlier this year, and the comet, and cars that drive themselves.
John: Is that really you?
Bill: What are you --
Howie: Cloning.
Michael:The sheep.
John: Ya, the sheep.
Bill: And somebody wrote me a letter here. And I made a promise to myself, because they were actually
concerned about this and they were worried.
And they said, "I can't get it on the media anywhere else and maybe you'll mention it."
And I felt I should. And I think they were right.
They said there's new credit cards coming out, where instead of remembering a P.I.N. number, they're gonna have you put your thumbprint, to make sure that that's you.
And they said, "I don't want this because then the thieves are gonna cut off my thumb."
[ Laughter ]
Which I think is absolutely right.
John: Good point.
Bill: Yeah. You'd be one less...
John: Good point. One less point.
Bill: My question is...
John: How long would it last? We probably shouldn't talk about that.
Bill: Well, they cut off your thumb, you know, God knows... let's not go there.
Howie: But he's a thief!
He's a mohel. That's where you were going.
[ Laughter ]
Howie:Go ahead.
John: Hitchhiking would be way down.
Bill: There's a lot of technological innovations like this that supposedly make our life better.
But I don't know if we were better off before when we didn't had computers that isolated us, for example.
And, you know, high-definition TV, we have to go out and buy that. And stuff like that.
Michael:It all started with the industrial revolution, which I have something to do with.
[ Laughter ]
Bill: Really? Why is that?
Michael:Because my daughter, 9-Month-old daughter, her great-great-great-grandfather was Joseph Hargrieves, who invented
the spinning ginnie. And he used to always say --
Bill: I always thought Eli Whitney invented that.
Michael: ..."Watch out for those credit cards with the thumbprints."
[ Laughter ]
Bill: I don't know...
John: Hundreds of years ago.
Howie: Technology, I can't really -- I'm a Jew.
And Jews technologically aren't, we're not --
John: The best camera shops in New York City.
Howie: Really?
John: Uh-huh.
Howie: I don't know that. We weren't into that.
That's why we wandered for 40 years. We didn't even have anything.
We didn't say, "You know, I wish I had a gadget," we just wandered.
We didn't even make bread.
That's why we have matzo this week.
We didn't even have an oven.
We have nothing.
And we got along fine like that.
[ Laughter ]
John: There's never been a bigger demand for '50s and '60s
automobiles.
Howie: Yeah, but those are collectible art pieces rather than what
we're using in everyday life.
John: Well, they do drive them around, though.
There's a lot right across the street.
They drive them around.
Howie: Yeah, but not too much.
John: Well, we're not talking about Jay Leno.
[ Laughter ]
[ Talking at the same time ]
John:A '68 Charger to drive around.
Howie: You would get that kind of car as your, as your second car or third car.
That wouldn't be the car of choice for everyday transportation.
Helen: Show piece, Collectors Item
John: Do you get the point, Howie. Do you get the point? People are kind of slowing down.
I mean, I saw a balsa wood cell phone, just to try to do kind of a period thing on "Doc Quinn."
Howie: There you have it.
John: You saw a balsa wood cell phone?
Bill: But there's a good example. A cell phone was supposed to be the greatest improvement in our lives.
And they find out that cell phones cause more accidents than
drunken drivers now.
John: Oh ya...
Bill:So, it seems like every bit of technology we come up with actually causes a negative.
Michael:That's 'cause we're just fumbling with it. We're still getting used to it.
John: It isolates you, like the computers you were talking about.
Helen: You have a phone when you're in an emergency.
And as a reporter, when you have a phone instead of having to run
two miles to get to it --
John: My mother has one in case she gets in trouble. And here comes the punch line.
Howie:No, it is not a punch line.
But if you look at the statistic and I'm sure you know them, right? (talking to Michael)
[ Laughter ]
Howie:So a lot of people got killed with air bags and cell phones and
all that kind of thing.
But I'm sure the per capita, the number of people that were killed with rocks thousands of years ago is probably equal.
[ Laughter ]
Bill: You are correct. Okay.
Howie: It's true
Bill:We have to take a break. We'll be right back.
[ Applause ]
[ Applause ]
Bill Entro: All right. Tomorrow we're gonna have Joely Fisher, Steve Allen, Bill Press
and Joe Nickell.
Listen, this is a great album. I love this album. I love INXS.
And while we're talking about technology, one of the great innovations, the electric guitar.
Michael:Yeah.
John: Oh, yeah.
Bill: Wouldn't music suck without the electric guitar?
Michael: laughs...
John: Absolutely.
Bill: Don't all those unplugged things suck really?
The Late Show with David Letterman - Aired April 22nd, 1997
David: Here you go...this mothers day give mom she's always wanted...Tupee in a cup...Our next guests are a wonderful rock and roll band from downunder, they have just released their first cd in three years, It's called Elegantly Wasted, here they are INXS....
INXS Perform Elegantly Wasted.
David: Very nice Thank you for being here...My my...Nice job, thank you Sir. Good to see you again....INXS....great song thank you Sir, good to have you here...Thank you very much, we'll be right back folks, thank you...
Davids Endtro: Hey Paul, do me a favour, think about something for the band....Backup singers....
Paul: Now your talking...love those outfits too ...ya
David: Backup singers...I want you to think about one other thing..Tupee in a cup...It's what mom wants for Mothers Day... laugh... My thanks for INXS, Roma Downey, Katie Curie...........and Bob Reedy star of SnakeQuest 2000...Tom Sneider is next...Thanks for watching, Good Night everybody....
The Rosie O'Donnell Show - Recorded April 16th, and Aired April 17th.
Shannen Doherty, Howie Mandel, and INXS.
Rosie Intro: Alright, get ready. Our next guests, are one of the greatest rock bands around, and after three and half year, there back with their new cd Elegantly Wasted.
Please welcome, the amazing INXS.
Rosie Endtro: Woooo...Excellent, thank you (kiss $392,000). We'll be right back with some talk with Michael, with more from INXS, don't go anywhere.
Michael: aw, great to meet you.
Rosie: I've seen you in concert.
Michael: Ya?
Rosie: In fact I think saw your first concert ever in US, I think. Which was when you opened for Adam Ant.
Michael: laugh...
Rosie: That was you guys right?
Michael: ya ya ya...That was us...Ya
Rosie: Ya, It was like in a College.
Michael: At St.Johns or something.
Rosie: St. John's College.
Michael: Ya Ya Great. Laugh.
Rosie: And my cousin was somehow on the staff, and I got to go back stage, and I was staring at you and everything.
Michael: Laughing.
Rosie: Not that you'd remember it...But...
Michael: I do I do...no
Rosie: Laughing...Well, it's great to have you guys back, you took a little break, like three years off....
Michael: Ya...ya a bit of time off...
Rosie: Ya, and...
Michael: It was nessessary...
Rosie: Ya...But you always intended to get back and do more music...
Michael: Oh ya, definitly...ya, ya, and we...we're feeling really good, we've got....I think we've got a real good INXS record here, so ahh... you know, we needed some...we needed to spare you all us for a while of us, so we're back with us, and it's ah looking good.
Rosie: well I'm happy that you are, I love your music...I really do. I understand you have a new baby?
Michael: Ya...
Rosie: A baby girl?
Michael: MmmHmm...
Rosie: How old is she?
Michael: Uhh...she's going on nine months now...
Rosie: Nine Months, What's her name?
Michael: Her names Heavenly Heranni Tiger Lily Hutchence.
Rosie: Wow...A lot of H's in there....
Michael: Laughing...Ya...H H H
Rosie: She's her own Four H club almost...
Michael: Almost Ya....
Rosie: Now, when you go on tour, will she come with you?
Michael: Noo, she left yesterday actually back to London with her mom Paula, and ah...she'll you know, she comes out for a week here, a week there...You know...
Rosie: Ya...
Michael: Can't do it too long...
Rosie: No...Is she sleeping through the night yet?
Michael: She's great, no she's ah...honestly, it's my first baby, and she's just perfect, I mean I can't beleive it. Everybodies like, the bands like..."You wait till you have kids..." and and then...and I'm like...(shrugs) laughs..."Great typical Michael..."... She sleeps all night, she just laughs in the day, and giggles....and smiles and never cries.
Rosie: Ya, that's like my son...
Michael: Right, Laughing...
Rosie: But wait until she gets to be two...she starts hit other children...
Michael: ya...Ya ya exactly...I know all that...
Rosie: My son has been doing that...It's bad....it's embarrassing for the parents...
Michael: Ya Ya...try not to get...Try to put the heads back on...
Rosie: Exactly...Do you live most of the time in London?
Michael: Ya, I do lately...
Rosie: ya, and your from their originally...
Michael: ya...ya...no no From Sydney...
Rosie: Australia...
Michael: Australia...Ya...Ya...
Rosie: And you just live there?
Michael: Ya, it's easier than the fourty hour flight every weekend...you know..
Rosie: Ya, Do you by any chance know Nicole Kidman?
Crowd Laughing...
Michael: Ya, I think I've met her...
Rosie: You've met her...
Michael: Ya, Some stage, you know she used to go out with a friend of mine.
Rosie: Ya?
Michael: Ya...
Rosie: Really who?
Crowd laughing...
Michael: Maybe I shouldn't...oh nobody...
Rosie: I'd like the dirt on her...
Michael: LAUGHING
Rosie: No, being from Australia ya know?
Michael: That's right, ya, Tom huh?
Rosie: Ya...
Michael: Ya, I heard...
Rosie: ya, you know...whatever...
Michael: Ya, I know...
Rosie: they're over in England now, if you see them, say hi from me...
Michael: Laugh...I will...
Rosie: Now, you guy are touring...umm...starting when, in August?
Michael: We're touring, ya, we're August coming back in August, we're just doing a sort of uh...you know promotion , but we'll be back in August and we'll be playing...tour all through the summer..
Rosie: Ya...Do you enjoy touring, or does it get a little grooling?
Michael: No, we love being on stage, I mean, it's the 22 other hours a day that you know...
Rosie: Ya, it's tough, any crazy fans ever do any weirds things to ya? Cause I know rock and roll guys you got some whacky fans...
Michael: MmmHmm...Uhh, ya actually ya a the other day in ahh...in Stockholm we're having a big launch of the record, you know, because it's out now, and someone said, this girl said to me, look come here come here come here, I wanna I wanna show you something, I wanna show you something, and I'm saying what what what what...leads and she me into the bathroom...
Rosie: Oh oh...
Michael: and I'm like Oh-oh ... ya, I think I've seen one of these before...
Rosie: laughing...
Michael: And um...laugh...she says...she goes into the cubical, and she says...LISTEN...and I hear this..."tss tss tss....tss-tss-tss-tss...tss tss and I'm thinking...whh whh whh whats that, whats that, like...and she says...starts getting very upset, and says Don't you recognize that, it's need you tonight, I'm peeing it for you....
Crowd laughs hysterically....
Rosie: No!! Way!!! Oh my god!! You know what...when I goto the bathroom next, you know darn well I'm gonna try that Michael!
Crowd laughing...
Michael: laughing...
Rosie: Will you sing that song for us?
Michael: Laugh...Ya, absolutely..I'd love to...
Rosie: I need you Tonight up next....Elegantly Wasted is the new cd INXS...on tour in August, buy it, go see it, and stay turned they'll be singing it after this commercial.
Rosie: The New cd is Elegantly Wasted, back to sing one of my favourite songs...INXS....
INXS Perform Need You Tonight.
Rosie: Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you,Thank you....INXS Elegantly Wasted, Buy the cd....We'll be right back in a minute...Excellent....
Rosie Endtro: INXS They rock!! They rock!!... Look out... Look out... you know you want it...on Friday show Dudley Moore, bye bye everybody....
Much Music - April 12th 3pm - Aired Live across Canada. 1 hr of INXS. Interviewer-Rick (The Temp)
INXS rehearsed in the Much Environment for over an hour, before the cameras starting rolling for this interview/performance on air. Was looped, and then replayed again during the following week in it's entirety.
Rick: Don't you just love, when we give you what you want...I'm talking INXS, I'm talking Live right her in the MuchMusic Environment. Welcome Guys...
INXS: Hey... Our pleasure...
Rick: It's good to see you guys, I've been a fan for years and years. So, were gonna be talking to the guys later on, but ah, we're just thinking, maybe, maybe you want to play right off the bat.
Tim: Ya...sure
Rick: So lets do it, this would be off their 1987 KICK Cd...Need you Tonight, INXS right here on MuchMusic.
INXS Perform a unique "unplugged sounding version" of Need You Tonight.
Rick: Very Nice, Very nice guy, very nice. Sounding as incredible as ever. We're gonna do more of that...
Tim: Certainly different.
Rick: We're gonna be talking to you, in just a little while, but ah...lets get to a video first...I'm not talking Backstreet Boys video, I'm talking INXS video... This is off of Welcome to Wherever you Are, back in 1992, lets check out Not Enough time, here on MuchMusic....
NOT ENOUGH TIME VIDEO...
Rick: You are back with Rick The Temp, and INXS to my extreme right here...You guys, thanks for coming...
Tim: Hey, Our pleasure...
Garry: Sure, ya
Rick: Is this your first time in the Much Music Environment?
Michael & Tim: No no..
Rick: You've been here before?
Michael: Oh Ya... We've never done this before though.
Rick: You've never performed though...
Tim: First time with this Guitar...
Rick: Wow...
Michael: In fact...
Tim: In fact...
Michael: Ladies and Gentleman...
Rick: Very honoured, Uh...This is the new one, lets show it right off the bat, Elegantly Wasted is the name of it, Ahh...in stores Tuesday April 15th...
Michael: ya...
Rick: So, pick it up if your out there...you like the stuff...Now this one was done in Vancouver?
Michael: Ya...
Kirk: yes it was...
Michael: A couple...We spent about a month in Vancouver, ya....A lot of it was done, actually ah, in sort of...Andrew and I, while Andrew and I were writing it in just hotel rooms, and stuff...
Rick: Yep..
Michael: Just kept the recordings.
Rick: Yep...Whats different about this new Record? From Previous.
Kirk: It's a new one.
Michael: It's the...well, I don't know, it's kind of two sided... you know, in parts of it you know it's the kind of that INXS funk, you know, thing, and ahh attitude stuff...laugh...and part of its more ahh...but a fresh, a think it's a really fresh record for us....We're happy with it.
Rick: I keep forgetting to introduce people, so lets do that now....Let's do some names now...
Tim: Ok...Sure...I'm Tim and I'm a Leo...
LAUGHING...
Michael: I'm Michael and I'm Aquarius.
Kirk: I'm Kirk, I'm just that.
Not sure who speaks here...
Andrew: Oh Hi, Emm...My names Andrew Farriss and that's.....
Kirk: It's the Back Line Boys...
Jon: Jon Farriss (taking the mike off the Producer of the show) And I'm a Leo.
Garry: Garry Beers, not a Vegetarian.
Rick: Good meeting you all. Oh, You can hang onto that...Garry. (talking about the mike)
Garry: Oh thanks, I'm not gonna sing.
Rick: Is there such a state of being Elegantly Wasted? Or would the state be Like Obnoxiously Wasted?
Tim: More of a Province really.
Michael: Laughs... Uhh... Sure we all try... you know, We're all professionals...
Rick: ya ya...
Kirk: Just do everything Elegantly.
Rick: And you've been there before? or...
Michael: Mmm Hmm...laugh...
Rick: In the liner notes, this is really cool, the people will get to see this this coming Tuesday, but ah...there's some nice firebirds...
Michael: ya ya...
Tim: Well, they were good before we got hold of them...
Michael: Ya, they used to be
Rick: Do they belong to any of you guys?
Michael: all of us...
Tim: Ya, all of us...Ya, I got a door at home, Umm...laugh...Kirk's got the trunk...
Michael: No, we got a bunch of them, for ...to make up this album cover.... we had a lo lo...good time, making this cover up. making up this world...you know, it's a trip...
Tim: It was the most fun we ever had making an album cover...it really was ya.
Rick: And this was down in LA?
Tim: Ya, LA...out in the desert.
Michael: MmHmm....Out in the desert out in LA...
Rick: Being around for like so many years, I think it'll be 20 years this coming August.
Michael: MmmHmm...
Rick: 17th...
Michael: MmHmm...
Rick: 1977
Michael: MmmHmm...
Rick: Umm...(Tiger giggling) Do you ever have troubles, coming up with new material, or new stuff. Do you ever sit there like just thinking...
Michael: Nah, I mean, there's a lot, we all have really different tastes and opinions about certain things, so you know...sometimes it's just a big argument to see which direction we really, really want to go in...that's all....and then we go there....You know, and on this one ...this album, just went click click click...
Rick: Is that right...
Tim: Yep..
Rick:That's great.
Tim: We actually spent the most time ever writing this record, that's one of the differences with the others.
Michael: Ya...
Rick: How long?
Tim: Uhh, well basically it took...
Michael: Nine Months.
Tim: Nine Months, for Andrew & Michael to write it, but they do it really casually too....
Michael: Two weeks to record it.
Rick: Is that right?
Michael: Ya...laugh...just about...
Tim: It wasn't like nine months of hard writing was it chaps? It was...
Michael: Well...
Tim: Weekends here...and...
Michael: Not for you...laugh...
Tim: No, Definitly not for me...laugh
Rick: You guys, have been together, like there's no new members, the original six are here...in front of us...
Michael: Ya..
Rick: How do you...How how...how does it...like...do you get on each others backs every once in a while...or can you...put up with...
Everyone speaks at once...
Michael: laughs...
Tim: Depends what you mean.
Rick: Umm...laugh...
Garry: You mean the beast with six backs.
Rick: Like, you've all made it this far, so I'm sure like...
Tim: Ya, well you know, we all get on each others backs not and then you know...Umm...laugh...
Kirk: Real bum being the bottom guy.
Tim: laughs...Ya...exactly.
Rick: Completely flattened out. I've always been dying to ask this question to an Australian.
Tim: Oh Oh...
Michael: Don't ask it...
Rick: You coming from Sydney...
Michael: Ya...
Rick: Your familiar of Austrlian Rules Football...?
Michael & Tim: Ya Ya...
Rick: Whats with the tight shorts on the guys..
Michael: It's so they look sexy.
Rick: Is that right?
Michael: Cause they're HE Men.
Kirk: We're believed in showing what we're made of...
Michael: ya. ya there's less protection, the better you know.
Tim: It's a man's sport.
Rick: But they look like they are running fast.
Michael & Tim: They are.
Kirk: Can't bend over in them.
Rick: Can't bend over in these things...
Tim: To be honest, most Australian wonder the same thing.
Michael: It's a Melbourne thing...it's a Australian rules....
Tim: We're from Sydney...
Michael: We're from Sydney.
Rick: Oh I see...But Sydney has a team (Tiger Lily giggles) right?
Michael & Tim: Ya we do.
Tim: In fact we came second this year, which is....but they have slightly bigger shorts, laugh...I guess it helps.
Rick: Have you ever played?
Tim: Ya...I grew up playing it...
Kirk: Ya, I actually played before one of the major games Umm, at the Sydney Cricket ground, just recently for a Charity thing.
Tim: And Kirk kicked a goal!
Kirk: and I kicked a goal, but mind you, when I kicked this goal, I'd just been like rumbled under, my glasses got broken, right, so I had no glasses, and I kicked a goal, it's great. I'm blind as a bat.
Tim: Just shows you how difficult it is.
Kirk: I think I must have thought I was kicking it to a guy, but it was actually the posts, you know.
Rick: Tall skinny guy.
Garry: Running down the field though.
INXS mumbling...
Rick: And one of the funniest things about that sport aside from the shorts, the refs at the end that go like this.
Tim: Ya, ain't that funny.
Kirk: The Thumbs...Goal...Goal...
Jon: Means you need to lose some weight.
Rick: What...What's that? laugh...
Jon: You need to lose some weight...(gestering the thumb gestures, joke...)
Laughing...
Kirk: How big?
Rick: We're gonna do more talking, more chatting Umm, but first, I'd like to, I'd like to hear some more music, I'm sure the people at home would like to hear some more music, and you guys want to hear more music right, from the band? (Crowd cheers...) Cause I tend to talk a lot...so, lets get back to Elegantly Wasted. Track Number six, I'm just a Man, right here INXS.
INXS Perform I'm Just a Man.
Rick: I'm Just Man, off of Elegantly Wasted, new from INXS which will be out Tuesday April 15th. Pick it up, it's really good. Sounded great guys.
Tim: Thank you...
Rick: Let's go to another video, talking INXS, this would be The Strangest Party. Right here on MuchMusic.
The Strangest Party Video.
Rick: We threw a couple songs in INXS, their still trying to work somethings out here.(INXS talking amungst themselves).You know they've been around for 20 years, but still, they make mistakes once in a while. Umm, are we gonna talk...are we talking on or...? (gets their attention). You guys want to keep talking amungst yourself...laugh...or or....
Kirk: Are you...are you talking to us?
Rick: You want to talk amungst yourselves?
Michael: Oh...Oh sorry...right ok....we're rehearsing...
Rick: Back with INXS the rehearsing never stops around here...
Tim: Oh sure...
Michael: work work work...
Rick: I'm sure around the recording studio as well...
Tim: Yes...that's true.
Rick: You guys... I'm sorry?
Kirk: Oh nothing...
Rick: laughs...sorry...
Tim: The fun never stops
Rick: You guys have been touring for a long time, thousand and thousands of gigs, different parts of the world, do you still consider yourselves Citizens of Australia or can we give you the title citizens of the worlds?
Michael: Oh totally, no no no....Australian, Australian, Australian, Australian....
(tiger Lily mumblings)
Tim: Even though I have four passports
Michael: Ya, laughing...we got very...have got four stapled together, but you know, with stamps. We're Austrlian.
Kirk: Definitly Australian.
Rick: I've never been there I'd like to get there someday.
Tim: You should come on down.
Rick: I was in new Zealand.
Michael: yep, Just around the corner.
Rick: Yep
Tim: Just a long swim away
Rick: When do you find your music most exciting.
Tim: When? You mean time of the day or...
Michael: laughs...
Rick: Is there...
Tim: Whenever play it...
Rick: Whenever you play it?
Tim: Ya...Live...yep sure...
Rick: It excites you ever time? It's never boring?
Tim: Laughs...Uhh...No not really, I mean, I hope not, otherwise, you know, there's no point being there...
Rick: Good answer, GOOD ANSWER. That was a nice one eh...
Kirk: Tim gets the answer award.
Rick: laughing...you guys ready to play again?
INXS: Yep sure...
Rick: Two songs this time...
Michael: Two songs in a row
Tim: We decided to throw in an extra one in...
Rick: Your gonna do one from the new album again.
Tim: yep, Everything.
Rick: Called Everything, and that will be followed by one of my favourites Never Tear Us Apart.Beautiful let's do it boys.
INXS perform Everything, and Never Tear Us Apart.
Rick: Great stuff guys, great stuff. That was...ahh...Never Tear Us Apart, was that off Kick?
Tim: yes...
Rick: 1987. Beautiful.
Tim: it's certainly was.
Rick: I remember seeing that tour with Ziggy Marley. Opening up for you.
Tim & Michael: that's right...ya ya...
Rick: Fantastic, at the Exhibition Grounds there. Anyway, more INXS after this break. Fantastic.
Kirk: We had the best cook...
Rick: Oh did you?
Into Break....out of break....INXS yelling....all pumped up....
Michael: We're back...
Rick: Wow, that was louder than GlueLeg yesterday, hardrock band. We're back with INXS, and over the years, there's been a bit of exposure on your private lives.
(Michael uncovers his crotch)
Michael: hold on...
Rick: Hey, whats going on? Kirk's doing up the fly...Being analysized, being critisizied, is there ever a time when you guys justwant to walk away from it all, and forget about it?or or or...
Kirk: In fact that's it, we're leaving....(Kirk & Andrew jokingly start to walk off the set...Garry following...)
Michael: This is it ya...No, you know, you got to get into it. It's like if you give up because you're selling a few less millions records, or you know...we do it cause we do what we believe in...you know...
Tim: Ya, Exactly.
Michael: Roll with the punches. you know...
Tim: We'll be damned if we let someone outside split us up.
Michael: (tigerlily making noise again) ya, and you know critics have a job to do...and we're keeping them in work, you know, everyone needs a job to do. laugh...
Rick: That's true...
Kirk: We all need one.
Michael: We need one, they need one...so you know...it's like, you know...all working together...
Tim: Cart and Horse.
Rick: Did ahh, Michael this is gonna be directed right at you.
Michael: Ok...
Rick: A few years back, did you invest some money into a movie for reasons of a tax break?
Tim: We all did.
Michael: No, we all did....ya ya
Rick: Ok, If my information is correct, is that Crocodile Dundee?
Tim & Michael: Yes...
Tim: We didn't think it was gonna do that great.
Michael: It was our first Royalty Check. It's a stupid story, I don't know how it got around. But anyway,
(Tiger Lily interupting) Michael and Tim laughing at her.
Michael: Funny...(Tigerlily making noises...Tim making faces at her...) it was our first Royalty check and we had to get rid of it, know what I mean? and ah, ya, so Paul and his manager tried to...give us a script, and you know, we thought it was a pretty you know funny film, and everything, but you got a tax break you know, from the governement, especially those days, that's why we have a lot of Australian film, so we try to invest in Australian film, but we ended up with a much bigger problem in the end than we envisaged.
Rick: Millions and Millions that one did...
Michael: It did well, ya...
Rick: Now, do you feel partially responsible for the Australian Stereo type. You know, put the Shrimp on the Barbee.
Kirk: No, I think it was all Paul really...Paul Hogan
Michael: I don't know...you know...(deep sigh)
Jon: Besides, they're called Prawns anyway...
INXS mumbling...and laughing...
Tim: Not only that, they ARE really good on the Barbee.
Michael: No there's a lot of Australian life thats, you know, Sunshine, and Barbeques, and people going around, it's very spontanious...and ahh...very casual, and that's the great thing about it, you know...
Tim: Much like Canadian life.
Kirk: Out here it's very Outdoors life too...
Rick: Oh ya?
Michael: And yet, but at the same time, it's become a very sophisticated, and cosmopolitan place as well, You know, incredible actually, in a couple of years what's happened.
Rick: Very nice place, very nice...Huge coastal line too.
Michael: If you want a beach its a good place to be.
Rick: Any surfers?
Tim: I am, I still Surf...
Rick: On the internet...
Tim: Yep...
Kirk: Laughs...
Rick: What do you think of that whole internet world wide web?
Tim: Oh it's great...I mean, we're going through the communcation, revolution in a sense...
Michael: Your kidding...
Tim: Ya know, from mobile phones, to the internet it's....you know, I mean, in a way, I think it's a really good thing, because communication solves a lot the world's problems. And everyone can now find your credit card number you know...
Kirk: on the other side of the coin, it was invented by the US Military, so...
Michael: So it's easier to hack into...laugh
Kirk: So..I don't know...
Rick: Do you guys have a web site for INXS?
Michael: Ya we do. Ya...
Kirk: It's actually only just being put together now, I don't know if it's up and running...
Michael: This week...
Tim: There's a few unoffical ones as well, I mean, there all worth checking out.
Rick: Ya, I think someone behind me, here has one on the internet...
Tim: really?
Rick: ya, yep...
Tim: Cool.
Michael: Hi
Tim: Hi (waves at me & Lisa)
Jon: Hi Web
Michael: Dot Dot...Laugh...(tiger laughs)
Rick: You guys came from a generate which there aren't many suvivors left, I'm talking big bands like, U2, REM, Depeche Mode...
Tim: The Cure...
Rick: The Cure...
Tim: Yep, they're still around.
Rick: What do you make of all this?
Michael: It's good....there aren't many left I guess, we're seventies bands really, we keep getting labeled as 80 thing, but we're really from 77 when you know, stuck between punk and disco we were born. And um, that makes for unusual bands you know.
Kirk: Also one our biggest albums was in the 90's...Which was X....I guess we could be a Seventies, Eighties, Ninties band...laugh...
Michael: I think we're all the bands that are kind of interested in the possibilities, you know...
Rick: Well, you know what, don't stop, keep giving it your all...
Kirk: I think you should change the name of the station...Hutch Music.
Rick: Hutch Music, we're gonna end here with the latest off Elegantly Wasted, again it's out Tuesday April 15th if you wanna pick it up. This is Elegantly Wasted right here on MuchMusic.
Michael: Bye...
Rick: Thanks a lot
Elegantly Wasted Video.
INXS were in Toronto for three days, the 12th of April 1997 being the last of the three. After several "Elegantly Wasted" release parties, they were on their way to Chicago... I will add the radio interviews, and old tv footage as soon as I can. Cheers, Suz xox
If you have any further interviews, articles, etc... please contact me. SUZ.
What You Need - The INXS Fanzine - 17 InkPen Lane, Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 2H2