Rolling Stones Interview Transcript

10.11.1997

THIS IS A TRANSCRIPT FROM THE OCT. 9, 1997 SMASH MOUTH LIVE INTERVIEW. "RS SMASH" IS THE NICKNAME FOR GREGORY CAMP (GUITARIST):

OnlineHost: Your emcees tonight are Gary (AOLiveMC10) and Mary (AOLiveMC5). Welcome Smash Mouth!

RS Smash: Hey guys! Greg the guitarist here. Steve is sick, resting in the Smash tub ... So fire away!

AOLiveMC10: We all hope he gets better.... Well, lots of questions, and lots of guests...let's get started. (1)

Question: How did you come up with the idea for "Walking on the Sun?"

RS Smash: That was a bike ride through a bad neighborhood. But that was about 5 years ago. I presented it to the band I was in and they thought it stunk. We resurrected the song six months ago. (2)

AOLiveMC10: Good idea...loved it.

Question: Hi. How long have u guys been together?

RS Smash: Three years. Steve and Kevin the drummer have known each other since grade school and they found Paul and myself at a club and threatened us into joining their band.

Question: When the band members of Smash Mouth were kids, what were their favorite bands or singers?

RS Smash: I know Steve is a big Elvis fan and Kevin is a speed metal freak. Paul digs everything from Jefferson Starship to the Buzzcocks. I liked everything from Earth, Wind and Fire to KISS. But that was when we were young. Things changed around puberty.

Question: What music group would u like to work with?

RS Smash: I would love to work with Craig, the DJ from Sugar Ray and Lee "Scratch" Perry, any sort of dub-reggae artists.

Question: What songs are you going to release next? I like Padrino, and Pet Names, but really I like all your songs.

RS Smash: The next single is a song called "Why Can't We Be Friends," a cover of an old WAR song. We'll shoot a video the 26-28 this month by the guy who did our last video and Sugar Ray's video for "Fly."

AOLiveMC10: We have lots of questions regarding Fush Yu Mang, and the meaning behind it. Care to explain?

RS Smash: Well, while we were recording the record, we watched Scarface over and over again, and its actually a slang term of something Tony Montana says in the movie. (3)

Question: Where do you get your inspiration?

RS Smash: Our inspiration comes from everyday life and relationships with people. We get enough out of everyday things for tons of songs. It's all about environment.

Question: What do you do in your spare time?

RS Smash: Ride skateboards and bikes. Write songs, fish, draw pictures of our guitar tech.

Question: Where would I find the lyrics to Walking on the Sun?

RS Smash: It's in the latest issue of Guitar world. The tablature and lyrics are in there with a big, beautiful picture of me.

AOLiveMC10: LOL

Question: Hi, my name is Stacy, I was wondering, what is the favorite place you've toured to so far?

RS Smash: Gotta be Seattle and No. 2 would be Stubb's Barbecue in Austin, Texas.

AOLiveMC10: We have a lot of questions regarding tour dates/places. Where would our members get that information?

RS Smash: There are two girls that have started a web page for our band. And they're going to address that soon. Right now, however, your best bet is to find Interscope Records via a search engine. Dates should be there. And there's always Pollstar's site. (4)

Question: Hi!! I just saw your show at the Hollywood Palladium, a couple days ago and was really impressed with your show =) How is it like to tour with Blur, and what did you mean that they were a weird bunch?

RS Smash: Touring with Blur was fun, but their crowd wasn't very receptive to Smash Mouth and while we will miss touring with them and the crowd size, we won't miss their actual audience. (5)

Question: What complications do you face when trying to write lyrics?

RS Smash: Trying to write music and lyrics that the other guys in the band could fit themselves into and not be uncomfortable in. So, writing songs that I think they'll like, keys they'll be able to sing in is complicated. But they're always in mind in interpreting the songs. (6)

Question: How are you guys dealing with all of the sudden stardom that has hit you?

RS Smash: It's hard, because we came out of working day jobs just a few months ago. Now our days are full of things we aren't used to, like press such as this. But we have a good crew that keeps us pretty straight, sort of like our dads.

Question: What do you guys think of all the generic ska bands out there?

RS Smash: I don't think there are any generic ska bands that you hear on the radio. They're all influenced by different aspects of reggae and ska. We met Rancid a few nights ago at the Palladium, and they really laid it out by saying, "We like the Clash," who were basically a rock and ska band. But I think that everybody is touching base with a different part of their roots.

Question: Where did the guitarist get those massive shades? (7)

RS Smash: At a sporting goods store in San Jose. $11.99 + s/h. Just kidding.

Question: Who is the guy that designed the CD cover? Its awesome!

RS Smash: My best friend since seventh grade whose name is Dino Passanissi(sp). The car on the cover is actually mine -- it's a '62 Ford Falcon and I bought it 4 or 5 years ago on the day of Lollapalooza during the year Beastie Boys played (and stole the show).

Question: Does Smash Mouth have a fan club like thing, if they do, where can I join?

RS Smash: There is info online and in the CD. Address 645 McGlincey Lane, Suite D Cambell, CA 95008. If you write us, we will send postcards back.

Question: What is your favorite song on the album?

RS Smash: Probably Padrino. It's fun to play, I think it's a little bit like a rock opera, and it's on a subject that I and the drummer are particularly fond of -- the mafia.

Question: How did you like playing the Poi Fest in Hawaii? What did you think about Sunburn, the opening band?

RS Smash: We didn't play it. We were supposed to but missed our flight. The last crew we had - the road crew -- was fired the night before by the record company without us even knowing. But we are going back to make up that date at the end of the tour. But that's cool, now we can go and play and kick back a little.

AOLiveMC10: ::laugh:: Going back to the beginning, about Steve. . .

Question: Steve I hope you get better, and what is the Smash Tub?

RS Smash: Just whichever tub happens to be around. And he'll be okay, he's sipping on some hot tea - an ancient musician's secret for bad voices and colds. (8)

Question: What's the song The Fonz?

RS Smash: It's about people that we know that aren't exactly great at what they do, but they're so in with a certain click that they could never not be the coolest. Sort of like all the Arthur Fonzarellis in the music world right now. (9)

Question: I heard that Walking on the Sun was originally a rap song. You guys did a great job with it, and I was wondering what changes you had to make??

RS Smash: Instead of makin' it a rap song, we added a melody to sing. The music was way different because I wasn't in this band before. At that time it sounded a little more like Santana. But we added a little funk-ness to it. (10)

Question: How do you feel about the growing popularity of punk/ska?

RS Smash: I think it's great that it's resurfaced. It's like the fourth wave of ska and the billionth wave of punk. It's nice to hear bands on the radio like Buck O Nine and Goldfinger. It's nice to know that they we can travel the world and earn a little pay. (11)

Question: What would be some advice you'd give to someone who wants to start a band?

RS Smash: Practice until you're bleeding, knock down doors until your fists are blue, make friends with local people and keep the faith. Go for what you believe in, no matter what it takes. Be in music for one reason: Just to love music and play in front of people so that one day you'll be able to play in front of more people and get your message, when you have one, out. (12)

Question: How old were you when you first started playing guitar?

RS Smash: Nine. My first guitar was a Franciscan nylon sting flamenco guitar. First chord I learned was A, and I'm still tryin' to figure it out.

AOLiveMC10: Greg, we have time for one last question. . .

Question: What is your favorite kind of guitar?

RS Smash: Mosrite. And that's all I play. Mosrite 64 Ventures. I like Surf music a lot.

AOLiveMC10: Thank you Greg Camp, from Smash Mouth! We all had a blast. Closing comment?

RS Smash: Thanks everyone. Catch you on the road.

AOLiveMC10: Thanks to Rolling Stone, and thanks audience members for the GREAT questions! Night, all!

I had so many questions, but unfortunately I came in late so my important and reflective questions never showed up. There was also a lot of people and many of them did not know how to send in their questions (as I did initially). I was in "Row 14" and we were disappointed at the brief hour-long interview (especially RavenRabe). Anyway, I decided to annotate this transcript so that I could feel like I participated in the interview.....

footnotes:
(1) I can only imagine that Steve probably had too much of a great time from last night's performance at The Joint here in Las Vegas: MackDaddy with Kamikazes while imitating "The King" equals to interesting side-effects...Anyway, I was so happy that there was a lot of fans in that forum. They definitely have great taste!

(2) This is a great story. I have ancient screenplays in my hard drive awaiting an imminently huge digital hayfire to burn away in a cyberspace trash-heap. Perhaps one of them will be an Oscar-winning indie flick...Ah, a guy can dream, can't he?

(3) I wrote this during the interview: "Hey, I alluded to that in the opening paragraph of my story in my Smash Mouth fanpage!" Still, I find it strange that my subconscious chose to remember that gangster flick. Perhaps hearing The Fonz, Padrino, and the allusion to the mafia in Why Can't We Be Friends would just make a person aware that Smash Mouth is fascinated by the underworld.

(4) I immediately wrote again: "Hey, I have a Smash Mouth fanpage as well as another cool one by Kermit's!" I then finally realized that Greg couldn't read a single damn word I was typing.

(5) I sensed that feeling when I saw them perform at The Joint. I guess it was because Smash Mouth was not heavily advertised. And when I went to TicketMaster, they told me that Smash Mouth's name is not showing up in their computer. You know what I learned? Screw TicketMaster and go straight to the concert place and buy the tickets there to avoid paying extra fees. 'Nuff said. Anyway, Smash Mouth really gave one hell of a show (see my concert experience) and I guess most of their audience were tame Brit-pop fans. Don't get me wrong, I like groups such as Oasis (despite their arrogance--but it's the music that counts). Anyway, I know that it won't be long before America and the rest of the world make a household name out of Smash Mouth.

(6) I felt like saying, "Greg, you are way cool in always considering your other members. Now that is the sign of a true artist--willing to make compromises for the benefit of everyone involved in the group. If one was so stubborn in always getting one's way, Smash Mouth probably never would've created a melange of awesome, memorable, and diverse melodies." Of course, at this point, I wasn't typing anymore during the interview but blabbing with other Smash Mouth fans in my very bored row.

(7) I had to say this in my row: "What the hell kind of question was that?!!!" I sent in so many thought-provoking questions (such as "What is the total body fat of a tush-et-lele-poo during the winter season?") and I wonder why they didn't choose them!

(8) For some reason, I just can't picture Steve holding a cup of hot tea.....

(9) You heard it straight from the horse's mouth! Never mind my interpretation, then!

(10) Though I like rap (except hard-core gangsta rap, though I was obsessed with NWA back in high school), I wonder what a rap version of Walkin' On The Sun would've sounded like? Nevertheless, they did an awesome job with this song. This shall definitely be their "trademark" song for centuries to come (though I hope that people will realize that their musical styles is not only limited to that retro-jazz, hippie, and funky type of music).

(11) I managed to cut & paste this bored conversation:
>>(--edited--): (14)now ska iz goin 2 become all mainstream
>>(--me--): (14)Once ska becomes mainstream a new form of music shall evolve--ooohhh.....
Hey, I thought my reply had some value. What do you think? Remember the death of the big-haired, hairspray-infested heavy metal 80s? The Seattle sound then came into being starting with Nirvana. What will happen to ska/punk once the music market becomes saturated with it? Nevertheless, I shall steadfastly remain a Smash Mouth fan for better or for worse.

(12) That comment was worth waiting for during such an agonizing and boring hour. It's the type of advice that is applicable to anyone who want to pursue his/her dreams.

EXTRA NOTE: AOL members can download this transcript and others you missed by typing "transcript" in Keyword. I should've just done that in the first place!!!

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