From: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org (seven-seas-digest) To: seven-seas-digest@smoe.org Subject: seven-seas-digest V3 #519 Reply-To: seven-seas@smoe.org Sender: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Precedence: bulk seven-seas-digest Saturday, December 18 2004 Volume 03 : Number 519 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 11:31:14 +1300 From: "Kristin Smith" Subject: seven-seas 2000 Les interview (1 of 3) This is the interview I mentioned yesterday. I think it is probably a good idea to post some of these older things to the list -- archives them on the web. [part 1 of 3] Its funny how things change. Mac left the Bunnymen in the 90s & Noel became his replacement. Mac went solo & Bunnymen Mk2 started to hit the road. Things started really well for both parties but as history reads things didn't carry on so well. Les & Will decided to call it a day with Will concentrating on his ambient project 'Glide'. Les started his own business & apart from doing an album & tour with (legendary) Terry Hall stayed out of the music business, although he did nearly become a member of Oasis. One thing led to another & Will & Mac put the past behind them & started to do some recording together under the name 'Electrafixion', one album & numerous singles later Les came back to the fold. The Bunnymen were back. Massive record sales & well deserved acclaim were heaped upon the band from all parties. With recordings with Oasis, Spice Girls coupled with a TV show theme along side appearances on the 'Letterman Show' & sold out shows all around the world things were going great guns for the band. Then Les left. Echoing The Bunnymen contacted Les & after a chat he decided that it was time to put the record straight on why he left the band. So armed with the questions you sent me I met up with Les at his yacht club, were he works as a Boatman in Southport & after a beer headed back to his new home in the Lancashire country side. Was it a positive thing when you rejoined the Bunnymen? Les Yeah, it felt continuos, it felt right it really did feel right. ETB Would you have preferred it if Bunnymen MK2 had done well? Les I think in retrospective & not taking anything from Noel because he was a brilliant bloke, he just didn't have that killer instinct that Macs got, although in his own way he was so easy to work with, that's why I think 'Reverberation' is musically a brilliant album. Damon & Noel put a hell of lot into that album but if Mac had come along & sang on the album it would have been fantastic. Mac had his World domination head on ETB So Les the question we all would like an answer to is why did you leave the Bunnymen? Les It was a combination of things, its hard to put them into order. Mac & the management where my biggest problem, a real regime had been evolving between them, it wasn't equal right from the start. Mac had his World domination head on & it started with the band. It felt like he was using the Bunnymen as transport for his songs from his solo career. The Bunnymen, where the Bunnymen, because of the Bunnymen ! Not because of Ian Mac. It all came to a head when I received a phone call about my mum being rushed into hospital, on the first day of recording the album, which late became known as 'What Are You Going To Do With Your Life'. I left straight away, to be with my Mum who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and had only 6 Months to live, I then moved in with her to care for her. I had a lot of time to think, things started to unfold about the band and I could see things for what they really where. ETB Did you ever think that success would evade the Bunnymen without you in the band? Les Erm no, at first I didn't think about it but it is with a bit of glee I must admit that since I left they got dropped two weeks after the album came out. Did you have good management? LesNo, possible the worse management we have ever had, people seem to have forgotten the deep scar of the 'World Cup' song. It started of just going down to the studio & trying to tidy up this song that Mac & Johnny Marr had written together & to be told that you were not going to get any money of it was a bit harsh, I would turn up at the studio to record & the management would say "oh we can't do any recording today as we have no singer, Macs in the studio with the Spice Girls". It was totally frustrating. Mac also thought that he should have more (cash) for writing the lyrics, that might be a good thing or a bad thing but from day one it has always been equal, even from the first song we wrote 'Monkeys' Mac didn't turn up for rehearsals, I did my bass line, & Will did his guitar it wasn't until the end that Mac came along & fitted his lyrics in around the tune. It use to be so nice, people came in & did there little bit on a song, Mac might put a bit of acoustic guitar around a bass line. We worked as a team there was no gain in egos. I rejoined the band after making a gentleman's agreement about my pay, Will said "that its not worth you doing it unless you are on thirds" then I went point blank to Mac & said "what's the score with royalties & publishing" & he agreed with Will. ETB Did you get thirds? Les No, songs like 'Nothing Ever Last Forever' were nothing before I rejoined. We would all work on the songs as equals & if that had been recognised I do think that we would all still be together now. It cuts you up when the session guitarist earns more than you. I got told that Mac only had a couple of songs left from his pass solo career to use on the album by the management, I thought great it will almost be a pure Bunnymen album, but I had to go and have another meeting with the management & then he tells me that's there's even more songs going on the album from Macs past. I got to the studio & Will would be in one room & Mac in a different room I would ask "do you not think we should be working together" & the reply would be "Oh don't worry most of the album is written & the Bunnymen work best under pressure". Bollocks this was so not Bunnymen style & this all happens the day before the phone call about my mum. I also received a phone call from the bands solicitor & he had to tell me how much the manager was getting for the 'World Cup' single before it had even come out, because he is obliged to by law, we were discussing my deal & I was telling him that I wasn't very happy with the publishing deal over the album, to which he reply's "well its only six or seven songs I have been working on the deal for a Month". So from what had started out as two songs on an album from Macs past now turns out to be six or seven songs. This along side my mum having cancer I phoned up the management & handed in my notice, it was on June 15th the anniversary of Petes death. When I handed in my notice the management said "don't go public with it yet I will get a press statement together & you can read it & agree on it". I thought that sounded great but four weeks later the Bunnymen were playing 'Reading Festival' with out me. As far as the press were concerned I was on along sabbatical Do you think it could have been different under a different manager? Les Yes maybe ! It was just a case of the management only listening to just one member of the band. I didn't fancy becoming Ian McCullochs backing band. ETB What was your happiest Bunnymen memory? Les I had loads, I think one of the best was in the early days playing the Uffizi sq in Florence Italy, it was sponsored by the local Communist Party but for some reason we got to play. It was mad you would have these original Michael Angelo statues about 20 feet away from you on stage, you couldn't build a better stage set. Back stage would be the river. ETB Did you like Brazil? Les Erm no, I liked the women, I don't think I have ever seen more beautiful women ever, I had a great time but it is such a poor people country, it was scary. ETB Do you still play your bass at all? Les If you want the truth I haven't touched the bass since I left the band, no I tell a lie I touched it to move it while I was cleaning. ===================================================================== Bunnymen Online Presence: http://www.bunnymenlist.com * http://www.bunnymen.info * http://www.bunnymen.com * http://www.fotolog.net/sgtfuzz/ * http://bunnymen.nexuswebs.net/ * http://www.angelfire.com/wy2/discog/ * ====================================================================== ------------------------------ End of seven-seas-digest V3 #519 ********************************