Bertucchio :
Just to start, the most usual question: let's talk about the new album...I must say that, if I listen to "Wishful thinking" or "Astral body", the music sounds more "easy listening" than in your last albums...it recalls me "Forever Young", somehow.
Gold :
No, our intention wasn't a comeback to "Forever Young". When we started to work on the new album, we just wanted to make a more clear and direct music. Okay "Forever Young" is clear and direct, but we didn't think about it. The new album is the natural development of our music.
Bertucchio :
And which is the title?
Gold :
It's still untitled. Anyway it will be released in April. Do you know the story around the title "UNITED"? Well, I had no idea about the title and I was going to call the album simply "Untitled" and then one day I had the idea to let out the first "T" and the "L" and "United" was born. But the Alphaville album cannot also be titled on that way (he laughs)
Bertucchio :
And what about your soloproject? About "So long Celeste", you told you made it because you wanted to express yourself without the usual compromises you must have with Alphaville...
Gold :
Yes, it's the same reason. So on UNITED it was different. It was like I wanted to keep the music as close as possible to the original demo-version. So UNITED is much closer to the original very first ideas I had about the music.
F.A.T. :
maybe because the first idea's the best
Gold :
yes and sometimes not (we all laugh)
Bertucchio :
But I don't know when you can understand it...
Gold :
who can tell? that's the problem
F.A.T. :
There should be a re-release of FOREVER YOUNG in connection with the computer Alphaville2000. What's happened with it? We have heard that the responsible firm broke the contract, stamped the single not as agreed and now the single will be not released.
Gold :
I cannot speak about business-things and I won't utter. It's so that the whole story is shattered and the project will not take place. That's all I can tell about.
F.A.T. :
But the name of the computer will be Alphaville2000 although ?
Gold :
Well, I want to doubt that.
F.A.T. :
but we've heard there was already promotion in a computer magazine with this name
Gold :
I think there are different kinds of interpretations if you can simply use the name or not, but I can nothing say about that, because anyway that's in the scope of business and I won't utter about something like that.
F.A.T. :
Okay. About the live musicians: how did you choose them?
Gold :
I found them. I worked in London and I think I worked on UNITED at that time and I was looking for putting a band together. And London I mean it's a place for this, isn't it?! You know it's full of musicians. And I met a couple of those guys. I knew some of them and how they play and I liked the way they plays. So it was free easy and London is an easy place to put a band together 'cause so many good musicians running round there. The first road was Martin and than I decided to arrange a couple of songs with Martin. And the rest of the musicians you know came step by step. Some of them I knew before, some of them I didn't. We heard so how they played and it was it.
Bertucchio :
Will you keep on touring?
Gold :
Next year
Bertucchio :
Are you thinking about promotion?
Gold :
Yes, with the new album we will go on tour and we will play also outside of Germany, hopefully go to Italy
Bertucchio :
Just a question about FAITH. You see a connection between FAITH and NO WOMAN NO CRY?
Gold :
Actually it's the same chords (we all laugh). Okay, but it's also the same chords of FOREVER YOUNG. And it's a kind of chords it's very communal and I use it quite for a lot of songs and some chords are very often used. You can sing all kind of songs in them. Since FAITH it's a reggae and when we were thinking about the extension part we found quite nice to put this thing into the song and I think it's quite a nice moment, it's quite nice attraction with the audience
Bertucchio to F.A.T....you had a question about the changing of the lyrics
Gold :
The changing of the lyrics?? The problem is that when I sing live I trend to forget lyrics and I have to improvise
F.A.T :
No I mean something else. For instance in JET SET you sang once "Germany" instead of "luxury" or so on I'm not so sure anymore. And you said about that it's our contribution to the German reunion...I liked that.
Gold :
(grins) it's because of Kohl said there will be flourishing landscapes ("blühende Landschaften") everywhere F.A.T. :Exact and this "blühende Landschaften" as intro from IVORY TOWER is so ingenious...you have to do it everytime in that way from now....
Gold :
well that depends from the feeling, the atmosphere
F.A.T :
yes, but that was so good, now I'm awaiting everytime if the song starts that you'll be saying "blühende Landschaften"
Bertucchio :
We're speaking about politics. What do you think about italian politicians?
Gold :
Oh I think they are great entertainers (laughs)
Bertucchio :
Don't you like Romano Prodi, the new president of the government?
Gold :
(the tone of his voice is amused and ironic, while he speaks) But the Italian presidents are always New, because they just stay for a couple of months. What I like at Italian presidents is they're all brandnew. It's not so boring like us, we just have Helmut Kohl. We have him since I mean 20 years. It's boring...
Bertucchio :
Yeah, it's always new but it's always the same thing...it's a little bit tragic! Well, we like to change...no Craxi (important politician in the Eigthies, when he was president of the government, too. Some years ago it was shown that he committed many crimes, so he escaped in Tunisia. Otherwise, now he would be in an Italian prison) is in Tunisia, now...
Bertucchio :
Yes...and he tells he's innocent...
Gold :
Yes, he's innocent (ironic of course )!! Naturalmente (naturally - he told it in Italian)!!
Bertucchio :
...like a hero who must die away from his country...
Bertucchio :
You promised a kind of collection of videos because everyone wish to have a collection of videos- best of videos of Alphaville. Are you planning about that?
Gold :
I don't know. We have this one collection with SONGLINES and I must admit some, a lot of the videos we've done I don't like very much
Bertucchio :
Okay...we too. (we all laugh). We are also critics.
Gold :
Allright...I mean that is the problem. When people come and ask can we have a collection of all the videos we will probably say: Yeah. Yes we will do it, but I don't know when
Bertucchio :
Okay...next century (and laughs)
Gold :
Maybe...next millennium
Bertucchio :
You move and you do many different things when you're on the stage for a live concert. When you're in playback or in a video you looks not natural, you don't like it I think.
Gold :
It's terrible, I hate that 'cause the most TV-shows are fullplayback. There's nothing you can't even sing. I hate that. It makes me really not feeling good.
Bertucchio :
so many bands if they are in playback are so convinced...
Gold :
great, I wish I would be like them...
Bertucchio :
No, I prefer you like that. Just a kind of message for the fans...
Gold :
don't loose your patience with Alphaville...waiting for the next album, waiting for the next live concert like everytime, but don't loose your paitience. You know finally we all will did it, we will do all the things...but it takes time... say you have difficulties with the audience, to go towards to the audience, to join hands. Is that correct or is it more accidental because you have to concentrade and don't think about the ausience...
Gold :
No, to join hands, I don't know I really have some inhibitions. Several times I nearly tugged into the audience because they didn't let go my hold. Since then I became more careful.
Bertucchio & F.A.T
. ...we thank you for the interview
Gold :
okay, thanx.
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