INTERVIEW WITH THE SMITHEREENS FROM TheCelebrityCafe.com ARCHIVES
Do you encounter any problems with being in two bands at the same time? (Buzzed Meg and Smithereens)
JB) Not yet. The live shows that we've done were always coordinated around the same time Pat DiNizio was out doing his solo thing. I plan on releasing a Buzzed Meg album sometime after the new Smithereens studio record is out, which should be in the spring of 1999. When it comes time to tour, the Smithereens will be my priority. If the timing works out right, I can tour with Buzzed Meg right after that. Kurt Reil (the drummer and singer from the Grip Weeds) is the lead singer in Buzzed Meg, and I have to consider his band schedule. They are about to release their second album any day now. Our keyboard player, Bill Maryniak, lives in Chicago and plays in several bands. Dennis Diken is the drummer for the Smithereens and Buzzed Meg, so our schedules should coincide, although he is also working on a solo side project. Vince Grogan, Buzzed Meg's bassist, is as patient as can be. I know he wants to play more with Buzzed Meg but I am trying not to play any more shows until an album is out. However, I am open to doing a show if the situation is right. I probably will encounter problems in the future, given all these variables, but it hasn't been a problem yet. I want to stay busy and I don't like sitting around. The Smithereens haven't released a studio album in four years. It was years. During those years I wrote enough material to fill two Buzzed Meg albums. I have also written songs for two independent films, am writing songs for soap operas with my friend Mike Dalton, have recently written a children's book with my friend Dan Adlerman, and I have even dabbled in jingle writing. The Smithereens have a deal with Velvet/BMG and I can't wait to start recording.
DM) To what do you attribute the Smithereens staying together for so long?
JB) Dennis and I have been friends since 1971. There is a bond there that can't be broken. I am not going to say that the band always gets along; sometimes we don't. When a band achieves a certain level of success, it becomes a business and that can be a drag. The one thing that keeps us together is that our passion and driving force is still to play and record music that we are proud of, no matter what the current trend is.
DM) I noticed in some old concert reviews that you usually end with your hit "Girl Like You." Do you ever get tired of playing it?
JB) No, I never get tired of playing it. "A Girl Like You" is the most popular song with our audience because of the heavy MTV and radio play, and alsobecause of live performances on shows like Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show and Arsenio Hall. That song had a lot of exposure, and it would cheat the audience if we left ANY of our popular songs out of the set. During the course of our career we have been fortunate to have a number of radio hits, most of we usually play during our live shows. There was a song called "Too Much Passion", however, which is the only exception. Even though it was a Top 40 hit, we don't usually play it because it doesn't fit in with our set list. We tend to do more of the rockers live, because that's what we like to play and that's what our fans respond to. "Too Much Passion" was purchased by people who listen to just Top 40 types of songs; but these people don't necessarily attend our shows and are not necessarily fans.
DM) I just read the Smithereens described as, "The best rock band in the world that nobody's ever heard of". A lot of reviews describe The Smithereens as an underground band and a cult band. With all the hit songs you've had, why do they still hang that label on you?
JB) I have something better than that. I was having a BBQ last week and one of my neighbors, I discovered, had never heard of the Kinks, not even the songs "You Really Got Me" or "Lola". It just goes to show that a lot of people haven't heard of a lot of bands.
The quote you asked about sounds like it was made up by a publicity person. I think there are a lot of bands today that have one or two albums that sell millions right off the bat without developing a core base of fans. After they peak, they have no loyal following for their music. The people who bought their albums just want to hear what's on the radio or what's popular at the time. Our career developed much more slowly than that. We played bars for six years before we ever put out a record on a label. That's why I think we can be seen as a cult band; we have a loyal following. We didn't have just one giant peak in our career and then disappear. I think people have heard of us; we just didn't become an instant household word. Another reason we might be considered a cult band is that many bands usually break up when they are in a down period. We chose to ride the wave and roll with the punches each time the down period hit. It's a bittersweet way of life and I think at times the quote applies.
DM) Speaking of the press... What question do you hear that you hate the most?
JB) I don't think I've ever hated a question from any journalist. Sometimes I am disappointed by interviews conducted during a tour, where I have to repeat answers that are already available in our press release. But otherwise, anything goes.
DM) If you could switch places with me and interview a celebrity, who would it be?
JB) I don't think I would be good at it. I probably wouldn't stick to the stock questions. When Bruce Springsteen came to one of our recording sessions, we talked about our children. I don't think I spoke to him about music at all. In my younger days, I was a bartender, and I enjoyed listening to stories that the regulars and oldtimers had to offer. I think everyone has an interesting story about their lives. I would probably feel more comfortable interviewing people who are not necessarily celebrities. I like to read about celebrities as much as the person... my library is filled with biographies. But I find that I like to read about the people who built the Holland Tunnel just as much. But I like to read about the interview the person who won the $10 million Sweepstakes! My question would be, "Did you subscribe to any of the magazines, or did you just send in the card?"