Langes Interview (5 Seiten) mit Paul auf the Mexican Site. (in Englisch)
Gemacht bevor dem Ullevaal Konzert.
Kam heute über die Int. Liste.
http://www.geocities.com/cancciola/PALINTERVIEW.html
bye ,
Claudia
Langes Interview (5 Seiten) mit Paul auf the Mexican Site. (in Englisch)
Gemacht bevor dem Ullevaal Konzert.
Kam heute über die Int. Liste.
http://www.geocities.com/cancciola/PALINTERVIEW.html
bye ,
Claudia
Danke-cooles Interview und Paul scheint ja echt gut drauf gewesen zu sein ! Aber was gibt er ständig für Laute von sich ??
miste,auf seite 3 ist mir der rechner abgestürzt...aber pal scheint wirklich gut drauf und ziemlich lautmalerisch zu sein!
Mir gefällt das 'huuuuaaaah' am besten . Bei mir geht nach der 4. Seite nüscht mehr !!
jetzt hab ich alles lesen können.die seiten sind aber völlig überladen finde ich,mit all den bewegten bildern und hintergrundschriften usw.da kann man teilweise gar nix mehr lesen.aber süße photos - auf der letzten ein bild von mini-pal!
*nochmalprobier*.......Jetzt klappts bei mir auch ! Mich haben vor allem diese rumschwirrenden Video-Ausschnitte genervt, aber Klein-Paule ist echt goldig
Ja, die Seite ist wirklich völlig überladen! Schade!
hier ist der mini-pal!
und noch ein lauren-bild!
Ich hoffe, mir reißt jetzt niemand den Kopf ab, wenn ich das Interview hier mal reinstelle...
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOR THE MEXICAN SITE OF A-HA AND THE NEWS PAPER "LA PRENSA" WITH PAL WAAKTAAR, GUITAR PLAYER OF THE NORWEGIAN BAND A-HA; FROM OSLO, NORWAY.
Yes a-ha is back, and in comparison with other bands from
"The 80´s", they are coming in grand style. They were very famouse in the middle of the 80´ with the single called "Take On Me". And what about the video? they won 8 MTV awards in 1986, an spectacular one that combines color images with black & wthite comic version, definitely one of the best videos in the history of music videos.
Now a-ha is more mature than ever, they are back with a new album called "LIFELINES", a beaufiful recording full of great tunes, some of them quite similar to Beatles music (maybe these are the only mistake, because a-ha doesn´t need to sound like The Beatles). There´s music to move your feet included as well.
We wre in the Ullevaal Stadium for my interview with Pal, it was
14:00 PM and my appointment was at 14:30 PM, so I was early, but this is better when you are not in your own country. Pal was there
five minutes early, he said hello and we started.
Pal: Hi, when did you arrive in Norway.?
Tania: Last Saturday, but I think that Norway is hotter than México.
Pal: Nope. I don´t beleive that.
Tania: Yes, just look at me.
Pal: HA HA HA.
Tania: Well let´s beguin our interview.
Pal: OK.
Tania: Do we have any chance to see an a-ha´s concert in México.?
Pal: Yes, why not (he laughs.), there is always a possibility but everything depends upon a good offer and the promotion, because in the past we have done a lot of tours extensibly in Latin America and Brazil; and we made great shows there, and sometimes the question comes up to go there, again but nothing was ever set in concrete.
Tania: Do we have any chance now.? (c´ommon Pal tell me something different).
Pal: (he smiles) I don´t Know, as I told you everything depends upon an offer and the promotion there, so I don´t Know if a-ha is going there.
Tania: Well, let me tell you that actually you can listen a-ha all the time on the radio, and not only to "Take On Me", you can also listen to "Cry Wolf", "I´ve Been Loosing You", "Crying In The Rain",
"The Sun Always Shines On TV"; And the video "Forever Not Yours", is played on a rotational basis on our latinoamerican video channel, so are these the kinds of promotion.?
Pal: (He acted very surprised), Really!
Tania: Yes, of course.
Pal: Well, this is great beginning isn´t it?; It could be a start in some ways, but promotion of the album
is also very important.
Tania: And why doesn´t a-ha have the right promotion, is because of the record company, or what is
the reason.?
Pal: Humm. We have been away from the public light for many years now, so we have to star over
again now to correct that. It´s also struggle make a company create the right kind of promotion. You have to be very experienced to choose the right single, but I think we´ve been doing very well considering all the circumstances; Also, the audiences have been very loyal to us, and that thing that you said about the latinoamerican channel is really a great rebirth after all this time.
Tania: Well now let me ask you something, I am writing a book about 80´s music and I want to talk
about that era. ?
Pal: Are we in it. ?
Tania: Yes, absolutely.
Pal: (he smiles very proudly), yes of course.
Tania: How was the first time, that moment taht you listened to "Take On Me", for the first time. ?
Pal: I think the first time, I really remember, they said that it was going to be played at midnight, so it
was 1:05 AM, and we were still sitting and waiting there in the middle of the night, and it didn´t come up
(he was laughhing very strongly). But I remember when it really hit us; We were on the beach in Los Angeles, sitting up and eating ice cream on Santa Monica beach and we had a radio on and it played
"Take On Me" on three different stations with different parts of the song, that was when we said,
"Guaauuu! this is really happening.
Tania: But it was really hard in the beginning wasn´t it.?
Pal: Yes, of course! 80´s music had a very hard time in the beginning. I mean it took quite awhile, and
we were a band from Norway, and England was very closed at that time to foreign bands; Now It´s
really different because everything comes very quickly.
Tania: Was it a kind of racism against foreign bands. ?
Pal: Yes, sort of, the fact was that, before us, no great band from Norway ever tried to expand their music, to make something different; Our dream never was to be only a local band, our expectations
have always been high. It didn´t matter how this transformation could take place in such a mess.
Tania: But you changed something in Norway, because now you can listen to other bands from
Norway. Like for example, the girls from M2M and is thanks to...?
Pal: haummm! We´re thankful for that the world of music we opened up a door, much earlier.
Now it is much easier. Now it almost comes more exclusive. I know that now small Norwegian
bands are doing it quiet well in England, and this is really great.
Tania: About tomorrow´s concert, Are you nervous. ?
Pal: Actually I´am a bit nervous (he laughs), because so many of your friends are coming
tomorrow and is outside. In Norway it doesn´t really get very dark.
Tania: But it would be a big party because so many people from other countries will come. ?
Pal: Yes, I´am very excited, let´s see what happens tomorrow.
Tania: Let´s talk about the Royal Albert Hall, is a sold out concert and WEA England didn´t put
any fingers in the promotion and they don´t have the record yet. ?
Pal: Yeah, (a deep breath), In England it´s just a little bit like in other countries, we talked with the record company and they said: "Oh, no it´s been a long time, nobody wants to go, no one
wants to hold it." I think this inspired the air from the negative response, and it got to Albert Hall and then went to all the areas and now it is sold out; and I believe this was a very good way
to kick the record company (he smiles very proudly). But of course, Royal Albert Hall is special, because we had been placed there before and we had a great time.
Tania: And You have to be very special to play in the Royal Albert Hall, don´t you. ?
Pal: Yes. Actually there is a famouse Norwegian song from earliest seventies that is a kind of petereat. That song is really about how hopeless it would be that someone in a Norwegian band manage to play in RAH, because nobody could do it at that time; Maybe there was someone, but nobody wanted to, and we did.
Tania: Tell me now about another special place for you, "Brazil". ?
Pal: We are going there in August. We will be there for a week. It´s another place that we had a great time.
Tania: But this place is very special isn´it. ?
Pal: It has, yes absolutely. It´s been like a medicine. I mean that´s why we go there.
Tania: Because you need a medicine for the band. ?
Pal: Yes! (we laughing very strongly); I remenber when we went there somebody called us and
told us how we had so many hits there and how the people bought the albums very well, and,
of course, when we went there we could realize that with the people; And in the early nineties,
that was when we played in the Maracana Stadium for the Rock In Rio festival and the atmosphere was great.
Tania: Did you enjoy that show.?
Pal: Yes, of course, the audience was fantastic, and then we managed to tour Brazil extensibly,
Rio and could it , and that you really had to be special to do something like we did in the
Maracana Stadium!.
Tania: But you agree with me that all this depends on the audience.?
Pal: What you mean.?
Tania: Yeah, the latinoamerican audience is not the same as the Japanese, the European or
those from the United States.?
Pal: Well, I mean that everybody is different actually even here in Europe; We have different languages, different cultures and actually it´s the same when you make a concert outside and when we do in small auditorium. Of course, for example, in Brazil the people are amazing
"too much energy" (he smiles very surprising) with all the band this is guauuu!; It was great experience there and I don´t think that this could be done in Europe after midnight when you were waiting so many hours; Brazil is a tremendous place.
Tania: There any plans to tour the United States.?
Pal: Well, I am not quite sure about that. We had some plans to do something in November, but the record company said that they need more "time" to prepare; So I don´t know, let´s see what happens.
Tania:Let´s talk about your solo work; Tell me about SAVOY. ?
Pal: Yes (a very, very happy face)!
Tania: Tell me about that great album you made.?
Pal: Wich one, because all are great once. (he smiles).
Tania: The last one "Reasons to stay indoors".?
Pal: We made it in a very short time, but we had all the songs ready for when the time came for
it to be recorded; And, well Savoy for me is very special for so many reasons; With these I am
not telling that a-ha is not, but things with a-ha are more like a Hollywood film and Savoy is like
a an independent film. When we talk about a-ha we are talking about charts, places, money, and
it´s like a races; And SAVOY for me is very inspiring because a lot of songs there didn´t have space in A-ha, and in Savoy I feel free in all the ways; In Savoy everything is different; I feel
myself more brilliant.
Tania: What you mean in a-ha you can´t be "free". ?
Pal: Hummm, when we talk about a-ha we are talking about more pressure when it´s time to write songs; It´s always a lot of people with different opinions and so many people "talking".
In SAVOY, I´am the boss (he laughs, he was in a very good humor).
Tania: You or Lauren ?...
Pal: (ja ja ja), No! We work together; All the creative side is Lauren; she made all the videos and the albums covers, and I do all the producing and arranged.
And now we changes the record company; We now sign with "Virgin Records".
Tania: Guauu!. That sounds fantastic.?
Pal: It is.
Tania: So that means more projection. ?
Pal: Yes, finally we can go other places with the band to open up other frontiers, and this is absolutely great.
Tania: What do you think when the people are frigtened, when you start a new project in SAVOY and then they start to imagine that you might leave a-ha.?
Pal: (He smiles) Yeah, well it´s the same thing with Savoy. For example, when we made Minor
Earth with a-ha, the people who follow Savoy think the same, and it´s the same a-ha vs Savoy
and vice versa, and this is really uncomfortable because they don´t understand that you can do the two bands.
Tania: I read in an article, that you didn´t collaborate in the "Lifelines" album because Savoy was more important for you.?
Pal: No, that´s a lie, because when I finish my work with Savoy, I start recording with a-ha;
it was like that to that. It wasn´t like I didn´t want to go back. So I promess to deliver that
album, and I did, but it wasn´t a weird album for a-ha at all, I had to write 10 demos in three
weeks so I had a lot of extra weeks (he laughs).
Tania: Well I don´t think that you have any problems in writing the songs did you.?
Pal: Yeah, but it was under more pressure than I would like to do. Next time I´am gonna be more prepared.
Tania: So at what time do you rest, especially when you have a baby.?
Pal: (all the happiness of this world appears on his face), Yeah, it´s great, it´s super.
Tania: Auguie keeps your feet on earth.?
Pal: Yeah. With him I do things that are real. There are so many egos, everything fades on you,
everybody tell you what you have to do and how to manage.
Tania: Is it hard with the egos between the emmbers of a-ha.?
Pal: (He smiles) Sometimes, but let me tell you one thing that´s not hard. It has to do with
other people that act like a maniacs. It has to do with people around us, but I don´t think it´s peculiar (he thinks for a while); Well I don´t know. You are supposed to be like "that".
You can´t go some places. That´s why I don´t like to make long time tours because it´s not the same now as in the past. Every one of us has their own families now. Auguie is growing so fast that I don´t want to miss anything.
Tania: You don´t want that Auguie knows you only by photo, "Oh, that´s my daddy".?
Pal: Yeah, (he smiles again). Well, now he can go with us, but later it would be quite difficult.
I would prefer to make short trips.
Tania: Talking about other things, "who" decided wich single would be promoted when you have
a new record? Because talking with another musician, he say that the artist has the last word
in which single you choose for the promotion.
Pal: We formally we never agree between the three of us; We decided this is the "single", but
we normally say three different things, and that becomes very hard. We are evolving, but
sometimes you have to leave the choice to others to be decided: We try to push in advance in wich direction we want to go. The best way is to decide by yourself. The best thing is not to put anything in the album that you feel uncomfortable with, and especially when you will playing on tour.
Tania: Was it easy to work with so many producers.?
Pal: Not so easy, because some producers want to do the same song maybe 4 or 5 times, and
that means a lot of work. So I really don´t think we wanna do that in another album.
Tania The other day I saw some of your paintings. Are you planning to hold an exhibition.?
Pal: Oh, did you see it.?
Tania: Yes!
Pal: Hummm! Well, not really. It´s just a hobby once a year (he smiles). It´s only for myself.
I had an exhibition, but that was all.
Tania: Tell me about the new video "Lifelines". I read that it would be something like the
video of "Take On Me". Is it true.?
Pal: Well, it´s a surprise.
Tania: Oh, come on.
Pal: We are still working it on it, but it´s an interesting one, because it´s an "art film" about a
one year journey though Northen Norway in 1991, directed by a Norwegian talent,
Morten Skallerud.
And in this film, the director is showing hoe life evolves in a year. It´s a very interesting
video. The only thing in that we could compare with "Take On Me" is that we will be using the same techniques in animation, but it´s different. The song is very similar to the film,
and now we put more money in it. Of course we always invest a lot of money in our videos,
but it´s great once they are done good.
Tania: You really enjoy to work with Harald Zwart, and you made "Forever Not Yours" and
"Velvet" with him. And you were in Cuba as well. How was that trip.?
Pal: Well, that was great. It´s very different.
Tania: What do you mean different.?
Pal: Because I came from New York, we´re not supposed to go there. Silly isn´t it?... But we
travelled a long time. We were supposed to get ther in 3 or 4 hours but, But it took us 12 hours
to get there. But then the country is really beautiful and very hot. And about Harald , He really
knows everything about a-ha, because he is Norwegian. So when you work with him, everything
is in the Hollywood style, so actually he is very Hollywood. He lives there. (he laughs).
Tania: But the critics said that in "Velvet", you played around with necrophilia.?
Pal: Yeah, Have you seen it.?
Tania: Yes.
Pal: Well, that was not the intention. It´s a wrong interpretation. Nothing to do with it, and
actually I liked Savoy´s version more, but it never was famouse like with a-ha; And Harald did
a great job with the song, and the only thing that we tried to show in the video, is when the soul leaves the body and the lover is still thinking of his girlfriend even after she killed him.
Is there any necrophilia in that.?
Tania: Not, for me.
Tania: Do you feel allright in a-ha now.?
Pal: Yeah, but I like Savoy more; Because, a-ha is too commercial.
Tania: Bit if you are not commercial, you are not rich and famous, and nobody knows you,
isn´t that so? And if the music is great with a-ha or Savoy, people have the right to know it, yes or no. ?
Pal: (He smiles) Yes, but then you become a "PRODUCT". The only thing that is important is how
much you sell; It´s the charts and the music; And in Savoy, I am free; The king (he smiles).
In a-ha, it´s never enough, and I realize that; An then the record company doesn´t understand
that the most important thing is that you have to be happy with the album and not to be worried about how many copies you sell? Because even if you sold millions, the next time that will not enough.
Tania: Arer you happy with the projection that wea gave the band in the "beguining".?
Pal: Well, in the beguining , we didn´t have any objection, because you don´t know how this will
work; So at the time you learning how it works, and, then you want to change it, but then you
found that the people have a certain idea how a-ha is. It´s really hard to tell everybody wich direction a-ha wants to go, but it´s more difficult to say that to the record company; The people
who like your music accept you changes, but the record companies are very different.
Tania: I know that you played in the Middle East. How was that. ?
Pal: Yeah, we played in Beirut, Lebanon. And it was crazy. A total shock; It was different.
In our hotel there were bullet holes on the wall; And then on stage when we played there, there was a huge hole like a big bomb hole, and then there was the sound; It was very loud, so the concrete still fell down on stage; And then Mange was just walking there very near to the hole bomb and Morten and Me, we just looked it at him, and then we looked each other like thinking, where he is going?... But it was a great show there especially after the people waited hours outside.
The first show was terrible because it has the worst seats. In the other two shows; It was a little bit different, just the opposite.
Tania: I know you were in New York when all the crazy things happened on September 11 th.
How did it affect you. ?
Pal: Well actually it left a mark on all the neighbors in that experience. It change you in a different way. I remenber that I listened very clear when the firs plane impacted into the first Tower.
I can´t forget that sound; We could realize all the tragedy there. It was very scary, especially with Augie, because on the radio it sais that more planes were hijacked. So thet could be transformed into a chemical or biological war; So I ran to a shop and I bought gas masks for what
might happen...!
Tania: You couldn´t go back to Norway. And I suppose that you were frightened to take a plane, with all this hijacking. ?
Pal: Lauren was for sure! I just wanted to try to get out of that place.
Tania: Let´s talk about better things. ?
Pal: Yes, That´s a great idea.!
Tania: OK. It is nice to make videos; How do you feel when you work on them. ?
Pal: Well, first we put a lot of money in them, and it depends a lot of the director. Some of them are great. But it always takes a lot of time.
You have to be on the set at six o´clock in the morning, and then we put on the make up, and then you have to wait and wait, and then 12 hours later you shoot.
Tania: Ups, well last question. Is true that you have a script for a film. ?
Pal: In a sort of way, you know that Lauren studied cinematography in a
Brithish University, so she likes to write scripts for films. I like the direction part more. But obviously, I wish to do something like an indepedent film because they are more rich in their structure than the commercials; And, of course, the musicalization would be my top priority.
Tania: Thank You so much for your time, Pal.
Pal: Oh, no, Thank You for this lovely interview, and the tequila.
nee, im Gegenteil ! Auf der Seite kriegt man fas t Kopfschmerzen, wenn man das Lesen will....Thanx !
danke!
was mich nervt,sind auch die vielen rechtschreibfehler...naja,ist ja keine "professionelle" seite...