Backstreet Bahama Boys
Source: CBS.com and Backstreet.net
NEW YORK and THE BAHAMAS
Tuesday, May 16, 2000 - 10:16 AM ET
Life's A Beach For Working Boys
(CBS) You may think that all of the Backstreet Boys record together all the time. That's not true. The day The Early Show's Mark McEwen met up with the boys in a studio in the Bahamas, Brian Littrell was back in the United States, and A.J. McLean was a no-show. He was recovering from being a bit under the weather. So it was just McEwen, Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, and Nick Carter.
Kevin said he enjoys recording in the Bahamas because it's "just a great vibe. I mean, when you're feeling like you got writer's block or something, you can walk out the front door, and walk right out on the beach, and with a tape recorder and a pen and pad and just let it come out."
Added Howie, "The cell phones don't work out here."
It's probably hard to think about work in the Bahamas, with so many welcome distractions. Howie took time out to hang out with Gloria Estefan, attending her post-concert party at Nassau's ultra-luxurious Atlantis resort.
Nick was just named one of People magazine's "most beautiful people of 2000." But in the Bahamas, he's just another one of the boys, making music with his Backstreet buds.
Kevin, Howie, and Nick agree that being in the group is very much like being part of a family. They fight, and they communicate, and there have been times when they couldn't stand each other.
"Just like family," Kevin explained. "Just like your brothers. Just like your best friend. We'll always get along."
'N Sync, that other boy band, stole some Backstreet thunder earlier this year when their CD, No Strings Attached, sold more than two million copies its first week on the charts. The sales record they broke was one that had been set by - who else? - the Backstreet Boys.
McEwen compared the rivalry between the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync to that of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. But Kevin said it is a rivalry that has been mostly manufactured by the media.
"I mean, those guys are talented," he added. "They're working hard, and they're trying to make records and make music, just like everybody else. And I think there's�plenty of room for everybody."
When McEwen reminded them of the hoopla when 'N Sync broke the Backstreet Boys' one-day sales record, Kevin quipped, "Broke it? Shattered it!"
Nick chimed in, "You know what? Things are made to be broken.
Howie: "We'll give them a run for the money on the next album."
Kevin: "As long as people like the record and they buy it, that's all that matters."
The Backstreet Boys' new album is due this fall. You or someone you know owns a copy of their last CD, Millennium, which it sold 11 million copies in the U.S. alone.
How are they dealing with the critical backlash to their success?
"All we're trying to do is just stick with what we've been doing, and make music that we love, that we think everybody else will love," said Kevin. "And that's all we're gonna try to do."
The guys told McEwen they're still pinching themselves about their success. They said they're still surprised and flattered when folks like Sting or Elton John come up to them and tell them how much they like their music.
Both Kevin and Brian are making wedding plans. It will be interesting to see how marriage and family will affect the guys and how they interact. For the record, Howie says he'll probably be the longest hold-out to tie the knot.
McEwen says that he taped the Backstreet Boys interview on a Sunday, and the process was delayed a little bit because Howie was at church. He goes every week. They say it's important that they keep a normal life amid all the hype.
As for their new material, the guys are all taking a little more creative control this time around, a lot of different sounds, reflecting their individual interests. They expect about 12 tracks, and Howie joked they might call the album Twelve Flavors of Candy
