Backstreet Boys Inspired By Oprah To Hit Studio Again
Group to reconvene in January to record follow-up to
2000's Black & Blue.
Source: VH1 by Corey Moss
WEST HOLLYWOOD, California � She can score whatever
interview she wants. She can send a book to the top of
the best-seller list. She can even inspire the
Backstreet Boys to reunite.
Thanks to Oprah Winfrey, the Backstreet Boys have
decided the timing is right to finally hit the
recording studio for the follow-up to 2000's Black &
Blue.
"We're all excited," Kevin Richardson said soon after
the group taped an upcoming episode of "The Oprah
Winfrey Show" last month. "All of us hadn't been
together in the same room in like six months, so it
was wild. It was good to be back together again."
Richardson, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean
and Howie Dorough, who got together in March and
decided to delay recording (see "Backstreet's Not Back
� New Boys Album On Hold"), will now regroup in
January.
"We've got some stuff written, but we're gonna go in
with an open mind and just explore and experiment and
see what happens," Richardson said. "We've been
talking about going with live horn sections and stuff
like that, just funkin' it up, but not really in a
hip-hop sort of way. More of using horns and live
strings and a little bit of a '70s edge or something."
The guys have some ideas for producers, but Richardson
wants to keep them under wraps for now. "We just wanna
make music that we're proud of and have fun," he
added. "It's simple."
Except for Richardson, who has been starring in
productions of "Chicago" around the world, each of the
Backstreet Boys has been recording solo material in
recent months (see "One Of These (Backstreet) Boys Is
Doing His Own Thing ... With Tommy Lee?"), although
Jive Records has not said whether any of the albums
will be released before the group effort.
"It's been two years since we came off tour and it's
been good to give each other breathing room,"
Richardson said.
For the "Oprah" episode, which airs Wednesday, the
host invited McLean to discuss how he's dealt with his
past alcohol abuse (see "Backstreet Boys Postpone Tour
As A.J. McLean Seeks Treatment"), and then surprised
him by inviting the remaining Backstreet Boys onstage.