The Backstreet Boys Are Coming Back.. Star 94FM Interview with Brian
Source: Star 94FM
Check out the Star 94FM site and find an interview with Brian (audio)
Transcript typed out by Jenni from Live Daily. Credit to her for this, it must have taken her ages.
posted by JenniJ3333 Live Daily
Note: I am not a professional transcriptionist... there may be a few errors,
but I think it's pretty accurate. And can I just say that Howie D talks
faster than anybody on the planet? SLOW DOWN, BOY!
(Intro) I Want It That Way playing in the background
DJ: Look who�s here
Brian: (singing) Ain�t nothin� but a heartache I sound like I�m on a record
DJ: Brian Littrell, everybody. The Backstreet Boy.
Brian: Good morning everybody. How ya doin?
DJ: Do you still have the gloves that shoot the sparks? That�s what I wanna
know. (laughter)
Brian: (laughs a little) Uh. No.
DJ: Oh jeeze. What happened? Did you not take any of that cool prop stuff
home?
Brian: You know, we uh... auctioned some of the little surfboard things from
the Millennium tour, and we have a warehouse in California that has some of
our stage props and popups and things like that that we donate to charities
that have been auction for charitable.
DJ: Was that the thing where you came in on for the opening of the concert?
The kind of neon skateboard things?
Brian: Yeah, that was the Millennium tour. The Star Wars thing.
DJ: Yeah. Ok. You should keep that. You could get a buncha money from that
on eBay.
Female DJ: Brian, I�m a little upset with you.
Brian: Why?
Female DJ: I hear you let Oprah break the story, not Steve and Vicky. Oprah
gets the fact that the Backstreet Boys are going to be recording again.
Where were we?
Brian: Well you know, it�s so funny, because we did the Billboard Awards
last week, and uh.. week and a half ago... and the story we got from the
press was "Oh my gosh, Oprah inspired you guys to get back together and make
a record." And actually we were talking like two months ago, and it just
kind of came to a head when we found out about AJ being on the show. AJ told
me he was gonna be on the show, and they asked me.. the producers of the
show called me and said Would you send in a little video tape greeting
telling him congratulations and things? I said I think it would be better if
I fly to Chicago and show up on the show, you know, and give him a hug and
be there in person to show the public that , hey, we�ve never been apart.
We�ve spent time apart, but the group�s never been broke up. SO that�s what
we got from the press. ANd, Oprah�s a powerful woman, and you know, and I�m
gracious to her, she�s a wonderful lady. We�ve been on the show twice.
DJ: So can we officially (plays the song) Backstreet�s Back Alright!?
Brian: Pretty much, yeah.
Female DJ: I thought you were gonna be a country singer or a Christian
singer. I really thought it was over.
Brian: Actually, I was working on that. I had some material recorded. I know
that Steve had seen me at the Michael W Smith concert.
DJ: Yeah! I saw you come out onstage.
Brian: That�s a fun time.
DJ: I saw you on stage,then you went off, so I tried to make my way toward
the stage. Christian groups have bigger roadies than anybody else I�ve ever
seen in rock. (deepens his voice) I�m sorry sir, you ain�t coming backstage.
With Michael?
Brian: We did some Christmas carols and things like that. He�s become a
great friend of mine. A good friend of mine. He lives in Nashville, and they
were at the Gwinnett.
(inaudible)
DJ: Yeah. Love that guy.
Brian: That�s a beautiful arena. I thought The Backstreet Boys need to come
back and do that place a couple of nights.
DJ: The sound is so good in that arena. We�re going to be doing the Jingle
Jam this Saturday.
Brian: You gonna get the Barenaked Ladies?
DJ: Yeah
Brian: Heyyy, I heard that song on the radio this morning. It�s pretty good.
That Sarah McLaughlin.
Female DJ: We can get you tickets for a price.
Brian: Man, I can�t win an auction or nothin�??
Female DJ: So it�s official then? So when are you gonna start recording and
when can we expect something new?
DJ: Wait.. (plays BACKSTREET�S BACK ALRIGHT!)
(laughter)
Brian: (singing) Oh my God, we�re back again! That�s AJ�s part. Sorry.
(laughter) Um, we are going to be in the studio starting January 10, and
we�re going to be in the studio til probably April In Los Angeles. Working
with some various producers and writers, and we�ve got some things we�re
going to bring with us to the table. I�m very excited about it. I was
excited about my solo, you know, working for my future workin� in the
Christian, you know, pop Gospel, but the way the cards fell, you know... I�m
a team player, and I�m all about the Backstreet Boys. That was my first
success and that�s what I�m a part of, so...
Female DJ: Do you want to take a phone call from a listener?
DJ: Yeah, listeners have been calling since we said the news earlier this
morning and they wanted to call in. Hi, do you have a question for Brian
Littrell of The Backstreet Boys?
HOWIE: (in a really high little girl voice) Brian... are you gonna be one of
Backstreet Boys for a long long time?
Brian: (in a high voice) For a long long time? Yes. Who is that? It sounds
like Howie.
Howie: (laughter, then in a really deep voice that hardly sounds like Howie)
That�s right boy, and don�t forget it.
Female DJ: It is!
(laughter in the studio)
DJ: Howie joins us!
Brian: Boo Ya!
(laughter)
Brian: What�s up, Sweet D?
DJ: Apparently you talk to each other like little girls a lot...
Brian: Yes we do, you know. We have to be able to relate, so ya know...
Howie: (I think this is what he says) Back to boot camp.
Brian: Boot camp! Ahhh that�s funny! Howie. Good morning. Where you at? East
coast or west coast? It�s too early on the west.
Howie: Oh yes, it�s morning voice here (Howie sounds like he has a cold...
very cracky, squeaky, almost sick voice)
DJ: (laughing) Listen to him. Hey Howie, I don�t know if you heard, but
(plays song BACKSTREET'S BACK ALRIGHT)
Brian to Howie (being facetious): Yeah, I just wanted you to know we�re
starting in the studio January 10 if you didn�t hear.
Howie: Oh? Thanks man. (inaudible)
Brian: And we have a conference call tomorrow. You better be on it.
Howie: Mmmm ok.
(Brian laughs)
Brian: How�s your family.
Howie: Did you tell them all the information already?
Brian: Yeah.
Howie: (not sure if this is right) Do I say ditto to everything?
Brian: Yeah. Ditto.
Howie: Yeah. Cool. Everything�s good. I�m just waking up here.
Brian: Are you in LA for real?
Howie: (sarcarcastic laughing) Uh huh.
Brian: Man oh man, it�s early...
Howie: Five in the morning
Brian: Gracious. How in the world did they pull this off?
Female DJ: What are you guys getting each other for Christmas?
Howie: Hmmm... Probably nuttin�.
(laughter)
Brian: Probably nothing... he says that. I�ve already ordered his gift and
it�s in Florida, but he isn�t there, so...
Howie: Well, honestly, we were talking about this the other day on the red
carpet at the Billboard Awards, they asked us the same thing, and everyone
must think... you know what? We�re such bad team players... we don�t give
each other gifts... birthdays are one thing, �cause we do make exception
(inaudible) gotten me a birthday for mine, so I�m definitely going to return
the favor back on his birthday.
Brian: Yeah, I�m turning over a new leaf, you know. Starting that group
unity again.
DJ: Yeah, that�s cool. But you�re gonna spend less on Nick�s gift, aren�t
you?
Brian: (laughing) Uh... Yeah.
(laughter)
Brian: In a word... yeah. (laughs) Nah...
DJ: Yeah, aren�t you guys just getting back together to keep Nick Carter
from releasing more solo material?
(Howie groans, then everybody�s kind of chuckling)
Brian: (groans) Please, man...
Female DJ: And what�s the deal with Aaron Carter and Nick and the mom? Jane
Carter? Is she hard to deal with? Do you know her? No comment?
Howie: God bless �em.
Brian (sounds kind of sad): Yeah (agreeing with Howie). We�ve known Jane and
Bob for a long time. It�s a sad situation (inaudible)
Female DJ: I mean, how horrible... for those people that don�t know...Aaron
Carter said that he was divorcing himself from his mother, so to speak,
because she was his manager, and he�s claiming she took all his money.
(silence)
Female DJ: That�s horrible. I mean, Billy Joel...the same thing happened to
him... LeeAnn Rimes...
Brian: You find that you can go through... the list gets longer and
longer...Money and success tears families apart.
DJ: That�s showbiz.
Brian: It�s tough. It�s really tough.
DJ: When kids start really young and start doing things and making a lot
of... but there were laws enacted years ago to kind of protect in performing
that said money is supposed to go into bank accounts and not be touched. But
I guess when a parent is actually a manager...
Brian: When they�re a guardian... they have to have a legal guardian when
they�re not eighteen. I mean, contracts and those laws protect you from the
business, from record labels, from manager, but they don�t really protect
you from Mom.
DJ: Hey Howie, since you guys have been apart for some time here, and now
getting back together, how do you think you all have changed?
Howie: You know, I think it�s been a good little break. I think each of us,
like I was hearing Brian talk about you know... we�ve each had a chance to
work on our individual ideas and aspirations. Some of us doing solo records.
I�ve been working on my own Latin-English record. You know, I think a lot of
us had some time to do some charity work with our own foundations. Brian�s
and mine as well. I think it�s been a good, healthy time off. I look at
ourselves as hopefully around as long as the Eagles, Aerosmith, and all
those groups like that, and in order to stay around for that long, sometimes
you need a little break here and there, you know, to stay around for 30
years. Just to rejuvenate and refresh...
Female DJ: In thirty years, you�d have to become the Backstreet Men at some
point.
Brian: Well, you�ve still got the Beach Boys and the Oak Ridge Boys.
DJ: There�s only one of them left!
Brian (laughing): We�ll be like that.
Female DJ: So how did they treat you at the Billboard Awards? Because I
thought they were pretty mean to everybody.
Brian: They bashed a lot of people. But uh... Thank God we weren�t on the
list (chuckling). We were kinda there as spectators. We were there to just
show up and be together... hang out... watch the show. And that�s something
we don�t normally get a chance to do, because we�re performing or
presenting, or we�re accepting an award and we gotta think of a speech. I
mean, we�ve been blessed, we�ve had a wonderful career, but it was nice to
kinda just sit back and relax and watch everybody else.
Female DJ: Do you think that you can be as big... I mean, who was bigger
than The Backstreet Boys at one time? Then it seemed like there was a
"boyband" backlash.
Brian: There has been.
Female DJ: Do you think you can do that again and bring back the...
Brian: I think so
DJ: Or do you go to a new level? Do you say "Ok guys, let�s not do exactly
the same thing we did" Do we take it to the next level?
Brian: I think it�s both. And I think Howie would agree with this. We�ve
grown. We�ve grown as individuals and we�ve grown musically, but I think our
fans have grown with us. When you think of the fourteen, fifteen year old
kids now with a year or two lapse, those kids now are making decision now
based upon where they want to go to college, what they wanna be when they
grow up, and they�ve grown so much mentally. And you�re right. There has
been a huge backlash on pop music and boybands, and things like that, but I
think as long as we stick to what we�re good at making good music that
parents enjoy, that grandparents enjoy, that kids enjoy... I think that�s
what we�re know for is those elevator hits of IWTW and Backstreet�s Back and
things like that that I will get to share with my son twenty years from now,
and say "That�s what dad did"
Female DJ: Did you bring pictures, by the way?
Brian: I didn�t this morning.
DJ: Aw man! Brian!
(laughter in the studio.. bunch of "awww man�s" and "Brian"�s)
Brian: Well you can�t show �em over the RADIO
Another DJ: Did you bring those cool gloves that shoot the sparks? You gotta
keep that.
(laughter)
Another DJ: Those rocked!
DJ: I asked him if he had any of those. Howie, do you have any of those
gloves that shoot the sparks?
Howie (sounding kinda snarky): Uh... mmm mmm. Nuh-uh.
DJ: You guys don�t keep anything.
Brian: He hasn�t been to Michael�s house lately.
(laughter)
(Note: I think they are talking about Michael Jackson here)
DJ: (inaudible) an attraction, you know... Christmas tours in your yard.
Howie: I actually went to his house for his father�s 70th birthday. It�s
probably the last chance I�ll get to be invited back to the house again. But
I went over there, it was a really, really cool experience. I�m glad I did
it when I did it.
Brian: You talkin about Michael�s house?
Howie: Yeah, Michael. To Neverland Ranch. But I didn�t
Female DJ: Seriously? You were there?
Brian: Were you hangin� with Aaron and Nick?
Howie: (pauses) Nah. No, no, I was riding solo.
Female DJ: So that was true? Aaron did spend some time with Michael?
Brian: I guess so. I don�t know.
Howie: Yeah, they were friends there for awhile. And, uh...
Female DJ: What do you think of this whole thing? I mean, people who are
really close to him are saying "I don�t see this happening." And then other
people are saying "Ok, it�s happened. Perhaps we�re hearing the stories one
too many times for it not to be true."
Brian: It�s either... it�s a hit or miss situation, and it�s either a
child�s been... or a family�s been torn up over this, or a huge pop icon�s
reputation has been torn up over it. It�s either one of two ways. But...
Howie: It�s just a shame, unfortunately. I mean, But in America, in our
society, you�re innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately, I think he�s
already been in the public eye as guilty. Who knows? He may totally be, but
unfortunately, sometimes, being an entertainer so much out there in the
forefront and in the media people have a chance to really, you know, make
judgements before the court sometimes does.
DJ: Howie D. and Brian Littrell with us on the Steve and Vicky Morning
Show... Ok, the Christmas break, then you guys are getting back together
sometime in January.
Brian: Yeah.
DJ: Same sort of writers gonna get with you guys, or are you looking for all
new stuff?
Brian: We�re actually keeping that under wrap because people have been
asking
Female DJ: For OPRAH!
(laughter)
Brian (laughing): I�m taking you to Chicago next time.
Female DJ: I�ll hold you to that.
DJ: You know how Donnie Osmond had that stigma attached to him, then he
released "Soldier of Love" and had a new sound, but they didn�t tell anybody
who it was?
Brian: And it was just huge
DJ: But I�m saying, with you guys, people say"Backstreet Boys... it�s gonna
be the same sound"
Brian: Well, I think if you put us five, the same five on a record, and it
is, it�s a unique sound that people have tried to duplicate, and people have
tried to come out with the same stuff and the same melodies, and the same
songs, but it is a signature sound. We�ve worked for almost eleven years now
on a brand, and the Backstreet Boys are a brand. So...
DJ: So you�re hoping whatever you do in the studio does lead again to tours,
and...
Brian: We hope to
DJ: More choreography
Brian (laughs): We�re planning to launch a.... (laughs again)
DJ (interrupts): I know it hasn�t been that long, but can you still dance
like you did? Howie?
Howie: (pauses) Well, I�ve got a little weight to shed off.
DJ: Has everybody... Who�s gained the most weight out of all of you?
Brian: Well, I had the whole pregnancy sympathy thing
Female DJ: But you�ve lost the baby weight. I can tell.
Brian (laughs): I have lost a little bit.
Howie: We�re all going down to one chin now.
Brian (cracks up): That�s what Kevin says. We need to get down to one chin.
Howie: Like I said... boot camp... January 10.
DJ: Well, Howie, listen we appreciate you getting up early in California to
join us for Brian to surprise him. Thank you so very much.
Brian (in a high voice): You don�t know what this means to me, Howie.
Female DJ: Why don�t you guys sing a Christmas carol for us?
Brian (sings): Sleighbells ring, are you listenin�? In the lane, snow is
glistenin�.
(Howie is singing the bass line below him)
Brian: Why are you doing the bass part?
Howie: Cause of this morning voice.
(laughter)
Brian: That�s Kevin�s part.
Howie: I don�t have the high falsetto in the morning, Brian.
Brian (laughing): Get some coffee.
DJ: Thanks Howie, we look forward to what comes out of January.
Brian: Thanks, D. I�ll talk to you tomorrow.
Howie: See ya later, buddy.
Brian: (sings) Gotta go
(laughter)
DJ: And Brian, by the way, we didn�t get a chance to thank you officially on
the phone, but you had called in near the very end of our radiothon we did
over at the Children�s Healthcare of Atlanta. Thank you very much for you
and Leighanne calling in. You guys are too nice.
Brian: Well, she was listening to you guys on the radio and I was downstairs
on the phone handling some business, watching tv, trying to take it all in,
doing my normal thing. And the baby was asleep, and she said "You�ve gotta
call in and make a donation, so I contribute (I think he meant ATTRIBUTE but
hey) that to her. She was the one that was listening to you guys... the
heartfelt stories, the moms talking about people coming to their aid,
families... You guys broke all kinds of records. It was over a million
dollars
(other blah blah blah)
Female DJ: Haven�t you found that this place is such a giving community?
Brian: It is a huge giving community.
DJ: With a bad traffic problem.
(laughter)
Brian (in a weird ghetto voice): Don�t get on 400
DJ: You probably would�ve been listening but you were on the phone with
OPRAH!
(laughter)
Brian (in an abrupt subject change... and I have NO idea what he�s talking
about here): We went thru all the gifts thing... cuz I�m a new dad. And I�m
not gonna get my wife the "Does It Burn" from Parker Brothers. (laughter) Or
the backseat baby megaphone. Or the credit card duplicator. Pain tolerance.
Or the Weapons of Mass Destruction thing. Or the fried monkey.
DJ: Or the Whammo! Stick In Your Eye.
Female DJ: When you do have the first single, and it goes on Oprah and not
here, I�m gonna...
DJ: You better give us a call.
Brian (laughing): It�s not going on Oprah first.
DJ: Bring the first thing here.
Brian: I�ll bring you a snippet.
DJ: Alright. Hey Brian, Happy Holidays. How is that baby, by the way?
Brian: He is good. He�s growing.
DJ: This is Christmas number 2.
Brian: It is. Yeah. We brought home a live turkey last year. Six pounds,
seven ounces. He�s a joy. He�s my life. My wife is... I mean, it�s wonderful
to love somebody with your all, and get married, enjoy life. But when you
bring a child into it, you know, my wife is a wonderful mother... I�d like
to say good morning to her if she�s listening.
Female DJ: Hey Leighanne...
Brian: When I left this morning she was like (whispering) "I�ll listen to
you on the radio"
DJ: Before you had the child, she�d always come down here with you. Now with
the child, like "Yeah, you go...give my regards."
Brian: Well, you know, we don�t have the nannies and all that stuff. It�s
mom and dad. We�re doing it.
DJ: Well happy holidays.
Brian: Thanks so much for having me.
DJ: Thanks very much Brian Littrell (plays Backstreet�s Back Alright!)
END
