Molly- Wonderwall is a classic song.
Noel- Yeah
Molly-I mean, that will be around for a long time.
Noel-Yeah
Molly- Do you listen back to your stuff?
Noel-Yeah. I was listening to, actually the other day I was around the
house and I
said, 'I haven't listened to Definitely Maybe for ages' maybe about, dunno,
a year, a
year and a half, maybe two years. Last time I put it on and listened to it
all the way
through. And it is only striking me now, you know, how good that first
album was,
man. When you listen to Rock'n'Roll Star for the first time and, er, you
know again
after two years, it's like, 'Whoo, what were we on then?' you know. Yeah, I'm
double proud of everything on thing on it. In some places better you know.
Molly-Yeah, great song.
Noel- You know you just, you just melt when you hear it, you go 'Whoo, I'll
pack it
in.'
Molly- What has fascinated you about The Beetles?
Noel- Well, I dunno. I suppose of all, it has something to do with we've
all got
something in common with them. We all come from roughly the same part of the
country, come from the same background, both in it for the same reasons, we
have the
same values and probably the same sense of humor.
Molly-Hmmmm
Noel- I suppose, without sounding too big headed, if I was 16, you know, In
1958,
and living in Liverpool I probably would have a part in The
Beetles. You know, if I was a teenager when they had there first out break on
television/ radio, I would've bought a guitar and probably would've been in
The Who,
Molly-Mmmmm
Noel- or the Stones or someone like that. I believe that. I don't believe
they are any
better song writers,
but I don't believe that any of the songs written
in the
60's is of any greater value than song written that are being written now
by people
like myself or U2 or the Radiohead of this world and stuff like that because
they got all
the good chords first, you know.
Molly- Hmmmm
Noel- I could have been George Harrison I reckon.
(smiling)
Only far better looking wouldn't you say!?
(laughs)
Molly- (laughs)
D'You Know What I Mean was one of the last I gather to be recorded on the album?
Noel- Yeah
Molly- What were you aiming for?
Noel- We were trying to get Strawberry Fields in the verses and Stairway to
Heaven in
the Choruses. I don't think, I don't think anybody in the record company
was very,
was quite enthusiastic as we were about releasing it as a single because,
yeah, because
there, there is a lot more bigger singles on the album than that and we were
going,
'Well if it kills me, you know, I want to hear that song on the radio.'
Because it is just
gonna blow people away but, it does, it does take a while to grow on you,
the song.
But once it, you know, once it hits you. The chorus is drop dead mate.
Molly-Yeah
Noel- I can't believe I wrote it it's that good.
(Looks at camera and nod to say, Honest!)
The song was written on the beach in Mystique and is performed on, in a
fucking gas
works in East London some where.
Molly- (laughs)
Noel- You know what I'm saying. With Helicopters flying all over the place,
get that
for a paradox.
Molly- With your brother, right.
Noel- Yeah
Molly- You said all right, Liam. This is all done you go and put your
vocals on.
Noel- Yeah.
Molly- But in fact he didn't.
Noel-Yeah, it was like then the cats away, the mice are gonna fucking go
have down
the pub and have a big piss up, is what is basically boils down to but you
know, you
know I don't like him singing when I'm not there anyway but, but this time I
though
I'll give him the benefit of the doubt let him get on with it. And I
thought if he does it
well, he can change what he wants and if it's good then we'll keep it. And
what was it,
it was like as soon as the plane had taken off he was like, 'Has the plane
taken off yet?'
Yeah, I think its' just taken off.
'Oh. Pub, Now!'
Yeah, you know and that was it, I tell you this funny story right. I was
off in holiday
for about two weeks and I went back to Mystique. So I went back and it was
around
four in the morning there, in Caribbean time, so the phone goes at the house
where I'm
staying and I pick it up and it's our kid, And he's in the studio and drunk
and he goes,
Noel, it's Liam. I've been shot. So I fucking turn around and go no you
haven't mate,
'cos there's a fucking cue for that and I'm right up front.
(Laughs)
Molly- (Laughs)
With the Versace thing that's happened, are you worried about that because your
bigger than him?
Noel- Yeah, but if you gonna go your gonna go. So there is no way I'd sit
on my ass
for the next 50 years watching tele, forget that for a game of tennis you
know if it's
gonna happen it's gonna happen you know. I just hope it happens to one of
the rest of
the band first. (Laughs)
Molly- (Laughs)
Noel- I'll sell a shit load of records while he's gone.
Molly- Stand By Me. Which would be the second song to be released?
Noel- (Nods his head)
Molly- Great song.
Noel- I'm not allowed to say. Yeah, oh no, fantastic song yeah. That's
quite old that
one. The first line of that song, 'Made a meal and threw it up on Sunday' I
wrote when I first moved to London, a while ago, and my mum used to phone me
up and tell
me I should be eating properly and, er, so I went and decided I'd cook
myself Sunday
dinner. Er, and you know I got a bit drunk and didn't cook anything very
well at all
and ended up with food poisoning and threw it all up the proceeding evening.
But
what I did, I was lying on the floor with food poisoning and this line
suddenly comes
to me in my head, 'Made a meal and threw it up on Sunday.' And I started to
write a
song while the room was spinning around and I was on the verge of death.
Molly- I only read in the paper today as I got in to London, that you'd been
invited to
number 10 Dowling Street.
Noel- (Laughing while having a drink)
Molly- Are you going?
Noel- Definitely got to go.
Molly- Have you ever worried about when you've said something and you walk away
going 'errr?'
Noel- No. The thing is, when you worry about it it's like you say it and your
absolutely shit faces off your head. And you wake up the next morning and
you, and
you sort of look through the letter box and you think, 'What did I say last
night?'
'Cos there's about 50 journalists outside with camera crews and your going,
'Where
was I last night?' And you go to the wife and say, 'Meg, Meg, where was we last
night.' And she goes, guess what you were saying last night, and you go,
'Oh no!' So
everybody comes out and everyone's like, 'So you know, are you really gonna bomb
the Whitehouse?' And it's like 'Ohhh, fuck!'
Molly- Are there times you know, for instance, when you flew back from America,
that you had doubts about what had happened and would the band stay in tact?
Noel- The story that had come out was that we'd had a big massive rowe and
I'd, er,
you know, stormed off sulking and didn't want to be in the band anymore.
But the
truth of the matter was, I didn't want to be in any band anymore. I mean,
we were on
tour, it was a couple of weeks and we went back in the studio and we said
right, the
scenario was, right let's do one more album, because we'd already written
it, and then
we'd quit. We were actually gonna kick it in you know, we were actually
gonna not
do it anymore. And you know, as soon as we got back into the studio and started
recording we just sort of fell about laughing and thought, 'What the fuck are we
stopping for? 'I mean, we were in the best band in the world, with the best
jobs in the
world, we might as well stick with it.
Molly- What surprised me, I mean, for instance in this magazine,
(Hands Noel a Magazine with 25 or so small pictures on it)
I mean, that's extraordinary all those front pages.
Noel- Well, I mean it's like......
(Pauses and has a better look)
I mean what's best is like you get your haircut and it's on the front page
of the
National Newspaper.
(Pointing to The Sun)
Inside there was about how the Americans had been off to bomb Iraq again and
there's
two shitkickers from Manchester with skinheads on the front.
(Referring to himself and Liam- I assume)
I mean what the fuck is all that about? You know it's like when they put
your Mrs. on
the front, or your Mam and all this shit.
Molly- Is it hard on a personal basis with your Mrs. and all, to lose
concentration?
Noel- Well, you just gotta laugh at it really. You know, if your firing law
suits fucking
left right and center, everyday of your life to certain newspapers. I mean,
you'd spend
more time in court than you would in the recording studio or on stage and
that's not
what it's all about, you know? We just sit and laugh at it, you know, when
we're
eating breakfast every morning and say, 'Look at this, look where I was
supposed to
be last night.' I mean, there was a classic one in the Daily Star, where I
got up one
morning and there was a story of me the previous night, where I was in a New
York
strip bar rubbing strawberries and cream all over this stripper. And this
was the night
before and I was actually in bed with the Mrs, so... it was like, you know.
She still
doesn't believe me!
Molly- Did you listen to much American music when you were a kid, 14/15/16?
Noel- I have never really, er... I suppose 14/15 it was the Stooges, yeah.
But, er, I,
I've never really been into American bands, bar the Stooges, and MC5. I
didn't like
The Birds, I fucking hated The Doors, New York Dolls were all right. I like
more of
the 70's stuff, I mean there's nothing really other than Neil Young. I
don't like all that
shite like London Skin and stuff. Too Smelly Americans, they've always got
birds
around them. I was gonna say cowboy hats then but you've got one.
(Slap each other friendly)
(Laugh)
Molly-With the Damon thing with Blur, I mean, I mean, if you met him would you
really, seriously have a fight?
Noel- I've got nothing against, I mean, I've said some silly things about
him, right!?
But, I never felt I was gonna belt him.
Molly- Did you like their last album?
Noel- I liked Beetle Bug. But he was saying he was twack me next time he
sees me,
so, we'll see. I've got nothing against him, the thing is, he started it in
the first place
so, you know. I've got nothing against him, I just think his bird's ugly.
Molly- The Spice Girls, with Liam at the British awards that night. You
were there.
What do you think of the Spice Girls?
Noel- I like them as characters, I think who is it? Sporty Spice, she has a
good voice I
tell ya. The white chick. But, but you know, I'm not into, you know,
they're are just
a money making, corporate machine. Advertising crisps and cans of Coke and
all that
nonsense. They got a single out now that you can only get if you drink 20
cans of
Pepsi. Not only that, but there young girls, or are they as young as they
say? I'll tell
you this, right, if Geri Spice is 24, she's gonna look fucking rough by the
time she's
30.
Molly- (laughs)
I'm gonna be terribly amiss and I asked you this the last time...
Noel- I know, I know what your gonna say, I know exactly what your gonna say.
Molly- What am I gonna say?
Noel- Your gonna ask me when are we going to Australia.
Molly- Good guess.
Noel- I knew you was. And I know I promised you last time we was gonna go, when
was it? Last November, right!? But see, it'll be better now 'cos we have
three albums
to promote as opposed to two. As opposed to one the first time.
Molly- Uh, huh.
Noel- Let me tell you, it'll be worth the wait, I mean, we are gonna go and
if the band
don't go well I'm going for my holidays anyway. It's as simple as that 'cos
I'm mad
fer Australia. So, I'll bring my guitar along and do a couple of low key
busking gigs
on Neighbor's club, or whatever it's called, what is it?
Molly- Ramsey Street.
(Setting of an Australia/English TV show called Neighbors)
Noel- Ramsey Street. Um, but no, it's in, I don't expect anyone to believe
a word I'm
saying but it is in the pipeline, we are booked to go.
Molly- What would Noel Gallagher, to this date, which three songs would you
liked to
be remembered by?
Noel- Live Forever,
(Mumbles something)
Wonderwall, Magic Pie, but you see, then I think of Champagne Supernova and
Don't
Look Back In Anger, and Cast No Shadow, and Slide Away, and Rock'n'Roll Star
and Cigarettes And Alcohol. We could sit here all day. But I'll tell you
three I don't
want to be remembered for.
Molly- What's that?
Noel- Na, not telling you. Er.... Alive, pretty nash, off B-side
Shakermaker. Er- I
don't know. I find it hard to judge myself like that. You know. I find it
hard to label
or judge my own music. I just hope all the people like it. I want to be
remembered
you know. I want to be a footprint, not a footnote.
