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Interview with Chris Constantinou (CC), Me (JL)
JL: |
Why
did you want to be a musician? |
CC:
|
When
I was at Plymouth college I remember the sixth formers having a
band, and they used to drive around in a Jeep with Marshall amps,
guitars, fuzz boxes and they looked like they were always on a mission!
You know, the army jeep and the music thing... I like that. And,
playing in a band, if you take it seriously is like being on a military
operation (all that sex & drugs & rock n roll!) And I loved
the smell of Fender amps and speaker cabs... lovely!! Maybe there’s
a fetish thing coming on here!! I also noticed that guys like me
who had big noses and were quite shy and freakish had really cute
looking girls - that was the clincher really. Then hearing and seeing
T- Rex, Jimi Hendrix, etc - it was a done deal, so I sold my soul
to the devil! |
JL: |
Is
there one moment or event in your music career that’s been
the most significant or memorable? |
CC:
|
Sorry
to be so predictable but it has to be Live Aid! Marco, being the
way he is, told me we were doing some bloody charity event - IE
no dosh - so I wrote in my diary for Live Aid “CHARITY GIG”!
I must dig it out and scan it for MySpace.
It was quite a weird night before/day party event. What’s-her-face
was at the party, too. Bob Geldof’s Mrs. She was really nice,
I liked her (as a person). Yeah, that was a funny party after the
gig ….. won’t go into too much detail … ha ha
ha … was like the time I had been suspended for two days….
|
JL: |
If you could go back and do it all over again – is there one
thing that you do differently? |
CC:
|
Most
definitely! I would never ever sack a band member who was an integral
part of the sound/vibe etc, even if they were complete c***s! I
would rather split the band up. I thought you could just sack a
guitarist who was being a nightmare and things would just continue
as they were … learnt the hard way. I would have also...trying
to think of something clever to say here so I will just leave it!
|
JL:
|
When
you look back at your career – you were a huge part of those
bands in the 70’s and 80’s that created music history.
You are to an extent, responsible for that. Doesn’t it blow
your mind when you think about it? |
CC:
|
No
… |
JL:
|
Wow
- blows my mind! So, what do you like most about creating music?
Is it the creative process/collaboration with song writing or is
it the production when words on paper come to life? |
CC:
|
I
love all of it – the challenge to write a great song –
a really great song with some magic to it – a classic –
I love writing lyrics – music – I love the whole process.
|
JL:
|
You
did a remake of Brian Eno’s song “Needle in the Camel’s
Eye”. Why did you choose this song? |
CC: |
Hmmmmm...
Trying to remember … well we both love the song and I think
that was it really. Can’t remember if it was any more than
that … |
JL:
|
Is
there one song that seems favored most by your fans or is the most
downloaded? |
CC:
|
A
lot of people who have heard the song “Cecilie” although
not released yet have said that they love it and that it has something
special. Hypnotic...etc etc … of the stuff we have released
“Jackie Says” gets a lot of downloads and I think “Karma
Sutra” has too. “TV’s On John Waynes Just Been
Shot Again” is for connoisseurs … not every one’s
taste … |
JL: |
Is
there a particular sound that you are going for? |
CC: |
No,
not really – what we do is what we do – just the way
it comes out. |
JL:
|
I
noticed the 3 songs (Cecile, While London Sleeps & Jackie Says)
have a similar undertone and there is something darker about them.
What are your thoughts on that? |
CC:
|
Ha
Ha Ha... Well spotted! My thoughts are …….yes you are
right … |
JL:
|
What
is the story behind each of those 3 songs or the inspiration behind
each of them? |
CC:
|
Listeners
will make his/her own story up so best not to ruin it for them.
As far as inspiration goes, I can’t remember now... Alright...Alright...
I can but am not telling … :) |
JL:
|
The
rhythm, tempo and bass in the song “Mother of Mysteries”
is very similar to beatnik jazz - is this something you were going
for? As a bass player, were you influenced at any point by beatnik
jazz? |
CC:
|
As
you know I was into roots stuff when I was growing up so yes I listened
to all of that (I may give you a blast of ‘LOOK LIKE TARZAN
SING LIKE JANE’ and see what you make of that one too). Well
the groove is not right yet … ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!! …the
groove should be more New Orleans - like Dr John or Professor Longhair.
The album is still in progress so the tracks I played you are very
much work in progress... |
JL:
|
You
put me on the spot and made me pick one song as a favourite and
as difficult as this was, I would say my fav (so far) is “Cecile”.
There is something haunting about this song that really grabs me.
What are your thoughts on that? |
| CC:
|
My
Thoughts are that you have great taste! We just mixed that yesterday
… GREAT TRACK! |
JL:
|
What
about you – what’s your fav? |
CC:
|
I
like a lot of them but at the moment I guess “Cecilie”
is my fav – I was in my studio and it came to the solo and
I saw the flute lying on a table and just picked it up. Not played
it for years... it was broken and the first thing I played is the
solo you hear … I also love Marco’s guitars on it and
the way the voice sounds... I like the way Steve Musters has mixed
it … All of it … |
| JL: | Since you have a video out for “Jackie Says” – are there plans in the works for another video? |
| CC: | We will make some more videos when the album is finished ……….. |
To find out more about The Wolfmen and hear some of their tracks - check out their Website or MySpace page!
Thanks again to Chris, Ian and Mike for the support and time with me for this interview.
- JL
