Groovie Ghoulies
World Contact Day (Lookout!)
An interview with vocalist/bassist Kepi
by Scott Hefflon
On World Contact Day, you have three cover songs – isn’t that more than usual?
Fewer, actually. We did “Hello Again,” “A New England,” and “Singing The Blues.” That’s the least we’ve had so far. Usually we have four or five.
The first song, after the alien-intervention intro, is “Hello Again.” Is that Lionel Richie or Neil Diamond?
It’s Neil Diamond. From The Jazz Singer. Lionel Richie has a hello song, but this is not the one. Neil Diamond is cool to the Ghoulies, and Lionel Richie is not. I don’t know why that is.
Why did you open with a Neil Diamond cover?
We just dig him. Yeah, he’s wonky, but that’s why we love him.
Are you Barry Manilow fans?
No. There’s a fine line there. Neil Diamond is a pop singer with rock ‘n’ roll roots. If you dig through all the keyboards and synthesizers, you’ll find them. If you dig through Barry Manilow, you find nothing. He’s just hoaky. He’s a jingle-writer. Neil Diamond is a songwriter.
What about songs like “Mandy”?
“Mandy?” OK, I’ll give you that, but that was back in the day. You don’t need to stretch it when you’re talking about Neil.
What about the cover of Billy Bragg’s “A New England?”
We did a demo version in ’89, but we never really put it out. People dug it, so we put it on the record.
Did you realize you sang “I’m not looking for New England” instead of “I’m not looking for A New England?” I’m from New England, so that hits pretty close to home. So to speak.
The “A” is there, it’s just slurred. Or it might be an implied “A.” I meant every note to be a tribute to Mr. Bragg.
Seeing as how when the Lookout! tour came through New England, you skipped those dates, one might perceive…
No, no… I know where New England is, and we’re all really sorry we weren’t able to play the shows there. Let me say, for the record, that this Cape Cod native is looking for a return trip to New England.
I think we’re ready to tackle the alien intervention issue.
I thought it would all end with this record, but I have two songs for the next one that have the outer space thing going on. I can’t stop it. It’s not over.
What, in a nutshell, is your message?
We should play good rock ‘n’ roll and get rid of the Barry Manilows in order to save our planet. It’s getting desperate. Less crock, more rock. Less junk, more punk.
Do you think this will be held against us in an Inter-Galactic Court of Law?
On Inter-Galactic Judgment Day, our planet could be obliterated because of crap. Barry Manilow alone might sway the balance toward destruction. Contemporary music will be our downfall – Celine Dion, and the new Phil Collins, he’s the scariest of them all. Like Barry Manilow squared. It’s worse because people glom on that guy.
What can we do to prevent this holocaust?
Round up all of them and blast them into space. We should make it for another few years. And if not, at least we’ll have gotten them off the planet.
All the villains you’ve mentioned are old; who are some of the new evil ones we must watch out for?
Let’s see, the new Pulse! showed up on my doorstep, so let’s peruse it. Hmmm… It could be Alanis Morrissette clones. I think they’re cloning here in some parts of the country. Concentrated stars, like Guns ‘N’ Roses and Alanis, aren’t really that bad a threat, but it’s the multiple clones that breed that are going to be our downfall. It’s the bastard children that will be our demise. Hmmm, according to Pulse!, we really aren’t in that bad a shape.
Perhaps they have advertising revenue to collect before Armageddon, so they’re lulling us into a false sense of security. Is it time to renew your subscription?
Hootie is flopping, so life might just be OK. Perhaps we can enjoy the holiday season. But we must always be wary of the evil lurking in pop music.
