Within Without, March 7, 1999
Interview with Lee Harris former Talk Talk drummer and .O.rang frontman.
What's it like to cooperate with Mark Hollis - from at outsider's point of view, he doesn't exactly seem to be a man of compromize?
MARK AND I HAD A VERY GOOD WORKING REALATIONSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP, ALL WE EVER WANTED WAS TO MAKE THE BEST ALBUMS POSSIBLE SO COMPROMISE WAS AGREEING IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH.
Rumour has it that it was the remix album that caused the Talk Talk to split - you and Paul did one of the remixes - what's your version of the story?
THE REMIX ALBUM WAS RESPONSEABLE FOR A SPLIT, BUT NOT BECUASE OF MINE AND PAULS
REMIX...THAT WAS DONE FOR A B-SIDE TO A 12" OF I DON'T BELIEVE IN YOU..EMI CHOSE TO
USE THAT ON THE 'RE-MIX ALBUM'..AN ALBUM 'RE-MIXED' WITHOUT OUR CONCENT..[ AN ALBUM I
DETEST]..
I THINK YEARS OF LITIGATION TOOK ITS TOLL ON US ALL!
Why didn't Paul appear on Laughing Stock?
PAUL WAS NO LONGER A MEMBER OF TALK TALK, HE DIDN'T HAVE THAT MUCH TO DO WITH 'EDEN', SO A PARTING OF WAYS WAS INEVITABLE.
Which Talk Talk/.O.rang album are you most proud of today? Are there any releases that you regret?
ITS NOT SO MUCH AS 'BEING PROUD' BUT LIKING THEM AS PIECES OF MUSIC BUT A FEW FAVES..
T.T
HAPPINESS IS EASY
I DON'T BELIEVE IN YOU
ITS GETTING LATE IN THE EVENING
SPIRIT OF EDEN [ALBUM]
ASCENSION DAY
TAPHEAD
.O.
HERD OF INSTINCT [ALBUM]
SPOOR [E.P]
FIELDS AND WAVES [ALBUM]
Talk Talk stopped touring in 1986. Do you miss the big gigs?
I MISS THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE SIDE OF TOURING BUT NOT THE SHIT INBETWEEN.
In the ad for 'London 1986' in the music magazines it says 'released with the full co-operation of the band'. A rather unusual statement isn't it? Is this aimed at EMI?
WELL.. I SUPPOSE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNEW IT WASN'T AN EMI RE-HASH!
What are you up to musically at he moment - I know you've been playing with Graham Sutton?
I'VE BEEN DOING A FEW THINGS WITH GRAHAM, HE HAS BEEN SETTING UP HIS STUDIO, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET A FEW THINGS TOGETHER, I'VE STARTED WORK ON MY NEXT .O. RELEASE..HOPEFULLY A RELEASE THIS YEAR !
Are the old .O.rang albums still available from Echo or HitIt! and if not will they be reissued?
NO !....HIT IT! HAS 'GONE UNDER' AND ECHO...WELL.. I'M TRYING [WITH CALLY] TO GET THE RIGHTS FOR A RE-RELEASE ON THE .O. LABLE
What music are you listening yourself and who are your preferred artists?
THIS IS A HARD ONE ..OOO ER.. I STILL 'LISTEN' TO 'CAN ', THOUGHT THE SPEEDY J ALBUM WAS .O.K.. ER.., PHOTEK .O.K....BUT WHEN I'M WORKING ON MUSIC I DON'T TEND TO LISTEN TO ANYTHING.. WHICH IS MOST OF THE TIME !
What are your future plans for .O.rang? Any new material on the way?
AS I SAID ..I'VE STARTED THE FRAMEWORK OF THE NEXT .O. EXPERIMENT..AND I'VE JUST
'RELEASED' THE GAME GO:RANG THAT I INVENTED.. I.VE HAND MADE,NUMBERED AND INITIALED
A 1000 LIMITED EDITION.... ANYONE WHO WANTS ONE, JUST SEND CHEQUE/MONEY
ORDER FOR £5 TO THE SUPERCULTURE GAMING Co
@ THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE
CHURCH END
ASHDON
SAFFRON WALDEN
ESSEX CB10 2HG [U.K]
MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE THE RECIPIANTS ADDRESS !!
It's been rumoured that you're the only remaining member of .O.rang and Paul has left the band - is that true?
I DID THE BULK OF THE .O.RANG WORKS AND PAUL WANTED TO 'SPREAD HIS WINGS' ITS NOT A SPLIT ..I'M SURE HE'LL MAKE APPERENCES ON THE NEXT .O. PROJECT BUT MORE AS A RECEPTOR