Remember Then - It's Showaddywaddy

You can stop swamping us with your letters asking for more about Showaddywaddy! Gerry Fallon's managed to get an exclusive interview with Al James and he had some bad news and some good news to tell.
First the good news....

"We're just finishing off our next album," was what Al mentioned first. "It should be released around June or July but, so far, we haven't decided on a title. Most of the recording was done at Rockfield Studios, in the country, and we're hoping to put the finishing touches to the album in Nice, France!"

But what about the bad news mentioned earlier?

"Er, yes. The band had a meeting with our tax lawyers a few weeks back and we've been told we have to come tax exiles."

Does this mean that all of Showaddywaddy are leaving Britain?

"If you think about it sanely: if we become tax exiles we'll be allowed back into Britain sixty days of every year, which is more than enough time to do a gigantic tour. In fact, sixty days should be enough time to visit everywhere we can play on a mammoth tour. We're out of the country such alot now anyway. For instance, this year alone we've spent ten days in Rio, a week in Malta, and just come back from another two weeks of proper individual holidays. If you add it all up, we spend more and more time abroad. The only thing now is where? Some of us want to go to Southern Ireland, others to Spain or the Isle of Man, and I want to settle in Normandy. It's bad enough organising us all when we're in the same country so goodness knows how our management are going to manage when we're scattered all over Europe! Mind you, with todays air travel we can get anywhere in next to no time."

Have any of the members a plane of their own, or does one of Showaddywaddy hold a pilot's licence?

"I think Buddy's the only one of us who's ever had a go at learning to fly but he gave up. Basically, there's not enough time when your rushing here, there and everywhere. To gain a pilot's licence you have to spend a set number of hours up in the air. But we all know where we can lay our hands on private charter planes if we have to get anywhere in a real hurry. As for appearing on television singing our new singles, most shows now use video tapes so we'll probably make one to go with every release and that can be featured instead of us "live"."

Going back to all those exotic places Al was talking about earlier, what were Showaddywaddy doing in South America and Malta?

"We re-signed a recording deal with Arista, our record company, at the beginning of the year and part of our "bargain" was for us all to spend ten days in Rio at the best hotel, The Copacabana. And a super time was had by all! There was only one thing wrong with Rio - it's so far away to fly to! I spend half my time in planes going from gig to gig, country to country, with the band, but I still can't get used to it. Basically it's so boring spending hours on the cramped aircraft. The flight to Rio took TWELVE HOURS so you can imagine my feelings at the end of it. The Malta trip was to play at a festival to commemorate the British Forces leaving the country. We were on the bill with the top three Maltese bands. I can't remember their names, and even if I could I wouldn't be able to pronounce them! But they were really good. We got to Malta on the Wednesday, did the concert - in a huge football stadium holding ten thousand - on the Friday, then stayed over until the following Tuesday and flew home."

What in Al's opinion, will be the worst part of leaving Britain?

"I think uprooting the whole family will be the trickiest part. But more than anything, it'll be the inconvenience of it and setting up home again somewhere else."

Enough of the depressing stuff. What does Al think of all these bands who've sprung up in the last year, echoing Showaddywaddy's '50's imitation style - like Darts, Rocky Sharpe and the Replays, and The Late Show, to name but a few?

"Lets be fair! I think there's room for everyone. Back in the '50's there were millions of doo-wop bands and it didn't matter then so why should it matter now? In the case of Darts, I think they're great and have developed their own brand of music and style, which is totally different from ours. I think it's great that Showaddywaddy have now got what they wanted in the first place - to get this kind of music rolling! And it's pleasing to remember that five years ago we were the first..."

If Al gets his own way he'll be settling in Normandy, France, when the group leave the country in June.

"I have been almost everywhere in Europe and other parts of the world, but I just love it in Normandy."

Surprisingly, Showaddywaddy have never visited America as a band. But that'll be changing. The group are planning massive campaigns in Japan, Australia and The States. You only have to look at their string of hits in this country to realise that they ought to make it abroad. With their talents they can't fail. Since the groups first big success in 1974 with Hey Rock'n'Roll they haven't looked back. From that first hit came 16 others - so far - including Three Steps To Heaven, Under the Moon of Love, When, I Wonder Why, A Little Bit Of Soap, and their latest, Remember Then. Long may they doo-wop...!