Leif Garrett Fans
Radio Interview
March 31, 2003
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Leif Garrett Fans Radio Interview March 31, 2003 |
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Brisbane, Queensland Australia (pronounced Brisb’n) Ian
Keenan interviewing Leif Garrett - aired March 31, 2003 Surfin’
USA plays in its entirety IK:
Good times and great classic hits at Brisbane’s 4KQ.
Now there’s a song from our guest on today’s Classic Five
for the Drive. Surfin’
USA was Brisbane’s number one song 25 years ago for Leif
Garrett. Do you
remember 1978 well, Leif? LG:
Um, some might not think so, but yes.
(both laugh) IK:
I would have thought ‘78 was a bit of a blur for you.
You were just in huge demand back then.
Do you remember coming to Brisbane? LG:
Absolutely, I had a great time in Australia and I’ve been back
since. I love
Australia. IK:
You had a concert in ‘78 in our city’s Botanical
Gardens and somewhere between there and your hotel, you hurt
your arm. LG:
Some fans were, I think, yanking on it or something like
that. But I
remember I think I wore a white suit.
And uh, there were people who slept outside the hotel. IK:
They went crazy for you. LG:
Yeah.... they have good taste.
(laugh) IK:
In which country were the fans wildest for you do ya
think? LG:
Well, Australia was certainly up there in the top three.
Um, Japan was always a big one...Germany...uh, yeah I’d say
probably those three. America
did quite well as well. IK:
Yeah, Were you ever scared for your life back then? LG:
Oh yeah, absolutely.
Especially when I’d get letters from like this one guy
wrote a letter...would start off every letter saying “Dear
Beautiful Boy, I was close enough to touch you today”. IK:
Oh my god. LG:
That was a bit frightening.. IK:
That’s amazing, that’s scary.
What about with the crushes though.
Like, I was speaking with someone who was with you in an
armored van here in Brisbane.
You were leaving a store and he was telling that from
both ends of the laneways, they had girls running at this
armored van. Were you ever scared for your life in that way? LG:
Oh man absolutely, we’ve almost had limos rolled and
things like that. So,
yeah there’s been some quite scary situations. That was the
reason for the armored car and of my management’s brilliant
thinking then, you know, if they can roll a limo they can’t
roll an armored car, you know. IK:
Back when you were 16, 17 year of age, did you have much
input into the music you were recording at that stage? LG:
I really had none. It was basically, here record and do this, you know and that
was one of the reasons that I ended up leaving the company...was
because I wanted more control and I wanted to do more stuff that
was more current. And
uh unfortunately, I think that was part of the demise of why,
you know, I didn’t continue on with music at the time because,
you know it was musically changing and I wanted to change with
it but they figured that they had the formula and that was the
way it was gonna be. So
I just said well obviously you’re clueless so I’m outta
here. IK:
So at 16, 17 years of age, what sort of music were you
really into? LG:
I was really into you know like bands like Zeppelin, the
Stones. I was into
all progressive stuff you know Talking Heads, INXS. I was
listening to all kinds of stuff. IK:
Oh you like the Aussie band that’s good! LG:
Yeah well there was another Aussie band that I don’t
know if they were... I’ve been trying to remember their name
but um I’ll think of it by the end of this.
But uh I liked a few Aussie bands. IK:
Give me a clue LG:
Um they had this thing called uh Graffiti..... IK:
Graffiti Crime LG:
Yeah something like that IK:
Yes, there was an album from Mi-Sex LG:
Mi-Sex! That’s the name of the band! I love that band! Break
and Computer Games by Mi-Sex plays IK:
(station ID)...Here’s the man who in the mid 70’s
became the youngest ever artist signed to Atlantic Records, Leif
Garrett. You seemed
to do everything at a young age.
Leif, your first acting roles were at the age of five. LG:
Yeah. IK:
Did your parents want you to have the career or was it
your own idea? LG:
Well obviously at five years old I’m not saying hey
mom, you know, sign me to an acting agency...let me go.
You know it was basically put across, hey would you like
to try this? And it was like yeah. And then I liked it so we stuck with it. IK:
Mixing your music career with acting was either one more
dear to your heart? LG:
I think music because I really connect with music.
I’ve always liked music.
But I mean, acting is just something that I’ve done
since I was five years old so you know if anything I’d have to
say that is my first love.
But I’m still into music now so you know I’d say that
that’s the stronger of the two. IK:
You would have been about eight when you were in the
movie Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice. LG:
Right IK:
A theme of wife swapping....
What I wanna know is were you allowed to watch that movie
at the time? LG:
No, I wasn’t. It wasn’t until I was of age....until I was 18 was I
allowed to see it. IK:
Surely,(truly?) oh my god LG:
Yeah how funny is that? IK:
Yeah it is, it is. You certainly worked a lot as a youngster and just an amazing
acting resume you’ve got.
Family Affair, there was Gunsmoke, Nanny and the
Professor, the Odd Couple, ChiPs, even an episode of Wonder
Woman called My Teenage Idol is Missing. LG:
That was my real sister too IK:
Was it really? LG:
Yeah that was my real sister and we also did Cannon
together as well. We
actually did a few things together. IK:
Oh I didn’t know your sister acted. LG:
Yeah she was Dodie Douglas on My Three Sons IK:
And what’s she doing now? LG:
She runs a hotel. IK:
Where abouts? In LA or... LG:
Yeah on Catalina Island in California IK:
Oh Ok. Of
all your tv appearances, do you have a favorite? LG:
Aw man, as far as television, I’d say the Odd Couple
was the most fun. IK:
Why does that one stick in your mind, Leif? LG:
I think...I like humor...I think I’ve got a good sense
of humor so and I like live audience as well.
So combine the two and I had a great time. IK:
Are there any that you’re embarrassed about? LG:
I’ve done a couple of films
I’m completely embarrassed about.
(both laugh) IK:
Do you want to name them? LG:
Absolutely not. (both laugh) IK:
Ok lets get to another song.
Uh Led Zeppelin you’re a fan of? LG:
Yeah a big one. IK:
Do you remember what turned you on to Led Zep? LG:
Obviously I think that with most people, the song that
really turned me on to Led Zeppelin was Stairway to Heaven. Break
and Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin plays IK:
Child star in the 70’s whose pop songs took him to the
top of the music charts around the world in the late 70’s.
These days his music is rock and roll rather than pop and
he’s fronting a band called F8(fate). On their website it’s written that when Leif Garrett sings
it’s with a passion born of years living on the edge. Leif, in what way have you been living on the edge? LG:
Well, you know I’m in California here.
It’s a big fault line, we’re going to become an
island. IK:
Ya reckon? (both laughing) Is that a constant worry for
you? (laughing) (serious)
You’ve had drug addiction problems though, it’s been
reported here in the news.
How’re going now? LG:
Well let’s say it’s been,
uh 4 or 5 years now been sober. IK:
It’s one of those things that doesn’t really go away.
You always have to be aware of it don’t you? LG:
Some say that and I suppose it’s true, you know because
you know sometimes at times you think about it but you weigh the
pros and cons and you’re figuring what’s best, you know IK:
So, these days, as I said,
you’re the singer and the lyric writer for the band,
F8(fate). Tell us a
bit about the band. Where
did the name come from? LG:
Well actually um I call it F-8, but you know, it does say
fate. Um I was
sitting at... I was doing a play with the National Theatre of
the Deaf here in the United States, in Connecticut.
And, I was trying to think of a name for the band and I
was sitting in seat number F-8.
And F-8 represents a whole lot of things.
It was a fighter jet, it was the F-stop on a camera,
it’s uh, fate, it’s the exit key on the computer.
It’s a lot of different things. IK:
And is the band a full time project for you these days? LG:
Actually it is. Um, I just finished doing a movie with David Spade actually.
And we sold a song to them called Former Child Star. IK:
And so, I’ve got
a copy of that here. Let’s
play a bit now. Break
and Former Childhood Star is played partially. IK:
Leif, you’ve certainly moved on musically since Surfin’
USA and listening to that.
Tell us a bit about the movie.
Former Childhood Star sounds really good. LG:
It’s actually really funny.
David Spade and his partner Fred Wolf wrote it and it’s
called Dickie Roberts: Former
Child Star. And he
plays this really tainted character.
Um, somewhat of a cross between Michael Jackson and
somebody like oh Emmanuel Lewis or something.
And it’s really funny and I play his best friend in it. IK:
And there’s cameos from a number of other former child
stars too isn’t there? LG:
Yeah, there’s a few in there.
There’s the guy from the Partridge Family, Danny
Bonaduce and the Brady Bunch and a few others. It’s quite good. IK:
I believe that’ll be released here in Australia towards
the end of the year. So,
we’ll look forward to seeing that. LG:
It’s to be released here in the states October 3rd. IK:
Great. Fantastic. Let’s get to another song.
You picked out an INXS tune.
Where did you hear INXS over here or over there? LG:
Actually, I first heard
INXS in America, but I became friends with Michael here
in America as well ...in California. But you know I’ve heard them all over the place.
I’ve gone to their concerts all over the world.
I just love ‘em. Break
and I Send a Message by INXS plays IK:
Leif, as we illustrated just before with your band, F-8
you’ve certainly moved on musically. Am I correct in saying you don’t perform your hits from the
70’s with the band? LG:
Absolutely not. You know I did do a couple of shows on our last tour uh just
for fun we did kind of a rock and roll remake of I Was Made for
Dancing. But just,
I don’t know, it just sorta rubs the hair on the back of my
neck the wrong way...makes it stand up. IK:
Am I right to say that you’ve really tried hard to
distance yourself from that time musically? LG:
Absolutely, because, you know the past is the past and
that’s all fine and well.
But re-establishing myself, I want to get away from that
you know. There’ll
be a time and place when we perform that stuff again possibly.
IK:
Looking back over the years and being a former child
star, would you want children of yours to go through what you
went through? L IK:
And how’s life for you right now?
Are you happy? LG:
I think I’m pretty ok.
I’m pretty happy. You know things are going quite well and uh you
know I’d be happier if I had a, uh, a wife.
(laughs) IK:
Well I’m sure there are some Aussie girls who remember
you from that 1978 tour who may want to catch up with you in
that regard. LG:
Fine, well, you know, let me give you my phone number.
(both laugh) IK:
I’ll tell you what - there is an address we can give and
that’s for the band www.F8Officialsite.com. So if people want to catch up with more of your music and
more of the news as to what you’ve been up with, that would be
a good place to do it, right? LG:
Excellent yes IK:
Ok. Well
before I let you go and I’m really grateful for your time
today, I wanna take one more trip back in time to when
you were topping the charts as a teenage heartthrob...I
Was Made for Dancing.....What are your memories of this song? LG:
It was probably the biggest hit worldwide.
So, ya know, I have nothing bad to say about it and I had
a great time dancing to it.....as well with my fans and stuff so
I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. IK:
And do you ever listen to it at home these days? LG:
Absolutely not. (laughs) IK:
I knew you were going to say that, I did.
Leif Garrett, good to talk to you at 4KQ. LG:
Thank you very much and Cheers. And...I
Was Made for Dancing plays in its entirety
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