INTERVIEW WITH TERRY WOGAN
FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF THE 'WEST SIDE STORY' ALBUM IN 1993

---

(Also present at the table are Harry Enfield (comedian) and Arthur Smith)

(First you see/hearMichael singing 'Maria')

Terry:  Good boy!  Why West Side Story?  Why have you decided to ... leap into that?

Michael:  Well someone just made a phone call and said "We're thinking of recording it with the Royal Philharmonic" and they brought in a lot of opera singers who were getting involved in the recording and they'd like me to sing the role of Tony.  And I think it's one of the best musicals ever written and the Royal Philharmonic and all that, a huge orchestra, I just couldn't say no.

Terry:  So to keep our theme of the 'operatic' - it is almost opera, but what's the difference between singing in a musical and singing in an opera?

Michael:  Eight shows a week. (laughs)  It's true!

Terry:  But would you pass muster as an operatic singer?

Michael:  No, no you've got to train, there's no question.  You can use a natural voice if you're doing musical theatre but if you do an opera role you have to train.

Terry:  But again, if you started to do opera and you trained for opera you'll never be able to do popular music again, because lots of opera singers have tried doing that ...

Michael:  It's interesting you saying that, because it looks like I'm going to be doing a concert with Kiri Te Kanawa.  The first part will be her doing opera stuff and the second half me and her doing stuff from ...

Terry:  ...the common stuff.

Michael:  Yes!  The 'lowlier' stuff.  And I've listened to her - I know what you're saying, but of all the people who have sung opera and then have tried to 'go down' ... (realising his mistake) ... to change their style, to cross over to popular music, she is one of the few that I think gets away with it.

Terry:  Why is it so difficult for them?  I mean I've heard Jose Carreras, a wonderful singer, try to record popular music and it just doesn't work.  Is it because the voice - they're always conscious of producing a certain note in a certain way?

Michael:  Well with women, with sopranos I guess it's because they're singing right up high and it has to be very technical.  And stuff that is more popular is in a chest voice, it's a 'belt'.

Arthur:  Could you sing in a punk voice do youthink?

Michael:  Yeah I have! I was in a punk band! (laughs)

Arthur:  What were you called?

Michael:  I can't actually tell you that! (laughs) one of those lovely names ...

Harry:  Surely ... I don't know if this is true, but with an opera singer, because they don't have microphones and they're singing ... you've got an orchestra right in front of you and you belt out to the back.  I mean you train to do that, you train for 10 years to be able to get your voice like that ...

Michael:  No, it's also ... you know Love Changes Everything, that big B-flat at the end.  If you're walloping those out night after night but all the way through a show - there's only one of those in Aspects - but if they're all the way through a show, your voice will die so it's got to be technical.  You can't actually just get into the piece and into the character and just 'go for the note'.  You have to place yourself right and breathe right and they showed me, these opera singers on West Side ... They can sustain notes and also they all know the technical terms, like diminuendo ...

Harry:  Did they like showing you up?

Michael:  No, it was a different ... what I can do is I phrase differently. They are strictly on the beat and on the metre.  What I do is, I put a character into it.  I sort of change it round and give it a personality, which I think is what our side of the business can do better.

Arthur:  You told me that it was only five months ago that you gave up smoking.

Michael:  That's right.  And I still haven't had a cigarette!

Arthur:  Is that helpful for singing?

Michael:  Yeah, well if you want to sound like Donald Sindon I suppose it would be a good idea to keep smoking (laughs).

Terry:  You've put on weight haven't you?

Michael:  That's the pot calling the kettle black isn't it!! (laughs) with your constructed desk!

Terry:  Actually we got this desk from Luciano Pavarotti, when he used to sit on the other end (points) I've got to say, I've given you an easy enough ride so far but why did you fail to win the Eurovision?

Michael: (laughs) Because you were there!  I don't know - because I didn't get enough votes I suppose.

Arthur:  I bet you can't even remember the name of the song he did Terry.

Harry:  I can!  It was Love Changes Everything (does the One Step Out Of Time movement Michael always does)

Michael:  No that was before that, that Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote for the show.

Harry:  But on Eurovision you went like that (OSOOT movement again).

Michael:  Actually I did, you're right!  And I still do that, I like doing that.  They all remember it (to the audience). One Step Out Of Time!

Terry:  Yes, I'd completely forgotten.

Harry:  How embarassing!  But you DID go like that! (movement again)

Michael:  I did!

Terry:  Will you stop going on about that kind of thing?

Harry:  But we did it at home the whole next day.  We were going 'do-you-want-a-cup-of-tea' (simultaneously doing the OSOOT movement).

Terry:  We don't want to dwell on the Eurovision because people will be ill at home ...

Michael:  At least I don't have to do it this year, you do!

Terry:  I love it! It's the high spot of the year for me.

Harry:  You're very good on the Eurovision Terry.

Terry:  Well I never have to sing and of course you can't see my face.

Arthur:  You should though, have you ever thought of entering it Terry, as a singer? (laughter)

Terry:  (to Michael) Are you conscious of the 600 million people watching you and listening to you?

Arthur:  What - Now!!? (more laughter)

Terry:  Actually, our figures have been very encouraging!

Harry:  Terry's had a bit of a drink ... having illusions here ...

Arthur:  But just today I asked ... what's her name, the Australian singer, I can't remember her name ... Kylie Minogue, "have you ever sung in a pub" and she couldn't imagine, she said it would be really scary to sing in front of 50 people.

Michael:  I do it all the time.

Harry:  I love Kylie.

Terry:  You like Kylie do you?

Harry:  I love Kylie, I think she's dreamy.  I met her the other day at the Brit Awards, she's lovely.

Arthur:  She told me she fancied you. Yeah, she said "That Harry Enfield, I'll give him one!"

Harry:  No she wouldn't say that, she'd say "I'd like you to buy me some flowers" cause she's that kind of girl.  She doesn't say things like that, what you just said. You're just coarse, Kylie isn't coarse, she's dreamy ...

Terry:  Can we please call this Kylie appreciation society to a halt?? There's much to do here! (to Michael) Now, I was going to ask you ... oh I've forgotten what I was gonna ask you, but however ...

Harry: have you had an affair with Kylie?

Terry: (hitting Harry) Stop it!!

Harry: (dodging) Assault!!

Terry: (to Michael) Do you regret doing the Eurovision Song Contest?

Michael:  Not in the slightest, no.  We had a great time!

Terry:  Do you regret doing anything on television?

Michael: ... apart from this show? (laughs)

Terry:  That's another cheap shot!

Michael:  You DO inspire them!

Terry:  Just for that, just for that I want to show you something that may well set you back several years ...

Michael:  Oh don't do this to me Wogan ...
 

(clip is shown of Michael in Coronation Street)

(Audience laughs and claps, Michael acting severely embarassed)

Michael:  What about the legs though, eh?  Not bad!

Arthur:  He was a bit like your Brookside character wasn't he?

Harry:  Yeah he was a bit wasn't he.  His haircut was. can I ask Michael a question?  Just about the Eurovision.  What are the other people like there, the other contestants?

Michael:  It varies, it's like any show you do.  Some of them are barking, some of them are really great.  Everyone's terrified, they really are ...

Harry:  And are they 'pally' at the and and "Well done really" or is it all really edgy?

Michael:  You've seen Miss World, it's the same kind of thing "oh well done (whispers) you bastard", a lot of that going on ... no it was one lovely, happy family.  One showbiz-family, really.

Arthur:  Why are the songs so terrible then? (to Michael) not YOURS, obviously! (laughter)

Terry:  Oh, I dunno ... (more laughter) That's the whole point of it, the songs are supposed to be terrible.  The thing is a joke.  It's a contradiction in terms.  The idea was to bring all of Europe together to show our great unity.  But all it demonstrates every year is how far apart we are.

Harry:  Especially Israel. 'Cause Israel isn't part of Europe but it's always in there ...

Terry:  Well, we move on then! (introduces next guest, Spike Milligan, but Michael's not part of this discussion)