Wannabe plays before the interview will begin . . .
JW: It's the Spice Girls and Wannabe, who do you think that's a cue to? It is Marilyn Manson on the show (Melanie laughs) Melanie C. Hello welcome along to the program.
MC: Thank you very much it's a pleasure to be here.
JW: How are you doing then?
MC: I'm good actually. I'm back home now, back in the studio with the Spice Girls and life is looking pretty great.
JW: How long have you been in the studio with the Spice Girls then?
MC: Erm, 2 weeks.
JW: 2 weeks.
MC: Yeah, and it's going really, really well.
JW: What was the first day like when you all got . . . ?
MC: Erm, it was...wow...it was weird because we'd been away, you know, from each other for quite a while, I'd been in America working on stuff and the other Girls have been doing other things, but it was just really good to see each other and we've all revitalised, refreshed and you know . .. . (she gets cut off by Jo)
JW: Did you do any work on the first day?
MC: Erm..
JW: No!
MC: There was a lot of gossiping going on but no in fact we did, we started a song on the first day
JW: Very good.
MC: Yes.
JW: So, have you been writing, how's the writing process been working?
MC: Erm, it's the same as ever really, you know it's really cool because we've been, you know, we've spent some time apart and we've got other inspirations and other ideas and we've just come together again and as ever we bounce off each other.
JW: How's it gonna be sounding then, the new stuff because you've all got, you know, such varied influences now?
MC: Yeah but it's always been that way, I think that's been. Well maybe that's been the magic between us because we have got, you know, such different influences.
JW: OK. And did Victoria bring the baby in with her?
MC: Well we've had two baby visits this, um, last week so, um, that was very cute.
JW: No it's just that in the beginning she was saying, 'Oh we'll just um, the babies will come with us', and Mel when she was on the show as well. 'The babies will come with us when we're working" and I've tried that myself and it doesn't work, it's very difficult.
MC: No, it's pretty cool in the studio, I mean I think babies, they like music don't they. So they're quite good both the babies
JW: It depends as to whether they need changig, feeding or they're just in bad moods really.
MC: Well they're very well behaved.
JW: Good.
MC: Which I find quite surprising after knowing they're mothers so well. (they both laugh)
JW: Um, we've got some questions that we've asked people to come up with people were calling the other day, so we'll start off then with Steve, Steve from Watford said, "Photographs in Q, absolutely fantastic photos in Q, you look fantastic, um, why all the tattoos?"
JW: Tattoos, how many have you got?
MC: Look Steve, it's my body mate. Um, no um, oh my new tattoo on my back, my little phoenix in the flames.
JW: What is it exactly? How big is it? MC:
Um, how big is it? How big's that?
JW: Oh about 8 inches, I reckon.
MC: Ooo 8 inches, as big as that, um yeah and it's a bit of a cross between a phoenix and a thunderbird because of the design that I wanted, and it's like got some little flames around it. But it's my first coloured tattoo cause I've like always just had them in black and white, but I felt like a bit of colour, so I've got, how many do I have? 1,2,3,4 that's my 5th . . . and possibly my final.
JW: People say it's quite addictive having tattoos.
MC: It's very addictive, the first tattoo that I got I knew exactly the next one I wanted to get and it just carried on like that over the years.
JW: OK and does it hurt? Which one hurt most?
MC: The latest one.
JW: The colour one.
MC: 3 hours of agony but it was worth it.
JW: So at the moment it may be the last, but...
MC: Yeah for now.
JW: For now. You must have been very pleased with those photographs in Q because you do look stunning in them.
MC: I was very pleased but, you know, I'm lucky enough to work with great photographers, you know, it was great lighting, very experienced make-up artist and they've got a great hair-dresser too!
JW: It all helps doesn't it.
MC: It all helps.
JW: Elise in Durham said ... because you are Mel C, famous person, you can't go down the dog and the dump just to find a bloke, so where do you go? (Melanie laughs)
MC: Er, actually maybe someone out there could help me with that, I don't know! Where do I go? No, I'm just like everyone else, you know, maybe a few more people recognise me, but I go out, I socialise, go out to clubs and bars and things, not a lot because I'm very busy, but um you know through work, I think a lot of people if you look at the statistics, a lot of people meet their partners through work, so um.
JW: That's why you're working so hard!
MC: That's why! Exactly!
JW: What does it feel like when you walk into a room and know that you're having an effect on everyone around you because wherever you go, people do know who you are?
MC: Erm, to tell you the truth I'm usually oblivious to it. I do tend to feel a little bit, you know, if there's, um, a lot of little kids in the room because a lot of the Spice Girls fans are quite young, but other than that, you know, if I go shopping, if I'm down the High street whatever, I don't . . . I tend to think that people don't realise who I am.
JW: OK, the Q magazine . . . were you aware of all the affect that had, there were a lot of quotes in a lot of the tabloids in this country . . .
MC: Well, you know the tabloids! It's erm, they never seize to amaze me, you know, we've been a part of this for 3 years and they can still . . . they just, um, I don't know things always. When you say things and it can be a joke and maybe you didn't quite mean it that way, when it's in print it looks so different, and then when the papers take everything completely out of context anyway and they elaborate on the truth and sometimes they even make it all up, you know so . . .
JW: So you didn't get any stoppy phone calls from any of your other band members?
MC: Not at all because the thing is we've all been a victim to it and we know each other better than that, so it's never been a problem.
JW: Josh in York says that Q magazine hypes their interview with you as an all revealing, in depth chat but he was dissappointed. He said "Will there ever be a time when you can actually be open, be honest and say exactly how you feel?"
MC: Do you know what, I find it very difficult in interviews because, you know, I'm a very honest person as we all are in the band, but there are some things that are just nobody elses business, you know what I mean, so I wanna be honest I don't wanna lie. I find it very, very difficult to lie and I hope that I never do but I'm not gonna, I'm gonna tell you all my darkest, deepest secrets am I, I've gotta keep some of it for myself ..
. . Returning from playing Madonna Beautiful Stranger:
JW: Now if you listened to the Breakfast Show this morning with Zoe you will have heard this track already, if not brace yourself. I'll say now, and um, should they turn the radios up or down?
MC: Yeah, wack it up!
JW: Wack it up, ok, this is the brand new single from Melanie C
.. . .After playing Goin' Down:
JW: Brutal I think we'll describe that as, brutal, it's the brand new single by Melanie C and it's called Goin' Down. So tell us the story, did you write the lyrics?
MC: Yeah I wrote the lyrics in this one, somebody sparked off quite a bit of emotion in me, so I thought I'd write about them
JW: OK so do you wanna bulge any details or is it um . . .
MC: Um, no I'll keep that to myself. I'll pretend to be mystique and aloof there, no obviously it's not like that.
JW: Right ok, how long ago did you write this?
MC: O gosh, I wrote this in Dublin actually, I did it with Matt 'n' Biff who have done a lot of Spice Girls stuff.
JW: I'm just trying to work out who it is you see.
MC: It was earlier on in the year.
JW: Right so, OK it's kind of a message, a message because there was a lot of emotion in there when you were performing.
MC: Yeah, but I think you can be, what do they say artistic, what can you say when you can, you know, be very . . .
JW: Nasty? I don't know.
MC: No, not being nasty, but just be a bit more dramatic than the reality of it all, you know . . .
JW: Oh no, let's believe that it's dramatic and nasty.
MC: OK, i mean every word of it! Every single word of it.
JW: OK, is this a kind of indication of the sound of the music to come on the rest of the album?
MC: Well, it's a funny one, you know us Spice Girls, you know what we're like. The album is very, very diverse but there is quite a lot of rock on there...
JW: Hmm, cause Ga Ga, which isn't on the album is it, it was on a soundtrack.
MC: It is on the album.
JW: Oh good I really, really did like that one a lot.
MC: Yeah it's gonna be on the album, that's one of my favourite tracks. Yeah, that's in the same kinda vein isn't it, quite heavy rock, there's a few like that but then there's some R 'n' B tracks and there's some great pop on there as well.
JW: You must be looking forward to performing all this stuff
MC: (gasp of excitement) I am so excited, well I'm at V99 next week aren't I? JW: Yeah (high pitched aarrgghh from Melanie)
JW: That must be pretty terrifying for you.
MC: Yes, I'm having sleepless nights already.
JW: Are you? And where on the bill are you? Sorry I'm not . . .
MC: Erm, I'm on in between the Levellers, I'm after the Levellers and before Supergrass.
JW: Supergrass.
MC: That sounds cool dunnit!
JW: That is not bad! I met a couple of girls outside and they wanted to ask you some questions. Elise and Lucy Hockly said, "When you're doing the new Spice Girls stuff, the new projects, will you be doing it with only half a heart, kinda half-hearted because this is your main passion? Are you doing it kind of out of the sence of obligation and money?"
MC: Oh my word, money? No.
JW: They said it.
MC: The money, I'm doing alright actually thank you very much but um, no not at all you know the Spice Girls, I adore being in the Spice Girls, the girls are my best friends in the whole world, and we have such good fun. I'd be a fool not to do it, you know, I'd be missing out big time. So um, I'm enjoying every minute of it, but I love doing my own thing too.
JW: OK, so who else have you worked with on this album?
MC: Um, ooo, lots and lots of exciting people! Um, I've done some writing with Bryan, Bryan Adams, um, with William Orbit, which was really exciting.
JW: What did he do? Which track or . . .
MC: A track called Go. It's quite new actually, it's the last song I wrote, I done that just before I left LA so we had fun working on that together, and then there's um, great producers; Mick Rubin which a lot of people know about, and Maurice De Fricee's also he's fantastic. Um, who elso have I worked with?
JW: Did you go after these people in particular, I mean William Orbit's worked with Madonna and probably, you were probably thinking hmmm . . .
MC: Well luckily enough he approached me which was very flattering.
JW: It must be surprising that when you think, did you sometimes think I can't believe.
MC: Yeah I can't, I absolutely can't believe it and you know it's all through the Spice Girls because other than that these people wouldn't know who I was. So yeah really, really cool people but I've got some really good people playing on the album as well I don't know if you've read anything, but I've met Steve Jones while I was over in LA from the Sex Pistols and he actually plays guitar on me album and 2 of Beck's band are also playing on some of my tracks so it's a bit of an all-star cast and actually an exclusive I'm going to reveal to you today.
JW: Oh good, go on then.
MC: Nobody's picked up but one of my tracks on the album I've got Left Eye from TLC rapping on it.
JW: Oh really.
MC: Yeah.
JW: Very good.
MC: And that's great and she's really cool.
JW: Did she teach you some nifty moves because they're the best dancers.
MC: They are so good aren't they? But they are so tiny! You think the Spice Girls are small, you ought to see TLC.
JW: Look at you saying that.
MC: Yeah I felt like a bouncer, I felt like a giant next to her and I am not lying, honestly, but she is gorgeous.
JW: Very good, very good indeed. Steve Jones, what was he like?
MC: He's lovely.
JW: Animal?
MC: Well I think you can um, the years have won, not that well on him I suppose. Ha Ha that's really cruel beans. You can see he was a wild man but now he's very calm and he's a very, very nice bloke.
JW: Good, alright. Are you enjoying being who you are at the moment, I imagine that you are, the fame . . . how's that affected your family and friends? What's it like when you go home?
MC: Um, really cool actually, I'm going home this weekend, I've not seen them for a while, but every step of the way they've just been there with me, and they've lived through it with me so they've just accepted it really.
JW: So what will it be like when you're walking through the door, when are you going Saturday, tomorrow probably.
MC: Yeah I'm going tonight.
JW: To your parents?
MC: I'll probably stay on my own tonight in my little flat but um I'm going there on Sunday.
JW: So will there be lots of relatives there? Grandparents?
MC: Yeah close family and that, and I'll still be expected to do the washing up!
JW: Will you're gran or your nan be going "ooo what was it like, what have you been doing", do they check on your health.
MC: Well I've seen them a lot cause when I was over in America they came over to visit and I'm very close to my family so it's not like, even though I may not have seen them for a long time, we're very much in contact.
JW: What about any memorabilia they have of yours on the walls?
MC: Oh all the discs.
JW: They're all on display.
MC: Awards and things, yeah, it's embarrassing when people come round.
JW: I can imagine the neighbours want to come and have a bit of a nose around
MC: I don't know, everyone just accepts it, it's weird.
JW: OK yeah and you're going to be doing this big radio 1 gig for us.
MC: I'm looking forward to that.
JW: Your mates Supergrass will be there.
MC: Yeah we'll be buddies by then, hopefully.
JW: Very good, very good. Thank you very much for coming in to talk to us today.
MC: Thank you.
JW: Bryan Adams, what's he like? In the video? We had a question from Jamie in Cardiff he said, "In the video for When You're gone, who's wearing more make-up?"
MC: (laughing) Probably him actually, he was like more eyeliner, but he likes a bit of make-up for his vids
JW: But he's cool is he, is he alright?
MC: Yeah he's very nice.
JW: Melanie, thank you very much indeed.
MC: Thank you.
JW: Cheers.