Interview with Sharleen
from MOJO - December 1996

MM: What music are you currently grooving into?
Sharleen: The last couple of months I've been listening to a lot of the stuff on Grand central records, a Manchester label run by a young guy called Mark Rae. We've been working on a couple of songs together - one tune will be on ournew album - as well as our song Good Advice on a new collaborative project, Central Heating, that he's putting out. There's another record he's released by two DJs called Votel - it's brilliant, an instrumental, but really close in spirit to that haunting Wu Tang Clan sound. Apart from that, I'm checking out a lot of old Motown and Studio One, listening to those incredible vocal melodies and working out the similarities. Serge Gainsbourg too - I love the sparseness of these songs.

MM: What, if push comes to shove, is your all time favourite album?
Sharleen: It has to be Marvin Gaye. I suppose I should nominate What's Going On, but everybody else does, so I'll go for Here My Dear. I think that's a classic that gets overlooked.

MM: What was the first record you bought, and where did you buy it?
Sharleen: It was a single by The Jam, but I really can't remember which one. I bought it at Listen Record shop on Renfield Street in Glasgow.

MM: Which musician (other than yourself) have you ever wanted to be?
Sharleen: When I was 11, I wanted to be Joe Strummer, but I've never had the teeth for it. I still play a black and white Telecaster though.

MM: What do you sing in the shower?
Sharleen: It's Raining Men by the Weather Girls...no, I'm kidding. Ten Storey Love Song by The Stone Roses in full-on Ian Brown voice.

MM: What is your favourite saturday night record?
Sharleen: 10pm- Killing Me Softly -Bounty Killer's Soundbarrier remix by the Fugees. 12pm- I Feel Love by Donna Summer. 3am- The Banks Of The Nile by Sandy Denny on repeat play.

MM: And your favourite sunday morning record?
Sharleen: I surface slowly to Bob Dylan's Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid.


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