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interview with Sharleen From Kim - number two 2005 by Angeline E Nygren It is sparkling about Sharleen Spiteri, the singer and frontfigur in Texas. She is really bubbling about how much she loves Sweden, the clean air and the pleasant tone in our language. KIM met her in a hotel in Stockholm and got a diverse conversation. A talk about ABBA and unexpected news. DO YOU KNOW THAT BENNY ANDERSSON from Abba owns this hotel? -Yeah, I actually know that. When I came to my room yesterday I found four different Abba-albums there. But I had to go direct to the studio to do a recording for someonelses record so I didnīt have time to listen to them then. And then there is silence. Sharleen Spiteri is looking thoughtful for a little while. I am waiting patiently to find out who that "someone" is, donīt want to push on for an answer. Finally itīs there. -I am doing a track on Rammstein's next album. -Oh. I canīt really picture it. A duet between Sharleen Spiteri and Rammstein, doesnīt feel like an obvious combination. Sharleen is of course hearing my astonished reaction and is trying to convince me that it is more obvious than it sounds. -It is really a beautiful ballad. We are a few that have done it together, it is really cool! The tone in Sharleenīs voice when she is trying to convince me about the Rammsteinproject reminds me of a young, gushing, entushiastic girl that is new in the bussiness, not like the 38-year old mother she is. That has been a musician longer than Darin is old and has sold equally as many records as Destiny's Child and Coldplay. After getting the response she wanted from me, which was surprise, she returns to her tired entrance at the Abba-hotel. -The room is really nice, it has lovely balcony and a beautiful cubical bathroom. And when I got back from the recording I put Abba on really loud and laid in the bath and sang along.I love Abba! A while later, after telling me how much she likes Abba and how their music influenced her, Sharleen Spiteri leaves the Abba-discussion reluctantly. THE FORTHCOMING DUET with Rammstein is the first planned duet that Sharleen Spiteri has done with someone. Itīs a lot of different things that needs to fit for a duet to actually work Spiteri means. -Iīve been asked many times and itīs not just about me liking someone. There are many artists out there that I really like, but I know a duet with them wouldnīt work. Our voices wouldnīt work well together, it wouldnīt be anything different. There needs to be something true there for me to do it. -I mean itīs like with Rammstein, people will think "WHAT!?". And thatīs why I am doing it! Because literally people will go "I donīt quite believe this, I need to hear it!". Sharleen looks proud and confident. In the same way she does on stage. A Texas concert is very personal, it doesnīt matter if they have 2000 or 20000 in the audience. Sharleen Spiteri have the ability to communicate with her crowd and she doesnīt let an oppurtunity go by. The cocky loud guys with one drink too many seems to be a favourite for her to put back in place. She always succeeds - and then triumphantly wins over the rest of the audience. A lot of this is probably because of her charm, humbleness and her ability to always have an answer. When the topic of concerts come up Sharleen lits up and tells energetic and elated how fantastic it is to play in front of an audience. It is obvious that this is something she burns for. BUT LIVE MUSIC IS ONE THING, to pick songs for an album a totally different one. It is not always that things turn out the way you planned and sometimes a last-minute-thing can end up being a real strike-of-luck. The song Sleep on the latest album was one of these. -Paul Buchanan (from The Blue Nile) met Johnny McElhone and said he really like to sing with me. Both Johnny and me thought it would be really good. So Johnny and me wrote Sleep really fast and thought let's see what happens. As said so done. The fast written song was played for Paul and Sharleen Spiteri tells enthusiastic how he really liked it. -In the studio Sleep really took on this whole personality and life. So we exchanged it for another track on Red Book. Red Book by the way is the name of Texas' latest album and that thing with books has a special story of its own. Sharleen Spiteri tells how she has a notebook for every album. In this particular case the notebook was red. And during the past two very quiet years for Texas Sharleen has filled it with ideas, texts and drafts. Material that's been polished and shrunk in to a 45 mins long album. -Mum's always given me notebooks. And this one got pulled out of the shelf because it was a red one. The impression you get from Sharleen Spiteri is relaxed, laid back and thoughtful. She doesnīt just speak her mind. Everything is well thought through and most important of all - she remains herself through and through. When the interview is heading towards the end she has cuddled up with her feet in the couch zipping on a cup of tea. What has Texas given you except fame and money? -Friendship. So friendship is the reward - what is the highlight? Sharleen takes A long pause before she answers. -Still being here. There are not many bands that can say they had a 20 year career! Then everyone keeps going on asking if thereīs gonna be any 20 year celebration, she continues. Iīve never thought about it. Letīs wait and see how the album goes first. Then we will see if we have something to celebrate. |