Their year : Texas
by Andrew Collins for Q Magazine - February 1998


The perma-good-humoured Sharleen Spiteri remembers a 1997 of heavenly hits, icky eel-handling and turning her mum's house into Gracelands.

THE SIGN on the door was clear enough: no mobile phones allowed in the bar. 'We don't allow mobile phones in here!' hollers an enraged barman when Sharleen Spiteri's cellular bleeps into life. This isn't the Groucho Club, where they apply similar telecom prohibition (and where Ms Spiteri got her collar felt by bar staff recently), but a similar members-only Soho dive. lt's fitting that we should find the Texas chanteuse here. A few years ago it would've been The Borderline or somesuch venue, but 1997 was the year in which the Glasgow quintet turned into stars, and their White On Blonde album went triple-platinum in the UK. Why is Spiteri's mobile on? She's waiting for a call from her boyfriend, as they only have one set of house keys. Such is the media darling's life. Alright, alright, we're turning it off, keep your apron on!

Do you remember the first time you were on TFI Friday?
It was in January, around the time of the first single (Say What you Want) - but we weren't booked to be on it. Nigel Benn got arrested, and he was supposed to be a guest. I was drinking in the pub opposite Riverside Studios in Hammersmith because Mercury (Texas's record company) are just around the corner, and Chris (Evans) had heard the album. He asked me if I'd go on as a guest, and I said I didn't want to. He said please, so I ended up on the show that night, and for three weeks after people were coming up to me and going, I saw you on TFI Friday! I thought you's had split up! I said, No, no, no, we're still alive...

How many times have you been on it?
For every single. Four.

Are you bitter that you'd had so little media support before this album started to take off?
Why should we have support? I'm not bitter about anything. We had a lot of press for our first album, and by the time of our second album, all the journalists were, like, We're on to something else now. I must admit I felt betrayed at that time. So now, if anyone wants us on their show, or wants to play our record, I say, Thank you very much.

How do you feel being a multiple cover star?
It's really good as a band, because of all the stuff we've come through. Why should a band who've had such a low suddenly be on such a high again? I think it's a good story, it's a cover story!

How did you feel after the Q Awards?
I will never, ever play another Patti Smith record. She was such a tosser. What a complete twit! lf I'd been Polly Harvey I would've gone up and smacked her that fucking hard on the back of the head. Everyone loves an award! I've only ever had one award, a Capital Radio Award for Best Female Vocalist this year. I didn't know I was going to get it. Actually, I got an Achievement Award from Malta, because a lot of my family are from there. lt's got a sharp point on it - if you fell on it you'd kill yourself. I'm very pleased with my awards. My Mum and Dad have got all my gold discs, hundreds, they've got them from all the different territories. Their house is like Gracelands.

What was the best Texas moment this year?
When the album went to Number 1. But when it went back to Number 1 it was even better. It's a weird feeling. There's a lot of records when you walk into a record shop, and people are choosing to spend their wages on ours.

What was your lowest UK chart peak?
Halo got to Number 10.

Have you had a moment's peace this year?
Not one second. It's been non-stop. At one point I was in LA for one day, and I did press in three Gerrnan towns in one day. I haven't unwound, but I don't need to, I don't give a shit about holidays - it's going so well, I'm the happiest person in the world. Believe me, I know what it's like when a record's not doing anything. Oh, I had a normal day up in Glasgow the other day, listening to my sister and her daughter arguing - she was going to a Spice Girls party as Ginger Spice, and she wanted her hair sprayed orange.

Have you watched much telly on your travels?
No, I'm not much of a telly person, not even when I'm in my hotel room. And I don't flick around either. I survive hotels by being a good sleeper.

Did you feel bad at any point in 1997?
(Thinks for a while) Oh, I know. We were making a video for Put Your Arms Around Me in Norfolk, and it was still cold, it wasn't the summer yet. We finished a gig in Manchester, last date of the British tour, we got on the bus, I took my make-up off, straight into my bunk, couldn't sleep, felt sick, got the bus to stop in this country road, jumped out in my pyjamas and I was puking in the middle of the road. I felt so ill. And then, for the video shoot the next day, they were throwing buckets of water at me the whole time - and I had to hold an eel. It was the only time I got sick the whole year. The eel didn't even make it into the video.

It was your 30th birthday this year. Get anything good?
A deep fat fryer off my Mum and Dad, but it's a special one. The element is detachable, so you can put the whole thing in the dishwasher. And a Sony PlayStation.

Were you intimidated by the Wu-Tang Clan when you worked with them?
Not a bit, I swear to God. They're the biggest guys I've ever seen in my life, they're like basketball players. I'd just recorded a vocal, and Chef Raekwon's like, Yo! Who's that singing? And RZA goes, It's Girlie - 'cos they called me Girlie - and Raekwon goes, Man, you black! And I laughed so loud. Method Man's a pussycat.

Have you got a good job?
I love what I do. I don't think I have a hard job, I really don't.


Back to the Articles page

Back to the Articles & Concert Reviews main page

If you don't see a toolbar on the left then please click here