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Billy Idol - Interview from 1984

So, nice to see this guy when he was quiet young.

David Letterman interviewing Billy Idol (1984) on his then new album Rebel Yell. Billy does seem kind of out of it in the interview. (Not sure what he was doing backstage)

Well, I just got into town about an hour ago
Took a look around, see which way the wind blow
Where the little girls in their Hollywood bungalows

Are you a lucky little lady in The City of Light
Or just another lost angel…City of Night
City of Night, City of Night, City of Night, woo,
c’mon

L.A. Woman, L.A. Woman
L.A. Woman Sunday afternoon
L.A. Woman Sunday afternoon
L.A. Woman Sunday afternoon
Drive thru your suburbs
Into your blues, into your blues, yeah
Into your blue-blue Blues
Into your blues, ohh, yeah

I see your hair is burnin’
Hills are filled with fire
If they say I never loved you
You know they are a liar
Drivin’ down your freeways
Midnite alleys roam
Cops in cars, the topless bars
Never saw a woman…
So alone, so alone
So alone, so alone

Motel Money Murder Madness
Let’s change the mood from glad to sadness

Mr. Mojo Risin’, Mr. Mojo Risin’
Mr. Mojo Risin’, Mr. Mojo Risin’
Got to keep on risin’
Mr. Mojo Risin’, Mr. Mojo Risin’
Mojo Risin’, gotta Mojo Risin’
Mr. Mojo Risin’, gotta keep on risin’
Risin’, risin’
Gone risin’, risin’
I’m gone risin’, risin’
I gotta risin’, risin’
Well, risin’, risin’
I gotta, wooo, yeah, risin’
Woah, ohh yeah

Well, I just got into town about an hour ago
Took a look around, see which way the wind blow
Where the little girls in their Hollywood
bungalows

Are you a lucky little lady in The City of Light
Or just another lost angel…City of Night
City of Night, City of Night, City of Night,
woah, c’mon

L.A. Woman, L.A. Woman
L.A. Woman, your my woman
Little L.A. Woman, Little L.A. Woman
L.A. L.A. Woman Woman
L.A. Woman c’mon

Riding my life
Like a run-a-way train
Moving from
One track to that
Howling, crying,
Screaming at the moon
Only my voice came back
Only the echo came back

When I was a boy
Daddy told me
Grow tall
Yes and billy don’t crawl
Taught me how to ride
Set me out on my own
And I never came back

And yes I’d do it again
Oh wouldn’t you
Yeah I’d do it again
A-huh oh yeah
Do it again
Baby
Wouldn’t you?

Remember
When I lied
Just when you
Needed me
Now I sit
Alone and cry
Cos now I believe in mercy
Remember when I lied
Just when you needed me baby
I believe in mercy

Riding, walking
Looking so cool
Guess I crossed
Over the borderline
Treated like a dunce
Who just can’t read
Did I fool me too?
And yes I’d do it again
Oh wouldn’t you
Yes I’d do it again
Aha yeah I’d do it again
Baby
Wouldn’t you

Remember
When I lied
Just when you
Needed me
Now I sit
Alone and cry
Cos now I believe in mercy
Remember when I lied
Now that you
Needed me
Yes I believe in mercy

I said “come here”
Look into my face
And hear into my heart
Hesitation
Could re-arrange
The other side
To your love
Take hold now baby
And take
What other
Lovers have not
Times is changing
Will they re-arrange

The other side to your love
No-woah woah woah
Yeah

Wooooo

(come home
Here he is impatient one
Come home
Come home
Tell the story)

Come home
Here he is
The impatient one
Come home
To claim a glory
Prodigal son
Come home
Prodigal bum
Come home
Prodigal son
Prodigal son
Come home
To claim a glory
Prodigal son
Come home
Prodigal son
Come home
Prodigal bum
Here he comes
Yeah that prodigal son
Ooooh
He’s the one
To tell his story
C’mon to tell his story
Tell his story
To claim his glory

Billy Idol biography

Billy Idol (born William Michael Albert Broad, 30 November 1955 in Middlesex is an English rock performer.

He first famous pioneer of the punk rock music, then start on a successful solo career, aided by a chain of stylish music videos, making him one of the primary MTV famous person. He has continued to make music, but has yet to recapture the levels of fame he enjoyed in the 1980s.

Biography

Beginning and latest career

The name Billy Idol was inspired by a school teacher’s description of Broad as “idle.”
Billy Idol lived in Worthing, England earlier than attending Sussex University for only one year before joining the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans. Idol first joined the punk rock gang Siouxsie & the Banshees (earlier than the band had decided on a name) in 1976, but soon he left this groupt and joined Chelsea in 1977 as a guitarist. However, he and Chelsea band mate Tony James soon quit that group and co-founded Generation X, with Idol changed from guitar to lead singer.

Generation X signed to Chrysalis Records and released three albums before breaking up. Idol moved to New York City and began working as a solo performer and working with Steve Stevens, soon becoming an MTV staple with “White Wedding” and “Dancing with Myself”, the latter of which had at first been recorded with Generation X.

In 1983, in an effort to introduce Idol to American audiences not yet as familiar with him as those in England, “Dancing With Myself” was released in the U.S. in conjunction with a music-video clip (directed by Tobe Hooper, produced by Jeffrey Abelson, and conceptualized by Keith Williams) that played in lot of time on MTV for six months. That video, in fact, sparked a whole new era of feature film directors trying their hand at music videos. Along with “White Wedding,” the “Dancing With Myself” video helped build Idol a household name in America.
“White Wedding” was rumored to be a “nasty put down” by Idol and then-girlfriend Perri Lister, directed at Idol’s sister for thinking that getting married was the answer to getting pregnant. In the 2001 recording of VH1 Storytellers Idol refutes that, saying his sister’s wedding was simply inspiration for the song, which quickly took on its own form. Years after the video, Idol’s sister is still married with three children. Idol and Perri broke up in 1990. They have a son together named Willem Wolfe Broad.

Soon after, Billy Idol was involved in a connection with a woman of the name Linda Mathis (born and raised in Pasadena, CA). However there was a thirteen year age difference, they began seeing each other often. At the age of 19, Linda became pregnant, and chose to move in with her mother to have her child. It was a girl named Bonnie Blue Broad, born August 21, 1989.

Steve Stevens and Billy Idol

Idol’s second LP, Rebel Yell (1984) was a runaway success, and set up Idol’s superstar position in the United States with hits like “Eyes Without a Face”, “Flesh For Fantasy”, and the title cut; Idol also became very famous in Europe thanks to this album and its singles, mostly in Germany, Italy, Switzerland and later in his native UK.

He did not release a new album until in the next three year Whiplash Smile sold very well and proved to be a smash, including the hits “To Be A Lover”, “Don’t Need A Gun” and the Country-flavored “Sweet Sixteen”. Stevens soon left for a solo career and Idol continued. A live cover of Tommy James’ “Mony Mony” (the studio edition of which was an Idol clip from early on) did well on MTV, and topped the US charts in 1987.
Just before the release of Charmed Life in 1990, Idol was in a motorcycle accident in which he almost lost his leg. The album had been named prior to Idol’s accident. The album sold very well (led by “Cradle Of Love”, from The Adventures of Ford Fairlane film), but Idol decided to take a break and acted in The Doors, directed by Oliver Stone. The follow-up to Charmed Life was 1993’s Cyberpunk, which was a flop in the States, and Idol fell into drug passion, nearly dying of a GHB overdose in 1994. Upon his discharge he calmed down and began to focus more on his child.

Idol returned to the stage in 1998, when he played himself in The Wedding Singer, an Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore 80s romantic comedy, where “White Wedding” was used as the title track. Idol appeared on VH1 Storytellers and issued a successful Greatest Hits CD in 2001. Keith Forsey’s Don’t You (Forget About Me) appears on the collection. Although Forsey originally wrote it with Idol in brain, Idol turned it down and finally the song was given to Simple Minds who would go on to make it a 1 worldwide hit in 1985.
Billy Idol on the set of In The Summertime video (2006)
He was also appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, where the character Spike claims Billy’s look and attitude is based on him.

In 2000, Idol was called to be one of the guest singer on Tony Iommi’s album. His gift was on the song Into The Night, which he also co-wrote. That same year his voice also starred as Odin, a mysterious alien character, in the animated fantasy film Heavy Metal 2000.
Idol was embarrassed at the 2002 National Rugby League Grand final, when a power problem resulted in no one being able to hear him singing.
“White Wedding” appeared on famous videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, playing on fictional Classic Rock radio, K-DST.

Devil’s Playground, which appeared 22 March 2005, was his first new studio album close to twelve years. This album was heavily promoted with use of the Devil’s Playground album website, which was made by Squad in early 2005. The Devil’s Playground album contains a cover of the classic song Plastic Jesus.

Idol played a handful of dates on the 2005 Vans Warped Tour and also made an appearance the UK’s Download Festival at Donington Park . Then in 2006, as his only UK live date, he came out headlining the Sunday night of GuilFest. That same year he made an appearance on Viva La Bam.

In 2006, Billy guested on his keyboardist Derek Sherinian’s solo album Blood of the Snake, covering the 1970 Mungo Jerry disck, “In the Summertime”. A video was also made featuring Idol and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash.

In November 2006, Idol released a Christmas album called Billy Idol: Happy Holidays. It containa classic Christmas songs like “Frosty the Snowman”, “Jingle Bell Rock”, and “Silent Night”, plus some originals.

A human heart goes out tonight
Yes a red hot love on a red stop light

I see a scene so cold it echoes in blue
Oh those twisting tongues they are after you

Wop bop a lu bop Son you gotta move up
Flip flop fly
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Of what a story dreams to buy
Don’t need a knife to violate my life
It’s all so insane

When the other man has none
You don’t need a gun
Yes a Russian roulette no fun
I don’t need a gun
I just need someone
I don’t need a gun

Blood red lights a domination street yeah
Just need your love and I feel that heat yeah
You can drive me through
That red stop light
With a whiplash smile

Wop bop a lu bop Son you gotta move up
Flip flop fly
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Of what a story dreams to buy
Don’t need a knife to violate my life
It’s all so insane

When the other man has none
You don’t need a gun
Yes a Russian roulette no fun
I don’t need a gun I just need someone
I won’t need a gun Oh yeah

You will always be crying yeah
Oh you will always be dying
Oh you will always be dying

Elvis a fight the dying light
Johnny Ray he’s always crying
Gene Vincent he cried who slapped John, John, John.

Yes and me, I’m movin’, movin’, movin’, movin’ on.
Yeah to be someone
I don’t need a gun.

LINKS
BILLY IDOL BIOGRAPHY
BILLY IDOL DISCOGRAPHY