Dis-Grace-ful Behaviour
When the chance came up to interview Simon Webbe, it seemed a good idea to ask him about his career to date, and the first time he'd done various things. The thinking was that Simon has branched out from the band which made him famous in much the same way that your humble ChartBlog has branched out from Top of the Pops. Everything is new, and the world feels fresh again. So what better time to ask him about the big 'first time' moments in his career?
See if you can spot what went wrong...
ChartBlog: Hi Simon, how're you doing?
Simon: I'm not too bad sir!
ChartBlog: Good stuff! Now, seeing as this is your first solo album away from Blue, we've got a list of...
Simon: Did you say my first solo album? It's my second.
ChartBlog: Well, there you go, that's my entire interview strategy knackered right there...
Simon: No, this is number two, mate. My first one did two million.
ChartBlog: [flustered] Er...well...you're doing very well then...
Simon: [laughing] Don't worry about it, man. It's cool. Let's pretend it IS the first!
ChartBlog: You're very kind. OK then, let's take you back to a time before you recorded EITHER of your solo records, and before Blue. What was your first audition like, when you first decided you wanted to get into showbiz?
Simon: My first audition was for a play called 'The Days Of Our Childhood', and I was in school. This theatre company were going around schools auditioning kids. And our school got the whole play and I got the main part. And that was when I was 15. And I performed at the Birmingham Town Hall twon nights in a row, in front of two thousand people per night.
ChartBlog: What was it like when they told you you'd got the part?
Simon: Well, I had the part of the bully, and I played that very well, but then they had issues with me because I was black. They didn't want to portray black people as being bullies back then. So I was like "OK, cool. What do you want me to do, be, like, the waiter or summat?". And they were like "Nah, we want you to be the main part, cos you're good enough to act it out."
ChartBlog: Wow! That's nuts. Now, moving on. What was your first day in Blue like?
Simon: My first DAY in Blue? Well, I already knew the boys, so, I dunno. I suppose what's memorable for me is signing my first ever contract. That was a big deal for me.
ChartBlog: Yeah, cos that means it's proper...
Simon: Exactly. And I took my time writing my signature. I thought to myself "you're either going to be really successful, or you've just signed your life away". Or both!
ChartBlog: What did you do to celebrate?
Simon: We went out, as you do with boys, and we went to clubs. We tried to walk to the front of the queue. And they was like "what are you doing?" and we was like "we've just signed a contract man. We're a new boyband", and it was like "GET TO THE BACK OF THE QUEUE", and that was our night. It was great!
ChartBlog: So it was like you'd put on a coat which made you famous?
Simon: Yeah man, that's how it felt, seriously. And we hadn't even recorded a song yet.
ChartBlog: So what was your first time in a recording studio like? Nerve-wracking?
Simon: Yeah it was. It was nerve-wracking and it was a challenge because I was singing notes...I'd never rated myself as a singer, I'd always say, "no, I'm a rapper, I'm the rapper in Blue". But the first song I ever recorded with them was 'Too Close'. And I had to do that big note, that 'ooo'. And I remember it took, like, 150 takes.
ChartBlog: See, that's odd, cos I always thought you were one of the best singers in the band.
Simon: Nah man. There are certain people who've got voices like Brian McKnight, people like that who've got this texture to their tone which I'll never have. That's something that I've worked on, I've got my own little breathy tone now. But yeah, back then I was like "Yo". It's only now that I listen to myself and I sometimes forget that it's me. And I'm like "woah. That's me!" and that's only really happened on 'Sanctuary', my first solo album.
ChartBlog: [suddenly embarrassed again] yeah...thanks...
Simon: [laughing] Well you said my first time. That was my first time, wannit?
ChartBlog: Are you one of those people that gets freaked out by the sound of their own voice on tape?
Simon: I remember the first ever time I heard my voice back I was like "do I actually talk like that?", y'know? I think someone had just pressed record when we was in school and taping a conversation and hearing your voice back and going "Eurgh!". That was the first time I remember thinking "my voice sounds crap, I would hate to hear what it sounds like when I'm singing".
ChartBlog: And now you have.
Simon: And now I have, yeah.
ChartBlog: Do you remember your first screaming audience?
Simon: That was our first ever under-18s. I remember there was other boybands there and they weren't getting the love that we got as soon as we walked on that stage. It was something that we had, and I realised it then.
ChartBlog: What was it, an attitude, or clothes? Were you especially greased-up?
Simon: Nah, we was all...I mean yeah we were in new jeans and that. We weren't in Versace or anything. We was in Levis, y'know? I remember just having a jumper, some black tracksuit bottoms with some trainers and my cap backwards...and the other boys came out. And I just remember standing on the stage, and there were kids running around this youth club. And these girls just stopped what they were doing and just ran towards the stage. And we was watching other boybands doing their thing and that didn't happen for them. So there was something that we had look-wise, before we even sang a song, when these kids looked at us, they was like "WHOAH! Who's THAT?".
ChartBlog: So it's a charisma and a chemistry thing?
Simon: Yeah, I think it was. Obviously we never understood it, as Blue. We'd look at each other and go "you're Dunc, that's Lee and that's Antony", but as a four, people see other things. I never saw it. I never saw it until the other day when I looked on YouTube, and looked up Blue then I saw interviews and stuff, and I was like "see, THAT'S what people saw. I get it now".
ChartBlog: Do you remember the first time you ever appeared in the papers?
Simon: [thinks long and hard] I think I might have to ask me mum. Oh, now the first time I remember seeing myself in the paper is when I won the competition for Pride Face Of '98 for Pride magazine. I was in the local newspaper in Manchester, and it was a nice shot, and my mum cut it out and she framed it. She put it on the wall.
ChartBlog: How about your first proper visit to a VIP area?
Simon: I think after 'Too Close', our first No.1. 'All Rise' had hit, but we were still touring so we didn't have time to go out. And then we shot the video for 'Too Close', then we were touring that, and promoting that, and the next thing you know it got to No.1. We celebrated going out that weekend, and people just recognised us straight away. We hadn't been in the country for two months, and people knew us from TV so they were like "yo, yo, you don't have to queue, man, come through!" all the way to the VIP "what can we get you?", and they gave us this list with, like, Β£500 bottles of champagne and we were like, "Ohhh, NOW we get it".
ChartBlog: And once you'd got used to all of that with Blue, how was it releasing your first solo single?
Simon: It felt to me that I might repeat a pattern. I remember the first hit that Blue did was No.4, the first hit I released went to No.4. And it went to No.6 a week later and so did mine. My record followed the first record of Blue and I wrote the first record of Blue. And I started looking at things really deep and going "Oh my God! What if my next one is No.1?".
ChartBlog: Are you more confident now? [Cheekily] Especially since the first album did so well?
Simon: I feel more confident in my voice. I think it shows on the actual record, I'm singing better now. It wasn't a problem finding the songs, because writing the songs was easy. But when it comes to...I shouldn't say it was easy writing the songs, it was HARD, what am I talking about? But having the formula to work with was easy. And all I wanted to do was add more vibe to this one, by adding gospel choir to some of the songs and getting the producers to hit the strings a bit harder. That's why I like 'Coming Around Again', it was more like DANG-KCHANG-KCHING rather than dang-kchang-kching, know what I'm saying?
ChartBlog: And is there anyone around at the moment who doesn't sound remotely like you that you'd like to work with, just to see what would happen?
Simon: I love the Killers, I do.
ChartBlog: I thought you'd say them or Lily Allen, oddly.
Simon: I do like Lily Allen, but I'm glad the All Saints are back!
And as if by magic, some links appeared, which are of Simon singing 'When You Were Young' by the Killers on in Jo Whiley's Live Lounge. See, he told you he likes 'em!
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Just so we're clear. Simon has had TWO solo albums. The first was called 'Sanctuary' and looked like this:
The second is called 'Grace', is in the shops now, and looks like this:
Simon Webbe is also available on the internet, at
