M.B.: I am not convinced that I have such power; I never really believed in the power of the rock'n'roll stars on their audience, apart from during a concert itself. My audiences are, without any doubt, happy to listen to my music, but I am sure there are limits to their devotion: if I cut my hair tomorrow, I doubt many of them will do the same, at least I hope not. For this reason I do not believe I have a real power on them, that's why I do not feel any danger.

R & F: Do you ever miss the Tyrannosaurus Rex days, when it was more calm?

M.B.: No, insofar as the aim of rock n roll is to reach wider audiences.

R & F: How did you manage the transition from acoustic music to electric?

M.B.: I always loved rock'n'roll, electric music I mean, and my favorite singers are the singers of the beginnings of the rock'n'roll. This move wasn’t a specific decision but the result of a progressive evolution, the birth of an old idea.

photo : Slogan (full page)

M.B.: A lot. I must say that we have been working together for such a long time that he knows exactly what I want. The sound we have today, has been in my head for ages and it is Tony who managed, technically, to reproduce it perfectly. Today I can enter any studio and Tony will find my sound in a few minutes. We have used many studios, "The Slider" (the new album), for instance, was recorded in England, France and in the USA, and nobody would be able to detect the difference. It is a matter of sound recording techniques, not of the studio itself.

R & F: Why do you record in France? There is nothing there that you can't find in England nor in the USA, equipment wise.

M.B.: Quite simply a problem of taxes.

R & F: Where do your drummer and bassist come from? Old friends?

M.B.: Definitely not: When we decided to add to the band, we advertised in Melody Maker and auditioned dozens of musicians; these two made the deal...

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