'Peter Andre Interview'
(Wednesday May 19, 2004)

LAUNCH: It's taken a while for 'Insania' to show up in the shops - most people were expecting it to appear just weeks after you left the jungle.

Peter: "That would have been too predictable... plus we had to get the right version. I demoed it so many times when I came out until we found something that sounded simple enough but yet was right for the song. I'm glad it's finally gonna' come out."

LAUNCH: How does the demoing process work?

Peter: "Well, you get together with writers, they play the chords of the melody that you've sung and then they work on ideas from there, we all throw in ideas. Some will say, 'Give me the melody and he lyrics and sing it to us over the phone or sing it to us in the studio as you know it.'"

LAUNCH: Have you got your own home studio - were you working there?

Peter: "No, I should have my own studio and I'm hoping that I will start doing that this time around 'cause I should of had it last time. But, no just working in different studios."

LAUNCH: Tell us what you have in store with the album.

Peter: "The album is very feelgood, summer. It ranges from up-tempos to mid-tempos, to a couple of reggae tracks and some ballads. It's really kind of the stuff that I grew up listening to. We've even got the cover of Kool And The Gang on there and a lot of songs that I've written and co-written and even a demo from 1998. So that's kinda cool."

LAUNCH: As it was recorded back in '98?

Peter: "As it was recorded, we've never touched it. And that might even end up being a single 'cause it's great the way it is y'know. The record company loved it as it was but they gave me the option and I went in and re-recorded it but they still preferred it the way it was. Isn't that kind of weird and cool?"

LAUNCH: You worked with Brian McKnight and Montell Jordan on 'Time' - any star guests on the new album?

Peter: "To be honest, no. I just wanted to go with people that create a good album. I didn't think of anyone this time around... There's only three or four people that I'd really love to work with in the future and one's George Benson, I would love to work with Stevie Wonder in any way. Even if he just did music for me... whatever he could do, even if we just had him singing and I just sat there listening. I don't care; I love to work with Stevie Wonder. And Lisa Stansfield, I'd love to work with…"

LAUNCH: Is there no one from the current crop of pop artists?

Peter: "Ummm, not really to honest with you. I'm much more into the old school; it's what I've always loved. George Michael is a great writer. People like Elton John, you know, they're classics."

LAUNCH: Your background is very much a soul and R&B thing then...

Peter: "Definitely and even though I didn't want to make the album an R&B album - 'cause I have done one before with the 'Time' album - I wanted to make it more soulful pop. Something a little more friendly that's more appealing to all different people. Plus I don't want to try and compete with people like Timberlake and Usher 'cause they're doing so good at what they do I wouldn't even want to try and compete with that at the moment."

LAUNCH: Since re-entering the public consciousness with the success of 'I'm A Celebrity' it must be like experiencing the thrill of your career taking off all over again.

Peter: "It is and even more so this time because I'm aware of the downfalls. When you're aware of it you get to appreciate it and enjoy it a lot more. It's more fun this time."

LAUNCH: What are the pitfalls?

Peter: "The industry is fickle and it doesn't last forever. You have to know that. Any artist has to know that because it really doesn't. Some of the greats are untouchable and then... careers end. That's the way it is. Also, you can get caught up in the hype, burn the candle at both ends, drinking, partying all night and then trying to work. You can't do it, y'know. If you do it will only last for a short time."

LAUNCH: Did you go through all that the first time around?

Peter: "Well, I had a lot of fun. I partied hard and I worked hard and I burnt out. And that's what happens you see and it happens to everybody. For a couple of years you're just on top of the world and then you're just tired and you don't want to do it anymore. Mate, I tell you there is no greater pain in the world than stress. I can tell you now."

LAUNCH: Do you think the rock'n'roll lifestyle has taken its toll on Johnny Rotten?

Peter: "Well he has got rotten teeth so I don't know what he's been doing all these years to have rotten teeth... I don't know if it's taken its toll, I reckon he's a very switched on guy actually. He's probably more switched on now than he ever was. I tell you what, when the cameras aren't on he's a really, really humble person. It's just a shame that some people switch into camera mode."

LAUNCH: Surely there's a certain amount of that with everyone that was there?

Peter: "Yeah, I guess but true personalities show at the end. What I mean by that with Johnny is that he was so nice to everyone and then he'd go to the cameras and say different. And to me that's not good because not only are you backstabbing but also you're actually telling millions of people things that you should only tell one person. So you can't win in that situation, your true personality does come out. I like Johnny. Johnny and me got on really well so no hard feelings anyway."

LAUNCH: I guess he was doing what he felt was necessary to make a good TV show.

Peter: "Yeah, it was great. One day, everyone was asleep and he wakes up and he goes, 'You know Pete... this is alright isn't it?' And then he just went straight back to sleep. You know who he is... he's Vivian out of The Young Ones. He should be a movie star."

LAUNCH: Are you a Sex Pistols fan?

Peter: "Well my brothers were and I remember 'Friggin In The Riggin', the kind of unspoken, you don't play those songs in front of your parents kind of thing. My parents were Greek so it was great, they didn't understand it anyway. It was really funny 'cause my brothers loved The Sex Pistols and I remember the single cover and everything and then to know years later you're gonna star in a show with him...

"My brother said to me, 'You guys are gonna end up fighting and that...' I said I bet you any money he's a really cool bloke, I bet you he acts it for the cameras. But you see, he's a guy that's got a family. He's got a wife, these people are not all they seem, they're alright. I tell you what, the amount of time me and him sat and shared ciggies and talked about music and life... He would say to me things like, 'Just listen to how nature plays its music.' I'd say, 'What do you mean?' He'd say, 'You've got all these different insects and they might all sing at the same time but do you notice how some come in at some point and others just stop.' He said, 'That's music, you've got all these elements coming in and out.' And I was like, 'Y'know I never actually thought of it like that.' When he left I was gutted. He liked me 'cause I kept sharing my ciggies with him.

LAUNCH: Is it true that you'd never seen 'I'm A Celebrity' before you were asked to take part in it?

Peter: "No I never saw it because I was living away you see. The briefing was that it was a mixture between survivor and fear factor and so of course I wanted to do it. And everyone's going, 'did you have a strategy...' Mate, listen, someone said to me 'there's a programme we're doing, it's a mix between Survivor and Fear Factor...' Before they said anymore I said 'I'll do it.' They did send me an episode and I saw a mix of some of the characters, like a compilation of some of it. I chose not to watch it, I didn't want to have any preconceptions."

LAUNCH: The more cynical suspected that your relationship with Jordan was a marriage of convenience - are you still going strong?

Peter: "Let them believe whatever they want. At the end of the day if we're out to do it for publicity you can trust and believe we'd be at every envelope opening, every premiere. We haven't been to any premieres, we've been out probably three times to a public place in the whole time. At the end of the day time will tell. We've got nothing to prove. If you like somebody and they like you you don't need to people whether it's for real or not, you just need to prove it to each other."

LAUNCH: The media harassement that she experiences surely overshadows that you've come across - does it shock you?

Peter: "Yeah, well she gives a good kick I'll tell you that much so photographers better be careful."

LAUNCH: How have you gone about maintaining your privacy?

Peter: "If you want to be photographed then you go to the places that you're going to get photographed. We've been to China White's once but we knew, we knew there were going to be photographers there. But there are so many times when we've been to a quiet pub, or a quiet little restaurant."

LAUNCH: Surely that's part of Jordan's job?

Peter: "Yeah, if she wants to do that she can do that, I would never tell her what to do. But she just choses not to."

LAUNCH: Do you plan to work together?

Peter: "Dunno, she's doing great in her career and thankfully I'm doing good in mine but it'd be nice if one day... I'd love to write for her one day if she ever wants me to write a song for her. I love writing pop songs so why not?"

LAUNCH: How's Jordan's music career coming along?

Peter: "Well, I don't know. I know there were talks about her doing something with Simon Cowell so we'll see what happens."

by Ben Gilbert