The following is an Oasis FAQ written by Nico Cino. The Oasis FAQ! Compiled and Typed By Nick Cino 05/04/98- 13/04/98 v3.0 Disclaimer: This FAQ contains information compiled from various sources on the net and elsewhere. It is accurate up to an including April 1998, any other information after that will be posted in the next FAQ. I'd ask that any sites that want to post this FAQ not change anything or call it their own. Thanks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- Contents: 1) Introduction 2) The Band 3) Biography 4) The Albums 5) The Singles 6) Fourth Album 7) Recent 'Be Here Now' 97/98 Tour Gigs 8) Have Any Other Band Members Ever Written A Song? 9) Interview With Noel From Access Magazine 10) Bootlegs 11) My Opinions About Oasis 12) Frequently Asked Questions 13) Blur vs Oasis: Who Won? 14) Great Oasis Links 15) How I Discovered Oasis 16) Sources 17) Some Other Great Bands 18) Conclusion ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- 1) Introduction Hello to all Oasis fans out there. My name is Nick Cino and this is my Oasis FAQ. I was sick of seeing tons of FAQ's with information only up to 1996, so here it is, my 1998 version of an Oasis FAQ with information compiled from various sources. I hope you find this useful and very informative. If you have any questions, comments or just want to talk about Oasis, feel free to email me at: magicpie59@hotmail.com and I'll be glad to help. I would also ask for some feedback on whether you like it or not. Well, that's it. Enjoy! Stay mad fer it! 2) The Band Liam Gallagher- Vocals Noel Gallagher- Lead Guitar, Vocals, Mellotron, Piano, E-Bow Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs- Ryhthm Guitar, Piano Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan- The Bass Player Alan "Whitey" White- Drums & Percussion Liam Gallagher- Liam or William is the main singer for Oasis. He is the youngest of the three Gallagher brothers, with Paul and Noel before him. His favourite Beatles song is "Ticket To Ride" and lately he has had verbal arguments with many of his childhood idols including Paul McCartney and Keith Richards. But, Liam is Liam and we all love him! Many people don't know that Liam can play the guitar and piano! Sources say he's really good! Noel Gallagher- Noel is the sole songwriter and secondary vocalist for Oasis. Many people wouldn't know this, but Noel actually sings a lot more songs than people think. Noel's favourite Beatles tune is also "Ticket To Ride" and he has actually recorded with his idols Paul McCartney and Paul Wellar as the Smokin' Mojo Filters. He is credited as being the person who made Oasis what they are and he's what brought them to fame. Paul Arthurs- Paul is the ryhthm guitarist for Oasis. Most of the time, he is called "Bonehead" because of either his baldness or it just stuck from when he was a kid. Bonehead is the oldest member of the group and one of the original members when Oasis was called Rain. Paul McGuigan- Known as "Guigsy" to all of us, Paul was also one of the first memebers when Oasis was called Rain. He's the bass player and is the least talked about member of the group. Actually, when Noel was feeling ill in Argentina on the recent tour, Guigsy answered most of the questions at a press conference and got all the attention! Guigsy is probably the most underestimated member of the group. Alan White- "Whitey" is the second drummer of Oasis after original drummer Tony McCaroll was sacked in 1995 due to internal differences. Alan is the only member of Oasis who isn't from Manchester. He's from London and Noel hired him after only one meeting. After Tony was sacked, Alan had to learn the drumming for "Some Might Say"to perform on Top Of The Pops. He learned it over night! He's a better drummer than Tony! Tony McCaroll- Tony was the orignal drummer for Oasis from 1992 to April 1995 when he was sacked due to internal differences. Tony drummed for 'Definitely Maybe', 'Whatever' and 'Some Might Say' and when he was sacked, the band were left with no drummer for Top Of The Pops. Then Noel hired Alan White as the new drummer. Tony, big mistake. 3) Biography Oasis was formed in 1991, but then they were not called Oasis, they were called Rain. Bonehead and Guigsy had been in the group with former member Chris Hutton for a while but, they always had a lad hanging around. They knew him as Liam Gallagher, an old school friend of Guigsy's. Liam would always show up at rehearsals and watch them play at gigs, but they were plainly not that good. Later, Chris, the singer, was booted out of the group and Liam became the new singer. They hired Tony McCaroll to play drums and Liam renamed the group Oasis after a local youth center. What about Noel? Noel was a roadie for the Inspiral Carpets and he caught Oasis at a gig in Manchester. Noel called the gig "utter shite" and stormed into the rehearsal room one day and took over. In 1993, Oasis were signed to Creation records after one show in Glasgow, Scotland by the boss Alan McGee. They released they're first single in 1994, called "Supersonic", a song that Noel claims to be about absolutely nothing. After two more single releases, Oasis' debut album "Definitely Maybe" was released and it was critically aclaimed by all. After another single, "Whatever" was released. Thought to be on the second album, this single is pure brilliance. In 1995, Tony McCaroll was booted out of the group and replaced with Alan White. Plus, Oasis released their sophmore LP "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?". This would prove Oasis in America as a great band with the single "Wonderwall" and the radio single "Champagne Supernova" going to number one. On the leg of their North American tour, Liam missed the first few shows in Detroit and eventually the whole band got jet lag and the tour was cancelled. In the UK, "Blowasis" rumours plauged the band and the future of Oasis was unknown. But, fourtunetly, the band rested and they went into the studio to record their third album "Be Here Now". It was released to sales records in 1997 and continues to sell today. After a somewhat successful 97/98 tour, with Liam headbutting a fan, airline troubles, and a fire on the stage at the last gig, Oasis are resting for the rest of the year to watch the World Cup 1998 at home. Noel is supposed to be on the X-Files movie soundtrack, and the band will be beginning work on their fourth album next year. What will become of Oasis? Who knows. 4) The Albums Definitely Maybe Released August 29, 1994 Highest Chart Posistion: 1 1. Rock 'n' Roll Star 2. Shakermaker 3. Live Forever 4. Up In The Sky 5. Columbia 6. Supersonic 7. Bring It On Down 8. Cigarettes & Alcohol 9. Digsy's Diner 10. Slide Away 11. Married With Children Definitely Maybe runs around 54 minutes and is the debut from Oasis. It features oringinal drummer Tony McCarroll, even though Noel claims that he did most of the drumming. The album, was released in 1994 to immediate critical acclaim. Upon release, it became the fastest selling debut album in UK history. The Japanese CD is actually a double CD, with the entire 'Whatever' single on the second disc. The UK vinyl version has an extra track. 'Sad Song' is a Noel acoustic that was left off the CD due to production scheduales. The surprising thing is that four years after it's release, 'Definitely Maybe' still continues to sell well in the UK indie charts! If you don't have this album, I suggest you go out right now and BUY IT! It's worth your money! (What's The Story) Morning Glory? Released October 2, 1995 Highest Chart Position: 1 1. Hello 2. Roll With It 3. Wonderwall 4. Don't Look Back In Anger 5. Hey Now! 6. (excerpt from Swamp Song) 7. Some Might Say 8. Cast No Shadow 9. She's Electric 10. Morning Glory 11. (excerpt from Swamp Song) 12. Champagne Supernova 'Morning Glory' is to date, the most popular Oasis album. It has 2 number 1 singles and the classic 'Wonderwall' to it's credit. A good percentage of Oasis fans (like myself) first started liking the band when this album came out. Like 'Definitely Maybe', this album still has a top 20 posistion in the UK indie charts! On the UK vinyl version, there's also an extra song called 'Bonehead's Bank Holiday'. It's sung by Bonehead himself! I think he sounds a bit like Noel when he sings but it's a good song with a catchy tune. 'Morning Glory' is a good investment for newer Oasis fans. It's about 50 minutes in length. Be Here Now Released August 21, 1997 Highest Chart Position: 1 1. D'You Know What I Mean? 2. My Big Mouth 3. Magic Pie 4. Stand By Me 5. I Hope, I Think, I Know 6. The Girl In The Dirty Shirt 7. Fade In-Out 8. Don't Go Away 9. Be Here Now 10. All Around The World 11. It's Gettin' Better (Man!!) 12. All Around The World (Reprise) The third and most recent album from Oasis is said to be a bad album. I'd have to disagree It's a great album, with two number 1 singles and it has sold over 7 million copies to date. It has a much louder sound to it, in comparison to the first two albums, and it's basically a fun rock record to party to. Be Here Now reached #1 chart posistions in over 5 countries upon release and made the top 3 in at least 5 more. It currently holds the record of being the fastest selling album ever in the UK, selling just over 350, 000 copies in it's first day in the UK alone! A great buy, it rounds off Noel's three album chapter quite well! It clocks in at 72 minutes. 5) The Singles Supersonic Released April 11, 1994 Highest Chart Position: 31 1. Supersonic 2. Take Me Away 3. I Will Believe (Live) 4. Columbia (White Label Demo) Single Rating: 5/10- The b-sides aren't great, but the a-side was a great intro for Oasis Shakermaker Released June 13, 1994 Highest Chart Posistion: 11 1. Shakermaker 2. D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman? 3. Alive (8 Track Demo) 4. Bring It On Down (Live) Single Rating: 6/10- Again, b-sides are mediocre, one point for "Cloudburst" Live Forever Released August 8, 1994 Highest Chart Posistion: 10 1. Live Forever 2. Up In The Sky (Acoustic) 3. Cloudburst 4. Supersonic (Live April '94) Single Rating: 6/10- Okay b-sides, could have had something newer though. Cigarettes & Alcohol Released October 3, 1994 Highest Chart Posistion: 8 1. Cigarettes & Alcohol 2. I Am The Walrus (Live Glasgow Cathouse June '94) 3. Listen Up 4. Fade Away Single Rating: 8/10- Great single with quality b-sides. Whatever Released December 18, 1994 Highest Chart Posistion: 3 1. Whatever 2. (It's Good) To Be Free 3. Half The World Away 4. Slide Away Single Rating: 9/10- Great single, one point drop for 'Slide Away', nothing new on that track. Some Might Say Released April 24, 1995 Highest Chart Posistion: 1 1. Some Might Say 2. Talk Tonight 3. Acquiesce 4. Headshrinker Single Rating: 10/10- Great b-sides, classic single. Roll With It Released August 14, 1995 Highest Chart Posistion: 2 1. Roll With It 2. It's Better People 3. Rockin' Chair 4. Live Forever (Live Glastonbury '95) Single Rating: 9/10- Top single, 'Live Forever' sounds better on DM. Wonderwall Released October 30, 1995 Highest Chart Posistion: 2 1. Wonderwall 2. Round Are Way 3. The Swamp Song 4. The Masterplan Single Rating: 10/10- Great single. Don't Look Back In Anger Released February 19, 1996 Highest Chart Posistion: 1 1. Don't Look Back In Anger 2. Step Out 3. Underneath The Sky 4. Cum On Feel The Noize Single Rating: 9/10- Good single. 'Cum On Feel The Noize' is a bit scrappy. D'You Know What I Mean? Released July 7, 1997 Highest Chart Posistion: 1 1. D'You Know What I Mean? 2. Stay Young 3. Angel Child (Demo) 4. Heroes Single Rating: 10/10- Great b-sides. Great single! D'you know what I mean? Stand By Me Released September 22, 1997 Highest Chart Posistion: 2 1. Stand By Me 2. (I Got) The Fever 3. My Sister Lover 4. Going Nowhere Single Rating: 10/10- Best Oasis single ever! Best b-sides to date. All Around The World Released January 12, 1998 Highest Chart Posistion: 1 1. All Around The World 2. The Fame 3. Flashbax 4. Street Fighting Man Single Rating: 10/10- Great single. 'Flashbax' is a great song! Don't Go Away (Japan) Released May 11, 1998 Highest Chart Posistion: never charted in the UK charts 1. Don't Go Away 2. Cigarettes & Alcohol (live from GMEX) 3. Sad Song 4. Fade Away (Warchild Version) Single Rating: 10/10- Great single. Nothing THAT new, but a good rarities collectible. 6) Fourth Album Now that the "Be Here Now" run has died down, Oasis fans and the media are looking ahead to the fourth Oasis album. Here are some rumours that have circulated the upcoming album: - the fourth album is said to be written and recorded in 1999 with a release in early 2000 - there is said to be already one song called "Slow" - Noel wants The Chemical Brothers to produce the single - Noel might get the The Chemical Brothers to produce the album - the fourth album might have a strong "dance music" feel, almost techno like - Liam has said he will not have any part in a dance album; he's staying with rock & roll - Oasis did practice some new stuff at sound checks, but Noel says nothing that even looks like an album - an early rumour was that the album was already written, this is untrue 7) Recent 'Be Here Now' 97/98 Tour Gigs 1997 June 14 -- KROQ Weenie Roast; Irvine, CA June 18 -- Coliseum; Oakland, CA (with U2) June 19 -- Coliseum; Oakland, CA (with U2) September 8 -- Spektrum; Oslo, Norway September 9 -- Globe; Stockholm, Sweden September 10 -- Forum; Copenhagen, Denmark September 13 -- Westpoint Arena; Exeter September 14 -- Westpoint Arena; Exeter September 16 -- Arena; Newcastle September 17 -- Arena; Newcastle September 19 -- Exhibition and Conference Centre; Aberdeen September 20 -- Exhibition and Conference Centre; Aberdeen September 22 -- Arena; Sheffield September 23 -- Arena; Sheffield September 25 -- Earl's Court, London September 26 -- Earl's Court, London September 27 -- Earl's Court, London September 29 -- Birmingham National Indoor Arena September 30 -- Birmingham National Indoor Arena October 7 -- Hammerstein Ballroom; New York, NY October 8 -- Hammerstein Ballroom; New York, NY November 3 -- Zenith; Lille, France November 8 -- Pabellon Principe Felipe; Zaragoza, Spain November 10 -- Palacio De La Comunidad; Madrid, Spain November 11 -- Palau Dels Esports; Barcelona, Spain November 13 -- Arena; Geneva, Switzerland November 15 -- Palasport; Bologna, Italy November 16 -- Forum; Milan, Italy November 17 -- Forum; Milan, Italy November 19 -- Olympichalle; Munich, Germany November 21 -- Sportovni Hala; Prague, Czech Republic November 22 -- Deutschlandhalle; Berlin, Germany November 24 -- Messehalle; Hannover, Germany November 25 -- Festhalle; Frankfurt, Germany November 27 -- Brabanthallen; Den Bosch, Hollland November 28 -- Arena; Oberhausen, Germany December 3 -- The Point; Dublin, Ireland December 4 -- The Point; Dublin, Ireland December 5 -- The Point; Dublin, Ireland December 7 -- SE&CC; Glasgow, Scotland December 8 -- SE&CC; Glasgow, Scotland December 10 -- Indoor Arenal; Cardiff December 11 -- Indoor Arena; Cardiff December 13 -- GMEX; Manchester December 14 -- GMEX; Manchester December 16 -- Wembley Arena; London December 17 -- Wembley Arena; London December 18 -- Wembley Arena; London 1998 January 8 -- Sony E Center; Philadelphia, PA January 9 -- Patriot Center; Washington, DC January 10 -- Palumbo Center; Pittsburgh, PA January 12 -- Continental Airlines Arena; E Rutherford, NJ January 15 -- Maple Leaf Gardens; Toronto, ONT January 17 -- Rosemont Horizon; Chicago, IL January 18 -- Northrop Auditorium; Minneapolis, MN January 23 -- GM PLace; Vancouver, BC January 24 -- Seattle Center; Seattle, WA January 26 -- Bill Graham Auditorium; San Francisco, CA January 27 -- Universal Amphitheater; Los Angeles, CA January 28 -- Universal Amphitheater; Los Angeles, CA January 31 -- Bronco Bowl; Dallas, TX February 1 -- Theatre At Bayou Place; Houston, TX February 5 -- WPB Auditorium; West Palm Beach, FL February 6 -- UCF Arena; Orlando, FL February 8 -- Fox Theatre; Atlanta, GA February 18 -- Budokan; Nippon February 19 -- Budokan; Nippon February 20 -- Budokan; Nippon February 22 -- HKCEC Hall 3; Hong Kong February 26 -- Entertainment Center; Perth February 28 -- Entertainment Center; Adelaide March 1 -- Entertainment Center; Melbourne March 3 -- Entertainment Center; Sydney March 6 -- Entertainment Center; Brisbane March 9 -- Carter Holt Pavilion; Auckland, NZ March 10 -- Queens Warf Event Center; Wellington, NZ March 14 -- San Carlos Apoquindo Stadium ; Santiago, Chile March 17 -- Luna Park; Buenos Aires, Argentina March 18 -- Luna Park; Buenos Aires, Argentina March 20 -- Metropolitan; Rio de Janiero, Brazil March 21 -- Polo de Arte e Cultura de Anhembi; Sao Paulo, Brazil March 24 -- Sports Palace; Mexico City, Mexico March 25 -- Sports Palace; Mexico City, Mexico 8) Have Any Other Band Members Ever Written A Song? Besides Noel, Liam and Bonehead are the only other band members to have a written songs. Before Noel joined the group, they wrote a song called "Take Me" and that was it. Liam also co-wrote a song with John Squire (ex-Stone Roses) called "Love Me And Leave Me" and it is on John Squire's band The Seahorses 1997 debut called "Do It Yourself"(for more info on The Seahorses, see section 14). As for Liam writing songs for Oasis, he has contributed to some songs. He wrote the chorus in "Columbia". He made up the line "so sally can wait" in "Don't Look Back In Anger"and added the "yeah, yeah" in "D'You Know What I Mean?". 9) Interview With Noel From Acces Magazine Note: "Access" is a free music magazine that is available in Canada. In the caption it says two things: "They're the greatest rock & roll band that ever lived, just ask them." and "Serge Simonart Talks With Oasis' Song Write About Be Here Now, Musical Thievery and why Sting is a prat." It has a picture of the band on the first and second pages. Noel and Liam are on the cover with the heading: OASIS (BROTHERS GRIM) WARNING! This article does contain coarse language (mostly from Noel). If you are offended, skip this section! Oasis have just released Be Here Now, a third album filled with, as songwriter and guitarist Noel Gallagher calls it, "Neandrathal rock & roll." It's twelve months after their last British live performance at Knebworth; eighteen months after the release of (What's The Story) Morning Glory?; twelve months after Noel's "I hope Damon from Blur dies of AIDS" comment (for which he later apologized); and ten months after the 'Blowoasis' split rumours that accompanied their abandoned American tour last fall. They recently played with U2 on their American Tour, which prompted singer Liam Gallagher's onstage comment "Not bad for a support band, are we?" Meanwhile, statistics in Britain show that 'Liam' has jumped three places higher in the annual list of most popular boys' names: More people are calling their newborn sons Liam because of Oasis' popularity. It's a fact that, in big that Noel Gallagher had to buy a number of guard dogs to protect his new house after a series of attempted burglaries. Noel is four hours late for our interview, but in good spirits. When he bursts into the office, he says to the the three journalists present, "Alright. Line up. queue. Who's first?" He pours a Belgian Beer (Stella), but hardly touches it during our seventy-minute conversation. SS: I heard you got thrown out of Abbey Road studios- where the Beatles used to record- because you were too noisy. I thought a rock & roll band was supposed to be noisy, and a recording studio was supposed to be able to handle that. NG: Yeah, that's what we thought- but there you go. There was this producer who was recording some classical stuff in one of the other studios who apparently said our recordings were too loud. It was like being at school and the headmaster telling you off. In the end we did three songs at Abbey Road. But it was good to get out of there and got to a farmhouse to record and act like a band again as opposed to a media circus. It wasn't only that they complained about the noise, we had to deal with the tabloid press and people stealing things from the studio...leaking the contents of private conversations to the gossip press and such. It became intolerable. SS: Every great rock band has the musketerrlike attitude: the usagainsttheworld thing. NG: We've always felt like that, yeah. We still feel like outsiders. Always have done. We're very popular with the kids, but we're not popular in the music community in London. There's not a lot of other bands that like us, which is cool because we all think those bands are shit anyway. SS: Or jealous. NG: Whatever word you wanna use. But we've always felt like outsiders, ever since we were a tiny band in Manchester. Even back then we thought we were the best band in the world- although nobody took notice of us- and that one day we would get ours, and everybody else would bow...and subsequently we've been proven right. SS: I feel the main thing Oasis have proven is that there are no rules in rock & roll. NG: Yeah, I feel we obey our own rules. You make your own rules...Cheers (raising his beer). In a way, the music that we make is very traditional, so we don't break many rules musically. But in the things that we say and the way that we don't conform to how pop stars are supposed to act, we have broken all the rules. Actually, we dont' think that we're outrageous. People seem to think so, but it's just the normal way we act home. SS: When I see Oasis, I'm always reminded of the frank attitude people like The Who had when they first went to America in the late '60's. You had some tacky old TV presenter asking Roger Daltry condescendingly what his name was, and Daltry said, "My friends call me Roger...you can call me John." NG: Yeah. Great attitude. It's like us cracking America. If we do it; it'll be on our own terms. We're not going to kiss anybody's arses. If we've proven that you don't have to kiss arse to make it big time, that's top. SS: I know people have been bothering you with endless Beatles comparisons, but it must happen sometimes that you unconsciously end up in territory that has already been covered. For instance, you write a song and then, a week later, you listen back to that demo and suddenly realize: "That sounds like 'Let It Be' and I didn't realize it." When was the last time that happened? NG: Last week. (laughs) It happens all the time, mate! I don't think I've ever actually re-written somebody else's song. I've put bits of other people's songs into my songs, yeah. I stuck a little bit of 'Imagine' on the front of 'Don't Look Back In Anger'- but they're not the same song, right? But if I do that, I don't do it by accident, I do it on purpose. When I was writing 'Cigarettes And Alcohol', I wasn't sitting there going (sings T.Rex riff) and then say "Fuck me, this sounds like T.Rex!" Of course that bit sounds like T.Rex because I wanted it to sound like T.Rex! I pinched that riff off Mare Bolan...but he stole it in turn off Howlin' Wolf, who in turn stole it off Robert Johnson. That riff goes back to the '20's. I mean, the Beatles were derivative of black American music-The Shirelles and Buddy Holly and Bill Haley. They sort of copied some of that stuff up to Rubber Soul. The Beatles, The Small Faces, The Kinks, The Stooges, The Who, The Sex Pistols, Elvis...I must of played all those records a thousand times, so it'll always be an influence. It's true that 'Don't Look Back In Anger' reeks of Rubber Soul or even Abbey Road- but it's an original song. No composer is ever a virgin. You never start from scratch. SS: What's it like when you're a kid from Manchester and suddenly you start making music and, after a while, you're bigger than the people you used to look up to? NG: I've had that with every pop star I've met. I had that with the Sex Pistols, where I was mesmerized with the mythical figure of Johnny Rotten. When I was eleven years old and I heard Never Mind The Bollocks- Here's The Sex Pistols for the first time, that was about the most mindblowing experience I'll ever have. But now, I know John Lydon quite well, and to me he's just John from North London. And he's not let me down in any way. I mean, everybody is just an ordinary human being, you know? David Bowie was not a 'Starman'. He's not some alien. He's just Davey Jones from Battersea Park. When I was queing for concerts of The Smiths in 1983, I was a fan. But I didn't get to meet Johnny Marr until after I became Noel Gallagher of Oasis, biggest band in the world. SS: Did you ever write a lyric about Liam's behaviour, knowing that he would be obliged to sing it? NG: I have never, ever written a lyric at all with Liam in mind. And I never think of Liam singing anything when I'm writing. I always picture myself singing it. People are always saying, "Oh, Noel, you must have been envisaging Liam singing this lyric because it feels so natural when he's singing it." But that's because we're family. We have the same blood, the same parents, and whatever's going through my mind is going through his. It's as simple as that. The only problem I have with Liam over lyrics is that I'm dyslexic, so sometimes I forget to write down words, or spell them incorrectly. Then when Liam sings them incorrectly he says, "But it doesn't make any fuckin' sense!"- and then it turns out I forgot half of the sentence. SS: I'm sure you're familiar with the ultimate rock & roll movie, Spinal Tap. Was there a moment when you thought, 'Shit, we've ended up in the '90's version of that movie?' NG: We were doing a gig in Philadelphia on the last American tour. Now I don't usually get drunk before I go on stage, but this one particular gig I was pissed. So I walked on stage and started doing all these cliched rock & roll poses and signs totally over the top. But the crowd went mental and loved it to bits. And I thought, "This could only happen in America.' I was pissed- and taking the piss- but the crowd thought I was being serious. So for the rest of the show I acted like I was a member of KISS, you know, playing extended guitar solos with my tongue and all...and everybody seemed to think it was really great. Looking back, I think that was the moment I realized it was time to go home. That's the only time Oasis were ever Spinal Tap. Well, that's the only time I'll admit that we were Spinal Tap. SS: It astounds me that they're very few bands of this generation that seem to have learned from their predecessors' mistakes. We all know what a terrible time people like The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Sex Pistols, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles had with corrupt managers, back-stabbing managment, shady deals and drugs, yet most new bands keep making the same mistakes. You had the advantage of starting out in the music business as roadie of the Inspiral Carpets. Did that give you the oppurtunity to suss things out, to prepare for your Oasis strategy? NG: That did give me time to sort of be on the inside without having to commit myself. And my experience with Inspiral Carpets quickly made realize there is a certain way not to do things. I saw others mess up, and I remembered not to fuck up. I mean, that's why I was down at the printers today. I'm a rich rock star. I could have stayed home and gotten pissed or played with the dogs or shagged the wife, know what I mean? But instead I drove two hundered miles... SS: Ah, now you're lying...You couldn't have been driving because you don't have a driver's license. NG: Well, someone else drove me, obviously. I'm a rock & roll star, I don't have to drive myself. But yeah, that's true. They (Sony Music) gave me a chocolate brown 60,000 pound Roller (Rolls Royce) for Christmas, but I'm not allowed to drive it. Anyway, so I was at the printer's today making sure that when the album cover of Be Here Now is printed, all the colours are matched up correctly. You see, I started writing this album eighteen months ago, and I just finished this album this very afternoon! So I've gone from writing to playing the tunes to producing and taking care of the cover. I've taken as much care over of every aspect. I write it, record it, produce it, play it, sing it, mix it, I do the artwork...and now I can rest 'cause it's finished. A lot of other bands don't give a fuck about all those details. I do. 'Cause it's my art, man! That's why I'm in this office everyday. Because I want to make sure that every decision taken for Oasis is the right decision. 'Cause it's my and my brother's and my four mate's careers that were talking about. And I take as much pride in the artwork as in being on stage or pissing about at some award ceromony. And if anyone is going to fuck it up, I'll fuck it up. No other idiot is gonna fuck it up. SS: The context of some of your lyrics is fascinating. Like that line "Don't put your life in the hands of a rock & roll band" in 'Don't Look Back In Anger'. That line could be a quote from (right-wing consevative British politician) Mary Whitehouse. NG: Yeah, it does sound like a warning from a worried parent, doesn't it? But if the band is Oasis, of course it's okay to put your life in our hands. But the thing is, I also meant it as a warning. What I was saying with that particular line was, "Okay, Oasis is a great band and we're real and you can trust us. But do not build your life around us, 'cause any rock band can split up at any time, and if you've built your life around it, and the band splits up, you'll be left with no life." I was saying to the fans, "Make sure you've got something else to fall back on." SS: You know, Sting once said... NG: Sting?! He's rubbish! Fuckin' Sting. Fuckin' rainforest! Fuck trees, man...dogs piss on them. (laughs) Go on, what did fuckin' Sting say? SS: Sting said about the band politics in The Police. "You can't argue with a good song." The band members of The Police always refused to fight over whose song ended up on the record, but Sting simply wrote the best songs so he always won. NG: That's true. Sting's still a prat, though. Sting wrote "Message In A Bottle': good tune. 'So Lonely': top tune. But he's still a twat. (laughs) SS: What is the strangest fan mail you ever got? NG: The weirdes fan mail. The would have to be this girl in... we're in 1997 now, right? So this was in 1995, just after Morning Glory came out. That girl sent me a letter claiming that she met me in a dream and she claimed that she had written all my songs. She was convinced that I knew he knew that she'd written 'Wonderwall' and all the rest of them. And I actually got to meet her, and she was going, "But Noel, you know that I wrote 'Champagne Supernova'?!", and I was going, "Fuck off, of course you didn't!" But the weirdest letters we get are usually the ones asking for money. I read a lot of the fan mail but I rarely reply. SS: If Oliver Stone made a Doors-type of movie about Oasis, what would be a crucial scene to give outsiders a good idea what it's like to be in Oasis? NG: That would have to be when I was in Abbey Road studios recording 'Come Together' with Paul McCartney and Paul Weller. You got three generations of soul music there. Paul McCartney, rude boy from the '60's and '70'; Weller from the '80's and '90's; and me from the '90's and going well into the next century. That's almost forty years of music, man. That's top, man! Access Magazine November 1997 issue 10) Bootlegs What is a bootleg you ask? Well, it is a recorded tape of an Oasis concert that can be traded over the Internet. For example, Oasis just performed at Knebworth. You, a loyal Oasis fan brought your tape recorder to the concert and recorded the entire thing. This is a bootleg. Or, a bootleg can be a rare tape of Oasis demos, or a collection of songs that are not for sale. Bootleg seizures have been common on the net, mostly due to the Official Oasis Website. The most recent being a couple weeks before the release of 'D'You Know What I Mean?'. Some sites had a sound file of it and they had to be shut down due to copyright laws. But enough of that. Here a few bootlegs that I think are rather interesting (tracklisting, gig, etc) and their tracklistings. Enjoy! Oasis: Blue Album 1. Half The World Away 2. Talk Tonight 3. Aquiesce 4. Headshrinker 5. Some Might Say (demo) 6. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (Beatles' Cover) 7. It's Better People 8. Rockin' Chair 9. Live Forever (live Glastonbury '95) 10. Fade Away 11. Bonehead's Bank Holiday 12. Round Are Way 13. The Swamp Song 14. The Masterplan 15. Step Out 16. Underneath The Sky 17. Cum On Feel The Noize This bootleg is really interesting, because it contains most of the b- sides and rarities from 'Morning Glory', plus a few extras. It would be really cool if this was released as an actual album in the future. Oasis: Red Album 1. Take Me Away 2. I Will Believe (live) 3. Columbia (White Label Demo) 4. Cigarettes & Alcohol (demo) 5. D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman? 6. Alive (8 Track Demo) 7. Bring It On Down (live) 8. Up In The Sky (Acoustic) 9. Cloudburst 10. Supersonic (live April '94) 11. Sad Song 12. I Am The Walrus (live) 13. Listen Up 14. Fade Away 15. Whatever 16. (It's Good) To Be Free Like the Blue Album, this contains most of the b-sides and rarities to 'Definitely Maybe'. The early stuff, before Oasis were really huge. That's all the bootlegs that I can find interesting. For a great bootlegs list, see Underneath The Sky. For the address, see 'Great Oasis Links'. 11) My Opinions About Oasis If you don't want to here my opinions, go to the next section. If anybody disagrees, please email me because I love to hear what other people think. First of all, my favourite album is '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?' and 'Be Here Now' is second with 'Definitely Maybe' in third. You know, I hear something about Oasis everyday from somebody whether on TV or from my friends. None of my friends like Oasis, so I always have arguements with them. Everybody who dislikes the band is always slagging them off as jerks, or druggies or drunks. Okay, Oasis do drink, do drugs, and they can be jerks ocassionally, but what about the music? People who hate Oasis, have only heard songs like 'Wonderwall', 'Champagne Supernova' and 'Don't Go Away'. They're all great songs, but that's not all the songs! After I heard all of 'Morning Glory' the other albums, the singles, I found a great band with more memorable songs than any other band today. I feel Oasis don't get the attention or the recognition in America as they do everywhere else. Melanie C of the Spice Girls can drop dead because she's always mouthing off to Liam. I can't believe the Spice Girls have already gotten 6 number one singles in a row, when Oasis have only gotten 4 in odd places. I think that Blur and Oasis aren't enemies anymore. Blur lost. The Spice Girls are the new enemy. Oasis will have them. That's all my mean things to say. Oasis are the best around right now. Every song is a hit. Noel Gallagher is a genius! He's the best songwriter since John Lennon in my book. Here's a list of my top ten favourite songs: 1. (I Got) The Fever 2. Some Might Say 3. D'You Know What I Mean? 4. Don't Look Back In Anger 5. Magic Pie 6. Flashbax 7. Going Nowhere 8. Supersonic 9. All Around The World 10. Live Forever 12) Frequently Asked Questions Q: What songs does Noel sing? A: Here is a following list of Noel sung tunes. Sad Song Take Me Away D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman? Up In The Sky (acoustic) Half The World Away Don't Look Back In Anger Talk Tonight Acquiesce (with Liam) It's Better People The Masterplan Step Out Magic Pie Angel Child (demo) Heroes Going Nowhere The Fame Flashbax Q: What does Liam say at the end of 'D'You Know What I Mean?' A: The backwards bit at the end is 'all my people, right here, right now. D'you know what I mean? Yeah, Yeah'. Q: I live in North America, where can I get the UK singles? A: Creation released two box sets of singles for 'Definitely Maybe' and 'Morning Glory'. They cost $20.00 in the UK but are a little more expensive in NA. These sets do not have 'Whatever' and there is currently not a 'Be Here Now' box set. I ordered 'Whatever' through my local HMV or music store that carries imports. The singles for the latest album, being new, are released here (in my area) three weeks after their UK release. Q: What does 'Our Kid' mean? A: You may here Liam and Noel use the phrase 'our kid' a lot. This is a common phrase used in Manchester meaning one's brother. Q: Which Oasis songs are acoustics? A: Here's a list of acoustic songs. Married With Children Sad Song Take Me Away D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman? Up In The Sky (acoustic) Whatever (somewhat) Half The World Away Wonderwall (somewhat) Cast No Shadow Talk Tonight It's Better People The Masterplan Angel Child (demo) Going Nowhere Flashbax Q: Who is Scott Mcleod? A: Scott Mcleod was a temporary bass player brought in on the 1996 tour when Guigsy fell ill with exhaustion. His time in Oasis was short lived, though. He's in the 'Wonderwall' video and he left after a few gigs. Guigsy came back after that. Scott is now in a new band in Manchester. Q: 'Don't Go Away' is Japanese release. What other Japanese singles have been released? A: The following is a short discography of Japanese singles. Supersonic 1. Supersonic 2. Shakermaker 3. Columbia (White Label Demo) 4. Alive (8 Track Demo) 5. D'Yer Wanna Be A Spaceman? 6. I Will Believe (live) Some Might Say 1. Some Might Say 2. Talk Tonight 3. Acquiesce 4. Headshrinker 5. Some Might Say (demo) 6. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away Don't Look Back In Anger 1. Don't Look Back In Anger 2. Step Out 3. Underneath The Sky 4. Cum On Feel The Noize Don't Go Away 1. Don't Go Away 2. Cigarettes & Alcohol (live from GMEX) 3. Sad Song 4. Fade Away (Warchild Version) Q: What covers have Oasis done? A: Oasis have done covers of the following songs. * is by Noel You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (Beatles Cover) Help! (Beatles Cover)* To Be Someone (Jam Cover)* Come Together (Beatles Cover)* (with Paul McCartney and Paul Weller) I Am The Walrus (Beatles Cover) Cum On Feel The Noize (Slade Cover) Heroes (David Bowie Cover) Street Fighting Man (Rolling Stones Cover) Q: What were Oasis' early songs like? A: A great place to hear sounds, and read reviews of early Oasis songs is at Cast No Shadow. The address is in the links section. Q: Is the fourth album done? A: A month after the release of 'Be Here Now', there were rumours that the fourth Oasis album was written. This is untrue, Noel still has to write it. Q: Did Oasis SPLIT UP? A: Nope. There were some pretty ugly rumours that were around the net. They didn't split, they are not going to split anytime soon. They're just taking a break for the rest of the year. Bye for now! 13) Blur vs. Oasis: Who Won? Back in 1995, there was a big 'britpop' battle of the bands between Blur and Oasis. It all started with Oasis' new single 'Roll With It' being released on the same day as Blur's 'Country House' single. It was possibly the biggest single battle of the bands ever. Many people speculated Blur would lose and fans of both bands were encouraged to buy the singles in the first week at record stores that registered with UK charts. The worst thing that happened was Noel's "hope Damon and Alex of Blur die of AIDS" comment that caused much contreversy. In the end, Oasis lost the single battle. 'Country House' had indeed sold more copies than 'Roll With It'. Blur showed to be poor winners (especially Damon), but the battle wasn't finished. Blur's new album 'The Great Escape' was to be released some time in August or September, and Oasis' new album '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?' was slated for an October release. It was the battle of the bands again, but this time, not that much emphasis was put on it. In the end, 'Morning Glory' had sold more than 'The Great Escape' by a huge margin and Oasis were seen all over the world as the band who won the battle of the 'britpop'. Even now, Oasis still seem to be more popular, even though the feud is long past and both bands have gone in different directions. Blur have sought refuge in a more 'indie' rock sound on their latest album 'Blur' and Oasis have still dominated thre charts with the same sound on their latest record 'Be Here Now'. The feud is over. But, can another band jump up and challenge the lads? Say, the Spice Girls? 14) Great Oasis Links Some really awesome Oasis sites on the net: http://members.xoom.com/Planker - Magic Pie - A Great site with sounds, links, lyrics and other info http://www.oasisnews.com - OASISNEWS- a great news site with reviews and updated daily http://www.oasisinet.com- OASIS INTERNET- official site, updated every week or so http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Towers/4626- CAST NO SHADOW: The Definitive Oasis Page- great site with tons of info, updated every couple of days. Great lyrics section http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/7429- UNDERNEATH THE SKY- great page with links, sounds and more, updated every few days http://www.resoft.inopera.it/musica/oasis.htm- OASIS- great links page with most Oasis pages listed http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Studio/6627- HEY NOW!- Amos' Oasis Page- great page, updated every few days, has a great sounds page http://freespace.virgin.net/warren.davies- STAND BY ME- great site with updated news daily http://members.xoom.com/AnOasisForAnOasis/oasis.htm- AN OASIS FOR AN OASIS- cool site, with good articles and sounds. http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/3433/index.html- OASIS WORLD- great page with lots of variety http://members.tripod.com/~Madforit- MAD FOR OASIS: A Complete Oasis Website- great page, that has excellent variety 15) How I Discovered Oasis Although I'm sure many readers of this FAQ will find this section boring, it's my true story of how I became 'mad fer it'. It all started around December 1995. I, a teenager who's musical tastes belonged to Hootie & The Blowfish and Aerosmith, started hearing a tune on the radio called 'Wonderwall'. After a few weeks, I could not get the song out of my head. I loved it, but, I was still reluctant to let it take over my life. I always heard Oasis getting busted stories on the radio and laughed. So they had one good tune, so what? Then, I would prove myself wrong. Every night, I would listen to a countdown radio show and a new entry from Oasis entered. This was a tune that would forever change my view of music. "Champagne Supernova" became an obsession. I would sing it in the shower, at school, anywhere! It was infectious. I was enthralled. A few months later, in May, I was shopping in Toronto, and I went into HMV with the mission of buying the Oasis album. I looked straight to the hits section and found an album called '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?'. I knew a lot of people who had the album, so I picked it up, went to the register, bought it and took it home. Over the months, it became the only album I would listen to. Tunes like 'Roll With It' and 'Some Might Say' filled my brain. Then, when I was at the mall, I went into HMV with 20 bucks, and I wanted to buy a CD. I'd heard a song by Oasis a few weeks earlier called 'Supersonic' and I was pondering whether to buy the first Oasis album, or the latest CD from The Refreshments. I decided on the Oasis CD and it also became the second album that I listened to non stop. I was truly mad fer it by January 1997 and I knew all the songs on both albums and I was eagerly awaiting 'Be Here Now' by August. I finally got it on August 26 and loved it. A month later, more mad for it, I bought the singles box sets ($80 dollars worth) and I've been Oasis fanatical since. That's my story. My story of glory. 16) Sources These are the following sources that have assisted in providing the information to this FAQ. Oasis Internet- for tour gigs Underneath The Sky- for bootlegs Oasis: Supersonic/Supernova- Novel By Michael Krugman- for the biography Cast No Shadow- for the fourth album details Access Magazine- for the Noel article If I've forgotten anything, please tell me. 17) Some Other Great Bands Many other great British bands have surfaced since the success of Oasis, or great inspirations of Oasis. The Verve- With the success of their latest album 'Urban Hymns' and great songs like the 'Bittersweet Symphony', 'Lucky Man' and 'The Drugs Don't Work', this band has been around since Oasis were just starting out. The song 'Cast No Shadow' is even dedicated to the lead singer and songwriter Richard Ashcroft. A great band. The Seahorses- Started by former Stone Roses guitarist John Squire, this quartet just released their debut album called 'Do It Yourself' in 1997. On the album, there is a song co-written by Liam Gallagher called 'Love Me And Leave Me' and it's top. The album also has the previous hits 'Love Is The Law' and 'Blinded By The Sun'. These guys could have the capacity to be really big. Radiohead- 'OK Computer' is their latest album that's receiving rave reviews world wide. With tunes like 'Paranoid Android' and 'Karma Police', this band is reaching supersonic levels. Check out their first two albums, too. Stone Roses- John Squires first band, these guys are big influences of Oasis' music. They disbanded in 1995 but their two albums will live forever. Check out 'The Stone Roses' and 'Second Coming'. The Beatles- Need I say more? 18) Conclusion That's the FAQ! I hope everybody enjoyed reading it, and was able to get some newer info from it. Hopefully, I will be able to do another FAQ next year when the fourth album starts to be made. Again, if anybody has any comments, questions, feedback etc. please email me at magicpie59@hotmail.com and I'll reply very quickly. A live forever to all Oasis fans out there and stay young, too! I chat often at NME.COM or Yahoo Chat and my name is magicpie59, so I'll see everybody there! Cheers! Nick Cino