On Sunday, 15 March 1998 Dave Richards from Lexicon Magazine and I were privileged to participate in Mari Wilson's first on-line chat, from her London home. Miss Wilson's personal manager was also present. She blew us a kiss, and we began.

Lexicon Mag: Hi!

David: Hello Ms Wilson!

mw: Hello Dave and Hello Dave!

David: How charming you are!

mw: Its amazing what four hours in make up can do

David: It was worth every second from where I'm sitting!

mw: And now - the question please.

David: OK-- I understand your next album will be electronica-- can you tell us a bit about it?

mw: I did record three trax at the beginning of my pregnancy.

David: Are these originals or covers?

mw: Originals - I did them with an amazing talent - Andy Gangadeen - now drummer/ to Spice Girls

David: Impressive!

mw: Precisely! I write with Simon Hale - brilliant string arranger for Oasis Bjork Incognito and yes we perform together too.

Lexicon Mag: At the club? Do you sing at a jazz club or something

mw: The jazz clubs are Ronnie Scott's Club, Pizza On The Park and others outside London but I've been mainly playing small theatres.

David: Might we ever expect a live album?

mw: Don't really like 'em.
mw: Live is one thing and I'm great at it.
mw: The best is yet to come.

Lexicon Mag: yes? Do tell!

mw: The lullaby album - ambient Julie London nineties sex crooning.
mw: With Simon on Wednesday to make arrangements.
mw: Musically line up is bass (acoustic) drums, piano, guitar, string quartet.

Lexicon Mag: Lets start from the begining.

mw: Loveman you mean? First question then.

Lexicon Mag: How did you get signed to GTO? Were you performing already at that point?

mw: No I met Tot Taylor at a studio, we sang Bacharach songs then recorded If That's ...(b side).
mw: Got a singles deal with GTO recorded Loveman in one hour - they chose it as a-side.
mw: The green dress was my sister's.
mw: From the sixties - she's only 5ft 3 so it was held together with safety pins.

David: Was it different from the sort of thing you were doing then?

mw: No that's why I was called there - it was right up my street to sing sixties style
mw: They had used another singer but no good so I got the call and saved the day.

Lexicon Mag: What were you doing before this then?

mw: I was doing bv's and singing with a couple of bands and practicing back-combing.
mw: My hair that is.

Lexicon Mag: How did you get started with the Compact Org?

mw: Paul Kinder at GTO formed Compact with Tot Taylor

Lexicon Mag: "Loveman" does not seem like a very "80s" record, was it radical then or were there a lot of people doing that sound?

mw: Its not an eighties record especially as it had a really vibe when we recorded it
mw: I remember loads of us slapping our thighs in the toilet to get that Spector sound!

Lexicon Mag: But it must have been risky as a career move when "Vienna" was all the rage.

mw: Nothing was ever a career move - just making a record was enough.
mw: Career moves only began mid eighties when money was the main motivation.

Lexicon Mag: I remember watching you on the Top of the Pops or some such show during the summer of 1980 and you won some sort of "best band" contest?

mw: The David Essex Showcase yes but we already had a big live following - good timing
mw: This is odd for me cos I talk SO much and this is so restrictive

David: So do you ever speak to Tot?

mw: Sometimes I bump into him as we live quite close.

David: Might you ever work with him again?

mw: No - next question.

Lexicon Mag: Julia Fordham? Was she a "Wilsation?"

mw: Yes bless her - we still keep in touch - she is spending most time in LA

Lexicon Mag: Did you know she was a songwriter back then?

mw: Yes she always wrote songs and she always will, its her thing.
mw: Julia is a very positive girl.

Lexicon Mag: How was touring the US?

mw: I was the only one who didn't get shagged.

Lexicon Mag: This will be printed you know!

mw: Go ahead print away I wanna be the Jack Nicholson of pop.
mw: Too many photo sessions, interviews and even singing some days!

Lexicon Mag: Did you find the US open to your band?

mw: US gigs were fantastic - especially Detroit where they were expecting Mary Wilson of Supremes!
mw: 90 per cent black audience got the joke.
mw: My show was very tongue in cheek.
mw: Send up of Vegas basically.

Lexicon Mag: Cool. ( is it Mary or Mahr-ee?)

mw: Its Mari pronounced MARRY rhymes with HARRY

Lexicon Mag: [blush]
Lexicon Mag: Yes ma'am!

mw: lol

Lexicon Mag: Do you remember playing Washington DC?

mw: did I play there? averaged 250 gigs year back then I'll check itinerary.

David: What a charming smile!

mw: Thank you David - its very flatterin to think y'all still into my music.

David: According to the e-mail I get, there seem to be quite a few fans still out there!

mw: Well that's why I gotta get this new album recorded.
mw: I got pregnant just as I'd started before but having Lily May will add inspiration now.
mw: So - did you know played Nicky Pignatelli in Sweet Charity - the musical?
mw: It was in London in Kings Road, Chelsea

David: Yes, I have a flyer! Wish there had been a cast album...

mw: No you don't! But it was such a scream and I had to do a New York accent.
mw: It was in The Man In The Moon pub 100 feet from Malcolm McLaren's and
Vivien Westwood's SEX
and Adam and The Ants used to do tiny gigs there pre chart success

Lexicon Mag: Why did things stop suddenly with the "Dance with a Stranger" single?

mw: Litigation with London Records had already begun so they gave it no promotion
mw: Things got a bit yukky
mw: It was time to wipe the slate clean and start again

David: I'm guessing that with any other record company Cry Me A River wouldn't have even been discussed as a single-- how did it go at Compact?

mw: It was always the showstopper at gigs so there was a demand for it
mw: Its currently being used the theme tune for McCallum a TV show about a forensic scientist

David: It think it was quite a hit in some non-english speaking countries, wasn't it?

mw: Recorded it in Spanish then performed it there live on stage - yikes!
mw: I seem to have pockets of fans in most places - I think they let them out at weekends
mw: Did you know a used to be a nanny to 3 girls in Lawng Island when I was 18? notice accent)

Lexicon Mag: I imagined you were better behaved that other notorious British nannies.

mw: So I still keep in touch with my 3 girls in Long Island - one is married and pregnant!
mw: Funny, cos I'm still just a young thing myself

Lexicon Mag: Of course!

David: Naturally!

Lexicon Mag: What did you do between "Dance" and the Dino Days?

mw: It's a dark area. but a growing time for me too.
mw: I cropped my hair and dyed it black - psychological or what?
mw: I wrote lots of songs with different people and started singing jazz literally anywhere
mw: I used to turn up at wine bars and get up and sing God Bless The Child or something...
mw: So I played really small placed and kind of reinvented myself. First big gig was supporting Stan Getz at Royal Festival Hall in 86

David: Did you actually get to sing with Stan?

mw: No didn't sing with him but quite a coup to get the gig
mw: But audience all jazz snobs no sense of humour and my agent got strange comments - Mari Wilson, she's a pop tart isn't she?

David: How many Compact videos did you have?

mw: Only the Beware Boyfriend. There was never any money such a big band you see...
mw: Some concert footage and Tot made a compilation video for Just What...

Lexicon Mag: So how did the Dino deal come up?

mw: They wrote to me and the guy I dealt with there - Nic Moran - was fabulous
mw: He was just full of encouragement
mw: Nic was fantastic but the company specialised in compilations
mw: Nic was brilliant at compiling massive selling collections

David: So how did you get hooked up with him?

mw: He had this idea to develop the company by signing established artists to record new albums with a strong theme
mw: Like a compilation album...clever yes?
mw: He signed Shirley Bassey later but I was the guinea pig...
mw: They were going to break the album in UK by television advertising.
mw: But eventually that proved not to work
mw: So Nic paid for an expensive plugger and he got radio play on Radio 1 and a tv on UKs Dave Letterman - Terry Wogan
mw: But basically the company hadn't got the experience to do it properly
mw: And so the album didn't chart.
mw: A few singles were put out but no hits sadly
mw: CD101 station in NY and LA play For Your Freedom.

And then Mari's little girl was getting hungry, so it was time to go. I found Ms Wilson as charming and witty as had I imagined her to be. As soon as I have more info on the album she's working on I'll pass it along to you!