Much Music Interview
October 9, 2000 (This interview took place in the MuchMusic environment to promote Snow's new album)
Namugenyi: Welcome back to MuchMusic I’m Namugenyi, hanging out with Snow. Welcome nice to see you again.
Snow: Nice to see you.
Namugenyi: Happy Thanksgiving.
Snow: Happy Thanksgiving to you.
Namugenyi: Did you make lots of turkey?
Snow: I went to Swiss Chalet. My mother is moving so she couldn’t do the big dinner this year.
Namugenyi: My friends were making fun of me because I was supposed to make the turkey and they better be watching but I made chicken because the turkey was all sold out. And they liked it.
Snow: That’s what counts. If they like it, then you’re all right.
Namugenyi: So enough about turkey. We’re here to talk about your new album, in stores tomorrow, “Mind On The Moon.” Interesting title. Where does the title come from?
Snow:
'Cause I’m into astronomy now, looking at the starts and all that stuff,
and when I was recording the album, about an hour outside of Boston, I was
looking through my telescope at the moon, and this guy took a picture of
me. My friend Glen took a picture of me, and so then when I looked at him,
I said, “That’s the first time like somebody actually took a picture
without me knowing that they’re taking a picture, like standing and
posing, but my mind was on the moon.” And he said, “ That’s a good
album, a good song.” So I said, “ I'm going to name my album that,”
so that’s why.
Namugenyi: What do you like about astrology?
Snow: Everything. It just makes me feel like I could float and just go up there; know what I’m saying? It just makes me feel alive, I guess. Yeah, alive.
Namugenyi: New album, new label, new sound.
Snow: Yes.
Namugenyi: What was your mind state heading into the studio to record this album?
Snow: My mind state? It was the best. This album here I was more focused, gave up the alcohol and everything, got rid of that. So when we came in, a guy I grew up with, Robbie Patterson, he wrote half the album with me, and so me and him, we would just go in the studio and you know-he’s really funny, too, and he’s positive, and so we would just like have a good time and fun and all this stuff, so when we were doing it, it was more fun than pressure, like” Oh, we have to make another album for the record company,” or whatever.
So it was how I wanted to feel, how I wanted to be portrayed – is that the word?
Namugenyi: That works.
Snow: It’s like it’s changed, because I’ve changed, you know, since I have a little daughter and stuff, and so I have changed and you can hear it in my music.
Namugenyi: So having a child has changed you? As a musician and as a man?
Snow: Yes, as a person. Just growing up. Before I was like hot-headed, going to clubs and drinking and being stupid and stuff. Now I’m a father and I have to learn more because I’m a teacher now because I have to teach my daughter stuff. So I’ve had to learn and I’m reading more now. Before I never read, so I’m reading more to teach her.
Namugenyi: What’s your favourite book?
Snow: My favourite book is “The Twelfth Planet.”
Namugenyi: Does it deal with astrology?
Snow: Yeah, like different planets, like planets that nobody really knows about and stuff.
Namugenyi: Your daughter is right there. Say hi. Hi, honey. You’re on T.V. oh, she’s adorable.
Snow: She’s shy.
Namugenyi: You were talking about how hard you were working before, and I didn’t realize that between ’92 and ’97, you released three albums.
Snow: Yeah.
Namugenyi: What was that period of time for you like?
Snow: Negative. Kind of. Like I liked all the albums and stuff, but I wasn’t really focused enough to sit down and write an album.
I was too busy drinking and really not paying attention to what I had to do, like the business side of the music, like getting up and doing interviews and all that stuff. I was kind of like, “No, I don’t want to do it.”
But now I’m really focused and I’m ready to do it. Virgin gave me a second chance and I have new management, Paula, so everything is just flowing together, the new sound.
Namugenyi: And the thing is, like with “Informer,” It’s in “The Guinness Book Of World Records.” That’s incredible.
How does that feel for you? Did you ever think that you’d be in-
Snow: No, when I was young, that was the big book.
Back when you were young, you used to look in it, "Oh, Guinness Book Of World Records,” And now when I open it up and see my name in there for the longest-selling reggae song or something-
Namugenyi: Biggest- selling reggae single in U.S. History and the highest-charting reggae single in history.
Snow: I’m shocked. I was like “Damn! I’m in the Guinness book!"
Namugenyi: I was listening to the album and it’s very different sounds from your other albums.
Do you think that people have learned to expect something different from you or how do you think they’ll take this album?
Snow: I hope they like it. I like it. It’s just different, how I’m feeling right now and how I changed as a person. I did the last album four or five years ago, and "Informer" was like nine years ago, so that came out different then.
But this album here, I have Robbie who plays guitar and bass, so I have a lot of new live instruments and stuff on this album, with Justin Gray and Mike Tucker, who worked with like ‘N Sync, Backstreet Boys; he mixed all of them and stuff.
Working with these people, like, it’s given me more of a… you’ve got to help me out with these words…
Namugenyi: given you more… variety
Snow: Variety. Gave me more variety. So it’s like-I'm lovin’ it, though. I’m loving the new sound and stuff.
I've got to change. Madonna changes every album.
Namugenyi: And no one questions her!
But "Informer," though, just to talk about it one second, it must have changed your life like overnight.
It was number one for seven consecutive weeks in 1993.
Snow: Um-Hmm.
Namugenyi: How did- like the instant fame, how did you take it?
Snow: It was kind of because I was inside, in jail, and then I came out and it was number one.
So before, I was like kicked out of the mall, kicked out of here, kicked out of there, everywhere, and now like I'm going to countries and I'm number one.
And so it was kind of like a shock. I didn’t really know how to handle it. You know what I'm saying? They let me loose.
I was just drinking and- but now I’m more focused and ready to do the business side. You know what I mean?
Namugenyi: Defintely. It’s growth. Tomorrow, a big, huge day for you. Not only is this album coming out, "Mind On The Moon," right here-
Snow: And my web site, snowontheweb.com.
Namugenyi: Tell us about the web site.
Snow: I don’t know. It comes out tomorrow. It has like pictures; you can download the song, and it has a lot of just- you can win something.
You can win a Snowmac…
Namugenyi: Not an Imac, a Snowmac.
Snow: Yeah, you can win a Snowmac on the web site. I don’t have a computer so-
Namugenyi: Hey, Paula, is he going to get a computer?
Paula: Oh yeah.
Namugenyi: Yeah, you’re going to get a computer.
Snow: I just don’t know how-
Like I had one and I just don’t know how to spell the words, so it’s like I’ll sit on the thing for an hour, and I don’t know how to spell the words.
Like www.boxing... It’s the only one I can go to.
Namugenyi: www.muchmusic.com.
Snow: That’s another one.
Namugenyi: We’ll take a look at the first single from the album, “Everybody Wants To Be Like You." What’s it about?
Snow: About this girl who thinks that everybody wants to be like her, and she’s like this top model, but behind the scenes nobody really wants to be like her.
She checks her phone, but nobody phones her. So she has like this- you know, everybody thinks she’s glamorous.
Almost like a Britney Spears’- She came out with that song “Lucky." It’s kind of something like that, like nobody really wants to be like her.
Namugenyi: Could you relate to that song?
Snow: No, everybody wants to be like me!
Namugenyi: But being in front of the camera and people seeing you all the time and then when you go home, it’s a different…
Snow: Yeah, it’s two different things. Like when I’m at home, it’s no Snow. I’m just there, daddy.
I was going to say cooking and stuff, but I don’t know how to cook, but you know…
Namugenyi: You can lie.
Snow: But I’m just two different people. I don’t usually bring her around too much because I like to keep it separate, my little daughter at home.
But she’s loving it, loving my music and stuff. But you have to go back to the video.
Namugenyi: Oh, yeah, the video, right.
(Laughing)
So right now, here’s "Everybody Wants To Be Like You,” from the album "Mind On The Moon," in stores this Tuesday.
Thanks very much for dropping by.
Snow: Thank you.
Namugenyi: Happy Thanksgiving.
Snow: Happy Thanksgiving to you. Mom cook the turkey!
(Laughing)
Namugenyi: Thank you.
Snow: Thanks.