THIS MORNING WITH RICHARD AND JUDY - 1998
Judy:
We've got Michael Ball with us now, sitting on the sofa. We're going
to talk to him, we're also going to show you lots of bits of music.
He's singing for us at the end of the show. But here's a bit of him
doing other things.
(They show videoclips of Michael singing, including one of him singing with Cher)
Michael: Blimey!
Judy: Cher;s number one now, isn't she?
Michael: It's a brilliant song. (sings) "When you believe"
Richard: It's the way they've electronically done it. 'Cause each time she wobbles the note, it hits the note bang on the middle. How are you then?
Michael: Very, very good! Not as good as you (pointing at an award that's on the table).
Richard:
What's it like never to have won an award, Michael?
Judy: Oh, shut up!
Michael: I got the 25 yard breaststroke! That's it.
Richard: Michael has told us, that you've never even been nominated for one. What's going on? That's ridiculous!
Michael: (shrugs)
Richard: Who cares, you sell loads of records.
Michael: Who cares, yeah right! No I'm fine I am really, really thrilled for you. I'm not bitter at all! *sniff*
Richard: You should've heard me yesterday. Everyone was coming up to me after the awards saying: "you were bitter and twisted, weren't you?".
Judy: Anyway, let's talk about you. And your new record, new CD.
Richard: The Movies. Obviously you're singing from
Michael:
Yes, I was looking for material for the new album. The last
album was The Musicals and looking around it was going to be an album of
cover songs. And I think the best songs come from movies, or are
incorporated into movies
Judy: Because they mean so much?
Michael: Yeah, and they bring back the emotions that you felt in the movie.
Richard: But only if you stay for the credits, because most songs that are linked to movies - you don't hear the song until the credits are over.
Michael: That's quite true. There are things like The Way We Were and Midnight Cowboy the newer films, Titanic you don't hear it until the end, but you hear the music, the theme of the song going right the way through it. But yeah they do, and I guess that's because there's a deliberate link up with the record company and the distributors or whatever.
Richard: There's good songs here. Wind Beneath My Wings, that's from let's see if he knows! Wind Beneath My Wings?
Michael: Beaches.
Richard: I thought that was from Officer And A Gentleman?
Michael:
No, that's Up Where We Belong, which is a duet.
Richard: You're absolutely right. Love On The Rocks?
Michael: From The Jazz Singer.
Richard: We Have All The Time In The World?
Michael: On Her Majesty's Secret Service - you won't get me!
Richard: People Are Strange?
Michael: From two films, from The Doors, and also from The Lost Boys.
Richard: Have I Told You Lately?
Michael: That's from um
Richard: oooh, got him!
Michael: No, no (singing) "Have I told you lately that I love you" is from not As Good As It Gets, the other one which is with George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer Closer Than Ever?
Richard: No. One Fine Day.
Michael:
One
Fine Day!! HOW embarrassing! Cathy will kill me.
Richard: (to Judy) You do the last ones. Make him writhe.
Judy: Where have we got to? I can't read it!
Michael: (laughing)
(They do the rest of the songs, Michael knows all of them.)
Richard: Well done!
Michael: Thank you very much indeed. Do I get an award? (grabs at the award on the table) I'd just like to thank everybody
Richard: Put. That. Down!
Judy: You're the first person to answer a quiz on his own CD.
Michael: I know, no pressure then, Richard. Thank you!
Richard: Well actually, remember when Tony Blair was on? I must make an apology here, the first time he came on, we were doing this kind of street cred. questioning and we said 'name the Spice Girls'. And he named three of them, and then he paused to think. And I rushed him, and he knew the other two, but I actually gave him the answers.
Michael:
Names or pseudo names?
Richard: Names AND pseudo names. The lot. And he was just sort of getting his head together, but because it was a live interview I cut in and said "oh well the other two are Ginger and whatever".
Michael: You undermined our Prime Minister.
Judy: He wasn't Prime Minister then. He's got a bit grander now (laughs)
Michael: He was someone to know.
Richard: He won't come on now
Judy: As well as doing your CD, you still do your concerts in aid of ovarian cancer research, don't you? It's a real commitment.
Michael: Absolutely! Totally, it's been running now for six years and we're actually now saving lives. Six years we've been running, we started two years ago with a scheme to test women. 120,000 women were part of the reseach program using blood-tests and ultrasound. Using this, you're getting nearer and nearer to actually pin-pointing the exact
Richard: Because it's a silent killer, isn't it?
Michael: That's right. Which is why people need to be tested before there are any symptoms. And this test is just randomly taken from women who said that they'd be part of the program with no predisposition to it. And I think it's five women already have been treated out of just 12,000 of 120,000.
Judy: That's so terrifying, that. And just randomly selected, they wouldn't othewise have known if they hadnt taken part?
Michael: Absolutely not. Which is what happened with our family. And when people know and the symptoms appear, that's when it's spread out of the ovaries and it's God willing it's not too late, but it's the most treatable gynaecological cancer, most treatable of any cancer caught early. So yeah, we're doing a concert at Drury Lane, on the 22nd of November. We're sold out, luckily.
Judy: And haven't you got one in Glasgow, too?
Michael: Yeah, that's not to do with that. That's me working with Carl Davis, 'Cause he's a mate. He's 'carving' and I'm singing. And we're going out on tour March, April and May next year. So you must come and see us.
Judy: We will.
Richard: And you're going to sing for us at the end of the show.
Judy: Haven't we got more? Let's hear a bit more music. This is you and lots of celebrities.
(They
show clips from Michael's last tv-series, with the long hair and singing
with various artists)
Michael: WHAT is my hair like? How embarrassing! That was dead trendy then.
Judy: When was that?
Michael: About four years ago
Judy: That's all?
Richard: You missed Julio, on last Thursday. He's a top man.
Michael: He's a smashing bloke. We had to do the song, I think it was eight times. Because we were doing quite difficult harmonies with eachother and it kept going pear shaped. And he went: "Ies no problem, I do anything you like, a lovely man, you lovely" and he was just easy as pie.
Richard: He arrived for rehearsal at about 9.00, he did his rehearsal, he was on at the very end of the show, 12.10 on Thursday. And a lot of big stars they just kind of sit in their dressingroom with their entourage, and do whatever they do. But he was on the floor all morning, just behind the cameras, looking at everything, asking questions. He really enjoyed himself.
Michael: Well you have a nice atmosphere here. People having a laugh and all that. It's nice seeing Adrian. He's a really nice bloke.
Richard: Anyway, you'll sing My Heart Will Go On. Come on, just one line for us.
Michael: (to Richard) Every night in my dreams, I SEE you, I FEEL you. (singing) "that is why I know you, go on". (laughs) singing live, hitting those big notes.
Richard: Good, and you don't look as mad as Celine Dion when she sings it.
Michael: (laughs) Wait 'till you see it!
(Michael sings My Heart Will Go On)
