How did Holly and the Italians get signed to Oval records of the UK? Were you seen supporting Blondie? Mark Knopfler introduced me to Charlie Gillett [Oval], after bringing myself and my drummer [Steve] back to London from L.A. I played Mark my Italians demo while he was in LA to begin working with Bob Dylan, after Dire Straits had had hits. He wanted to hook me up with his [Marks] managers. We opened for Blondie at the Hammersmith Odeon and I was 'discovered' by Lyn Goldsmith [photographer] she went back to N.Y. and hyped me to my soon to be manager Gary Kurfirst. [Ramones, Talking Heads, B 52's] I was also at the time being courted by all the major labels based on my live shows in clubs around London. success happened very quickly for me there. I was also approached by labels in Los Angeles, and by Phil Spector who wanted to produce me, but I already had a plan in place with Mark, and I loved London ...England... Europe... anti-capitalist I am...lol...

The Clash support occurred because the Fabulous Thunderbirds were getting heckled too much as an opener [sorry guys] and Joe Strummer and all were also fans of my first record, just then out, so I was asked to open. I would play a ferocious 20 minute set, and win them over each time and it was a blast. nothing like that tour. the Clash were just peaking and it was more like going into battle every night, thick with smoke and Doc Martins flying, and gobbing, and it was CRAZY and I loved it. such energy like never before or since.

With the Ramones and Blondie, it was the N.Y. connection, or via my management. The Ramones set the example for me that you could write short, simple songs, that were fun and easy, and good. I like fun and easy songs. believe it or not...

I've opened for many people including Alice Cooper, the Tubes, the Replacements...many and varied...Chris Isack, John Cale... too many to recall.


How did you find the other members of the band?
I forget how I met Mark (bassist), probably was recommended by someone, and Steve Young I'd grown up with and went to high school with. we were friends and loved the same music. he really was the "Italian" even though he technically wasn't.

How and why did you record Marks song 'Miles Away'? Was it not a problem to record another members song?
I recorded that song as an error of judgement, me just being very young and being too easily influenced by Mark, or other people around me. I finished a couple of lines on it, but took no credit. I don't like that song, it's too pop for me, though my stuff's pop, it's just not 'me' at all. no major regret about it, but that wouldn't happen now.

Was tell that girl to shut up written about an actual person? Yes. I'd dated Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone writer, and Gary Gilmore' brother, and he had a girlfriend that would hang up on me when I called to talk to him. Hence the song...lol...

What do you think of the covers of ‘Tell That Girl To Shut Up’ by Transvision Vamp and ‘Wanna Go Home’ by Manda and the Marbles? Did they contact you before or after recording these songs? Are there other covers I'm not aware of? I loved the Transvision Vamp cover, and Wendy James was/is so cute and sooo punky in attitude. The bass on that was played by Mathew Seligman [Soft Boys] ...whom I adore, so yeah I liked it and I found out about it after it was already a hit, via an ad on the back page of the Village Voice newspaper in N.Y. Very funny. Someone saw it and called me and said 'someone' was looking for me!  I've never heard the other version.

Other covers I know of are by the 'Angry Samoans' and a band with Clem Burke and Michael Desbarres used to do "Unoriginal Sin" from the second Virgin release [the 'blue' record] there is currently a girl on myspace named Gabri-ailes who recorded "I Wanna Go Home" and had it on her myspace page. She's Canadian, 14 years old, and I'd love to produce her or someone like her doing some of my earlier songs plus new ones. I'm sure there are other covers too that I don't recall right now. I need a new publisher, BTW... ha.


You did a cover of "just for tonight"..this was done by the chiffons wasnt it?how did this cover come about?is it because ellie Greenwich wrote chapel of love..and the chiffons connection came out of that?
this came from Mikal Gilmore sitting me down and playing the old girl groups for me to hear. My voice and songwriting reminded him of that sound,and he exposed me to more of it.
 

The castlist on your debut album is quite phenomenal.. Lynn Goldsmith (multi award winning Photographer) Richard Gottehrer Producer ..60s girl groups, Blondie, Dion, the Raveonettes Jerry Harrison - Synthesizer Talking Heads Paul Schaffer - keyboards (who later went on to write 'Its Raining Men') was in Letterman's house band as was: Torrie Zito -  Conductor, String Arrangements Sinatra, Lennon, Tony Bennett Ellie Greenwich  - Vocals /writer Be my baby, River Deep mountain high, baby I love you,chapel of love,da doo ron ron ron,do wah diddy, She was Also vocal arranger,,aretha,blondie,elo,sinatra,dusty..

There seems to be a theme of the 60s girlgroups running throughout the album..from producers to songwriters to string arrangers. Was this co-incidental or planned?
It was just a natural progression, though in hindsight I wish we'd gone with Steve Lilywhite as producer and made a more commercially successful record. There's my one regret. I love that all these people participated on my record, but from a commercial success standpoint, it was not. I could have really used that. I still want that.
that's why I'm here.
 

Who was responsible for assembling this impressive crew? Was it yourself or Virgin?
It was a combination of Virgin, my management, my connection to the Talking Heads, my punk/girl group sound, the fact of the Blues Brothers making their record in the studio next door [Paul Shaffer would drop in] and then Ellie Greenwich, the whole N.Y. thing. we almost got it right. Torie Zito, yeah that was a wonderful moment for me to walk in and see an orchestra with him conducting playing along to "Rock Against Romance". I felt very proud of myself, and having been around Nelson Riddle earlier in my life, it did seemed natural, however.
 

The follow up album Holly and the Italians. Was it a conscious effort to move the sound in a new direction? The strings on one track reminded me of 'Kashmir' era Led Zep! It's just where I went, musically. I was in an 'orchestral' frame of mind and working with some of the best musicians I've ever played with, Bobby Collins, Bobby Valentino and Kevin Wikinson. Wonderful players! and Mike Thorne's musical sensibilities and open-mindedness all went perfectly with my rather extreme state of mind, at that time. I was very fragile mentally and emotionally, but super creative and able to execute my ideas in spite of myself. Thorne kept it all going, went with the flow, let me do my thing, and added some beautiful synth parts to ice my cake. It was my best experience to date in terms of a production team. Engineers and all. Excellent people.