Many have tried to pigeon hole the 'Tones and all have failed. Not only do they have an impossible to list range of influences (eclectic rock'n'roll anyone!), but the music produced is chock-full of humour and totally infectious. Mind you that isn't to say there aren't darker moments hiding within the grooves.

To start with I considered penning a kind of potted Fleshtones biography, but the idea quickly grew to the size of a telephone book. So perhaps another time. Then I realised that there were one or two questions begging to be answered and as the 'Tones hadn't played here since 1986 (4th July to be exact), it was decided to jot down a few ideas and try my luck with Peter Zaremba, their frontman and songwriter.

Before we move on I'd like to thank Peter for responding so quickly and also to Lindsay Hutton for his invaluable help. The answers are fairly candid and honest, so why not put on Edwin Starr's Greatest Hits, sit back and make yourself comfortable, but be prepared to "Feel The Heat".

To start with Peter I'd like to ask you about the Standells gigs a few years ago. Larry Tamblyn had a few unkind works to say about the band who supported them at the Club Lingerie, though he couldn't remember their name. Since there was an ad' reproduced in Watch This clearly showing the 'Tones, what's your response?

Well as "Rice" Miller said, "Don't Start Me Talking". I don't think we ever considered ourselves the "Standells of the 80's" or even the 70's. In fact people who look to us as some sort of 60's re-creation are bound to be confused and even disappointed. We don't keep our trash very pure, in fact we delight in mongrelising whenever possible and leave the wearing of the correct regalia to groups like the Fuzztones. What I remember about playing with the Standells was that they weren't that good. But we should all remember that it was really Ed Cobb who provided them with all their real direction and image. Before that they were just nice kid-brothers of ex-child actors that wanted to be Rock & Roll Stars. As for being too loud, this is a possibility in our field, even though at the time we only used tiny Ampeg "Reverb-o-jet" practice amps. What happened at the Lingerie was that some regular sort of guys walked in wearing some pretty hip clothes, received a "Good Luck" telegram from the Vipers, then changed into some lame rock-star costumes before hitting the stage. I might have been intoxicated that night so I could be wrong, but events like this should be avoided!

Apart from supporting the Standells, Chuck Berry and James Brown, are there any other of your heroes that the Fleshtones have shared a stage with?

Yeah, all these people are our heroes, but it's important to remember we love them for their music. Confusing the music with the actual people (where one indeed exists) isn't really fair even to them and is kind of like judging a football player on his penmanship. I'll keep this on the positive side. It was really cool meeting the guys in James Brown's Band and what's happened to him is really sad. Mitch Ryder is a really good guy that's had a lot of bad knocks. I could think of heaps of heroes we have had the honour of sharing stages with, but my proudest moment was playing keyboards behind Bobby "Boris" Pickett at C.B.G.B's about 10 years ago.

Did working with former Strangelove, Richard Gottehrer, come upto the bands expectations. I think there's a big similarity in your drum sounds - all out attack!

Working with Richard Gottehrer surpassed all expectations, although the product that resulted may not show it. Gottehrer hit it straight off with the band and meeting us opened a floodgate of Strangelove-era stories. He kept recommending obscure songs to cover saying "You guys really like this garbage, how about this one..." and start banging out something by the Sheep a.k.a. Strangeloves on the tom-toms with such vigour that he would shatter the sticks and tear the drum-head. He even did some tom-toming on the Paris Live LP, but I think he forgot to "mic" himself. I think in a way we all brought out the worse qualities (or the most chaotic) in each other. He's a great producer, hit-maker and taught us to keep laughing!!

Have you accepted Alan Duffy's invitation to appear on the Ray Davies tribute LP. If so are you willing to reveal the song, my money's on 'It's Alright'?

We thought about Mr. Duffy's invitation and at first didn't go for it. How many lame versions of "You Really Got Me" does the world need? The great Kinks songs are all definitive in the original and covering them on vinyl always is a real step down, right? Then we figured we'd do some really different versions of less obvious Davies tunes. "It's Alright" would be perfect for us but it's always been a favourite of Jeff Conolly so we didn't touch it. We did "It's Too Late" and "Too Much on My Mind", although I don't know which one is being used.

The Fleshtones have never been afraid to mention influences however unhip they may appear to certain people. Sylvester and Liberace are sometimes cited. Do you ever get tired of this puritanical attitude?

YES, and by the same token these people who have so much trouble with us saying that some disco was really the best music of the early 70's and that the Sex Pistols were really the true Monkees of the 70's (not as good), and that Public Enemy relate more to the great R&B of the 50's and 60's than anyone else, these are the same pedants that accuse us...

Many so called critics accuse the 'Tones of lacking originality and living in the sixties. For instance the NME referred to you in '83 as "The gabba gabba gormless showcase". How do you handle such unfortunates?

With a gaffing-hook. Actually it's best to ignore these morons in mental straight-jackets, after all it's their problem that everything doesn't fit into their neat little bundles and they can't enjoy themselves as a result. Still, some of these goons get to me after a while, I feel like being some sort of Bela Lugosi character, vowing eventual vengeance (musical of course.)

Your covers are never obvious and run through obscure r'n'b. garage, soul, bubblegum and various other styles. Who usually digs out these songs?

Myself, or Keith, Gordon a lot and Bill whips out some neat numbers. Most of it is stuff we remember. Some people in other bands are nice enough to make suggestions, and it might be a change hearing us play their favourite chestnuts. Looks like you've got some ideas, good!

Of all your covers my favourite is 'All Around The World', which really reminds me of Little Milton's version ('Grits Ain't Groceries') of the Ike Turner song. Was this the version that influenced the Fleshtones arrangement?

No, Edwin Starr!!!!

Here's half a dozen songs I secretly wish either the Love Delegation or the 'Tones would cover. Any possibilities Peter?

Jack In The Box - The Music Explosion
25 Miles - Edwin Starr
Universal Vagrant - The Merry Dragons
Steam Engine - The Monkees
One Way Out - Sonny Boy Williamson
Landslide - Tony Clarke

Well we did "25 Miles" with the Plimsouls as the Action Dogs. I think we've done "One Way Out" (anything to banish the memory of the hideous Allman Bros Band version that was played and played and played...), as for the others hmm, I'd better go through the 45's.

How come the numbers that you penned for the Love Delegation LP were originally rejected by the other 'Tones. 'Turn Me On Again' is just one of a number of killer originals, all worthy of the super-rock treatment!

Well they weren't exactly rejected, they just didn't sound right, you know "click". So I figured a different approach might breathe some life into them. It was sort of a "vanity project" - ha ha. I'm surprised that copies reached England!

With a second LP from the Love Delegation due in early '89, have there been second thoughts about opening the studio doors and playing a few live dates?

Well we played quite a bit, but this was before the release of the LP and of course did nothing to promote the record. We even did a few shows in France and in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, however the band is somewhat large and without support it's just hard to make ends meet.

All the Fleshtones were involved to varying degrees with Keith's Full Time Men LP, 'Your Face My Fist'. Apart from the earlier recorded 'Way Down South', are there any other numbers from the Full Time Men which have graduated to the 'Tones set? For instance how about Robert and Keith's 'Wreckin' Ball'?

Since Robert has left the band we haven't done "Wrecking Ball", but maybe we'll dust it off. We did "Baby Don't Do It" and there was another song called "I Can't Do Without You" that didn't make it to the LP. I'd like to do the song "Full Time Men", oh yea, we play "Making Time" once in a while.

Easily the most off-beat contribution to 'The Big Bang Theory' is 'Sonnet XX' which features the actor Ian McKellen reciting Shakespeare to a psychedelic backing. I'm sure a lot of people would like to hear the story behind this one?

This was done for Andy Warhol's TV show "15 Minutes". The theme of that nights show was Romance. Ian did a great recital while we "ditzed" around in the background à la one of those Richard Harris TV appearances in the 60's. Sadly Andy died shortly thereafter and that was the last show produced.

Robert Warren's contribution to the same LP is 'Moment of Weakness', a brilliant piece of power-pop the Raspberries would have been proud of. What can you tell us about the Fleshtones relatively new bassman?

I'm a step ahead of you, our new, new bassman is Fred Smith , not the guy married to Patti, the guy from Television, and that speaks for itself.

Now this one is going to be really tough. Most of the 'Tones seem to have pet names, apart from Gordon, why? And secondly why is Billy so "lucky"?

Gordon has many pet names, many self-bestowed and many he doesn't care for, all in all he prefers his proper first name, as for Billy, well he just is LUCKY, hence "Right Side of a Good Thing". Our names for each other naturally chance with the situation, but of course we've never gone in for any really phoney stage name like "Gordon Rotten" or "the Edge" or anything ridiculous like that.

Have sales suffered since leaving IRS and what was the world-wide reaction to 'Fleshtones vs. Reality'? Is reality making a comeback?

Sales suffered while we where with I.R.S. and continue along those lines. "vs. Reality" really didn't have a chance world-wide or other-wide. We, in our usual business wisdom, signed only a one record deal with EMERGO and the LP was the first thing released on the label. This was before there was any distribution to speak of, right after that they did sign a big distribution deal, but it was a bit late for "vs. Reality". Hate to talk all this business jargon, but you did ask.

Moving away from this, what is the overall response to the various Fleshtones projects, and is there any danger that they will eclipse what you are all doing with the 'Tones. I imagine your involvement with 'The Cutting Edge' was a boost to Love Delegation sales?

I can't think of anything that was a boost to Love Delegation sales. Actually the response overall is really gratifying especially from world-wide maniac fans and the press (except England). There is little danger to the Fleshtones health from any of this as the band is so to speak, our mission and true love in life.

Recalling my earlier question about critics, it's well known that the Fleshtones have an open distrust of British audiences, due in part to the disastrous tour here in October '83. After your triumphant return on Independence Day '86 (hear Thee Roman Gods single for proof), is there any change of heart?

I have no mistrust of British audiences when one exists. You've got to look at these things as a healthy challenge. However, despite Lindsay's wonderful single, I'd hardly call our Independence Day show "triumphant". We received it, especially the reaction in the press, as a bitter disappointment.

Fleshtones vs. Reality was recorded during the second half of '86. Since then we've seen material by various splinter projects. But what about the next sighting of Fleshtones vinyl, when is it due, and will it appear on Emergo Records?

I've already explained our situation with Emergo, so if the next LP appears on that label, they won't be the only ones surprised. We do have a lot of very interesting demos collecting in the vault.

The final and inevitable question now Peter. Are there any Fleshtone plans for a European visit in 1989 and are we gonna see some Hexbreaking activity in this country again after such a long wait?