KOEN GOOSSENS: HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN MUSIC, WHAT MUSIC DID YOU GROW UP WITH? WHEN DID YOU START PLAYING THE PIANO/ORGAN?

JEFF CONOLLY: I REMEMBER BEING 4 YEARS OLD AND THE DAY WE MOVED AWAY FROM ALBANY, N.Y....WE SAID GOODBYE/VISITED SOME FAMILY WHO HAD AN ELECTRONIC PIANO/ORGAN, BUT IT LOOKED JUST LIKE A REGULAR PIANO! ALSO I USED TO BANG AWAY AT GRANDMA'S BABY GRAND WHEN WE STAYED WITH THEM IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. THERE WAS A SEARS SIVLERTONE RECORD PLAYER MY PARENTS OWNED AND THEY HAD A FEW L.P.'S, NOT MUCH. I THINK I REALLY LIKED PROKOFIEV'S 'PETER AND THE WOLF', THAT GOT HEAVY PLAY AND ALSO '76 TROMBONES LED THE BIG PARADE', THAT WAS KINDA THE '96 TEARS' OF ITS DAY.

KOEN GOOSSENS: WHAT WAS THE MUSIC SCENE LIKE IN BOSTON WHEN YOU JOINED DMZ?

JEFF CONOLLY: VERY LOCAL, NOT MUCH, THE REAL ROCK AND ROLL GROUPS WERE VERY UNDERGROUND. THEN IN THE SPRING OF 1976, IT JUST KINDA APPEARED, ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYBODY WANTED IN ON THIS THING AND IT TURNED INTO A SCENE, ALMOST OVERNITE. REMEMBER, THIS WAS THE 200-YEAR BICENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S.A., AND PEOPLE IN BOSTON, WERE VERY ENERGIZED ALREADY.

KOEN GOOSSENS: IT'S A WIDESPREAD RUMOR THAT ALMOST EVERY MUSICIAN IN BOSTON JOINED YOUR RANKS AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. I CHECKED THE DMZ/LYRES FAMILY TREE AND THE LIST IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE INDEED. HOW COME DMZ AND LYRES HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT LINE-UPS?

JEFF CONOLLY: THAT'S AN EXAGGERATED RUMOR, OF COURSE. THE MUSIC THAT DMZ AND LYRES WERE PERPETRATING WAS NOT THE KIND THAT LENT ITSELF TO GREAT SUCCESS ON A COMMERCIAL SCALE. PEOPLE LEFT THE BAND TO GO BACK TO UNIVERSITY, BETTER PAYING BANDS LIKE WHAT BECAME THE CARS. DMZ AND LYRES HAVE MUSICAL LEANINGS THAT MAKE STABILITY OF LINE-UPS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. I GET ALONG WITH ALMOST EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED.

KOEN GOOSSENS: THE LIST OF SONGS THAT DMZ AND LYRES DID A COVER VERSION OF IS QUITE IMPRESSIVE AS WELL. WHERE DID YOU FIND ALL THESE NUGGETS? ARE YOU A BIG RECORD COLLECTOR? WHEN DID YOU START COLLECTING RECORDS?

JEFF CONOLLY: MY FAVORITE AND 1ST BAND WERE THE SEARCHERS AND THEY WERE THE ROLE MODEL FOR ME AS FAR AS 'SEARCHING OUT' UNDERVALUED SONGS AND IDEAS. THAT PRETTY MUCH UNDERSCORES 99.99% OF ALL MY ACTIVITY. THERE'S THAT INTOXICATING RUSH OF 'HEARING' A SONG THAT'S BEEN THERE ALL ALONG, THAT MAKES YOU SAY, 'WHERE WAS I? HOW COME IT TOOK ME ALL THIS TIME TO FIND THIS?'

KOEN GOOSSENS: SOME OF THE ORIGINAL TUNES APPEARED ON SIXTIES GARAGE COMPS LONG AFTER YOU DECIDED TO COVER 'EM. DID YOU GET ANY CREDIT FOR THAT? AFTER ALL IT WAS YOU WHO RE-DISCOVERED THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.

JEFF CONOLLY: I'VE GOTTEN A TINY AMOUNT OF RECOGNITION, BUT I'M NOT FOOLED BY THAT, IT'S THE SONGS AND RECORDINGS THAT ARE THE REAL PAY-OFF. ANOTHER HUGE PAY-OFF, PERSONALLY FOR ME HAS BEEN, THE CHANCE TO ACTUALLY MEET SOME OF THESE GREAT PEOPLE WHO ARE THE REAL 'CREATORS'. I'M TALKING GUYZ LIKE VLADIMIR TAX, BARRY TASHIAN, KENNY DANIELS, RUDY MARTINEZ, FRANKIE RODRIGUEZ.........I DON'T CONSIDER THAT 'NAME DROPPING' BUT I COULD DO THAT TOO......IT'S JUST NOT THAT IMPORTANT, ALTHOUGH YOU DO GET A CERTAIN RUSH.......

KOEN GOOSSENS: IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU THAT A SONG/BAND IS OBSCURE BEFORE YOU DO THE COVER?

JEFF CONOLLY: I THINK IT MATTERS IN THE SENSE THAT IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE AN EXPLORER WHO'S MADE A DISCOVERY AND YOU SHOUT 'EUREKA' THEN, OF COURSE, LATER ON, YOU FIND OUT THAT BILLY CHILDISH ALREADY DID A RE'RECORDING OF IT TEN YEARS AGO.......

KOEN GOOSSENS: I GOT LOTS OF FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE THAT WERE AMAZED THAT SO MANY SONGS THEY THOUGHT WERE LYRES ORIGINALS ARE IN FACT COVERS. YOU HAVE THE GIFT TO TOTALLY MAKE COVER SONGS YOUR OWN WHEN YOU RECORD THEM. MAYBE THAT'S WHY PEOPLE THINK THEY'RE ORIGINAL LYRES TUNES. WHEN YOU LISTEN TO 'ON FYRE', FOR INSTANCE, YOU DON'T GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE'S 5 COVERS ON THE ALBUM AT ALL. THEY ALL HAVE THE UNMISTAKABLE LYRES TOUCH.

JEFF CONOLLY: THAT'S A NICE COMPLIMENT FOR THE BAND AND MYSELF, THANX. I CAN'T REALLY COMMENT ON THAT, BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING I'M TRYING TO DEAL WITH ALL THE TIME..........

KOEN GOOSSENS: WHEN DMZ STARTED DOING SONGS BY NW BANDS THE SONICS ('HE'S WAITING' - 'SHOT DOWN' - 'STRYCHNINE') AND THE WAILERS ('OUT OF OUR TREE') THEY WERE COMPLETELY UNKNOWN TO MOST OF US. I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THEIR STUFF WAS RE-RELEASED BEFORE I HAD A CHANCE TO HEAR THE ORIGINAL VERSIONS.

JEFF CONOLLY: WELL YOU COULD ACCUSE US OF EXPLOITING THE ORIGINALS. THAT'S FAIR, TOO.

KOEN GOOSSENS: OBVIOUSLY THE STOOGES WERE A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON DMZ, WEREN'T THEY? I THINK THAT YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT CAN REALLY HANDLE A STOOGES COVER. I FEEL THAT THE STOOGES ARE ONE OF THE HARDEST BANDS TO COVER - SAME THING FOR THE SONICS - I'VE HEARD DOZENS OF REAL BAD STOOGES COVERS. MORE THAN I CARE TO REMEMBER. WHY DO YOU THINK IT TOOK SO LONG BEFORE THE STOOGES GOT THE CREDIT THEY DESERVED?

JEFF CONOLLY: I THINK THE STOOGES WERE TOTALLY, TOTALLY MISUNDERSTOOD BY THE ROCK AUDIENCE WHEN THEIR 1ST ALBUM CAME OUT IN 1969. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT GROUP 'THE OPEN MIND' DID VERY WELL THAT YEAR, EITHER. THERE WERE LOTS OF BANDS WHO WERE SO FAR AHEAD OF THE SIXTIES, EVEN BACK AS FAR AS 1966, THAT THERE WAS SIMPLY NO CHANCE OF THEM ACHIEVING ANY REAL SORT OF RECOGNITION. AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE WAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. IT PROBABLY MADE THAT MUSIC ALL THE MORE ANGRY AND COUNTER TO EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS ACCEPTED BACK THEN. BY THE TIME OF THE STOOGES 2ND ALBUM, EVEN PEOPLE IN MY SCHOOL WERE AWARE THAT SOMETHING VERY, VERY STRANGE WAS 'COMING UP' IN THE POP/ROCK MUSIC WORLD. THERE WERE ONLY A VERY FEW PEOPLE BACK THEN, WHO HAD EVER!!! LISTENED TO THE 2ND VELVET UNDERGROUND LP, LET ALONE UNDERSTOOD IT. THE ONE GUY WHO SLIPPED THRU THIS NET WAS JIM MORRISON. A TOTAL DISTURBING FREAK. A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKED THEIR RECORDINGS BUT THEN GOT TURNED OFF BY THE LIVE 'PERFORMANCE'. IT WAS SIMPLY TOO ADVANCED FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. OF COURSE, ACROSS THE OCEAN, IT MAY HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN EASIER TO 'HEAR' WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE U.S.A. THERE WERE PLENTY OF ADVANCED, AHEAD OF THEIR TIME RECORDINGS PRODUCED IN THE U.K. AND THE CONTINENT AS WELL. IT TOOK A NEWER YOUNGER CROP OF CREEPY KIDS LIKE JOHNNY LYDON, ETC., KIDS THAT WERE BORN IN THE 50'S, TO MAKE IT 'ACCEPTABLE', FINALLY, FOR LOTS AND LOTS MORE PEOPLE TO FINALLY COME AROUND AND SAY, 'YEAH, AREN'T THE STOOGES GREAT'...ONLY TEN YEARS LATER!!!!! THAT'S THE WAY IT IS IN MUSIC SOMETIMES...YOU NEED THAT DISTANCE TO REALLY HEAR SOMETHING FOR ONCE. HOWEVER, I DON'T SEE MYSELF APPRECIATING BRITNEY SPEARS OR N' SYNC EVER!!!! NOT TEN YEARS FROM NOW, NOT EVER!!!!!!!!

KOEN GOOSSENS: THE OUTSIDERS ARE UNDOUBTEDLY BIG FAVES OF YOURS. LYRES COVERED NO LESS THAN 4 OUTSIDERS SONGS ('I LOVE HER STILL I ALWAYS WILL' - 'SUN'S GOING DOWN' - 'TEACH ME TO FORGET YOU' - 'TOUCH') AND ONE MORE BY THEIR LEAD-SINGER WALLY TAX ('YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME'). WHAT WAS, IN YOUR OPINION, THE REASON THAT MADE THEM SO UNIQUE.

JEFF CONOLLY: THEY ONLY DID THEIR OWN STUFF. PERIOD. THEY ARE!!! UNIQUE!!! VERY, VERY ARTISTIC, BUT AT THE SAME TIME VERY BRUTAL AND FRANK.

KOEN GOOSSENS: YOU MUST HAVE BEEN VERY PROUD WHEN YOU DID THE VPRO SHOW TOGETHER WITH WALLY TAX. WAS THAT THE FIRST TIME YOU GUYS MET? WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO TEAM UP WALLY TAX and LYRES?

JEFF CONOLLY: THE PROMOTER 'WIM' SAID HE HAD A 'SURPRISE' FOR ME. THAT'S ALL I REMEMBER. I WAS VERY NERVOUS AND VERY FREAKED OUT THAT DAY. BUT I WOULDN'T TRADE THAT EXPERIENCE FOR ANYTHING IN THE WORLD. FOR ME IT WAS A HALLUCINATORY/MAGICAL DAY. IT SOUNDS CONCEITED, BUT I'M PROUD OF SOME OF THE THINGS I ACCOMPLISHED DURING THAT PERIOD,  I'M ALLOWED TO BE PROUD OF THAT!!! RIGHT NOW I'M TRYING TO GET TOGETHER WITH DAVE AGUILAR, THE SINGER OF THE CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND, HE WORKS RIGHT UP THE ROAD FROM WHERE I LIVE, AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY!! WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS FOR A FEW YEARS NOW.....

KOEN GOOSSENS: WAS WALLY TAX AWARE THAT YOU GUYS WERE COVERING HIS TUNES HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD?

JEFF CONOLLY: HE'S GOT HIS FINGER ON LOTS OF PULSES, HE'S VERY AWARE AND A GREAT PERSON TO HANG OUT WITH, EVEN WHEN HE'S DOWN, HE'S STILL VERY WITTY AND OFTEN QUITE HILARIOUS.

KOEN GOOSSENS: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE KINKS. COLLECTING KINKS COVERS IS ONE OF MY PASSIONS, AND YOU DID NO LESS THAN 5 KINKS COVERS ('LOVE ME TILL THE SUN SHINES' - 'NEVER MET A GIRL LIKE YOU BEFORE' - 'TIRED OF WAITING' - 'COME ON NOW' - 'IT'S ALRIGHT'). 'TIRED OF WAITING' IS ESPECIALLY COOL, I RECKON IT TO BE THE BEST KINKS COVER EVER. IT'S SO DIFFERENT, YOU KINDA LIKE TOOK IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL. I NEVER REALLY LIKED THE ORIGINAL KINKS VERSION - ALTHOUGH THE NEWLY RELEASED BBC VERSION REALLY SMOKES! - BUT LYRES MADE ME NOTICE WHAT A GREAT SONG IT TRULY IS. WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA TO GIVE IT THAT SLOW, MENACING APPROACH?

JEFF CONOLLY: KENNY AND THE KASUALS MEETS RAY DAVIES, IT'S ON THEIR IMPACT ALBUM, WHEN THEY DO KINKS SONGS. BACK THEN IT SEEMED AN OKAY MUTATION.

KOEN GOOSSENS: DMZ DID QUITE SEVERAL COVER VERSIONS OF SONGS BY OTHER BRITISH INVASION BAND LIKE THE PRETTY THINGS ('CAN'T STAND THE PAIN' - 'ROSALYN') - THE TROGGS ('FROM HOME') - THE BEATLES ('YOU CAN'T DO THAT') - THE ROLLING STONES ('HEART OF STONE') - THEM ('DON'T START CRYING NOW'). HOW DID THE BOSTON AUDIENCE RESPOND TO THIS, WAY BACK IN THE MID-LATE 70'S? WERE THERE ANY OTHER BANDS FROM BOSTON THAT PLAYED THIS MATERIAL?

JEFF CONOLLY: SOME OF THESE ROCK TUNES, TRANSLATE BETTER THAN OTHERS. DMZ AND LYRES ALWAYS HAD A BIT OF THE 'THINK TANK' STREAK IN IT. ALL THE OTHER BANDS DID IT TO SOME EXTENT, BUT WE WERE THE ONES THAT 'PAINTED OURSELVES INTO A SIXTIES CORNER', ACCORDING ONE BIG GUY ........

KOEN GOOSSENS: ON THE MATADOR CD VERSION OF THE 'ON FYRE' ALBUM THERE'S A KINKS COVER ('NEVER MET A GIRL LIKE YOU BEFORE') THAT WASN'T ON THE ORIGINAL LP. WHERE YOU INITIALLY THINKING OF PUTTING 3 KINKS COVERS ON THAT FIRST ALBUM? THE WHOLE LP HAS THAT DISTINCT KINKS FEEL, 'I'M TELLING YOU GIRL' ALSO HAS THOSE CHUNKY KINKS-STYLED GUITAR CHORDS.

JEFF CONOLLY: WHEN WE RECORDED THE STUFF FOR 'ON FYRE' WE WEREN'T THINKING AT ALL!!!!

KOEN GOOSSENS: THERE'S ALSO 2 PETE BEST COVERS ON THE FIRST LP ('I'LL TRY ANYWAY' - 'THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT YOU'). ISN'T IT SAD THAT HE'S ALWAYS REFERRED TO AS 'THE BEATLE THAT'S BEST FORGOTTEN' OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? WAS THERE ANY SPECIAL REASON - OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THEY'RE UTTERLY GREAT! - TO INCLUDE 2 PETE BEST SONGS ON THAT LP?

JEFF CONOLLY: I'M OBSESSED WITH THE 'UNDERDOGS' OF THE POP WORLD, THEY'VE EXPERIENCED SO MUCH HUSTLE AND DISSAPOINTMENT, RIGHT NOW I'M TOTALLY STRUNG OUT ON TONY JACKSON. BUT THAT'S OKAY, BECAUSE HE'S WHERE I STARTED OUT IN ROCK AND ROLL IN THE 1ST PLACE. MY 1ST L.P. WAS THE SEARCHERS' 'LIVE AT THE STAR CLUB'.......

KOEN GOOSSENS: THERE'S ALSO 3 SONGS BY THE LATE GREAT OTIS REDDING ('LOVE MAN' - 'SECURITY' - 'YOU LEFT THE WATER RUNNING') AND IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WERE TAILOR-MADE TO SUIT YOUR VOCAL RANGE. ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? WHEN YOU DID THE SECOND VERSION OF 'SHE PAYS THE RENT' ON THE 'LYRES LYRES' ALBUM, YOU GAVE IT THE UNMISTAKABLE OTIS APPROACH, MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE FIRST VERSION. IT'S LIKE A COMPLETELY NEW SONG, A TRIBUTE TO OTIS REDDING SO TO SPEAK.

JEFF CONOLLY: I WANTED TO DISTANCE MYSELF FROM THE NOMADS AT THAT MOMENT. NOW, I'M HAPPY TO BE THEIR FRIEND, IF THEY'LL HAVE ME!

KOEN GOOSSENS: AND THEN THE NOMADS DID THEIR COVER OF 'SHE PAYS THE RENT'. WHAT THEY WERE DOING IN THE MID 80'S WAS BASICALLY JUST EXACTLY WHAT DMZ HAD BEEN DOING ALL ALONG, 7-8 YEARS BEFORE THAT. IT'S LIKE A FULL CIRCLE, ISN'T IT?

JEFF CONOLLY: I HAD A BLAST PLAYING OUR 1ST CONTINENTAL SHOWS WITH THOSE GUYZ IN 1984 AND WE GOT TO DO IT AGAIN IN 1997 W/ ? AND THE MYSTERIANS. THEY WERE AS GREAT AS EVER. I MISS TONY CARLSON THE OLD BASS PLAYER. BUT HE GOT MARRIED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

KOEN GOOSSENS: YOU ALSO DID COVER VERSIONS OF 3 SONGS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY RELEASED AS 45'S ON THE IGL LABEL ('BUT IF YOU'RE HAPPY' BY THE SCAVENGERS - 'DON'T TELL ME LIES' BY TOMMY TUCKER AND THE ESQUIRES - 'NEVER BE FREE' BY DALE AND THE DEVONAIRES). AND ONCE AGAIN THE LYRES VERSION'S WERE RELEASED BEFORE ARF! ARF! AND GET HIP RELEASED THEIR IGL COMPILATIONS. IGL ISSUED A PLETHORA OF GREAT SINGLES. ARE YOU A COLLECTOR OF IGL 45'S?

JEFF CONOLLY: I LOVE 'WIMP ROCK'...IT'S HARD TO SING WELL THAT WAY, YOU HAVE TO REALLY BE 14 OR 15 YEARS OLD TO DO IT RIGHT.

KOEN GOOSSENS: LET'S MOVE ON TO THE REALLY OBSCURE STUFF NOW. WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU DIG UP THE UNBELIEVABLY GREAT VERSION OF SANDY SARJEANT'S 'CAN'T STOP THE WANT (I GOT FOR YOU BABE)'? IT TOOK ME AGES TO FIND THAT ONE! AND THEN LONG AFTER LYRES DID THEIR VERSION A (DEMO) VERSION BY AN UNKNOWN BRITISH BAND APPEARED ON THE 'PURPLE HEART SURGERY' COMP, AND IT'S JUST AS RAVISHING AS YOUR VERSION. AND I'M SURE YOU HAD NEVER HEARD THE VERSION BY THE UNKNOWN BAND WHEN YOU DID YOURS.

JEFF CONOLLY: I HAVE THE BEAT CLUB '67 LP, AND THAT'S HOW I 'LEARNED' THAT SONG.... AS SOON AS I HEARD THAT VERSION, I KNEW IT WAS A MASTERPIECE, SO I 'CONSTRUCTED' MY OWN 'MOD' ARRANGEMENT FOR LYRES. I THINK I DID PRETTY GOOD 'SLEUTHING' THAT TIME. LATER ON.....THERE'S A 'FREAK BEAT' REISSUE WITH THE 'DEMO' VERSION OF 'CAN'T STOP THE WANT...'.....AND GUESS WHAT? BOY DID THAT MAKE ME FEEL GOOD!!!!!!! THAT MEANS, I CHOOSE A GREAT SONG, AND THEN THE DEMO TURNS OUT TO BE A 'MOD', 'FREAK BEAT' VERSION!!!...I'D NEVER HEARD THAT VERSION, SO THAT TENDED TO CONFIRM MY 'INSTINCTS' ABOUT THE TUNE!!!! MAN, WAS I 'PSYCHED'/'PROUD'......IT GAVE ME A RUSH, BECAUSE IT SAID, YOU 'HEARD THAT SONG FOR WHAT IT WAS'.....A GREAT MOD/FREAKBEAT ROCKER........IT'S NICE WHEN SONGS JUST APPEAR WHEN THEY DO, THAT'S WHAT BEING A RARE RECORD GUY GETS YOU INTO TROUBLE SOMETIMES.......

KOEN GOOSSENS: IT SEEMS LIKE YOU COLLECT GARAGE STUFF FROM OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AS WELL. 'SEVEN' BY THE SEVENS FROM SWITZERLAND AND 'GIVE YOUR LOVE TO ME' BY LES COPAINS FROM GERMANY. ANY OTHER EUROPEAN GARAGE OBSCURITIES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE A GO.

JEFF CONOLLY: SAME STORY, IF I THINK THAT I CAN 'DO SOMETHING' WITH A RECORDING THAT I GET TURNED ONTO, OR MAYBE 'GET SOMETHING' OUT OF TAKING IT APART, SEEING WHAT MAKES IT WORK, IT'S STILL THAT BOORISH THINK TANK SHIT, AGAIN........

KOEN GOOSSENS: THE 'LIVE AT CANTONES' LP BY LYRES FEATURED 2 SONGS BY RELATED BANDS ('LONG GONE' BY THE CUSTOMS - 'GERALDINE I NEED MONEY (MORE THAN I NEED YOU)' BY THE CLASSIC RUINS. DID FRANK ROWE WRITE 'GERALDINE I NEED MONEY (MORE THAN I NEED YOU)' ESPECIALLY FOR LYRES? THE CLASSIC RUINS (FEATURING FRANK ROWE) VERSION OF GERALDINE WAS FIRST RELEASED IN 1986, YEARS LATER THAN LYRES' VERSION.

JEFF CONOLLY: I WAS PRETTY WHACKED OUT ON THAT ONE, NO HE'S BEEN DOING IT FOR A FEW YEARS, I THINK I HEARD AN ORGAN PART AND DECIDED TO GIVE IT A TRY, PLUS WE SPLIT A SINGLE WITH THEM THAT DIDN'T EXACTLY EVER COME OUT, THEY DID AN INCREDIBLE 'HOW DO YOU KNOW'. UNBELIEVABLE SINGING FROM FRANK ROWE. HE'S A GENIUS.

KOEN GOOSSENS: WHAT VERSION OF 'BUSY BODY' INSPIRED YOU TO COVER IT? ROY LEE JOHNSON'S ORIGINAL OR LATER VERSIONS BY THE JOLLY GREEN GIANTS OR JIMMY HANNA AND THE DYNAMICS?

JEFF CONOLLY: I GUESS BOULDERS #1 HAD COME OUT BY THEN, AND I DID A PRETTY BIG RARE RECORD TRADE FOR THE RESULT PRESSING, OR WAS IT J.G. RECORDS?, I CAN'T REMEMBER. THAT WAS A BIG RULE, NO ORIGINAL COPY OF THE 45?, NO RE-RECORDING.........

KOEN GOOSSENS: YOU COVERED QUITE A FEW SONGS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY WRITTEN DURING THE 1950'S. LOTS OF 'EM ARE MORE FAMILIAR IN LATER, 1960'S, VERSIONS. WHO, FOR EXAMPLE, INSPIRED YOU TO DO A VERSION OF FRANKIE LAINE'S 'JEZEBEL'?

JEFF CONOLLY: THE TEDDY BOYS RECORDING IS UNBEATABLE AND I WAS HOOKED ON TRYING TO RECREATE THAT WIMP-ROCK SINGING IN A GIG SETTING.......AT THE TIME.......

KOEN GOOSSENS: SAME THING ABOUT JIMMY REED'S 'AIN'T THAT LOVING YOU BABY' (THE BEAU BRUMMELS?). AND WHAT ABOUT CHRIS KENNER'S 'SICK AND TIRED' OR BILL HALEY'S 'SKINNIE MINNIE'? LEE CURTIS AND THE ALL STARS' VERSION IS REALLY WILD!

JEFF CONOLLY: MORE OF THE SAME, JUST TRYING TO FIND SONGS THAT 'FIT' AND MADE PEOPLE FEEL ROCKED-OUT AT THE GIGS, REALLY....... 'SICK AND TIRED' IS THRU THE SEARCHERS' 'LIVE AT THE STAR CLUB' W/ TONY JACKSON, AGAIN.......THAT'S SUCH AN INSPIRING RECORD, IT REALLY CAPTURES THE SICKENING FEELING OF PLAYING A ROCK DATE IN HAMBURG.

KOEN GOOSSENS: HAVE YOU EVER HEARD PERRY COMO'S ORIGINAL VERSION OF 'GLENDORA'? I ASK YOU THIS QUESTION BECAUSE I'M SURE YOU TOOK THE DOWNLINERS SECT'S VERSION FOR INSPIRATION AND NOT PERRY COMO'S. I WAS PRETTY AMAZED TO LEARN THAT COMO EVER RECORDED SUCH A SICK SONG.

JEFF CONOLLY: IT'S SICKENING......GREG SHAW SENT US A DEMO TAPE IN 1976 AND THAT HELPED START A PATTERN OF LEARNING 'UNDERAPPRECIATED CLASSICS' FOR DMZ AND LATER IN THE GROUP LYRES...... THAT'S JUST WHAT HAPPENNED, NONE OF THIS WAS PLANNED, IT JUST EVOVLED INTO THIS LEARNING CURVE......

KOEN GOOSSENS: NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE NOTICED IT, BUT DIDN'T ROKY ERICKSON COPY THE LYRES' SOUND - COMPLETE WITH TREMELO GUITAR AND ALL - FOR HIS 'DON'T SLANDER ME' SONG? YOU MUST HAVE BEEN THRILLED BY THE FACT THAT ONE OF YOUR HEROES WAS USING THE LYRES SOUND TO CREATE ONE OF HIS OWN SONGS. DO YOU KNOW IF ROKY ERICKSON WAS AWARE THAT DMZ DID A VERSION OF 'YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME' ON THE BOMP EP IN 1977? YEARS BEFORE THE REST OF THE WORLD RE-DISCOVERED THE 13TH FLOOR ELEVATORS.

JEFF CONOLLY: ROKY ERICKSON NEVER COPIED ANYONE!!! I DO KNOW HE'S A FAN OF JAMES BROWN, AND WHO COULD BLAME HIM AS JAMES BROWN WAS THE 1ST ALIEN EVER.

KOEN GOOSSENS: THE CHESTERFIELD KINGS/LYRES SPLIT SINGLE WHERE YOU COVERED ONE OF EACH OTHER'S TUNES WAS A NICE SURPRISE. WHO'S COOL IDEA WAS THAT?

JEFF CONOLLY: ANDY BABAYUKI IS A REAL NICE PERSON, AND HE SUGGESTED IT TO ME, IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET THAT OUT. IT CAME OUT TWICE YOU KNOW, WITH DIFFERENT LYRES TUNES BY THE KINGS.....

KOEN GOOSSENS: 'FRENZY' BY THE FUGS IS ANOTHER GREAT CHOICE FOR A DMZ COVER. SUCH A GREAT SONG THAT IS.

JEFF CONOLLY: THAT 2ND FUGS L.P. WAS A TOTAL REVOLUTIONARY MIND BLOWER BACK IN 1966. WE USED TO HAVE TO HIDE IT FROM OUR PARENTS!! WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT LOU REED? FRENZY IS JUST AS ROCKIN' AS ANYTHING HE'S EVER DONE. CYCLE ANNIE? NAH.....NOT AS BRUTAL, TOO SCHOLARLY........

KOEN GOOSSENS: ANY OTHER COVERS, THAT WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON? WHAT COVERS ARE LYRES CURRENTLY PLAYING IN CONCERT?

JEFF CONOLLY: YOU'RE DOING FINE..........REMEMBER THESE ARE FAMILY 'SECRETS'.....

KOEN GOOSSENS: HOW ARE THINGS GOING FOR DMZ AND LYRES THESE DAYS? WHEN CAN WE EXPECT A NEW RECORD OF YOURS?

JEFF CONOLLY: THE NEW DMZ 'LIVE AT THE RAT' CAME OUT REALLY NICE ON BOMP... AND LYRES RECORDS ARE READY FOR RELEASE RIGHT NOW. BUT NOBODY HAS ANY MONEY!! ALL THE RECORD LABELS ARE BROKE!!!

KOEN GOOSSENS: ONE LAST QUESTION: PLEASE LET IT BE KNOWN TO THE WORLD JUST EXACTLY WHO DID THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF 'WHAT'S A GIRL LIKE YOU (DOING IN A PLACE LIKE THIS)' BECAUSE I HAVEN'T GOT A CLUE.

JEFF CONOLLY: THAT'S A GROUP FROM CINCINNATI, OHIO CALLED 'THEM'......THEY'RE ON JAMES BROWN'S KING LABEL!!!!THEY LATER CHANGED THEIR NAME TO 'IT'S THEM' CAUSE VAN MORRISON GOT PISSED!!