"Great galloping galaxies...those former punkettes Fuzzbox have matured
into slick popsters and their single 'International Rescue' is a tribute
to all those Gerry Anderson puppet shows we love so much.
The 'We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Going To Use It!' story would make a great
Saturday morning cartoon show. Vickie,(the singer),has decided she'd like
to be played by Jessica Rabbit. Maggie,(formerly just Mags) [keyboards],says
her role will be taken by Olive Oyl. Tina,(percussion),can only be Pebbles
Flintstone,and,after some heated argument,Jo,(guitar),plumps for Thelma from
Scooby Doo.
The four 'mates' formed the band in 1986 as a spontaneous fun group to fill
in for a vacant support slot at their local pub. After an independent
smash with 'XXX',a record label signed them up and they had a minor chart
hit with the grippingly-entitled 'Love Is The Slug'.
That was all of two years ago.
"Yes,folks," laughs Vickie,"you thought you'd got rid of us...you thought
we'd all got jobs at Tesco...but I'm sorry to say we're back!"
Together with their change in musical direction,the Fuzzbox image has
changed as well. They no longer think spots and green hair are hip,and these
days sport a more glamourous look.
"It was all great at the time," says Maggie,talking like a girl who's drunk
too much champagne and is about to burst into a fit of giggles.
Some things haven't changed though. Fuzzbox are still,deep down,just four
girls having a laugh at playing pop stars. Their attitude and approach
to their music is so refreshing-squeezing as much enjoyment out of it
as possible.
"The problem is,just because you're having fun,people think you're stupid,dumb girls as well," argues Jo.
"When Def Leppard came on at the Brit Awards thing," says Maggie,"we all
went mad and started stomping our feet and shouting. Everyone else was
being really cool about it and politely clapping. Afterwards these people
came up to us and said: 'We saw what you were doing when Def Leppard were
on',as if we were being really naughty or something."
What did they think of S'manfa Fox?
[Samantha,singer and ex-page three girl]
"She wasn't all that bad," replies Jo. "I remember one point where she
actually managed to string two words together. Which I thought was quite
impressive really."
Did they get introduced to any celebrities?
"We met Michaela Strachan from that 'Hit Man And Her' programme," says Tina,enthusiastically. "She's brilliant,really funny."
Don't you find [the programme] a totally revolting show?
"Oh,no," they all reply,hardened 'tacky telly' addicts and members of the
Birmingham S.W. Jim 'Nothing like a bit of Bully on a Sunday' Bowen
Appreciation Society. [Presenter of darts-based game show,with a mascot
of a bull]
"I don't want to speak for Michaela or anything," says Jo,"but she's just
taking the p*** out of everyone and they don't realize it. The people on
'Hit Man' are degrading themselves,nobody's forcing them.
The video to IR finds Vickie,Maggie,Tina and Jo dressed up as 'Thunderbirds'
puppets and sci-fi sex bomb 'Barbarella' characters. Directed by
ex-'The Young Ones' star Ade Edmondson,it finds Fuzzbox battling against the
dark forces of 'The Well Wicked Duranduran',(nothing to do with Simon Le
Bon),to save the world from all-out interplanetary war.
It's a colourful romp through sci-fi B-movies,Star Trek,and all those
wonderful Gerry Anderson TV shows.
So,what's Ade Edmondson like in real life then?
"Everyone said,'You won't like him,he's not like he is on telly,he's really
serious'," Jo reveals. "Yeah,he was serious,but he was still dead funny."
They all remember watching shows like Thunderbirds and Stingray when they
were kids. Did they have crushes on any of the puppets?
"I did. I still have!" admits Maggie. "If Captain Scarlet was a real person
he'd be absolutely gorgeous!"
The girls are then asked,to tie in with the theme of the video,various odd
questions related to their going on a 'journey into space'. The more
illuminating replies are given here,with all the irrelevant stuff
cut out:
They are asked what single private possession they would take...
Vickie:It'd have to be lipstick or a make-up bag,I suppose...
They're then asked which famous person they'd each take to
keep them company.
Tina:Quentin Crisp.
What about Jim Bowen,they are asked.
Jo:Well,Jim's a lovely man,he really is.
But I think we'd get a bit fed up with him really.
They are then asked,in a roundabout way,about their hopes for the world.
Jo:Strive for peace amongst all nations. Especially children.
[*Stock-Aitken-Waterman,pop music producers,most notably for Kylie
Minogue when she started!]
Johnny Dee pulls the strings."
Now,their name shortened simply to Fuzzbox,they've changed from shambolic
punksters into slick popsters. Their F.A.B. (sic) new single,'International
Rescue',is as far removed from the old-style fuzzy frolics as the Moon is
from Earth,mixing SAW* with the 'Thunderbirds' theme tune.
"We were really into wearing the vilest clothes possible and mucking about
on stage. We've been away for two years,our taste in music has changed,we've grown up...and learnt how to play our instruments!"
I went to this Martini Promotions Night at the Dome in Brum once. They were
saying,'You can win a Martini T-shirt'. It was just a really gruesome
T-shirt with Martini written on it. And to win it,the blokes had to put
their feet through the head hole,and the girls had to put their legs through
the arm holes. These were people they'd never met in their lives,and they
were all clamouring to have a go. If people do that sort of thing to win
a stupid T-shirt,they'll do anything to get on the telly."
Maggie:I'm going to be really boring and take a good book to read.
Jo:I think I'd have to take a bottle of Ribena so I can make my hot beanies.
Vickie:I've changed my mind. I'm going to take an Elvis tape.
Tina:I'm going to have to bring a book as well.
Maggie:Yeah,it'll last you long enough!
Jo:Tina's been reading the same book since she left school. It's only got
five pages. It's called 'Janet and John Book 1'.
Maggie:Maybe you should take Book 2!
Jo:Vera Bennet from 'Prisoner Cell Block H'. She'd keep everyone in order.
Vickie:We want someone nice,we don't want Vera shouting at us all the time.
What about someone who could sing?
Maggie:Mark Almond,he's a popular one.
Jo:I'll tell you someone you don't see a lot of on Earth,and that's
Terry Wogan-we could bring him.
Maggie:Yeah,but we'd be able to have a great game of darts,wouldn't we?
Vickie:Children are our future...
Vickie and Jo:Teach them well and let them lead the way.
Jo:Give them a sense of pride...
