STEPHEN GATELY
The ‘Baby’enters a new zone

Stephen Gately, the ‘baby’ of Boyzone, one of the most popular boy-bands on the music scene, was in Mumbai, to promote his solo endeavour, aptly titled New Beginning. Taking time off his busy schedule, he spoke to Screen about the hard work put into the album, and how the succes as a Boyzone member had allowed him to do things he could never dream of...

With his deep, sea-blue, very Irish eyes, a peaches-and-cream complexion, and rosy lips, Stephen Gately makes an instant impact. Sitting comfortably in a dining room of the swanky, five-star hotel in Mumbai, Stephen greets you with a warm smile, followed by an equally warm handshake. He’s had a great one-day stay in Mumbai he tells you, and has been drinking lots of water. “Water’s good for your health,” he says. And later reveals that he’s been very particular about aqua after his hectic tours resulted in kidney stones.

Stephen commands a huge fan-following just like his fellow band members Ronan, Keith, Shane and Mikey. Boyzone is among the earliest boy-bands, and even after seven years, its popularity over the world remains intact. The group’s ballads have achieved an immortal status, and are still fodder for music buffs. So it was a bit of a surprise that Stephen had come out with his solo album. Was the boy-band going the Spice Girls’ way? Gately dispelled our fears and revealed the reason behind his solo effort. Excerpts:

The moment a singer from a pop group decides to go solo, there’s speculation that the group is heading for a split. Is this going to be the case with Boyzone too?
No way. Boyzone’s too strong a group to ever break up. We are bound by friendship, and have matured together as artists for seven years. We never let rumours or any petty matters affect us. It’s been a year-and-a-half since we released our last album. And we will begin working on our new album only next year. So both, me and Ronan (Keating) decided to cut a solo album each, since we both had a concept to work on. There have been singers before us who cut solo albums, and then returned to work with their group like Jon Bon Jovi. We’ll be back soon.

Is the title New Beginning a pointer to your solo endeavour?
The title is self-explanatory. Going solo is a new beginning for me, a new direction in my career. And I chose this title because it is easier for people to relate to. Everyday in our life is a new beginning. You come across new people, new job. Everyday somebody is falling in love, somebody is falling out of love. The happenings in everyday life is what the album is all about.

Have you stuck to the Boyzone style of ballads in your album?
Everybody expected cute little ballads from me, but I’ve sprung a surprise by offering something new to the listeners. There are ballads of course, but I have experimented with compositions in up-tempo and mid-tempo. So you get to hear a lot of variety. I planned this album meticulously, giving it a lot of thought. When I decided on it, I knew exactly which producers I wanted to work with. I have recorded a song in London, one in New York, and another in Sweden because the producers were in these places. They are the producers who have worked with leading singers.
The lyrics in the album are the ones which will touch people, which people can identify with.

You and Ronan have written most of the lyrics for Boyzone albums. What inspires you?
I don’t need to lie on the beach for three months to get inspired to write lyrics on nature. I guess it comes naturally to me. I usually write in the studio, during the recordings. I am inspired by incidents in my life, though in New Beginning I haven’t touched much on my private life. Only one song is dedicated to my friend.

Besides lyrics, what were your other inputs?
I worked with my producers on every aspect. It’s very important for a solo artist to put in as much as he can, because in the end he is held responsible for the album. The music video is based on my idea.
Both yours and Ronan’s single are vying for the top position in the music charts. So, it’s like competition among the Boyzone boys.
There can never be competition amongst us. Especially Ronan, who’s my best friend, and who has been by my side whenever I needed him. His album is yet to be released, while mine was released almost a month back. Ronan’s single has been released, and features in the charts alongwith mine. If his album does well, I’ll be the happiest person and likewise, if my album does well, he’ll be thrilled. We both wish each other success.

What’s been the response to New Beginning?
It’s been very good. My single has been appreciated and my album has been selling on the basis of the single and its video. That’s an achievement actually, because usually an album sells well only after more than one single and more than one video hits the market.

Did your female fan-following dwindle when you revealed that you were gay?
Not at all. In fact I gained in my fan-following since people were impressed by my honesty. Many young boys wrote to me saying how I had proved to be an inspiration for them, and some even said that my revelation saved them from depression and suicide, since earlier they couldn’t come out in the open. I think my sexual preference has nothing to do with my music.

Did you always want to sing?
My family doesn’t have a musical background, but both my parents sing well. My mom would be playing Frank Sinatra at home all the time. So I have inherited the genes from them. I haven’t undergone any training in singing, I developed the skill on my own, with practice. It’s God’s gift you can say.

Are you happy with the fame or is there something more you crave for?
I come from a very poor family of Ireland, and I have been brought up humbly. So a guy like me couldn’t have asked for more. I feel I am among the fortunate ones to have seen so much of the world, travelled so wide, met so many people, win so much appreciation, all at such a young age. I cherish the two awards given to me, the ‘Irish Personality of the Year’ and ‘The Hero of 1999’ since they are public awards which I am proud of.

Do you think you would have been as popular had you embarked on a solo career initially, instead of joining a group?
That’s a difficult question to answer. I’m not sure though if I would have been as popular as Madonna or Micheal Jackson or Bryan Adams.

Is the attempt to go solo to satisfy an ego, since in a group, a singer tends to get lost?
That’s not the case with me. Each of the Boyzone singers has their own distinct identity, and people know them well by names. In our videos, each singer is focussed on, so people know who can sing what. My solo endeavour is a natural progress, and a measure to gauge my capability as an artist.

Which are the other singers and groups you like?
I like N’Sync very much. Their new album’s vey good and I keep listening to it most of the time.

This is your second visit to India. What do you like about the country?
I like the spicy food here. It’s hot, but delicious. It’s sad that my visit is just for two days.
And I like watching Hindi films. I chance upon them while surfing channels back home in London. They are mostly love stories, right? With a lot of songs and dances. It’s good entertainment. They are quite popular here, aren’t they?

You started out as an actor first? Do you intend to act in the future?
I want to, but only later. I was offered the lead role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical The Phantom Of The Soap Opear, but couldn’t take it because I was busy with my album. But a film on based on Boyzone is in the offing, and I’ll be playing myself in the film.

Do the members of your group keep in touch even when not recording?
Yeah, we meet each other for lunch or dinner, and visit each other. We are constantly sepaking to one another on the phone and discussing new ideas.

You are known as the baby of the group? Are you the youngest?
No, I’m not. Keith and Shane are younger than me. But I’m the pampered one. I don’t know why. Maybe because I use a lot of moisturiser. (Laughs).

Salma Khatib

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