101.1 The River

October 13 2005

Radio station introduction: Special guest Scott Stapp in town doing a special performance down at Blueberry Hill at University City’s Duck Room promoting his new album, we have him right here, special performance from Scott Stapp in The River Lounge on 101.1 The River.

Vic: Live from the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, I’m Vic Porcelli. This is The River Lounge and ladies and gentlemen today our very special guest, a big welcome for Scott Stapp.

Applause and cheers

Vic: (audio cuts out) ...here we go...(audio cuts out)

Scott: Hello

Vic: (laughs) Welcome to St. Louis Scott.

Scott: It is great to be here. It’s great to be back here.

Vic: When were you here last?

Scott: Ah, maybe 2 ½ years ago.

Vic: Awesome. So it’s been a while since you’ve been back.

Scott: It’s been a while yeah.

Vic: We got to speak just briefly, but I’ll remind you again that Chuck Berry plays on this stage once a month, this is really cool

Scott: Yeah, this is really (inaudible...audio cuts out)

Vic: It’s called The Duck Room for that little duck walk that he does and you see pictures of Chuck all around the place (inaudible...sound cuts out)....isn’t that neat John? (Laughs) Scott introduce these guys to us, would ya?

Scott: This is John, this is Artie.

Vic: Artie and John (applause)

Scott: A...they’re both lead / rhythm they’re....they’re background vocals. They kinda do it all so...

Vic:...to make it happen, make it happen...

Scott:...make it happen

Vic: New record, The Great Divide, will be in stores on November the 22nd and let me just start by saying congratulations on, on this solo record coming out. You must be incredibly proud.

Scott: A...proud? Yeah...I....I’m a little nervous, you know....(laughs)

Vic: (Laughs)

Scott: ....you know to be honest with you, I mean it’s...it’s proudly the first time in my career where I, I feel a little nervous so...a little insecurity, you know, I don’t know what’s gonna happen...um, but other then that...yeah I am, I am, I am proud of the record, you know.

Vic: (Laughs)

Applause from audience

Vic: You know, this guy sittin’ on stage here, Scott Stapp is responsible for the sale of more then 30 million albums.

Applause from audience

Vic: Try to put in words for me Scott, when you, when you, when you look back years from now on the fact that you sold more then 30 million records. How are you going to look back on that?

Scott: A...man it’s hard to digest, you know, that’s a lot of people. And it keeps growing all the time...

Vic: ...Yep...

Scott: ...and so a...kinda humbled by it...a...you know when I started doing this...a...I just wanted to know if there was lot of people out there that, that felt the same way I did you know I just, you know, that’s why I got into this, and obviously there, there was and a...so...it’s, it’s very humbling and a....

Vic: Cool stories though for your kid and your grandkids to come and stuff...

Scott: Yeah

Vic: They’re gonna ask, you know they’re gonna ask Scott

Scott: Yeah, they will, they will, but a...you know it’s, it’s, it’s just a humbling experience.

Vic: Yeah, it’s awesome (inaudible). The album is in stories, again, November 22nd, it’s called The Great Divide and when you, when you made this record now there had to be some sort of different process going into it from song writing to performing to different musicians. How was the process different and was it better or was it worse?

Scott: The big difference between this record and a...the previous records is I didn’t pre-write the lyrics...um...I let the music inspire me and, and, and whatever came out, came out. And a...that was the biggest difference and so, you know, I just kept my heart open to be honest and, and I wanted to make sure that, you know, that lyrically I a...was very clear, very easily understood (Inaudible) that was my whole goal going into it

Vic: It’s awesome. When you started to shoot up there into fame did ya have to stop sometimes and say “wow, this is really working for me”. Every garage band has the dream of being on stage in front of a bunch...but for those chosen few that it happens to. When does it become overwhelming?

Scott: Very quickly, very, very, very quickly, at least for me...um...I a...I didn’t really get a chance to really realize what had happened in my life and, and, and how my life had changed and, and all that stuff, until the last three years, you know in, in reflection, and a... ‘cause everything happened so fast and it kept going and going and going and going and you know and, and a...there wasn’t time to think about, about what was going on.

Vic: In that part of your life too I’m sure there were radio station interviews during the day and you know acoustic performances like this in the afternoon and then...

Scott: ....Oh yeah...

Vic: ...and then a gig a night...

Scott: ....Well there was, there was probably 4 or 5 acoustic performances during the day and then a gig at night and...yeah...it was tough...

Vic: Yeah...

Scott:...but you know I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it and, and a...until a... ‘til I burned my body out... a...it was fun.

Vic: Now are you planning to tour?

Scott: Yeah. We’re gonna start a...our world tour in January and a...and just take it as long as it goes, as long as the fans want to hear new songs, we’re gonna keep touring.

Vic: Scott I can only hope and assume that you’ll make St. Louis a stop on this tour.

Scott: Of course

Vic: Thank you (laughs)

Scott: Of course, of course (applause from audience), of course (Scott laughs) of course. Vic: Alright let’s hear a song. Let’s go back into the Creed songbook and I love this song, it’s got such a great, almost kind of Led Zeppelin kind of a feel to it, it’s called My Sacrifice. Ladies and gentlemen, Scott Stapp

Scott: Thank you.

Scott performs My Sacrifice acoustically

Applause and cheers from audience

Scott: Thank you

Vic: Scott Stapp live in The Duck Room at Blueberry Hill in The River Lounge. It’s great to go back and hear that, especially acoustically, it just sounds so good and you know, I guess you know we can’t sit here with the enormous fan and amount of records that have been Creed made and not talk about that you guys aren’t together anymore and there was a breakup and what I wanted to say was that, it seems like there were people who were vocal about this and there were people who took the high road, you took the high road. I happen to be a big fan of the high road and I just wanted to get your thoughts on the way you took the high road and didn’t point any fingers.

Scott: Well a...you know, it’s like, it’s like family...a...you know, it’s four brothers and you don’t talk about family business in public and that’s kinda the way I looked at it and a....that’s all I wanna talk about that.

Laughter from Scott and Vic

Scott: You know it’s, it’s, that’s just the way it is and, and you know we could all point fingers at each other, you know, it, it, it was a group effort and a...you know.. if, if there’s anyone to blame, I’ll take full responsibility, how ‘bout that?

Applause from audience

Vic: That’s a man. I wanna talk about your foundation for a little bit. You have the Scott Stapp Foundation. Tell us a little bit about that and you see, I have this thing that when you gain fame, there should be some responsibility for benefits, charities and things like that. And you’ve done that. Tell us a little bit about the Scott Stapp Foundation.

Scott: Well, it used to be called With Arms Wide Open Foundation and a...I got a new Executive Director and changed some things a...basically our mission is, is to help widows, orphans, feed the hungry and do everything that the Bible said that God wanted us to do, if we were going to be charitable and so I listened to that and I followed that and, and a...that’s what we do and a...we a...Hurricane Katrina...we a....we a...along with the Red Cross...um...sponsored the largest...um...shelter in the Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana area and a...took care of over 2,500 people a day...

Vic: ...that’s awesome...

Scott: ....and a.... (applause from audience)

Vic: ...yep...

Scott: ...you know it’s, it’s...you know and in the past...I, I, I didn’t share, you know, what was going on with, with my Foundation because I thought it was, you know that’s private and that’s this and that and, and finally my Executive Director came up to me one day and said “We need to raise money man...

Vic: (Laughs)

Scott: ...(laughs) you know, you know it’s nice and all it’s coming out of your pocket, but, you know it’d be good that, that we let people know what’s going on so, you know, so they could contribute and, and help out” and so a...we’re gonna do a little different this time and, and let people know what we’re doing and, and a just....we just wanna help people in need and, and I kinda wanna do whatever my heart feels like doing at the time, you know wherever my hearts tuggin’

Vic: There’s always somebody who needs help so, that is a great way to go about it. Whenever help is needed, let’s give some. Alright let’s get back to the new album, The Great Divide, again it’s in stores on November the 22nd and I searched and I searched and mistakenly over the last week or so I could not find the list of songs that are on this album. Why is that Scott?

Scott: Because we’re still working on them. (Laughter from Scott and Vic) Actually we’re flying back tonight, we’ll be in the studio Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday finishing up the record so...

Vic: What’s that process like? I mean are there songs named yet, are you still naming them...

Scott: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah....we have songs named, we just need to finish recording everything...

Vic: ...that’s awesome...

Scott: ...get it right, you know...

Vic: I mean November 22nd is like....

Scott: Yeah, I know, we, we’ve got until Wednesday to get everything turned in or a...you know...it’ll have to get pushed back so...

Vic: Deadlines

Scott: We’ll get it done, we’ll get it done.

Vic: Deadlines...ah...gosh...alright let’s hear a song from the album The Great Divide, this is Surround Me? Is that right?

Scott: Yeah, this song’s called Surround Me.

Vic: It’s Scott Stapp in The River Lounge on 101.1 The River

Scott performs Surround Me acoustically

Applause from audience

Scott: Thank you

Vic: Surround Me, that’s Scott Stapp, you’ll find that on his forthcoming album The Great Divide that will be in stores on November the 22nd. Awesome.

Scott: Hopefully...

Vic: Oh right....forgot...there might be a little setback there. It all depends upon tonight’s ...you know, what goes on tonight and how productive you guys are tonight.

Scott: Exactly.

Vic: There was a time, when you um...and this is what I’ve read, and you know Scott sometimes you read things, you don’t know what’s right and what’s not right when you’re trying to research something. But, from what I’ve gathered you were questioning your own spirituality, almost, and then the soundtrack for The Passion of the Christ came up. Was there a connection there on, on anything....

Scott: Well, um...to be honest with ya...I’ve been running from God since I was 17 years old and a...I tried to run as far away as I could and ran right into a rock band. (Laughter) And a...that’s about as far as the church could say you could go, you know. And a...I think I ran right into what God wanted me to do and a...it wasn’t so much of a question of my spirituality it was question of you know, why the a...church was the way that it was you know and, and the things that you know the guilt and condemnation and, and all the things that, that, that affected me growing up as a child and a...you know I, I kinda developed my own relationship with God and my own spirituality and I, I don’t try to push that on anybody, you know, that’s, that’s my thing and you know when I write my records, I tell stories and a...some of those stories you know I’ll talk about my walk and my relationship and let me tell ya, I mess up all the time, I’m not perfect and when I mess up, I mess up big and a...that’s just me and I’ll admit it right here in front of all you guys and a...and that’s the way we all need to be man, you know I mean it’s, it’s just about telling the truth and learn to love again you know and, and that’s, that’s a song on my record called Broken and that’s the, the theme of that song, but the bottom line is, is, is we all need to quit judging each other because we all got beams in our eyes (applause from audience), you know what I’m sayin’? You know if we started loving each other instead of judging each other we’d find out we have a lot more in common, you know what I’m sayin’? Anyway, that’s where it’s at.

Vic: So on, on The Passion of the Christ you got to work with Mel Gibson and you did a song called Relearn Love.

Scott: Yeah

Vic: Um....I guess you had to watch the film first and then....

Scott: A...man, I didn’t need to watch that film to write that song a...that doctrine had been ingrained in my mind since I was a child but, but a...I did watch the film with Mel and, and then after the film a...you know I wanted to play him some musical ideas and we had been talking and hanging out and he...really cool guy...a little spastic, you know, I mean, he’s always just (Scott imitates Mel), you know what I’m sayin’? And you know kinda wanna be like “dude, Mel calm down you know” (Vic laughs) (Scott laughs) and...but he’s got a lot going on, I mean, you know I mean, he’s, he’s a busy man and a...but when I wanted to play him some music and say “Hey, I’ve got the song for ya” he’s like “Hey man, you’ve proven yourself, just do what you do” and that was almost like the biggest compliment I’ve ever had in my life...

Vic:...that’s confidence right there...

Scott: ...coming from that man, you know what I mean? So it was a good feeling and a...I enjoyed that experience and, and at that time in my life I was trying to relearn how to love, you know, I, I had nothing left to give um...all my a...understanding of what love was, aside from the unconditional love I have from my child, um...had been just smashed to the ground and so I didn’t think I had it inside of me to give anymore and, and to love anymore, expect for my son. So that was a transitional period and it came along at the right time and, and I just spoke from my heart and, and just said what was going on, you know.

Vic: So has this film experience at all...are you...is there any acting in your future, any film work or...

Scott: Yeah there will be in 2007. (Inaudible, audio cuts out) We’ve a....we’ve committed to a few directors and so we’ll wait and see, wait and see.

Vic: Right on. Alright before we talk about NASCAR, let’s hear, let’s hear the title track. The album’s called The Great Divide. Again, it’s in the stores on November the 22nd. Once again ladies and gentlemen Scott Stapp in The River Lounge on 101.1 The River. (Applause)

Scott performs The Great Divide acoustically

Applause

Vic: The Great Divide, Scott Stapp. That’s the title track to his album it’ll be out in stores on November the 22nd.

Applause

Scott: Thank you.

Vic: Scott not only promises a world tour the first of next year, but a stop here in St. Louis, so we’re looking forward to that

Scott: Of course (applause) Thank you

Vic: Now, you have a little partnership coming up with NASCAR, we’re gonna hear songs... your songs on the TV commercials for NASCAR is that right?

Scott: Yes

Vic: And your also gonna sing the national anthem at a race.

Scott: I’m gonna try

Vic: (Laughs)

Scott: (Laughs) Just like that last song, sometimes your voice breaks up .

Vic: Well, you know that happens.

Scott: I’m gonna give it my best shot.

Vic: So how did this come about?

Scott: A...you know NASCAR contacted my record company and management and wanted to know if I was interested in partnering up with them and, and a...if I was a fan and, and a... I said I was last year, once they changed the points thing, you know....

Vic: That’s more intricate then I know. I don’t know watcha talking about.

Scott: Okay. Well anyway...a...I said “yeah, that’d be, that’d be cool, you know I’d love to go to some NASCAR races and, and do that” and so that’s how it happened.

Vic: That’s awesome . Alright, Scott Stapp, the album The Great Divide, in stores November 22nd. It’s been absolutely great to have you here and good luck with this record, okay?

Scott: Thank you so much. Thank you guys so much. Thanks a lot. Thank you

Vic: Hey, you guys get some work done tonight. John, Artie, Scott get some work done. Scott Stapp everybody. (Applause from audience)