The New Radicals split up in 1999, just a few months after their single “You Get What You Give” became a worldwide hit. Subsequently, they rejected all offers to meet in the past 22 years. But about a week ago, New Radicals leader Gregg Alexander finally received an offer he couldn’t refuse: the Biden-Harris government wanted him to play “You Get What You Give” on his virtual “Parade Across America”.
“We promise if Joe [Biden] we won, we would get together and play our little song both in memory and in honor of the patriotic son of our new president, Beau, ”said Alexander in an introduction to music. “And also with Joe’s prayer being able to bring our country back together with compassion, honesty and justice for change.”
Only part of the song aired on TV, but Rolling Stone is debuting the full performance. We also talked to Alexander about how to prepare for the big day, the infamous verse “Marilyn Manson” and what it might take in the future.
When did you hear that the Biden family was a fan of “You Get What You Give?”
A friend read in a [Washington] The DC newspaper said the lyrics to “You Get What You Give” had been recited at Beau Biden’s funeral. But I didn’t understand why until I heard Ashley [Biden] talk about music in Beau’s praise. And then it was Joe [Biden’s] book.
Music was also used in presidential and Georgian videos to “vote”, so perhaps between these two events it catalyzed the invitation to a presentation. It is such an unexpected honor, especially after the tragic year of 2020 and the hope that there will be a little positivity in our music that it can bring to the beginning of 2021 and the Biden / Harris government.
Who cared about the possibility of a reunion and what was your first reaction?
Another friend, whose team made the “go vote” videos, asked me: “Gregg, the song has a personal meaning for both the Biden and Harris families (it’s also the“ outgoing ”song for Kamala Harris’s husband ). If they asked, would you consider playing the song as New Radicals at Inauguration? “It sounded so far-fetched that I kind of joked” Only if you play the guitar! ” But a month later, I received an official request, so I said, “Let’s do this!”
But seriously, my reaction was that I was deeply honored, but subdued, as it is a dark time in America.
Approximately, how many meeting offers have you declined in the past? Why was this different?
Countless – and, of course, always flattering. The heads of record labels offered small fortunes for a second New Radicals album, but honestly, I’m relatively happy with my life. I get a chuckle when I see ourselves sometimes being called the “wonder of a single hit”, as some people may not realize that New Radicals ended up being chosen before our second single was released. But I see it as a popular term of endearment.
I’m sure that if I had simply sung my song “Game of Love” with Santana when asked by the label, or my European hits that I wrote for others, things would have been different. But then again, maybe then my life wasn’t mine.
“It is such an unexpected honor, especially after the tragic year of 2020.”
In my introductory piece of the iPhone for the opening performance – for viewers who may have no idea who I am – I joke about the fact that I’m the guy in Rolling StoneGreatest One Album’s list of wonders … along with the Sex Pistols, Lauryn Hill and Jeff Buckley. You have to laugh at these things.
But a presidential tenure is very different from other potential meetings, especially when our democracy is at stake. Or when you discover that one in four Americans under the age of 25 has thought about suicide in the past month. So, you hope that if someone hears you singing: “If you feel your tree is breaking … just bend” on TV, you can give them the slightest reminder to endure the negativity, unfortunately we can’t escape online or in the news every day.
Which former band members did you invite back? What were your responses?
It literally happened in two days, so unfortunately, there was no safe way for Covid for my old touring band to go from California to a studio in Philadelphia. Fortunately, some of the best musicians live in Philadelphia and were available. And even though we’ve never played together before and didn’t have time to rehearse, these guys are so tough that they quickly got together after playing for a while. In addition, we had to perform at a social distance compatible with the Covid of the musicians and the team, but [my New Radicals bandmate] Danielle [Brisebois] it was our mother tucked away constantly reminding us that we must be safe and not get too close!
Explain the preparation process for this presentation.
My main preparation was mainly to dance. At this point, I know the song very well! We shot a complete presentation of the song that was edited at the inauguration [organizers] in a way that they needed to work for the parade. But we are releasing the full version now for people to see as well.
Stephanie Cutter, the incredible executive producer of the inauguration, was firm when I humbly suggested that they execute the look of our entire presentation without other filming, so as not to disappoint anyone who expected to see only the presentation. She reminded me with humor: “Gregg, this is Biden’s opening, not a New Radicals video!” That was kind of funny, because she barely knew that we hadn’t actually shot a video in over 20 years!
When was the last time you sang the song in any way?
Here’s something terrifying … when someone puts you on YouTube singing to an audience while having equipment problems … it’s a reminder when singing on a public stage that you must assume that someone is recording!
Five years ago, my song, “Lost Stars” (Adam Levine), was nominated for an Oscar and at a ceremony at the LA Italia Awards, a guitarist and I were invited to play it acoustically. But they also asked if I would do a New Radicals song and I naively agreed.
The guitar microphone was not on and I realized after I started singing that only my voice was heard by the audience. So I made a false head trying to make the audience clap in rhythm and distract from the lack of guitar while breaking an unbalanced guitar, “You Get What You Give” The show has to go on!
But the terror of that experience is still etched in my memory. If you’re bored enough in quarantine and want to hear – and see – someone in a panic singing acapella to a room full of Italians – it’s out there!
Will you change any lyrics, particularly the infamous verse “Marilyn Manson”?
In fact, I had no problems with the artists I mentioned in rap music. My main problem was with the corrupt bankers, the FDA and the types of health insurance, which was, in retrospect, a sadly prescient letter. But in the late nineties, no one wanted artists to metaphorically “spoil the party” with such political lyrics during the CD boom!
Writing that “health insurance cheating FDA” rap when I got to the part of trying to rhyme the words “mansion” and “donkey”, just words like Hanson, who is very talented, incidentally, were among the options I had on A Hora ! But for the opening and just four minutes to play, I couldn’t get to the rap part anyway.
“I’m sure [“You Get What You Give”] will survive me. “
What is your current level of anxiety when playing in front of the entire country?
I don’t get that kind of anxiety anymore after playing TV and radio shows in the late 90s with sometimes 50,000 people. I had to let this anxiety go a long time ago. We were most looking forward to being on stage during Covid – especially with Danielle’s constant reminders!
Is it a unique event or are you open to future band activities?
I have unreleased albums with a lot of songs – maybe as good as my best. So when I can figure out how to clone myself and send that person out into the world to live this crazy life, maybe I can still be a candidate!
But seriously, in relation to the future, I often have one or two rabbits up my sleeve. And, looking back, I am very grateful that music has been a passport to a life I never imagined at age 16, when I stopped trying at school so I could save my energy to run home, to my room and studio decadent to take- incredible demonstrations.
I would play for my colleagues without saying it was me, so I could discover their favorites and why; that evasive search for songs that make people happy, sad or, better yet, both at the same time.
I probably wrote a thousand songs, sleepwalked on a dozen Euro hits or the little cult of my album “Maybe You Been Brainwashed Too” to public or critical acclaim. But if only one thing in my life had to be my “ambassador” to the world, I would be a fool to choose anything except “You get what you give”. I’m sure you will survive me.