Backstreet Bahama Boys

Saturday, May 20, 2000
Millennium was released 368 days ago

Backstreet Bahama Boys
Source: CBS Early Show - Transcript

Life's A Beach For Working Boys
NEW YORK and THE BAHAMAS
Tuesday, May 16, 2000 - 10:16 AM ET
(CBS) You may think that all of the Backstreet Boys record together all
the time. That's not true. The day The Early Show's Mark McEwen met up
with the boys in a studio in the Bahamas, Brian Littrell was back in the
United States, and A.J. McLean was a no-show. He was recovering from being
a bit under the weather. So it was just McEwen, Kevin Richardson, Howie
Dorough, and Nick Carter.
Kevin said he enjoys recording in the Bahamas because it's "just a great
vibe. I mean, when you're feeling like you got writer's block or
something, you can walk out the front door, and walk right out on the
beach, and with a tape recorder and a pen and pad and just let it come
out."
Added Howie, "The cell phones don't work out here."
It's probably hard to think about work in the Bahamas, with so many
welcome distractions. Howie took time out to hang out with Gloria Estefan,
attending her post-concert party at Nassau's ultra-luxurious Atlantis
resort.
Nick was just named one of People magazine's "most beautiful people of
2000." But in the Bahamas, he's just another one of the boys, making music
with his Backstreet buds.
Kevin, Howie, and Nick agree that being in the group is very much like
being part of a family. They fight, and they communicate, and there have
been times when they couldn't stand each other.
"Just like family," Kevin explained. "Just like your brothers. Just like
your best friend. We'll always get along."
'N Sync, that other boy band, stole some Backstreet thunder earlier this
year when their CD, No Strings Attached, sold more than two million copies
its first week on the charts. The sales record they broke was one that had
been set by - who else? - the Backstreet Boys.
McEwen compared the rivalry between the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync to
that of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. But Kevin said it is a rivalry
that has been mostly manufactured by the media.
"I mean, those guys are talented," he added. "They're working hard, and
they're trying to make records and make music, just like everybody else.
And I think there's…plenty of room for everybody."
When McEwen reminded them of the hoopla when 'N Sync broke the Backstreet
Boys' one-day sales record, Kevin quipped, "Broke it? Shattered it!"
Nick chimed in, "You know what? Things are made to be broken.
Howie: "We'll give them a run for the money on the next album."
Kevin: "As long as people like the record and they buy it, that's all that
matters."
The Backstreet Boys' new album is due this fall. You or someone you know
owns a copy of their last CD, Millennium, which it sold 11 million copies
in the U.S. alone.
How are they dealing with the critical backlash to their success?
"All we're trying to do is just stick with what we've been doing, and make
music that we love, that we think everybody else will love," said Kevin.
"And that's all we're gonna try to do."
The guys told McEwen they're still pinching themselves about their
success. They said they're still surprised and flattered when folks like
Sting or Elton John come up to them and tell them how much they like their
music.
Both Kevin and Brian are making wedding plans. It will be interesting to
see how marriage and family will affect the guys and how they interact.
For the record, Howie says he'll probably be the longest hold-out to tie
the knot.
McEwen says that he taped the Backstreet Boys interview on a Sunday, and
the process was delayed a little bit because Howie was at church. He goes
every week. They say it's important that they keep a normal life amid all
the hype.
As for their new material, the guys are all taking a little more creative
control this time around, a lot of different sounds, reflecting their
individual interests. They expect about 12 tracks, and Howie joked they
might call the album Twelve Flavors of Candy.