Andy: Ya know, being a DJ I get to say things like, "Ladies and gentlemen, Tori Amos."
Tori: Hi Andy.
Andy: How are you?
Tori: Really well.
Andy: I get to say other cool things like, "Hey Tori play us a song..."
Tori: And she just does it...
Andy: My dream world.
Tori plays Concertina.
Andy: That's pretty fantastic...Tori Amos in Studio C...Channel 103.1. That's Concertina, grab a drink of water here.
Tori:
Andy: Now Concertina, that's a little squeezebox, but, uh, what's the story of that song.
Tori: ummm...I've always loved squeezeboxes, whether they be, you know, vintage instruments, and I know how to play one myself...
Andy: Right.
Tori: But um, I also like beautiful women, so it works out.
Andy: Well, I heard you refer to your songs as "she," they kinda take on a life of their own, and I've read interviews where you refer to a different song as, uh, uh, as a person or a character. Is that accurate?
Tori: Yeah that's accurate...they're not all heterosexual though.
Andy: right.
Tori: So that's important.
Andy: How about the dynamic at your shows...um, it's hard to compare you to any other artist because when I see you perform, and I see that women, and men as well, it's not just your music they're a fan, but they're a fan of you and you mean so much...they put the "fanatic" in the "fan." (my note: um, I think he meant it the other way around). Is that a heavy burden for you to bear?
Tori: Well, the thing is Andy, I mean, when some people listen to this, they have this concept of people sitting there going "eee..eee..eee" with knives in the front row. And it isn't like that becuase I'd like to think that a lot of people just come out. Ya know, when when we were playing Red Rocks and 10, 000 people showed up, some people just came to have a good night out. and i think the live shows, we've always as a crew and as muscians it's about excellence. and if the crowd isn't ya know, doesn't wanna show up, we're still gonna give a good show. but it doesn't mean that any of us had, ya know, any of us got off. I mean we can play on stage and even if i'm alone i can play to the crew for christ's sake.
Andy: Right
Tori: But that doesn't make a show work. A show works because you're having a relationship with an audience. And you don't have that every night. And partly it could be me, partly it could be them. I've always said to somebody, if you didn't like the show, it's partly you. and partly me. And if you liked the show it's partly you.
Andy: What about the fans, and the ones particularly who come up to you, and i've heard story after story of women that will come up to you and said, "you've helped me through the worst part of my life."
Tori: well there are a lot of women that have sent letters. It always blows my mind another story. people that you just see in a coffeshop, that you go, 'oh you know, this girl looks like she's doing ok. got her calculus book out, kinda cute. her life can't be too bad.' and you have no idea that she's had to push her step-father away half her life...dragging her in a closet and doing all sorts of stuff to her. and the mother doesn't wanna know about it. and you just hear these things and that's one side of it, do ya know?
Andy: mmhmm
Tori: then they're people that just say, 'hey, i just wanna come hear music and forget about my horrible job for 10 minutes.'
Andy: right, will you play us another song
Tori: ok (in a really cute voice), this is on the live album, it never made any of the albums, this one, and um, she kinda made her way on in the last minute on the live album.
Tori plays Purple People.
Andy: That's great, what was the name of that? That's Purple People?
Tori: Purple People yeah.
Andy: and that's one that just narrowly made it on the live album.
Tori: yeah
Andy: This is kinda surreal for me, because i'm staring at Tori Amos playing songs pretty much just for me in this room. And behind you is a whole bunch of stuffed animals.
Tori: Hundreds, ya know we have , Barbie, the Courderoy Cool, I've always like courderoy so that's good.
Andy: And Tinky Winky back there, the Teletubby... the reason these are out here there are 2 things we're doing at Channel 103.1...we're doing a toy drive for Toys for Tots, so you have until 5:00pm today to bring a toy down, unwrapped and unopended to make Christmas brighter, the holidays brighter for somebody. The other thing that we're doing that I'd like to ask you about, is we're doing listener favorites next week. We're counting down the 103 albums of all time. Are there any that mean a lot to you?
Tori: Of course, but do you know what, that is so private. Do you know what I mean?
Andy: That's fair.
Tori: That is such a um..ya know becuase your records, you make love to your records. you do all sorts of stuff...cry on your friend's arms. and it's almost like, more intimate than giving your gynecological records on the net these days, ya know. certain things like that are just pretty close to your heart.
Andy: Well, I just want you to know by not telling me you're not elligible to win all 103 [albums] like our listeners.
Tori: That's OK.
Andy: I wanted to ask you one more question about women in crisis. You put together the RAINN network a few years back. I just got a call the other day from a women who said, 'i'm outdoors, i've got a job, i don't want a x-mas turkey, but i've got 4 kids who i'm taking from house to house and i'm sleeping in my car becuase my marriage is ending and my credit is ruined' and so forth. and i didn't have the time at that time to delve into her personal life and find out more so i knew where to send her for help. so i did what i could with that bit of info. what can people do? is that still set up the RAINN network?
Tori: Of course, it's there, and they're counselors that re there to talk to people all the time. RAINN sands for Rape Abuse...and sometimes i've had women come up to me and say " i don't fell like i'm eligible to call, but i'm ready to just jump off a bridge cause I don't know how to deal with the thing that happened to me. And i do find a lot of women start to rank their experience. well, ya know, 'i wasn't raped for seven years,' that's not what this is about. you know rapists call in. they say 'i'm afraid i'm gonna strike again,' absolutely. they deal with all sorts of people that are calling. and if you're gonna have a phone line, you have to be available to deal with that person on the other line.
Andy: pain is a subjective thing, not an objective thing. um, what's the #
Tori: 1800 656 HOPE
Andy: Will you do one more song?
Tori: yeah, yeah.
Andy: The album TVAB, that you've been hearing Concertina and other tracks from on Channel 103.1 is in stores now...makes a lovely Christmas gift, um, are you gonna play something off that?
Tori:Yeah.
Andy: What's this?
Tori: Um, yeah.this is... I didn't understand when I got married that I had this concept of what lust was and i had this concept of what marriage was...like fuzzy slippers and a bathrobe and cooking addicts. and then i started to understand what lust was. this is lust.
Tori plays Lust.
Andy: Lust from Tori Amos, on Channel 103.1...this is a good way to end a really busy week in studio C.
Tori: (in a little voice) Hurray!!!
Andy: One last thing, millenium, 2 weeks from now, do you have any plans, does it mean anything to you?
Tori: To have no plans, just nice to, have no plans...cuddle up.
Andy: that's my way of thinking...i'm gonna be looking out my window watching hollywood burn, I think
Tori: mmhmm...(sarcastic mmhmm)
Andy: thanks so much for coming in..the album is TVAB
Tori: Thanks Andy.
Andy: It's fabulous, that was a really nice set... in studio C on Channel 103.1
Tori: Thank you.
[transcribed by Julie]
t o r i p h o r i a tori amos digital archive yessaid.com
