The Left Banke - LeftBanke.nu

»TS Talks To The Left Banke

From Teen Screen January 1967

The Left Banke (all five of them) were coming up to meet us, but the TS offices were in such a scrambled mess due to a deadline, we went to meet them in the coffee shop downstairs.

Sitting there waiting for us were: Steve Martin, lead singer. Mike Brown, who wrote the song "Walk Away Renee." Jeff Winfield, who had the bluest eyes. George Cameron, who was originally from England, and Tommy Finn, who has a passion for milk.

They are all from New York and are five of the nicest, funniest guys you could hope to find. After ordering coffee all round, we decided to start firing questions right and left.

TS: "What are your own private pet names for each other?"

MIKE & JEFF: "He's Shag Martin." (Pointing to Steve.)

MIKE: "Tommy is Silver Dollars."

JEFF: "Mike is Barracuda Brown."

MIKE: "I am not!"

GEORGE: "Yes, he's Barracuda Brown."

STEVE: "Jeff is Goo Goo."

JEFF: "No I'm NOT!"

STEVE: "Yes You ARE!"

JEFF: "Yeah, I'm getting to like it. You can print that - Goo Goo."

MIKE & JEFF: "George is Houst ... H-O-U-S-T."

JEFF: "Or Jus."

TS: "What do you notice first about a girl?"

MIKE: "Nothing."

TS: "Nothing?"

MIKE: "Wait - that'll make me look funny. Her hair..

JEFF: "Smile."

GEORGE. "Her body . . . uh, figure."

TOMMY: "Her eyes."

STEVE: "If I dig her, I dig her. Her legs mostly - from the knee down."

TS: "What question do you hate the most?"

TOMMY: "You mean in this interview?"

TS: "NO! In all the interviews you've had."

TOMMY: "I don't like to be asked to sing a song. I hate to get up and sing. You know how people will ask you to sing something - well, I don't like to sing unless I'm on stage."

MIKE: "Its not whether you dislike the question, it's the answer you give, but the question shouldn't bother you unless it insults you."

JEFF: "Courtesy of Dr. Brown."

TS: "Who is the moodiest in your group?"

GEORGE: "Steve is the laziest."

JEFF: "Mike is the most conceited."

MIKE: "Please don't print that - it's true, but don't print it . . . No, I'm not really conceited."

TS: "How do you feel about traveling?"

GEORGE: "Not bad."

JEFF: "Depends on where you go, what you do."

STEVE: "Travel? I luv it ... if I don't have to carry a suitcase. I like to travel in luxury . . . just sleep all day and night."

TS: "What was your most exciting experience?"

TOMMY: "On an airplane from New York to Tampa, Florida."

MIKE: "We almost got killed. The oxygen didn't work and the plane went down."

GEORGE: "We made a crash landing. . . we love flying without a plane."

TS: "What do you think of death?"

JEFF: "That's everybody's purpose - to die. I believe in reincarnation. I'm gonna live forever."

TS: "How did you all meet?"

STEVE: "We all met in New York."

JEFF: "In jail."

GEORGE: "One time in jail."

JEFF: "They're writing that down."

GEORGE: "Don't put that! We've never been in jail!"

TS: "Do you have any pet peeves?"

JEFF: "Our road manager!"

R.M.: "Jeff's out of the group!"

JEFF: "Our road manager." (All the others agreed.)

GEORGE: "Reporters - girls that wear nylons - girdles . . . and eyelashes - false eyelashes.

JEFF: "I don't dig rowdy people ... people who start fights."

MIKE: "Life, reciting poetry and my handwriting-I hate my handwriting!"

STEVE: "Lots of things ... everything!"

JEFF: "He's a grouch!"

TS: "What do you do when you are nervous or frustrated?"

STEVE: "I take a walk . . . do what everybody else does. I'm nothing exciting - just a very normal person."

TS: "What is the one quality you would like to have your friends associate with you?"

JEFF: "Coolism. I've just invented a new word."

TOMMY: "I don't believe I have any friends outside the group."

STEVE: "I like them to remember me as sincere. I believe friends should be sincere. I hate people who are stingy. People should give of themselves. You should be able to give something to a friendship. You should be able to be yourself - yes, that's it . . . be yourself! That says it!"

TS: "What is the most terrifying thing you can imagine?"

GEORGE: "Dying."

MIKE: "Ignorance."

TS: "Did you ever wish you were someone else?"

TOMMY: "No, I'm me and I've always been me. I couldn't imagine being anybody else. I wouldn't like to be anybody else."

TS: "How do you feel about fashion, does it express beauty to you?"

GEORGE: "Yes."

JEFF: "Beauty speaks for itself."

We were sorry that we had to leave them so soon, for in the short time we were with them we'd come to know that they - like beauty - speak for themselves best.