Ask The Band

Welcome to the “Ask The Band” page where Johnny Colla, Bill Gibson and Chris Hayes will answer your fan questions here on the site. Please submit your question to asktheband@hueylewisandthenews.com.

AUTOGRAPH REQUESTS: Due to the increased number of autograph inquiries and items being sold on the internet, we are unable to accommodate such requests at this time.

Question:
Are there any thoughts of touring as a small band again to bring your music back out again? Maybe Johnny could take over lead vocals? Surely there’s an itch to be scratched there?

Answer:
No, no thoughts of touring without Huey. Besides, 40 years is long enough to be on the road, no ?
– Bill Gibson

Question:
How do you all decide on who to sing back up on certain songs? Everyone knows Johnny’s (and Sean voice but I can’t begin to imagine how Chris and Bill sound on a song even after all these years!
Chris Reynolds

Answer:
I think I can safely say the onus of HLN backing vocals fell squarely on my shoulders from beginning to end. It wasn’t like I was ‘elected’ by the boys, but more like coming up with the right ideas, voicing, and personnel faster that anyone else (guys, back me on this one!)

As far as voicing, you’re close-ish . . . good try! As things shook out over time it was a given that I would take all the high notes and any necessary 2-parts (think ‘Hope You Love Me’ or ‘Workin’ For A Living’) Chris would always take the harmony below me, and that left the low note to fill. That fell on either Bill or Sean to sing, and I took into consideration whose voice would best serve the song. The exception, of course, is when we needed 4-part harmonies (think ’Bad Is Bad’) and Sean always took the bass part because he could reach the low notes!

Another notable exception was when it was suggested (by Huey, I believe) that I sing all four parts on the chorus for ‘Do You Believe In Love?’ (doubled, that 8 parts!) It was a magic moment in the studio, and I can’t help but think that chorus helped make ‘Believe’ our first Top 10 hit single. When I hear it today I still get goosebumps!
– Johnny Colla

Question:
Is there a different version of Some Of My Lies Are True out there? Do you have any more demos/works in progress that can be let loose? Maybe there are some old cassettes with demos/parts from the songwriting sessions somewhere?

Answer:
There are a lot of outtakes and stuff like that , and Johnny is keen to work on that stuff and have it released.
– Bill Gibson

Question:
Who choreographed the back and forth steps in the chorus of Perfect World? Or did you just work it out for yourselves?
Di, UK

Answer:
Huey pinched that concept from Philip Lynott and Thin Lizzy. Phillip was all about the show and movement of the guys up front. Huey and I also went to see AC/DC early on in San Francisco and noticed how the rhythm guitarist and bassist would step up literally in unison to sing their backup vocal parts and then retreat back about 10 steps, stay there, then do it again when the next backup vocal part happened. It looked so cool !!
– Bill Gibson

Question:
Why wasn’t Bill in the “Bad Is Bad” video?
Joe

Answer:
To the best of my recollection, Bill fell violently ill the day before the shoot. The talent call was for about 3 or 4AM in The City (San Francisco), so in that respect I’m surprised any of us made it!
– Johnny Colla

Answer:
As a general rule of thumb, I (or Sean, when he wasn’t singing the Bass parts),would be the bottom note of the 3-part harmonies. Chris would be in the middle and Johnny would be on top.
– Bill Gibson

Question:
With all your wonderful music you have released, how many songs do you have that are unreleased? (in the vault )? And are we going to get a massive box set of everything? Demos, soundtrack recordings, acoustic, etc. Thanks for your time and love from Australia,
Amanda and Mark Lacey

Answer:
We have some unreleased songs, and I suppose it’s conceivable that they could see the light of day at some poInt. I know Johnny is keen to do that.
– Bill Gibson

Question:
A simple question for you on probably my favorite song from Huey Lewis and the News. What saxophone is used for the great song ‘Trouble in Paradise’? It is the one from the Greatest Hits Album which is a live version. It is done perfectly.
David Fahrenkrug

Answer:
Dave, thanks for the compliment but I can only take half the credit! I take the first half of the ’Trouble In Paradise’ solo, then I hand the second half over to Mark Russo, who at the time was part of the Tower of Power horn section. Mark takes the outro because I needed to sing the backing vocal part, and because I’m a nice guy!
All the best, Johnny Colla

Question:
My question….what was one of your favorite places to play and why?
Thanks, Mike Ruzicka

Answer:
Thanks for the question Mike! My personal favorite would have to be 2 sold out nights at Madison Square Garden. It is such an iconic venue and we were at our peak at that time. New York is an amazing place! My runner up would be Ceasar’s in Las Vegas. We had plenty of fun times there and having the elevator to the stage from our rooms was very cool!
– Chris Hayes
There are many fantastic places to play. Too numerous to mention really. One of my favorites is London. I love the city. Tokyo is another, simply because the audience is so attentive and appreciative. Detroit , Cleveland and Boston were always strongholds for us as well.
– Bill Gibson

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