GW – Rick, I gather there is a lot of effort going into the new official web site, how involved are you with the project?
RB – I am fully supporting it. There is still a great deal of interest in The Jam from new and old fans, around the world. The Net is an ideal way to respond
GW – How did the idea come about
RB – I have been receiving email with enquiries via my own web site, and through my involvement with madmouse, the site designers, we sat down and decided to create a fan based Jam site. I know they have been overwhelmed by the response they have had from around the World
GW – Did you realise there are fan’s all over the world, of all ages, still looking for information about the band
RB - Actually, yes I did. The Internet has given fans the opportunity for contact that previously just didn’t exist, and to get a response. A lot of it so far has been from other musicians. As there is no official Fan Club any more, the Net is ideal.

GW - I was hoping to make this sort of question and answer thing, with fans posing the questions, a regular item, are you up for that?
RB - Yeah, why not. I’ll do what I can, let’s see if we can work something out, ok?
GW – How does it feel, working on Jam related projects again
RB – It’s been great, I’ve dusted off the old scrap books to donate a load of material. It has brought back a lot of good memories
GW - Your music clearly influenced a whole generation of bands, do you have any favourites among them
RB - Yeah, actually I like Blur, Robbie Williams too. And Jamiroqui, what they are doing they do so well! I am not sure we influenced them though, but I met their Drummer Derek at a party recently and he is a Jam fan.
GW - What are your favourite 5 Jam tracks
RB - I like Dream Time a lot, and Scrape Away… let me see, Start, and I like Beat Surrender a lot now, although I didn't at the time for obvious reasons. Looking back it's cool. Finally Ghost's - but ask me again next week they may change.
GW - No Funeral Pyre - You wrote that
RB - laughs.. Too hard to play.
GW - I read your book, Our Story, was there really that much drinking going on?
RB - Er.. Yeah, actually there was
GW - And have things changed, with the passing of time
RB - In respect of the drinking you mean? No not really.
GW - Marvellous, want a beer
RB - Yep, lets go................ “A pint with Rick”

GW - I have read, many times, that you were supposed to have modelled your drumming on Ringo Starr’s
RB – That’s one of those self perpetuating stories. I don’t know where it started but someone reads it, writes another piece, includes it again, and so on. It’s not true, I couldn’t sound like Ringo if I tried
GW - Nor could Ringo
RB – laughter
GW - Mind you, he couldn’t play like you if his life depended on it.
RB - Ah well, different styles that’s all, lets leave it at that.
GW - What was the start of Tonight at Noon all about, I have always wanted to know that.
RB – Well, it was a production thing. In between song’s on an album there is usually just silence, we wanted to make it seem we were recording them straight through in one take, just for fun really, so there were often silly bits between them, imitating studio sounds really.
GW - Yeah but the eggs eggs eggs bit?
RB - There was a party at my Mums and Paul & Steve ( Brooks ) came round for a few beers, I ended up cooking breakfast and I can only do eggs, so that was the menu, Monty Python style, did you have to ask me that?
GW - Did you ever practice at your Mum & Dads
RB - No, no you must be joking, I wasn’t allowed a drum kit the house, I wasn’t allowed in all that often myself either.
GW - I’m not surprised - so you never had a Drum kit at home?
RB - Oh yeah, I had one set up in the loft in my house in Lightwater, in 1980.
GW - By then you were famous, so the neighbours didn’t ever complain, right?
RB - I think she would have done, but she suffered from Agoraphobia, so she couldn’t get out to complain anyway.
GW - maybe she was tone deaf as well
RB - She was in the end
GW - Very funny, but wasn’t there a Police Station opposite.
RB - Yeah, but they were all Jam fans, they never complained about the noise, only if I played out of time.
GW - Who was that guy who used to hang around with all the musicians?
RB – Is this a joke? oh, that old chestnut again, go on then. The drummer ( falls around laughing ) Yeah very funny…. Knock Knock
( who’s there )
RB - Rick
( Rick who )
RB - That’s show business for you. It’s your round!