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AOLiveMC10: Thanks to each of you for joining us this evening!
AOLiveMC10: Now is the moment we've been waiting for. Everybody put your
AOLiveMC10: hands together and give a warm welcome to Rob Thomas of
AOLiveMC10: Matchbox Twenty!
AOLiveMC10: Thank you for joining us this evening Mr. Thomas!
RobThomasLIVE: Thank you guys for doing this.
RobThomasLIVE: Ask away!
AOLiveMC10: There are plenty of questions, so here we go.
Question: Hey Rob-you did a really good job preforming last night i was just
Question: wondering in the future are you going to be doing any other projects
Question: with Santana or any other group?
RobThomasLIVE: I'll always keep writing with other people.
RobThomasLIVE: Because I want to be a writer.
RobThomasLIVE: And Santana wants to do some other stuff like writing.
RobThomasLIVE: Hopefully, in the future we will.
Question: When is Matchbox 20 going to go back on tour?
RobThomasLIVE: The new record comes out May 23rd.
Question: How does it feel to be the "Golden Boy" of the Grammys?
RobThomasLIVE: Actually, it felt good to be there with him.
Question: What will be the first single off of your new CD?
RobThomasLIVE: We're still kind of up in the air about it.
RobThomasLIVE: I think it's going to be a song called "Black RobThomasLIVE: and White People."
OnlineHost: We are chatting live with Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty!
Question: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO GET STARTED IN THIS BUSINESS??
RobThomasLIVE: I've been playing in different
RobThomasLIVE: bands since I was 14.
RobThomasLIVE: When I was 21, I started
RobThomasLIVE: being in traveling bands
RobThomasLIVE: and traveling through the Southeast.
RobThomasLIVE: In a lot of ways, I'm still
RobThomasLIVE: working and making it.
RobThomasLIVE: I won't know for another 20 years whetherr
RobThomasLIVE: I've actually made in the business or not.
Question: How/When did Santana approach you about recording for this CD?
RobThomasLIVE: It was in February.
RobThomasLIVE: My publisher had asked me
RobThomasLIVE: if I wanted to work with another
RobThomasLIVE: writer for a Santana song.
RobThomasLIVE: And as soon as I agreed,
RobThomasLIVE: it went full steam ahead.
Question: What's the meaning behind the title of your new album? is there a
Question: reason why you included "by mb20" in it in the title?
RobThomasLIVE: Yeah.
RobThomasLIVE: We've done the whole
RobThomasLIVE: packaging for the CD
RobThomasLIVE: in the form of a children's book.
RobThomasLIVE: It's almost like that's the title of the
RobThomasLIVE: book.
RobThomasLIVE: The content of the book are the songs.
Question: WHAT'S YOUR FAVE SONG ON THE NEW ALBUM?
RobThomasLIVE: There's a song on there called
RobThomasLIVE: "You Won't Be Mine."
RobThomasLIVE: As a songwriter, it's
RobThomasLIVE: my favorite song.
RobThomasLIVE: I think it's one of my favorite
RobThomasLIVE: songs I've ever written.
RobThomasLIVE: It would be that or a song
RobThomasLIVE: called "Rest Stop."
RobThomasLIVE: The song "Rest Stop" as well as "Black
RobThomasLIVE: and White People,"
RobThomasLIVE: I wrote 8 years ago.
RobThomasLIVE: and because I'm singing the songs,
RobThomasLIVE: there is going to be a similarity,
RobThomasLIVE: But because we are so
RobThomasLIVE: much older now than when we made
RobThomasLIVE: the last record,
RobThomasLIVE: it's a much more mature record.
Question: Will you ever consider acting?
RobThomasLIVE: It's funny I've been offered
RobThomasLIVE: to read for roles in some
RobThomasLIVE: really big films,
RobThomasLIVE: but right now I'm a songwriter
RobThomasLIVE: and that's where my focus is.
RobThomasLIVE: In the future maybe, but right
RobThomasLIVE: now I don't have time.
Question: what inspires you to write
RobThomasLIVE: Anything in life.
RobThomasLIVE: I try and use my life as my muse.
RobThomasLIVE: And now we have to pick up from anything.
Question: why did you take so long to release "black and white people" if you
Question: wrote it 8 years ago?
RobThomasLIVE: We were going to put
RobThomasLIVE: it on the last record.
RobThomasLIVE: But it didn't come out
RobThomasLIVE: the way we wanted it.
RobThomasLIVE: And so for some reason,
RobThomasLIVE: it came out perfect on this one
RobThomasLIVE: and so we used it.
Question: Will you ever do a duet with a female artist, and who would you
Question: choose?
RobThomasLIVE: That was a very good question.
RobThomasLIVE: I might.
RobThomasLIVE: If so, I would do something with Sarah
RobThomasLIVE: McGlaughlin in a heartbeat.
RobThomasLIVE: I would love to do something
RobThomasLIVE: with anyone with any female songwriters.
RobThomasLIVE: I can't think of any females who are just singles.
RobThomasLIVE: singers.
RobThomasLIVE: Women such as Mariah Carey or Celine
RobThomasLIVE: Dion who don't write their own songs.
Question: what was the first song you ever wrote ?
RobThomasLIVE: When I was 14 years old,
RobThomasLIVE: I wrote a really cheesy song.
RobThomasLIVE: It was a love song
RobThomasLIVE: called "How Long Can a Dream Last."
Question: Hey Rob I was just wondering how long it took you to write the song
Question: "Smooth?"
RobThomasLIVE: Itaal Shur wrote the track.
RobThomasLIVE: And when I heard it,
RobThomasLIVE: the lyrics and the melody
RobThomasLIVE: came instantly.
RobThomasLIVE: So I wrote the lyrics and the melody
RobThomasLIVE: in about an hour.
Question: On the Grammy's, your performance with Santana was almost emotional.
Question: Did you feel a sense of departure after the performance of Smooth,
Question: thinking it was you last time doing that song with Santana?
RobThomasLIVE: Actually, tomorrow I'm filming
RobThomasLIVE: a live version of "Smooth" with Santana
RobThomasLIVE: for IMAX Theaters.
RobThomasLIVE: And that will come out later
RobThomasLIVE: in the year, only in IMAX Theaters.
RobThomasLIVE: When we're in Europe,
RobThomasLIVE: Santa will be in Europe.
RobThomasLIVE: We're going to play there together.
RobThomasLIVE: Not a tour, just a few shows.
RobThomasLIVE: It was emotional.
RobThomasLIVE: Because Santana, the band and I
RobThomasLIVE: were very very proud of
RobThomasLIVE: what we accomplished with
RobThomasLIVE: the song.
question. And it is.........
Question: what advice can you give to a small band that is just starting to play
Question: gigs?
RobThomasLIVE: I think I would say the best
RobThomasLIVE: advice is
RobThomasLIVE: when you're starting,
RobThomasLIVE: make sure that the
RobThomasLIVE: light at the end of your tunnel
RobThomasLIVE: is just becoming a better musician
RobThomasLIVE: or a better songwriter.
RobThomasLIVE: And not becoming famous or
RobThomasLIVE: selling records.
RobThomasLIVE: It should be about you and you
RobThomasLIVE: and trying to be the best musician
RobThomasLIVE: you can.
RobThomasLIVE: And everything else will fall into place.
AOLiveMC10: Well folks, it appears as though we've run out of time this evening!
AOLiveMC10: I'd like to take this moment to thank you for joining us Rob!
RobThomasLIVE: Everyone that's there and everyone
RobThomasLIVE: I didn't get to talk to.
RobThomasLIVE: It's because of you that I won last night
RobThomasLIVE: and I'm able to do this as a living.
RobThomasLIVE: From the bottom of my heart,
RobThomasLIVE: I thank you for giving me
RobThomasLIVE: this chance to play for you.
AOLiveMC10: Thanks again and good night everybody!
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