Chewing the fat with Fatboy Slim

It used to be lean times for the now super-rich Fatboy Slim, who tells DESMOND SAMPSON about the effects of overnight success.


Only two-and-a-half years ago Norman Cook - better known as his alter-ego Fatboy Slim or as an ex-Housemartin - was a nobody. A few days later he was a celebrity.

That's because in the space of one week in 1998 his breakthrough album, You've Come A Long Way, Baby, went to No 1 in Britain, he won a Brit award and became engaged to BBC TV and radio personality Zoe Ball, transforming him from an unknown underground DJ to a super-rich superstar.

"That week was surreal," Cook says. "Every time I got out of the car someone would take my picture. By the end of the week I was pretty much an alcoholic because I was drinking every day just to cope.

"A couple of times I had to head back to Brighton and do something normal, like the washing-up, just to get a grip on reality. I spent about six months as a house-husband. "It may sound weird, but after two years staying in the poshest hotels - and being treated like minor royalty - it was actually quite refreshing."

Despite fleeing London for Brighton, Cook's life became busier before it got better, with his album's British success mirrored around the world - particularly in the United States, where it went platinum and was nominated for a Grammy.

Last year, Fatboy Slim became the most successful British musical export to America and the world's most successful dance act.

Since then, anthems such as Right Here, Right Now, Praise You (aka the Telecom NZ cellphone jingle) and Rockafeller Skank have been hijacked by advertisers for countless commercials and used as theme music for a host of sports shows, spearheading the way for fellow balding thirtysomething Moby to follow suit.

Despite his rags-to-riches success story - and celebrity status - Cook somehow manages to remain anonymous, known only for his alias and music.

"I'm happiest when I'm DJing, at a club, or when I'm at home just tinkering about in the studio," he says. "I'm uncomfortable with stardom because I'm not equipped to be up there."

Cook's predicament explains the title of his new album, Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars. It also suggests why it's much mellower - and less instantly infectious - than its multi-platinum predecessor, as if it's the morning-after accompaniment to the soundtrack from the party the night before.

That's apparent on the reflective Song For Shelter and first single Sunset (Bird of Prey), which resurrects Jim Morrison vocals to haunting effect.

"The person that made the last album was kind of a mad party animal, and this person is a bit more comfortable with himself and the world around him," Cook says."I'm not just looking for the next party, the next cheap thrill or the next pill. That's why the last album was all about 'aren't drugs good?' and 'aren't drugs fun?' Whereas this one is 'isn't the world a nice place?' and 'aren't sunsets fun?"'

Another reason for Cook's change of heart is some personal transformations since his last album. He moved to Brighton, is married and will soon become a dad.

"All of those things have affected me. But also - because I worked at night and got up late - I spent a lot of afternoons just chilling out on the beach or going up on the roof to watch the sunset. It meant I went into the studio with a head full of sunsets and this golden, glowing feeling, which probably explains the whole positive mood of this album."

Another change with Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars is that Cook used guest vocalists for the first time, including P-Funk legend Bootsy Collins (on Weapon Of Choice) and soul diva Macy Gray (Love Life, Demons).

"The Chemical Brothers are responsible for that," he says. "They got me to make a wish-list of the vocalists, then bullied me into ringing Macy because I was too nervous.

"Working with her - and everyone else - was really worthwhile. It brought a different slant to things and allowed me to branch out. "But now, because I'll be a dad soon, I'll probably stay at home and do loads of remixes, because I'll be stuck there for a few months. But I'll take some time off after the birth."

Norman Cook - he's come a long way, baby.

* Fatboy Slim's Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars entered the New Zealand charts this week at No 10.