SINEAD O'CONNOR TALKS ABOUT HER NEW ALBUM
AND MAKING MUSIC

On Monday, after THE EARLY SHOW, Irish pop star Sinead
O'Connor stopped by for a special performance.

MARK McEWEN reporting:

After six long years, fans of the talented and controversial
singer Sinead O'Connor are welcoming her new album
called "Faith and Courage." It's a great one. She's here
with us to perform one of the singles, "The Healing Room."
Ladies and gentlemen, Sinead O'Connor.

(Excerpt from "The Healing Room")

Ms. SINEAD O'CONNOR (Singer/Songwriter): Thank you.
Thank you.

McEWEN: Sinead O'Connor. Hello, Sinead.

Ms. O'CONNOR: Hi. Do I talk into this?

McEWEN: You talk right into that one.

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Hi.

McEWEN: Yeah? Yeah?

Ms. O'CONNOR:  And how are you? And how are you?

McEWEN: It is good to have you back.

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Thank you.

McEWEN:: It is good to have you back.

Ms. O'CONNOR: Thanks.

McEWEN: It's been six long years between albums. Let's
talk about this record. Rolling Stone says it's the
greatest. Time magazine said it's one of the albums of
the
year. We're early into the year. When you're gone for
six years and you come back...

Ms. O'CONNOR: Yes.

McEWEN: ...and you hear reviews like that...

Ms. O'CONNOR: Yeah. Yeah.

McEWEN: ...what's it like?

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Oh, it's d--really delightful. I'm
really thrilled with it, obviously. I mean, who
wouldn't be? You know, so...

McEWEN: Can I tell you something I've been wanting to
tell you for years? And this is not putting a knock on
anybody, but every time I hear The Cranberries,
every time I hear Alanis Morissette...

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Yes.

McEWEN: ...they're nicking you. That's your style. Did
you--do you hear that?

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Yeah. But--but equally, the way I feel
is that I was very influenced by other people that
came before me...

McEWEN: OK.

Ms. O'CONNOR:  ...do you know what I mean? And Chrissie
Hynde and Bob Dylan and--I was impersonating them on
my first few records, you know I mean?
So...

McEWEN:Well, you're very gracious. That's very
gracious.

Ms. O'CONNOR:  You know--well, it's true. We're all
influenced by each other, you know what I mean?

McEWEN: Yeah. Well, let's catch up. A couple of
things. You're a priest now. Tell me about that. How
did that come about?

Ms. O'CONNOR: Well, do you know what I know--I
understand why you have to ask that, but I think it's
very important to not--for me not to really talk about
it in public because I didn't do it for publicity reasons.

McEWEN:: Yeah.

Ms. O'CONNOR: And if I talk about it, it kind of feeds
the suggestion that I did do it for publicity.

McEWEN: OK.

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Also, I don't want to seem disrespectful
to people who may have difficulty with the idea, do
you know what I mean? So I think it's best to...

McEWEN:OK.

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Good.

McEWEN: One thing that was in the paper over the
weekend...

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Well, that's the other thing.

McEWEN:That's the other thing.

Ms. O'CONNOR:  I don't want things to overshadow my
records. You know, at--at the end of the day, I've had
13 years of a lot of issues to overcome, overshadowing
my records. And I deserve to really be respected just
as an artist.

McEWEN:Well, one thing that people don't know about
you, controversy does follow you around a bit.

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Well, it used to, you know. So...

McEWEN: But when--yeah when, it's just you and me
talking, you're one of the nicest, sincerest people
out there.

Ms. O'CONNOR: Well, I--see I...

McEWEN:What do people not know about you that you
wish they knew more about?

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Well, I think the thing that--that's the
way things used to be, but I'm 33 years of age now. I
was 20 when my first record came out.

McEWEN:Yeah.

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Then I was 23. In your 20s, you're
very--people are controversial. Do you know what I
mean?

McEWEN:Yeah.

Ms. O'CONNOR: You're feisty and you're whatever. And
perhaps I was challenging in some of the things I was
writing about or talking about were challenging at
that time, you know.

McEWEN:Yeah.

Ms. O'CONNOR:  And--for example, child abuse was a lot
of what I was writing about and talking about. That
could be challenging, you know. So--but I feel very
differently about all that now. And as I say, I really
want to be respected and credited for the artist that
I am and not be overshadowed by a whole lot of
rubbish, do
you know what I mean?

McEWEN: Well, I'll respect that.

Ms. O'CONNOR: : Oh...

McEWEN: We'll respect that.

Ms. O'CONNOR: ...thank you. Thank you.

McEWEN: Well, Sinead, it's good to see you back.

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Thanks.

McEWEN:As I said before, the record is good. Would
you sing another song for us?

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Well, sure. Absolutely.

McEWEN: You guys want another song or what?

Ms. O'CONNOR:  Thanks.

McEWEN: Once again, another song from "Faith and
Courage."

Ms. O'CONNOR: Thanks.

McEWEN: This is Sinead. Good to see you.

Ms. O'CONNOR: Thank you. Thank you. Thanks.

(O'Connor sings)

Ms. O'CONNOR: Thank you. Thank you.

McEWEN: Sinead O'Connor. The new album is "Faith and
Courage." We'll be back after this.

<<< BACK TO ARTICLES