Alan Franks gives you, yes, YOU, advice on how to interview cool cats like Brian Wilson.

You never know which way it is going to go, which is why you should always have the next question in you head, ready to go. And the one after that

Silence is not good. Apart from consuming valuable time, it makes the interviewee think things are going badly, which they probably are. It is a surprisingly short distance from here to wariness and evasion. If I hadn’t got a few questions up my sleeve for Brian Wilson, the damaged genius of The Beach Boys, the interview might have come to an end in about thirty seconds. I had asked him how the America of the 1960s compared with that of the present day. It seemed a fair loosener, but he obviously didn’t think so because he looked in panic towards his minder and said “Next question please.” So I quickly asked him what his favourite Beach Boys track was. It was a lucky shot, and engaged his attention. “Californian Girls,” he answered, and suddenly went garrulous for several minutes. I’d been warned that he could become very absent, and might even take this on to the level of leaving the room. In due course he did. At least I knew roughly what to expect. But most of the time it’s wise to…

Speaking of interviews, check out this Diane Sawyer interview from 1991. Pay special attention to the mystery lady that appears 34 seconds in..

Read more »