1995 Interview

JOHNSON

That helps. We have a clip of you performing on The Beat Club.

McKENZIE

Yeah. [Laughs] One of my many live performances. [Laughs]

JOHNSON

Have you seen that recently?

McKENZIE

I’ve never seen it.

JOHNSON

We’ll have to show it to you.

McKENZIE

I swear.

PHILLIPS

Which?

JOHNSON

His Beat Club performance.

McKENZIE

They did some kind of - I remembered doing it, believe it or not. I was sitting down, right?

JOHNSON

Right. On the steps.

McKENZIE

I couldn’t stand up. It was in Germany. I remember that. I couldn’t - I was so loaded. They took me and they sat me down on the stage and I lip synched it. It was very embarrassing. I wasn’t in very good shape.

PHILLIPS

We were at the George V Hotel in France, in Paris, and there were five thousand kids outside going, "Scott McKenzie! Scott McKenzie!" And pelting the hotel with flowers and things like that. So I said, "Scott, I have this great idea. Put on a white robe and we’ll walk to Rome. By the time we get there we’ll have thousands and thousands of people following us." And I couldn’t find him, and finally I opened a closet door and there was Scott, huddled - "I’ll never forgive you for this. I’ll never forgive you for this." He was really thrilled about being a star.

JOHNSON

It didn’t work for you, huh?

McKENZIE

No. [Laughs]

PHILLIPS

[Laughs]

McKENZIE

No, it didn’t.

PHILLIPS

Now we tour Germany and they run the bus off the road to get his autograph. And they say, "I would never know you’re the real Scott McKenzie."

McKENZIE

That’s true.