VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Christopher Thorn & Roger Stevens On ‘All I Can Say,’ Part 2 – “No Rain” Video

Blind Melon’s Christopher Thorn and Roger Stevens recall their late bandmate Shannon Hoon, whose story is portrayed in a new documentary called All I Can Say, which features original footage shot by Hoon himself.

The pair sat down exclusively with uInterview to discuss the process of filming specific parts of the documentary.

“We shot the ‘No Rain’ video in the Simi Valley north of L.A.,” Thorn revealed. “We were on tour and I think we were coming down the West Coast and we drove all night and woke up on our bus out in that field and walked off the bus and all those people were out there in the costumes and everything,” he added, calling the experience “surreal.”

“I remember at one point, Shannon was just completely naked, walking around out there and there were wild horses that were out in those fields and it was a magical day,” Thorn continued, before smiling while recalling the band was in “an altered state.”

Stevens went on to say the shooting of that video was a major turning point in Blind Melon’s career during which they began selling out many shows.

 50 CELEBRITIES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

“MTV was so powerful at that time, once we got into this thing called Buzz Bin, it just basically meant we were basically gonna play the heck out of this video all day long,” said Stevens. “I remember playing at a place called Mississippi Nights, which is actually in St. Louis.”

The pair of musicians also revealed Hoon recorded everything, while Stevens kept a  journal of their experiences together as a band in order to “keep track” of everything going on in their lives. However, Stevens confessed, that he “hated” doing this.

“I was a lot more secretive about it,” Stevens said, smiling.

“I still haven’t seen those books,” Thorn retorted about his bandmate’s diaries.

“Oh you will, you will,” Stevens replied, laughing.

Stevens also admitted he was not comfortable, for a long time, with being on camera for the documentary, although he eventually grew accustomed to it and became thankful for the experience.

Full interview transcript below:

Q: How did the ‘No Rain’ video come about?

A: [Roger Stevens]: “We shot that video in the Simi Valley, North of LA and we were on tour and I think we were coming down the west coast and we- I think we drove all night and woke up on our bus out in that field and walked off of the bus and all those people were out there, in the costumes and everything. And it was just like wow- we just walked into this surreal, I mean it was like that. What the video is, is sincere in that way because we, they had already shot the stuff with the girl running all over Los Angeles or wherever. They did that the day before and then we did the scene in the field and it was, it was, it was, it was extraordinary and uh then I remember at one point Shannon was just completely naked, walking around out there and there were wild horses uh that were out in those fields and uh it was a magical day. We were uh we were in an altered state, and uhh yeah. It, it looked- when I saw the film I was like yep, that’s how I saw it out of my eyes you know the surrealism.”

Christopher Thorn: “Well, I mean, it changed everything over, overnight for us you know, I heard
you telling the story and I had the same story you know. MTV was so powerful at that time once we got into this thing called Buzzbin I think it was called, it just basically meant we were gonna play the heck out of this video all day long, yeah and you know we- I remember playing at a place called Mississippi Nights which is actually in St. Louis and uh you know it’s on the river, right, right the next day once they started playing that video it was like we were- playing, you know clubs but the success happened, what felt like overnight so were playing these small places but more and more people are showing up, everything is sold out. It was almost you know, at times It was kind of a little mayhem, ‘cuz we were playing- (Stevens: “yeah, It got dangerous”) it got dangerous because we were playing too small of places because the video just exploded and it just, overnight it felt like everything was different.”

Q: Why was Shannon recording everything?

A: [Thorn]: “Yeah, I mean, I think he did it for the same reason why I was keeping a journal, I
think he actually says it in the movie at some points, so much was happening to us to our lives, things were happening at such a pace, I wanted to keep track of it ‘cuz I couldn’t keep track of it at the moment so. No I hated it, I kept a journal that didn’t bother anybody, I didn’t – have somebody’s, you know what I mean, I was writing about them but they didn’t know. I was a lot more secretive about it (chuckles) so, no the came – oh you will, oh you will. Hahaha but anyways, no the camera, the camera drove me crazy I’m a very private person so to have that thing in my face, was uh maddening at ti- most of the time. But now I, I couldn’t be more grateful. “