Summit 1 Video Script UNIT 2

Summit 1 Video Script Page 1 of 2

UNIT 2 growing up. You know, something I’d hear on the street, walking to school, get called “guero.” TV Documentary: Beck It’s just a . . . it’s just a word that always stuck in my head, and I wanted to do something with PART 1 that at some point. And I think I ended up, in the end, just kind of doing this almost George Stephanopoulos: I’m George journalistic kind of look at that whole time. Stephanopoulos and this is Nightline. Tonight, John Flansburgh: The vibrant culture clash of the one of the most fascinating figures in popular poor Los Angeles neighborhood where Beck music. Tonight, Beck. A musical maverick meets grew up seems to have inspired a love of his moment. collage, of mixing and contrasting unlikely John Flansburgh: It’s been more than a decade combinations. since Beck arrived with Loser, a surreal Beck: I grew up near MacArthur Park, which is homemade hit that rode a hip-hop beat to right next to downtown. And I guess it’s kind of become a slacker anthem. It could have turned the old . . . the L.A. of the ’30s and ’40s. And, him into a one-hit wonder. Instead, over the and, but, you know, by the time I was born, it course of seven albums and a non-stop chorus was a little more dilapidated and, and a lot of of acclaim, Beck has grown into one of the most stuff was getting torn down. It was mostly compelling figures in rock music. And with his immigrant neighborhood, especially at that talent for collage, he’s created a free-wheeling time, you know, Salvadoran, Guatemalan, mix of rock, hip-hop, traditional musics, and Mexican, there are some Korean. And just kind some sounds that usually only come out of of a . . . a mix of everything. video games. Now his latest recording, Guero, finds him stretching further still. PART 2 Beck is now thirty-four years old, married, and a new father. On his new album, Guero, he Jenny Eliscu: Plenty of critically acclaimed artists, returns to his signature sound of combining at least, have as many influences and as wide a electronic loops and beats with acoustic folk- range of influences as Beck does. But they don’t blues songwriting. But his lyrics are clearly reveal them all. They’re not able to mine all of more autobiographical, often dealing directly their influences as well as Beck. There are few with disillusionment and loss. artists who can reveal a love for the Carter We first caught up with Beck last month at a Family and, you know, sort of Brazilian music packed London club, on the eve of the new from the ’60s and hip-hop and punk rock and album’s release, and an open-ended touring the Beatles, and take all these things and put schedule, and the biggest marketing offensive of them together so that you can find those things his career—from an appearance on Saturday in the songs. But that’s the essential nature of Night Live ; to a so-called “Beck-isode” on the collage, is . . . is picking up something that hugely popular nighttime soap The O.C. , scored belonged to someone else and making it into exclusively with his new music; to Starbucks, something entirely new. where you can have your Beck to go. John Flansburgh: Because we’re on Nightline , Nic Harcourt: My guest is Beck. He’s got his band I have to ask the . . . the hard-hitting questions. I with him. He’s got a new record. need to really drill down; I need to get some facts on this. John Flansburgh: And it’s paying off. Guero entered the Billboard chart at number two, the Beck: All right. highest position of Beck’s career. Can you John Flansburgh: Where did you learn to dance? explain the meaning of “guero”? Beck: I didn’t learn. It was really on-the-job Beck: “Guero” is . . . it means white boy . It’s kind of training, so to speak. And just being on a slang word. It’s something that I would hear

stage and trying to figure out what to do John Flansburgh: Do you feel like he’s original? with myself. Jenny Eliscu: Definitely, yeah. You know, I’ll John Flansburgh: Beck also puts a remarkable answer the question with a question. Can you amount of creative energy into the visual name any other artist currently on the radio aspects of his output. You make amazing videos who sounds anything like him? Or who’s done and do almost sort of experimental packaging anything that he’s done, nearly as well as he’s with your albums. Do you see yourself as a pop done it, or nearly as authentically? artist, as well as just a musician? John Flansburgh: Beck may still be finding his Beck: The visual is definitely something that’s way through the pop marketplace, but really important, that I just think of it as an artistically, his course is true. While the music extension from the music. When I first started industry chases every new fad, Beck shows us making records, I just thought it was such an just how far a musician can get by following his opportunity to bring maybe something art own compass. I’m John Flansburgh, for minded or, you know, something in film that Nightline in New York. interested me.