A new glimpse into the early world of Harry and Louis, Valentines Day, Paris 2012 šš
A new video from the iconic 2012 Valentines Day interview in Paris with Harry and Louis has emerged. Unsurprisingly (given the unmistakeable chemistry and closeness of these two mutually respectful band members) this was from the only Harry and Louis interview ever aired. They banter, glance, stare, improvise, smile, giggle, joke, intuit, and constantly defer to each other all through this, reminding us why (despite the ups and downs that still go on) we are all still here, all these years later, believing this is truly a love story for the ages.
Video bought and shared by @stylinsongifsĀ š¹
(This first part of the film seems to be almost a set-up moment before the interview proper starts, and they seem to be going over some plot points and gettingĀ āready to rumbleā)
Harry: (staring intently between a branded bottle of water an his full glass, while Louis throws his head back laughing) This is a very good oneā¦
Q:Ā So you are Lewis and āArrie, or āArrie and Lewis?
Harry:Ā (adopting the French accent) āArrie and Louisā¦
Louis:Ā (trying out the accent to himself) Louieā¦.
Harry: (At this point it becomes a private little exchange, and a bit indistinct. Harry says somethingĀ to Louis [Problem is, can I drink that?] Louis saysĀ āand weāre availableā and then Harry saysĀ āsingleā and Louis repliesĀ āTonightā Harry saysĀ āReady toā¦(Louis completes it)ā¦..rumbleā
Q:Ā (Trying to refocus them. Start the interview proper?) Ok?
Harry:Ā Ā (Interviewer says something in French)Ā Both (to someone he looks at off camera)
Q:Ā So, you met each other, thanks to the X Factor?
Harry:Ā Yeah (which thought seems to prompt Louis to start dragging Harryās chair closer to him)Ā
Q:Ā Ā So tell me the story after X Factor.
Harry:Ā (Louis having succeeded in getting them that much closer together, which Harry looks very pleased about) Umā¦(mirror each other fixing their fringes)ā¦we metā¦(intensely stare at each other and Louis bites his lip and does a little eyebrow raise)ā¦at boot camp, on the Xtraā¦on the X Factorā¦
Louis:Ā (interrupts, by putting his hand gently on Harryās arm) Sorry! Are we talking to you or the cameraā¦..(having so far talked, actually, mostly to Harry, a pattern that will continue)..to you or to the camera? Ok, sorry.
Harry: (carrying on)ā¦we met at boot camp on the X Factor. Louis was always really quiet at boot camp (Louis have been staring at Harry, nods to the camera)...how things change. Heās come out of his shell completelyā¦.
Louis: (nodding, fixing his sleeves, raises his eyebrows, tutts and does a little head shake as he says to Harry) Youā¦.
Harry:Ā Heās lost his shell. Umā¦.
Louis: (whispering, looking to the heavens) Thatās not fairā¦.
Harry: (distracted by that, looses the thread as they look at each other, and Harry)ā¦.andā¦..yeah, I dunnoā¦.weāre having a great time, really.
Q:Ā You are five, and you are friends or like brothers, orā¦.?
Harry:Ā Yeah, absolutely, yeah. Um, we are friends, but Iād say when we need each other, weāre more like brothers, ācause weāre so close, yāknow, we literally see each other every dayĀ (while still looking ahead, Louis offers up his fist for a fist bump, Harry obliges, Louis eyebrow raises again)
ā¦and, umā¦yāknow, we spend every minute of each day together, so, yeah, Iād say it was brotherly (both nod sagely)
Louis and Harry: Yep, yep (which thought prompts them to put their arms around each and smile goofily)
Q:Ā You always wanted to be a singer?
Harry:Ā (while they are again looking at each other) Louis?Ā
Louis:Ā I either always wanted to sing or actā¦um, I did my school musical Grease, and I played Danny in Greaseā¦.
Harry: (pointing at Louis, with authority, nodding) He smashed itā¦.
Louis:Ā (acknowledges Harryās compliment with a self-deprecating gesture)ā¦..and ever since then, I just wanted to do something withā¦thatā¦kind of approach, if you will. Harold? (Harry looks off camera, and finally removes his arm from Louis, because yes, this whole exchange they had continued to have their arms around each others shoulders)Ā
Louis:Ā (to Harry) What about you?
Harry:Ā Umā¦.Iā¦.(Now Louis looks off camera as well and removes his arm from Harryās shoulder š„)
ā¦I think I always wanted to, like, entertain peopleā¦.(deprived of having his arm around Harry, Louis starts fiddling with Harryās pocket square)ā¦when I was younger, I was quite an attention seeker, and then I gotā¦.ahā¦.I sang in a band with some of my school friendsā¦and thatās when I really kind of thought that I wanted to sing and stuff, so I really enjoyed it, yeah⦠(looking at Louis and starting to yawn)ā¦.it was funā¦(Louis turns away from Harry to cough)
Q:Ā And your first single is like a tribute to Grease?
Louis: (laughs) Um, yeahā¦the first single does, ah, have a slight resemblance to the start of Summer Nights in Grease (Harry nods sagely) but that wasnāt done deliberately, but, then again (looking to Harry) who doesnāt love Grease?
Q:Ā Lovely (Louis[ā¦]) Who is your favourite role model?
Harry:Ā Um, I am a massive Chris Martin fan. I think he is incredible. I think, like, the songs he writes, his vocals, I think he is amazing. (Louis nods in agreement)
Louis:Ā Um, for me, Robbie Williams is just an unbelievable performer, and, yeah, I think he is very very good. (Harry nods in agreement)
Q:Ā So, pop, like your [single?]ā¦.
Louis: (not understanding the question) Huh?
Q:Ā So, pop, singer of pop, like your [..] (Louis is still confused, someone off camera clarifies) Pop music, you like pop music?
Q:Ā ā¦.like your first single, and the album?ā¦.
Louis:Ā Yeah, yeah, yeah (looking at Harry) we both like pop music, donāt we really?ā¦
Harry:Ā Yep (Louis still looks a little unsettled and looks off camera again)
Q:Ā The fans, the girls, are crazy?
Harry: Ā Theyāre amazing. We got in last night, and there (looking to Louis, questioning)ā¦was about ten?ā¦(Louis nods)ā¦there was about ten people outside, um, and this morning thereās loads of them, andā¦.they really are incredible. They just seem to be everywhere (they look at each other again) soā¦
Louis:Ā They seem to be multiplying
Q:Ā So you were surprised?
Harry and Louis:Ā (in unison) Yes!
Harry:Ā Definitely, I was surprised this morning, yeah. They areā¦theyāre great.
Q:Ā Today is Valentines Day..
Harry:Ā Single! (Louis looks on, neutral)Ā
Harry:Ā Valentines Day, in Parisā¦.(Louis starts smiling softly at Harry)ā¦the city of loooveā¦.
Louis:Ā (in the softest voice, repeats Harryās phrase and inflection)ā¦the city of loooveā¦
Louis: Um, Iāve got a girlfriend, actually.Ā (Harry makes a strange little noise, with a sort of ironic face)Ā
Q:Ā (genuinely sounding a bit surprised) Oh. What kind of a boyfriend are you?
Louis:Ā A nice one, I hope.
Harry: (jumping in, unprompted, with authority) Heās caringā¦(thoughtful little pause, and strokes his torso and says in the first person)ā¦.heās caring, and he treats me really wellā¦
Louis:Ā (giggles to camera and looks back to Harry fondly)ā¦
Harry:Ā ā¦..I think he does a lotā¦.he does a lot for her. (Louis nods, happily)ā¦.ā¦heās niceā¦
Q:Ā Is this your first time in Paris?
Harry:Ā (Harry, still thinking about āboyfriend Louisā trails off)ā¦.heās a nice guyā¦.(then catches up to the question)ā¦.
Harry and Louis:Ā (looking at each other) No!
Harry:Ā Weāve both been here before, actuallyā¦(there seems to be no thought given to āthe fiveā, he treats this as a H&L question)
Q:Ā Do you like the city?
Harry:Ā Love it! Itās a beautiful, beautiful city.
Harry:Ā I think, just, like, the cultureā¦
Louis:Ā ā¦and the vibeā¦(vibey, anyone?)
Harry:Ā ā¦yeah, the whole kind ofā¦yāknow, itās justā¦itās quite, like, coolā¦I thinkā¦
Harry:Ā ā¦..Paris is really, like, cool. Like, the shopping, and music, and, likeā¦.yeahā¦(Harry turns to Louis, who turns away to cough)ā¦
Q:Ā Have you done some shopping here?
Harry:Ā We havenāt really had a chance at the moment, but (looks to Louis, as if they might have contemplated shopping together?)ā¦butā¦umā¦.
Louis:Ā (almost wistfully) Iād love to go shopping here, (Harry: yeah)Ā but (softly again) we donāt have timeā¦.
Harry and Louis: (both make a sad no-shopping face)ā¦
Q:Ā Ok. And the name of your band, One Direction, whatās the direction? Or the direction of your work?
Harry:Ā One Directionā¦.(rubs hands together)ā¦.
Louis:Ā Where to start?ā¦.
Harry:Ā I thinkā¦.we just want to keep doing what weāre doing. We want to keep working hardā¦we want to keep making music that people enjoy, and that we enjoy, and, yāknow, hopefully, our fans like it and stick with us (big theatrical smile)
Louis:Ā (totally out of left field, leans across Harry to point out a big glossy photograph, sitting against the wall)ā¦You can see her bumā¦
Harry:Ā (totally unfazed by this turn in the conversation, without skipping a beat, readily agrees) You can see her bum (and helpfully pics up the photo to point it out) You can see this ladyās bumā¦.(Louis joins in the pointing out)ā¦in the pictureā¦.
Q:Ā (starts laughing) Okā¦.
Harry: (putting the picture back)ā¦a nice bumā¦.(while Louis looks off camera, gesturing as if to sayĀ āwhat can you do?ā)
Q:Ā (explaining) And thatās um, a present for me, for Valentines Dayā¦Can you sing for me, acapella?
Harry: (to Louis) What shall we do? (Grinning) How about [āThis is my bus?ā]Ā (Louis grins back)Ā
Q:Ā A single of your choice?
Harry: (almost privately, a little conversation with Louis, softly, which the cameraperson, possibly sensing this, zooms in on) What do you reckon?
Louis:Ā How about we make a song up? (looking back at the table behind them)
Harry:Ā Alright? (looking at the table too) (you can almost see the wheels turning)
Louis:Ā (returning to the real world, with normal volume) Weāre gonna make one up.
Harry: (leans back to pick up two water bottles)
Louis:Ā (seemingly instinctively knowing) These are microphones. (Harry hands him one and they both look back to the contents on the table for more inspiration)
Harry: (picking up a magazine and attempting to roll it up) Bear with us (plural) (Louis watches on, holding theĀ āmicrophoneā to his lips, and glancing at the camera)
Harry:Ā (gives up rolling the magazine, lays in flat in his lap, and starts beating out a rhythm)ā¦
Louis:Ā (picking up on Harryās intention, picks up a glass and starts beating out a complimentary rhythm against his bottle-microphone) (they grin at each other)
Harry: (starts singing, and oh, look, the subject is Valentines Day)Ā
Valentines Day, Valentines Dayā¦
Louis:Ā (joining in) What a lovely dayā¦
Harry and Louis:Ā (singing) What a lovely day, Valentines Day, what a lovely day, what a lovely dayā¦.Valā¦enā¦tinesā¦.day.
(it is really pretty dreadful - their songwriting has improved exponentially thank god - but it is also almost unbearably sweet. They play off each other with such trust and fearlessness. Sigh)
Q:Ā Thank you very much! So you are musicians.
Harry:Ā (as they put back the props) (perhaps slightly ironically)
ā¦As you can tellā¦
(Someone off camera indicates to wrap it up?)
Louis:Ā (As the camera pulls away and off centre and you see their knees are touching)ā¦.Ā
ā¦..(to Harry, perhaps thinking the recording is over?) You did what you did, [babe?] it was good there, yeahā¦(Harry: Yeah?)..yeahā¦
(Someone off camera says Itās ok, thank you)Ā
Harry:Ā Thanks very much (Harry then picks up the afore-discussed picture, tucks it under his arm and starts to walk out)ā¦.Thanks guysā¦.
Louis: (following along) Goodbye
(The camera stays on them as the open the door. Harry hands the picture to Louis, who goes first. Marco can be glimpsed waiting for them. Harry looks back to camera and waves as the door closes. Louis makes a comment as he goes. Can anyone decipher it?).Ā