So glad that you're here with us today.
You and I have been friends for a long time.
That is correct.
Most of the people that I talk to on this podcast
are not my friends.
They're not your friends
or they're pretending to be your friend.
Many people in this town--
To make it in the business, to progress to the next level.
No one climbs the show biz ladder
until they've made friends with one Conan O'Brien.
With Conan, yeah.
But you and I have known each other
for a really long time.
Many, many years.
Many people say your whole musical style
was sort of based on, what am I doing here?
(Jack laughing)
Can we stop you before you keep going?
He's just lying.
Just lying. Just making shit up.
Flat out lying. That's wrong.
He used to as a child watch me on "Late Night"
and then you said I could maybe use his vocal rhythm.
No, never. None of that.
Guitar solo--
As an example of what not to do.
Yeah, okay. All right, all right.
Well, maybe I went too far and I do apologize. (laughs)
No.
So many people like Sona,
you only think I'm cool because I know Jeff.
That's actually very true.
That's the only reason you think I'm cool.
Yeah. I mean, think about your other friends.
I love 'em, but you know, they're not Jack White.
It's dork central. Yeah.
And then there's you. (laughs)
This girl wrote a "James Bond" theme song.
I know. And you know him.
I know. I know.
And you are, of course the "James Bond"--
I'm a huge fan. Aficionado of all time.
And of that movie.
That's one of the most divisive
things I've been a part of, is that song.
I love it.
Why is that?
To this day, it's straight across the board.
People always say you either love it
or you hate it or something.
That song is, there are people who hate it so much.
And people who love it so much.
Yeah, yeah.
Nowhere in the middle. It's so strange.
That's like the movie itself.
I think yeah, so the movie comes along
with what people think of it.
Bond themes in Britain, for example,
are like, that's consistent coffee breakfast conversation.
Oh, wow.
Like what's your favorite Bond movie.
It's almost like who you are as a person.
Like you relate to which song,
it means something to you or whatever.
It's great company to be in, though,
when you think about some of the iconic Bond songs.
Oh, yeah even the--
What's your favorite Bond song of all time?
The one I think I'm drawn to is Tom Jones's "Thunderball".
You know that one? Yep.
And I don't know if you know this,
but Johnny Cash recorded an attempt at "Thunderball".
This is crazy. Yes. I heard this.
This just came up on the Jeff Goldblum episode.
He was saying how much he loved "Thunderball"
and I was talking about this Johnny Cash.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Johnny Cash, of course, of course.
(all laughing)
Oh dear boy. Oh, oh, oh, yes, oh yeah.
Yeah, it was while he was feeling all of our faces
with his tentacles.
Oh, oh, oh, oh yes, yes, yes, Johnny Cash.
No, so he wrote one.
Johnny Cash wanted to have recorded a Bond song,
he just didn't make it.
It didn't make it, yeah.
Unsolicited submission.
Ah. Yeah.
I got in because Amy Winehouse wasn't showing up
to the sessions or wasn't delivering the song
that they were asking her to do.
So it was we're running out of time.
We need somebody else do it.
And I thought, oh, this is great.
'Cause now I'm gonna get away with murder.
I'm gonna put things in this song
they would never approve of this.
Right. This section and all that.
And that happened, it got to be,
the music director was not down with any of it.
He was trying to kind of convince me
to turn it into a ballad or something like that.
And you know, it got interesting.
It was like, we're going on tour, I don't have time.
I really can't get in there.
Knowing full well I totally have time to fix it if I wanted.
It's so funny when you, my favorite move is
I'm sorry I can't, but I don't have time.
And then that person sees you
at a leisurely lunch two hours later
and you're clearly doing nothing.
One of my favorite moves and you know who did it to me once?
Adam West. Really?
Adam West, when Robert Smigle and I
were working on this TV project,
we wanted to bring Adam West back to TV.
And we were working on this kooky project called "Lookwell"
and we had this audition with him with the network
and they said, yes, we're gonna bring Adam West back to TV
you guys can make this pilot.
We were so excited.
And we said to him, hey do you wanna go out
and get dinner with, and he went, "I'd love to gentlemen,
"but I'm very busy and big plans tonight."
And we were like, "oh, okay Mr. West, no problem."
And then Robert and I went down to the hotel to get dinner
and we saw him sitting alone.
(all laughing)
Alone!
He'd rather be alone.
Batman would rather sit alone.
And he saw us and gave a little nod. He wasn't even ashamed.
You didn't think I'd really have dinner with you, did you?
Not at all Mr. Wayne.
We understand. Oh, man.