I recently discovered the transcript to a phone call the late great Layne Staley made to Rockline on June 22, 1998, when his Alice In Chains bandmate Jerry Cantrell was the guest. I have verified this through numerous 1998 newsgroup posts and Rockline’s official website listing Jerry Cantrell as the guest on this date. All four members of Alice In Chains appeared on Rockline a year later in 1999. Below is the transcript, if anybody has the audio please e-mail me at grungereport @yahoo.com!
Host: We have a call right now from somebody I believe you know, Jerry. This is Layne Staley from Alice In Chains. Layne, how are you tonight?
Jerry: Blanche!
Layne: Doin’ good! Hey, what was the words to that song? “brown stainer”?? What is that?
Jerry: Yeah, thats right!
Layne: I like that one!
Jerry: How ya doin’, man?
Layne: Alright!
Host: Hey Layne, where are you tonight? Where ya callin’ us from?
Layne: Um, I’m callin’ from my home, in Seattle.
Host: Oh you’re up in Seattle, oh ok. Alright, now what was the nickname you used there, Jerry? Blanche?
Jerry: Blanche.
Layne: Oh, Blanche.
Host: Now Layne, is that a cool thing or not?
Layne: What’s that?
Host: Is that a cool thing for him to call you that or not?
Layne: Uh, I guess…I..I don’t even recognize when he calls me Layne anymore, so…Blanche is it! That sticks!
Host: Oh man…
Jerry: He used to call me “Satan Hoof” along with many other things.
Layne: Satan Hoof, yeah.
Jerry: That still sticks. I’m sitting here with my shoes off. It’s pretty bad, too.
Layne: Then you guys know what Satan Hoof is.
Host: Well, this might be a good thing that I’m in Los Angeles, and Layne’s in Seattle, and Jerry’s in Cantrell..ah, Jerry Cantrell is in New York…
Layne: Jerry in Cantrell…
Host: Cuz Jerry’s got his shoes off. We might be luckin’ out, Layne, we might be on the better end of things here.
Layne: I think so!
Jerry: I think you are!
Host: Lemme ask Layne very quickly here…what’s goin’ on with you? What’s up with you these days, Layne?
Layne: (in a joking tone) A bunch of stuff! Yeah, huge things, yeah. (normal tone). Um, nothing right now.
Host: But it’s a really BIG nothin’! Really gigantic nothin’. Have you heard Jerry’s album?
Layne: Yeah, mm-hmm.
Host: (with these loud chomping noises in the background) Okay, be honest, do the review while Jerry mixes his Corn Nuts together or whatever he’s doin’ back there in New York City. What is that, Jerry?
Jerry: I’m just chewin’ on some ice.
Host: Chewin’ on, ah, chewin’ on ice, okay. What do you think of the album…
Jerry: Actually, I don’t wanna tell you what I’m REALLY chewin’ on…
Host: Yeah, okay, yeah, we’ll just pass on that. I’ve never heard him make that kind of noise before. Yeah, uh…what do you think of the album, Layne?
Layne: I love it. I mean, you know, it’s Jerry. It’s um..you know, I’m used to the sound and it sounds like Jerry and I’ve always loved Jerry’s songs, you know, so…I like it.
Host: Thanks for callin’ and thanks for being on tonight. And good luck with whatever it is that you’re up to these days.
Layne: Oh, you’ll hear about it REAL soon.
Host: I have a feeling we will. Hey Blanche, you’re welcome on Rockline any time, too.
Layne: Alright, thanks!
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