A new glimpse into the early world of Harry and Louis, Valentines Day, Paris 2012 💙💚
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 @stylinsongifs 📹
(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 getting “ready to rumble”)
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 one…
Q: So you are Lewis and “Arrie, or ‘Arrie and Lewis?
Harry: (adopting the French accent) ‘Arrie and Louis…
Louis: (trying out the accent to himself) Louie….
Harry: (At this point it becomes a private little exchange, and a bit indistinct. Harry says something to Louis [Problem is, can I drink that?] Louis says “and we’re available” and then Harry says “single” and Louis replies “Tonight” Harry says “Ready to…(Louis completes it)…..rumble”
Q: (Trying to refocus them. Start the interview proper?) Ok?
Harry: (Interviewer says something in French) Both (to someone he looks at off camera)
Q: So, you met each other, thanks to the X Factor?
Harry: Yeah (which thought seems to prompt Louis to start dragging Harry’s chair closer to him)
Q: So tell me the story after X Factor.
Harry: (Louis having succeeded in getting them that much closer together, which Harry looks very pleased about) Um…(mirror each other fixing their fringes)…we met…(intensely stare at each other and Louis bites his lip and does a little eyebrow raise)…at boot camp, on the Xtra…on the X Factor…
Louis: (interrupts, by putting his hand gently on Harry’s arm) Sorry! Are we talking to you or the camera…..(having so far talked, actually, mostly to Harry, a pattern that will continue)..to you or to the camera? Ok, sorry.
Harry: (carrying on)…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. He’s come out of his shell completely….
Louis: (nodding, fixing his sleeves, raises his eyebrows, tutts and does a little head shake as he says to Harry) You….
Harry: He’s lost his shell. Um….
Louis: (whispering, looking to the heavens) That’s not fair….
Harry: (distracted by that, looses the thread as they look at each other, and Harry)….and…..yeah, I dunno….we’re having a great time, really.
Q: You are five, and you are friends or like brothers, or….?
Harry: Yeah, absolutely, yeah. Um, we are friends, but I’d say when we need each other, we’re more like brothers, ‘cause we’re so close, y’know, we literally see each other every day (while still looking ahead, Louis offers up his fist for a fist bump, Harry obliges, Louis eyebrow raises again)
…and, um…y’know, we spend every minute of each day together, so, yeah, I’d 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: You always wanted to be a singer?
Harry: (while they are again looking at each other) Louis?
Louis: I either always wanted to sing or act…um, I did my school musical Grease, and I played Danny in Grease….
Harry: (pointing at Louis, with authority, nodding) He smashed it….
Louis: (acknowledges Harry’s compliment with a self-deprecating gesture)…..and ever since then, I just wanted to do something with…that…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)
Louis: (to Harry) What about you?
Harry: Um….I….(Now Louis looks off camera as well and removes his arm from Harry’s shoulder 😥)
…I think I always wanted to, like, entertain people….(deprived of having his arm around Harry, Louis starts fiddling with Harry’s pocket square)…when I was younger, I was quite an attention seeker, and then I got….ah….I sang in a band with some of my school friends…and that’s 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)….it was fun…(Louis turns away from Harry to cough)
Q: And your first single is like a tribute to Grease?
Louis: (laughs) Um, yeah…the first single does, ah, have a slight resemblance to the start of Summer Nights in Grease (Harry nods sagely) but that wasn’t done deliberately, but, then again (looking to Harry) who doesn’t love Grease?
Q: Lovely (Louis[…]) Who is your favourite role model?
Harry: 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: Um, for me, Robbie Williams is just an unbelievable performer, and, yeah, I think he is very very good. (Harry nods in agreement)
Q: So, pop, like your [single?]….
Louis: (not understanding the question) Huh?
Q: So, pop, singer of pop, like your [..] (Louis is still confused, someone off camera clarifies) Pop music, you like pop music?
Q: ….like your first single, and the album?….
Louis: Yeah, yeah, yeah (looking at Harry) we both like pop music, don’t we really?…
Harry: Yep (Louis still looks a little unsettled and looks off camera again)
Q: The fans, the girls, are crazy?
Harry: They’re amazing. We got in last night, and there (looking to Louis, questioning)…was about ten?…(Louis nods)…there was about ten people outside, um, and this morning there’s loads of them, and….they really are incredible. They just seem to be everywhere (they look at each other again) so…
Louis: They seem to be multiplying
Q: So you were surprised?
Harry and Louis: (in unison) Yes!
Harry: Definitely, I was surprised this morning, yeah. They are…they’re great.
Q: Today is Valentines Day..
Harry: Single! (Louis looks on, neutral)
Harry: Valentines Day, in Paris….(Louis starts smiling softly at Harry)…the city of looove….
Louis: (in the softest voice, repeats Harry’s phrase and inflection)…the city of looove…
Louis: Um, I’ve got a girlfriend, actually. (Harry makes a strange little noise, with a sort of ironic face)
Q: (genuinely sounding a bit surprised) Oh. What kind of a boyfriend are you?
Louis: A nice one, I hope.
Harry: (jumping in, unprompted, with authority) He’s caring…(thoughtful little pause, and strokes his torso and says in the first person)….he’s caring, and he treats me really well…
Louis: (giggles to camera and looks back to Harry fondly)…
Harry: …..I think he does a lot….he does a lot for her. (Louis nods, happily)….…he’s nice…
Q: Is this your first time in Paris?
Harry: (Harry, still thinking about “boyfriend Louis” trails off)….he’s a nice guy….(then catches up to the question)….
Harry and Louis: (looking at each other) No!
Harry: We’ve both been here before, actually…(there seems to be no thought given to “the five”, he treats this as a H&L question)
Harry: Love it! It’s a beautiful, beautiful city.
Harry: I think, just, like, the culture…
Louis: …and the vibe…(vibey, anyone?)
Harry: …yeah, the whole kind of…y’know, it’s just…it’s quite, like, cool…I think…
Harry: …..Paris is really, like, cool. Like, the shopping, and music, and, like….yeah…(Harry turns to Louis, who turns away to cough)…
Q: Have you done some shopping here?
Harry: We haven’t really had a chance at the moment, but (looks to Louis, as if they might have contemplated shopping together?)…but…um….
Louis: (almost wistfully) I’d love to go shopping here, (Harry: yeah) but (softly again) we don’t have time….
Harry and Louis: (both make a sad no-shopping face)…
Q: Ok. And the name of your band, One Direction, what’s the direction? Or the direction of your work?
Harry: One Direction….(rubs hands together)….
Harry: I think….we just want to keep doing what we’re doing. We want to keep working hard…we want to keep making music that people enjoy, and that we enjoy, and, y’know, hopefully, our fans like it and stick with us (big theatrical smile)
Louis: (totally out of left field, leans across Harry to point out a big glossy photograph, sitting against the wall)…You can see her bum…
Harry: (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 lady’s bum….(Louis joins in the pointing out)…in the picture….
Q: (starts laughing) Ok….
Harry: (putting the picture back)…a nice bum….(while Louis looks off camera, gesturing as if to say “what can you do?”)
Q: (explaining) And that’s um, a present for me, for Valentines Day…Can you sing for me, acapella?
Harry: (to Louis) What shall we do? (Grinning) How about [“This is my bus?”] (Louis grins back)
Q: 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: How about we make a song up? (looking back at the table behind them)
Harry: Alright? (looking at the table too) (you can almost see the wheels turning)
Louis: (returning to the real world, with normal volume) We’re gonna make one up.
Harry: (leans back to pick up two water bottles)
Louis: (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 the “microphone” to his lips, and glancing at the camera)
Harry: (gives up rolling the magazine, lays in flat in his lap, and starts beating out a rhythm)…
Louis: (picking up on Harry’s 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)
Valentines Day, Valentines Day…
Louis: (joining in) What a lovely day…
Harry and Louis: (singing) What a lovely day, Valentines Day, what a lovely day, what a lovely day….Val…en…tines….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: Thank you very much! So you are musicians.
Harry: (as they put back the props) (perhaps slightly ironically)
…As you can tell…
(Someone off camera indicates to wrap it up?)
Louis: (As the camera pulls away and off centre and you see their knees are touching)….
…..(to Harry, perhaps thinking the recording is over?) You did what you did, [babe?] it was good there, yeah…(Harry: Yeah?)..yeah…
(Someone off camera says It’s ok, thank you)
Harry: Thanks very much (Harry then picks up the afore-discussed picture, tucks it under his arm and starts to walk out)….Thanks guys….
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?).
