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The summer television confection Hit Me Baby One More Time brought back bands from yesteryear to compete with each other for charity by performing their biggest hit, then covering a current song. Animotion performed in the fifth and final week of the show, with lead singers Bill Wadhams and Astrid Plane recreating memories of their '80's techno-pop smash "Obsession." In the midst of using his graphic design talents to fashion a six-CD box set for the Captain & Tennille, Bill comments on the band's history, performance on Hit Me Baby One More Time, and plans for the future.

When did your interest in music begin and who are your musical inspirations?

I came from a musical family, and was encouraged to sing in school. I started playing guitar at 11, and was always in a band from that point on. I was influenced by Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles and Rolling Stones, Cream, CSN&Y and Led Zeppelin. In my teens I started to study jazz guitar and became interested in jazz pop groups like the Commodores and Earth Wind & Fire.

How did you come to be in a band named Animotion?

Astrid Plane and I were both in bands playing around LA. Her manager asked me to meet with her about replacing the front man in her band. We hit it off and formed Animotion.

Does it bug you that the biggest hit you are known for with Animotion was one of the few songs you didn't write?

I'm glad that I sang "Obsession." It launched Animotion into the international spotlight. It bugs me that I was not able to successfully follow it up with one of my songs. Holly Knight and Michael Desbarres have made a small fortune in royalties from the song. It took me a while to settle with the fact that we get nothing when "Obsession" is played on the radio. However, the strength of the song allows us to play some great shows like Nike's Run Hit Wonder and NBC's Hit Me Baby. I'm thankful for that.

What's the deal with the "other" Animotion with Mrs. Richard Marx (Cynthia Rhodes) on vocals and their hit "Room to Move"? Do you perform it live, or forget it ever existed?

At a certain point, Animotion had the same manager as Richard Marx. Cynthia was working as an actress, but she was also a singer. When Astrid left, management strongly suggested we take on Cynthia. I liked working with Cynthia, but left the band over creative disputes with A&R. I've never sung "Room to Move."

What avenue did your musical career take after the band ended?

I wrote and recorded songs and intended to pursue a solo career. In the meantime I was working at NBC as a graphic designer. The design career flourished. I saw bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana dominating radio and the music I was writing was out of style. I've continued to write and record, but haven't promoted to commercial radio.

How was Animotion reunited?

We noticed that music of the 80s was having a resurgence of interest. A radio station in Portland, Oregon made us an offer we couldn't refuse to perform. After that we got a booking agent and started doing shows with Berlin, Missing Persons, The Knack and others. It's been so much fun.

Are there plans for Animotion to record any new material?

We're working on an album. I think it's sounding great, but it takes a lot of time coordinating everyone. We hope to finish it by the end of 2005.

What, in your opinion, is the current appeal of '80's music?

I think 80s music had a big, lush sound. Lots of layers. Driving percussion, synths, guitars, etc. Much of 80s music had a sense of humor or playfulness, expressed in grand, singable choruses. As the 70s was ending, I was thinking that the 80s would be new and different. Instrument and recording technology was taking a big leap forward and we capitalized on that.

Who did you think was musically cool in the '80's, and who would you like to see on a show like "Hit Me Baby One More Time"?

Brian Ferry, Robert Palmer, Tears for Fears and Peter Gabriel were some of my favorites. All too big for Hit Me Baby. I'd like to see The Divinyls, Fine Young Cannibals, Bow Wow Wow, X, The Blasters, and Berlin on the show.

Focusing on your "Hit Me Baby One More Time" performance, how were you approached and how much time did you have to prepare for it?

We were approached on a Tuesday, and taped the show one week later. That meant we had to work hard and fast to prepare.

Was there a promotional angle to your appearing on the show? (For example, I noticed that Greg Kihn was able to introduce his son's guitar playing and you were able to mention the band Rex Aquarium with your sons Charlie and Chris.)

Well, we did it for fun mostly. These days, when someone calls for Animotion and it involves money and travel, we're usually up for it. I saw an opportunity to plug my son's band. To me, that's more important than trying to promote my own product. They are young and hungry, and working very hard at Rex Aquarium.

How did you decide to cover Dirty Vegas' "Days Go By" (what other songs did you consider?) and how did you deal with replicating the vocoder sound of the original?

I chose "Days Go By" because we were on a very short time line and didn't have much to choose from. I like that song a lot, but I decided not to try to replicate the vocoder sound because of technical hurdles. We were singing live, and I didn't want to rely on NBC to process the sound. We were told to pick a song that was popular within the last five years. My first choice was to do something by Garbage, or the Gorillaz, but we couldn't clear the songs.

What is your assessment of Animotion's performance on "Hit Me Baby One More Time" and what impression of the show were you left with?

I think we did well with "Obsession." "Days Go By" didn't work as well vocally. Astrid and I didn't blend that well on it. The tracks I recorded for the show were solid, but I should've compressed them more in the mastering stage to be more punchy. Otherwise, I'm proud of our performance.

Do you have any musical regrets?

I regret walking away from Animotion's third album. The A&R man who signed us, Russ Regan left the label. His replacement, Bob Skoro told us he didn't like our albums or our live show on the day we met him. He killed Animotion as far as I am concerned. It was my battle with him that caused me to walk. I'm sorry I didn't stick with Don and Greg through that episode. They carried on with new singers. We took a stab at reforming in 1990 with a new woman, Marietta Waters singing. THAT was a hot band, but despite a good demo, we weren't signed. Pearl Jam and Nirvana were dominating the airwaves.

Another regret is that I didn't get to work with David Foster and Jay Graydon. They asked me to sing on the soundtrack for St. Elmo's Fire. My record label wouldn't allow me to perform as a solo artist on the record. That might've developed into a great relationship.

What is your stand on the issue of file-sharing over the internet? Does it cut into your royalties, or is it a valuable resource for exposure?

I think file sharing is inevitable, but with iTunes and the like, the public has an affordable resource for buying songs. The 99 cent price point is brilliant, and albums for $9.99. It's working.

Finally, do you enjoy the Portland area, and is it weird not being allowed to pump your own gas in Oregon?

I love living in Portland. Great music, great food, Music Millennium independent record store and Powell's Bookstore — and you can't beat the atmosphere. Clean air, lush forests and majestic mountains. The ocean is an hour away. We were able to buy a home for a reasonable price. It's easy to travel the highways around Portland and get to where you want to go without encountering much traffic. I don't mind being waited on at the gas station. It's easy to live in Portland.