Black: I was working the Santa Monica strip. And Gass ...

Gass: I was looking for young boys to mentor ... with a guitar and I saw Jack. He looked forlorn, and it looked like he needed some instruction, if you will. I took him home, and I made a little room for him with a guitar.

Black: We can't continue with the real story of the D. Let's just make up some fabricated, less pornographic one. So boring, the real story ... I was fighting crime on the mean streets of San Francisco. [Kyle] came in the side door, and I knew a friendship was forged. We fought together. [RealVideo]

Gass: I didn't like him at first. I still don't. ... The truth is Jack was quite a dynamic singer. I knew that my singing lacked a certain dynamic quality. So together, I thought, we could make one really good singer/songwriter.

Black: At our early shows we just got into one body suit and Kyle stuck his head out of the top.

Gass: Interestingly enough, I weighed only 135 pounds at the time, but Jack taught me the pleasures of food. Now, when we're on tour we eat before, during and after every show. [RealVideo]

MTV: What was the initial reaction from audiences when you started doing this?

Black: The first time we played, it was a thunderous reception. People freaked out. People crapped their pants.

MTV: So it was nothing like it was portrayed on your HBO series?

Black: Except for a bunch of people crapping their pants out of pleasure. That's the difference, OK?

Gass: We never played an open mic night, did we?

Black: No. I have, without you, with my solo project, the JB Experience. It's just something else I'm working on, kind of a more artistic thing. It's less commercial, more just kick-ass art.

Gass: So you can't make any money with it? What good is it?

MTV: You've been tagged as the greatest band on earth. How do you think you stack up against other bands of note, like Led Zeppelin?

Black: Dust. We leave them in it. Continue. Next?

MTV: The Stones?

Black: Lame-ass losers.

MTV: The Beatles?

Gass: Pop. Cheesy Pop.

Black: Pretenders to the throne. Continue.

MTV: Queen?

Black: Who? Continue.

MTV: Black Sabbath?

Black: Good. Good. Uh. Yeah.