John Norris, MTV - One year ago Oasis was thought to be part of a fleeting British invasion here in America, but 1996 has proven them to be more than that. With their second album, "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" and the top ten hit single "Wonderwall," the lads have secured multi-platinum success stateside and if you ask them, deservedly so.

Noel Gallagher - We're not arrogant. We just believe we're the best band in the world.

Norris - Modest is not a word often used to describe Oasis - five working class lads from Manchester and London, England, fronted by two high-spirited and often quarrelsome brothers, Liam and Noel Gallagher.

Noel and Liam Gallgher - Battling Gallaghers tape: Rock 'n roll is about being yourself. Noel - No it's not. Rock 'n roll is about music, music, music, music. It's not about you, it's not about me.

Noel Gallagher - Well, there's not much else going on in the band really, is there, apart from me and him? The other three are like fucking three crackpots, aren't they?

Norris - Bickering aside, Oasis has managed to break through the recently anti-Brit U.S. charts behind the strenght of their single "Wonderwall", a feat that in a rare instance of humility, Noel Gallagher questioned.

Norris - I was looking at the interview we did with you, I think it was about a year ago, when you guys did the Palace in LA, and I remember you saying, "Well, let's first of all, to be brutally honest about it, I don't think Oasis are going to have a top ten in America anytime soon." So I thought that was a brilliant quote for you to say that.

Noel Gallagher - Did I, Did I say that?

Norris - You said that. We have it on tape.

Noel Gallagher, Palace Interview - If we're going to be brutally frank about it, I'm not likely to get a top ten single in America.

Noel Gallagher - It's quite surprising I said we wouldn't have a top ten air. That's...that's not like me.

Alan White - It was "Wonderwall" apparently, that sort of made it happen. It didn't really, it didn't seem to progress. It just happened overnight, didn't it? One minute it was like that, the next it was like that. It's weird..Yeah they're singin' along to all of them. It's good.

Norris - "Wonderwall" is a track on Oasis' second album, their first - "Definitely Maybe" - had already launched the band to stardom back in the U.K. with catchy pop tracks like "Live Forever."

Noel Gallagher - For me, like, "Live Forever" is just as accessible as "Wonderwall". I see, I see the two albums as one to be quite honest. Because some of the stuff we had at the end of the "Definitley Maybe" sessions, which could of gone on that album, or you know, or vice versa. Just the way we picked them out.

Liam Gallagher - I thinks it's got a bigger sound. I don't know it's not...I don't know it's just a bit...I don't know. It's a bit more, it's got a bit of an American feel to it, you know.

Noel Gallagher - I thin if you become successful off your first album you usually find out that you don't usually have a career left after that. But I think that with any gig, successful bands like the likes of U2 and Nirvana even, it takes a couple of records before people start getting into the group.

Norris - People worldwide have gotten into Oasis - in a big way. And fame seems to sit well with the band, so much so that they jst can't understand why some of their contemporaries shun it.

Noel Gallagher - I hate pop stars who go on whinin' about the price of fame and this that and the other. Let me just tell you that being famous is great. I love it, man. I think it's the best when you get stopped walking down the street for an autograph, that's the best feeling in the world. Then you get people like Eddie Vedder, you know what I mean? It's like, what's the point? Why is he in a band if he's so pissed off, you know what I mean? Why don't you just work in a car wash you know what I mean? Or like McDonald's or something.

Norris - Noel and company have had their share of fame-related problems, however: rumors of heavy drug use, sexual exploits and rock star antics have all been fodder for the scandal hungry British press.

Noel Gallagher - Apparently I was told today that I'm actually getting married today.

Norris - Are you?

Noel Gallagher - Well allegedly yeah. I mean, I haven't gotten a clue.

Paul Arthurs (Bonehead) - It's like Liam Gallagher seen out drinking at a pub drinking with someone who might be someone, you know what I mean? It's front page news because that's just the way the English tabloids work.

Liam Gallagher - They always go too far. They were born too far, them people. But what can you do. You know what I mean that's the way it is in England isn't it? You know what I mean? You know what I mean? Certain people from the press can have your hand up their ass and you still can't get them to get out.

Noel Gallagher - I get concerned when people...Like that piece I read in Rolling Stone. It's like, I mean, why did I bother writing two albums, you know what I mean? And then all, all that gets written is about, is about certain other people smashing up televisions sort of stuff.

Liam Gallagher - You can write what you want to write about me. Not seen anything yet.

Norris - Whether in England or America, Oasis makes good copy. Sometimes, however they go a bit too far, such as Noel's tasteless insult of Oasis' rival band Blur, or his recent loose-lipped tales about growing up in Manchester.

Noel Gallagher - What I said was that in my youth that I committed crimes. And some member of the conservative party, all right, who's our government, has raised a question in the House of Commons saying, "Um, you know, well, it this person's pinched car stereos and burlged houses, we want all the stuff back." So the police are, like, looking for me because they think I've got all of this stolen equipment in my house. Me, a fucking multi-millionare had got stolen videos. I got a Rolls Royce man, and a mansion. I don't need fucking stolen videos.

Norris - In addition to their bouts with journalists, Oasis have also had some legal problems ranging from a lawsuit filed by their ousted drummer Tony McCarrol for back royalities, to a plagiarism suit by the Coca-Cola company charging that the Oasis tune -"Shakermaker" sounds a bit too much like "The Real Thing".

Liam Gallagher - We just put it in just for the...you know, for the crack. Everyone's suing us these days. It's just music.

Norris - With tracks like "Champagne Supernova", "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" has secured a place for Oasis as a preeminent English band stateside. Still they don't see themselves as U.K. ambassadors leading the charge of a '90s British invasion.

Noel Gallagher - We're here to represent England because the music in England is crap anyway. And, you know, if there was any, if there was any decent bands in England that we could a favor for by maybe taking America or whatever, you know I'd be happy to stand up and say yeah, yeah England this England that - but there isn't so we won't.