Chalkhills Digest Volume 12, Issue 53
Date: Tuesday, 31 October 2006
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 12, Number 53
Tuesday, 31 October 2006
Topics:
TheSheBeats
Xtc Ate My Secret Lovechild's Drug Hell Hamster!
Shebeats
XTC in (the original) The Wicker Man
Crackin' Up
Dumb All Over?
Re: One Way Ownership
Merely a Man?
sounds like chicken
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And the jellyfish stings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 23:23:03 -0800 From: Steve <ste7phen@yahoo.com> Subject: TheSheBeats Message-ID: <4545A857.9090404@yahoo.com> Mark Fisher <mark-fisher@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote: > > There's a song on the Shebeats' website that appears to be about the former > Mrs Partridge: > > http://www.myspace.com/theshebeats thanks for his link holly partridge cool... xtc content! they sound good too another steve
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 08:58:12 -0000 From: Adrian Ransome <Adrian.Ransome@tsi-ltd.co.uk> Subject: Xtc Ate My Secret Lovechild's Drug Hell Hamster! Message-ID: <13CABB99EBDBAA4BB63D3D2E976AEF3B08F9CB@nt4server03.tsi-ltd.co.uk> Wotcha, cock: Xtc spotted in Sunday tabloid shocker! http://snipurl.com/10qse <http://snipurl.com/10qse> (It's about rare vinyl. Looks like someone actually did their homework about the boys - apart from the "they're still making records today" line, obv.) ade "he'll save the children, but not the British children"
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 11:45:42 +0000 (GMT) From: STEPHEN JACKSON <planet_skaro@btinternet.com> Subject: Shebeats Message-ID: <20061030114542.16276.qmail@web86402.mail.ird.yahoo.com> Mark wrote: >>There's a song on the Shebeats' website that appears to be about the former Mrs Partridge: http://www.myspace.com/theshebeats I think it has a more "Holly's Mum" feel about it, especially considering who's singing it, Mr Fisher, but I'm guessing you probably knew that already you cheeky limelight man! Steve
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 08:54:08 -0800 (PST) From: Frank Agnello <franka10305@yahoo.com> Subject: XTC in (the original) The Wicker Man Message-ID: <20061030165408.78899.qmail@web39202.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Saw the original 1973 film of The Wicker Man last night for the first time in many years. With the band's exploration of pagan-related themes for most of their career, I wasn't going to be surprised if I came across one or two references - but I have to say I was surprised to come across at least five. There's a maypole, a Greenman pub (very cool sign, btw), mentions of a harvest festival and a sacrificial bonfire, and woodcut drawings a la Nonsvch. There may be more, that I didn't catch - if there are, I think we'd have to qualify the film for use in an XTC drinking game. Just wanted to share...
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 08:55:22 -0800 From: "Wayne Klein" <wtdk123@msn.com> Subject: Crackin' Up Message-ID: <BAY108-F15F09D032F0680F3E03C3CF9FA0@phx.gbl> >From Phil: >The band 'Cracker' left Virgin Records a little acrimoniously a while back. >Virgin, as they do in these cases, decided to release a greatest hits album >without the band's permission, thereby pissing off said band. >The solution in this case: Re-record all the songs and release it on your >own label. Nifty, and probably beats delivering hire cars. It's the way to go. I know that The Everly Brothers did this when they moved to Warner Brothers (although in this case Warner paid for it and owns the recordings) when they couldn't (or wouldn't) license their early hits. Result? Instant Greatest Hits package that sold extremely well. I've often thought that it would be worthwhile for Andy, Colin (and maybe they could draft Dave back in the fold to contribute his guitar parts) to re-record some of their bigger hits so they could license them as they see fit. >From Thom: >Finally, I am very sorry to say that my survey request has fallen >upon deaf ears since I posted my request for information from you all >in Chalkhills 12.35. It started off great in the first week to ten >days or so but then it dwindled to a few more and finally a DEAD END! >I am actually quite saddened by this. I thought that the responses >would be flooding my inbox & then I re-tooled the request in 12.36 >for those of you who thought my original request might be a bit time >consuming. Either way, I've struck out and, honestly, I am bummed >out. >The finally tally was as follows: > >1) Skylarking >2) English Settlement >3) Apple Venus Volume 1 >4) Black Sea >5) Oranges & Lemons >6) Nonsuch >7) Drums and Wires >8) Mummer >9) The Big Express >10) Wasp Star: AV Volume 2 >11) Go2 >12) White Music > >All the best to everyone. I've enjoyed Chalkhills an awful lot this fall. >Keep it up! Sadly Tom I'm one of the many who probably didn't respond (I don't recall) as I've been swamped with emails, work and family life. It's a good list though although I personally wouldn't put "English Settlement" at #2. My list (not that you're keeping track any longer): 1. Skylarking 2. Apple Venus Volume 1 3. The Big Express 4. Nonsuch 5. Black Sea 6. English Settlement 7. Oranges and Lemons 8. Wasp Star (aka Apple Venus Volume 2) 9. Drums and Wires 10. Mummer 11. White Music 12. Go To As to the debate about continuing XTC. I had always thought that Andy had indicated he would continue without Colin if necessary (even if they jointly own the name). It wouldn't be the same of course as Colin always provides nice counterpoint. Even if Colin played on an XTC album without any of his own original songs (this would be a first!) it would still benefit from his harmony vocals, bass playing and feedback. As to Dave replacing Colin...despite their reproachment I don't think that it's likely that Dave would want to do that. With Andy doing his own orchestration on computer Dave would have even less input in the band's musical direction/sound than before. That is unless it were a guitar dominated record. I suspect he is enjoying his freedom now and then there would be the daunting task of showing Andy his songs (if he had any to contribute). Even if they recorded a few Gregory compositions it would alter the sound of the band again (for good or bad).
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 11:58:55 -0500 From: KEVIN.WOLLENWEBER@jpmorgan.com Subject: Dumb All Over? Message-ID: <OFC20AF80B.3633962E-ON85257217.005BFB38-85257217.005D48FA@jpmchase.com> Hello, Chalkhillers, and especially Kevin Brunkhorst: You said: <<Meanwhile, the whole 'leasing' concept spewed by the record labels is crap. I buy the CD, I put it in the stereo, and I hear the sound. The more likely it sounds like corporate rock, the less likely I am to buy it anyway.>> By "corporate rock", I'm guessing that you mean anything that sounds like it came from an "AMERICAN IDOL". If looked at that way, I totally agree with you. Anything within the moment, that appeals to a general audience that doesn't really care whether it is listening to "audio wallpaper" will make a record company money, even though, if the record company put as much enthusiasm into a project around a reissue of an album, like any of the original XTC recordings, money would also be made, although I guess you could also argue that point as I cannot speak, in actual dollars and cents, specifically as to what is made on such projects--and a case could also be made, from reading posts here over the years, of how fickle the taste of that core audience is. Knowing taht, I guess that it is unfortunate that musicians never did take control right away of their back catalogues and now we, the fans, are suffering for it, because record companies are run by some who don't really know or care what classic material really sells and why!! The kinds of surveys done on the subject sound to me like questions asked of a panel on the previously mentioned prefab muzak show. We're doomed!! XTC is doomed!! Re-recording one's back catalogue is okay for recent bands like Cracker, but what the hell is a group like the Who supposed to do? Of course, I think taht their record company is cooperating, as we know that Pete Townshend's solo stuff is nicely reissued, but one can never expect XTC to reform now that it is highly unlikely and decide to actually record their material all again as they don't feel quite the same way about that old stuff as they once did when first starting out!! You know the old saying, "you can't go home again". My idealistic feeling about it all is that, as I said, record companies really don't care about those old things anymore, so why not give the artist the chance to buy their back catalogue and do with it what they will? Yeah, I know that doesn't bode too well for artists that may not have that loose change to go out and buy back their music, but there are some who might take that chance, like Andy and Colin, and reissue it as they, themselves would like. Just a thought. Oh, and I apologize up front about this, as I know that we really should post personal inquiries on this list, but, Craig Vreiken, please send me your E-mail address off-list as I lost it with an accidental purge of my inbox. Just would like to know if you'd gotten any of those classic jam albums we'd been talking about. Kevin Wollenweber
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 17:17:21 -0500 From: "J. D. Mack" <jdmack01@verizon.net> Subject: Re: One Way Ownership Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.2.20061030171151.02d62898@incoming.yahoo.verizon.net> At 12:30 PM 10/29/2006 -0500, Steven LeBeau wrote: >Because when you sign with a label, you forfeit your rights to own >the recordings. Usually. It's not out of the question for an artist to pay the costs of making a recording out of their own pocket, and then license it to a label. I believe Primus does this. No one forces anyone to sign a bad deal. I have a musician friend who was making a good living as an independent, and he was courted by several labels that all wanted to give him a bad deal. His response: why would I want to take a pay cut? He remains independent to this day and probably makes more than 90% of the bands signed to a major label. J. D.
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:27:42 -0800 (PST) From: Todd Bernhardt <beat_town@yahoo.com> Subject: Merely a Man? Message-ID: <20061030232742.79053.qmail@web32008.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Hi: You may know that the MySpace XTCfans site (http://www.myspace.com/xtcfans) posts a different XTC song each week ... well, now you can find out what Andy thinks about each song by checking out the XTCfans blog (http://blog.myspace.com/xtcfans). This week, the song Andy looks at is O&L's "Merely a Man." Find out why the Beatles, Sly and Robbie, and ZZ Top all had an influence on the song's creation! -Todd P.S. -- I hope all Americans on the list do their civic duty on Nov. 7 and vote! "The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment." Robert Maynard Hutchins, educator (1899-1977)
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 17:48:07 -0600 From: "James Lowe" <jamielowe@msn.com> Subject: sounds like chicken Message-ID: <BAY116-DAV10A8217B2CC18C0026FC6DBEFA0@phx.gbl> Hi Chalkholders; Here's a MP3 for you that you might like from http://www.fingertipsmusic.com/ 10/22-10/28 "Circles" - Porter Block (http://www.porterblockmusic.com/mp3/5Circles.mp3) If "Circles" is as vaguely pastoral, skillfully produced, and giddily melodic as an old XTC song, this is no accident. Peter Block and Caleb Sherman, doing business as Porter Block, are the first to report that their biggest influences are the Beatles and XTC. It's wonderful enough to see a new band that understands XTC's brilliant but underrated contributions to rock'n'roll history; it's all the better when the band in question handles its influences this comfortably. I hear a lot of indie bands that seem to have this unconscious need to sound exactly like their musical heroes, down to out-and-out vocal mimickry. I am relieved right away by Porter Block in that they write XTC-ish songs without having a singer who sounds at all like Andy Partridge (or Colin Moulding, for that matter). In any case, the chorus here in particular offers winsome XTC resonances, both musical and lyrical (including the very Andy Partridge-like word "whirligig"), and if you don't have any particular knowledge of or interest in XTC (but why not??), it doesn't matter, as the lilting 3/4 melody stands beautifully on its own two feet. "Circles" is from the CD Suburban Sprawl, scheduled for release next month by Engine Room Recordings. The MP3 is via the band's site. Also, will some one who has contact with Andy please ask him to update his brief history of Rock and Roll and make it available via download. It's certainly time. Please? That little snippet has probably made its way onto countless mix tapes. I know I've used it more than once. And another thing, Here's a nice 3 part article with a free download of Sonic Boom which appears on FW Vol.7. There's not much new in part one and part two is all discussion of Fuzzy Warbles (yes, the series is done). It is part 3 that holds many answers about Colin, the fate of XTC and where Andy and XTC the "Brand" is going from this point forward. Very interesting.....indeed. http://www.popmatters.com/pm/features/article/6925/the-man-who-sailed Finally, my FW Collectors album arrived today yippee! Something I have been looking forward to. And one more thing, if you'd like an XTC bumper sticker or three I still have some. Please contact me directly for details. The web site is down temporarily because the effing host went out of business. Should be back up soon. Best Regards, Jamie Lowe It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently. - Warren Buffett www.islandgoats.org
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #12-53 *******************************
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