Chalkhills Digest Volume 2, Issue 111
Date: Saturday, 11 May 1996

         Chalkhills Digest, Volume 2, Number 111

                  Saturday, 11 May 1996

Today's Topics:

              This is really late I know....
                   somnabulist answered
                 Black Sea: Somnambulist
                    Black Sea / Byrne
           Just to clear things up a bit . . .
            Precipitation on any one's parade
                  The Definitive Box Set
                       XTC or not?
                      "Somnambulist"
                     humans screaming
               Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-110
                   Misc' XTC references
           Andy/Elvis & pop, Urgh: A Flame War?
               shameless commerce division?
               Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-110
                   Unresponsive spouses
                       GUESS WHAT?
                Carmen Sandiego soundtrack
Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-110Todd Rundgren and "Supergirl"
                       Barry on Go2
                     Unknown song...
            Newell recommendations? (and more)
                   The Off White Album
                  Obtaining demos, etc.
        Skylarking with tank treads is on the web
           1,2,3,4,5 Employees Working Overtime

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The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.

I got toys like the other boys.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Rich_Pearson@rld.bofa.com
Message-Id: <199605070016.RAA23710@radiomail.net>
Date: 06 May 96 19:01
Subject: This is really late I know....

     Today I just thought of one more idea for teh tribute tape - I know
     I'm really late.  Sorry.

     "....and I'm complimenting you by considering it a tribute"

     Rich Pearson
     e-mail: rich_pearson@rld.bofa.com

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 20:53:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ted Harms <tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca>
Subject: somnabulist answered
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.960506205229.23852A-100000@library.uwaterloo.ca>

Micheal Wicks asked "What's a somnabulist?".

This is just a fancy name for a sleepwalker.

Ted Harms                            Library, Univ. of Waterloo
tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca                 519.888.4567 x3761
Dets finns loegn, foerbannad loegn, oeh sas fins det statistik.

------------------------------

From: myke <jerk@execpc.com>
Message-Id: <199605070251.VAA21031@earth.execpc.com>
Subject: Black Sea: Somnambulist
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 21:51:01 -0500 (CDT)

A somnambulist is one who walks in one's sleep.

------------------------------

From: 7IHd <ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk>
Message-Id: <15872.9605070343@molnir.brunel.ac.uk>
Subject: Black Sea / Byrne
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 04:43:00 +0100 (BST)

Two things...

# From: mwicks@gol.com (Michael Wicks)
# Subject: Black Sea Divings

This isn't meant to sound like a flame, so sorry if it does, but... would
you mind telling us why you're bothering with these reviews? Surely
everyone on this list, even if they don't have all the albums, is enough
of a fan to know they want all the albums... and some of your comments
are, quite frankly, tosh. e.g.:

# Towers of London-   Has anyone seen the making of this? Valuable and
# informative footage, an insight as to the recording processes of XTC at the
# time of this record. How bout using this for a Tourism ad for London?
#    Splendid, absolutely Fabulous, mates!                     B+

Which is nonsense. Tourism ad for London? "Hey, come here, we've got a
history of torturing people". Yeah right. Actually there are ads for the
tower all over the tube at the moment... I always think of this song. I
am constantly amazed that a non-London band could come up with something
that sums up nearly 1000 years of history so *perfectly*. It's by far the
best track on the album... but you've got to have lived here to see it,
I suspect.

And:

# Sgt. Rock (is going to help me)-  I, like Andy, used to collect comic books
# as a teenager, and though I wasn't a Sgt. Rock fan, I am a fan of this
# song, if only for the typically witty Andy lyric, "...make the girl mine,
# wave the Victory sign" (and, no, I don't see what all the fuss is over the
# supposed Male Chauvinistic overtones of the song. Chill out!      HEY!
# SARGE! ROCK!            B+

Now, this song didn't become one of their best known songs for nothing,
so a B+ is a bit mean, especially considering some of the things you've
given As to. And it's not male chauvenistic at all; the entire song is
(simplistically) a tongue-in-cheek dig at people who think they can
become cool and get laid (scuze me) just by being in a band. (Which
apparently is what Terry did, come to think of it...)

NEW THEORY ALERT: Sgt. Rock is about Terry!

Er, sorry.

# Don't Lose Your Temper- Is it just me, or is this nothing more than Red Pt.
# 2?  Still,  not bad!  B

But what about that "whatever happened to my fighting, biting, lightning
lioness"? Is that not the single most brilliant line on the entire album?

We all know that reviews are subjective, but they're nice to read when it
might lead you to discover something new, but really... do we really need
reviews of 15 year old records that we all either have or are going to get
anyway? Especially when the reviews are done in such a slapdash way...

# A couple of questions:  What is a "Somnambullist?"

Sleepwalker.

# In two weeks:   The end of May brings us to thoughts of a quiet, "normal",
# ....English Settlement!

Spare us please.

OK so maybe I am out of order here. If people want to email me (personally
please) with comments fore or aft, er I mean for or against, then please
do so. I'll summarise to the list if appropriate.

Sorry. I'd rather you reviewed something new, or just asked questions.

# From: Luc Haasnoot <andpe@lix.intercom.es>
# Subject: XTC song or not?
#
# A friend of mine saw a documentary about Amsterdam football (soccer,
# for all you Americans) club Ajax on Dutch television. The program
# ended with some music, which he possibly identified as "XTC". However
# he is not an XTC fan; he hardly knows them at all. He mailed me some
# of the lyrics he recalled, but I don't recognize them.

I'm probably the victim of a huge joke here... but just in case I'm
not, I'll answer it, with the note that I'm ROTFL anyway...

# This is the land where I was born
# in the bosom of technology
# ...
# (chorus)
# It's not the ending of the world
# just the closing of a discotheque
# ...
# But that's a long long time ago

That, dear chalkhillian, is from a recent album simply entitled
"David Byrne". (And a fine album it is too).

That's all... sorry for ranting.

-P
  _
 |_)|_ *|
 |  | )||   http://http2.brunel.ac.uk:8080/~ee92pmh/
 ========

------------------------------

Message-Id: <v01510102adb4840abaa9@[206.15.64.101]>
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 20:47:08 -0800
From: mf@well.com (Mitch Friedman)
Subject: Just to clear things up a bit . . .

Hello again,

Nope, I didn't just talk to Andy again, but I have been reading your
reactions to my post and I now realize that I've probably depressed
everyone with some of the news. Let me clarify a few points:

First of all, I meant to say that the Somesuch demo CD that Virgin may put
out was actually in leiu of their request for XTC to provide 2 new songs
for the possible singles thing (Fossil Feul). Like I said, Andy refused to
give them new songs so instead he suggested that they include the Somesuch
thing which was already mastered and ready to go around Nonsuch time.

Secondly, for as long as I've known Andy (about 12 years) he has always
described Colin as a 'mystery man'. They are getting along just fine, it's
just that Colin is feeling a little low in the ego department because his
musical output has been put on hold for a few years now so naturally he's a
bit depressed. But be assured that Andy, Colin and Dave are still very
close and totally determined to start a whole new and more successful
career where they may actually be treated with some kindness by their next
record company.

And no one should feel guilty for owning the bootleg CD's because you did
it to hear the music and not to sell them to someone else. All I meant was
that we should all be a bit more sly about having them and talking about
having them.

Until we e again,
Mitch

------------------------------

From: Gene_Yoon@brown.edu
Message-Id: <v02130501adb47fe4ce18@[128.148.184.54]>
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 23:52:07 -0500
Subject: Precipitation on any one's parade

>From: "Daniel Prendiville" <modjp@indigo.ie>
>
>Far be it for me to precipitate on any one's parade (especially being a
>parvenue member of the XTC fraternity), but can we have a little less of
>the fantasy video meanderings of some of our correspondents, please?
>Frankly, I find a lot of it rather embarrassing.

ooh, then I shudder to think how you found your own post when you reread
it.  So you're a Park Avenue member?  No wonder all the snootiness.

>I would have thought that most XTC fans would be of a "certain age" (i.e.
>30+) and would, accordingly have more common sense than to rant on about
>seagulls with human faces etc. At this point in time, I would have thought
>that most XTC fans have been faced with some, if not all, of the
>fundamental choices that most denizens of Western civilisation (including
>the members of XTC themselves) would have had to face (e.g. marriage,
>children, mortgages, carrier decisions etc.).

I'm only twenty one, so I guess accordingly I'm allowed to have a little
less common sense.  But geez, if I'm faced with all my fundamental choices
in life by the time I'm thirty, I've got a pretty uneventful middle life to
look forward to.  Shocking, too, especially since I also enjoy denizening
in Eastern civilisation at times, to boot.

>In that light, is it not
>possible to discuss a matter of common interest in a matoor (for our
>American correspendents) manner, rather than to indulge in childish
>speculation about a media which is vacuous in content and manipulative in
>intent?

I take art semiotic courses.  Your childish speculation is my welcome
relief.   And my goodness, I wouldn't want to subscribe to Chalkhills as if
I'm registering for another Modern Culture and Media class.  If that's the
definition of being mature/oor then it's back in the sandbox for me,
thanks.

>Not to mention the fundamental question of whether the Internet (bow and
>scrape) is populated by overeducated nerds who badly need to get a life.
>
>Wake up and smell the coffee

If I've got a fundamental question about the Internet, it's that I wonder
where all these wonderfully conclusive "get a life" arguments come from.
They're everywhere on this damn thing.  If there's a web page where I can
download a life, please let me know.

And to the rest of us, I hope no one thinks twice about posting to
Chalkhills for fear that they'll be called "childish" or "immature."  Or
that they don't use Roget's Thesaurus every time they post.  Or that
they're not an overeducated nerd.

I think I'll grow grab that coffee now.
Gene

------------------------------

Date: 7 MAY 96 15:30:58 EST
From: PCulnane@dca.gov.au
Subject: The Definitive Box Set
Message-ID: <0000zvjjbbxd.0000yegksewm@dca.gov.au>

It was with great interest (and some trepidation) that I read the account of
Mitch's recent conversation with Andy.  One matter particularly caught my
attention - the possible spate of releases to round out the Virgin contract,
including a possible box set.

Funny that.  I'd been thinking of a mythical box set to do the guys' career
justice.  And, yes, I know that box sets produce mixed feelings in some
(having to shell out $$$ for material you already have, just to get a few
rarities you don't own, etc).  I actually compiled a list of things that I
would like to see included, but since that's my own choice, I won't burden
you with it here (anyone else care to run with this thread and compile a
"fantasy" list?).  But I thought other Chalkies might be interested in my
criteria for this (so far imaginary) box set:
TITLE:  "Virginia"  (as in the collection of music fron the Virgin era).
FORMAT:  4 CD boxed set.  Each Cd to contain 75+ minutes of material.
REFERENCE:  "Frame By Frame" 4CD set by King Crimson would be a great
template to work from.
CONTENT: Mixture of singles (including single mixes/edits), album tracks,
live recordings (especially hitherto non-CD b-sides), unreleased songs,
selected demos (on the basis of their difference to released versions,
etc.), and perhaps some early material from pre-Virgin XTC or even the
Helium Kidz.  (Perhaps we're getting into Beatle Anthology territory here -
but is that such a bad thing?).  Original mixes to be used.  All to be
digitally remastered.
Theme:  The four CDs could include segues linking some (but not all) of the
tracks.  Perhaps some brief snippets from Go+, or something like the puppet
show in "The Road to O&L" video.  Snippets of studio chat/mucking about?
Some musical narrative to bind it all thematically?
BOOKLET:  Comprehensive and informative with anecdotes from the guys
themselves. Extensive recording/production notes. (Again cf the KC box for
an outstanding example of how these booklets can be done).

Also, if all the single versions from "The Compact XTC" were included on a
box set, it would render this compilation obsolete.  Perhaps a single CD
compilation selecting the highlights of the box set (remastered) could be
issued to replace "Compact", and provide an alternative to the more
expensive box set.

All idle speculation of course, but fiddle-dee-dee I say!

Paul of Oz.

PS: I got a private e-mail from a new Chalkhills subscriber who just happens
to live in my city!  Talk about small world!  I'm looking forward to meeting
this guy and sharing our interest in XTC.  But in the meantime, let's all
welcome Steve Porter, from Canberra, Australia, to the Chalkhills list.

------------------------------

Message-Id: <199605070809.RAA22509@patton.gate.asahi-net.or.jp>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 17:16:27 +0900
From: mn8t-mls@asahi-net.or.jp (Ted Mills)
Subject: XTC or not?

Lucas sez:
>
>So here are the lyrics:
>
>This is the land where I was born
>in the bosom of technology

Irony of ironies, this is a song off the most recent David Byrne album!
It's called "A Long Time Ago" and I think the whole album is good, his best
since "The Catherine Wheel".  Came out in 1994.  Underrated.

Ted

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ted Mills                               "Put some make-up on your face
Crystal Mansion 201                       Make this world a better place"
Shimotakatsu 2-3-21                                        - Kahimi Karie
Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki-ken
Japan 300                                   mn8t-mls@asahi-net.or.jp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

------------------------------

Message-ID: <23BDD62F01291300@ametsoc.org>
Date: Tue, 7 May 96 09:43:00 -0500
From: dgershmn <dgershmn@ametsoc.org>
Organization: AMS
Subject: "Somnambulist"

To answer one of Michael W.'s
questions, a "somnambulist" is
basically a sleepwalker. Which of
course makes you realize just how
appropriate the music in "The
Somnambulist" is...it's about as close
to a musical sleepwalk as I could
imagine! (And I DO mean that in a good
way, of course.)

 Interesting musical juxtaposition that
just occurred to me: Play "The
Somnambulist" back-to-back with the
Kinks' "Sleepwalker"! They'd also make
a nice start and finish for a
compilation tape of songs with a sleep
theme, if you were so inclined (or
maybe "reclined" in this case).

------------------------------

From: bdaniel@hayes.com
Date: Tue,  7 May 96 10:34:38 EDT
Message-ID: <009A1F894171D200.2023C28F@hayes.com>
Subject: humans screaming

Killjoy you'll win no bee
male parvenu has no e
you came to rain but lied
hmmm
humans screaming

Most fans of thirty plus
skip over what means jack to us
we let those smart nerds play
humans screaming
sucker sucker sucker sucker

So what that some have wound up bored
five years between records and no tour
a grant to solve net populace sounds like
a project you should take
on the last train to your last name and I'll meet
you at the station

My cup is full and warm
another saddled denizen
oh let freedom ring
humans screaming
fuck you fuck you
humans screaming
fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you

------------------------------

Message-Id: <9605071440.AA12700@hpl.lut.ac.uk>
From: C Browning <C.Browning-95@student.lboro.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-110
Date: Tue, 7 May 96 15:40:44 BST

two things about the last chalkhills -

1. andy partridge is a DOCTOR WHO fan? i have really died and gone to
heaven - i knew he was a genius that man but....WOW!

2. that newspaper cutting about hootie and the blowfish (why, i mean why?
what is teh point of them?) describing xtc and teh cardigans as wilfully
obscure.  xtc aren't obscure to me, but the cardigans obscure? has the guy
heard their stuff? they are the most accessible band for ages the
cardigans. try the album folks its pretty funny!

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 07 May 1996 14:33:11 -0400
From: "Brian T. Marchese" <btmarche@student.umass.edu>
Subject: Misc' XTC references
Message-id: <01I4FEMXCIPY9PRERH@bronte.oit.umass.edu>

Hello, everyone:
First off, a somnabulist is a sleepwalker.
Where does it say Terry was spooked during the Black Sea sessions? I
thought he was just 1) drunk 2) stingy w/ his beer 3)kicking major ass
(dude) on the drums.

Anyway...I just remembered how a couple months back I saw this book in
Newbury Comics called "From Rock to Rock". Always interested in the
subject, and always curious to see whether XTC, The Monkees or The Fall are
mentioned in general Rock books, I was excited to see XTC mentioned twice
in the index.  While flipping through, it soon hit me: This was a
Christian, anti-rock book!  The gist of the book was to list the evils of
modern society and then list all the bands who celebrate these evils!
Basically, if a band wasn't mentioned, it was probably because the author
never heard of them, because almost EVERY BAND IMAGINABLE was EVIL! Why
XTC? Well, if I recall correctly, it was because of
1) celebrating devil worship/rejecting Christ (I assume because of Dear God
and all the Pagan references in other songs
2) celebrating drug/alcohol abuse (I assume because of Andy's habit of
sneaking beer/alcohol/drinking references into many of his songs, as well
as "Grass", "What in the World" and [this is a stretch] Funkpoparoll?)

So, any of the God-fearing out there, UNSUBSCRIBE NOW!! YOU ARE REALLY
LISTENING TO THE DEVIL WHEN YOU SLAP ON "MUMMER"!

Uh, what else? Oh yeah. Flipping through an old edition of Rolling Stone's
"The Book of Rock Lists" from 1980-81, and XTC appear under:
1)Bands with sexual connotations in their names
2)Loudest live bands

Now, isn't that funny. Contained within those three magical letters (XTC)
there lurks sex, drugs AND rock and roll!

It's funny: I actually find XTC, the band, like a drug: I have to listen to
them regularly or I freak. When I over-do it,I feel kind of sick, but when I
let enough time pass, a perfect listening experience results in euphoria,
a sense of well-being and nothing can bother me for hours. Wow. God (or
someone) bless 'em.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 07 May 96 14:40:41 CDT
From: "Bernhardt, Todd" <tbernhardt@aga.com>
Message-Id: <9604078315.AA831501542@cc.perftech.com>
Subject: Andy/Elvis & pop, Urgh: A Flame War?

Hi, fellow chalkaholics.

From: fisher@easynet.co.uk (Mark Fisher)
>So far the black music question has prompted most Chalkies to go into
>self-analysis about the content of their own record collections (as much as
>anything, I think, to prove their anti-racist credentials), but I'm just
>wondering about Andy, Colin and Dave's record collections. If the influence
>on their music was less New York Dolls, Captain Beefheart and 60s
>psychedelia, and more Motown, R&B and funk, would the resultant cocktail be
>any more commercially palatable?

I don't know about commercially palatable, but Mark brings up an
interesting point. I was listening to Elvis' "Brutal Youth" the other
morning and thinking what the difference was between him and my other fave
brilliant lyricist (Andy, of course). Lyrically, I think it's Elvis'
fondness for pure word-play (meaning I think he'll sometimes go for style
over substance, or chooses the clever phrase over the deep meaning), and
musically I think it's Elvis' fondness for, or roots in, R&B and country,
as opposed to Andy's roots in late-60s (mostly white) rock and pychedelia.

Even so, Elvis C. hasn't been much more successful than XTC. So maybe we're
back to the intelligence-of-the-lyrix theory.

From: "Daniel Prendiville" <modjp@indigo.ie>:
>Far be it for me to precipitate on any one's parade (especially being a
>parvenue member of the XTC fraternity), but can we have a little less of
>the fantasy video meanderings of some of our correspondents, please?
>Frankly, I find a lot of it rather embarrassing.

Actually, that thread is rather old, Dan, and has been gone quite some time.
(BTW, whose thesaurus do you use?)

>I would have thought that most XTC fans would be of a "certain age" (i.e.
>30+) and would, accordingly have more common sense than to rant on about
>seagulls with human faces etc. At this point in time, I would have thought
>that most XTC fans have been faced with some, if not all, of the
>fundamental choices that most denizens of Western civilisation (including
>the members of XTC themselves) would have had to face (e.g. marriage,
>children, mortgages, carrier decisions etc.). In that light, is it not
>possible to discuss a matter of common interest in a matoor (for our
>American correspendents) manner, rather than to indulge in childish
>speculation about a media which is vacuous in content and manipulative in
>intent? Or was that question mark prematoor?

As I recall, our seagull poster was not exactly ranting -- it was a bit
closer to a tongue-in-cheek video patische. And though I fall into your
30+ age group, I think you've got your basic demographics wrong.
Could it be you're trying to pull us into an immature (that's the way
correspondents spell it in America) flame war?

ByeBye!

------------------------------

Message-ID: <318F2F4F.1991@mindspring.com>
Date: Tue, 07 May 1996 06:09:03 -0500
From: Ted Lee <clayhnry@mindspring.com>
Subject: shameless commerce division?

>Oops.  One more thing.  Anybody know this Clay Henry clan from Atlanta?
> Seems they have a shameless commerce division name of Ted Lee, but
>he's welcome if what he says has a modicum of truth.
>
>Anybody heard Supersize?
>
>Thanks
>Bob

Well, I hadn't intended on blowing my own horn twice, but since Bob decided
to label me a "shameless commerce division", I just had to write back !

I have been raised on XTC. I learned to write songs by listening to XTC all
the way from White Music to Nonsuch. I learned to play bass by studying
Colin, and learned the art of melody from Andy. So, needless to say, my
music has a definite XTC connection....

I invite other "indie" artists with "indie" product out there influenced by
aforementioned pop gods to plug away here. I myself would be interested in
finding music that would probably appeal to me. If Bob considers it
shameless, well, let 'ol Bob worry about that one. I'd like to hear from
you !

As for Clay Henry references, you can download soundbites if you're
interested from http://www.mindspring.com/~clayhnry/henry.html. You can
read reviews of the band if your interested (but of course, we left out all
the bad stuff...), or you can visit http://sandbox.99x.com/locals.html and
check out 99x's DJ Steve Craig's best indie CD's from Atlanta for
1995. Supersize ranked 8th.

Now I will not plug away in here again. I know how it annoys me when topics
loosely connected with XTC get snowballed in to long running debates.
Anyone interested in Clay Henry, check out our web site or email me. I'll
be happily to enlighten you.

Cheers !

Ted Lee/Clay Henry

------------------------------

Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19960508020237.00699e54@dave-world.net>
Date: Tue, 07 May 1996 21:02:37 -0500
From: Eric Adcock <eadcock@dave-world.net>
Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-110

I knew that the Seagulls video idea was a short and silly response to a
silly thread.  I didn't know that it was such a bad idea that it would be
repeatedly referenced as a bad example for weeks to follow.

It was one of the two or three posts I've ever sent to this list.  I'm
probably being too sensitive, but I don't plan to ever post again.

Sorry for the tangent.  Say hi to Andy, Colin and Dave for me.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 8 May 1996 00:07:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: Laura Parent <laura@geosun1.sjsu.edu>
Subject: Unresponsive spouses
Message-Id: <Pine.SUN.3.92.960508000240.2773B-100000@geosun1.sjsu.edu>

> I haven't been able to turn my wife onto them either,.....
> but she prefers listening to the same five Air Supply and Carly
> Simon albums over and over. She's comfortable with what's familiar.

The real question is, how could you marry someone like that? (Just
kidding)

------------------------------

Message-Id: <199605081524.AAA21549@mita2.cc.mita.keio.ac.jp>
Subject: GUESS WHAT?
Date: Thu, 09 May 1996 00:24:07 +0900
From: Naoyuki Isogai <b9400863@mita2.cc.mita.keio.ac.jp>

  I WONDER WHAT ON EARTH THOSE THREE WISE MEN REALLY WANT...

---- NaoyuKing (20) in Japan

------------------------------

Message-ID: <22BFD62F01291300@ametsoc.org>
Date: Thu, 9 May 96 09:12:00 -0500
From: dgershmn <dgershmn@ametsoc.org>
Organization: AMS
Subject: Carmen Sandiego soundtrack

Okay, so we know that XTC has "Cherry
in Your Tree" (great song, isn't it?)
on the Carmen Sandiego soundtrack, and
David Yazbek is all over it too ("The
Laughing Man" is an excellent CD, by
the way...run out and buy it if
previous discussions of it here haven't
already convinced you), but can anyone
tell me what the story is as far as
"Change My World" by "Johnny Nexdor and
His Neighbors"? If that's not XTC, it's
the damned best imitation I've ever
heard. The pseudonym would certainly be
classic XTC, it sounds like Andy
singing, and no vocalists are credited,
though they are on other songs. Writing
credits are not given to Andy
Partridge, but I thought that maybe
that was just to further obscure the
truth of the matter.
 Have you the answer? Please inform.

------------------------------

From: Kirk Taylor Waldrop <gt6680d@prism.gatech.edu>
Message-Id: <199605091943.PAA16325@acmex.gatech.edu>
Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-110Todd Rundgren and "Supergirl"
Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 15:43:00 -0400 (EDT)

Hello fellow Chalkhilians...

About two years ago I was talking to the sound man at one of my shows in
Atlanta and he told me a little story about Skylarking.  According to him
(he said he read it somewhere), Todd Rundgren, in an attempt to show
everyone that he could copy anyone's style and further boost his ego,
wrote "Supergirl" for XTC and it was so perfect an XTC copy that they
recorded it.  Does anyone know if there is any truth to this?  Also, does
anyone have "Jules Vernes Sketchbook" for trade as well as other outtakes?
 I have two 90 minute cassets of the Oranges and Lemons acoustic radio
tour for trade.

Kirk Waldrop

Song of the day..."Toys"

------------------------------

From: 7IHd <ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk>
Message-Id: <1874.9605092056@molnir.brunel.ac.uk>
Subject: Barry on Go2
Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 21:56:17 +0100 (BST)

Hi,

Ages, weeks and months ago, someone asked what it was that Barry played
on Go2 (the question was, I think, keyboard or organ). Sorry, I can't
find the original question (I've just searched a months worth of old
Chalkhills for 'Go2' and can't find it), but here's the answer anway:

  go2: barry played loads of things...

  crumar group 49 cheesy organ
  farfisa organ
  lawrence electric piano
  wurlitzer e-piano
  mini-moog
  clavinet
  steinway grand piano

Answer courtesy of Lu Edmonds, who asked Barry. Hopefully answers the
question (and should also be of interest to keyboardy people like me,
too). :-)

ttfn,
Phil
  _
 |_)|_ *|
 |  | )||   http://http2.brunel.ac.uk:8080/~ee92pmh/
 ========

------------------------------

Message-Id: <199605100129.LAA06726@warchives.riv.csu.edu.au.>
From: "Simon Knight" <sknight@warchivegw.riv.csu.edu.au>
Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 10:28:08 +0000
Subject: Unknown song...

It's not the ending of the world
It's just the closing of a discotecque...

I noticed in the archives someone was wondering if this was an
unknown XTC song.  Unfortunately not...
The song is called "A long time ago" by David Byrne (ex-Talking
Heads).  It's the first track on his 1994 album "David Byrne".

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 9 May 1996 18:57:41 -0700 (PDT)
From: Charles <6500mull@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu>
Subject: Newell recommendations? (and more)
Message-Id: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960509183039.17456A-100000@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu>

Greetings all!

I loved Martin Newell and Andy's "Greatest Living Englishman," and I was
wondering what might be some other Martin product that I might be
interested in (either solo, collaboration, or with one of his old bands
like "Cleaners of Venus"...sorry if I am misremembering that band name).
I know he has another album coming out in the not too distant future,
right?  I am probably only interested in something I can order on CD.
The more it sounds like "The Greatest Living Englishman," the better.

Thanks for any advice on that issue!

By the way, I thought I would just mention...and I certainly do not
intend to elicit flames here...that I am considerably less rhapsodic
about Eric Matthews than most of my Chalkhillian brethren seem to be.  I
don't dislike him at all...I am just a tad lukewarm.  Certainly the title
of the album is accurate...it is VERY heavy in there.  He's got the same
"serious artiste" vibe that Brit gloom folkie Edwyn Collins has, right
down to the close-up photos in the booklet.  But...I still like the album
fine; I'm just don't find it as absorbing as others apparently do.

And you know how people talk about misheard lyrics?  The first couple o'
times people referred to Mathhews, I thought they were taking about Dave
Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band (whose current "I eat too much" single
is one of the many reasons I don't listen to the radio).  I was confused
as to why XTC people would like the Dave Matthews Band...but then I
realized my error.

Thanks again for the help on Newell!

Bye,

Charles

------------------------------

Subject: The Off White Album
From: wwilson@mail07.mitre.org (Wesley H. Wilson)
Message-Id: <960510083832.709@mail07.mitre.org.0>
Date: Fri, 10 May 96 08:38:34 -0400

Newbury Comics (http://www.newbury.com) called me yesterday to say the
Martin Newell CD, "The Off White Album," had come in. I had special ordered
it several months ago. This is the album on which Dave Gregory contributes
the "clever guitars." The CD was $29, but I used a $3 off coupon - readily
available on-line and in Boston-area newspapers.

It's very good. "Call Me Michael Moonlight," "Ursula in a Waiting Room,"
and "When the Damsons are Down" are my favorites (so far). IMO, there isn't
a single bad track on the disc, which clocks in around 43 minutes. Copious
liner notes, too, and a photo of Dave Gregory.

Thanks to all the folks in Chalkhills who wrote about and recommended this
CD.

Wes

------------------------------

Message-ID: <3CC0D62F01291300@ametsoc.org>
Date: Fri, 10 May 96 08:43:00 -0500
From: dgershmn <dgershmn@ametsoc.org>
Organization: AMS
Subject: Obtaining demos, etc.

Can anyone help me out as to where I
could obtain any of the XTC demos
(other than ones released as B-sides),
such as "The Bull with the Golden
Guts," "Jules Verne's Sketchbook," and
any others? An address, an offer, or
just a friendly smile would be
appreciated.
 E-mail me at "dagersh@world.std.com"
 Many thanks!

Dave

------------------------------

Message-ID: <01BB3DCE.627DF5C0@rtriptow.vip.best.com>
From: Robert Triptow <rtriptow@best.com>
Subject: Skylarking with tank treads is on the web

Hello, Chalkhillians,

Back in #104 I posted a long story about meeting Brian Wilson and
talking to him about XTC, then meeting Andy Partridge and talking to him
about the Beatles.

Some of you may remember that I also described getting Partridge to
"finish the drawing" on my copy of "Skylarking." He gave the nymph on
her back a set of tank treads for feet. I also said that if there were
any interest, I'd scan the cover and put on the web page, as well as
sending a copy to the Chalkhills archives.

And so I did. I'll let Mr. Relph handle the image for the archives, but,
in the meantime, it's there for the viewing at my web site:

http://www.skyhouse.org/robert/

Thanks to all of you who expressed an interest in seeing it. Just my way
of contributing to a forum that never fails to amuse and inform.

--Robert Triptow

------------------------------

Message-Id: <v01530500adb99445597c@[132.170.24.80]>
Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 19:58:16 -0500
From: dcm80229@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu (Derek Miner)
Subject: 1,2,3,4,5 Employees Working Overtime

I just wanted to drop a line to share this tidbit with everyone...

For the summer, I got a job working in a "record" store, Peaches (If you
live in the south, like Florida, you've probably heard of it. If you're up
north, chances are you haven't).

Well, as the newbie, I have to be figuratively chained to a cash register
for hours with no reprive. The good thing about all this is what's right
above the registers. A wall of album slicks with (among many others) none
other than messrs Partridge, Moulding and Gregory looking out over the
store. When in Orlando (I assume) they signed a slick of "Oranges and
Lemons," which will forever (presumably) be displayed on that wall. It's
pretty high up there, so I can only glance upwards to see the signature of
Mr. Partridge in lovely metallic paint pen along with randomly drawn
"bubbles," flanked by the plain marker signatures of Colin and Dave... I
will most likely never grasp it. That is unless the world suddenly decides
XTC is so obscure they don't even deserve to clutter the Peaches wall with
their gaudy color-splashed album cover...

No matter *how* much we can't get the world to recognize the genius of the
boys from Swindon, *that* scenario will probably never happen.

= Derek Miner =
  dcm80229@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu
    http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~dcm80229/

------------------------------

End of Chalkhills Digest #2-111
*******************************

Go back to Volume 2.

11 May 1996 / Feedback