Chalkhills Digest Volume 2, Issue 7
Date: Wednesday, 4 October 1995
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 2, Number 7
Wednesday, 4 October 1995
Today's Topics:
Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-5
Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-6
Dave Gregory sighting...
Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-5
Similarities
Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-6
tribute tape
Extatic Demos No. 6 & 7 are here
CD's
Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-6
Turning people onto XTC.
Re: Chalkhills and children
Death to Virgin/EMI!!
Re: Chocolate Fireball
Melt The Guns TAB
Judybats?
Andy and Blur
Re: Shriekback
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The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.
And we'll bring back cheese for my Auntie Jane.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: M Wilson <mw25@unix.york.ac.uk>
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 19:05:49 +0100
Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-5
> From: st004422@brownvm.brown.edu (Gene "Sp00n" Yoon)
> Subject: Some other funk and pop to roll
>
> So a new release from XTC is out of the question this year. In the
> meantime, you can chew on the new BLUR album, "The Great Escape". Still
> with their XTCness, "Escape" sounds like a winner, though I need a few more
> listens to really appreciate the new songs.
Actually Supergrass sound much more like XTC. I don't know if their
LP has been released in the US yet. It sounds not unlike Drums and
Wires period XTC which augers well for a first.
> BEAUTIFUL SOUTH has a "Best" album coming.
Must be a blank disc then!
> From: ee92pmh@brunel.ac.uk
>
> So I don't know if 'The Great Escape' is out in the USA yet, but for
> those of you in the UK or wherever or who have got it, answer me this:
> Is Blur turning into XTC?
Blur couldn't turn a corner. Damian All-Bran fancies himself as a
latter day Andy Partridge but hasn't the talent to be a latter day Ken
Dodd to be honest.
> From: Jon Johnson <76614.3063@compuserve.com>
>
> 1) In a "Big Takeover" interview a couple of years ago Andy said that
> "Vanishing Girl" was a Hollies tribute from start to finish. Specifically,
> listen to "On a Carousel."
...And also 'Bus Stop' and 'No Milk Today' which is almost quoted in
'Vanishing Girl' . Both these are Graham Gouldman songs - same guy
that wrote 'For Your Love' and some other psychadelic stuff for the
Yardbirds - another influence?
> other than that I agree with Mike, and Martin, Chalkhills's other Pentangle
> fan! "Zummertime is with uz wunce agaaaaannn..."
> James Dignan, Department of Psychology, University of Otago.
Thank goodness there's another one. I was beginning to think I'd made
them up. It also occurs to me - Curved Air? Especially 'Puppets',
'Jumbo' and 'Stretch'.
> 4. Have You Seen Jackie-- instrumental keyboard break sounds like
> early Elvis Costello. Lyrically like Pink Floyd, Arnold Layne.
Also reminicent of The Who's 'I'm A Boy'.
'Your a Good Man Albert Brown' - Basically a re-run of Pink Floyd's
'Corporal Clegg'.
> 10. The Affiliated (instrumental bit)-- Byrds, So You Wanna be a Rock n
> Roll Star
Definately the Kinks.
--
Martin Wilson, University of York, UK
------------------------------------------------------------------------
All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals
An it harm none, do what you will
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 02 Oct 1995 14:15:52 -0600 (MDT) From: Eric Muller <EMULLER@UWYO.EDU> Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-6 Stephen Gilligan wrote with lavish praise of Martin Newell's "...Englishman" in the last Chalkhills Digest. As I wrote in an earlier Chalkhills, I have been disappointed with "...Englishman" since I bought it--especially disappointed because of the rave reviews here that prompted me to buy it in the first place. To my ear, this disc sounds like Martin and Andy went into the studio and said: "Let's record a Rutles album." I *love* the Beatles, mind you, but this stuff is simply too derivative to be taken seriously--not just in the songwriting, but also (especially) in the production. I had my fill of this kind of stuff with Utopia's "Deface the Music." I like a Beatles-influenced band as much as the next person, but the influence here is just too pervasive. In my humble opinion, of course. Eric emuller@uwyo.edu
------------------------------ From: "Allan Blackman" <BLACKMAN@alkali.otago.ac.nz> Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 11:24:54 GMT+1200 Subject: Dave Gregory sighting... Gidday all Dave Gregory appears as arranger of the string parts on the new album by King L called "Great day for Gravity" - the brains behind this group is Gary Clark, ex of the much missed band "Danny Wilson". The album itself is a beauty... Cheers Allan ***************************************************************** * Allan Blackman, Department of Chemistry, University of Otago, * * Dunedin, New Zealand. (World's Southernmost University) * * e-mail: blackman@alkali.otago.ac.nz * * ..I can resist anything except temptation.... * *****************************************************************
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 16:44:31 -0500 From: staylor@sky.net (Scott Taylor) Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-5 >As I was listening to rag and bone buffet last night it occurred to me >how much of xtc's music could broadly be considered childrens music, and >how much of it relates to children. Witness "Cherry In Your Tree" from the Carmen San Diego album -- ostensibly a kids' collection, after all -- or, better yet, "Change My World" from the same. (Billy Nexdor and his Neighbors -- yeah, right. Who else can this be?) >Does anyone know anything about P. Hux, Verve Pipe, or Space Hog? Never >heard of them, but they must be over the hill '70s glam rock outfits (what Verve Pipe opened for a friend's band when they played here locally a year or so ago. I paid no attention to them that night, but the name stuck in my head. I never expected to hear it again, but, lo and behold.... (As I recall, they were not a 70s holdover of any sort.) >As for 'Terry and the Lovemen,' if this isn't really XTC, it sure >is a brilliant name nonetheless. The several names under which they've released singles (see Rag & Bone Buffet), albums (the Dukes, of course) and other material (see above) set a pretty good precedent for this theory. Surely it's them. Scott Taylor XTC, TMBG, WEEN fan (in that order) staylor@sky.net
------------------------------ From: pcorless@claven.idbsu.edu (Phil Corless) Subject: Similarities Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 14:54:32 -0600 Browsing through CDnow, the on-line CD store, I found myself in the Paul McCartney section. Under "Similar Artists" was this simple listing: Elvis Costello, Michael Jackson, XTC, Wings He's worked with Elvis and Michael.... Can a collaboration with Andy Partridge be in the future? *-------------------------------------- Phil Corless Boise, Idaho pcorless@claven.idbsu.edu http://www.homeless.com/homepages/ pcorless@claven.idbsu.edu.html *--------------------------------------
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 18:38:12 -0600 (MDT) From: Big Earl Sellar <splitred@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca> Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-6 Hey howdy! Glad to read everyone again! I received a shock the other morning on the nationally broadcast radio show SUNDAY MORNING on the wonderful CBC. (Basically news/opinions/goofy articles show) After informing us of the location of Einstein's brain (*there's* a band name) the host Ian Brown switched to their "Audiofiles" contest; using soundclips, figure out what recent story in the news they're referring to. So, they play the clip to last week's, (for the answer) and what comes belting outta my stereo? SENSES WORKING OVERTIME! And afterwards, Brown mentioned "... by the great English band XTC. Remember how strange and fresh that sounded when it came out? Now it sounds like something out of a jar." Which kinda got me thinking. I remember the first time I heard SWO. I was already into XTC, but the strange production and the way the song stuck in my head for weeks blew me away. I think it was a minor hit over here, because you heard it on the radio occasionally. And re-listening to it this morning made me realize that it *has* left it's mark on a lot of stuff released since - crap like ABC and Haircut 100 come to mind. Anyone else have opinions? Great to be back. And yes, I won't mention the f*ck*ng B**tl*s! :) Later... EEEEEEE no struggletown no bemused trudeau EEE Big Earl Sellar no solitary walks through vacant lots EEEEE mersh@tibalt.supernet.ab.ca in moonglow EE splitred@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca - The Tragically Hip "Inch an Hour" EEEEEE (Hey, all you young Canadians e-mail me now for scary economic info) (btw, the clue was "senses -> census" about how this year's nationally census will include unpaid housewives *finally*! OK, silly clue, but...)
------------------------------ From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 13:45:19 +1200 Subject: tribute tape >To Melissa: I'd cover "All Of A Sudden(It's Too Late)." I recorded a ver- >sion of it with a Korg Poly 6 synth about ten years ago. It worked really >well as a synth-drone dirge, but it might cause manic depressives to want >to slit their wrists. I probably still have the tape somewhere. Any plans >to compile a tribute tape of Chalkhills subscribers? Hey, now there's an idea - the Robyn Hitchcock list did a pretty good subscribers cover tape recently. Took a while to get things sorted out (like the tape tree and getting permission from Robyn - he received a copy when it was finished!), but it came out pretty damn well. But no, I am NOT stepping forward to organise this thing!!! James James Dignan, Department of Psychology, University of Otago. Ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk St., St. Clair, Dunedin, New Zealand pixelphone james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz / steam megaphone NZ 03-455-7807 * You talk to me as if from a distance * and I reply with impressions chosen from another time, time, time, * from another time (Brian Eno)
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 19:57:31 -0700 (PDT) From: A Sattler <ahs@nevada.edu> Subject: Extatic Demos No. 6 & 7 are here Greetings all, the new mail order flyer from Alibi Records lists the latest in the series of Extatic demo CDs as being available at $24.99 each (call them about postage and tax). In the flyer No. 6 is called "Skylarking and More" and No. 7 is "Jules Verne's Sketchbook" (!) They still show Demos no. 1-5 as being available as well (look at the Chalkhills discographies for more info). They will reserve items if you call. Alibi Records P.O. Box 667 Jericho, NY 11753 phone (516) 937-1395, fax (516) 937-1385 (10:30-6:30 M-F) Enjoy! Annie S.
------------------------------ Subject: CD's From: jd.mack@neteast.com (JD MACK) Date: Mon, 02 Oct 95 23:16:00 -0400 Organization: Online Technologies, Inc. - Modem: 301-738-0000 Some advice to all you folks. If the rumor is true, and Geffen IS deleting all of the XTC back catalog, DO NOT run out to fill the gaps in your collection. History shows that SOMEONE will pick up the rights to the back catalog, and when they do, they will release digitally remastered CD's from the original master tapes of all the XTC product. The back catalog of Emerson Lake & Palmer is a good example of this, and now I hear a THIRD company will be remastering their catalog. Patience will be rewarded!! Hmmmmm . . . XTC covers? Well, I actually have an acoustic version of "Train Running Low On Soul Coal" that I'm dying to play at an open mike night, if I can find the time (along with my acoustic rendition of "Fingertips" by They Might Be Giants). As long as I've come out from my lurk ... Didn't someone mention a while back that there were a few bands on "Testimonial Dinner" that they hadn't heard of before? Maybe one of them is XTC, and not Terry & The Love Men.
------------------------------
From: "Louis Barfe's IbMePdErRoIoAmL" <L.Barfe@lancaster.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-6
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 09:16:46 +0100 (BST)
Is this serious about XTC giving up all rights to their back catalogue?
Dear God. Why should my favourite band have to give up their birthright
to keep the corporate scum happy?
And as for Blur, It Could Be You is Statue Of Liberty with the intro
>from Respectable Street. Blur said as much in last month's Mojo.
Louis.
--
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's only one word for this. Magic darts.
Sid Waddell
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louis Barfe-employed, miraculously.
L.Barfe@lancaster.ac.uk
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
read Scan-The student newspaper of the University of Lancaster
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ From: DAMIAN FOULGER <SPXDLF@cardiff.ac.uk> Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 11:40:39 GMT Subject: Turning people onto XTC. Ben Gott wrote: > Does anyone have any ideas of how I can turn members of my high > school community on to XTC? Alas, if they are cloth-eared nincompoops then there is nothing that you can do. On an XTC/Virgin note, it is all really very sad isn't it? It really seems that Virgin are being mean. If a multinational company can be likened to an animal then they are a big huge dog in an even larger manger. Why don't they just say, 'Thanks XTC, we've made a zillion dollars from you an not paid you a penny, so we'll let you go' ? Bizarre huh?! What can we do as XTC fans to help them out? Perhaps we could start one of those email chain letters that the two Japanese students did complaining about the French nuclear testing; you probably all saw it. Apparently they were getting over 2000 emails a day with 100 names one each and had to send out mails asking people to stop it because it was turning into a Frankenstein's Monster! Why don't we start one asking Virgin/EMI to be nicer to their bread winners? A vain plan I'm sure..... Dames TWD (Life is good in the greenhouse:XTC) (You told me you saw Jesus, but I could only see a tree: Amber)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 10:27:31 +1000
From: pgm2@cornell.edu (Peter Mullin)
Subject: Re: Chalkhills and children
>As I was listening to rag and bone buffet last night it occurred to me
>how much of xtc's music could broadly be considered childrens music, and
>how much of it relates to children.
Well, I don't know if this directly relates, but...
My wife and I recently became new parents (thank you, thank you).
Needless to say, our son was exposed to large quantities of XTC in utero,
in hopes that at least some of that influence would rub off on him. On the
night that things started to happen, we discovered that the drive to the
birth center from home was exactly one 'Skylarking' long. We found that
that particular offering (T. Rundgren's "continuity concept" and all)
helped to ease some of the effort for the mother-in-progress, and of
course, "Earn Enough For Us" resonates very powerfully for me now! (and on
a related note, I can now appreciate the "other side" of "Pink Thing": it
also being a song about a baby, maybe).
I would agree that XTC's music is not "children's music", per se,
but rather music from a "child-like" mindset (positive, open to the wonder
of the world, and with a certain innocence, perhaps [although A.P.
certainly has his cynical moments, thank goodness!]). I hesitate to bring
this up, since it is now so laden with New-Age-as-product crap, but one
might consider XTC's musci as being from the much-belabored "inner child".
One has only to consider songs like "Then She Appeared", "Summer's
Cauldron", "Dear Madam Barnum", "Mayor of Simpleton", "Ballet for a Rainy
Day", "Chalkhills and Children", or almost any of the others to see the
combination of "child-like" and "adult" material. Maybe we don't have to
"grow up" all the way after all...
Re my earlier posting, thanks to all who have so kindly provided
listening suggestions for Dukes-ish tunes. I've thought of a few others
myself: Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians, Love (especially parts of "Da
Capo"), Klaatu (yes, remember them? Not "Calling Occupants...", but "Dr.
Marvello", "Sub-Rosa Subway", and even "Anus of Uranus"), and how about
early Spinal Tap?
Take care, folks.
Peter.
Peter Mullin
Department of Plant Pathology
Cornell University
334 Plant Science Building
Ithaca, NY 14853-4203
(607) 255-7862; FAX: (607) 255-4471
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 03 Oct 95 10:26:54 CDT
From: "Bernhardt, Todd" <tbernhardt@aga.com>
Subject: Death to Virgin/EMI!!
ZITTEL@aol.com wrote in #2, Vol. 6 that Virgin/EMI are trying to claim
ownership of the new demos that Andy has written, since they were
written while under contract!! It is time, fellow Chalkholios, to unite
against the twisted, insidious evil mentality that is driving these
buttholes! Why must they torment the world's greatest pop band in
this manner?? What did XTC ever do to them except make them money? I
refuse to believe that they ever LOST money on an XTC album -- even if
they did, I'm sure the catalog overall has been profitable.
THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. Tell ya what we do. We all get together outside
Virgin's various offices with a bunch of potato sacks. As each exec
exits on their way home to beat/torment the spouse/children/dog, we
slip the sack over 'em, pummel 'em good, drive 'em to the chalkhills,
ur, cliffs of Dover, and dump 'em off! (The East River or the
Pacific will do nicely for the US execs).
OR, maybe we could torment them every chance we get over the 'net or
various online services. A "LET MY POP BAND GO" campaign or
something. I'll start with the Virgin forum on Compu$serve -- the sysop
knows me well 'cause he's already deleted some pro-XTC messages I left
-- but someone's going to have to see them before he censors them.
Who's with me, then? (Just think what may happen if we succeed -- Andy
might be so appreciative that he would agree to tour!)
------------------------------ From: ChrisMezzo@aol.com Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 11:09:16 -0400 Subject: Re: Chocolate Fireball In reading #2-5 and someone's synopsis of the Dukes influences, I saw this: >12. It's Snowing Angels-- Lovin' Spoonful, What a Day for a Daydream, Donovan, Mellow Yellow. As derivative as it may be, it's still a masterpiece!! Not having the vinyl of 25 O'Clock and Psonic Psunspot (only the Geffen "C.F." CD) this is a mystery to me! I only own one actual XTC album (O&L on CD) and have some XTC mix tapes from a friend, but this title doesn't ring a bell! Was it on a 1st pressing or something? C
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 00:04:13 -0800
From: hbmus047@dewey.csun.edu (Ian Dahlberg)
Subject: Melt The Guns TAB
For Mike in Melbourne, most of the magnificent moments in "Melt The
Guns" I managed to muster...
Key:
D D/C# F Amin C A7 Bb13
E 2 2 1 0 3 5 3
B 3 3 1 1 5 5 3
G 2 2 2 2 5 6 1
D 4 4 3 2 5 5 3
A 5 4 3 0 3 7 1
E X X 1 X 3 5 1
The opening hook I believe, can be done barring the 8th fret and flicking
the upper two strings,( or picking) ...
"Melt the Guns... ...and ne- ver want to fire them"
E 8 11 11 11 13 11 13 15 13 11
B 11 10 10
G
The picking that follows...
E 3 0 3 3 0 3 3 0 3 0 3 1
B 3 3 2 2 1 1 1
G 2 2 2 1
Which is based on another guitar part (strummed)...
A7sus A7 Amin7
E 5 5 5
B 5 5 5
G 7 6 5
D 5 5 5
A 7 7 7
E 5 5 5
Chunk the following chords using the above suggested voicings and you'll
recognize what's going on.
Programs of violence, as entertainment, brings the disease in to your room
D D/C# F Amin C A7 Eb D Bb13
Lead in to chorus:
Prevention is better than cure, bad apples affecting the pure, you'll
gather your
C D Bb
senses I'm sure then, aaaaaaaaagrreee to melt the guns...
I know there's more but I think I got the important stuff. I'll try and
sneak in "Yacht Dance" next week. Feedback always appreciated!
Ian
------------------------------ From: "Burgess, Christopher (MSMail)" <BURGESSC@nela1.lighting.light.ge.com> Subject: Judybats? Date: Tue, 03 Oct 95 16:48:00 PDT Hello all, Not too timely, but does anybody else think that "Pain Makes You Beautiful" by the Judybats is sheer genius? Or is it just me? Talk about being fully steeped in your influences and in love with tunes, melody and word play. Yeah, maybe a little precocious, but well worth it. Anyone know of the penultimate XTC bumper sticker or t-shirt? Chris B.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Oct 95 08:56 BST-1 From: joeo@cix.compulink.co.uk (Psion plc Joe Odukoya) Subject: Andy and Blur > There was a real-life connection between XTC and Blur a few years back > when Andy did some work as producer on Modern Life is Rubbish, Blur's > second album, and a departure from the "Manchester" sound of their > first. Andy's work is not credited on the album notes. Sources say the > tracks he worked on were "Chemical World," "Sunday Sunday," and one > other > nonalbum track. Stephen Street is credited as the "official" album > producer. Actually Andy's version of the tracks never made it as official releases. The version of these songs that appear on the album were produced by Stephen Street. I sat in a lecture theatre during a Q&A session with Blur and asked what it was like to Work with Andy - to which they replied that he was terrible to work with, an absolute monster (actually they were less complimentary than that!) while they were in the studio *but* when he was drinking with them in the pub he was great, a really nice, witty guy. So they liked him as a person but found they just could not work with him... Anyone who has read "Chalkhills & Children" probably knows that this talk of Andy's studio behaviour has the ring of truth... (By the way: I've actually posted this before but thought it was relevant enough to be worth posting again...) I'd love to hear the Andy versions of these songs... - Joeo - ||| [Ov0] -
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Oct 1995 13:44:19 -0400 (EDT) From: terry kroetsch f <tkroetsc@mach1.wlu.ca> Subject: Re: Shriekback Sorry if this has been dealt with already but... I read a review of the new Schriekback CD (or was it just a concert) - a rather unplugged world-music affair. Does anything exist? Is there a contact address for Barry and Shriekback? I REALLY need to know. HELP. Terry
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #2-7 *****************************
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