Chalkhills Digest Volume 3, Issue 110
Date: Friday, 9 May 1997
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 110
Friday, 9 May 1997
Today's Topics:
Upsy Daisy Review-sy
Fan Mail
Tokyo Party photo page got Steve's
Who In The World Is Charlie Parker?
Re: Who exactly is Charlie Parker?
Bamboo Groove
Cathy Dennis! No XTC.
alternate tunings
Critics and Cream
Dukes, Drugs, and Ladybirds
My momma always said
Comments & Questions
RE: The Ladybird was Colin
Macca mix-up
re: harmonies
rather cold and dry
Jazzy stuff
Caramelous
Various
XTC and how I blew it
TribTape Credits and an XTC rewrite (uh-oh)
want to hear the new demos?
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The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors.
Just you raise your voice in chorus.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 07 May 97 10:58:01 PST
From: "Sean Robison" <sean_robison@cpsmtp.CP.Disney.com>
Message-Id: <9704078630.AA863031917@cpsmtp.cp.disney.com>
Subject: Upsy Daisy Review-sy
Hiya [insert your own cute variation of Chalkhills here],
Through the magic of someone dear to me, also known as my wife, whom
works in the music biz, I am currently sitting at my desk listening to
an advanced copy of Upsy Daisy Assortment. So... I thought I'd chip in
with an advanced review.
First off, the sound is amazing. While there were definite sonic
improvements on Fossil Fuels, the improvements on Upsy Daisy are
incredible - instruments that were once buried in the regular mixes
come leaping out of the speakers. Some of the songs have a fresh, new
vitality to them as if I were listening to them for the first time. I
wish whoever ends up with the band's back catalog would remaster all
the albums to the same level this compilation's at.
While things could change at the last minute, the track listing is:
1. Life Begins at the Hop
2. Making Plans for Nigel
3. Generals & Majors
4. Respectable Street (the censored single version)
5. Senses Working Overtime
6. Ball and Chain
7. No Thugs in Our House
8. Love on a Farmboy's Wages
9. Funk Pop A Roll
10. This World Over
11. Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her
12. Grass
13. Dear God
14. Earn Enough For Us
15. The Mayor of Simpleton
16. King For a Day
17. Chalkhills and Children
18. The Disappointed
19. The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead
Can't make any comments on the booklet or the package design since,
being this is an advance copy... there isn't any booklet or package
design! However, I did get one new photo of the band, that I'm sure
will be part of the promotional push.
There is also this blurb on the back of the jewel box:
"One of alternative rock's most respected and prolific groups, XTC has
been creating its unique brand of quirky pop for the last two decades.
Upsy Daisy Assortment (The Sweetest Hits) encompasses tracks from the
band's eight most recent albums.
Formed in 1977, XTC quickly distinguished itself with its
innovative rhythms and melodic twists. In 1978 White Music and Go 2
were released, though they were available only as imports in the
States. The next year the band issued Drums and Wires which boasted
the band's first English Top 20 hit, "Making Plans for Nigel." The
album also laid the foundation for success in the U.S. with an
official American release. XTC's next album, Black Sea, which featured
the vibrant "Generals and Majors" subsequently charted in the U.S. Top
50.
Major changes followed 1982's more acoustic double album, English
Settlement - which included the U.K. hit "Senses Working Overtime" -
when four years of grueling tours came to a halt. While onstage in
Paris, the band's lead vocalist and guitarist, Andy Partridge,
collapsed from a combination of stage fright and frustration at
struggling to reporduced the band's music live. Shortly thereafter,
XTC stopped touring for good.
In 1984 XTC released Mummer on Geffen. The label them reissued not
only the compliation Waxworks: Some Singles 1977-1982, but the band's
entire catalog. Later in 1984, XTC came out with a new studio album,
the harder, bluesier The Big Express.
1986 saw the release of Skylarking with the controversial hit "Dear
God". In 1989 the band released Oranges and Lemons, which was the No.
1 Modern Rock album 1989. The infectious track "The Mayor of
Simpleton" was Billboard's No. 1 Modern Rock track for five weeks.
In 1991, XTC cleaned out its valuts and Geffen released Rag n' Bone
Buffet, a compliation of cuts never before released in the U.S.
Closing Upsy Daisy Assortment ( The Sweetest Hits ) is XTC's No. 1
Modern Rock hit "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead", from the band's
13th and most recent album, 1992's Nonsuch."
There ya go! See ya.
Sean
[ The extended remix version of this press release
is available in the Chalkhills Archives -- John ]
------------------------------ From: BraincsDtr@aol.com Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 15:28:46 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <970507152336_1920709927@emout03.mail.aol.com> Subject: Fan Mail Sort of semi-XTC subject. Any fan of XTC or the Beatles should email fellow Chalkhiller Jason Garcia for a copy of his demos. He's got some great stuff. Quite catchy and bouncy and jangley and, well, just darn good stuff. He mailed me a tape and I've played it almost non-stop for the past week. Just a great way to spen an afternoon! Laurie
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199705080615.PAA09277@mail.ca2.so-net.or.jp> Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 15:22:14 +0900 From: n2_n@ca2.so-net.or.jp (Nishimatu) Subject: Tokyo Party photo page got Steve's From the Tokyo XTC Party web page. Now, you can see new photos from Steve(nihilon@crisscross.com) at here. http://www02.so-net.or.jp/~n2_n/xtc/p1.html This page exists till 31 May. $B@>>>Fs@$(J Nishimatu Nisei/Japan n2_n@ca2.so-net.or.jp CQA03750@niftyserve.or.jp http://www02.so-net.or.jp/~n2_n/
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 11:44:38 +0100 (BST) From: Chris Clee <cmc@sanger.ac.uk> Subject: Who In The World Is Charlie Parker? Message-Id: <Pine.OSF.3.91.970508114143.14678B-100000@manta> Amanda says I ask this because I know Andy's dog is (was?) named Charlie Parker, and b/c on my soap (yes, I watch the bastard son of fantasy, the soap opera), a guy just named this parrot that flew into this window Charlie Parker. So who IS this Charlie Parker????? You cannot be serious?? try really really really famous jazz artist in the record store near you. beats the hell out of all the usual stuff that one does ho ho. bye for now chris in cambridge UK
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s3719306.054@ic.si.edu> Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 08:47:14 -0400 From: Beth Wojiski <WOJISBE@ic.si.edu> Subject: Re: Who exactly is Charlie Parker? Hi all! Amanda, I had to answer this, because in my former years as an alto saxaphonist, if you didn't know the answer to this question, you were toast (it's shoved down the throat of all budding saxaphonists from day one): Charlie Parker is historically one of the best alto saxaphonists this century. Often dubbed "the greatest saxaphonist of all time" , he was big in the 40's and part of the 50's. Nicknamed "Bird," he was the master of improvisation, and is considered to have started the be-bop trend. "Ko-Ko," "Parker's Mood," and "Now's the Time" are the big songs that I remember from my school-days (our jazz band performed all of them in some form or other). I believe he was from Kansas City, MO, and unfortunately, was a drug addict (heroine, I think), which eventually destroyed him. He died in the mid-50's of his addiction, and he was only in his mid-30's at the time! His loss was felt by the entire jazz community. He is buried in his hometown, and someone scrawled "Bird Lives" in grafitti somewhere sometime after his death. To jazz enthusiasts, that is a very true statement, because his style affected so many other up-n-coming jazz musicians, and he is said to have changed the genre completely. Sorry for the somewhat disjointed presentation, but I'm going by memory here. Now that you've brought it up, I will probably hit the web at lunch today and see if I can find any info on him (and see if what I remember is indeed the case!) So, Amanda, does that answer your question? Now, what I'd really like to know, is what prompted Andy to name his dog after "Bird?" Cheers! Beth :-)
------------------------------ Message-ID: <3371FC40.1CC5@sprintmail.com> Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 09:16:00 -0700 From: Stormy Monday <stormymonday@sprintmail.com> Subject: Bamboo Groove Folxtc, You can add my name to the list of people recommending the purchase of Becki di Gregorio's debut CD, "Seven Worthies Of The Bamboo Grove". This is a fine debut album . The music is very personal, unblemished by record company suits trying to put art in a box for mass consumption. It cannot be placed in a category; it is what it is. The music is very subtle, but it goes down easily on first listen, defying Andy Partridge's assertion that "swallowing is easy when it has no taste". It reminds me of some of the better Chianti's that I've enjoyed: the first glass is good, the second is better, and by the third, I'm wishing I'd bought a case of it. Becki's guitar playing is light and airy, setting the listener immediately at ease. Her bass playing is understated and locked with the drums. Her song writing style is very melodic and devoid of cliches with lyrics that are personal and believable. But it is her beautiful voice that grabs the listener. Her singing style is unique. This word is often used to prepare the listener to bear with the singer, but I don't mean it that way at all. She sounds like no one else, but connects with the listener quickly and easily. Dave Gregory's work is brilliant, as to be expected, but it doesn't define the album for me. This is not XTC, this is Becki di Gregorio. Listening to "Seven Worthies-" is like meeting new friend that you feel you've known for years. Perhaps one day, people will be saying of a new artist, "She sounds like she's into Becki!". Buy this CD, and enjoy. Stormy Monday
------------------------------ Message-ID: <337205DE.1AB@netwalk.com> Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 09:57:02 -0700 From: Ian C Stewart <stewart@netwalk.com> Subject: Cathy Dennis! No XTC. Mark Fisher!: >I've been >finding the Cathy Dennis album, Am I the Kinda Girl, rather enjoyable. I >don't even think the Andy Partridge title track is the best thing on it. I agree to infinity. Cathy's new album is a damn triumph. Like I said before, it's commercial suicide because we all know the Sp*** G**** are what sells right now and it would've been easier for Cathy to keep doing her watery soul-crap or whatever she did before, pull her shirt real tight and act like a big tart on TV. My initial reaction to "Am I The Kinda Girl", the song AP co-wrote, was "what the hell Free song is *that* supposed to be?" What a moronic opening riff! Holy crap! Once I calmed down and stopped hyperventilating after first hearing the song I realized it fits in well with recent guitar-centric AP material like "Some Lovely" and ...I don't know, "Church Of Women" or something. I can hear AP in my mind's eye in an interview in my dreams describing the "immense idiot stomp" that propels the song. And Mark Fisher is right, it's NOT the best song on the album. The lyrics sound like Andy taking the piss out of a former teenybopper pop star===crap like "I'm the kind of screw your toolbox lacks"---- I mean, it's funny but... I can't imagine him letting something like that slide on an XTC album. I prefer "That Is Why You Love Me", which could've been a smash for the Cardigans...and the Jellyfish-in-drag intro of "Don't Take My Heaven." And, were it not for the too-shite-to-describe lyrics, "The Date" would've been BIG big big around my house. Ugh, some things should never be sung in a song "Christian Lacroix" is one of them. Great chorus though! I'm telling you, this record is a beast! Y'all would love it! Your girlfriends might let you play tapes in the car again with this one. And the Martin Newell "Off-White Album" hasn't come out of my tape deck in over a week. Even better than "Englishman" and that's no lie. Fer now, Ian C Stewart
------------------------------ Message-Id: <c=US%a=_%p=Barnes_?_Noble_I%l=MSENY1-970508140122Z-25981@mseny1.BN.COM> From: Greg Marrs <GMarrs@bn.com> Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 09:01:22 -0500 Subject: alternate tunings Here's hoping that this, my second posting, is less offensive than the first. Sorry if I bruised a few toes, but when you have size 14 feet, there's bound to be a few apologies necessary from time to time. I'm interested in some of the alternate tunings that Mr. P. & Mr. G. have used in various songs. I read one interview years back (I think that this is the article in 1984 Musician magazinethat Mitch Friedman was alluding to in his 5/5 "Ladybirtd" post.) where they discussed Beating of Hearts -- seems Andy restrung his Rickenbacker 12-string with unwound strings and tuned the entire thing to unisons and octaves. That sounds about right to me. I do a version of BOH in DADGAD that works out pretty well -- rather, it sounds pretty good. Can't say that anyone else has ever liked it all that much. No one ever much liked my version of No Thugs In Our House either. Philistines... On Poor Skeleton Steps Out, it sounds as if an acoustic guitar has been strung with ultra light guage electric strings to get that vibrating, pitch-wavering sound...Anyone out there know what they did to get that effect, and who is playing the acoustic track? And is that the acoutic guitar doubling CM's amazing bass line to give it that squirmy out of tune sound? Any other performers out there who work in XTC tunes from time to time? I'd like to hear which tunes you've worked up, and how they go over. And from Volume 3, #109: <<Anybody outside the UK read Nick Hornby's 'high fidelity' ?( -- jon monnick)>> Absolutely. I heartily recommend this book to everyone on this list. It's not only a hoot, but Hornby manages to tap into the way guys (some/most?) think with dead-on accuracy. It's out in the US in trade paperback now. Amanda -- here's one for your summer reading. << A friend and I have been engaged in a (at times) heated debate about Colin's songwriting ability... Colin's songs seem more "hit and miss" than Andy's.>> I just know I shouldn't chime in here. But I would have to agree. CM is perhaps my favorite bassist, period, and I don't think XTC would be XTC without his sound and contributions to the arrangements. But sometimes his lyrics are a bit goofy. Deliver Us From the Elements (which I originally misheard as "Elephants") comes to mind. It must be hard trying to live up to Mr. P's example.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v03007800af97424c26a0@[198.53.7.81]> Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 10:09:11 +0100 From: Erich Walther <enrico@fox.nstn.ca> Subject: Critics and Cream First off, my flavours of the week: It's Nearly Apricot No Chunks in our Mousse (scans right/pronounced wrong) A Cherry in your Treat (was this one already done?) Critics: The trouble with them is that you have to follow their opinions over time to get a grasp of their tastes, prejudices etc. You know from reading enough Dave Marsh his predilictions and can form your own opinions (if he likes it, it must be a Bruce clone band, for example). Then you can discount his raves and look more closely at what he doesn't like. We're lucky here in Ottawa that the weekly newspaper recording (can't call them records anymore) reviews are augmented by a touch-tone number that plays samples of the product being reviewed so you can read the review, give it a listen, and make up your own mind about the reviewer and reviewed. My dear AMANDA, once again you show your tender years. Take a trip to the music shop and hit the jazz bins under "P" for Mr. Parker. He's arguably one of the most influential jazz sax players in history, having, with Dizzy Gillespie and others created what's called Be-bop, from which nearly all extended soloing flows. At one point he hired a young trumpet player by the name of Miles (19 at the time). Or you could check out the excellent film biography of Parker directed by Clint Eastwood (yes THAT one) titled "Bird". He's also the subject of a Steely Dan tune "Mr. Parker's Band". Finally, anyone interested in awesome harmonies should check out the Tuvan throat singers: they'll make your hair stand on end (your flag unfurl?) Take care, all!
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 23:21:38 +0900 (JST) Message-Id: <199705081421.XAA12056@japan.co.jp> From: mikewix@japan.co.jp (mikewix) Subject: Dukes, Drugs, and Ladybirds Hi Chalkers! First of all, let me thank all of you who e-mailed me your answers to the survey (if you missed it, I posted in Digest #3-106; e-mail me for a list of the questions if you didn't get them the first time). The results of the survey will be announced in a couple weeks (for any of you that are still interested!) Some comments: > From: "KIMBERLY MARTIN" <KMAR0971@Mercury.GC.PeachNet.EDU> > ah, opinions, opinions, they're just like....well, you know, > everyone has one!! i'm really open-minded though, I love to hear > other people's opinions. My opinions at times aren't even based in > reality, just the way I feel... Welcome, again, KIMBERLY! May I be the first to dub thee the new ALL CAPS spokesperson of the list, now that AMANDA is _amanda_. > But yeah, XTC!! Sometimes I do find it hard to say anything new > or relevant about them, cos as we all know, not much is going on in > their world...I have a question, I hope it's okay to mention this > subject on this list, but does anyone know if Andy & co. were dosing > up any LSD around the time of the Dukes of Stratosphear (or at any > time for that matter)? I say yeah, one of my friends says no, > they're just PRETENDING to do drugs. well, I'd better not say any > more on that subject, just in case. There have been numerous comments on this subject; in fact, many interview sound bites by the lads (mostly Andy) flatly denying the use of anything other than "copious amounts (cups?) of tea (and coffee) whilst in the process of recording...and according to the XTC bio (p106), Andy was taking Valium before his (now -ex) wife flushed them all down the toilet in L.A. during the Drums and Wires (?) tour in '79. Since then, all connections to XTC (the band; NOT Ecstacy, or 'E', for short) and drugs have been deemed to be none...with the exception of the Post-Dukes, Moulding-penned recording of Skylarking's most double-entendre song, Grass. Was Colin referring to "the things we used to do on grass (plant with "jointed stem, sheathing leaves"; the Lawn kind") or ...Grass" (pot; weed; hemp; hallucinogen)....no matter how you interpret it, it's still one heck of a wonderfully-dreamy-cool-summer-breezy-love-lust-attraction- melodically-catching-soothingly-seductive-Masterpiece of a song! (if you can thing of any more adjectives-good or bad-don't forget to e-mail in immediately! > From: mf@well.com (Mitch Friedman) > Subject: The Ladybird was Colin > The very first time I ever spoke to Andy (on the phone in January '84) I > asked him the very same question about "Ladybird" that Cheryl posed last > time. He told me that while they were recording, Colin played a bad note and > yelled out and it went down one of the drum mikes and they couldn't get rid > of it so they just decided to leave it in there. If you can find the > Musician magazine issue from around that same time, there is a very long and > nice article/interview with XTC all about Mummer (I think they referred to > XTC as "Electric Farmboys") in which Andy actually mentions that he was just > talking to somebody on the phone the other day and they asked about that > yelling in "Ladybird". A great mystery solved! Another thanks for this info, Sir Mitch! This got me to thinking: I was just listening to Mummer today (no, I'm not getting back into whether it's a Spring album, etc etc...), and I pose yet another question to all you out there: What songs, even though we know them to be written by either Andy or Colin, sound just the opposite of who penned them? Lyrics as well as melody. For example, every time I listen to Ladybird, it just seems like a Colin song (the jazzy tempo, a la I Remember the Sun, Blame the Weather, Angry Young Man, etc)...on the other hand, a Colin song such as Wake Up, or (dare I say it) Sacrificial Bonfire... might they have been written by Andy in a past life (or something like that)? Am interested in what other songs could've been written by one of the others (I just know that Dave wrote The Loving, what with that awesome guitar solo! :-) Bye Bye! Michael
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 09:26:41 -0500 (CDT) From: amanda caryl owens <ACOEA@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Subject: My momma always said Message-id: <01IIMEGF7NQW8Y4SG0@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Life is like a box of chocolates. You have to try a few nasty ones before you find the one that's right for you. Keep them answers coming ladies and gents. It's cutting down to the wire with my school time. My last final is on Tuesday and after that, no more Chalkhills till August!!!!!! I'm loving the Ben and Jerry flavors. Howzabout Holly Up On Poppyseed Orange and Lemon sherbet Grape Gregory (had to do it!) Ciao, thanks for the info about Charlie Parker, and (pardon me for being overwhelmingly off topic, but.....................) I CAN'T BELIEVE DAVID DUCHOVNY GOT MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amanda Je me souviens du soleil XTC song of the day-Senses Working Overtime non XTC song of the day-It's My Life-Talk Talk
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199705081447.HAA27807@sgi.sgi.com> Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 10:41:29 EDT From: "Todd Bernhardt" <tbernha@columbiaenergy.e-mail.com> Subject: Comments & Questions Howdee: Kim Martin asked: > does anyone know if Andy & co. were dosing up any LSD around the time of the Dukes of Stratosphear (or at any time for that matter)?< Check the FAQ on this one, Kim. They don't do drugs. Mitch F., thanks for the story. You are my hero (but you knew that :^) Amanda: Charlie Parker was one of the greatest alto sax players in jazz history. To make a long story short, he and a small group of other players in the late 40s and 1950s invented bebop, which was a radical break from the big-band approach to jazz at the time. Unfortunately, he was a junkie and died young. His nickname was "Bird," hence your soap-star's moniker for his parrot. And as for the survey, it's been done, with virtually the same questions -- check out past issues on that. To Melissa: How blind of me to miss the hidden meeting of the "joke." ;^) To Peter Wright, maker of tempests: I understand your frustration (and feel your pain ;^) but I believe XTC owes us absolutely nothing. They create music and we choose to buy it. We also choose to discuss them and myriad other issues via this electronic newsletter/forum. There's been some discussion in the past of why they don't read the digest (and who really knows whether they do or not?), and I for one understand completely why AP, for instance, might not want to read some diatribe against/misinterpretation of/whatever regarding his creations. If you want a really cogent argument along these lines -- I'd bore everyone, go on too long and still probably not make my point as well as I'd like -- check out past issues of Elephant Talk, the digest for fans of Robert Fripp and King Crimson. Fripp had some time on his hands a couple of months ago, and posed questions to the list, which he then responded to in excruciating, logical and often hilarious detail. He examines the entire relationship between artist and audience and the obligations (perceived and real, just and unjust) between the two. 'Nuff said. Anyway, a quick question to the list (to which people can respond directly to me): I was in a record store the other day and saw new releases by Matthew Sweet and Morphine. Has anyone heard either of these albums? Are they worth picking up? ByeBye!
------------------------------
From: Martin_Monkman@fincc04.fin.gov.bc.ca
Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 07:59:47 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: RE: The Ladybird was Colin
Message-id: <9704088631.AA863103660@FINSMTP1.FIN.GOV.BC.CA>
Mitch writes:
<snip>
>If you can find the
>Musician magazine issue from around that same time
<snip>
Found it! I contributed this article ("XTC: Love And Disguise On A
Farmboy's Wages", Musician, June 1984) to Simon's "Bungalow" site
(http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/bungalow.htm).
Here's the "Ladybird"/Mitch bit:
There's quite a few shouts on that record," says Moulding.
"Somebody asked me what you were yelling, the other week," Partridge
says to Moulding. "In 'Ladybird' he goes.... (Partridge shouts) He
played a really terrible bum note and yelled, as if to say, 'Oh my
God!' We couldn't get rid of the shout so we had to leave it on
there."
"I think we left the bum note on there as well," Moulding adds, and
laughs.
Martin
------------------------------ Message-Id: <l03102800af971c1c008e@[146.6.72.50]> Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 01:03:53 -0500 From: jason garcia <h.h.name@mail.utexas.edu> Subject: Macca mix-up >Jason Garcia: McCartney's album did NOT come out on April 29 as you'd told >us, but will come out on May 27, I believe. Just as a point of clearing my name, I never stated that his album would come out on the 29th of April, only the single "Young Boy" (28th, actually) but then I found out that the single was only to be released in Europe & the UK. Correct you are on the album release date, however to tie us over the new (US) single "The World Tonight" is now out, although my local Tower Records still has yet to recieve a shipment (rrrr...) Sorry for all those who were misled! Jason
------------------------------ From: robinh@en.com Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 13:02:13 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <v01520d00af977d1b7ef5@[207.78.11.123]> Subject: re: harmonies j. monnick sez: >HARMONIES - any recommendations for bands with great harmony >singers? beach boys. beach boys, beach boys, beach boys. the alpha & omega. their harmonies were utilized to particularly stunning effect on the *smile* era material, of which xtc's "chalkhills & children" is a canny, albeit fond, pastiche. >Anybody outside the UK read Nick Hornby's 'high fidelity' ? yup. simply terrific book... & i'm looking forward to the film of hornby's book *fever pitch* to hit u.s. screens, one of these days...... ----robin h.
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 15:01:45 -0600 (CST) From: y9d62@ttacs1.ttu.edu Message-id: <Pine.PMDF.3.91.970508145613.558126215B-100000@ttacs.ttu.edu> Subject: rather cold and dry Arguments? In an XTC digest? Typically counterproductive, and I'm sure AP and the crew would have it no other way. But all I care about is new material, and if you've got it...MAIL ME. Speaking of my opinion: doesn't anyone else love Humble Daisy? I put it with Ladybird, Love on A Farmboy's, and the best of Skylarking as XTC's warmest....Though, perhaps the weather here is affecting my judgement (rather cold and dry).
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 17:37:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ted Harms <tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca>
Subject: Jazzy stuff
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.95q.970508171422.1543A-100000@library.uwaterloo.ca>
Last Digest, Amanda asked 'Just who is this Charlie Parker fellow?" and
I'll just take up some digest space to explain a little. (I'm a little
out of my depth on this era; but if anybody wants to talk about Bill
Frisell or Charlie Haden, just let me know...)
Well, Charlie 'Bird' Parker was a jazz saxaphonist - played alto but
could also play tenor and clairnet. Some would say he was the best
saxaphonist ever but he certainly was one of the first to serious players
who has had a lasting influence on the instrument.
He was born in 1920 (Kansas City, Kansas) and died in 1955 (NYC) as the
result of a savage heroin addiction. Miles Davis got his start with Bird
and other's that played with Parker include Red Rodney, Dizzy Gillespie,
Charles Mingus and a host of other legendary be-bop jazz players.
There are scores of recordings and collections out there - unfortunately,
most of the recording (butchered imports put out by some discount jazz
label...) are of pretty poor quality given the equipment they were using
back then and the lack of interest from the label to re-master the
recording.
There has been at least one movie made about his life. It was called
'Bird' and was directed by Clint Eastwood and had Forrest Whitaker in the
title role. I've only seen it once and felt that it was just a really
long movie.
Hope this helps...
Ted Harms Library, Univ. of Waterloo
tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca 519.888.4567 x3761
"This is me breathing." Martin Q. Blank
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 16:59:52 -0500 (CDT) From: The Gottschalks <gotts@tenet.edu> Subject: Caramelous Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.970508163506.14820A-100000@francis.tenet.edu> Okay, that's my only (lame) contribution for an ice cream flavor. Bands with distinct and good harmonies: Faith No More, Queen, Bad Religion. I guess that's all I can think of right now. (This will be made up as I go along. You might have to emphasize the wrong syllables to make it sound right.) Dear Madam Chalkhills I hit the "r" button And write back to the list I try to reach people But I must have a lisp So go to the joke told And read it once again Cuz you can enjoy it Satanist or Christian This song has thus far been all that I have said If you're getting pissed off, I bet your face is red! (But it's) not my intention to bore you all to tears But XTC've been Dormant for five years I know we all want a New tape to come out But until that great day We'll just have to pout Sorry it sucks. It's just a current event, off the top of my head lyrical replacement. -Mark
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Message-Id: <199705082208.PAA11347@f21.hotmail.com>
From: "Ben Gott" <xtcfan@hotmail.com>
Subject: Various
Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 15:08:43 PDT
Amanda: I believe a survey was already conducted over Chalkhills late this
summer (just to save you the time...) Search through those old digests, and
you might find it. And who is Charlie Parker? If you don't know, I'm not
gonna say...
I was reading "Entertainment Weekly" (don't ask why), and XTC was mentioned
simply as "releasing a greatest hits album this summer."
I've been listening to the demos from the Peter Pumpkinhead single ("Down a
Peg" and "Always Winter Never Christmas"), and am really starting to like
them, in their own little way. Anyone else?
A question for those experienced in XTC concert material: I've got a tape of
"English Roundabout" live, which morphs into the "cut it out/snip it out..."
bit of "Scissorman," which goes on for a few minutes before ending. Can
anyone tell me which concert this is from? Also - does anyone have a
favourite XTC song to hear them play live? Mine is, probably, "I'll Set
Myself on Fire." Tempo!!
Ben
XTC SONG OF THE DAY: Respectable Street
Non-XTC song of the day: "Private Idaho," B-52's
* -----------------------------------------------------------
Ben Gott
http://www.wp.com/58596
I'm a tumbler. I'm a government man.
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 16:00:30 -0700 (PDT) Message-Id: <l03020901af97a0c08887@[207.211.99.137]> From: Dave Blackburn <dblack@inetworld.net> Subject: XTC and how I blew it So it's 1977, I'm 18, living in Abingdon-on Thames, perhaps 20 miles from Swindon. I'm in my final year of school, a fanatical musician, and I'm in charge of booking bands to come play at school for the occasional "Music Club Concert". Some student whom I had a prior antipathy towards meets me and gives me a tape of some band from Swindon who are willing to play for 25 pounds (about $40) They are called XTC. It is the height of the punk revolution; the Sex Pistols, Clash, etc, and I listen to the tape, a rough rehearsal cassette (no I don't still have it!) of what sounded like yet another of them. I am into Mahavishnu Orchestra, King Crimson, Gentle Giant and such and ignore the whole offer. Two years later I'm at college, and I hear Go2, and I think 'man is that the coolest most creative band'. Rapidly XTC became my favorite band; by Drums and Wires, they were all I cared about. 1981, I get an offer to move to San Diego to play in a band doing original music with strong XTC influence, so I leave the U.K and in 1982 who should be coming to town at the California theater but the boys themselves. Our whole band makes the pilgrimage, we mouth all the words, by the T-shirts of what is the kick off of the English Settlement tour. The band is absolutely awesome, "Melt the Guns", I remember, being a much deeper cry of social anguish than the rather perky version on the album. I thought about shoving my way backstage to tell Andy that I had turned them down for a $40 gig. As it happened, I'm glad I did no such thing--of course, this was the last night XTC ever appeared in concert. In contrast to what Andy desribes going through that night, the band sounded energetic, polished and brilliant. A historical moment to be sure. By 1991 I was teaching community college classes in songwriting, from a course book I had written myself, and in the lyric writing chapters I could find no better examples of great song craftsmanship than songs by Andy Partridge (Another Satellite and 1000 Umbrellas are models of how to develop extended metaphor) Students piped up,"what about Dear God?" Pretty soon we had an in-class XTC fest going and it was, I hope, some sort of payback of karma to the Swindon lads I had passed over 15 years earlier. Today, I have a six inch square tile in my shower, purchased from the gift shop at the White Horse monument at Uffington, an extraordinary early- English but very modern-looking image of a horse about 200ft long, that is gouged out of a grassy hilltop. The hill beneath the grass is made of chalk, so the horse appears white and can only be fully appreciated from the air or from a valley several miles away. This is what is used as the cover of "English Settlement" and what the term Chalkhills refers to. Dave Blackburn, San Diego CA. Dave Blackburn
------------------------------ From: Richard.PedrettiAllen@octel.com Message-Id: <c=US%a=_%p=Octel%l=EX-CAMPUS1-970508233420Z-9357@ex-campus2.corp.octel.com> Subject: TribTape Credits and an XTC rewrite (uh-oh) Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 16:34:20 -0700 re: Melissa and CC credits... Relax... The song credits list the musicians. i.e.: Melissa Reaves* - Vocals Rick Christyson - MIDI guitar Chris Burgess* - Everything Else (* = Chalkid) re: XTC rewrites... I would like to submit my own topical revision of a song from The Bull With The Golden Guts (man, I know this one is going to polarize the audience!). There are already a few people who are screaming for me to do this version on the next tribute tape but I don't think I want to make the protagonist famous. The real drag is that there are still quite a few who have not heard the original. I don't mean to curtail free speech, fantasy or anything here it just sounded like a pretty good topic for a song. Send me hate mail & kudos if you must (I'll post the totals). ======================================= GOODBYE AMANDASAURUS Logon... Tell us how you feel! Just send your email to the digest And pack it full of stream of thought And hold your breath to meet your idol Maybe you've held your breath too long! If there's no bandwidth for us Chalkhills raise your voice in chorus! Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye Amandasaurus! I really think you're rather daffy Though that may render my name "Mud" We all still state our own opinions But more like trickle than a flood And if you can't ignore us Maybe change your name to Doris Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye Amandasaur... And no more bore us She saw life, a corkscrew twisted fantasy It appears, it's much too late to seek therapy All that now remains Are extended ASCII chains And a dead net address Please don't gore us... But by chance, are you a Taurus? Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye Amandasaur... Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye Amandasaur... New noise floor, There's the door, Amandasaurus
------------------------------ From: shaefner@falcon.cc.ukans.edu Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 18:56:09 -0500 (CDT) Message-Id: <199705082356.SAA00623@services.midusa.net> Subject: want to hear the new demos? Hello chalkies, a lot of people have been requesting that someone put up sound files for the new demos. So I decided to encode my favorites (plus a couple songs that others have mentioned as being their favorites) using real audio. The sound files are available on my webpage. I hope that Andy is ok with this. Someone that talks to him should ask...I will remove them if he doesn't like it. From what I have read, I don't think he would mind. -Scott http://www.sky.net/~shaefner
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #3-110 *******************************
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