Chalkhills Digest Volume 3, Issue 144
Date: Monday, 28 July 1997
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 144
Monday, 28 July 1997
Today's Topics:
Ben Folds/TMBG --> XTC
The Amazing Ted replies to numerous threads ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!
Re: Icehouse
Icehouse, once and for all...
The Sugarplastic
Pez and Toast
Bright Idea
XTC in local news [long]
I hope this works.
ROCK READS
RE: Trent's Idea
Re:Sugarplastic like XTC?
promotional considerations
OK, you're shorty.
Radio Nonconformity
In Denial
Volunteers in America
Dem bones...
Demos
Non-XTC quotes and Open Mike
Miscellany
spookey
Terry And The Snowman
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <33D7D352.8EC@myself.com> Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 18:12:34 -0400 From: Ira Lieman <ira@myself.com> Subject: Ben Folds/TMBG --> XTC Chalkfolk... Article on Ben Folds Five that briefly mentions XTC as an influence: http://musicnews.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=710091699/MN/NEWS/V2/FEATURES/feature.ben_folds.html I'm currently listening to the Paul Fox-produced "John Henry" by They Might Be Giants. And someone else tell me that "Destination Moon" and "Garden of Earthly Delights" have some production similarities? I might be going crazy. The "over-the-topness" of both of those songs are uncannily similar. Back to work. Grr. -ira
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 17:20:23 -0400 (EDT) From: Ted Harms <tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca> Subject: The Amazing Ted replies to numerous threads ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!!! Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.95q.970724164640.31235A-100000@library.uwaterloo.ca> > From: dke <dke@prodigy.net> > ....<snip>.... > One final note, Ted Harms wrote that he saw somewhere that Barry > Andrews was once a member of King Crimson. I _don't_ think so. He was > however, a member of "The League of Gentlemen", another Robert Fripp > band. Would it at all be convincing if I tried to belatedly cover my ass by saying that I knew Barry was in LoG and that I was surprised by the King Crimson connection? Hmmmm, I didn't think so.... Also, to follow up on the Sara Lee thread, it was mentioned that only did she play bass for LoG and B-52's circa Love Shack, but until recently Sara also played for Ani Difranco. > From: mf@well.com (Mitch Friedman) > ...<snip>... > No it won't be official until this coming mid-week but yes XTC will be > signing a contract! Now the specific and amazing news . . . they are > starting their very own label called Idea... 'Bout time! Well, not that I'm trying to gloat in light of the above missive, but I'd like to say that I made this same suggestion numerous months ago. <Ted pats himself on the back, which is actually kinda hard since he cracked his shoulder blade whilst mountain biking last Sunday.> But to make the 'indie' thing complete, the lads need to fire up their own webpage (http://www.idea.uk, perhaps) and do the direct-order thing. In light of the business side of things, they're not going to get rich but they'll have more control and, hopefully, a greater piece of pie. For example, most 'major' artists make about $2/CD sold while Ani Difranco through her own label, Righteous Babe, makes $4 per CD. She may not move as much stock as Wu-Tang, but she's making more per unit. On the Vox Phantom thread, I always associate that guitar with Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. There ya go. Ted Harms Library, Univ. of Waterloo tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca 519.888.4567 x3761 "summer in the world; / floating on the waves / of the lake." - Basho
------------------------------ From: "Baby Strange" <threnody@scsn.net> Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 23:25:13 +0000 Subject: Re: Icehouse Message-ID: <19970725031917260.AAA122@default> : "Rob Crawford" <robcrawford@hotmail.com> wrote: > I think his name is actually Ira Davis as I remember when their 1st > UK release Strange Little Girl (as I seem to remember) was reviewed > on BBC Radio 1 by Andy P and Mick Karn (please pardon my spelling) > from Japan (at the time). Okay. Being new to the list, I wanted to lurk for some time, but also being a long time Icehouse fan, I have to speak up. The singer's name is IVA Davies. (His real name is Ivan, but the during the record's pressing, somebody screwed up left the n off.) The single in reference is "Hey Little Girl" > The single was slagged off by Mick Marn for sounding line a Japan > single (which it did) and Andy promptly pointed out that David > Sylvian (Japans singer), was ripping off Bryan Ferry. So true. > Anyway AP pointed out that Icehouse had supported XTC in Australia > and where a pretty good band and pointed out that every band stole > part of their sound from somewhere. Which is why Iva chose to cover "Complicated Game" on "Berlin Tapes" as a tribute to XTC. I'm not much for covers in general, but Iva pulled it off well, imoho. Back to lurk mode, Threnody
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v03102800affdc92f1ec8@[207.77.26.167]> Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 23:13:26 -0400 From: Ira Lieman <ira@myself.com> Subject: Icehouse, once and for all... Take it from Ira... the lead singer/"idea man" for Icehouse is IVA DAVIES. No relation to Ray, the Kink or Rick, the 'tramp. Or Ira, Ivan, or Ivor. And pick up Icehouse's "Man of Colours," with "Crazy" and "Electric Blue" on it -- a great album from 1984. "My Obsession" is an even better song that was never released. Speaking of Supertramp, has anyone heard the new album? E-mail me privately with your thoughts. ObXTC: (I hate to do it like this) The drips coming from the leak in my roof [3rd floor walkup in Hoboken] sound like the opening syncopated guitar riff from "Wake Up." I am going to call my landlord tomorrow as it's not like anything can be done this second. But in the meantime I'm going to listen to my leaky roof. -ira, putting his cleanest dirty shirt on.
------------------------------
Date: 25 JUL 97 14:29:25 AST
From: PCulnane@dca.gov.au
Subject: The Sugarplastic
Message-ID: <0000nddflxbz.0000masyocom@dca.gov.au>
Remember somebody posting not so long ago about Terry Chambers joining The
Sugarplastic? I just happened to be browsing this website:
http://www.avalon.net/~arkham/sugarplastic/bio/
to find this:
well, recently The SUGARPLASTIC have had their hands full with a few things.
In addition to working twords (sic) a new album for GEFFEN,
the band now has a new drummer. ??????????, replaced Josh Laner.
The band: (currently).... a correction on earlier indications that stated
terry chambers as being the new drummer, for one web programmer who fell
terribly gullible into a april fools joke.... or so it seems
BEN ESHBACH
KIARA GALLER
??????????
------------------------------
Message-Id: <199707250320.UAA25897@mail.eskimo.com>
From: "Matt Keeley" <mrme@eskimo.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 20:19:49 +0000
Subject: Pez and Toast
Thanks go to Insatia (Lisa Sloniker) for the topic.... anyway...
> From: Chaos Harlequin <harlequin@tmbg.org>
> >Agh! Sorry... All of a Sudden is one of my favourite songs...
> Matt, meet Mark. Mark, meet Matt. :)
I just get a little flustered when someone says something bad about
that song.. but I'm better now..
> >much-discussed-but-probably-not-gonna-happen Andy's Shed album!
> Au contraire! The bootleg album seems to be more likely than ever -- Andy
> actually convinced Colin to do it, when initially he refused outright, and
Yay! I'll be anxiously awaiting that....
> well, that depends: do you adore "Candymine"? Is it worth $15 to hear Andy
> deliver the most (shameless) sexual innuendo ever committed to a children's
> song?
I'm all for the whole shameless innuendo on kiddie records! Mess
with their minds a bit... and to see if the parents notice... I'm
still wondering if I could get away with playing "Cats" by Barnes and
Barnes on a kiddie radio show...
For those of you who haven't heard Cats (which should be, oh, say,
probably all of you!), it's most definately NOT about cats, if you
catch my drift...
> From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan)
> Another recently heard album worth mentioning was the even more Beatles
> like "Show World" by Florida's Redd Kross. With a name like that, they
Hmm... I thought they were from LA... of course, all I know about
the band is what was in the Shonen Knife song, so....
> From: John Relph <relph>
> You are wrong. Derek Flint was the main character of at least two
> James Bond type spy films, _Our Man Flint_ (1965) and _In Like Flint_
> (1967). Flint, played by James Coburn, had a knack for breaking in.
> Thus, "In Like Flint". (_Austin Powers_ spoofs _Our Man Flint_.)
Hmm... that's what I thought before, but I have a tendency to be
wrong a lot, so I didn't say anything...
> From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
> But contributing to the costs of promotion? I think not...
> If _everybody_ on this list (1000 or 2000 people?) contributed 100 US
> dollars each you'd still have next to nothing.
> And I don't expect that everybody can afford this kind of donation.
I like the idea of contributing to Idea, although unf., I'm
perinnially broke, so I'd be left out of that, probably....
Also, just out of curiousity, is the single version of This is Pop a
different recording, or just a different mix? I'm leaning towards
recording, but like I said, I have a tendency to be wrong...
Matt
-=>Matt Keeley mrme@eskimo.com<=-
Living Through | Visit my home page
Another | http://www.eskimo.com/~mrme
Cuba -- XTC | I used to be temporarily insane!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now I'm just stupid! -- Brak
(ICQ UIN: 1455267, Name: MrMe)
Yeah.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b00affb04107962@[169.132.100.2]> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 00:45:57 +0100 From: pjmuck@idt.net (Peter McCulloch) Subject: Bright Idea Mitch wrote: >XTC gets some money from one of their distribution deals >to fund the making of an album or two or twenty and then they record, press >them up and pay for the promotion themselves. Yippee! This is better than great news! The big "IF" obviously is whether or not they'll be able to come up with the bucks to do their own recording, pressing, and self-promotion, but given the respect they've earned in the industry they shouldn't have any problem finding financial backers. (Hell, I'd put up a few dollars!). Forming their own label could be a low key yet highly lucrative approach. Superchunk went the DIY route years ago after departing with Matador, and they never looked back. Now their label, Merge, is doing very well on the indy scene, with over 100 releases to it's credit. Of course, Superchunk tours non-stop to promote their releases, and I really believe that Andy's going to have to give in to this if he wants to see any real money. Maybe he won't mind it if it's lining his own pocket instead of Virgin's. >Assuming the whole band ratifies it, he is also thinking of signing artists >he likes who have made an album already but can't get it released, like >maybe Jamie Block for instance. Double yippee! How do I submit my CD? Regards, Peter
------------------------------
Message-Id: <v03010d00affdf7dd0c08@[128.148.19.48]>
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 02:46:19 -0500
From: Gene Yoon <Gene_Yoon@brown.edu>
Subject: XTC in local news [long]
Hello all, Gene here in quaint little Providence, RI. I was very
pleasantly surprised to find a feature article on the band today in our
local arts rag, the Providence Phoenix (sister publication to the larger,
not-for-free Boston Phoenix). Nothing you didn't already know, along with
maybe a couple factual stretches, but it's always a kick to read Andy's
pithy witticisms, huh?....
----
LIMBO RACE
Catching up with XTC
by Brett Milano
Fans can get understandably cynical when rock bands start griping about
their problems with record labels. (Trent Reznor's genius wasn't
understood properly by the folks at TVT? Prince felt like a slave while
making millions on Warner's? The heart just bleeds.) Fans of the great pop
band XTC have undoubtedly felt that kind of cynicism in recent years. The
trio's dislike of Virgin, their international label since 1977, is well
known to anyone who's followed their saga. But they never dealt with it as
drastically as they have since the release of 1992's _Nonsuch_--by
declaring themselves "on strike" and not releasing a note of music in the
past five years.
The move couldn't have worked wonders for XTC's career, since they wound up
sitting out the entirety of the Brit-pop revival. And as singer/guitarist
and main songwriter Andy Partridge explains over the phone from his home in
Swindon, England, it hasn't been great on the band's psyches either.
"I miss us--it's like looking in the mirror and there's no reflection. I'd
get together once in a while with Dave and Colin [guitarist Dave Gregory
and bassist Colin Moulding] and we'd try to bash a few things through.
They were sad sessions; we knew we couldn't get excited because we couldn't
record it. If we did, Virgin would own it. So even playing together felt
like a prick tease. It was like watching a porn film with boxing gloves
on."
Still, Partridge insists the move was necessary to dissolve their Virgin
contract. "It was a crap deal, we were on the label 18 years before we
were out of debt. the final straw came when they allowed us to release the
single 'Wrapped in Grey' [from _Nonsuch_] and immediately got cold feet.
It was one of the first singles we've ever done that I was musically proud
of, and they basically killed it. We said, 'Right, you're not getting any
more music.' We believed it was time to do the right thing, and I know
that sounds crazy because most bands don't even last five years. But we
really wanted to shame them into releasing us."
The relase finally came about last year, and XTC are now negotiating with
various labels, one of which is rumored to be Rykodisc. "We've talked to
all the majors, and it's always the same: they stroke your ego to zeppelin
size and give you the same deal they give bands who don't know their ass
from their plectrum. The indie labels are much more sensible. We may win
at this game eventually."
Meanwhile Geffen (which holds the U.S. distribution license on the Virgin
UK albums) has released _Upsy Daisy Assortment_, which combines their small
handful of U.S. hits with a bunch of seemingly random album tracks ("It
seems like they just stuck all our songs on the Geffen dartboard,"
Partridge concedes). Although a redundant package--by my count it's XTC's
fifth compilation--it combines obvious choices like "Dear God" and "Mayor
of Simpleton" with fannish picks like "Funk Pop a Roll" and "Love on a
Farmboy's Wages" (both from 1983's _Mummer_, the album that diehards think
is the best and everyone else thinks is too weird). And it traces XTC's
career from the new-wave giddiness of "Life Begins at the Hop" to the
textured pop charms of 1992's "The Disappointed."
Since the layoff, Partridge figures he's made demos of "enough songs for
five albums if we scrape it, four passable ones, or two really good ones.
But wouldn't you know it, you send these demo tapes to record labels and
they go vanishing; then they get out to everyone on the Internet." [!!!!
-Gene]
The recent Partridge demo tape I've heard--through the Internet, of
course--takes the melodic side of _Nonsuch_ a couple steps forward.
"That's one side of it," admits Partridge. "But I have a mental picture of
the album we want to make, and it will be two discs with two different
characters. One will be the acoustic orchestral things; the other will be
all the loud guitar stuff."
The return to action can't come too soon for Partridge, who's had a
miserable few years, what with the break-up of his marriage and recent
health problems (an ear infection has made him temporarily deaf--he still
lacks 30 percent hearing in his right ear). After temporarily relocating
to New York to be with a girlfriend, he's now back to living in his native
England.
"It's funny, I can't get arrested in England," he admits. "But in the East
Village I'd get stopped every 50 yards-- 'Hello, Mr. Partridge, do you mind
if I pull up my little leprosy-ridden son for you to cure?' The divorce
was rough; I felt incredibly bitter and betrayed, but I tried not to let
that get into the songs. I didn't want to make a Phil Collins 'Songs for
Swinging Divorcees' kind of record--please take me out and shoot me if I
ever do that."
<end>
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 09:53:17 +0100 From: Catherine wright <cwright@hea.org.uk> Message-Id: <199707250853.JAA18448@vn6003.hea.org.uk> Subject: I hope this works. Morning. I am new to this (gleam, sparkle) but I had to tell you about two TOP bands that you may not have come across. They are on the playlist of the best radio station in the UK, Greater London Radio. GLR play XTC about once every 25 minutes so you've gotta love 'em. Their presenters keep being poached as they're so good...but still charmingly amateur. A recent football report from the controller of the station who'd gone to the game... Presenter: Our controller Trevor Dann is at the match...how's it going, Trevor? Trevor: Well, there was a goal...I missed it, I was buying a sausage roll. Presenter: Ah, well. Anyway these two bands, David Devant and his Spirit Wife (very witty) and the Divine Comedy (lead singer is son of Irish Bishop. Very odd). Look out for them. Caitlin
------------------------------ From: monnickj@ubk.co.uk Message-Id: <199707251208.NAA24570@sys4.cambridge.uk.psi.net> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 13:13:03 +0000 Subject: ROCK READS A recommendation for James Young's 'NICO, songs they never play on the radio', which covers the 80's, her last/lost decade. It takes a while to get going but the description of Nico's diet (of custard) and working with John Cale are great. Cooking VInyl ; anybody know them ? I thought it was a UK label hot on distributing C&W and folk Elvis Costello Love'd him up to Imperial Bedroom but he seems to have lost the idea the blue pencil, the ability to edit himself. In many ways his music is criticism as much as creativity. Captn Beefheart A while back some spoke of the man and a bootleg of his which he/she nearly bought ; i have an excellent tape of a 1978 radio broadcast on Radio WLIR ; if you want it let me know. jon Current listening ; Venus in Tweeds by Shooglenifty *---------------------------------------------------------------- The views expressed are of the individual, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The United Bank of Kuwait PLC. *----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Message-Id: <s3d86bef.061@dictaphone.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 08:53:29 -0400
From: Tim Kendrick <TKEN@dictaphone.com>
Subject: RE: Trent's Idea
Trent Turner posted in response
to my post:
>What would be a GREAT idea (pun kinda
>half way intended) would be for
>IDEA to exploit the resources of this
>mailing list. Imagine what we could
>do to help promote a new album if we
>were all given a script to follow to
>call up record stations, fax info around,
>buy time on NPR, cable TV, etc.
Actually I like this idea better than mine.
A few people have emailed me privately saying
that it would be crazy to pool money together,
"Do you think we're made of money!?!", etc.
My suggestion wasn't so much about money
as it was about "us", as a group, doing
something to help XTC sell a lot of records
and finally make some money for themselves.
I think Trent hit upon the right way to do this.
And, yes, the boys DO want to make money.
Maybe they don't care about fame, but they
do want the money. One of the big reasons
they went on strike with Virgin in the first
place is because they thought they were getting
screwed financially. The reason they decided to
go with their own label is because they realized
that that would give them the greatest profits.
This is their job, this is how they make their
living.
And after all the brilliant music they've made,
they deserve to finally be monetarily rewarded.
Tim K.
XTC SONG OF THE DAY: Ra Ra For Red Rocking Horse
(which has been stuck in my head now for two
days because of John's quotes at the top of digests)
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b00affe5a3da7f3@[132.170.24.44]> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 08:34:38 -0500 From: dcm80229@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu (Derek Miner) Subject: Re:Sugarplastic like XTC? In digest #3-143, jason garcia wrote: > >The Sugarplastic's XTC influence hits me only on a few songs: >"Sheep", with its synchronized drum-bass in the verse, and >"Any Time at All", with its random perky guitar phrases and >stop-start bits in the middle. This is reminiscent of "White >Music" and "Go 2", mostly. Other than those 2 albums they >don't really sound like XTC. But you've got to admit that >those bits are pretty XTC-related. And of course there's the >phrase "The Ugly Underneath" in "Soft Jingo". What about "Polly Brown"? Makes me think of Andy every time! It sounds like something he would have written around the time of the acoustic radio tour... = Derek =
------------------------------ Message-ID: <n1342297497.77373@gateway.itic.nw.dc.us> Date: 25 Jul 1997 10:02:31 -0500 From: "Ken Salaets" <ksalaets@itic.nw.dc.us> Subject: promotional considerations WHy noT jusT do wHaT oTHers Have done wiTH Howard? Every Time you Talk To THe media, in wHaTever way, sHape or form, puT in a plug for xTc. If enougH of us do iT, enougH Times, surely someone's inTeresT will be Tweaked. Sorry, sTuck on T's and H's. Mr. Kite
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=BTG._Inc.%l=EXCH_SERVER-970725144654Z-20784@exchserver.btg.com> From: "Sherwood, Harrison" <hsherwood@btg.com> Subject: OK, you're shorty. Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 10:46:54 -0400 >From: jason garcia <h.h.name@mail.utexas.edu> >Subject: well cut off my legs and call me shorty! [I said earlier]: >>When people ask me what raises XTC (and of course the Beatles and a few >>others) above the crowd, it's this sort of thing that I point to. And then Jason Garcia said back: > >I hope you ask them first if they have anything they need to be doing, >then tell them to sit down and have a drink. Wow, that's a handful. Heh. As I was telling somebody offline, that had been festering in a deep dark corner of my subconscious since around 1989, and it just sort of...exploded. But the topic's worth pursuing, don't you think? Andy & Colin's songcraft? Doesn't get talked about much here, (for obvious reasons; it can get pretty abstruse and jargon-laden) but it's what grabs _me_ by the throat every time I put on an XTC record. "Oh, oh, oh, here comes the relative minor modulation and..._into_ B flat! Those voicings! Somebody give me a Kleenex..." Anyway, I would have made it instrumental, but... >Of course, can't really speak for Andy, >but it seems to me that subtle things like that just COME, sort of >naturally, and then you look back on them when you're done and think, >"oh hey, there's that little bit that repeats there, that's kind of >cool!", and then play it off like you MEANT to do that. You don't >really think when you write songs, you just feel; that's been my >experience. Oh, absolutely, couldn't agree more. The act of creation is the result of a happy combination of intuition and experience, right? I imagine Andy got good at writing "Beatlesque" songs by soaking himself in Beatle music (or the Beach Boys, or the Kinks, or whatever), thinking about it in more or less the same sorts of ways that we've been doing here, and internalizing its basic tendencies. Then, with the vocabulary and theory down pat, he's free to experiment and play and introduce the "Andyness" that we all love. And yes, you're perfectly right: I don't for a minute suggest that that sort of analysis is going through Andy's mind while he's writing and arranging a song. That's for us, the discriminating listeners, to do later, if we so choose. That's why he's Andy and we're just a bunch of assholes sitting around _talking_ about Andy. > And then From: Dave Blackburn <dblack@access1.net> >Subject: MoS arrangement > > Harrison Sherwood's detailed analysis of the arrangement of Mayor >of Simpleton in CHD#3-141 should be required reading for any songwriter >aspiring to learn about song craft. Golly, thanks! If you want to _really_ get into songcraft, try Ian MacDonald's _Revolution in the Head_ and Tim Riley's _Tell Me Why_, works of technical analysis of the Beatles' songwriting. I don't recommend these to everybody; they assume a working knowledge of the nuts and bolts of music, and tend to get pretty involved in submediants and Picardy thirds. A lot of people over in rec.music.beatles really actively hate these books, and feel it's a sacrilege to verbally analyze music. I say fuck 'em. It's fun. Talking about music, I mean, not f--... Oh, never mind. (On a related note, Riley uses that "dancing about architecture" trope as his epigraph, and attributes it to Elvis Costello. But only I know its _true_ origin: On one of the dolmens at Stonehenge there's an Ogham inscription that's been carbon-dated to 1000 B.C.: It sez "carving on stone about hitting stones together is like jumping around on stones about putting one stone on top of another.") Harrison "Paleography: FVN, FVN, FVN TILL DADDY TAKES THE CHISEL AWAY" Sherwood
------------------------------
Message-ID: <B625D92F01291300@ametsoc.org>
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 97 11:00:00 -0500
From: dgershmn <dgershmn@ametsoc.org>
Organization: AMS
Subject: Radio Nonconformity
Hi, Chalkablocks,
>>Ah, America! Land of the wee and home of the slaves. Three words - Think
>>For Yourselves!
>The assembled crowd then responds in unison: "Yes, yes, we have to think
>for ourselves!"
Repeat after me, if you will, Steve Martin's Nonconformist's Oath:
I promise to be different!
[Repeat above line here...]
I promise to be unique!
[Repeat above line here...]
I promise not to repeat things other people say!
[Start to repeat above line here...]
But seriously, folks...a couple of "XTC on the radio" tidbits:
My girlfriend told me that she was driving around the other day listening to
WFNX here in Boston, and lo and behold, they played XTC...no, not one of the
ones you might "expect" to hear ("Mayor," "Senses," or "Dear God"), but
actually "No Thugs in Our House"! Nice that they chose one you wouldn't hear
as "much"...
[Kind of sad, isn't it, the state of affairs that leads us to report each of
our XTC radio "sightings" to the list? I don't suppose you'd read any
postings on the Spice Girls list (I'm assuming there must be one) saying:
"Oh my GAWD!! I just heard a Spice Girls song on the radio! Can you believe
it??"]
Also, I was driving to work last week, listening to 92.5, "The River" (I
forget their call letters...WXRV, maybe?), and the DJ announced a call-in
trivia contest, to "name this band" [the following quote is not
word-for-word, but pretty close to the way it went]: "Heralded for their
intelligent songwriting, this band started out in their early days as 'Star
Park' and then 'Helium Kidz' before regrouping under this name and going on
to record many albums of eclectic, tuneful pop. They stopped performing live
when their leader developed a phobia of the stage, yet continued to record,
both under their own name and under various pseudonyms, including 'The Dukes
of Stratosphear,' 'The Three Wise Men,' and even 'Buster Gonad and His Jolly
Jesticles' [that's what he called it]. Who is this band?"
Any guesses? (No, please, just kidding...)
Out on the highway, it was impossible for me to get to a phone to call in,
but I don't think the prize was anything I was really interested in anyway.
Whatever it was was won by someone named "Amy" from New Hampshire
(congratulations, if you're out there!)...she said she was a big fan, as did
the DJ. I don't know if this quiz is a sign of renewed interest in the band
due to "Upsy Daisy," but I took it as a good sign anyway. The only
unfortunate thing was that the DJ didn't play one of their songs right
afterward, which would certainly have been a nice follow-through.
Eagerly awaiting the fruition of XTC's latest "Idea,"
Dave Gershman
------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.32.19970725152159.0068f8fc@popmail.dircon.co.uk> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 16:21:59 +0100 From: Simon Sleightholm <nonsuch@dircon.co.uk> Subject: In Denial >From Natalie Jacobs >Sorry - call me a banal American, but Prefab Sprout's music makes *me* want >to listen to something else. Indeed, if given a choice between "Fat of the >Land" and whatever yawn-inducing Prefab Sprout album Simon Sleightholm >played for me (I think it was "Jordan: The Comeback"), the guy with the >green hair would win every time. Augh! I simply must tidy up a point that Natalie fails to make clear in her account; I was playing the Prefab Sprout album only to demonstrate just how *DULL* it was. It was Jordan: The Comeback and I think we got three songs into it before we ditched it. I bought it cheap in a Woolworths sale ages ago having heard great things about it and hated it from the off. And this though it had contributions from the ever-inviting Jenny Agutter. Natalie asked me to play it so she could see it if was as bad as I said. Indeed it was. "The Fat Of The Land" is a fine album, but it's not quite up there with the previous album; "Their Law" is not easily beaten. The Prodigy have a tremendous energy and seem to subscribe heartily to Cathal Coughlan's "Keep Music Evil" campaign. Sometimes, people just want to get *dirty*. Sorry about that, but Natalie's initial post seemed to suggest that I was in some way a *fan* of Prefab Sprout and I'd sooner be choked with a lobster than have people believe that of me. From: "Justin Radford" <Justin.Radford.cnt42887@nt.com> >I love XTC they >have been a part of my collection for the last decade or so but I also love >the Prodigy, Radiohead, Supergrass and a variety of other quality British >'indie' bands. Well said, that man. >Still as I often say....each to their own. Very true, but anyone can have mine if they ask nicely enough. Now - just between us - my efforts to get some info and clearance from the Microsoft Rifff team, though initially positive, seem to have run into a stone wall so I have taken the plunge and posted the various transcriptions on Bungalow, with some examples of the show's graphics to follow shortly. I don't know how long they'll stay there - if MS complain then I'll remove them - but if you want to see the interview texts and the chat transcription then please do drop in. Oh, and this new label... A bit good, eh? I'm ambiguous: no-one knows what I'm doing with either hand, Simon -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/bungalow.htm -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- An XTC resource - "Food for the thinkers..."
------------------------------ Message-ID: <211D4A0926D2D011859E0060972D8848012FA0@comail.rjconsult.com> From: Ed Miller <EMiller@rjconsult.com> Subject: Volunteers in America Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 09:19:29 -0600 Sign me up for helping IDEA here in Denver, Colorado, USA. Denver is actually a pretty cool music town. Sure, there's the Spice Girls and Geriatric Rock, but I think XTC will do well here. If anyone out there is listening and has Andy's ear, please let him know. Best to all of you, ed miller
------------------------------ Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=SELECT_Software_%l=SELECT_OX_MAI-970725153723Z-2679@sst.star.co.uk> From: Catherine Sweeney <Cather-s@selectst.com> Subject: Dem bones... Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 16:37:23 +0100 Dempsey, Please don't feel old - I can assure you, I've been grooving along to XTC since 1979 too, and I 'aint old. I was also foot tapping to the Flying Lizards at around the same time. Keep on shakin', that's what I say. Er... that's it....
------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.32.19970725180836.006db37c@mail.webexpert.net > Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 14:08:36 -0400 From: Howard Herrick <audio3@webexpert.net> Subject: Demos As a Chalkhillian, no I surely don't know a thing or have heard the demos but I DEFINATELY WOULD LIKE TO! Can somebody participate in a trade with me. I've got thousands of cd, tape and video boots, hard to finds of many artists. If interested email me privately with artist requests. $ to buy it is ok with me to. Howard<audio3@webexpert.net> >As other Chalkhillians surely know by now, I think the '95 demos are the >best stuff Andy has ever written. Almost everyone who has heard them agrees >that they are excellent. >I have this demo of songs Andy put together in 1995 that a friend passed >along to me. It has about 25-30 songs... <snip> Has anyone heard this tape >or any of these songs? Both sets of demos (the J&TGP demos and the demos recorded between 1992 and 1995 for inclusion on a new album) have been floating around for quite some time now. >They're fu-kin' great!
------------------------------ From: Jdmack01@aol.com Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 18:48:25 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <970725184824_1246422375@emout16.mail.aol.com> Subject: Non-XTC quotes and Open Mike >>That's why I let that supposed >>Laurie Anderson quote slide. When she said "Writing about music is like >>dancing about architecture" she was quoting Frank Zappa >I've heard that quote attributed to so many people! I originally heard it >attributed to Elvis Costello. Does anyone know the real provenance of this >quote? Just curious. . . it's a good quote, whoever said it. I promise to go on topic in a second, but I have a tape of the Laurie Anderson radio special promoting "Home Of The Brave," and she attributed this quote to Steve Martin! Personally, I have always felt she meant to say someone else, but that's what she said on the air, for what it's worth. O.K., back on topic. About Dave's sexu ... no, just kidding! Does anyone play XTC songs at their local open mike! I want to know what you think are the best XTC songs to perform as a solo act - just one singer with one acoustic guitar tuned to standard tuning. I've done "Mayor Of Simpleton" and "Living In A Haunted Heart" before, but I'm looking for others to do. And by the way, any of you old timers who are having deja vu - yes, I have posted this before. J.D.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01550102afff114fd9f7@[205.231.217.117]> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 21:37:16 -0500 From: gott@li.com (Ben Gott) Subject: Miscellany Oh we go... The guys who own Tune Street (the local CD store) are big, big, big XTC fans. I gave one of them a copy of the Twomey bio, and he gave me "King of America." By the way - this might have already been mentioned, but Ryko released "Imperial Bedroom" on 24K gold disc. I just ordered one. It broke the bank, but "Kid About It" alone is worth my entire CD budget for next year. I'm very glad the boys have solidified this record deal. My copy of the new demos is almost broken. I agree completely with JHB: I think this stuff is the best. Can't wait to see it somewhere. I ordered $26.50 worth of XTC CD singles from Vinyl Vendors (www.vinylvendors.com). I can't recommend them yet (because I haven't received the CDs yet), but I'll let everyone know. Also - CDNow! is having a storewide sale this week - a good time for US customers to pick up "Fossil Fuels." Can't wait until the weekend comes...(Oh wait! It's here!) Ben - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - B e n G o t t http://www.wp.com/58596 Who said I'd lied, because I never...
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01510102afff349e1b13@[205.189.48.187]> Date: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 00:01:07 -0500 From: bartok@adan.kingston.net (steady eddy) Subject: spookey hello everyone. any other canadian fans out there? has anyone heard of 'spookey ruben'? he's a canadian guy who does a song called 'these days are old' and it's SO xtc that it's scary. his voice...everything. if you can get it, it's a fine album all the way through. sorry to sway from the true topic but it's pretty interesting. ed ******************************************** Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things you have not dreamed of...wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence. ********************************************
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199707261011.MAA12177@utrecht.knoware.nl> From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Organization: The Little Lighthouse Date: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 11:19:31 +0000 Subject: Terry And The Snowman Dear Chalkers, > Anyway AP pointed out that Icehouse had supported XTC in Australia and > where a pretty good band and pointed out that every band stole part of > their sound from somewhere. > > I have the radio prog on tape somewhere and is from around 81 or 82 Really? Could I have a copy please??? I have loads of XTC stuff to swap; just let me know... > >This makes him very probably the only musician in the world to > >have worked with both Andy P. and Terry Chambers but NOT with XTC... > > Well sort of. But there is more: Mr. Amazing Terry Chambers actually played the drums on the second Icehouse album "Primitive Man" I quote from Shigemasa Fujimoto's excellent Wonderland discography "Although no credit is given anywhere, Terry Chambers played on almost all the tracks on this album." At the time of recording he was still under contract to XTC's management and Virgin and that's probably why he isn't mentioned anywhere... After this Terry of course went on to join the New Zealand band Dragon for a couple of years before 'retiring' in 1985. your trainspotter, Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse; the XTC website @ http://utopia.knoware.nl/~mmello ===> The Random XTC Quote <=== When you wake up early in the morning you will find important pieces gone
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #3-144 *******************************
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