Chalkhills Digest Volume 3, Issue 157
Date: Friday, 22 August 1997
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 3, Number 157
Friday, 22 August 1997
Today's Topics:
Chalkhills T-shirt For Sale
Hmmm.......................
Web site idea
You never know about Tomorrow
Misqoutes and Turnabouts
"TMK" question answered and hate songs
Hopefully an answer...
tomorrow never knows when I'll change my mind, AGAIN
Fossil Fuels vid?
Summer's Cauldron
Chalkhills History & The Straight Dope
XTC Drums and Wired Again! / Taking Liberties with Elvis / CAN
Black Sea Trade
Crossed wires
Starving, hysterical madness
Re: Mismatched MIDI Files
Vitamin X-T-C
sotw nigel
Steve C., MIDI, demos & the FL XTC home office
Demo review & movies and music
Positive ID of voice @ end of "love explodes"
TNK * Yes You Are Both Right * TNK
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She's riding another man.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 23:07:12 -0700 (PDT) From: Wesley Shaw <weshaw@teleport.com> Subject: Chalkhills T-shirt For Sale Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.96.970818225858.556A-100000@linda.teleport.com> I was lucky enough to get one of the last chalkhills Ts from our beloved Phil and it is about the coolest things ever. . . except for the fact that it happens to be a color I don't care for. Phil has given me his permission to sell his masterpiece on the list, so here's the scoop: I have 1 XL CHALKHILLS T-SHIRT IN SAGE GREEN. I paid $22 and I'd love to break even so if anybody is interested, please messsage me personally. I'll have to do a first-come-first if there are numerous responses. thanks, Wesley (not to be confused with the more frequent poster, Wes) -- -- -- -- -- -- weshaw@teleport.COM We will skate across the storm as if we're wheeling sea birds . . . . -A. Partridge
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199708190810.EAA00253@ultra1.dreamscape.com> From: "Chris Ellerd" <cellerd@dreamscape.com> Subject: Hmmm....................... Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 03:59:47 -0400 Dear 1250 Chalkheads I share your petulance concerning the new XTC album/fruit. However, I cannot help but reflect morosely upon the ill-clad (American) history of said band. I mean, I heard about them in(Oswego,New York) 1989 for kreissache! But it was not too late. What I found in the writing was depth. I am a musician myself, so I know depth of musical writing when I hear it. First album I heard? It was Skylarking. Second? Oranges and Lemons. And then I bought English Settlement. Wow! Ball and Chain. That's Colin's tune, isn't it? I love the writing. I find it hard to believe that there's only 1250 of us. Scary. Chris Ellerd cellerd@dreamscape.com
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v03007805b01f16516b8f@[168.121.35.26]> Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 05:33:08 -0400 From: Curtiss Hammock <curtiss@macbeth.com> Subject: Web site idea Hi, Keepers of the Chalk, The main reason I re-subbed to the list (I may have mentioned this before) was for recommendations of other music. In this, I have been quite successful, having found several new artists who I like quite a bit. And I had this idea: what if all of this great info was placed in one web site where it was easilly available to anyone who wanted it, whenever they wanted it? Does something like this exist? If not, would anyone else be interested? I wouldn't mind putting it up if others on this list would help me out with the content. It could be called "If You Like XTC, You Might Also Like..." Any XTC fan could submit any band or artist, as long as it was not too far afield (I, for instance, love YES, Rush, Led Zeppelin and Beethoven, but I would include none of them as they aren't very much like XTC). Some that come to mind are Martin Newell, The Mommyheads, The Grays, Jason Falkner, Brian Stevens, The Sugarplastic, et al. The site would have a list of related artists and brief descriptions of their music, as well as links to any relevent sites. But I couldn't do this alone. If you have a band or two that you champion, I'd need you to write something up about them. So, is anyone interested in this? Please cc me by personal e-mail so I can keep track of interest. Thanks! Curtiss --------------------- Curtiss R.Hammock II MacBeth Design Atlanta, GA, USA curtiss@macbeth.com www.macbeth.com
------------------------------ Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19970819132421.0067f074@pop.mindspring.com> Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 08:24:21 -0500 From: Mark Rushton <rushton@mindspring.com> Subject: You never know about Tomorrow >>Someone asked: >>>James: didn't some awful female singer ca. 1991 do a cover of >>>"tomorrow never knows"? i seem to remember cringing a lot at her nerve. > >>I thought this was Sheila Chandra when she was singing with Monsoon. > >since i was the one who asked this originally, i'd have to say that i'm 99% >sure that it wasn't - it was some woman under just her name, and i think i >would have liked it more had it been Sheila Chandra, as she's actually good >- at least i like her solo stuff on Peter Gabriel's Real World label. Unfortunately I can't answer this bit of trivia, but I will note that Chandra's version is from around 1983 - and it's really pretty good. I'm still impressed with Phil Collins' attempt at it back in 1981. But the version that really does for me is not the original Beatles version on Revolver - but the one on Anthology. That out-Dukes the Dukes any day! If people don't know already, Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan died last Saturday, August 16th, in London, of a heart ailment brought on by renal failure and diabetes. He was in his late 40's. I didn't become aware of Nusrat until his early 90's album "Mustt Mustt", produced by guitarist Michael Brook. Brook again worked with Nusrat on "Night Song" a couple years ago. If you're interested in stretching your horizons, go get "Mustt Mustt" first, then you can try to find his 125-or-so other albums..... Mark Rushton author of the Bill Nelson WWW Site http://soli.inav.net/~rushton/nelson.html soon to be moving to: www.billnelson.com
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33F9D56A.6A7E@sprintmail.com> Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 10:18:34 -0700 From: Stormy Monday <stormymonday@sprintmail.com> Subject: Misqoutes and Turnabouts Folxtc, James Dignan erroneously attributed the following quote to me: > Stormy Monday <stormymonday@sprintmail.com> > > >Listen to a "mono" Sgt. Pepper sometime,on vinyl of course, you will enjoy > >the music as it was "supposed to sound". Um, I actually disagreed with that opinion. My point was that the Beatles did two mixes, one mono and one stereo, therefore they both sounded the way they were "supposed" to sound. * * * I'm not sure if this has been discussed before, but I have done many "turnabouts" with XTC songs. I guess the biggest turnabout I did was "All You Pretty Girls". A friend of mine had alerted me to the fact that a new XTC record was about to be unleashed, and that the local "new music" station was going to break the new single. I was anxiously listening to the radio, and then the DJ came on and announced, "Here is the new one from X T C!", or something like that, and I cranked up the volume. I was alone, but I bet I had the most puzzled look on my face, as I was thinking, "What the #$%^ are they doing? This songs is ridiculous!". In those days, I had very little disposable income, so I waited for my friend Tom to buy the album so he could tape it for me. "Wake Up" blew me away on first listen, as did "Seagulls Screaming", but the rest of the album left me perplexed. Since I had experience with this band, I stuck with it, thinking, "okay, some of their songs take time, but I'll never like AYPG!". WRONG! One day I had the album on, my (then) wife wasn't home, so I had a smoke and turned up the volume, and it hit me like a shot! It must have been the second time the intro piece "Do something for me" comes up, with Colin playing the two note bass intervals, the harmony on "write a little note" and the incredible drum track, especially after the "set it off afloat" where he enunciates the line "say ay ay ing!". This morning, while getting dressed and ready for work, I blasted the first four songs from "The Big Express" and thought, "Thank all gods for XTC!" Stormy Monday
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199708191442.HAA24775@mailgate22> Subject: "TMK" question answered and hate songs Date: Tue, 19 Aug 97 09:34:25 -0600 From: <aostermann@sprintmail.com> >>Someone asked >>>James: didn't some awful female singer ca. 1991 do a cover of >>>"tomorrow never knows"? i seem to remember cringing a lot at her nerve. > >>I thought this was Sheila Chandra when she was singing with Monsoon. > >since i was the one who asked this originally, i'd have to say that i'm 99% >sure that it wasn't - it was some woman under just her name, and i think i >would have liked it more had it been Sheila Chandra, as she's actually good >- at least i like her solo stuff on Peter Gabriel's Real World label. > >it couldn't have been Cathy Dennis, could it? i can tell that i'm never >going to be relieved of the torment of trying to remember this ridiculous >bit of trivia... Well, let me relieve you...it was Danielle Dax who did the early 90's redo of "Tomorrow Never Knows" >One opinion: as much as I believe "Your Dictionary" to be one of the >greatest songs AP has written, I see it as being a little too...personal? >Vindictive? Libelous? >Whaddya think? Well, Owen, I'd agree, but at least there's a sliught bit of metaphorazation to make it not sound totally hateful. For a great example of a "hate" song that gets a little too personal, try "Sorrow Will Come in the End" on the new Morrissey CD ^Maladjusted^. (As proof, the track isn't included in the UK version because of, yep, libel fears.) It's basically a spoken word piece railing against the court settlement between he and his estranged rhythm section in the Smiths. (Bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce won, receiving over 1 million pounds in back payment, while Morrissey was portrayed as "devious and manipulating" by the judge.)Between lines like "I praise the day that brings you pain" and "don't close your eyes.... a man who slits throats has time on his hands", it's easy to see what Moz thought of the verdict. IMO, he should have stopped worrying about the case and wrote good songs, which ^Maladjusted^ doesn't have a lot of. Adam
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33F9B596.38C3@gate.net> Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 11:02:46 -0400 From: Pandrea <pann@gate.net> Subject: Hopefully an answer... Hello Chalkers, In regard to Brookes post about a female singer covering "Tommorrow Never Knows", I think,(and I may well be really off on this. Or not) it was Danielle Dax. I vaguely remember 120 Minutes on MTV used to show the video, around 1990-91. I do not have the cd, and I don't really remember how her version was, but I'm pretty sure it was her. Let me know if this is correct. "To serve Mankind..." Perry
------------------------------
Message-ID: <33F9C455.6BED@stewmac.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 12:05:41 -0400
From: Keith Hanlon <hanlon@stewmac.com>
Organization: Stewart-MacDonald's Guitar Shop Supply
Subject: tomorrow never knows when I'll change my mind, AGAIN
>Someone asked
>>James: didn't some awful female singer ca. 1991 do a cover of
>>"tomorrow never knows"? i seem to remember cringing a lot at her nerve.
It was Danielle Dax... a silly little 4AD-style dance track.
After much consideration, I may be changing my mind about XTC's most
"timeless" record. I first picked Enlish Settlement. Then I remembered,
"damn, Black Sea is a fine album! How could I forget that?"
Then I realized that Skylarking really is one of my favorite albums of
all time... I love everything about it. The songwriting, the production
(yes... the production!), the performances, the song-cycle. I will never
tire of it. My only complaint is the ommission of "Mermaid Smiled." Oh
well... I've got the import too.
Oh... I forgot about Drums and Wires...
> thanks to Keith and Simon for the kind words of praise - Keith, i take it
> you already have a dub of _Acorn_, but if you don't i'd be glad to make one
> for you (the record i have is not mine to sell, unfortunately).
Yup.... if you're friend needs some cash, I'll pay top dollar!
Someone mentioned that they didn't like Mommyhead Adam Cohen's singing.
That person thought he couldn't hit the high notes.
With respect oozing out my ears.... doesn't this describe Andy Partridge
as well? ("Love on a Farmboys..... WAGES!")
Keith
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 12:11:30 -0400 Message-Id: <v01510101b01f3dced523@[128.122.161.36]> From: vanvalnc@is2.nyu.edu (Chris Van Valen) Subject: Fossil Fuels vid? Hi Hills, Dos anyone know if anything transpired regarding the propsed Fossil Fuels video companion? Just wonderin'... CV If you have an unpleasant nature and dislike people this is no obstacle to work. -- J.G. Bennett Catch "Forever Knight" on the Sci-Fi Channel every Mon-Thurs at 9PM and 1AM EDT. -- Lucien LaCroix
------------------------------ From: linda hall <particle@servtech.com> Message-Id: <199708191720.NAA23409@cyber1.servtech.com> Subject: Summer's Cauldron Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 13:20:07 -0400 (EDT) >I had to jump on this one because I heard today that 50% of >people living in USA didn't know who long it took for the Earth to >revolve once around the Sun (1 year) And 76.2% of people living in the USA believe that every statistic is true. :) Mommyheads: I've heard only one of their songs, "Monkey" (ironically enough, on the radio show of Keith "I hate the Mommyheads" Sawyer). I was not impressed. <The Somnabulist> >Does a CD exist without this track? I'll trade you... Oh, but that song is so much fun! Admittedly, it's a sore thumb, especially stuck between Smokeless Zone and Towers of London, but that's what the track skip buttons are there for. >or else "Summer's Cauldron," all the loveliness of "Skylarking" >baked into one cake. Agreed. This song was an important stepping stone towards full-fledged fandom for me. After having this great, kick-ass XTC mixtape, I bought O&L and was a bit disappointed. I went and got Skylarking anyway, though. I put it on, and *wow,* here's this song that sounds like the very essence of hot summer days distilled and put on disc. My Skylarking CD got more spins for that than probably any other song... >- Tired Of Waiting For You (Ray Davies) Hmmmm. When did XTC cover this? I've never seen it mentioned anywhere... JHB Saving it all up for *you*...
------------------------------
Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=BTG._Inc.%l=EXCH_SERVER-970819204652Z-13510@exchserver.btg.com>
From: "Sherwood, Harrison" <hsherwood@btg.com>
Subject: Chalkhills History & The Straight Dope
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 16:46:52 -0400
>From: John Relph <relph>
>Subject: Lest Me Forget...
>
>Ted Harms <tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca> asks:
>>
>>4) Could some of the elders on this list (Mr. Relph?) give a history on
>>how this list got started?
>Chalkhills is an indirect offshoot of Love-Hounds, the Kate Bush list,
>and rec.music.misc, wherein XTC was discussed.
Oh, what an utter load of bollocks!
Poor Relph is, I'm afraid, a complete arriviste in these matters, a
deluded jabbering homunculus...toss him a crust and a groat--he'll
scuttle back under his bridge, gnawing one and inserting the other in
his nose. The graybeards who were _really_ around in the beginning will
remember with great trembling and soiling of pants the strange and
terrible scene when Zeus, angered by Hera's dalliance with the mortal
Stratocastes, became fuddled in wine and betook himself to his spinning
bed, where the mother and father of all hangovers afflicted him. For
seven days and nights he raged, destroying all that lay before him, yea
even unto his autographed map of Swindon and his Black Sea tour booklet.
He rent his footie jammies and scattered ashes in his hair as the lands
were laid waste and the temples shook unto their foundations. Then, as
the Furies unleashed their fearsome vengeance upon the cowering
multitudes, Chalkhills sprang, fully formed, from the forehead of the
suffering god, proud breasts flashing in the sunlight, brandishing
Tricouleur and Phrygian cap and uttering the stentorian words: "BUNGALOW
CHEWS!"
This would have been about 1923, if memory serves. Rec.music.misc was
barely a gleam in Bill Gates' eye at that point, so that just proves it.
>
>"Pablo F. Gorondi" <103075.2635@CompuServe.COM> writes:
>>
>>Reading the TIME magazine article the other day, I was struck by the fact
>>that the author pointed out that the name of the band is pronounced like the
>>"recreational drug," not, as I and all my Argentine and Hungarian friends
>>have been pronouncing it for the past 15 years, the three letters X-T-C as
>>they sound in the alphabet.
Equis-Tay-Say?
>
>[Relph]: Actually, the Time article is WRONG.
Many eons ago, somewhere around the time when Zeus was on his bender and
Chalkhills was moving its slow thighs and slouching towards Bethlehem to
be born, I saw on the goggle box a jeremiad produced by some fundie
gooberheads who were pretty darned certain that rock music was leading
the youth of our nation straight to The Bad Place. Chief among their
theses was the proposition that the major Pied Piper leading us down the
primrose path to perdition was this Satan-worshippin', goat-sacrificin',
pentangle-drawin' bunch of bad hats who had named themselves after some
designer drug--Crack? Canned Heat? Crystal Blue Persuasion? Ecstasy?
They showed these vidclips of chubby, bespectacled li'l Andy, a dead
ringer for Franz Schubert, obsessively--if inexpertly--smacking a
papier-mache tree with a hammer, while lipping (badly) the simple-minded
and bombastic climax of "Dear God." I think Colin and Dave were in the
tree, along with some symbols. I could be wrong on that last bit.
Boy oh boy were Our Holy Hosts just soaking their Sansabelts over it! I
seem to recall stern citations from Revelation and Isiah, featuring
many-headed beasts and large numbers of seals that would be broken.
(What _do_ these doxologers have against seals, anyway? I think the baby
ones with the big eyes are pretty cute.) At every moment I expected
Count Floyd to put in a quick cameo, or maybe Joel and the Bots.
It was all a very interesting (and highly risible) example of the deaf
upbraiding the blind for lack of vision, and I would have giggled my way
through all of it, except for the fact that these rock-n-roll Father
Coughlins _insisted_ on pronouncing the group's name "Ecstasy" and not
"Ecks-tee-see." It may have been the knowing looks cast into the camera
by the tame longhair ("Hey, kids, your parents may be total Melvins, but
*you and I* know what that name _really_ means!") but this obviously
intentional mispronunciation _really_ got on my wick.
From: "Dr. Foulger" <Damian.Foulger@astro.cf.ac.uk> sez:
>- water does not go down
>- the plug-hole in the opposite direction in the southern hemisphere
And then fstolzenbach@hns.com sez back:
>Wish I could agree here, but -- having lived in the southern hemisphere and
>watched it happen -- I'm afraid you're off the mark. The Monty Python fans
>among us may also remember a scene from Michael Palin's excellent "Pole
>toPole" series on A&E where he demonstrates the principle....
Ah, the dear old Coriolis Force.... Listen: if you're bored on a
Saturday night sometime, and want to be entertained by the ear-steaming,
vein-popping outrage of 8,678 Physics TAs and university laboratory
bottle-washers, here's what you do: Stick your head in at
alt.folklore.urban and announce you've got positive proof that water
always goes down the drain in the opposite direction in the Southern
Hemisphere. For extra fun, cite a TV show starring Michael Palin as
evidence.
Whee!
Harrison
"http://www.urbanlegends.com/science/coriolis/coriolis_force_sci_physics_faq.html"
Sherwood
------------------------------ Message-Id: <s3f9e5a8.049@elsevier.com> Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 18:27:34 -0400 From: Ralph DeMarco <r.demarco@elsevier.com> Subject: XTC Drums and Wired Again! / Taking Liberties with Elvis / CAN Dear One Armed Bandits and Affiliated Members: >Ed & Pam >Just 2 threads addressed: >"Respectable Street" to start off "Black Sea" & "Making Plans For Nigel" >off "Drums & Wires" do the best jobs of setting the album's tone. Re: The Best Opening Song on an XTC album: 'Life Begins at the Hop' HANDS DOWN! (I am talking about the LP, Virgin International USA (Atlantic), VA 13134, October 1979. You are referring to the original relaesse of the LP, Virgin UK, V 2129, 17 August 1979. - and subsequent US and UK CD versions.) The more I listen to it..the more I am beginning to think that Drums and Wires is one of my top fav XTC albums. I mean...the energy - and the melodies and changes are so fresh after sooo many listenings I can't get over it. Black Sea's 'Respectable Street' does not hold up as well for me with repeated listenings. And...I still cannot figure out the cheerleading for English Settlement. It's a good album...but their best? I don't know. I think Skylarking and Mummer are better but... who am I? Oh, and I must concur on the live Todd. Saw him at a small club in New York back in '89 for his Nearly Human tour and he ROCKED!!! Now how about an XTC tour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In my dreams. sigh. >Mark Irvin >And I might as well include Elvis Costello in this fun.....SOTW: I Want >You. And far as QOTW: ahhhhhh, Imperial Bedroom (need I say more) >but I can not forget to include My Aim Is True.....my two fav EC albums. I used to think that there must be a better album than the compilation of B-sides, and unreleased tracks called Taking Liberties - which was released in England under a different title and two tracks are changed from the US version. The UK version does not have 'I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea'. But, anyway...Believe it or not, I find Taking Liberties to be his best ever. I never get tired of it. It is so rough and diverse and brutal and charming and well... damn it all - the best treat for the ear of any Elvis Costello fan. Many of the tracks were not considered good enough for official EC albums (Stranger The House, and Radio Sweetheart were supposed to be on My Aim Is True but the record exec.s thought the Country and Western flavor would turn off the punky teenie boppers!!) Re: CAN LOVE 'EM. Eight years ago I heard Monster Movie and was blown away. I think they deserve credit for keeping it REAL. Even the solo editions are cool. CODA: When You Leave Me I Have Difficulty..When You Leave Me I Have Difficulty..When You Leave Me I Have Difficulty..When You Leave Me I Have Difficulty..When You Leave Me I Have Difficulty..When You Leave Me I Have Difficulty.. (Fade...) Rolf
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199708192228.AAA28196@utrecht.knoware.nl> From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Organization: The Little Lighthouse Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 00:33:57 +0000 Subject: Black Sea Trade Cher Chalkers, Our mutual friend Natalie said: > Secondly, I must point out that I FINALLY got "Black Sea" on CD and it > sounds fiiiine - i.e. not melted and drooled over and scritchy like my > old cassette. (Mark, you don't want it. Seriously.) I DO! Seriously! I haven't got BS on "official" tape yet so it's a "must have" for a crazed collector like myself... Crikes - i would have offered the same album on CD in return. As long as the original jcards are more or less intact; i want every XTC tape that survived the 90's ! ;) > However, as has probably been pointed out before, a track as resolutely > mellow as "The Somnambulist" (while not a bad song by any means) really > does not fit with the uptempo mood of the rest of the album. Does a CD > exist without this track? I'll trade you... Nope, that one doesn't exist but I'm pleased you agree that Virgin should have tacked those bonus (ooops, i almost typed bogus) tracks AT THE END where they belong - and a minute of silence inbetween. Well, maybe Virgin gets really mean now our heroes have left them - they always said Virgin would go under if XTC left; not unlike the raven in the Towers of London - and re-re-release the whole backcatalog again. In three different collector's editions each with it's own unique misprints ! Oh Natalie: if Dave is going bald (SHOCK HORROR GASP!) doesn't that make him more attractive? After all, you have a website filled with baldness - or is that a contradiction ? your tapeworm, Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse; the XTC website @ http://utopia.knoware.nl/~mmello ===> The Random XTC Quote <=== All of the riches that shine will turn sour
------------------------------ Message-Id: <l03110701b02004b7b656@[205.231.217.119]> Date: Tue, 19 Aug 1997 21:33:43 -0500 From: Ben Gott <gott@li.com> Subject: Crossed wires John Wedemeyer: >I have always thought that XTC were masters of the cross-fade. Most certainly, but isn't it a pain in the ass when you're trying to put "Yacht Dance" on an XTC tape to send to someone? Off to college in two days. Yikes. It's weird not being the youngest Chalkhillian anymore. And, judging from the mistakes and mis-quotes made in my last posting, don't be surprised when I, in a drunken stupor, refer to Ira Lieman as "Ire," and start a thread questioning Dave Gregory's gender. (I'm not doing that, by the way.) OK, who watched the Fleetwood Mac concert a few nights ago? Wouldn't it be odd if Mick "Damn your eyes! Too Late!" Fleetwood played drums on the next XTC album, and resulting performance dates (I volunteer the atrium and cafe in the Smith Union at Bowdoin College)? Ben - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - B e n G o t t :: Bowdoin College :: Brunswick, Maine Genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33FA9176.973FB5CF@underworld.net> Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 02:40:55 -0400 From: Kevin Keeler <insanity@underworld.net> Organization: Masters of Reality Subject: Starving, hysterical madness Ah in further attempts to be social and contribute to society (and at the stern urgings of my psychiatrist) I will attempt to contribute *yet again* (for those keeping count I believe I am up to 4 now--go me). First (in reply to " that milkmaid <rmckenzi@dti.net>", I say that I very much like your My Bird Performs theory. As I listen to the song I feel you may be right on (course we'll never really know). I've always loved that song. the nice stereo-utilizing guitar(s) intro, laid back melody, and of course the trombone solo (always had a special place for those in my heart) next on the andy / colin alternating thread (which i dont entirely understand the premise of, but am managing to chime in anyway) I (for the most part) feel that they each fit well with their respective songs. I disagree that Colin would be better fit for "the dissapointed" and, for the most part, enjoy Andy's material more. It's very close. And my opinion may be different next week. Or maybe I've just heard 'the smartest monkeys' one (or 23) too many times. Nice thought. Too long. Hrm, where do i want to go next? how bout the SOTW and QOTW...as for making plans for nigel, it was one of the earliest songs I heard (little XTC story time: I had a rough familiarity with their name for awhile...Had heard some of their stuff before (not knowing at the time who it was (senses and are u receiving me both had a very strong familiarity to me when i first heard them knowing it was XTC)). Main intersection of interests was when I heard TMBG in coincert play XTC vs Adam Ant ( months before their new album came out). Then the album came out and I got it and my curiosity was piqued. A friend had heard some sparse stuff on a local station, and bought testimonial dinner. That was my first voluntary exposure to XTC--and the first place I heard Making plans...went out and bought nonsuch at a used cd store. collection continually expanding ever since. Must recent acquisition: explode together (havent decided if it was worth the price yet or not (musically i'd say no, but hey, its an experience (and just something novel to have) This getting massively off topic and entirely too long so I'll go on now Nigel: decent song. simple. good to open your eyes to XTC but i'd assume eventually one graduates to other songs. sortof a starting block. Best opening song: wake up. peter pumpkinhead next, and then i guess summer's cauldron. these are all pretty close and subject to change without notice. worst: garden of earthly delights. I feel it douesnt fit the rest of the album very well...and certainly not as in introduction to what follows. I'll stop for now so long (read header for who I am <duh>) http://www.siscom.net/~keeler/xtc I swear I'm gonna add stuff. honest "I should have a call-in show.."
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199708201100.MAA27432@pip.maires.co.uk> From: "Stephen Clarke" <S.Clarke@nopres.co.uk> Organization: NOP Research Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 12:02:44 +0000 Subject: Re: Mismatched MIDI Files Brian Wrote > Just stopped by the Bungalow today, and noticed two new XTC (and > related) MIDI's by our esteemed Steve Clarke. Nice job, Steve... > however, I have one observation - why in the heck didn't you match up > the recorded measures with the sequence measures? I wrote the files with the opening few bars (patch change and midi reset stuff) accelerated to 700 bpm so that the musical part of the song starts quicker for live use. I know this makes it a bit of a pain to edit or play about with - please accept my apologies. If brian or anyone else needs un-introspeeded versions, or superior Roland GS compatible versions of the files - let me know and I'll mail them. I thought your 'melt the guns' mid was spot on by the way - especially the intro. Steve C.
------------------------------ From: Kelly Nickel <nickel@SEDSystems.ca> Subject: Vitamin X-T-C Message-Id: <SIMEON.9708200825.A@me-10.sedsystems.ca> Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 08:52:25 -0400 (EDT) Honourable folk of Chalk: Sorry to see the QOTW and SOTW die so suddenly, they lived a short but meaningful existance. I pause in a moment of respectful silence... Now then, I have a thought for you all: I - as all of you - gladly take my daily dosage of XTC, with a double shot on weekends just for good measure. I drool (sorry about that mental picure folks) at the thought of a new album, or obtaining new demos. I read the interviews religiously, usually more than once. However, as I savour every note and word, I have noticed that I don't really feel the need to collect EVERY picture, poster, and visual clip of the BFS (I do however crave the videos, in an effort to get a slightly "bigger" experience of the music). All in all, it still remains secondary to the music. That wonderful, wonderful addicting music. ***Please stop me now if you know the name of my affliction, or the formula of the antidote*** Moral of the story? I feel that my peculiar appreciation is of the highest form. I get my XTC nutrients from the music; little visual supplements required. I don't know...am I sick? Do I need help? Is this my subconscious respectfully responding to Andy's own affliction? Does anyone else feel the same? (I have already guessed your answer Amanda) Perhaps Andy himself will have to perform my exorcism. On an entirely different topic, have you all ordered your CD from Becki Digregorio yet? You really should - it is a "must have". It hasn't left the disc pac all summer... you won't be disappointed. (order at: ziglain@cruzio.com) Visually disfunctionally yours, ---------------------- Kelly Nickel nickel@sedsystems.ca
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199708210124.SAA22179@main.rapidnet.net> From: "J & J Greaves" <jgreaves@rapidnet.net> Subject: sotw nigel Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 18:31:30 -0700 Making Plans For Nigel was, I think, more successful as a single in Canada than anywhere else, making it to no.1 ( on AM charts! ) if I remember correctly. XTC had a lot of airplay in those days (1979-82) in Vancouver, and many people I know still remember the song, if not XTC. As I learned more about the band and it's history I was a bit surprised that the song hadn't done as well everywhere else in the world. After hearing this song ( and Life Begins At The Hop ) I bought Drums And Wires and slowly started to wear away the vinyl with repeated plays. It was however Black Sea that made me the faithful follower I still am today. I can still remember the first time I played Black Sea, putting the needle down, hearing scratching noises and thinking " What the hell has happened to my new record!? " , and then hearing the opening guitar of Respectable Street. I think that moment was when I knew I had found my new favorite band, and Respectable Street is my choice for best song that sets up an XTC album. ( closely followed by most of the others! ) Plug: Subscribe to the Little Express, it's well worth it! Cheers John
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33FBCA46.4C@bhip.infi.net> Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 00:55:58 -0400 From: gregory <mattone@bhip.infi.net> Organization: InfiNet Subject: Steve C., MIDI, demos & the FL XTC home office Steve Clarke (and all you Tschalkgerz out there!) Hello! Thanks for writing back... >I wrote the files with the opening few bars (patch change and midi reset stuff) accelerated to 700 bpm so that the musical part of the song starts quicker for live use.< Hmmm... not to keep hashing, but dosen't the measure count speed up, too, with the increased tempo? I'd like to understand this better - but it sounds like a good way to get past the sound info quicker. I wonder how fast you can go before slop keeps the sequencer from picking up all the info it needs... >I know this makes it a bit of a pain to edit or play about with - please accept my apologies.< Oh, hell, apology accepted, sir! I wasn't planning on doing anything to it, anyway. >If Brian or anyone else needs un-introspeeded versions, or superior Roland GS compatible versions of the files - let me know and I'll mail them.< Hey, I'll take a GS version... I'd like to check it out running my PMA-5! >I thought your 'melt the guns' mid was spot on by the way - especially the intro.< Well, thank you for the compliment... I admit to probably having genericized the guitar stuff a tad... Mr. P tends to take all kinds of corners and tangents with his execution of guitar rhythms, God love him... What's coming MIDI-wise? "No Thugs In Our House" "Burning With Optimism's Flames" "It's Nearly Africa" These are in some form started... We might even see a demo MIDI or two... ----------- I got the XTC demos yesterday from John Murphy - WOO-HOO! Now, I just gotta listen to 'em a lot and rehash the ongoing thread regarding this stuff... it's my turn. Soon, soon... Mark from FL... thanks for writing. -Brian Eating future and shitting past...
------------------------------ Message-ID: <33FC383B.6825@ns1.mindmagic.com> Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 12:44:46 +0000 From: Brian Matthews <btm@ns1.mindmagic.com> Organization: Ringling Multimedia Corporation Subject: Demo review & movies and music Tscahalkgerz1 OK, the opening comment stream on the XTC demos (sorry if I retrace steps already taken here, or if I bore you): "The Green Man" - a new album must. "Dame Fortune" - could work on the new album, but I get the impression that it's just rehashing the 'Nonesuch' scenario... "Church Of Women" - my fave off the tape... if this don't make it on the album, cancel my subscription. "River of Orchids" - in desperate need of that in-production XTCizing. "You And The Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful" - another good album cut. "Wonder Annual" - 'Skylarking' revisited - the title alone suggests it; let's move on... "I'd Like That" - I like that "Knights In Shining Karma" - possibilities with liberal doses of classic XTCizing. "Easter Theatre" - I'm missing something here... "Prince Of Orange" - possibilities with liberal doses of classic XTCizing. "Some Lovely (My Brown Guitar)' - sounds a bit like Duke material to me... OK "The Last Balloon" - what generation of all this could my tape possibly be? Maybe with a lyrics sheet... "Bumper Cars" - possibilities with liberal doses of classic XTCizing. "I Can't Own Her" - hmmmmm... "Your Dictionary" - possibilities with liberal doses of classic XTCizing. "Cherry" - not supposedly an "XTC" tune, but it could be put in the new album and you'd get no complaint from moi... "Candymine" - needs to be on the new one. I liked all the J&TGP stuff, except for some yawnage on "All I Dream Of Is A Friend"... "Playground" - could be an XTC staple Any of this stuff would benefit from the gloss and glitter XTC puts on their music, so I look forward to the new album (whenever that will be). ------------ Here's a project for all you thread-hangers and Hillclimbers... I'm sure most of us have heard about the Pink Floyd 'THE WALL'/'THE WIZARD OF OZ' tie-in that's been in the news of late... well, why don't some of us with a little bit of time on our hands see if we can't do the same for an XTC album and some flick out there... Later, folxtc (tip-o-the-hat to you know who...) -Brian Eating future and shitting past...
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Aug 1997 16:25:17 -0700 From: "pawnee q " <ribber@mailcity.com> Message-ID: <LLOBIGLEOCMNBAAA@mailcity.com> Subject: Positive ID of voice @ end of "love explodes" Organization: MailCity E-Mail Service ---It all clicked when reading the Chalkhills FAQ entry that said that the sample that our boys inserted was taken from NY radio by John Leckie. The voice is that of "Frank", a well known chronic caller to talk radio shows in NYC. In fact, a few years back, I featured him in an audio collage I assembled.(still have it somewhere). Is there a cure for terminal heartbreak???? Juxtaposition is Everything.
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 16:50:52 -0700 Message-Id: <199708212350.QAA01637@barley.adnc.com> From: studio seventeen productions <ambient@adnc.com> Subject: TNK * Yes You Are Both Right * TNK what you are right about being: >>Someone asked >>>James: didn't some awful female singer ca. 1991 do a cover of >>>"tomorrow never knows"? i seem to remember cringing a lot at her nerve. *I* think that the "awful female singer" was probably Danielle Dax, *NOT* the below mentioned Sheila Chandra. Not sure if I've ever *HEARD* Danielle's version, but her singing voice is, uh, not standard issue...so we could imagine what it's like >I thought this was Sheila Chandra when she was singing with Monsoon. Sheila's version is from the 80s (when she was the teenage star of Monsoon), and is very pleasant (right up there with the 801 Live version for "cool covers of TNK"). It features Bill Nelson on energy bow guitar which is pretty cool. It is available on a 1995 Monsoon compilation CD for those interested. Although if you ARE interested, email me and I'll tell you four other SC titles that are better than Monsoon (she was very young then, and it was during the synth-bass dance craze era...weirdly combined with beautiful Indian stuff). In other words, her later stuff is much better music-wise. for once, something I knew about. dave at studio 17
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #3-157 *******************************
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