Chalkhills Digest Volume 4, Issue 63
Date: Saturday, 21 March 1998

          Chalkhills Digest, Volume 4, Number 63

                 Saturday, 21 March 1998

Today's Topics:

          Re: No comparison (Firework on vinyl)
                   XTC and Music Clubs
           Re: XTC.COM / Note about this digest
                  Re: My favorite songs
                      old autographs
                         accents
                Heaven and Hell in Heaven
                      Shameless Plug
                        Ella Guru
                    Granny nomination
        Re-ordering NONSUCH and Vacation in the UK
        Chalkhills' Children '97 Production Notes
                   Just one thing.....
                       Free GM cap!
                  XTC vs. Sugarhill Gang
                        top eleven
                        XTC Videos
                     Coupla questions
                   Snippet from Sputnik
           Yes, Chalksters, there is a MilCon!
                      An Invitation
                      Re: Chalkhills
               XTC at Rolling Stone Network
                       Italian site

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Shocked me too the things we used to do on grass.

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

Message-ID: <007d01bd5042$751e5e30$a3f9a7cf@mroden.vistar.ca>
From: "Michael Roden" <mroden@vistar.ca>
Subject: Re: No comparison (Firework on vinyl)
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 13:42:07 -0500

Dear Mr. Wood,

I pointed out the differences in available bandwidth
and dynamic range between CDs and LPs to illustrate
that a CD production master is inappropriate for
the manufacture of vinyl LPs.

You wrote:

>Er, hello; that's why all vinyl is mastered differently
>with bass end rolled off and why you need an RIAA preamp
>for phono inputs.

It seems that we are in agreement. "Firework" would have
to mastered again if it were to be made available on
vinyl.

My theory is purely an economic one: it might not be
financially possible for XTC to release "Firework" on
vinyl.

Since some of the various XTC websites have devoted
space to the unfortunate recording and financial setbacks
for the guys, I thought that it would be unreasonable
for us fans to expect the guys to offer "Firework" on vinyl,
strictly because they would have to pay to get a vinyl
production master made. That is just my opinion.

I wrote:

>>By the sounds of it, XTC certainly do not have the money
>>to get "Firework" mastered twice, once for CD and once
>>for vinyl.

To which you replied:

>Bollocks, the cost of mastering is a tiny fraction of
>recording.

Even if it only costs a thousand pounds to get "Firework"
mastered for vinyl, it is a thousand pounds that XTC do not
have. Personally, I would rather there be an extra song on
"Firework", or a day or two more studio time for the guys
to get the arrangements as close as possible to the vision
they have in mind for the album.

It is of course, entirely possible that sometime after
the CD release of "Firework", there will be an income stream
for the guys that would allow them to invest in getting
the album mastered for vinyl.

Also I wrote:

>>Because so much additional filtering is necessary to
>>master for vinyl, a CD production master is a far better
>>approximation of the final mix of an album.

to which you replied:

>An even bigger pile of bollocks! Once you've listened to
>a decent vinyl system vs. a CD, you'll be amazed. Don't
>go off what so called experts tell you, listen with *your*
>ears, not somebody else's! To say a CD production master
>is far better than album is truly outrageous!

I did *not* say that a CD production master is "far better
than a [vinyl] album". What I did say is that a CD production
master better (meaning: more closely) resembles what the
artist actually achieved in the studio, essentially because
it is not subjected to as much filtering as a vinyl production
master.

The superiority / inferiority of the sonic experience of a
vinyl LP vs. its CD counterpart is of course, a matter of
personal preference and highly dependent also on one's hi-fi
equipment.

My comment about the source of my knowledge of the mastering
process was simply because I am not a professional record
producer or recording engineer. I did not want to take credit
for info that was not really mine.

The info I sent here about the mastering process is simply
that, information... you may accept or reject it as you wish.
I was taken aback by the tone of your reply.

Peace to all,

Michael

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

Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19980315150403.008f9ab0@cyber1.servtech.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 15:04:03 -0500
From: Chaos Harlequin <harlequin@tmbg.org>
Subject: XTC and Music Clubs

Two messages in one digest! Wow, when was the last time that happened...?

My relevant note here is that, as of the most recent catalog, the BMG Music
Club has managed to acquire distribution rights to the Geffen catalog. This
adds quite a few important artists to their selection: Nirvana, Sonic
Youth, Weezer, and most importantly, XTC. The catalog lists O&L,
Skylarking, and Upsy Daisy, although it's possible that there are others as
well.

/---------------------------Joshua Hall-Bachner---------------------------\
|      harlequin@tmbg.org      http://www.servtech.com/public/particle/   |
| "We all have our idiosyncracies -- maybe thinning hair, or gum disease."|
\---- Kowanko, "Will You Come To?" ------ Thank You, And Goodnight. ------/

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

Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19980315204920.006a3b88@130.127.28.14>
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 20:49:20 -0500
From: Adam Tyner <ctyner@clemson.edu>
Subject: Re: XTC.COM / Note about this digest

<<First, I followed through on Adam Tyner's domain name research. www.xtc.com
does not currently seem to be in use.>>

I don't want to jump to conclusions, but it looks like Eric Grant of Ocean
Road Internet Services is registering a bunch of domain names for re-sale.
Valid.com and locate.com are 2 others he's registered...

BTW, I just wanted to say that I've been on many mailing lists over the
past couple of years, and this is by far the highest quality list I'm on.
Very little bickering, mostly on-topic posts, and a real sense of
community.  Thanks to everyone here for making this list so great!  :)

-Adam
/----=========================================================----\
             http://www.awod.com/gallery/rwav/ctyner/
The home of He-Man, "Weird Al", Yoo-hoo, Killer Tomatoes, and more!
   Demented music list admin           O-         MiSTie #67,326

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

Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 20:15:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Misty Shock <mccrtny@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: My favorite songs
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.96.980315200402.11918A-100000@saul9.u.washington.edu>

> 2.	Jump (Mummer)

Wow, I've been drooling over this song lately!  Mummer has recently become
one of my favorite XTC albums, but I think that that is partly due to the
b-sides.  I think that this song would've fit beautifully on the album.
The chorus sort of bothers me, but how can you not fall in love with the
line "Where is love. Love is within us"?

And I'd like to second that guy who applauded the Omnibus-That Wave-Then
She Appeared sequence!  Omnibus makes me want to boogie and That Wave
makes me want to take some strange narcotics that I should probably stay
away from...

Misty

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

Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 01:37:00 -0500 (EST)
From: "Paul E. Brantley" <pebrantl@mailbox.syr.edu>
Subject: old autographs
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.95.980316012805.12687D-100000@rodan.syr.edu>

I was in Philadelphia this past week and in the Record Exchange (off South
Street) I saw a vinal copy of Black Sea autographed by the entire band for
$7.00 (!?) in case anyone is interested.

I also caught Yazbek's show in NYC which was something -- as is the new
album -- as was Sean Altman's show -- another charmer.

Brantley

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

Message-ID: <214D5E35BA1FD111AD1C0000F8412E306CA646@HEALON_MES>
From: Cait Wright <Cait.Wright@hea.org.uk>
Subject: accents
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 09:22:59 -0000

>Richard Pedretti-Allen describing a lager lout: "'Oy loyk to
>get reeelly peessed on Four-X and then, whenever Arsenal wins a
>football match, I smosh somebodies fice in.'

Why would someone from either Arsenal or Swindon have an accent which if
I say what you've written, sounds like he's from Dudley? (or 'Doudleyyy'
- think NASAL).

As they say: 'Coom to Duudleyy, we've got a canal.'

Cait (from Southampton - worlds nastiest accent.)

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

Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 11:43:32 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <v03007800b132192caa8d@[209.86.62.5]>
From: Mitch Friedman <mitchf@mindspring.com>
Subject: Heaven and Hell in Heaven

Dearest Hilliards,

(um, John . . . this isn't completely off-topic, there is an XTC reference
in here somewhere . . . can I continue? Thanks . . .)

Before I tell you all about the Ray Davies songwriting course, I must answer
one question: Amanda -- Dave is the one that hissed!

Now on to the business at hand (with very calloused fingertips I can assure
you).  Having only met Ray very briefly a few times in the past but having
spent what seems like half of my life listening to everything he's ever
released, I was quite thrilled, excited and frankly nervous to meet him and
spend 5 days in his presence.  The course was set in an incredibly remote
and beautiful location in the rolling farmland of Devon, England near the
village of Sheepwash in a 1000 year old manor house with adjoining barn that
had been converted to a performance space/ living room type set-up. An
absolutely timeless and stunning location, perfect for what was to occur.

There were sixteen of us 'students'; ranging from a 17 year old kid who had
never written a song in his life to a 50 year old accountant/classy piano
player who had once written a hit song for Herman's Hermits and everything
in between. Some people were excellent musicians, some like me were quite
unaccomplished but everyone was at least pretty familiar with The Kinks
music. We all got along famously and had a great time throughout the week.

Before we even met Ray, the woman who was helping him run the course gave us
our first assignment which Ray had faxed from his studio in London. So
before getting to sleep the first night, suffering from jet-lag and
smelliness, I had to stay up until 1 in the morning writing a song that had
to be ready for performance before lunchtime the next day!  This was a fine
indication of the intense amount of work that would be thrown our way. In
four days we had to write something like 7 or 8 songs but all were based on
some very interesting exercises which Ray created.

Ray arrived late the first night and we all got to meet him early the next
morning.  Yes we were all a bit terrified but as soon as he entered the barn
wearing jeans and a "Heavens to Mergatroid" t-shirt with his hair a bit
messy and a nice smile on his face we were instantly at ease. He may be one
of the great songwriting geniuses of the 20th century but he thinks of
himself as an ordinary guy and that's how he acts. He is extremely nice,
soft spoken, energetic, hilarious, considerate (always asking how my jet lag
was, did I sleep well, etc.), generous, insightful and a truly wonderful
teacher. At the end of each assignment we would sit in the barn and have to
play our just written songs in front of him and everyone else, mistakes and
all. He was extremely supportive of everyone and really listened to what we
had just done, able to give immediate and detailed feedback on how to
improve the song. Throughout the week we all got several opportunities to
meet with Ray individually and discuss the song we were working on with him
as well as anything else we felt like talking about. I will treasure these
moments forever. He helped me so much with my songwriting and it was a real
thrill to be able to just chat with him like you would speak with one of
your best friends.

During one of these private meetings I told him that I was a friend of
Andy's and he said he had always wanted to meet Andy and what was he up to,
etc.  I gave him Andy's phone number and he said he would definitely give
him a call. Later I spoke with Andy and told him Ray would be phoning and he
said something like "now what are you trying to do here, eh?" with a smile
in his voice. Imagine the possibilities!

Some of the assignments were things like taking a walk up a nearby hill and
collecting thoughts and then coming back and writing a song about it or
setting The Lord's Prayer to music but without making it sound religious to
writing a quick 40 second long tv theme that could be used on the opening
credits to a show based on a listing of 5 shows from a British tv guide to
writing a one word title track for someone else in the course's album he had
picked for us in their style but retaining some of your own songwriting
flair in case your own fans wanted to buy the album, etc. The last day we
all did "Thelma and Louise: The Musical" which Ray set in England (the
ladies going off of Land's End at the finale) and had assigned characters to
each of us and songs that had to be written.  We performed it on the last
night and it went great and then Ray broke out the local beer and we all had
hugs and photos and a broke out into a bunch of Kinks songs (which happened
every night!) At no point in the course did Ray pick up and instrument or
sing a note but it was fine because he was everything you could ever hope
for and much more.

Let me repeat, it was extremely hard work but also extremely amazing fun. It
was not a one week vacation with Ray Davies. He was in charge and we all
felt a responsibilty to finish the assignments to the best of our
abilities. He was strong and persuasive yet caring and taught with humor. He
helped us all to trust him and each other so that by the end of the course,
performing in front of 16 people and him was no big deal and was actually
quite fun. He was there the whole week, he ate dinner with us and blended
right in. You would think there was nothing out of the ordinary about
passing him in the courtyard early in the morning and have him just say
hello.

Truly a week I will never ever forget.

Mitch

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

Message-Id: <199803161904.UAA20691@mail.knoware.nl>
From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Organization: The Little Lighthouse
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 20:04:57 +0000
Subject: Shameless Plug

Dear Chalkers,

First, lots of thanks to Simon K. from down under who answered my
plea for old pre-recorded XTC 'musicassettes' and supplied me with an
Australian E.S. tape in excellent condition. You all know I'm
obsessed with that particular album and this is my first copy on
cassette so I'm feeling ten feet tall now!

And now for something completely different:
the Soul Coal page with remarkable quotes from the XTC songbook
has been rewritten in Java and should work with all major browsers.
The "source" of the quote is now also shown and new words of wisdom
are generated every ten seconds.
Check it out at: http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/soulcoal.html
and please email your own faves to add to the collection.

yours in xtc,
Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse
 the XTC website @ http://come.to/xtc
and http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello

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

From: gtellez@access1.net (Gerardo Tellez)
Subject: Ella Guru
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 13:44:26 -0800
Message-ID: <19980316215120518.AAA106@ns1.access1.net>

Hello!
  I really like that Ella Guru song XTC plays on The Mayor of Simpleton
single. The thing is that it is not written by XTC. It says it is written
by some Don Van Vliet guy. Who is he? Does he have albums out? Any help
would be greatly appreciated.
Gerardo

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

Message-Id: <72EDB966944AD1118DC90080D820748847BE76@ex-campus2>
From: "Pedretti-Allen, Richard" <Richard.PedrettiAllen@octel.com>
Subject: Granny nomination
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 16:27:07 -0800

>Re the Grammys:
>Can't XTC get nominated next year?
Yes.  One is nominated by their peers.
>I mean,how hard can it be?
Easy.  One is nominated by their peers.
>And what is that pesky "minimum number"?
It changes and doesn't matter.  XTC sells enough records to "qualify"
but to get nominated and voted upon, they must sell to the Grammy voters
(again, their peers).

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

Message-ID: <350E5A22.2FE6@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 06:10:26 -0500
From: Tim Kendrick <tim63@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re-ordering NONSUCH and Vacation in the UK

Hi everyone!

Mitch's post before last (?) had "Firework"
has a single CD, starting with the mellow/orchestral
songs and building up to the electric/rock songs.
I decided to try this in reverse with NONSUCH.  I made
a tape starting with "Crocodile", then "..Peter Pumpkinhead",
and continuing on until "The Ugly Underneath", which I used
as a transition song.  All the songs after that were more
mellow/orchestral.  I finished it off with "Humble Daisy",
"Bungalow" and finally "Rook".  By re-ordering NONSUCH this way
I got an entirely different feel for the whole album, and a
new appreciation for most of the songs.  Try it!!

On an entirely different topic, it looks like I may be
vacationing in the UK at the end of May.  Although I'll
mainly be in London, I hope to take a day trip to Swindon
and the Uffington chalk horse.

If anyone has any suggestions of XTC related things I could
do/see while I'm out there, please email me privately.

Anyone know where Chipping Norton is???
(Just kidding - I wouldn't want to bug them!)

Also, if anyone is interested in meeting up with me while
I'm out there, that would be great.  Maybe we could have
a small Chalkhills gathering somewhere in London.
Again, email me privately (tim63@earthlink.net).

  Cheers!  Ta!

   Tim K.

XTC SONG OF THE HOUR: "When We Get to England"

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

Message-ID: <211D4A0926D2D011859E0060972D88483473AC@azmail.rjconsult.com>
From: "Miller, Ed" <emiller@rjconsult.com>
Subject: Chalkhills' Children '97 Production Notes
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 09:17:33 -0700

Hi, everyone...

In a week or so, I'll be removing the auto-reply rule that I've set up
to email the CC '97 production notes.  If you would like to receive a
copy please act quickly.  All you have to do is email me:

emiller@rjconsult.com

and, in the subject line type...

chalknotes

You'll get an auto-reply from my server, usually within a few minutes.

So far I've had 59 requests (if you count a few duplicates).  Oh,
yeah.... Marshall and Phil...  if you want to email me and DON'T want
the notes sent to you, DON'T put "chalknotes" in the subject line. ;-)
;-)

Most everyone I've heard from seems to enjoy reading them, so feel free
to grab yourself a copy.  Or, just feel free to grab yourself....

Regards,

Ed

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

From: LadyCPlum <LadyCPlum@aol.com>
Message-ID: <75931934.350edfa8@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 15:40:06 EST
Subject: Just one thing.....

On the subject of ES sounding better on vinyl-It does, but the running order
kinda sux. (Then again, I bought the cd first and I'm used to hearing it in
that order.)

Cheers,
Amanda
XTC song of the day-Heatwave
non XTC song-From Your Mouth-God Lives Underwater (This has got to be the most
interesting video I've seen in a LONG time.)

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

Message-Id: <72EDB966944AD1118DC90080D820748847BE85@ex-campus2>
From: "Pedretti-Allen, Richard" <Richard.PedrettiAllen@octel.com>
Subject: Free GM cap!
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 13:08:52 -0800

I just spent the morning "educating" my new speech recognition software
(Dragon) and thought I'd give it a text with some picturesque poetry...
I chose "Then She Appeared."  I annuciated clearly and relatively slow
so I didn't get and "then she upreared" kind of stuff but I did get a
few goofy guesses.

Now, presented for your dining and dancing pleasure... mis-heard lyrics
from Dragon...

Then she appeared
Apple Venus on a half open shell
then she appeared
the first photograph on Fox tell its gel
eye was a little frightened
flying with my senses height and
chair of been cheered
then she appeared

then she appeared
as the cabling crew of Mary Celeste
then she appeared
pale Atlantis rising out of the West
I was a little basil
Kathryn wheeled in senses wrestled
know it sounds weird
then she appeared

and assignment formerly shown
in the clearest summer sky
suddenly just changed address
now shines from her blue lives

then she appeared
brutal shootings started dropped in my lap
then she appeared
dressed in tri-color and free GM cap
eye was a little trouble
polka with my senses bubble
all Edward layered
then she appeared
and the moon which formerly shown
on the marble midnight mile
suddenly ages packed its bags
now shines from her rights mile
then she appeared
out of nowhere

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

Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 23:04:09 +0100
From: Erich Sellheim <sellheim@alf.zfn.uni-bremen.de>
Message-Id: <199803172204.XAA57609@alf.zfn.uni-bremen.de>
Subject: XTC vs. Sugarhill Gang

Hello everyone,
a few days back I had a strange XTC-related experience that I thought
I'd share with you.
I don't know how many of the non-Germans on this list (quite a few, I
would guess) know about Thomas Gottschalk; over here, he's about as
popular as Boris Becker, and in his game show  "Wetten dass?", he
likes to surround himself with guest stars like Madonna or Michael
Jackson (you get the picture). Anyway, back in 1980, he was a radio
DJ and, together with two other DJs called Frank Laufenberg and
Manfred Sexauer, he formed the project "GLS-United" which released a
German version of "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang, an early
rap song (the German version was called "Rapper's Deutsch").
Always interested in potentially obscure recordings, I bought the
vinyl single when I found it at a record fair. I don't know what the
original's lyrics are about, but the version contained a little
surprise: all three DJs, one after the other, are talking about their
favourite music. First Laufenberg (about the 60s), then Sexauer (about
the 50s), and, finally (the 80s), Gottschalk (the youngest of the three),
rapping about the "New Wave". And what is he saying??? I'm translating:
"I'm digging Boomtown Rats, XTC, Devo and Patti Smith"! I have to say
that I didn't get too much of the rest of the lyrics, as I just sat there
with my mouth open, not believing what I just had heard.
To understand my amazement, you have to consider that in Germany XTC are
about as popular as Gregorian chants (certainly one of the things that
went wrong in this country). Anyway, I thought I'd tell you about this,
as nowadays you don't get to hear many German TV stars rapping about how
much they like XTC.
Best wishes, Erich (happy with his new collector's item)

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

From: peets202@peets.com
Message-Id: <199803172234.OAA20346@netcomsv.netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 14:35:51 -0800
Subject: top eleven

The sun is up, the sky is blue, don't you wish you were in California too...
(Bad paraphrase, I know). The warmth has kickstarted me on this, an unusual
idea, but here it goes:

My Top Eleven Perfect Moments in XTC recorded history...no small feat.

11. The calm, church-like organ lines finishing The Ugly Underneath
10. Terry's "disco beat" in General and Majors' verse.
9. Dave's "bitchin'" solo in Extrovert (except that Andy's drunken vocals
that come in shouting over the nifty finish).
8. The swell of sound connecting Summer's Cauldron to Grass - ultimately the
lush string section coming in with the main theme.
7. The "1000 Arabian Nights" instrumental intro to The Green Man - drums
included!.
6."Crisp" guitar intro - Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead.
5.The ascending guitar figures during the end of English Roundabout.
4.The verse melody of Happy Families - voice and piano.
3.The entire chorus of King For A Day.
2. Bassline in Mayor of Simpleton.
1.The "Beatle harmonies" in Then She Appeared, specifically the bridge.

Why eleven? Why not!
Chime in with yours...

Owen M.

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

Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 18:12:27 -0800 (PST)
Message-Id: <199803180212.SAA36999@mando.engr.sgi.com>
From: John Relph <relph>
Subject: XTC Videos

I know this question has been asked before, but does anybody know who
directed the various XTC videos?

	-- John

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

Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 18:14:31 -0800 (PST)
From: Misty Shock <mccrtny@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Coupla questions
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.96.980317180551.27098A-100000@saul4.u.washington.edu>

I have a couple of questions:

1.  Who is singing the high part in "Grass": Andy or Todd Rundgren?

2.  Why is there a video for "All of a Sudden"?  Was it supposed to be a
single?

I also was pleased to read some applause for "Great Fire" in an old issue
of Q in their review of Fossil Fuels.  They called it a cross between
"Stawberry Fields" and "Penny Lane", which was strange to me, because I
had never heard the Beatles influence in this song.  It was the only
praise they had for any of the post-Black Sea singles, as they jeered at
Andy's bad saxophone playing on English Settlement.  I was also surprised
that they seemed to laud Black Sea as one of XTC's last great albums
before Skylarking and uphold "Travels in Nihilon" as one of XTC's best.
They also called Andy "mole-like"????

Misty Shock
mccrtny@u.washington.edu

"No round of drinks can extinguish this feeling of love and engulfing
bliss."						--Andy Partridge

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

Message-Id: <199803181651.JAA14563@access.tucson.org>
From: "J. D. SMX" <jsmelser@access.tucson.org>
Organization: Access Tucson
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 09:58:19 -0700
Subject: Snippet from Sputnik

Hello to XTC and Tubes fans alike,

Here's a snippet from a piece of E-mail I received from
Bill "Sputnik" Spooner; former Tubes songwriter/guitarist.

Sputnik said:
 --------------Tucson? Were you one of the 15 fans that came
to my gig there in September?

I'm a big fan of XTC also! I love those guys.

In my reply I invited him to join the Chalkhills list.   J D SMX
Ok, San Francisco, here we go.....

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

Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 21:08:14 -0500 (EST)
From: "Jennifer L. Geese" <jlg@tardis.svsu.edu>
Subject: Yes, Chalksters, there is a MilCon!
Message-Id: <Pine.OSF.3.91.980318210727.3036B-100000@tardis.svsu.edu>

First of all, sorry for the delay...

Kate L Burda is the mastermind behind this invitation.  A big round of
applause.  Due to an e-mail problem, directions will follow soon.  MilCon
is slated for Saturday, March 28 and will start about 12 noon.  See you
there!

...well, there's a message in Milwaukee...

Chalkhills and Children:
     Hey, All You Pretty Girls (and Angry Young Men), Jump into action and
join us in The Meeting Place (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) for the one, the only,
MilCon!!  Take an Omnibus, Helicopter, or That Wave; climb Across This
Antheap and make sure you dont miss the biggest Midwest convention in a
long time.  Knuckle Down and make the trip- you won't be Disappointed!!
     'Dear God!  What In The World is an XTC Convention?' you ask.  It's an
event where Millions of XTC lovers gather Down In The Cockpit to discuss
the Great Fire XTC has made in their lives.  We'll be up until 25 O'Clock
with the things that are planned.  The Brainiac's Daughter heard from the
Fly On the Wall about the Wonderland of events happening on the Big Day.
You'll have Senses Working Overtime when you're in Leisure mode, listening
to The Rythym of XTC, Real by Reel.  We'll play some favorite tunes and
some more obscure ones as well (and if you dare ask 'This Is Pop?' St. Rock
Is Going to Help Me and he'll escort you to the door faster than you can
say Shake You Donkey Up).  It'll be Love at First Sight when you see our
boys in the Limelight during their videos.  Don't Lose Your Temper- we'll
discuss the latest news and recordings.  The Beating of Hearts will be
Pulsing Pulsing as we theorize what all that new merchandise will be.
Don't forget the trivia/lyric game- you don't have to be The Smartest
Monkeys to win!  And, everyone will hear the Language In Our Lungs when
we're all said and done.
     'Wait!', you say.  'I'm not an Extrovert, and I'm the Mayor of
Simpleton when ti comes to knowing about the band.'  Then just say "I Am
The Audience" when you arrive and you'll not only learn a ton of stuff but
have fun and meet some really cool people as well.  This is Respectable
Street, so we'll keep things civilized with No Thugs In Our House and only
Happy Families (you certainly won't need to say I Need Protection from any
flaming here!).
     Let's face it, folks.   We're not castaway on a Desert Island when it
comes to being fans of a band that's certainly not One of the Millions.
There'll never be Too Many Cooks in the Crowded Room (or apartment, in this
case).  Day In Day Out we've waited and now our Cynical Days are over- a
new album is finally in the works (or should that be Firework?).  It's time
to celebrate.

Join us, won't you?

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

From: StarlingV <StarlingV@aol.com>
Message-ID: <dcdb5d93.351200b6@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 00:37:55 EST
Subject: An Invitation

Hi-

 I'm not sure how many Chalkhillian folks have America Online accounts, but I
wanted to invite you all to an AOL event to be held next Tuesday at 10 pm
eastern time.   You see, every Tuesday for the past several months, a bunch of
us from the Elvis Costello list (and from other places, too) have been getting
together in one of the chat rooms to listen to a CD. (We each just play it at
home, all in synch, so everyone's on the same song at the same time).

Anyway, since I've been SO high on XTC lately, I thought we'd do a bonus disc
after the Elvis Costello selection (which, next time 'round, will be Goodbye,
Cruel World).   We decided to follow up with _English Settlement_.  So if
you've got AOL access and would care to listen along with us, just pop in the
"Elvis Costello XTC" chat room in the Arts and Entertainment category.  Or, to
get there much more easily, just locate my screenname (StarlingV) and follow
me in.

AOL mail users can also use this handy link:
<A HREF="aol://2719:62-2-Elvis%20Costello%20XTC">Arts and Entertainment -
Elvis Costello XTC</A>

For more directions and details about the listening parties, please visit the
AOLvis Chat Home Page:

 http://members.aol.com/starlingv/aolvis.htm.

I'm hoping we'll feature another XTC disc next time, too.  Maybe Mummer.

Hope you can join us.  (Again, the Elvis disc starts around 10 pm, with ES
immediately following.)  E-mail me with any questions, okay?

Sincerely,
Janis

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

From: Edward Percival <edward@surfshack.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Chalkhills
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 14:08:14 -0000
Message-ID: <890485365.2016301.0@surfshack.demon.co.uk>

I've just re-read Chalkhills & Children, whilst playing all the Cds (I
don't have the White Noise or GO2) in chronological order.  What is it
about this band that can have such a hold on me without a new record in 6
years.  Why can't other people understand how great they are?? How are they
able to create such anal retentive reaction in me?  I suppose the magic is
that the songs are usually awful when you first hear them, but get better
and better with each listening and unlike some of my other fairly extensive
collection, which fizzzle and burn out.

The book (Chalkhills & Children) is frustratingly thin about anything after
Drums and wires, but does highlight Andy's self destructive insticts and
his stubbornness about live playing.  I would welcome a new version.
Incidentally I saw some mention of the 'Partridge family' XTC covers band-
anyone know where they are playing soon??

I don't know if anybody shares my similar passion for Crowded House
(connection- victims of another crap biography by Gloomy Toomey), but I had
to smile when the (very Good) web site closed down just after the band
split up ('because there seemed no point in carrying on')- where would an
attitude like that leave chalkhills??

Can anyone recommend who would be the best source of an early generation CD
copy of the new album demos, as the tape (though tantalising) is about 5
pairs of socks away acceptable.  Also interested in Jules verne's
scrapbook.  I can offer some fairly obscure b sides and a 20 min radio
interview with Andy from '88.

What is '12 different types of animal' is this an american only release of
sheet music? Can anyone tell me where I can get one?

Finally, How many Chilkhills subscribers live in the UK??  It's alright the
Yanks to complain about small turn outs for UK conventions (I missed both),
but at least they happened.  Oh my god I sound like a pompous Brit, and
there's obviously no parallel between the US's late (post Skylarking)
adoption of XTC and their late participation in World war 2.

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

Message-ID: <01BD54A3.319CBD40.monkman@coastnet.com>
From: Martin & Jamie Monkman <monkman@coastnet.com>
Subject: XTC at Rolling Stone Network
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 08:26:24 -0800

You can find a 1989 article/interview, some sound clips, ratings, etc. at the
Rolling Stone Network:
http://www.rollingstone.com/sections/artists/text/artistgen.asp?LookUpString=139

Martin

Our homepage:  http://www.coastnet.com/~monkman

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

Message-Id: <199803211838.KAA28608@mail.rapidnet.net>
From: "J & J Greaves" <jgreaves@rapidnet.net>
Subject: Italian site
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 10:40:06 -0800

Check out this Italian XTC website, if only for the pictures. They may be
previously unseen pictures to many.

www.rockstarmag.com/a_xtc.html

John

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #4-63
******************************

Go back to Volume 4.

21 March 1998 / Feedback