Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 219
Date: Thursday, 3 June 1999
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 219
Thursday, 3 June 1999
Today's Topics:
Re: Goon Show
any Chalkies from Trinidad?
Stranger Things
Japanese " mini album "
Twenty Thirtythree?
Oh right, now I getcha.....
Enter Easter and she's on this website
Re: The Commercial Album
Tidbits...
LSD urban legend
Then the fairy tale shredding!
Thanks Harrison!
SUBJECT: Are The Kids Really Alright??
OT: The 20th Century Is Almost Over
a giant hedgehog called Spiny Norman
10 Reasons To Unsub
Greenman/Shoalin's magic/etc
2 1/2 'Harvest Festival' surprises
What a long, strange carpet you have Mr. Jones
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2033 / Cannabis in tea / What in the world. Acid is free.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "john gray" <jt.gray@btinternet.com> Subject: Re: Goon Show Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 20:46:22 +0100 Message-Id: <E10oBhF-0004MM-00@praseodumium.btinternet.com> Mark Strijbos blundered: > Methinks that both MP and Beatles (in particular John!) owed a great > deal to the Goon Show, the legendary British comedy show with (i > think) Peter Cook & Dudley Moore. It would be nice to think that there was a queue of Brits waiting to point out the enormity of Mark's innocent assumption, so I will try to be brief. The Goons comprised Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, and (originally) Michael Bentine. They emerged in post-war British radioland, and set about changing irreversibly the face of British comedy. John Lennon, the Monty Python crew, and many of the 'alternative' comedians have openly acknowledged their debt to the Goons, and to Spike in particular. I could go on for hours, but there are sites out there, and a newsgroup for that matter, for anyone seriously interested. Needle Nardle Noo John Gray
------------------------------ Message-ID: <001801beabdb$b0d6b080$bae5a1cf@mbnet.mb.ca> From: "Shaleem Hosein" <Triniman@videon.wave.ca> Subject: any Chalkies from Trinidad? Date: Mon, 31 May 1999 22:06:03 -0500 Just wondering if there were any Chalkies from Trinidad. I'm sending down "Apple Venus, Vol. 1" to a relative soon. Shaleem
------------------------------ From: Iain.Murray.70428176@army.defence.gov.au Message-Id: <4A256783.001CA3A0.00@stagemaster.army.defence.gov.au> Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 15:16:41 +1000 Subject: Stranger Things >>Consider, however, that Barry Manilow has covered Ian Hunter and Richard Thompson, Meat Loaf has covered Tom Waits, and The Carpenters have covered Klaatu, so stranger things have happened. The "stranger things" referred to here must be a CD I saw (but didn't have the nerve to buy) last week in a store here in Canberra. It was a Duran Duran album called (I think) "Thank You". It's an album of covers - I can't remember most of the tracks listed, but the one that really stuck out, and *almost* made me buy the album, was a cover of Public Enemy's "911 Is A Joke". It's hard to imagine Simon le Bon singing this - I might have to go back and see if anyone's picked up that album yet (ho ho). Iain
------------------------------ Message-ID: <005101beac0c$74d2a720$745791d2@johnboud> From: "John Boudreau" <aso1@mocha.ocn.ne.jp> Subject: Japanese " mini album " Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 17:54:05 +0900 Takashi Yamamoto wrote : >Hello >single mini-album seems to be sold in Japan!!! >XTC / Apple Venus Vol.1 Singles EP >1)Easter Theatre (Album Track) >2)Easter Theatre (Home Demo Track) >3)Easter Theatre ( commentary ) 4)I'd Like That (Album >Track) 5)I'd Like That (Home Demo Track) 6)I'd Like That ( >commentary >Another all 9 pieces collecting. >Original editing board! >Probably...sell it on July 16. Now we know the REAL reason no bonus tracks were included on the Japanese AV Vol. 1 !!! I thought Andy didn't want the demos released because he didn't feel they were worthy ??? Ummmm..... John in Japan
------------------------------ Message-ID: <004401beac11$c0c351c0$321a883e@pbncomputer> From: "Adrian Ransome" <ade@ruhruh.freeserve.co.uk> Subject: Twenty Thirtythree? Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 10:32:28 +0100 In Chalkhills #5-128 Duncan Kimbell wrote :- >Imagine the entire British public >starting the day with a 'spiked' cuppa ... Scary, huh? What in the world??!!!! Ade
------------------------------ Message-Id: <4782AD6ADDBDD2119B570008C75DD5C10A31C2@MGMTM02> From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk> Subject: Oh right, now I getcha..... Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 12:59:49 +0100 >>it's that when someone talks about "stoner metal" they mean a specific type of music - really slow with a deep-voiced singer (exception: Black Sabbath). Right, I know what you mean now. You're wrong about Stoner Metal though - there's far more to it than the slow, "deep-voiced" stuff (and I would dispute that either Bongzilla or Sleep had a deep-voiced singer but I digress....). Most of the bands I'm thinking of sound very true to the original Black Sabbath blues-with-more-balls music approach and are (to varying degrees) musically uplifting and upbeat and certainly not slow. That's Doom Metal you're (probably) thinking of, and although there is some crossover between the two, their differences are marked and significant. Fu Manchu, Orange Goblin, Nebula, sHeavy, Spiritual Beggars, Clutch etc etc - they're all Stoner Metal and not one of them fits your description. Yes, it's a minor "quibble" but since you seem to have a fair idea what I'm wittering on about, I thought I'd try and set the record straight(ish). >>if you're concerned about these posts clogging up the digest, be thankful they contain relevant content and aren't long-winded essays about heavy metal or british comedy shows, circa 1960s and their influence on the beatles' public image Oh shut up. Why is it that there are always so many moaning bastards on this list? For the millionth time, if you're not interested then SCROLL DOWN. Some of us actually are interested and can see the relevance of these subjects. Frankly, if you can't see the relevance between XTC and The Beatles then you are a cretin, and if you didn't get the point of my Metal post then either you didn't read it in the first place or you're a bit fick, innit? Seriously, this "booooring!" mentality is really childish and is about as "off-topic" as you can get. This is not MetaChalkhills, despite what some of you might think and many of us have the intelligence to pick the posts which intrigue us without having to write in with snidey asides about how other people's contributions are apparently dull and irrelevant. Get a grip! >>Oh man ... I'm freakin out! I see Ozzy! Don't worry mate. It happens to me all the time. Embrace the Ozzy! Learn to love the Ozzy! And don't forget to write "long-winded essays" about him. Apparently they're very popular round these parts.... Cheers. Dom "No XTC content but then whose fault is that???? Eh????" Lawson
------------------------------ Message-ID: <028101beac39$1ee9ba60$81a725ca@speedking> From: "Simon Curtiss" <mduffy@clear.net.nz> Subject: Enter Easter and she's on this website Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1999 02:14:52 +1200 An on-line copy of the Easter theatre Demo can be found at: http://www.launch.com/download/song/1029669_02.html But you will need the Microsoft Media Player Beta first - there is a link on this page. cheers Simon
------------------------------ From: Iain.Murray.70428176@army.defence.gov.au Message-Id: <4A256783.001DA852.00@stagemaster.army.defence.gov.au> Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 15:30:57 +1000 Subject: Re: The Commercial Album >>I'm not trying to make a fool of you. I was just wondering if you were aware that Andy Partridge didn't just sing, but also produced, "The Commercial Album" with The Residents. It probably doesn't give his name in the sleeve because The Residents keep names very anonymous. I think Andy was credited on that album as "Sandy Sandwich", but I could be wrong.... >>James (4 hours until the final... go Highlanders!) For people in the Northern Hemisphere (apologies if this has been explained before), the Highlanders are a rugby union team based in Otago, New Zealand. They played in the final against the Canterbury Crusaders last weekend, and were beaten 24-19 - lost me twenty bucks, the swine. >>Someone asked if Dave Gregory had played "The Gimp" in Pulp Fiction. Well, the IMDB says no, The Gimp was played by a Stephen Hibbert. That someone was me, but I wasn't being serious. Iain
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990601163921.14685.rocketmail@web108.yahoomail.com> Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 09:39:21 -0700 (PDT) From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com> Subject: Tidbits... Comments on a couple of recent postings... _______________________ RE: It's like trying to have an orgasm during root canal; can't be done. --- You haven't seen "The Little Shop of Horrors", have you? Dunks wrote: They had stockpiled something like 16 million trips, and the plan was to 'turn on' the entire United Kingdom by releasing the acid into all the major reservoirs in the British water system. Powerful, odorless, tasteless, undetectable until too late. Imagine the entire British public starting the day with a 'spiked' cuppa ... Scary, huh? --- I heard a similar story about the Yippies here in the U.S. According to Abbie Hoffman (I think), the whole thing was a hoax to scare people into taking the Yippies seriously. Apperantly, Acid dosen't disolve well in water, making the dosing of an entire city (or country) very difficult through that method. RE: I'm not trying to make a fool of you. I was just wondering if you were aware that Andy Partridge didn't just sing, but also produced, "The Commercial Album" with The Residents. It probably doesn't give his name in the sleeve because The Residents keep names very anonymous. Correct me if I'm wrong. It may not be that particular album, but I do know for a fact That AP did produce an album for The Residents. He's a big fan. Or was anyway. --- I know of no Residents album produced by anyone other than the Residents, and I'm quite the fan (although not obsessive, so I could be wrong). It's really not in the band's style (or pocketbook) to work with outside producers. Current thinking about the Residents and who they might be suggests that anyone who works with them, even one-shot deals where someone shows up and gets dragged into the studio (which is what I think Andy's contribution is) becomes a Resident for the time they are actually working with the band. Of course this would include producers (it has apperantly included sound designers for their stage shows, etc.), making it difficult to ever know if an outside producer was used. However, I offer two clues that point to Andy's not producing the Commercial Album or any other Rez projects: 1. An interview with Andy (Contrast Magazine, Spring 1990) wherein he discusses working with the Residents, and does not mention producing, only singing his supplied lyrics. He mentions producing other acts in the interview, but again, no mention of the Residents. Why would he admit to the vocal work and not the production? 2. The Resident's recordings. As much as I love them, I can't imaging anyone taking credit for producing thE Resident's records. Seems to be clearly the work of the band themselves. The Residents are not always completely secretive about guests. In the case of The Commercial Album itself, a couple of guest musicians were credited on the sleeve (the ever-present Snakefinger, Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, among others). There's also a credit for 'Special Secret Appearances' followed by a question mark. This seems to be an invitation to look for the appearances. I know of two: Andy's vocals on 'Margaret Freeman', and Lene Lovich's vocals on 'Picnic Boy'. Anyone know of any others? Speaking of Snakefinger, he had several solo records on the Resident's label before his untimely death about 12 years ago. Sillier and more accessable than the Residents themselves, I recommend him for adventerous fans of Robyn Hitchcock, TMBG, Pere Ubu & Captain Beefheart (Eric Drew Feldman from the last lineup of the Magic Band played with Snakefinger on a couple of records and tours). That's All Folks, Tyler
------------------------------ From: ttaylor@traumarecords.com Message-ID: <CEA1F0E4B1B1D211BBD80090273A8C9CEB3F@uni.pacificnet.net> Subject: LSD urban legend Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 13:48:43 -0700 hello, just LOVE delurking.... regarding: "Closing remark: a true story I remember from the late 70s - made into a miniseries I think - was about how British police busted a huge LSD manufacturing ring based in Wales(?), which was supplying most of the acid sold around the world at that time. But that was just to bankroll their major scheme. They had stockpiled something like 16 million trips, and the plan was to 'turn on' the entire United Kingdom by releasing the acid into all the major reservoirs in the British water system. Powerful, odorless, tasteless, undetectable until too late. Imagine the entire British public starting the day with a 'spiked' cuppa ... Scary, huh?" great story, but impossible. you see, lsd is NOT water-soluble. if one was to put 16 million hits into a reservoir, all the acid would stay in one clump and kill 5 people, not dose a nation. too bad though... i like the weathermen's idea of mixing it into envelope glue better! *dropping a tab and relurking* ted
------------------------------ From: Chauncy14@aol.com Message-ID: <245b3a16.2485d962@aol.com> Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 20:48:34 EDT Subject: Then the fairy tale shredding! Hey XTC Clan~ I went to a wedding this weekend, and I tell you...I could not stop hearing the words and the song in the tiny grey cells in my head of *The Ugly Underneath.* Then there's the wedding The co-ordinated bedding And the fairy tale shredding Boy it's Ugly Underneath! And, boy, was this couple just right for this song; they were the wrong match for each other, they really shared nothing in common, that I could tell, as Andy has: What you're chewing on's the truth And that's the hardest thing To wash down with a glass of lemonade (Vodka, in my glass!) The bride was in introvert, and the groom, an extrovert; from two different poles of thinking, two different family lifestyles, values and religions, and having, seemingly, nothing in common, and having two completely different careers. I have always knew that they were wrong for each other. They seemed to me to be getting married out of *convenience.* I have personal knowledge that he cheated on her during their engagement, and so did she. That he had *the job that made 6 figures* and she was impressed by that alone, because she came from a family who had none. Typical blonde with nothing to show for herself, in the Midwest of the U.S. of A. I give them 3 months! Sorry, but I had to laugh during their ceremony. It was typical Catholic ceremony, and at the reception, everyone got hammered, and no one was really thinking of the couple, except the bet at the table was how long they would actually be married! Maybe their was a *bun in the oven* and that was the factor motivating them to get married...speculation? Did you ever try and roll away the wheel? Go ahead, take a fork and try. See the unattractive things that make us real. I really wanted to share a few thoughts on their marriage to each of them, of course away from that setting, but never got the courage enough to try! Oh well, another day in life as the wheel keeps spinning round and round! John Gardner Chicago
------------------------------ From: Chauncy14@aol.com Message-ID: <5e3984d4.2485ec36@aol.com> Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 22:08:54 EDT Subject: Thanks Harrison! Hello XTC Clan~ Harrison. A personal thanks for that wonderful piece on the differences between the guitaring idiosynchrasies of Andy Partridge and Gregsy, a few short posts ago! Your pedantic covenants of the differences are so true, and, now that I have had time to enjoy at least most of the XTC catalogue to listen for the showmanship of each musician, I am forever in your debt for pointing out the similiarilites and differences, as I really had no focal point to distinguish between the two, or so I thought. And having trained the ear for each individual, I can know relate to what you said about their fluidity, and especially, Andy's *right angled* guitar leads; so true, so true! Songs like *No Language in our Lungs,* *Hold Me My Daddy,* *Pink Thing,* and so on, have such a familiar ring and yet, now that the guitar by Gregsy just *jumps out* at me, I hear Him all the more! Thanks! Cheers to you mate, and thanks! All the best! I have a tornado warning here, and got to go! John Gardner Chicago
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199906020242.CAA135082@out5.ibm.net> From: "Shoalin" <shoalin@ibm.net> Subject: SUBJECT: Are The Kids Really Alright?? Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 19:01:33 +0700 Does anyone happen to know by chance the current global sales figures for AV1?? Even though the critical reviews of AV1 are for the most part absolutely stellar, it would still make me sleep better at night knowing that the boys were finally getting some solid monetary reward where it really counts -- at the music store cash register. DAVO
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v03007800b37a56515248@[209.242.84.205]> Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 22:37:14 -0500 From: John Yuelkenbeck <jy@tomrussell.com> Subject: OT: The 20th Century Is Almost Over I'm working on compiling a series of discs for the jukebox at the bar: the 50s, the 60s, the 70s, the 80s, the 90s, and Y2K. Each disc features hits from each decade. Well, at least songs I like from each decade. For the first song on each disc, however, I'm doing an "Introduction" song. For example, "Born In The 50s" by the Police for the 50s disc, "The Sixties" by T Bone Burnett for the 60s disc, "Will I Make It Through The 80s" by Julie Brown for the 80s disc, well . . . you get the idea. Anyway, I'm ready to finish up the 90s disc but have not come up with any song specifically about the decade to serve as the introductory song. Any ideas? I look forward to your suggestions. P.S. And please don't suggest "1999" by Prince. It's already on the juke, and I'll probably be using a different version of it on the "Y2K" collection.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19990602034650.77652.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Andrew Gowans" <ratwhacker@hotmail.com> Subject: a giant hedgehog called Spiny Norman Date: Wed, 02 Jun 1999 13:46:49 EST Dunks, in V5 #218 you wrote- >The Kinks (I'm sure Dave did it - after all he flatted with Brian >Jones - >but did Ray indulge?), I'm not sure either, however reading RD's Autobiography-As-Fiction/Fiction-As-Autobiography "X-Ray" he touches on the issue of alcoholism and it's part in his marriage breakup, both as a cause and a consequence. Also I remember reading in a book called (I think) "The Ultimate Record Collection", re his production on The Turtles' Album "Turtle Soup" (great album - a fav), where the editors referred to him as "the Old Soak from Muswell Hill". Other reports deal with his alcholism in the 70's and 80's. So, little to go by (so little to go by?), however workable theses have been sketched from less. What was the question again, please Miss? >Pink Floyd of course loom large in the picture - but there, of >course, its worth weighing up the negative effects. The Syd Barrett >story >is probably the best known and most extreme example... References I have read on this (unfortunately I'm still looking a 2nd-hand copy of Crazy Diamond) discuss Syd's substance abuse (whipping the shit out of dope?, beating up your uppers?), but all of them seem to agree that his drug taking may have contributed to his collapse, but were not the cause of it. It may have accelerated it, but the underlying problems had been manifesting themselves since his college days, as testified to by some of his cohorts. In fact one reading of the situation is that the fame caused some of it - the pressures on Syd were immense at the time, somewhat akin to those that Spike Millgan went through a decade earlier. Syd's facility with writing songs propelled a rather pedestrian R&B band with psychedelic pretensions into the forefront of mid-60's progressive pop. One critique of "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" being Syd with an "adequate" backing band. Consequently the pressure on him to produce the goods caused the behaviour problems which pushed him out of favour with the band (allegedly Roger Waters in particular - ironic considering Roger was using an old filmclip of The Floyd's 1st single "Arnold Layne" to close his late 80's concerts, with the bendiction "the late-great Syd Barret"..AND Syd was still alive too!!!!) and later off his own tree. What was the question again, please Miss? Back to my Hole (I'll leave that to YOUR imagination), The Rat
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1999 12:52:20 +0200 (MET DST) From: Martin van Rappard <rappard@dds.nl> Subject: 10 Reasons To Unsub Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.90.990602124930.26433D-100000@fatima.dds.nl> In the recent flood of unsubbings and tedious posts, I thought this might brighten your day: Top 10 Reasons to unsubcribe: 10. Too many listees irony impaired. 9. Mind numbing, self indulgence at its worst (inclusive). 8. Need to conserve bandwidth for Ally MacBeal listserver messages. 7. Neo-Luddite desire to return to days of pony express for delivery of really important correspondences. 6. Three words: redundancy, redundancy, redundancy. 5. New found repulsion for balding singers, probably due to immanent mid-life crisis. 4. Mail folders full of unsolicited bizarre sexual confessions from unknown listees. 3. Recent religious conversion now mandates listening to nothing but Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam. 2. Pro life, NRA-backing political stance no longer fits with bleeding heart liberal leanings. And the Number One Reason to Unsubscribe.... 1. Andy probably thinks we're idiots. Martin
------------------------------ From: "Daniel Johnson" <djohnson@bosco.org> Subject: Greenman/Shoalin's magic/etc Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1999 10:57:57 -0700 Message-ID: <000001bead21$72ce47c0$bbb51fcf@djohnson.bosco.org> I was wondering if anyone had some insight into the song Greenman. I had a thought that maybe Andy was talking about money, but it seems so incongruent with the feel of the song for some reason. I'm pretty new to this list...maybe this has been a point of discussion already. If so just refer me elsewhere and I'll be on my merry way! SHOALIN: I am completely with you on the "magic" thing. I didn't know what to do with O&L when I first heard it. It was just too much for me. I first really discovered XTC when they did their radio tours for O&L, so as XTC fans go, I might be considered newcomer. When I went out and bought O&L I expected to hear an acoustic band. Big surprise! But they've impacted my entire being - their music has been the audio decoration of my life over the past 10 years. Seems like most XTC fans have this same feeling about the band.... I noticed the Robyn Hitchcock interest. I'll put a vote in for RH as well. He's another that you either love or hate - I suggest "Element of Light" or "Eye". btw, if anyone has a copy of any of those radio tours, I would greatly appreciate a trade of some sort. I'm especially looking for "Blue Beret" (I recorded half of it as I scrambled for a tape to record the last of the show on KROQ in Los Angeles way back when...) Daniel djohnson@bosco.org
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1999 15:50:06 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ted Harms <tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca>
Subject: 2 1/2 'Harvest Festival' surprises
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.96.990602152058.17799A-100000@library>
Here's the two things that always get me about Harvest Festival:
1) I'm always surprised by the lines
And what a year when the exams and crops all failed/
Of course you passed and you were never seen again/
We all grew and we got screwed and cut and nailed/
Then out of nowhere invitation in gold pen/
Because I always want to last line to say
Then out of nowhere invitation in the mail.
I know it butchers the intended rhyme scheme, but an 'abaa' scheme can
work, too, ya know.
2) I'm also surprised by:
See that you two got married and I wish you will
at the end of the middle eight.
After the poison and seething venom of the 'Your Dictionary', I'm
surprised Andy could look at a wedding and not find a cloud in the silver
lining.
Footnote: I think the scorned or unrequited/unspoken love themes of
'I Can't Own Her' and 'Your Dictionary' make for odd companions to the
more upbeat/happy ending of 'I'd Like That' and 'Harvest Festival'.
Ted Harms Library, Univ. of Waterloo
tmharms@library.uwaterloo.ca 519.888.4567 x3761
"Everything changes." Shunryu Suzuki
------------------------------ From: JStrole@aol.com Message-ID: <726f0325.2486f850@aol.com> Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1999 17:12:48 EDT Subject: What a long, strange carpet you have Mr. Jones In Chalkhills 5-218 Duncan wrote: But it IS a fact that both the US and the USSR were conducting experiments with it as a chemical weapon. I don't know about USSR, but I believe the US thought LSD was actually some sort of truth serum. Apparently, when LSD was first made the Russians bought quite a lot of it. Not to be topped, US "intelligence" bought up the rest. The CIA supposedly did a bunch of undercover experiments. By giving select soldiers LSD (there is a hysterical training film of a sergeant calling attention to some dosed-up soldiers, you can imagine the reaction) and other experiments on unsuspecting johns as administered by CIA prostitutes (who knew?). The book "Kaleidoscope Eyes" has such information in it as well as the effects of LSD on rock groups, both direct (and in XTC's case) indirect. In fact, as I have previously mentioned there is a nifty chapter on Julian Cope, Robyn Hitchcock (go see him) & Andy Partridge. Harry
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #5-219 *******************************
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