Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 306
Date: Monday, 8 November 1999

         Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 306

                 Monday, 8 November 1999

Today's Topics:

                      Baby Got Beck
                         SLEEP!!
                 Hotmail ate my brain !!
                       Sweet Dreams
                       still sleepy
                      Re: A Vow Lady
                         Dude...
                      hmmm.........
                  Mini Epic / Car Racing
                      Beck follow-up
         How U.S. fans deprived me of "Dear God"
                     Re: These Times
                 Ding! Dong! Avon Calling
                     You're all c*nts
            Homespun, drummers & other XTstuff
                         Re: Toys
                xtc live and direct NEWS!

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Like mother used to make it -- oh!

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

From: fheaney@erols.com
Message-ID: <000f01bf296c$dc549240$67dea4d8@default>
Subject: Baby Got Beck
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 17:10:05 -0500

Derek implicitly queried:

> On a similar track, the Lips released a 4-CD album a little while
> back which contains the same songs split up into four parts, one
> part on each disc (am I making this clear?)... So with synchronized
> cues, you can start up to four CD players at the same time to create
> very unique experiences of each track.

"Zaireeka" is the 4-CD set you're thinking of.  I still haven't listened to
more than one CD of it at once.  It would be a lot of work.  Someday,
though.  And, hey, it might be interesting to play AV1 and Homespun at the
same time while I'm at it!

And Megan chimed in:

> I don't know about others on the list, but I am quite fond of Beck, and
> If he continues the steady trend of improvement that he's had in his
> first three albums, this one should be very good (_Mutations_ may have
> been my favorite record of last year...)

I, too, hope the trend continues -- though I sort of have nagging doubts,
since Beck basically said "Mutations" was more of a side project, and that
the new album would probably be more like "Odelay", which I liked but wasn't
crazy about -- too much technology, not enough melody.  Not that I have
anything against technology, but it just sounded a little gimmicky to me,
although there *were* some brilliant songs in there.  For other people who
liked "Mutations" lots more than "Odelay", you might also enjoy "One Foot in
the Grave", even further down the folk-music-sounding road.

-- Francis

"I remember how we looked at the embryo in the jar together, and I remember
how we stood talking in the store to each other.  It was love, but what is
it now?  It's pain."
   -- Daniel Johnston

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

Message-Id: <199911080013.TAA04359@nantucket.net>
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1999 07:11:37 -0800
Subject: SLEEP!!
From: "Diamond" <arnos@nantucket.net>

>(Any other fans of MST3K on the list?  Sucks
>that it got cancelled)

Yeah, I love MST3K!!! But, Ithought that they had decided that they had
made enogh episodes, sort of like Seinfeld. I didn't think that they were
cancelled. They WERE canceled from Comedy Central about three years back,
but then Sci-Fi picked them up. I always liked them on Comedy Central
better, because they played episodes more frequestly. Sci-Fi only plays
them at the schedualed time, they never show reruns during the week or
anything like that. Also, right before the end of their run, sci-fi moved
them to Sunday nights, which would have been the ultimate death blow,
seeing as a large amount of their fan base is teenagers who can't stay up
'til 0ne o'clock at night on a school night.

also, I've had one dream about XTC, and one dream with an XTC song in it.

The song ABOUT XTC was sad and very egotistical. I dreamed that Colin
died, and andy asked me to join the band as his replacement. I was appaled
when I woke up that I had dreampt of such a thing, and that night, to
clean my conceince, read my bible (Song Stories) three times.

The song that had an XTC SONG was an extremely sad dream that had me
crying when I woke up. My best friend and I got into a HUMONGOUS fight,
screamed profanities and such at each other over something very
unimportant. I was especially mean to him, bringing up all sorts of evil
things. Anyway, right when we were hating each other the most, he got hit
by a car and died in the hospital. I never got to appologize to him. After
his death, I became extremely depressed, and didn't do anyting with my
life. I grew up and got a meaningless pathetic job. As I sat at my desk,
looking sadly into space, the camera started to zoom out very slowely, and
the song "Rook" came on. Then the "screen" went black. and I woke up,
extremely depressed.

That's all.

Kevin Diamond.

P.S. I love the song ROOK.

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

Message-ID: <19991108002748.32877.qmail@hotmail.com>
From: "Andrew Gowans" <ratwhacker@hotmail.com>
Subject: Hotmail ate my brain !!
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1999 11:27:46 EST

Good Morning Folks !

No, the title of my mail does not allude to the genesis of (yet) another
useless thread (Yes Ariadne dear, I am serious). However the melding of
computer product names and old 1950's sci-fi/horror film titles would be a
great party game, when all the good booze has been drunk and your onto the
crap your guests brought. In actuality Hotmail has eaten my mailbox. I
looked on Friday and I had a couple of postings to read and a FULL folder of
addresses for the poor chalkers I have been corresponding with. Roll around
Monday and........nothing (*snif*).

Anyway, to cut to the heart of the sandwich, please be patient any of you
waiting on replies from me I am in the process of trying to recover the
data...if possible. I wonder if Microsoft has sold my e-mail to fund a
appeal against the findings in their anti-trust case...if so the MUST be
desperate. Or maybe my mailbox went the way of the dinosaur, the Amiga,
spare biros and one half of every pair of socks that go into my washing
machine (weird that).

Warning ! Warning ! XTC Comment below this line. Warning ! Warning !

Had the opportunity to introduce my wife's best friend to AV1. I (sneakily)
put a couple of tracks on the end of a Beatles tape I made for her. End
result...can I have a listen to the rest of that please ?
The rest may be history (temporal paradox?).

Andrew Gowans
"Anything, anytime (as long as it doesn't tickle)" - The Goodies

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

Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 16:51:54 -0800 (PST)
Message-Id: <199911080051.QAA18548@mail2.deltanet.com>
From: Brown <mb2@deltanet.com>
Subject: Sweet Dreams

Our very own Mr. Steve O. shared a most interesting dream with us,
here's a snippet-
--Andy had come to a dinner party my brother gave. At some point, he
shows me a painting called "An Explication of Pink Things".
Represented on the canvas are 6 to 9 women perched above the ground,
on crosses. Their pubic areas have been shaved.

The crosses are not the usual bloody Christion type, but made of blond
tree limbs. The women are not nailed to the crosses, but sort of
perched, hapily conversing with each other.--

you asked for interpretations, here's one....
first off, it was not a painting Andy was pointing out..rather, it was
a performance art piece called, 'The Cloister of The Fresh Peach',
presented by a group known as Mulva Vulva and The Vertical Smiles....
The shaved..ahemmmm....areas represent virtue and innocence...the
blond tree limbs represent penises....the religious symbolism of the
crosses suggests that these joyful ladies are freely offering
themselves to Christ, or his rich uncle, I'm not sure which.... and
the animated discussion is about how to lessen the chance of
developing those irritating 'shaving bumps'.....
I've heard aloe helps.....

sorry no XTC, except of course...(all together now)....send those
requests to VH1--

VH1POSTAL@aol.com  -or- go to their wesbsite and click on SHOWS

Keep them coming...we're going to wear those bastards down!!!!

Tally-ho, dear Chalkers,

Debora 'it's a labor of love' Brown

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

Message-ID: <19991108031030.42453.qmail@hotmail.com>
From: "Megan Heller" <hellerm@hotmail.com>
Subject: still sleepy
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1999 21:10:29 CST

hm.  still sleepy.

garret harkawik lists his favorite lyricists--
>M. Doughty

I swear he goes by that so gooney little girls like me can see him and
think, "mmmm...Doughty"

fheaney@erols.com groans--
>the new David Bowie, "Hours", came in the
>same batch of CDs with "Homespun" and "Hejira"...not that good, really (and
>no, I didn't deliberately order only CDs that began with the letter H).
>Maybe it'll grow on me.  But come on, isn't it time for Bowie to get rid of
>Reeves Gabrels already?

I agree that "hours..." doesn't sound like it's going to be a classic (it's
a little quiet, maybe too much of a transition from "Earthling", which I do
think is a classic).  However, I think Gabrels is a brilliant guitarist,
even more so since I saw Bowie play in DC in 97.

JEFFREY.THOMAS.JT@bayer-ag.de questions release decisions--
>"Our Train is Coming" and "Am I the Kinda Girl".  Re those last two: Guys,
>if you're not going to put this type of stuff on "AV2", why not *finish it
>anyway* to sell to some soundtrack people -- I mean, come on, "Our Train"
>is the best early Beatles song since "I Must Be in Love" by the Rutles

I really think "My Train is Coming" should show up on the album, or
*somewhere*.  I like it, but it's not that so much as it seems that Andy
obviously likes it-- it's been around awhile if it was originally supposed
to be on the Buster soundtrack.

I really like the possibilities for AV2.  I'm getting anxious already.

I was very sleepy last night, but I didn't go to bed early, as I should
have, because I went on an XTC kick.  It's not unusual for me to put a cd
on by them on, of course, but I went on a kind of binge.  First I listened
to "Bull", since I had "Everything" in my head.  Then I got "Wrapped in
Grey" stuck in my head and so I got out Nonsuch.  Now, I have to confess,
I've always been one of the people for whom the album didn't wear well-- I
liked it when I got it, but after a while, it gradually sank to being one
of my lesser favorites.  Last night, though, it was entirely different.
First, I skipped "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead", because I kind of head
it too many times, and it really hasn't worn well for me.  I don't know if
that was what did it, but it was like I listened to the album for the
first time, and I liked it better than I did even then!  I can see why
Partridge envies Colin having done "Bungalow"-- it really does have a
great feel to it.  It was actually a great feeling to like that album so
much.  After that I got out the "Window Box" tape (that my friend who went
to the 91 convention got for me-- I didn't make it)-- I really think
"Always Winter but Never Christmas" and "Rip van Rueben" should have been
released.

Being in such an XTC mood, I dug through the ever-packed cardboard boxes
in my room (I move too often) and found my Rag & Bone Buffet bandana (for
submitting a picture to the L.E.), my signed Nonsuch longbox (which a
lovely woman named Kathy from California obtained for me, complete with a
photo of Andy signing the box), and my old Little Express issues.  Leafing
through those, I found a letter in the Fall 1989 issue from our own John
Relph recommending that people try the new Chalkhills list, which had 70
subscribers at that point!  wow.  I didn't even know what a modem was
until 1994, so I can remember having no idea what he was talking
about...I'm happy the list has lasted so long.

mindless babbling, but I felt like sharing...

m.

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

Message-Id: <v01540b02b44c9bf83632@[175.20.83.3]>
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 16:27:03 +0100
From: digja611@student.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan)
Subject: Re: A Vow Lady

>I think that Avon lady makes more sense than "a vow" lady.  Is Avon widely
>sold in England?

the original British lyric sheet to the LP definitely said "Avon Lady".
Yes, Avon is sold in Britain.  And their products are used to facially fill
creases.

James

 James Dignan___________________________________               You talk to me
 Deptmt of Psychology, Otago University               As if from a distance
 ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk Street               And I reply. . . . . . . . . .
 Dunedin, New Zealand               with impressions chosen from another time
 steam megaphone (03) 455-7807               (Brian Eno - "By this River")

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

Message-Id: <199911080344.WAA19686@nantucket.net>
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1999 10:43:11 -0800
Subject: Dude...
From: "Diamond" <arnos@nantucket.net>

>Hello again,
>
>Two more things I forgot that Andy had mentioned . . .
>
>1) All four "James and The Giant Peach" demos as well as some previously
>missing Colin demos will be on "Fuzzy Warbles".
>
>2) "I'd Like That" is being considered for a future Jim Carrey film called
>"Me, Myself and Irene" in which he plays a guy with a split personality.
>
>Mitch

Dude... those are the two best peices of news I've heard in a while.
Dude...

Kevin Diamond

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

Message-ID: <19991108042925.24264.rocketmail@web2101.mail.yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 20:29:25 -0800 (PST)
From: Tyler Hewitt <tahewitt@yahoo.com>
Subject: hmmm.........

The Devil asked:
I love this song!  I just went through old stuff, and
I found "King For a Day" single which has the song
"Toys" on it.  I wonder why that never made O&L?
Anyone know?

I think probably because 'Toys" is  a Mummer era song.
First time I heard it was on the "Love On a Farmboy's
Wages" single.
------------------
On how to pronounce XTC:
I read an interview with Andy once where he claimed
that the inspiation for the band's name came from an
old Jimmy Durante movie. In one scene Jimmy sits at a
piano and plays something, than says "I'm in ecstasy"
drawing out the word ecstacy so that it sounds like
x-t-c. Seems like Andy has a lot of pat answers to the
question of how to pronounce his band's name, a good
sign that people should stop asking him frivolous
questions...
------

I too had a dream of XTC once, sort of. It was
actually a procognitive dream (this is true, those of
you who don't beleive in such things probably haven't
experieced it firsthand). I dreamed the cover to the
"Senses Working Overtime" single (the one with the
fold out cover with pictures of fish, fruit, etc.) a
couple of months before I actually saw the thing in
person. I've actually precognitive dreamed quite a
bit, but only non-important things. Places I've never
been, then later go to, record covers, that sort of
thing.

No, I haven't dreamed the cover of AV2 or Fuzzy
Warbles (at least not yet), so don't bother asking. If
i do, you'll be the first to know!

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

From: Iain.Murray.70428176@army.defence.gov.au
Message-Id: <4A256823.001CE48B.00@stagemaster.army.defence.gov.au>
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 15:33:49 +1000
Subject: Mini Epic / Car Racing

>From: "johnnybean" <johnnybean@tinyworld.co.uk>
>
>Has anyone ever come across an XTC promo video (what looks like) called
>"mini Epic". It is but a few minutes long and would appear to be a promo
>for Oranges & Lemons. I found a copy in my local Oxfam a few years ago,
>and have never come across any reference to it since. It is a potted
>history of the band themselves, by themselves, and very funny. Can anyone
>enlighten me about it further, was it ever used?

I've seen a short promo film (I think it was about ten minutes long) which
was shown on the ABC in Australia called "The Road To Oranges And Lemons".
It sounds like the same one with a different title - this one also took the
form of a short history, and had me in stitches. As far as "ever being
used" is concerned, I've never seen it available commercially, and the only
copy I know of is owned by another Chalkhiller who had the presence of mind
to make a copy of it when it was on television.

>From : Duncan Kimball <dunks58@hotmail.com>
>Subject : Death Of A Salesman

>Motor racing - a bunch of egomaniacal young hoons, squandering obscene
>amounts of money, >driving mobile billboards at high speed. Big deal.
>Wake me when it's over.

This posting from Dunks - a spouting of irrelevant hot air, squandering
obscene amounts of bandwidth, forcing his opinions on others at high speed.
Big deal. Wake me when it's over.

Iain

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

From: fheaney@erols.com
Message-ID: <000b01bf29d3$6fe3c6a0$9be17ad1@default>
Subject: Beck follow-up
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 05:24:23 -0500

To follow up on my previous Beck note, I discovered that CDnow already has
30-second samples available of every track on the new CD, "Midnite
Vultures", which seems pretty early to me since the album isn't coming out
until November 23, but far be it from me to argue.  Anyway, I think it
sounds *great*.  Beck has once again jumped Bowie-like into another genre,
this time into funk, but it sounds like he didn't screw it up the way Bowie
did with most of the "Young Americans" album.

-- Francis

"What about the voice of Geddy Lee?  How did it get so high?  I wonder if he
speaks like an ordinary guy.  'I know him, and he does.'  Then you're my
fact-checking cuz."
   -- Pavement

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

Message-ID: <19991108110033.17642.rocketmail@web2105.mail.yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 03:00:33 -0800 (PST)
From: Giovanni Giusti <giovanni_giusti@yahoo.com>
Subject: How U.S. fans deprived me of "Dear God"

Yes, it's all your fault!

Here's how:

As you know, "Dear God" was originally released as B-side to the single
"Grass". It's not on the original European Skylarking album.

Obviously I had both on vinyl, but I wanted to get a copy on CD, as my
record player has been dead for quite some time.

Quite naturally, the Skylarking CD did not have it, as it probably was
released after the beginning of the CD era (the only CDs that have "extra
tracks" are reprints, after all, that's the whole idea of "extra tracks",
right?).

HOWEVER, what happens next is that the center and heart of XTC fandom gets
switched over to the USA, where, instead, "Dear God" was released as a
single in its own right. The result: DG does not appear on Rag & Bone
Buffet, together with all the other B-sides, because it's not considered a
B-side any more! (For the same reason, "Mermaid Smiled", which *was* on
the European Skylarking release, *does* get included in R&BB as well.)

The end result: the only way I have now to get DG on CD is to buy one of
the collections of singles - FF or UDA - when I have *all* the other
tracks. And this due to the enthusiasm of American fans.

Giovanni "thinks mock-bitchin' is funny" Giusti

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

From: "Damian Wise (Foulger)" <damian@imclaser.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 09:08:57 -0600
Subject: Re: These Times
Message-Id: <19991108090543.606f6e2f.in@ceo.ceolasers.com>

J.D. wrote:
> Has anyone ever noticed the similarity of the bass line in the verses of
> "The Good Things" by XTC, and "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" by the
> Beach Boys?

Yeah, I noticed, and I thought that it was just me going mad.  By
am I happy to find out that someone else heard it too!  What  a
relief!

Dames tWd

'Real' is an adjective and 'Really' is an adverb.

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

From: spitts@thesaurus-computers.co.uk
Message-ID: <80256823.00568E0C.00@thesaurus-computers.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 15:45:22 +0000
Subject: Ding! Dong! Avon Calling

In #5-304 Stephen Jackson suggested:

> Presumably Virgin, being the wussy dogs they are, thought Avon might sue?
<

I hadn't considered that angle, but I guess that that is as reasonable an
explanation as any. That sort of thing does happen (Roy Harper had to
withdraw 'Watford Gap' from his 'Bullinamingvase' album in the late
Seventies because someone at Blue Boar objected to the lyrics - which
included such gems as

Watford Gap, Watford Gap
Plate o' grease and a load o' crap

and

The countryside is ravaged like a syphilitic whore
Yodelling up the canyon is the dirty old Blue Boar

(with apologies to the many non-Brits on the list - and anyone younger than
thirty - to whom none of the above is likely to be at all intelligible))

and as you rightly point out Virgin did bottle it at the time WRT the rest
of the lyrics.

> either way they castrated the single when they released it <

Didn't they just. I cringe every time I listen to the singles version (of
which I have at least three versions as opposed to the one decent one on
the original album)

in #5-305 Steven Paul asked:

> Is Avon widely sold in England? <

Certainly in the South-East it was (can't speak for the rest of the
country). In fact, I'm fairly certain that my better half recently bought
some stuff from Avon via a catalog, so they must still be in business over
here.

and Gary Hooper opined:

> Personally, I side with Mr. Dom Lawson when he sites "Talking With The
Taxman..." and "Worker's Playtime" as Billy's best albums <

No disagreement here. 'Talking ...' is Billy's most consistent work, IMO,
although I'd also rank 'Brewing Up With...' fairly highly too, even if it
is a little less polished. 'Don't Try This At Home' is just a little too
saccharine for my tastes, and 'William Bloke' was a major disappointment

Cheers, Steve

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

Message-ID: <4782AD6ADDBDD2119B570008C75DD5C12DB9CE@mgmtm02.parliament.uk>
From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk>
Subject: You're all c*nts
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 17:34:12 -0000

Here beginneth today's lesson...

>>I think that Avon lady makes more sense than "a vow" lady.  Is Avon widely
sold in England?

Well, it used to be, at least when I was wee kiddy. "Avon ladies" used to
call regularly on housewives, with catalogues packed to the brim with
non-essential cleaning and cosmetic products, all at very reasonable price
(according to my mum). For some reason the phrase "Ding dong! Avon calling"
(or something similarly twatty) seeped into the nation's consciousness....or
maybe it was just me! Hard to tell when the low-quality street drugs kick
in......

Anyway, if the printed lyrics say "a vow lady" then the printed lyrics are
WRONG!!!! I'll stake my arse on it.........(which has got to hurt!).

>>Apparently the producer had a
hard time getting men to perform on the tribute, because Joni kept vetoing
them --Morrissey was one she vetoed, for instance.

Silly cow! Honestly, these folk singers haven't got a ****ing clue!

>>But come on, isn't it time for Bowie to get rid of
Reeves Gabrels already?

Don't be so hard on the Squealmeister! Being a big Tin Machine fan - and
yes, we do exist - I've always had a soft spot for Gabrels' tuneless
squawking. In fact, I'm rather partial to tuneless squawking in general, as
anyone who's heard my bands would confirm!

>>"How does one pronounce
the name XTC?"

Unfunny answer #1 - Try speaking loudly and clearly....works for me.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Unfunny answer #2 - I pronounce the name XTC to be quite splendid.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

.....it's OK, just talk amongst yourselves........

>>Chalkhills is about XTC, not making
other people look like pathetic idiots.

Very true, but some people look like pathetic idiots without any outside
help. Just an observation you understand......

>>I shall also be recommending an amendment to Chalkhills
posting etiquette - every post should contain a kind of "health warning" in
the Subject field

I think most people can probably spot my posts from a mile away, but maybe
I'm being too subtle or something.......

>>My recommendation (and I shall be writing to John Relph
separately about this) is that those concerned should be banned from the
list for a week.

This isn't going to be backdated is it? I only ask because Harrison and I
will have to sit out the next two years and I wouldn't want to miss out on
the first logical argument that old Sultana "Officer" Dibble loses. You'd be
a fool to miss it!

>>In any event, the revelation about
the "plasma meter" apparently being a hoax

Whaaaaat? Well I have no desire to urinate on your fireworks (having done
that all weekend.....you've got to watch your dick when you're chasing a
small child with a sparkler though - you don't want one of those up yer
oriental optic), but either I'm going mad or I really have got a SSL 4000
"G" with G+ Automation in my garage. Admittedly, I haven't got the first
fucking clue how to use it, and it's not compatible with any of my other
gear anyway, but then that's never previously stopped me from wasting money
on bits of electrical kit......my Avalon VT-737 springs to mind! What a load
of cock! They saw me coming that day, that's for sure.....

>>Personally, I side with Mr. Dom Lawson when he sites "Talking With The
Taxman..." and "Worker's Playtime" as Billy's best albums.

Good for you! How perceptive and yet, at the same time, how correct of you.
Of course, I like "Don't Try This At Home" as much as the next chimp, but
it's a bit like Billy Bragg for people who don't like Billy Bragg, if you
knoworrimean.....personally, and also anally, I still reckon you can't beat
Bragg's "Peel Session" EP which includes the legendary "A13, Trunk Road To
The Sea" and a superb cover of "Fear Is A Man's Best Friend" - classic
stuff!

....which leads me onto my completely unnecessary "favourite lyricists"
list.....

1. Tim Smith (Cardiacs)
2. Captain Beefheart
3. Tom Waits
4. Andy Partridge
5. Morrissey
6. Julian Cope

Note the XTC content boldly inserted at number four.......

>>What Mics would you recomend?  I am in
between a AKG C4000B and an Audio Technica 4047.  Anyone have any other
suggestions for the best overall audio?

Here's my advice, for what it's worth. First of all, make sure you're born
completely deaf in one ear. Next, spend the majority of your life at live
shows or listening to music at a stupid volume so that the one good ear you
do have is plagued with tinnitus from dawn until dusk. Then listen to some
please-like-me buffoon attempt to dazzle us all with his sophisticated
relationship with the medium of sound and weep, sweet children, weep like
you've never wept before!!!

>>Second,
as everyone is on here talking about what instruments they have, I have
heard little about Microphones.

AAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sob, sniff, etc.

>>Ok, so if certain people did not end up famous, where would they be now..

Probably writing to discussion forums and talking bollocks I imagine.....

>>But what about this idea for the next XTC tribute album :
Good ol' Ted "Wollen Sie den totalen Rock und Roll?" Nugent
playing Melt The Guns

Now you're being sensible! Great idea, and further confirmation that the
link between XTC and Heavy Metal is more than simply the product of my
warped mind........how about Rob Halford doing "Are You Receiving Me?" (come
on! keep up!) or Deicide doing "Dear God" or David Lee Wrath doing "Leisure"
or Blackie Lawless & WASP doing "My Love Explodes" (and believe me, it
does!) or Burzum doing "Sacrificial Bonfire" or Kiss doing "The Ugly
Underneath" or [DISAPPEARS UP OWN ARSE]....

Until next time....

Dom "Well, maybe not all of you" Lawson.

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

From: Wuellig@aol.com
Message-ID: <0.50b50b5a.255880da@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 14:39:06 EST
Subject: Homespun, drummers & other XTstuff

Salut a tous !
I had some things to tell and/or ask about XTC and, more generally, about
Great God Rock'n'Roll...
First about Homespun. I am surprised that you all guys and gentle ladies
seem to "bend down" before it, as when I listened to it (but I did only
once, in a shop, so I can be mistaken) it appeared to me that the versions
were obviously less interesting that the "real" ones : for example the
choirs in Easter Theatre are sung by Andy on Homespun, and it sounds
horrible compared to Colin doing it, no ? Well, of course the songs remain
extra-terrestrially wonderful but what's the need of it ?
Maybe I just (in my deep freudian subconscience) need to be convinced of
the contrary...
About drummers. As Andy seems to prefer beat boxes to flesh and blood
drummers, what are their roles in the records ? For example, in Or & Lem,
is Pat Mas on all of the tracks, or is he just an add when necessary (if
this is not a top secret thing -- shit, the CIA's already knockin'at my
door) ?
And just about Mastelloto (or elotto ?), on which "King
you-know-which-colour" album does he play ? Cos the only ones I got feature
Trey Gunn or Bruford or Giles...
And for the little game about hypothetical professions :
Ray Davies would be a lonesome desperado fighting for a better England
Jarvis Cocker would be a voyeur (nice job, I often practice it :-) )
Bryan Ferry would be a gigolo (but a noble one, with style and all)
Brian Eno would be a mini-moog
Steve Lukather would be what he deserves to be
Siouxsie Sioux would be a pagan sorceress ( and so would try to be Robert
Smith :-) )

French Martin

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

From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl>
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 20:51:49 +0100
Subject: Re: Toys
Message-Id: <19991108195029.178DEA6CDF@mail.knoware.nl>

Dear Chalkers,

Satanas Diablo asked this about "Toys"
>
> I love this song!  I just went through old stuff, and I found "King
> For a Day" single which has the song "Toys" on it.  I wonder why that
> never made O&L?  Anyone know?

yep, Toys is a Mummer reject.
It was recorded during the Mummer in 1983 but never made the
album and was subsequently  used as a b-side to Desert Island in
the Love On A Farmboy's Wages double single package.

But this was only released in the UK so Geffen USA resurrected the
song in 1989 to fill the King For A Day bside spot, instead of Happy
Families. Why? Beats me!

BTW: Toys is also included on the CD release of Mummer... that
should have been a bit of a giveaway, Satanas!
Better download the Chalkhills discography and learn it by heart if
you want to survive here :)

yours in xtc,

Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse
 http://www.knoware.nl/users/mmello/
     or http://come.to/xtc

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

Message-ID: <3827413A.530C8AFA@autoreverse.net>
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 1999 16:31:38 -0500
From: Ian C Stewart <ian@autoreverse.net>
Organization: http://www.AUTOreverse.net/
Subject: xtc live and direct NEWS!

XTC LIVE AND DIRECT | rare and unreleased XTC audio online ONLY

new URL: http://listen.to/xtcliveanddirect

the migration away from Geocities has begun as their server is just too
slow most of the time.

also got a new G2 Realencoder so hopefully the sound quality will be
noticably better without losing any of the functionality...

this week's uploads: lots of old school live recordings and 2 videos!
**several ANDY PARTRIDGE AV1/AV2 demos:
BUMPER CARS, CHURCH OF WOMEN, DAME FORTUNE, WONDER ANNUAL, YOU AND THE
CLOUDS WILL STILL BE BEAUTIFUL
**XTC live in Hamburg Germany, January 1978
**"XTC IN MOTION" live 1977 from bootleg CD, featuring unreleased cuts
LET'S HAVE FUN and FIREBALL XL5
**XTC live in San Franciso, February 1980 direct from soundboard, great
recording!
**XTC live in Athens Georgia, April 1981 featuring a pre-ENGLISH
SETTLEMENT version of BALL AND CHAIN

PLUS: the VIDEOS
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS live from ROCK PALAST
MOLE FROM THE MINISTRY

In related news, you can now hear the entire MARTIN NEWELL LIVE IN PARIS
recording from 1994 at the other Real Audio site I started, called
simply LIVE AND DIRECT:
http://www.netwalk.com/~stewart/liveanddirect.htm

remember, it's free, it's fun and now it's located at
http://listen.to/xtcliveanddirect!
Keep the requests coming! And don't even bother asking for MP3s!

Ian C Stewart

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #5-306
*******************************

Go back to Volume 5.

9 November 1999 / Feedback