Chalkhills Digest Volume 6, Issue 8
Date: Thursday, 13 January 2000
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 6, Number 8
Thursday, 13 January 2000
Today's Topics:
XTC-related rarity
Re: XtC WeDDiNg sONgS...
Wedding XTC
Re: marrilion and zooropa......
knives don't kill Beatles, guns do
Ian and the Dukes
Re: Melt the Guns
I die! therefore I live!
Chalkhills Shirts Are Coming....
Money, Money, Money (wait this isn't an ABBA group) :P
Re: River of Sh*t
Belinda
On Love
XTC Wedding Songs
English Settlement w/embossed cover
guns and fags
wedding songs
Killing Joke??
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.20000112115411.0068b8b4@mcn.org> Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:54:11 -0800 From: Jason Kirkman__Carol Kawase <jkirk@mcn.org> Subject: XTC-related rarity Hi, everyone-- If you're the kind of XTC completist who needs everything that's even related to the band, then you need professional help. No, no, sorry--that's not what I meant to say. I meant to say that I have another item for your want list. Howie Klein, the president of the Reprise label, received the 1999 Spirit of Liberty Award from a group that calls itself People for the American Way. Mr. Klein compiled a CD exclusively for the awards ceremony which features censored songs. It includes a cover of Dear God. My source (the Datebook section of the January 9th San Francisco Chronicle) doesn't specify whose cover, but presumably it's Sarah McLachlan's from A Testimonial Dinner. (She was an Arista artist when TD came out.) You had to attend the awards ceremony to receive this CD; it's not going to be released to the public. It'll probably show up on eBay (if it hasn't already--I didn't check). Other songs on the same CD include Weed Is All We Need, Christine, and Sex With Your Parents (Lou Reed). The title of the CD is F**k Censorship. By the way, do we still just have one American Way? Is it still the same American Way Superman used to stand for? Just wondering. Thanks for listening. Jason K.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:43:48 -0800 (PST) From: Stephen Mahoney <stephenm@nethost.multnomah.lib.or.us> Subject: Re: XtC WeDDiNg sONgS... Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.10.10001121239230.8834-100000@nethost.multnomah.lib.or.us> I think earn enough for us and then she appeared are both appropriate along with big day......which isnt very danceable but is obviously about the event. ****************************************************************************** computers are useless they can only give you answers. -picasso #####################################%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%########################## stephen mahoney rockwood clerk stephenm@nethost.multnomah.lib.or.us
------------------------------ Message-ID: <000f01bf5d7d$1b163a80$322301d5@bean1> From: "Jonathan Bean" <j_bean@talk21.com> Subject: Wedding XTC Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 20:16:43 -0800 Congratulations, but no mention of "Big Day", "Mayor Of Simpleton", "When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty", or "Ball and Chain" if you and your betrothed have a sense of fun?
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:38:20 -0800 (PST) From: Stephen Mahoney <stephenm@nethost.multnomah.lib.or.us> Subject: Re: marrilion and zooropa...... Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.10.10001121233060.8834-100000@nethost.multnomah.lib.or.us> I havent contributed to this thangy for so long since I am just sitting back anxiously awaiting av2 to come out......but I needed to put forth my opinions and curiousities on these two subjects: I have an ex who is obesessed with u2 and because of that obsession becoming reinforced into my psyche I can no longer stomach any u2!!!!!!! marrilion is a group I havent listened to ever ....... do they bring to mind genesis and king crimson???? or was crimson a reference to something else? ****************************************************************************** computers are useless they can only give you answers. -picasso #####################################%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%########################## stephen mahoney rockwood clerk stephenm@nethost.multnomah.lib.or.us
------------------------------ Message-ID: <387D0010.12E0@ksbe.edu> Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:32:46 -1000 From: "Jim Smart" <jismart@ksbe.edu> Organization: ksbe Subject: knives don't kill Beatles, guns do Sorry to rant off the divine topic of xtc, but I simply must answer Patricia's pro gun thoughts. First, there's the laughable "What about knives and sharp objects such as forks?" followed by the slightly more rational "If a person has the malicious intentions of hurting another person, it doesn't matter if they have access to a gun or not." Actually, it matters a lot. Recently a guy in my city (Honolulu) went to work and killed 7 co-workers. It never ceases to amaze me that seemingly intelligent people can say that he'd have done anyway without guns. Done what? Stabbed 7 people to death? I don't think so. He bought guns legally and murdered 7 good people in less than 5 minutes. Using the Beatles as an example, John Lennon lived in America. Bad luck for him. An jerk was easily and legally able to purchase a gun (again, here in Honolulu) and go to NYC and shoot him dead (everyday I miss the songs that Lennon would have put out these last 20 years). George Harrison lives in the UK, where guns are hard to come by, so the nut case that tracked him down wan't able to kill him (thankfully). I'd say that's a pretty big difference. Guns are more lethal than knives and forks (am I the only one who thinks that's self-obvious?) A better argument was made to me in an off-list e mail (sorry, I forgot your name). He suggested that if George had a gun, he could have defended himself. Maybe. But statistics show that guns in the home are way more likely to either kill someone accidentally or be used in a flash of anger against fellow house members. Guns are the problem, here, folks. Give me forks and knives, anyday. Imagine. Melt the guns. REALLY. Jim
------------------------------ Message-ID: <007301bf5d50$385dc720$799cbc3e@debraedm> From: "Debra Edmonds" <Debra.Edmonds@dial.pipex.com> Subject: Ian and the Dukes Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 22:55:18 -0000 Hello Again Chalkzters Ben Gott asked the question a few posts back - "Does anyone know, by the way, if Ian Gregory was ever asked to join the band? His drumming with The Dukes is pretty good (at least in the opinion of a non-drummer!)" Well, I asked Ian that very same question at work today, and he emailed me an answer - so here it is:- - - - - - - Hello Debie..... With regard to your question about The Dukes of Stratosphear I can answer as follows..... I originally got involved because I knew the lads well ( in fact I shared a house with one of them! ) I would like to think I was considered partly because of my understanding of 60's type drumming, and also the sound of my 1964 vintage Ludwig drum kit. I was never asked to join, but then there would of been no point - the group did not perform live. As you know, Andy refuses to perform "on stage" due to nerves. However, I think it would have been great to do some live shows with the Dukes because we could all have been "in disguise", and with a decent light show and sound system it could have been pretty spectacular. Another opportunity lost. Thanks to Ben Gott for the compliment about my drumming by the way.... Ian - - - - - - So, there you have it - straight from Ian himself. By the way, Ian still has some of Terry's drums in his attic, and also some drumsticks - he left them behind when he went to Australia. Ian mentioned to me that he ought to get Dave to speak to Terry to see if he wants them back, and if not, fix them up a bit and see if anyone would be interested in "taking them off his hands" (for a small fee), and then he would split the cash 3 ways between himself, Dave and Terry. Would anyone be interested? (I know Steve Jackson would be!!) I said that I thought there would be a few interested parties. Ian was really surprised to hear that - I think he thought he might get a fiver for them, if he was lucky!! I'll let you know if they go ahead with their little scheme! Bye for now. Debie debie@guitargonauts.com
------------------------------ Message-Id: <200001130308.TAA22205@swan.prod.itd.earthlink.net> Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:00:34 -0800 Subject: Re: Melt the Guns From: "Jeannie" <venusnvy@earthlink.net> Patricia <gypsypg@pacbell.net> observed: "If a person has the malicious intentions of hurting another person, it doesn't matter if they have access to a gun or not." Patricia, I agree that if someone has malice in their hearts and takes action, then it is likely they're gonna inflict some degree of harm upon another, whether they are wielding a gun or a knife. But, I disagree that, "it dosen't matter if they have access to a gun or not." A gun does make a difference in the finality of the outcome. As an nurse whose worked in the ER, I've seen far more folks seriously injured or killed because a gun was used instead of, say, a knife. Guns profoundly increase the lethality of a violent interaction. And, according to a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine the presence of a gun in the home increases the risk of suicide fivefold. What it boils down to is, yes, the ultimate decision to kill or not kill lies with the person who pulls the trigger. But, with a deranged nut case in your home, don't you think you'd stand a better chance if he or she had a knife rather than a gun? You also said, "...when the law abiding public has been stripped of all means to defend itself, who will protect them from the non law abiding public?" This is a slippery slope argument that many gun advocates put forth. But, let's be practical. Unfortunately, many people who own guns might not be as responsible with their firearms or as properly trained as you may be. Gun manufacturers especially target (no pun intended) women, claiming a gun can provide protection. And who can blame women, one of the most vulnerable groups in our violent societyf? I've been tempted myself. But, once a woman has brought a gun home to protect herself and/or her family, it increases the risk that she and her family will be victims of gun-related injury, be it a gun homicide, suicide, or unintentional shooting. I obviously don't have the solution, and you posed some very difficult questions that have no easy answers. I do feel that had George lived here in the States, his assailant would have probably had a gun, and George would probably be dead. I'm relieved that his guardian angel-wife was there for him :) --jeannie
------------------------------
Message-ID: <20000113064548.23940.qmail@ww181.netaddress.usa.net>
Date: 12 Jan 00 22:45:48 PST
From: vee tube <veetube@netscape.net>
Subject: I die! therefore I live!
I'm gonna die on the 33rd! Can you recommend
a song or two? I hope it will be an XTC song!
"Hooks don't catch fish!
Fishermen do!"
Bobby: Don't worry,it's over!
Betty: It's over!
Tommy: Don't!
Revo: s'tI ytteB!
And now for something totally different.
"I love you!
You! love me!
We love XTC!"
Barney,01-33-00
I don't think I have much to say right about now.
I think Mr.B done did it to me in the place it
shouldn't be done!
So,if you don't mind,I'm gonna find that place,and,
try to figure out where it belongs!
Tar,Tar! for now!
}---:)
------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.20000113002903.009f6560@pophost.micron.net> Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:29:03 -0700 From: Phil Corless <philco@micron.net> Subject: Chalkhills Shirts Are Coming.... Chalkhills Shirts are coming, Chalkhills Shirts are coming..... If you read those lines with that Coke jingle in your head, then you watch too much TV. :) http://netnow.micron.net/~philco/chalk.htm
------------------------------ Message-ID: <20000113074436.11410.qmail@web1302.mail.yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 23:44:36 -0800 (PST) From: Molly Fanton <mfanton99@yahoo.com> Subject: Money, Money, Money (wait this isn't an ABBA group) :P Well, I'm getting some money, and I'm planning on getting something special. I was thinking of getting something XTC related, but I don't know what. I need suggestions. When I was low on cash I sold a lot of my XTC CDs *gasp, the horror*, but I want to buy them back, slowly. What do you guys and gals recommend? Also, this fall, I'm planning on going to England (mainly London). If you have any good places that might sound great (besides Swindon) can you e-mail me? I know it's early to think about it, but I'd rather start thinking about it. This is going to be my first time in England, and I want to enjoy it. Thanks. Molly Molly's Pages http://www.angelfire.com/mn/mollyfa99/index.html
------------------------------ From: WTDK@aol.com Message-ID: <8c.4c344d.25aee600@aol.com> Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 03:25:36 EST Subject: Re: River of Sh*t Back to XTC, I had this romantic idea of listening to an acoustic guitar version of "river of orchids", I'll admit it. My fault. :) Still I think Colin' s rough versions are the best part of the CD. But my question remains: why Andy/Colin felt the urge to publish this ? All in all it remains an unnecessary album. I believe Andy is becoming a little self-indulgent with age. (Come to think of it, "how Easter Theatre came to be" was quite self-indulgent too) >By the way, the year half the Beatles turned to shit was 1972--Lennon >released his awful Sometime in New York City and McCartney released Wild >Life. Both are horrible albums with absolutely nothing to recommend them. >Then again, the hard-core Beatles fan might appreciate them. I personally >like one track on Wild Life--McCartney answers How Do You Sleep? with the >song Dear Friend. I am convinced that at least half of the "shitty" post-1970 songs by John or Paul would have been regarded as good songs if released in 1969. (let's face the truth, "Let it be" had no more than a couple of really great songs, and John was already missing. But no one has ever said or written that "dig a pony" is shit, though it undoubtedly is.) toto. On the XTC track first--I agree that Homespun probably isn't what a lot of fans expected, but some of the tracks do provide that acoustic touch (although very brief as in the intro to Harvest Festival where we get to hear the "bit" that inspired the rest of the song).Let's face it, the real reason that Homespun exists is two-fold 1) Andy & Colin were being ripped off by bootlegs and provide additional cash and 2) To give the fans decent sounding versions of the demos that were already circulating. I hold nothing against either of them for the former. It's about time these guys earned some money! In the case of the latter as a fan I really do appreciate the guys (I have a hard time calling them "boys")releasing the official versions of the boots. They sound a heck of a lot better than the stuff circulating and there are some nice extras as well. As to the How Harvest Festival came to be I personally enjoyed listening to it. It felt like you were having your own intimate explanation as to how Andy created this song. I personally could see myself in his shed while listening to it. In the case of the Beatles (although this might not be the place to go into this discussion), both those albums are very weak efforts and would have been if they were recorded in 1967 or 1972. While both produced some terrific singles during that time frame (Happy Xmas was actually supposed to come out in 1971 but was held up for legal reasons), it appeared that their muse that deserted them in 72. I have to take exception to Dig A Pony. While it is an awkwardly structured song and not John's best, it has some lovely bits in it. Lennon's singing could frequently make lesser material almost come off. I think that's the case with Dig A Pony. On the other hand, I've always felt that George's For You Blue was a piece of crap (why they didn't record the All Things Must Pass stuff George had submitted is beyond me). >>>As Truman Capote said of Jack Kerouac: >>>"That's not writing, that's typing." May I remind everyone here that Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and many other "popular" writers were looked down upon in their day just like Stephen King and other popular writers are today. That isn't to suggest King has the "write stuff" to transcend the ages, but he could. King has shown enormous growth as a "writer" of genre fiction. He may not be a "serious" writer but that never stopped eventual critical claim for Dashiel Hammett, Ursula Leguinn, Philip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison and Raymond Chandler (other genre writers who transcended the limitations of their literary ghetto). <<It is not a gun that kills a person, it is the person holding the gun that kills a person (or animal, et cetera).>> <Oh please. All due respect for personal opinions, but how long will folks go on spouting and believing the lame and faulty "people kill people" argument? For murderers, guns are a means to the end, and when we remove guns from the equation, innocent folks tend to stay alive.> I'd suggest reading Richard Rhodes excellent book on Dr. Lonnie Athens' theories on why people kill. I happen to agree that Janis on this point. The faulty logic involved in this argument also suggests that "the gun made me do it" or, in this case, the knife. People use the people kill people, guns don't excuse all the time. What matters is that using a gun makes it easier to kill someone. Guns also allow one to act on a rage one might otherwise not respond to (a gun doesn't allow for a cooling off period. The easier it is to use a weapon to kill people the more likely people will use it and with less motivation). Do we need gun control? Until we have better people control quite possibly. I've had this debate with my best friend from high school for the past twenty years. I believe he and I will just have to agree to disagree. That's probably the case here as well. Melt the Guns indeed. Wayne
------------------------------ Message-ID: <4782AD6ADDBDD2119B570008C75DD5C1BD46B1@mgmtm02.parliament.uk> From: Lawson Dominic <LawsonD@parliament.uk> Subject: Belinda Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:18:08 -0000 Right, shut up for a minute. Yesterday I received a postcard from lovely Belinda Blanchard who is currently having the time of her life with her esteemed lesser half in sunny New Zealand. She has asked me to pass on her regards and to wish you all a Happy New Millennium (and so on). It sounds like they had a fabulous New Year - just the two of them, alone on a secluded beach, watching the sun set and rise - so hats off to the pair of them.......Belinda has also met a couple of Chalkie types (whose names, it shames me to say, escape me at this early hour) with whom she seems to have had a "gay old time" as we say in the Stone Age - apparently one of these Chalkers has a fierce Wombles CD collection, but I suppose the XTC stuff cancels that out more than adequately. Mike Batt is Cockney rhyming slang, in case you were wondering. Three cheers for Belinda, goddammit!!! I'm sure we all wish her a safe return to the centre of the Universe. Oh, and guns fucking suck. A lot. Cheers. Dom.
------------------------------ From: unna@worldmailer.com Date: 13 Jan 2000 04:53:54 -0800 Message-ID: <20000113125354.8182.cpmta@c008.sfo.cp.net> Subject: On Love Congratulations to the Chalker getting married on the 22nd. The coincidence is that I've been wondering about concepts of romantic love. When listening to XTC love songs I've been noticing that the angle is either a. the fantastically beautiful newness of it, b. the end of it, or c. whats gone wrong with it. Now, I'm not cynical, although the groom may think my timing stinks, but are there any songs about a peaceful, steady, nourishing, and enduring love? Life imitates art (imitates life? chicken? egg?), and it seems that most people share the same concept of the excitement of fresh love, and it seems also that people can relate to songs of betrayed or ended love, so why can't I think of a song about the state of lasting and flawless love? Hmmm... (note to those who have it: I do believe in it, I just can't find a representation of it.)
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 05:22:16 -0800 From: "Ray Michno" <rmichno@my-deja.com> Message-ID: <BAIGMNHDPBGCDBAA@my-deja.com> Subject: XTC Wedding Songs Organization: My Deja Email (http://www.my-deja.com:80) Here's a couple of suggestions: "Then She Appeared" - would make a nice song to play when the bride makes her entrance at the reception "Mayor of Simpleton" - play when the groom makes his entrance? :) - Just kidding! "Big Day" - I'm surprised nobody else mentioned this one; comes complete with wedding bells I'm also getting married this year, but my wife-to-be is still learning to appreciate XTC. So I'll just try to sneak a couple of songs in during the reception. -Ray-
------------------------------ Message-Id: <200001131422.JAA11511@mail1.javanet.com> Subject: English Settlement w/embossed cover Date: Thu, 13 Jan 00 09:26:44 -0500 From: Max Germer <maxindu@javanet.com> I saw a copy of this lp yesterday for $20 - does anyone know how rare this item is (and if it's worth $20?). The embossed cover does make the record look dashing. Max http://www.themaggies.com/
------------------------------ Message-ID: <41BC73C88FDBD2119D2908002BB32B3928A07D@lonexchg02.getty-images.com> From: Warren Butson <Warren.Butson@getty-images.com> Subject: guns and fags Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:51:41 -0000 regarding all this talk on gun control, in England it's a bit of a non-debate as apart from police at airports and the odd yardy getting shot by other drug pushers in North London it really isn't an issue. what is however is smoking. it seems as though everyone agrees they are a bad thing and that it shouldn't be done in the workplace, but no-one agrees on public smoking and whether it causes death to non-smokers ie passive smoking. yet in California you seem to have banned it without much fuss, or did you? I'm actually a smoker and appreciate that it is extremely irritating to non-smokers especially in restaurants, but feel no desire to volutarily not do it in public but at the same time sneakingly wish it was banned to make it such a problem that I'd end up giving up, ie I'm stubbornly weak willed! did xtc ever smoke? xtc content: I saw a program over christmas that was a kind of where are they now thing featuring a piece on Andy Partridge that said he has given up the music business and runs a toy manufacturing company, where on earth did they get that from?!!!!! wazza.
------------------------------ From: BDSherlock@aol.com Message-ID: <77.998f6f.25af442b@aol.com> Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 10:07:23 EST Subject: wedding songs Todd and Jennifer Bernhardt recommended: << Wrapped in Grey. When I got married, it was our first dance -- wonderful to waltz to, and the lyrics are beautifully appropriate and hopeful. >> My wife and I experimented with this yesterday and it is indeed true. Not only that, but waltzing is a lot of fun and a beautiful dance. If you don't already know it do yourself a favor and learn how. I must confess that Big Day occurred to me, too, but then I guess I'm just a hopeless romantic, er, cynic. As for Harvest Festival, while a man might think a song about an ex-girlfriend gazing wistfully at him as she approaches the altar a good one (I certainly did), a woman, if she listens to the lyrics just might decide to make good on her fantasy. OOPS! Anyway, congratulations to the prospective newlyweds. Bill Sherlock, one of the few in Chicago
------------------------------ From: spitts@thesaurus-computers.co.uk Message-ID: <80256865.0059F690.00@thesaurus-computers.co.uk> Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 16:22:35 +0000 Subject: Killing Joke?? In #6-6 Patricia opined: > If a person has the malicious intentions of hurting another person, it doesn't matter if they have access to a gun or not < It most certainly does. Most folk would have some chance of defending themselves against a nutcase armed with a fork, or even a knife, regardless of whether or not the attacker has the benefit of surprise, but those chances reduce to next to nothing against a gun, irrespective of whether or not the person being attacked is armed too. Hurting is one thing, killing is a different kettle of fish > when the law abiding public has been stripped of all means to defend itself, who will protect them from the non law abiding public? < Well lass, we do alright over here in dear old Blighty, despite the fact that most of those charged with defending the general populace from unlawful activities (ie. the police) don't carry guns themselves. There are exceptions to the rule, of course, but in general terms I feel far safer over here, where guns are difficult to acquire legally, than I would over the other side of the pond and Paul Stratford suggested: > I really should go down to the local library\museum and ask the curators why Henry or whoever called the place Nonsuch Palace, just to add to our growing web of XTC related trivia < Put it down to the man's ego - nonsuch (or nonesuch) means (roughly) 'something without equal' Cheers, Steve
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #6-8 *****************************
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