Chalkhills Digest Volume 2, Issue 11
Date: Friday, 13 October 1995

          Chalkhills Digest, Volume 2, Number 11

                 Friday, 13 October 1995

Today's Topics:

          XTC *didn't* open that Police show...
               Police Live CD/WBCN Broadca
         Where to find some of those elusive CDs
              0-|-> or whatever his name is
               Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-10
      Martin Newell/Andy Partridge avail. on vinyl!
                 "A Catalogue of Genius"
                The Rembrandts Recommended
                     random responses
             11 Different Animals: does exist
                  Rockapella and Carmen
          XTC rarities on CBC-FM Saturday night
               A remarkable stroke of luck
                    RE: Spookey Ruben
         New inclusions to XTC VIDEO Compilation
             Tape conversions for Video Tree

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

Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 18:44:47 -0400
From: Tobin Munsat <tmunsat@pppl.gov>
Subject: XTC *didn't* open that Police show...

>Does anybody know if the new Police live record is from a concert where XTC
>opened up I think it's taken from show in Boston around the time of "Regatta
>de Blanc."

No, this Police gig was opened by Boston's own "Human Sexual Response".  I
think at one point near the end of the disk you can hear Sting mention the
band's name.  (My cousin was also at that show, the lucky *@$%*).  By the
way, some members of HSR went on to form the Zulus, who had one great album
(produced by Bob Mould) and the drummer then went on to form Sugar with
Mould.      -Tobin

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

Date: 10 Oct 1995 16:46:46 U
From: "Bob Sherwood" <Bob_Sherwood@cpqm.saic.com>
Subject: Police Live CD/WBCN Broadca

>>(From Peter <ST00246@BROWNNVM.brown.edu>)
>>Does anybody know if the new Police live record is from a concert where XTC
>>opened up

     If you listen closely towards the end of the show you can hear Sting,
between encores, thanking Human Sexual Response for opening the show.  And,
incidentally, what a &^%T$# show it is.  Can you believe people actually got
to experience a double bill of The Police and XTC  It's like having a friend
tell you about their threesome...

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

Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 18:38:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: A Sattler <ahs@nevada.edu>
Subject: Where to find some of those elusive CDs

Greetings again to all,
  another source you might want to try to get copies of the Extatic
series CDs and some other live XTC CDs is:
  Earwax
  109 E. Kirkwood
  Bloomington, IN 47408-3331
  (812) 332-9612   store hours 10-9 EST M-F

Your best bet is to call between 1-3 PM, M-F and talk to J.R., the owner.
Tell him you got the number from Chalkhills.  He is trying to set up
a mail order service and would appreciate your business.

Also, Compact Disc Europe, whose catalog is accessible via the Web, has many
of the other more-or-less obscure CDs that have been mentioned here lately,
including the Japanese version of David Yazbek's "The Laughing Man."
Find them, and many other international CD/record dealers, at
http://www.yahoo.com/text/Business_and_Economy/Companies/Music/
CDs__Records__and_Tapes/

Hope this info. helps!
cheers,
  Annie S.

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

From: troy@pcc.com (Troy Peters)
Subject: 0-|-> or whatever his name is
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 23:51:11 -0400 (EDT)

I just wanted to check in and jump for joy that somebody out there in the
chalkhills is a Prince fan.  For twelve years, the boys from Swindon and the
boy () from Minneapolis have shared equal billing in my heart.  Good call
thumbs upping the new one ("The Gold Experience").  Check it out.

I thought Prince would be great for "Pink Thing" on TESTIMONIAL DINNER II. . .

I know this is a non-directly-XTC thread, but at least we stopped talking
about Blur for a few minutes.  We really need this record company stuff to
be worked so we can get back to the boys. . .

Thanks for listening.

Troy Peters (troy@pcc.com)

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

Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 23:08:26 -0500
From: shonniet@interaccess.com (LaShawn M. Taylor)
Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #2-10

Patty@gbd.org wrote:
>> And as Colin Moulding comments on the ^XTC: Radio One Live^ :
>> "Good to be Bach!"
>
>OK, I can't remember if this is something I've mentioned to the list
>online or only in my head, but I find the earlier voices of Andy and
>Colin *much* more difficult to distinguish than of late.  I always
>thought this was Andy, although I certainly don't dispute Adam's
>comment, as now that I think about it, it does sound like Colin.  Of
>course, since I think Colin and Andy sound so similar back then (although
>it's easy to tell on the live disc who is who when they're singing),
>they both sound like the same person at times, so I'm right, no matter
>who I think I'm hearing.  (How's that for irrational logic)

Believe it or not, when I first started listening to xTc, via O&L, I thought
Andy and Colin were the same person. I mean to say, I thought Andy sang
every song on the CD while Colin and Gregory kinda strummed along in the
background.  It took me a while to realize that the voice on _One of the
Millions_ was on a slightly higher register than _Merely a Man_.  From
there, I had great fun after that trying to guess who sung what without
looking at the CD jackets.  So now I'm dying to hear the live version of
Blue Beret, which, from what I heard, features some great vocal from the
both of them.

While I'm writing this, I've got a question to ask:  the Swindon boys got a
song in the soundtrack "She's Having a Baby."  SO WHERE DOES IT SHOW UP
I've only seen the edited version of the movie on both ABC and Comedy
Central.  I watched the movie all the way through, and "Happy Families"
never shows up until it gets credited at the end.  In what scene does the
song get played  Someone please tell me.  I don't want to rent the full
version of this movie and force myself to sit through it again.  I don't
think I can take another scene with Kevin Bacon lugging some confused baby
>from one hallway to another.

LaShawn Taylor

*------------------------------
I hate being wrong
but I do it so well.
                    September 20, 1995
                    African-American
                    Social Psychology
*------------------------------

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

From: LongPlay22@aol.com
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 01:43:36 -0400
Subject: Martin Newell/Andy Partridge avail. on vinyl!

Hello!

The brilliant album _The Greatest Living Englishman_ by Martin Newell (with a
little help from Andy Partridge!) has recently been released in limited
quantities on genuine 12" vinyl in Germany. We have a few copies of it for
sale in the States; it comes in a spiffy gatefold sleeve and has three bonus
tracks. The bonus tracks are different than the songs on the _Let's Kiosk_
EP, by the way. If you are interested, the price is $20 plus $3 for postage
to: Long Play Records, POB 55233, Atlanta, GA 30308. (Sorry they're so
expensive - apparently the dollar's not worth diddly in Germany.) Also,
please feel free to check out the Martin Newell/Brotherhood of
Lizards/Cleaners From Venus web site we've been working on at
http://monsterbit.com!

see ya-
Steve Pilon / LongPlay22@aol.com

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

From: Gene_Yoon@brown.edu
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 08:56:36 -0500
Subject: "A Catalogue of Genius"

>From: patty@gdb.org (Patty Haley)
>
>And as far as "The Testimonial Dinner" goes, well, thanks, but someone
>else can have my seat on the dais.  Ruben Blades' contribution sounds
>interesting, but I just can't see the point of tribute albums.  All
>they make me want to do is go listen to the original artist anyway.

Making someone who doesn't know XTC want to go out and listen to the
original songs is A GOOD THING (pun intended).  Isn't that the whole point
of a tribute album  That was David Yazbek's intent, anyway:

      [from the inside sleeve cover]

      WELCOME

      The music of XTC has influenced an enormous number of musicians
      working in a wide variety of styles.  This album brings together
      some of them.  These artists are diehard XTC fans whose longtime
      love of the band was fueled by their participation in the project
      -- a tribute in the best sense of the word.  In putting together
      this record, I was boiled over by the enthusiasm of everyone
      involved.  For them and for me, XTC's work has been continuing
      proof that inspired musical and lyrical exploration is alive and
      well.  None of us just _like_ XTC -- we've developed a hunger for
      the nourishing music they've been making for almost twenty years.
      If you are an XTC fan, you already know what I'm talking about.
      If you bought this album because you're a fan of one of the
      participating artists or because you heard a track you liked on
      the radio, then welcome to a brave new world.  The XTC oevre is a
      catalogue of genius, and you're just getting acquainted with it.
      I envy you.

      --David Yazbek

>The only time I can think of offhand where a cover song has really taken
>on a new life is when Monsoon covered The B*****s' "Tomorrow Never Knows".

If you don't think Wake Up, Senses, The Man Who Sailed, or Dear God take on
a new life as they appear on Dinner, then I have no idea know how they
could....

My view is, the best way to turn people on to XTC is to do exactly what Mr
Yazbek has done: assemble an impressive array of artists, styles, and songs
that would make a listener curious about the rest of the repertoire out
there.  And the more people buy XTC, the more likely XTC can keep making
new music for the world to enjoy (sad but true).  Now I know *everyone* on
Chalkhills is for more XTC. It's that "hunger for nourishing music", but
the band needs to be fed, too!

While I'm at it, a few errors from my previous post:

I got carried away with all the Terry's.  The liner notes for 'The Good
Things' say "Produced by David Yazbek and Terry", not Terry Yazbek and
Terry.  Also, Chris Sharrock is credited for drums.

Some intriguing trivia:  Spacehog recorded Senses Working Overtime at
Chipping Norton Studios (birthplace of Nonsuch) in Oxfordshire with David
Yazbek producing.  Pat Mastelotto, of Mr. Mister and drummer on Oranges and
Lemons, drums for the Rembrandts' Nigel (he sure 'its 'em like Terry did).
Ed Thacker (sans Paul Fox) mixed CTD's All You Pretty Girls.  Graham Maby,
former concert and studio bassist for They Might Be Giants, plays bass for
Joe Jackson.  Freedy Johnston was the featured artist in the Hello CD
series for February '95 (Andy Partridge was November '94).

It's all very incestuous.

Gene

== _______________________________Support_Adult_Literacy__(401)273-8866____
|| believe the printed word is more than sacred
|| Beyond the gauge of good or bad
== The human right to let your soul fly free and naked
   Above the violence of the fearful and sad       -XTC "Books are Burning"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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

Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 20:14:54 EDT
From: VAVZ69A@prodigy.com (MR BROOKS B HOCKING)
Subject: The Rembrandts Recommended

Okay, I know what you're thinking.  Yes, these are the guys that play
the Monkees-inspired theme song
to NBC's FRIENDS, but the album is really pretty good.  The XTC
connection is that they are joined on
drums by Pat Mastelotto, who played on Oranges and Lemons.  Also,
they perform "Making Plans For
Nigel" on Testimonial Dinner.  Besides, The Monkees were one of
Andy's  biggest influences!!!

Check it out!

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

Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 15:16:45 CDT
From: "Bernhardt, Todd" <tbernhardt@aga.com>
Subject: random responses

  Howdy, all:

    To Peter from Brown U.: Hell yes, I listen to TAFKAP (you know, the
    artist formerly known as...)!! His royal badness has always been one of
    my favorite musicians, songwriters, arrangers, performers ... you get
    the picture. (Plus, he plays with killer musicians! I'll never
    forget the time I saw him on the LoveSexy tour with Sheila E. on
    drums -- she played harder and better than I ever had ... in spike
    heels, no less!!) He, like XTC, is always striving to do new things,
    and most of the time he succeeds brilliantly. My only problem with him
    is that he's so prolific -- it's hard to keep up with all the material
    he releases under his own or other names. In fact, I know he had
    trouble with a record company because they thought he was putting out
    too much "product" ... it reminds me of Andy's comment that they could
    put out a record every six months if it wasn't for all the evil sh*t
    that Virgin puts them through. And I don't even mind TAFKAP's "rabid
    sexuality," since I think it's meant more tongue-in-cheek (so to speak)
    than anything else.

    To Ben Gott at Hotchkiss: Keep it up, young'un! (If you really want to
    impress me, though, find some way of blasting "Radios in Motion" or
    "Are You Receiving Me" over the sound system at assembly or something.
    That'll convert a bunch Xers.) Now get to class.

    To Kim at Rice U.: Points well taken, and points that I knew about.
    The back catalog wasn't as much of an issue for me as the new rumor
    that Virgin/EMI wouldn't let XTC out of their contract because they
    want the demos that Andy had written while under contract. I understand
    the former -- sometimes you have to know when to cut your losses and
    move on -- but this latest rumor (if true) is evidence that there are
    some truly sick minds at Virgin/EMI and THEY MUST BE STOPPED. I'm all
    in favor of getting Amnesty Int'l on their ass, as Daniel Smith
    suggested, but is there any way we could get e-mail addresses for
    Virgin/EMI and really gum up their electronic works with "Let my Pop
    Band Go" messages

    And finally, to Mr. Yazbek: Looking forward to your tour and thanks
    for putting on that testimonial dinner. Make sure you come to DeeCee.
    (And let's see ... that description of Terry and the Lovemen ... sounds
    remarkably like this band I'm inordinately fond of. I think the
    controversy over their identity is finally finis.)

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

Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 13:15:41 -0700
From: dahaa@primenet.com (David Haakenson)
Subject: 11 Different Animals: does exist

>From: rob@automedia.com (Rob Warmowski)
>
>Oh sure, there's nuts and there's crisps and there's c-c-c-cola on tap, but
>there's no copies of XTC's 1981() publication of sheet music named "11
>Different Animals" to be found anywhere on the planet , it seems.
>
>Has anybody here ever even seen a copy, let alone anyone who  -gulp- OWNS
>one 

Hello!

To answer your question: yes, I have a copy of 11 Different Animals. When I
lived in North Dakota (of all places!), a friend ordered a copy for my
birthday (god bless him!) from a store in New York called Rock Read. That
was in Jan 1982. Doubt they have any more copies after all these years, but
who knows.

Rock Read; 799 Broadway; New York, N.Y. 10003

Living in North Dakota is terrible when it's 1977, you've discovered the
Sex Pistols and there are no record stores that carry imports! You tend to
do everything mail order from London and New York. Luckily, my high school
chum and I were on top of everything that was coming out.

Heck, the local piano store actually had the sheet music for the Sex
Pistols "Pretty Vacant"! It was from Warner Bros, printed for the US
market, and had that lovely shade of hot pink on the front!

Back to 11 Diff Anmls: I've always been reluctant to xerox it, as the pages
are tightly glued at the edge into the book, and any xeroxing would require
harsh folding of the binding, which might harm the book. But I'll take
another look at it and see if there's a way to turn the thing into JPEG
files and make it available that way.

Cheers,
David Haakenson
dahaa@primenet.com
(and no longer a North Dakota resident; grew up and got some smarts!!)

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

Date: Thu, 12 Oct 95 13:15:31 PDT
From: "Patricia A McFadden" <pamcfadden@EFANW.NAVFAC.NAVY.MIL>
Subject: Rockapella and Carmen

Thanks for the Rockapella info.  My two cents worth...one can view the band
on the Carmen Sandiego game show on PBS and aside from the really bad hair,
they're pretty good and a lot of fun.  They do the theme song and little
bits here and there.

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

Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 20:59:41 -0700
From: Riches@cyberstore.ca (Michael Riches)
Subject: XTC rarities on CBC-FM Saturday night

Hopefully this posting will make it on to the next mail-out in time.

For all the Canadian and US border city residents:

I will be presenting 3 rare XTC tunes on CBC-FM on Saturday night (Oct. 14).
I will be on sometime between 12:30 and 1:30 am (okay, so technically Sunday
morning) on CBC-FM, as a guest of David Wisdom's on the show Nightlines.
Being a national network, you'll have to call your local CBC for the
frequency in your area.

The tracks I'll be playing are Young Cleopatra, It Didn't Hurt A Bit, and
the live acoustic version of Blue Beret.  I'll follow that with a set of Big
Star and Steely Dan rarities.  And the following Saturday at the same place
and time, I'll be presenting two more sets of demos... The Smiths, Beatles,
Brian & Dennis Wilson, and one more XTC track, River Of Orchids.

I hope I'll be doing a public service giving some fans exposure to these
songs.  Thanks to my internet friends from this mailing list who sent me the
tapes.

Michael Riches

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

Subject: A remarkable stroke of luck
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 95 23:28:57 -0500
From: "Neil D. Bernstein" <neilb@cory.EECS.Berkeley.EDU>

-- [ From: Neil D. Bernstein * EMC.Ver #3.0.01 ] --

Well, I just walked into a local record store and walked out with a copy of
Testimonial Dinner!  Some fool sold his promo copy (tsk, tsk) and I got
lucky enough to find it.  I think it was hiding, waiting for me to discover
it and take it home.  Yeah, that's it -- it was meant to be.

And, yes, it's a great record!  Congratulations to Mr. Yazbek on putting
together a fine compilation.  Sarah McLachlan does indeed shimmer, and
Rueben Blades goes to town on TMWSAHS (even adding in some new lyrics).
TMBG are very faithful in their rendition of 25 O'Clock.  As for Joe Jackson
singing XTC: what more could anyone ask for than this combination!  He gets
down with various keyboards while Graham Maby digs a very deep groove.

I think the only low points are The Rembrandts, who successfully manage to
put Nigel through their F.R.I.E.N.D.S filter and make it sound like the rest
of their stuff, and Crash Test Dummies, who come up slightly short again
(but only slightly).  The latter performance would be better if Ellen Ried
stuck to background vocals and let Brad sing.

Pick it up Tuesday, or check the used bin til then.

-Neil

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

Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 08:29 -0500 (EST)
From: "Gavin O'Hara" <DOWNSVIEW/MGTNET/Gavin@mgtnet.dow.on.doe.ca>
Subject: RE: Spookey Ruben

vertigo@well.com (Giancarlo Cairella) wrote:

>Does anyone have more info about this Spookey character

... he's a Toronto-based artist. There were articles on him that appeared
in the Oct. 5-11 issues of Now Magazine and eye weekly (two alternative
papers in Toronto). The eye article should be available from their web
site - http://www.interlog.com/eye/.

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

Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 13:16:08 -0600 (CST)
From: Erik Anderson <aa393@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca>
Subject: New inclusions to XTC VIDEO Compilation

In addition to the video list I posted in the last Chalkhills, I have
decided to include videos for Wonderland and the Mayor of Simpleton and
some early live performances from the White Music and Go2 years.

The Goal: I'm trying to get as close to six hours of material as I can.

Thus far, more than 70 people have signed up to receive the video.  I
will post those addresses in a separate message before 20 October 1995 so
no one will be left out.  Then I will post the offical tape tree.

Erik Anderson

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

Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 14:57:45 -0600 (CST)
From: Erik Anderson <aa393@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca>
Subject: Tape conversions for Video Tree

The XTC VIDEO COMPILATION has been compiled using the VHS format
(familiar to North America).  In other parts of the world, however, the PAL
system is used.

DOES ANYONE OUT THERE HAVE THE MEANS TO CONVERT VHS FORMAT TO PAL

I would like everyone to enjoy the footage, but cannot do the conversions
myself.  Please reply to me by PRIVATE e-mail if you can help out.

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated...WORLD-WIDE!

Erik

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

End of Chalkhills Digest #2-11
******************************

Go back to Volume 2.

14 October 1995 / Feedback