Chalkhills Digest Volume 5, Issue 12
Date: Sunday, 1 November 1998
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 5, Number 12
Sunday, 1 November 1998
Today's Topics:
c30 c60 c90 go
Song Stories
ECBBXTC
Oh man, I hope
English Corrections or Can Can
speaking of Todd...
All The World Is (something) Shaped....
Casablanca / "Song Stories" ARC
CC98 Late, so... XTC Quiz
Book tour?
sounds like...
Foreboding?
Harvest Festival
The Balto-Wash Bunfight
Last call!
Mickey Ratte
Rush, Roads Girdle The Globe
Jump, Little Children / T-shirts
Web Of Sound
While we are waiting
A Go2 Rarity, or some prank?
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When wood was worm and splintered.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 13:37:53 +0000 (GMT) From: Mandy Taylor <mandyt@central.susx.ac.uk> Subject: c30 c60 c90 go Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.96.981027133007.29056A-100000@sunx1.central.susx.ac.uk> Alright? Will someone please do the decent thing and just bloody bootleg the Australian 3 hour extravaganza? I'd be happy to be exploited and pay a hefty load for it. We can all help each other out, if Xtc are going to be awkward and do interviews for GLR and not the rest of the country (so near yet so far), and US book tours... I *knew* there'd be heartache when they came back. If anyone of an Australian persuasion would like to do business please e-mail me privately if you don't want to get your hands too full. cheers, Mandy
------------------------------ From: "Damian Foulger" <damian@imclaser.com> Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 08:40:26 -0600 Subject: Song Stories Message-Id: <19981027083226.767d2684.in@ceo.ceolasers.com> Dear all, I just closed the last page of Song Stories and wanted more. MORE! So I read the back cover in it's entirety. Then I turned the book and stared at the front cover. I had to force myself to put the book down before I read it again. It's a fabulously honest read. Gripping like the best John Grisham (and lets face it - they are all the best, because they are all the same). It made me listen to XTC with new-found ears and reverance. Get the book - it's great. Go to amazon.com and ordering is simple. Just thought that I would encourage the 900 or so of you that don't have it yet. Dames tWd * ------------------------------------------------ 'People will always be tempted to wipe their feet on anything with welcome written on it.' - AP
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 11:31:22 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <v03007806b25b5d71c21a@[209.86.133.78]> From: Mitch Friedman <mitchf@mindspring.com> Subject: ECBBXTC Hi again, I have to second Mark Irvin's review of the Costello with Bacharach album. I love it. Two weeks ago I was lucky enough to get to see them perform the whole album and a bunch of other solo works by each guy at Radio City Music Hall with a small orchestral based band. Then about 5 days later I was in the audience for a tapeing of the same exact concert for an upcoming "Sessions at West 54th" tv show (which is a live concert program on PBS). The Costello/Bacharach one will be shown around November 21st and will be an hour in length and it will also be available soon as a longer home video release. Check www.sessionsatwest54th.com for dates in your own neighborhood. About the dumb album . . . yes Prairie Prince and Dave have done some playing on some of those songs but from what I understand only "My Brown Guitar", "Playground", and "Stupidly Happy" are anywhere near finished and none of them have vocals yet. Colin's "Standing In For Joe" seems to be destined to be another addition to the album. Mitch
------------------------------ From: MFa2707621@aol.com Message-ID: <c8d9c274.3635f934@aol.com> Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 11:47:48 EST Subject: Oh man, I hope Melissa wrote in the last issue: <<What is the schedule??? And how can I change it so they come within a 100 mile radius of Cleveland, Ohio???>> I was just wondering the same thing. It would be a lost if they just went to NYC and LA. They should know that they have fans around the country that can't get to NYC or LA. I beg of you, please, please oh please come to Buffalo, NY. Hey, maybe I can get my college radio station do an interview with them. I would definitely do the interview, because that would be a dream of mine. Changing the subject a bit, I just recently found out that my best friend was born on November 11. I was so excited she shares her b'day with Andy. Well, that's all from me. Molly check my website at http://members.tripod.com/~MollyFa/index.html
------------------------------ From: R.Crawford@mgn.co.uk Message-ID: <802566AA.00649D09.00@mgnmail4.mgn.co.uk> Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 18:12:42 +0000 Subject: English Corrections or Can Can >From: "Witter, Karl F" <WitterKF@aetna.com> >Subject: The problems of three little musicians don't amount to a hill of >Date: Fri, 23 Oct 1998 08:53:20 -0400 >PS The penultimate "English" question may be whether Song Stories feels >the need to explain that "football shaped" refers to the football >Michael Owens kicks, not the one Brett Favre throws. This must be the ultimate one then, the one that gets me is not all this arse business (we all know Andy says arse), is the mention of 'he English Beat', when referring to 'The Beat'. The Beat where a vastly underrated band, who where always included as a ska band (but they where much too good for that). Andy wore one of their T Shirts in the Towers of London documentry. BTw on the subject of Andys taste in music, in early interviews he was always mentioning a Can album, with a quote along the lines of; 'It was frightlingly funky, like a tribe of Zulus'. He was always neglected to say which Can album, can anybody name it ? Rob...
------------------------------ Message-ID: <900822C71730D2118D8C00805F65765C179726@einstein.moneystar.com> From: Jill Oleson <oleson@moneystar.com> Subject: speaking of Todd... Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 15:05:03 -0600 Speaking of Todd... I just received an email message with the following text. > >READ THIS OUT LOUD! > > > > I am we Todd did > > I am sofa king we Todd did Thanks, Chalkhills.
------------------------------ From: Iain_Murray@hr-m.b-m.defence.gov.au Message-Id: <4A2566AA.007B60EF.00@ncc-notes.hr-m.b-m.defence.gov.au> Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 08:31:46 +1000 Subject: All The World Is (something) Shaped.... In Chalkhills #5-11, Karl Witter wrote : >> "football shaped " refers to the football Michael Owens kicks, not the one Brett Favre throws. I swear I've seen a film clip for "Senses Working Overtime" where there's a rugby ball spinning around on screen when Andy sings the "football-shaped" line - confirmation, anyone? Iain "A relationship is like a shark - it has to keep moving forward or it dies. I think what we've got here is a dead shark" - Woody Allen.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <36365308.19A8@heraldonline.com> Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 18:11:09 -0500 From: BPeschel@heraldonline.com (Bill Peschel) Organization: The Herald Subject: Casablanca / "Song Stories" ARC Greetings; The Casablanca story can be weirder when you know that Ronald Reagan was once considered for the role of Rick. Can you imagine President Kill saying, "Well, here's looking at you kid." (Yes, I know AP wasn't thinking of the Great Communicator, but I am.) Anyway, I don't want to make a big deal about this, but I'm interested in trading my advanced readers copy of "Song Stories" for an original XTC tape. To explain: this is a softbound copy of the typeset book that is sent in advance to reviewers. The cover is plain and the pages are Xeroxed, so all the artwork and photos looks like artwork that is, well, Xeroxed. I have the published copy, so I would like to give this to a good home. So, straightup, one original cassette tape (preferably one of their later albums), for one book. Will be interested in Dukes material as well. Whaddya say? I'll accept offers, make a choice, and announce it to the list. -- Bill Peschel Book page editor, Rock Hill (S.C.) Herald
------------------------------
Message-Id: <v03102800b25bfecb527d@[165.227.110.102]>
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 16:01:20 -0700
From: Richard Pedretti-Allen <richard@tactics.com>
Subject: CC98 Late, so... XTC Quiz
I am so very sorry to do this (and more than a bit frustrated) but CC98
will not be released until November 15. I have run into some problems,
one of which resulted in me being unemployed. The others are
logistical problems and simply need more time to resolve themselves.
To pacify the masses, I offer up an XTC Quiz.
The entry with the most points (all questions are worth one point,
except one) will win a 3-cassette set of Chalkhills' Children (I know,
I know... BFD! but I'll see what else I can throw in to make it
special.) and a bootleg of XTC live in Boston's Paradise Theatre,
30jan80. Should multiple winning entries be received by November 15, I
will let my kid pick one at random from the top scorers. ...Believe me
...He's random.
Cheers, Richard
Send your quesses to: richard@tactics.com
=========================================
================ XTC Quiz ================
=========================================
Q. List four songs with Andy Partridge on Harmonica?
Q. Who "Just 'its 'em"?
Q. "America's Polka King" died in this month (October). Name him.
Q. On Skylarking, Colin is credited with "Vocals, bass guitar and
_____?"
Q. And speaking of bass players, every Hitchcock (Al, not Bob) film
has a cameo of the director, himself. In which film is he seen loading
an upright bass on a train?
Q. What recording did Brian Eno produce because David Bowie was sick?
Q. List six commercially released instances where XTC mentions
specific fruit.
Q. Speaking of fruit, list the four character names of the Saturday
morning kids show "The Banana Splits". (or list eight Wombles)
Q. And speaking of Bananas, "Banana" played guitar and keyboards for a
band that would be alphabetically filed after XTC, which also contained
a "Colin." Name the band.
Q. And speaking of Colin, which Colin-containing band had their
biggest hit almost one year after the band broke up? (would also be
alphabetically filed after XTC)
Q. MULTIPLE CHOICE!! Which woodworking inlay pattern of crossing or
overlapping design, in an effort to depict fantastic architecture,
originated in the sixteenth century? a) Skylark b) Nonesuch
c) Mummerind d) Apple Venus
Q. Name the Detroit Lion football player who died on the playing
field.
Q. Where will the rummage sale be held in Swindon?
Q. Where would you find the quote, "You've seen one nuclear holocaust,
you've seen them all."?
Q. Andy was associated with a recording that was shipped with leaflets
entitled "Geography", "Structures" and "Artifacts". Name it.
Q. List two XTC songs with whistling.
Q. Who is John Relph and how does he make his voice do that?
Q. List eight XTC songs that use the words "God" or "Christ."
Q. List three cover tunes performed by XTC.
Q. List the three vocalist of the cover tunes in the previous
question.
Q. Ugliest artist on Testimonial Dinner?
Q. MULTIPLE CHOICE!! You wanted to visit that huge
rock-sculpture-thing but because all the hippy-dipshits started LIVING
at Stonehenge, the government had to fence it in. Now, to see a rather
small-ish rock-sculpture-thing, you have to drive towards Swindon and
visit ______? a) Westbury b) Malmesbury c) Raymondbury
d) Avebury
Q. Name four songs not released by Virgin that are on the CC trib
tapes.
Q. Name an onomatopoeic event that you have heard in an XTC song.
Q. Who is credited with playing "zippy zither" and from which release?
Q. Name two Robin Williams films from 1997 that show mathematical
formulas in the opening credits.
Q. Who has a spring for his neck in the back cover caricatures on Rag
& Bone Buffet?
Q. Which XTC release placed in the Billboard Top 100 Lps of 1980?
Q. List two different album names that show "Meeting Place"
Q. Who took the photo on the cover of Song Stories?
Q. Mitch Friedman worked at 111 Vallejo Recording Studios in S.F.,
what Chalkhillian managed a recording studio at that address in the
early 80s?
Q. List 10 Partridge / Moulding songs with colors in their titles:
Q. List the amount of wickets on a standard double-end croquet court.
Q. What compilation said "Truly one of new music's legendary bands,
XTC gets better with age."?
Q. What type of music does Ted Lee make?
Q. What former member of the tubes is listed in the Skylarking credits
but did not play an instrument?
Q. Okay... so you arrive in Swindon and you are standing on the
"verge." Where are you? (and don't reply "Swindon.")
Q. The orchestra conductor for the "Apple Venus" Abbey Road session is
famous for what?
Q. Speaking of Abbey Road, what is "Na na na na-na-na-na...
Na-na-na-na Hey Jude"?
Q. Whose caricature is depicted on the cover of "Drums And Wires"?
Q. Who is "Partridge the barber"?
Q. What song did XTC record for the film "Times Square"?
Q. Speaking of Times Square, what is the wavy thing in the Coca-Cola
logo called?
Q. Who is "Our Man Skinflint"?
Q. Can you believe that I have, yet again, postponed the release date
of Chalkhills' Children '98?
Q. Name the origin of the Nonsuch cover.
Q. Who coined the term "French trombone"
Q. On what song is Andy only credited with "Shaker."
Q. Who stole Andy's hat?
Q. Marston's Pedigree is brewed in what city?
Q. Barry left XTC to play with Fripp's "League Of Gentlemen" before
forming "Shriekback" with Dave Allen of "Gang Of Four." Who played
bass in "League Of Gentlemen" and what group did she join afterwards?
Q. True or False, music critic Dave Marsh lists "XTC" in a list of
band names with "Drug conotations."
Spelling counts!
Happy Surfing!
...and yes, I DO have too
much time on my hands. Hey, gimme a break, I'm unemployed!
------------------------------ From: gborden@mailexcite.com Subject: Book tour? Message-Id: <909534153.25956.420@mailexcite.com> Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 16:22:33 PST Hello Chalkhills! If anybody has the dates and places for the U.S. book tour, please post ASAP. If we can't see them on-stage, we'll have to settle for in-store. Thank You, George.
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b06b25c15d293cc@[139.80.100.165]> Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 13:29:21 +1300 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: sounds like... someone was asking recently about songs by other people that sounded like XTC songs. here's another (quirky) one to add to the list: "These days are old" and "Welcome to the House of Food" by Spookey Reuben, off the "Modes of Transportation, Vol. 1" album. The influence is probably more Beach Boys than XTC, but they do sound a lot like xtc numbers, albeit with the vocalist on helium. If you haven't discovered Spookey Reuben's music, be warned: it is eclectically weird. James
------------------------------
Message-Id: <363739A1.2F139D1F@bowdoin.edu>
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 10:35:08 -0500
From: Benjamin Gott <bgott@bowdoin.edu>
Organization: Loquacious Music
Subject: Foreboding?
Chalkers,
Last year, as part of my Child Psychology class, I did a research paper on
children's aggressive behaviour in the classroom. As part of this project, I
had to propose a hypothetical experiment in which teachers' responses to
disruption were measured. As I was re-reading the paper this week, I
realized that I had used Dave, Andy, and Colin's names in my hypothetical
example...and that I had listed Dave's rule violation as "leaving the
classroom without permission." Of course, I wrote this paper before left the
band -- weird, eh?
If you're interested, Andy's disruption was "staring out window (off-task),"
and Colin's was "verbal altercation with peer." These, it's safe to say,
were deliberate. Heh heh.
-Ben
As long as I'm predicting things, I forsee that "Apple Venus" will sell
500,000 copies...per week.
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Benjamin Gott :: Bowdoin College :: Brunswick, Maine 04011
ICQ 7737594 :: http://www.bowdoin.edu/~bgott :: (207) 721-5513
Visit my website to buy the new album, "Education in Reverse."
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
------------------------------ From: Huw Davies <DaviesHPT@cardiff.ac.uk> Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 16:28:59 GMT0BST Subject: Harvest Festival Message-ID: <4ACB25F56B3@PARKLA1S.CF.AC.UK> I've just finished reading Song Stories which I found to be an entertaining read. Anyway, I was interested to read the descriptions of the new songs and I was especially intrigued by the song 'Harvest Festival'. Has anyone out there heard a demo of this song as I would be interested to know if this song is as good as it sounds from just the way it is described in the book. It sounds like the sort of song that sums up just why I like XTC in the first place. Andy Partridge is probably one of the few people around who would even think to write a pop song on the subject of Harvest Festivals. By the way, I'm not really interested in actually obtaining a copy of any demo of this song. Somehow, I feel that if I were to hear a demo I might be disappointed by the album version when (and if) it comes out. Huw Davies
------------------------------
Message-ID: <36374AAD.2F706D46@intermetrics.com>
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 12:48:01 -0400
From: Harrison Sherwood <sherwood@intermetrics.com>
Organization: Intermetrics, Inc.
Subject: The Balto-Wash Bunfight
[cc'd to Keneally & Chatfield]
First Thangs First:
I found a desultory little website Scott Thunes (ex-Zappa bassist who was
with Mike Keneally on the occasion of the Now-Legendary "Mup" Incident) has
set up for himself. A photograph taken on The Night of Fate may be found at
http://www.geoscott.com/nonie4/rockpicsnoie.html. Click on the thumbnail
below the caption, "This is from backstage at a concert up in what:
Birmingham, UK? Two members of this band we invited to visit us and the
guitarist's brother-in-law along with two members of the band I was in at
the time. ca. 1988." He's so coy. That's Ike Willis, Keneally, Thunes
himself kneeling, and some Swindon Muppets. Shock of Recognition Guaranteed.
You may also want to tickle the pickle marked "Nice shoes on this guy,
right?" and "Colin is only slightly amused, Andy: not at all."
Itum Numma Two
Hey: Say what you will about the misery and the hopelessness and the endless
gray monotony of lower-middle-class life amid the crumbling & rusting
Industrial Revolution-era infrastructure that masks the shameful
self-inflicted destruction of history and culture that is the
Washington-Baltimore area, I'm here to tell you these folks can par-tay!
Having made the utterly insane promise to try to snag Mike "Mup" Keneally
and whatever Beer for Dolphin I could muster for the Balto-Wash Convocation
and Bunfight, I admit I viewed the arrival of Saturday night with more than
a little trepidation. The plan, hastily conceived through cryptic emails and
cross-country smoke signals, was that I should show up at the BFD soundcheck
at Springfield, VA, rock-and-roll landmark Jaxx and escort our guests to
dinner with the Chalkhills Contingent. The restaurant had been chosen by the
imitable Todd Bernhardt not only for its exquisite menu and wine list, but
for its proximity to the club in question, the quicker to whisk our honored
guests and our sodden selves to and fro.
Nervous & a little tongue-tied, I showed up as directed at Jaxx at 5:30, and
heard the newly familiar strains of "Potato" from the new BFD album "Sluggo"
wafting through the suburban-wasteland parking lot. I tiptoed inside,
expecting to be ejected summarily by some Henry Rollins clone in a black
T-shirt. ("No, I've got an email printout, dammit! Check the _headers_, man;
you can't fake those! Ow!") Nobody even looked at me. I went into the main
room, and there was Keneally and band, running through their soundcheck. As
I watched this, angry voices erupted outside, and two guys I had seen
working on the club's marquee burst into the barroom. One had his shoe off
and was gesticulating with it, pointing at the sole. The man who'd been
behind the bar shrugged unsympathetically, went back to drying glasses.
A sudden flash of memory and I recognized the guy with the shoe as Scott
Chatfield, Mike's tour manager and webmaster, and, sucking up courage, I
approached him. He stood at the bar, cursing and digging at his shoe with a
key. I could see what had upset him--the sole was covered in generous
dollops of tar from the roof. His shirt and jeans also exhibited signs of
recent bismirchment. To the world at large he bitterly denounced the task of
changing a club's marquee as beneath the dignity of one so lofty as a tour
manager--he seemed to harbor some quaint Victorian notion that this was the
responsibility of the _club_ or something. I tentatively murmured, "Scott
Chatfield? Hi, I'm Harrison--" and his face gentled and he immediately shook
my hand and said "From Chalkhills, right? We still on for dinner tonight?
Stick around, when they're done with soundcheck I'll introduce you to Mike;
he's been looking forward to this."
Well! I guess there's something to this
cryptic-emails-and-cross-country-smoke-signals thing after all!
Having done the formalities with Mike I extended the invitation to dinner to
some other Dolphins, but Bryan Beller (*amazing* bassist, folks) seemed to
express the general consensus: "An XTC dinner? No, I'd just feel like a big
fat idiot." I still for the life of me can't figure out what he meant by
this; Bryan is quite svelte--buff, even.
As I ushered Mike and Scott into my car I tried to press a copy of "Song
Stories" into Mike's hands, obsequiously breathing, "A little token of our
extreme, directly from Chalkhills to you," but he laughed and said he's
already been given four copies of the book in the last week, had already
read the thing twice on the tour bus. Yes, marking passages with a yellow
Hi-Liter, no doubt, I wanted to shoot back cattily but didn't.
The three of us trooped into Milano's (which, you'll be thrilled to know,
has comped us those meals in exchange for this mention--checks are in the
mail) and found our way to the back room where the ceremonies were just
getting under way. Seated around a long table, molding little pieces of
bread and flicking them at each other were (astonishingly, seated in
alphabetical order), Todd Bernhardt, Neal Buck, James Campbell, Bob Crain,
Baltimore Kate (aka Kathleen/Kathy Davis), Brad Johnson, Charissa Ledbetter,
J.D. Mack, Mary Reinhardt and Nicole Ross. I introduced Mike and Scott to
the gang and away we went.
Dinner was a blur. I don't know which was tougher--getting a word in
edgewise through the brittle banter, so reminiscent of the Algonquin Round
Table in its heyday, or the Yankee Pot Roast I ordered. However, the
lubrication provided by a vat or two of the house plonk helped both
situations immeasurably, and soon we were all shrieking merrily as if we'd
known each other for at least half an hour. Keneally was peppered with
questions (and, interestingly, his spinach confection was questionably
peppered) about his time with XTC during the recording of "Oranges and
Lemons," his time as a Zappa sideman, "Song Stories," his present band and
other projects, all of which he answered with equanimity and grace while
trying gamely to get some food down his neck.
Keneally has a reputation as something of a nice guy (you'll remember Andy
Partridge's characterization of him as "very pleasant" in "Song Stories"),
but I have to say this doesn't even begin to do justice to the generous,
warm, gentle, affable, and friendly man who shared our celebration that
night. A fine, funny storyteller, and a polite listener to cockamamie
theories and song intepretations (guilty!), Mike Keneally is about the
nicest guy I've ever had the privilege of sharing a carafe with. Likewise
Scott Chatfield, when roofer's-tar-free, is no slouch in the
prince-of-a-fellow department--and he's a Mac fanatic, which puts him and me
very close to blood-brotherhood. We damn near slit a vein right there at the
table. Thank you, Mike and Scott, for your presence at our feast, and may
there be many more.
When dinner had been cleared away, Mike & Scott made their way back to the
club to prep for the gig, and we XTC folks discovered that at the other end
of the restaurant, the Adam Ant mailing list was having _its_
convocation. The scene got ugly--our chant of "Content!" was answered by
theirs of "Form!" and balled-up napkins and spoonfuls of mashed potato flew
back and forth. No. Not really. But it would have been fun, wouldn't it?
The hour come round at last, having haggled with the management over an
attempt on their part to stick us with the bill for the waitress's husband's
dinner (no lie!), we adjourned and slouched toward Jaxx just as Beer for
Dolphins was about to take the stage. Just before we entered the venue I
came across a little knot of Chalkhillians passing around a glassine bag
containing suspicious-looking little cylinders--they nervously explained it
away as hearing protection to be placed in the ears against dangerous
rock-and-roll transients, but I know an exotic drug-delivery system when I
see one. Every last one of them was getting hepped up on
goofballs. Disgraceful.
As Keneally took the stage he announced the Chalkhills presence to the crowd
and asked if we had any requests. A sozzled listie piped up with "Nigel!"
and flame-headed drummer Jason Smith began a note-perfect rendition of the
Big Drum Intro--obviously something he'd practiced along to. We thought for
sure they were going to actually do the whole song, but no--there's only so
much perfection one poor little rock club can hold. BFD launched into two
sets of stunningly complex, breakneck-paced music that featured Keneally's
astonishingly polyglot guitar and impassioned singing--this boy works _hard_
for his crusts. "Ludicrously musical" is just about the right description.
All in all, folks, as Saturday nights in the Washington suburbs go, I'd have
to give this one a big ol' two thumbs up. Thanks to everybody who came and
helped make it such a memorable evening, thanks to Todd for arranging the
accommodations, and most of all, thanks again to Mike Keneally and Scott
Chatfield for their wonderfully gracious presence. Let's do it again real
soon.
Harrison "Tinnitus Interruptus" Sherwood
------------------------------ From: Kate_L_Burda.ALDRICH@notesgw.sial.com Message-Id: <862566AB.0064C8D9.00@notesgw.sial.com> Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 12:18:37 -0600 Subject: Last call! I've gotten almost 40 responses for the merchandising poll. But, time's almost up! The deadline is still October 30. So, please send your suggestions/ideas/wishes to me before then. The address is: kburda@sial.com The results will be posted mid-November. Kate
------------------------------
Message-Id: <s637264d.068@chemonics.com>
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 14:12:16 -0500
From: Todd Bernhardt <tbernhardt@chemonics.com>
Subject: Mickey Ratte
'Allo, 'allo:
I was reading an article in The Washington Post the other day about
The Onion ("America's Finest News Source" -- check it out at
http://www.theonion.com), and in the course of mentioning a book deal
gone sour because of concerns over language and humor, the Post noted
that Hyperion is a subsidiary of Disney.
British vs. American English ... forget it. There are far darker
forces at work here, chilluns. Pray for our heroes...
Todd
------------------------------ From: CCooli9575@aol.com Message-ID: <62d54503.36384b38@aol.com> Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 06:02:16 EST Subject: Rush, Roads Girdle The Globe >The Rush Limbaugh show on 10/20 used the intro from "Generals and Majors" >when they were coming back from a commercial break. >Frightened, >Wes So what were YOU doing listening to him, then? :-) I used to listen to Rush a lot, but though I still have the talk radio station on that airs him on in the car most of the time on the job, I hardly pay attention anymore. When I first heard him I'd just moved down from Canada, I'd never heard of him, I had no preconceptions, I didn't know a moderate like I was was supposed to hate him. Now I actually find him kind of boring, like a kind but conservative uncle who says the same thing every time you see him. On a more interesting note, I found in a bargain bin a CD of Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin's album from a little over ten years ago that includes a wonderfully catchy cover of "Roads Girdle The Globe" which has been discussed on this list from time to time. I hesitate to say this, but it's stuck in my craw like crazy and I think it's even better than the original. The album's definitely worth picking up, also including among a number of Stewart originals(ex Hatfield & The North and Bruford keyboardist, not Eurhythmics)several other interesting covers, Thomas Dolby's "Leipzig," "The Siamese Cat Song" from 101 Dalmatians, Lesley Gore's "It's My Party," all very dreamily sung by Barbara with occasional atonal backup help from Dave. It's a very playful and inventive piece of work, and worth picking up. Chris
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Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19981030152507.007b9a80@mail.clemson.edu>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 15:25:07 -0500
From: Adam Tyner <ctyner@CLEMSON.EDU>
Subject: Jump, Little Children / T-shirts
To follow up on the Jump Little Children thread from a few weeks back -- I
saw J,LC perform on Oct. 8th, and what would happen to be playing before
the show than "Skylarking"? Not only that, but a couple of the band
members were singing along while waiting for the show to start... I
chatted with them briefly, and although their familiarity with XTC didn't
extend any further than Skylarking and O&L, it's still nice to know that
there are people out there who appreciate such fine music. :-)
Also, I happened to see someone with a Nonsuch shirt today. I had no idea
any were made.
Sorry for the relatively pointless message. :>
-Adam
--
/=---------------- http://www.he-man.org/ctyner/ ----------------=\
http://www.crystal-night.com/~ctyner/
http://www.awod.com/gallery/rwav/ctyner/
He-Man, Tuscadero, "Weird Al", Yoo-hoo, Killer Tomatoes, & more!
------------------------------ Message-ID: <19981030234849.2764.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Bob Crain" <bobcrain@hotmail.com> Subject: Web Of Sound Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 15:48:49 PST Howdy Chalk-stars, First, to Todd (toddjenn@erols.com), Neal (hopefully soon nealhbuck@erols.com), James and Charissa (jquatz@hotmail.com), Kate(hentoe_xtc@yahoo.com), Virginia (songburp@aol.com), Brad (brjohnson1@aol.com), J.D. (jdmack01@aol.com), Mary (maryreinhardt@hotmail.com), Nicole (phoenixyellowrose@rocketmail.com), and Harrison (sherwood@intermetrics.com): That was a great (first for me) XTC get-together! For those who couldn't make it, hopefully you can make it next time. And furthermore, to all: I wonder how Andy and Colin might feel about selling XtcMusic in the fashion outlined on this linked story: http://www.wired.com/news/news/email/member/culture/story/15938.html For those without time to browse it now, it's a story on Todd Rundgren's web music philosophy and circumventing the record industry. -Bob Crain
------------------------------ From: Melsta@aol.com Message-ID: <8c03d98c.363b7275@aol.com> Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 15:26:29 EST Subject: While we are waiting Hi all-- I recently did a search on AltaVista to see if there was any info on the web regarding the coming US book tour. My search words were "XTC Song Stories Hyperion Promotional Tour" I was told "AltaVista found 3,501,140 Web pages for you." When I clicked "Refine your search", here is what I got to choose from (you can select "Require" or "Exclude" for each word list): 96% XTC, Costello, drummer, guitarist, songwriter, vocals, bassist, melodic 30% Album, band, song, bands, punk, pop, guitar, lyrics 16% Ecstasy, MDMA, drugs, amphetamine, stimulant, LSD, MDEA 13% Adult, free, xxx, sex, hardcore, pics, hottest, porn, thumbnailed 11% Devo, psychedelia, Hiatt 10% Banshees, Siouxsie, Oingo, Boingo 10% Blondie, Duran, Numan, Eurythmics, Benatar, Crue 10% INXS, Depeche, Erasure, Bangles, Bananarama, Lauper, Leppard, Minogue 8% Yamaha, SRX, Vmax, shocks, snowmobile, Phazer, snowmobiles, warmers, speedometer 8% Toasters, germs, brat 8% Waitresses, Tonio, Bozzio 7% Gos, punks, cale 6% Adore, grandmothers, missing, Manakin, Starwood, Rampal, Topanga, illegals, Zee 5% Ben, folds, oeonline, BFF Most of this you can see why it comes up. But I thought it interesting that Costello was right up there in the 96% category. (I'm not sure precisely what this indicates. Is Costello really mentioned in 96% of the 3 million + sites??) And some of it is a complete mystery. (8% Toasters, germs, brat) I think my favorite was "grandmothers, missing". While I'm here, can I just share this? Going back to the trans-Atlantic publishing discussion of a few issues ago, I want to comment on the word "fanny". I'm an American, but I consider myself "Britspeak literate" from all the EastEnders and Britcoms I watch on public television and now the cable channel BBC America. But I had no idea about this word until I read "Does My Bum Look Big in This" by Arabella Weir of the BBC's "Fast Show" (called "Brilliant" here in the States). In one section, she's going on about a wrap skirt that doesn't quite wrap anymore, saying it was "more like one of those flaps African tribesman wear that cover their behinds but leave their genitalia on display. In a crisis, I admit, I would rather have my fanny on display than my bottom, any day of the week." I was quite shocked, I can tell you. Fanny is such an innocent little word around here. It's a woman's _name_ for godssakes! What can you people over think about the fact that we have a confectionary chain called "Fanny Farmer"? Or the expression "sweet Fanny Adams"? (Not that I'm all that sure what that means, but I heard it on the Simpsons once.) Anyway, it kind of makes you think. We Americans are so coddled by the publishing industry that they don't dare sell us a book unless all traces of foreignness have been carefully expunged. But what of our neighbors to the north? I bought the above- mentioned British book right off the shelf in a suburban Toronto Chapters store. In fact, I know of a store up there where you can get any book published in Britain! The Canadians seem to have all manner of spellings and punctuation rules available to them. What a brilliant, open-minded nation they must be to be able to tolerate such typographical diversity! Hats off to the Canucks! I'm done now. --Melissa "Way Too Much Time on Her Hands" Reaves
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Message-ID: <363B83C4.46675C7E@earthlink.net>
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 13:40:21 -0800
From: Steven <slapdash@earthlink.net>
Organization: SLAPDASH
Subject: A Go2 Rarity, or some prank?
Hey folks,
About two or three years ago i bought a vinyl copy of Go2, just for
completeness sake, since I already had everything else on CD and vinyl. I
was happy to find two outstanding features in this used copy sitting along
with the other remains stored in current Used Record stores.
1. An actual photo, photo paper and all, of Andy and Colin, very early I
imagine, singing through the same mike on some stage with chains hanging
down behind them. Black and white. Precious to me personall, not autographed
or anything, but an actual XTC document of sorts.
2. the following free verse poem on the liner jacket (note: John, I
noticed no inclusion of such on your printable Go2 CD booklet)
Fifties Kitchen Curtain
(of Mr and Mrs Partridge)
In all, a green with pieces
of missing, in all a black with
wire figures, figures like a bam-
boo room divider. Hunters on a
Parisienne street cafe, you know,
all wrought iron all skirts all
white blankets where the petticoats
are. In a billion blankly missing
Eiffel Tower legs, wrought in
wrought.
Tables as thin as a con-
temporary look, all in all, jazzy
jazzy, chairs with figured vests
in wrought stripes, paris jazzy,
Paris green, black table, iron
legs, wine sketches, bamboo jazz
interlocking in cold, cold jazz
love, Paris in Seine fish are
dead in a midstream , wire river
four waves then halt as street
cafe, wall of thin, starved iron,
flat skirts, pile of sunglasses,
pile of legs, sharp pointed chair
Eiffel heads, trillion criss cross
iron jazz, Partis criss crossed non
stopped, green on red wire heads,
pour wrought wine out of sketch
bottles...Ghost rail, wire writing,
Rue, Seine, La Touer, jazz kissing,
balloon over pavement cafe, wire
fish are safe, safe.
I actually had just been reading Chalkhills and Children. this find I felt
put me more in touch with the art that's behind everything XTC. In my own
experience, it sounds like a poem by Kandinsky.
Steven
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #5-12 ******************************
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