Chalkhills Digest Volume 8, Issue 55
Date: Saturday, 5 October 2002
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 8, Number 55
Saturday, 5 October 2002
Topics:
Re: Gilbert & Crow
Enough Already
Spiraling's Transmitter
one last clarification
Becki Digregorio & Mitch Friedman
Re: Cage's Silence & Money Noises
Attention all Dukes fans!
Music Worth Purchasing 2001
"Another Dose of Unfashionable Reality"
Re: A Minute's Silence
XTC plates
Mis-heard lyrics
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 21:24:09 EDT From: BBenoit@aol.com Subject: Re: Gilbert & Crow Message-ID: <43.126376e6.2ac7b039@aol.com> Lee Owens aka Leenashville@yahoo.com writes: 5: Kevin Gilbert was a genius and Sheryl Crow used him to get what she wanted and then split. Well, well. Kevin certainly was a "musical" genius but he wasn't a "life" genius. The statement that "Sheryl Crow used him to get what she want and then split" says to me that you think Kevin didn't have a choice. He had a choice but basically his ego got in the way. (Kevin had been a "released" recording artist for 9 years at that point). He knew what was going on but wasn't able to back off from his perfectionist view. All that said, Kevin Gilbert's music changed my life (as did XTC). Geez, this was my first post after being on here a number of years, BB
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 22:06:46 -0400 From: "Molly, the New Wave Queen" <mollyfa0000@worldnet.att.net> Subject: Enough Already Message-ID: <000f01c2675c$de01b060$1d04590c@vogmudet> Organization: AT&T Worldnet Can we stop talking about the record companies/Mp3 stuff already? I've had to scroll through all the digests and most of the posts have been about "how one person likes record companies" or "how one person thinks the record companies screw people". I'm going to continue buying CDs and nobody can stop me. If I see an album I like, I'm going to buy it. I don't want my computer full of Mp3s. Maybe when I get an CD-RW I will burn CDs, but I don't have that much space nor time to download Mp3s. Can we talk about something else besides what has been talked about here lately? I know, why don't we talk about when or if any XTC videos will come out on DVD? Or is there already a whole DVD compilation out there now? Molly, just voicing her opinion
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 20:42:59 -0600 From: "Miranda Phifer" <mightbeSpy@ecoisp.com> Subject: Spiraling's Transmitter Message-ID: <200209282042.AA691208296@ecoisp.com> hey all... just thought you might want to check out this band called Spiraling (formerly known as You Were Spiraling)...if you haven't already, that is. to get to the point, they rock, and are super-inspired by XTC, and have opened for some kickin bands [such as TMBG and the Violent Femmes], AND just put out a new cd!!!! so drop on by www.mp3.com/spiraling and listen to some tunes when you get a chance...then visit their site www.spiraling.net to order their newest masterpiece, Transmitter. i promise you, it's worth your time!! happy listening! =) miranda
------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2002 06:12:10 -0700 (PDT) From: "jude hayden" <luckyj@elvis.com> Subject: one last clarification Message-ID: <20020929061211.21430.h021.c007.wm@mail.elvis.com.criticalpath.net> Hey kids- radiosinmotion said regarding wholesale cd's (edited): <<<<I doubt any record stores are buying their discs for more money than what Best buy sells the discs when they're released. CD's cost about $5-8 wholesale, depending on the distributer, how many you are buying, and what the CD is. So yes, Best Buy does get them cheaper, but I doubt the record stores are paying $12-$15 per disc, otherwise they have no business sense.>>>> To just clarify one point, then I'm letting the whole thing drop, I was specifically referring to those discs that Best Buy sells for $6.99 to $10.99 that first week of release. And to be fair, I wasn't getting some salesman's pitch/bitch about their cost. Like I said, these guys are friends of mine. OK, enough of that- bring on the Fuzzy Warbles!!! Jude
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 07:41:45 -0700 (PDT) From: Wes Long <optimismsflames@yahoo.com> Subject: Becki Digregorio & Mitch Friedman Message-ID: <20020930144145.39089.qmail@web14902.mail.yahoo.com> I've come to sing the praises of two of our own... I've been listening to Becki's latest CD - God's Empty Chair - nonstop this week. Man, what a great album. Her work reminds me a great deal of Workbook-era Bob Mould... and for fans of *that* album, you know what a compliment that is. Becki's voice is incredible and the guitars are RAWKIN! - Dave Gregory (XTC) and Lyle Workman (Frank Black, Todd Rundgren, Beck). Andy Partridge's Dukes-penned Susan Revolving gets the full psychedelic treatment here... and it's wonderful. I highly recommend both this album, and her prior one - Seven Worthies Of The Bamboo Grove. Why she's not signed to a major label is beyond me... check her out, you won't be dissapointed: http://beckidigregorio.com/ What does Mitch Friedman have in common with Becki? He too has a new CD - Fred - which features the many talents of Dave Gregory, & R. Stevie Moore. His work is... well, odd - goofy - QUIRKY - and quite good. My six-year-old daughter likes it as much as I do... and there are only a handful of artists I can say that about, XTC included. If you haven't heard it... or his prior work - The Importance Of Sauce - you should check 'em out: http://www.mitchfriedman.com/ wesLONG
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 13:18:43 -0400 From: beaulac.mario@uqam.ca Subject: Re: Cage's Silence & Money Noises Message-ID: <1033406323.3d988773e5a95@courriel.sitel.uqam.ca> Re: Phil Corless' post (Chalkhills #8-54) about Cage's "4'33"" being "plundered by Mike Batt, producer of classical kitsch: Another article on the matter appeared in The New Yorker's September 30th issue, in the "Talk of the Town" section. The funniest part of the whole deal, which went unmentioned in the article Phil sent, is that Batt has retaliated against Cage's publisher's grab for the royalties by registering, apparently, hundreds of silent compositions. The New Yorker's writer then notes, in that publication's well known "tongue-firmly-in-cheek" tone, that Batt is proudest of two of his copyrights: those for 4 minutes 32 seconds, and 4 minutes 34 seconds. As Batt exults, sarcastically, if ever a Cage "4' 33"" performance ever goes one second late or early, "then it's mine." Just thought Chalkhillians would get a laugh, or a least a smirk, out of that! Mario Beaulac
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 14:32:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Todd Bernhardt <beat_town@yahoo.com> Subject: Attention all Dukes fans! Message-ID: <20020930213218.58055.qmail@web14610.mail.yahoo.com> Hi: Here's a great article on the fall and rise of The Electric Prunes: http://www.calendarlive.com/music/cl-ca-baker29sep29.story -Todd
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 01 Oct 2002 02:42:29 +0000 From: "*Hobbes *" <hazchem25@hotmail.com> Subject: Music Worth Purchasing 2001 Message-ID: <F2379DudNhpKtJnRGMQ00009d83@hotmail.com> In the last digest "Pawnee Q Ribber" dismissed the current state of music as such: >Well, bert, you keep supporting the recording industry... (how many >decent LPs worth purchasing came out last year? hmmmmm) I can't resist - Albums released in 2001 that I consider falling into in the CLASSIC to GREAT to GOOD categories: Bigger Lovers - How I Learnt To Stop Worrying Bjork - Vespertine Chamber Strings - Month Of Sundays Cotton Mather - The Big Picture Death Cab For Cutie - The Photo Album Divine Comedy - Regeneration Eels - Souljacker Neil Finn - One Nil Ben Folds - Rockin' In The Suburbs Luke Haines - The Oliver Twist Manifesto Honeydogs - Here's Luck James - Pleased To Meet You Jeff Kelly - Indiscretion Ladybug Transistor - Argyle Heir Linus of Hollywood - Let Yourself Be Happy Alex Lloyd - Watching Angels Mend Lucksmiths - Why That Doesn't Surprise Me Natalie Merchant - Motherland Minus 5 - Let The War Against Music Begin Mockers - Living In The Holland Tunnel Of Montreal - Coquelicot Asleep In The Poppies Orgone Box - The Orgone Box Pernice Brothers - The World Won't End Grant Lee Phillips - Mobilization Pulp - We Love Life REM - Reveal Ron Sexsmith - Blue Boy Splitsville - The Complete Pet Soul Stereophonics - Just Enough Education To Perform Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World The Tories - Upside of Down Suzanne Vega - Songs In Red And Grey Rufus Wainwright - Poses You Am I - Dress You Slowly Pete Yorn - Musicforthemorningafter This isn't even counting releases from last year I have yet to hear! BTW, is Mark D still out there? I'm finished with the move but lost your email. Drop me a note mate!
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2002 17:32:37 EDT From: Hbsherwood@aol.com Subject: "Another Dose of Unfashionable Reality" Message-ID: <180.ec17cbd.2acb6e75@aol.com> Music Firms Settle Lawsuit Refund Pact Ends CD Price-Fixing Case By a Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, October 1, 2002; Page E01 Five of the nation's largest music companies and three of the biggest music retailers agreed to refund $67.4 million to consumers some time next year to settle a multi-state price- fixing lawsuit involving the sale of music on compact discs. The lawsuit, filed in August 2000, alleges that for five years the music companies and the retailers had an illegal marketing agreement that stifled competition and inflated prices for CDs sold at Tower Records, Musicland Stores and Trans World Entertainment. Full article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24910-2002Sep30.html That nutty free market...! ----- In other news, the September 30 New Yorker's writeup of L'Affaire Mike Batt offers a few amusing details on the story I haven't seen elsewhere: In a decision that would have delighted Cage, the two parties agreed to meet and play their respective silences in front of an audience. This summer, in a rented London recital hall, Batt conducted the Planets in a performance of "A One Minute Silence." Then Riddle [managing director of the company that handles Cage's catalog] introduced a version of "4"'33"" played by a young clarinettist. "The Cage piece was first performed on a piano -- the piano lid was raised and lowered to signify movements -- but the clarinettist did a fine job, playing with a kind of theatrical gravity," Batt said. ...Batt, who is releasing "A One Minute Silence" as a British single this week, has tweaked the Cage people further by registering hundreds of other silent compositions, ranging in length from one second to ten minutes. "I couldn't get four minutes and thirty-three seconds, obviously, but I got everything else," he said. He is proudest of two of his registered copyrights: four minutes and thirty-two seconds and four minutes and thirty-four seconds. "If there's ever a Cage performance where they come in a second shorter or longer, then it's mine," he said. Finally, after all these years, a reason to sign it, Harrison " " Sherwood
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2002 07:45:41 -0500 From: "Dr. Charles W. Crane, Esq., O.B.E." <reddogmg@attbi.com> Subject: Re: A Minute's Silence Message-ID: <000801c26a11$9ea4bd60$9865fea9@CRANE> As you may have seen in Thursday's Daily Telegaph Mike Batt is being sued for plagiarism on the grounds that his composition "One Minute Silence" - a minute of silence - is allegedly identical in key respects to the late John Cage's composition 4.33 - four minutes and seconds of silence. The suit was no news to me, of course. Two weeks ago, I was in my chambers when a fellow from Cage's publishers stuck his head round the door. "You are Mark Steyn, QC?" he said. "Quiet Copyright," I confirmed. "My field of expertise. I'm the silent partner." "Excellent." He introduced himself as Nicholas Riddle, managing director of Peters Edition, the music publishers, and suggested we hop a cab over to Mike Batt's pad. We peeped over the garden wall. "It's quiet out there," I said. "Too quiet." We kicked the door down, and sure enough, there was the shameless Batt rehearsing "One Minute Silence." The sound of silence rent the air, until it was rudely broken by Nick. "You stole that from John Cage!" he said. "You owe us thousands of pounds in royalties!" The commotion attracted a passing policeman. "Arrest that man!" I cried. "For breach of my client's peace!" The constable seized Batt and clapped him in handcuffs. "You have the right to remain silent, but if you do you may be liable to considerable damages." Well, you can imagine the hubbub at the Old Bailey as the scoundrel Batt was led into the dock. "Silence in court!" ordered the judge, and an eerie stillness descended. "That'll be #17.95 plus VAT, your honour," I said. The first day went pretty well, until Nick and I returned to my chambers and found some vulgar American in a loud check suit and revolving bow tie waiting for us. "You know what this is?" he said, and pressed the button on his cassette player. After the first few seconds of nothing, Nick lunged at him. "That's the unmistakeable sound of John Cage's 4.33, you lousy chiseller!" he roared. "Wrong, pal," said the American, neatly sidestepping Nick. "That is NBC radio March 28, 1948, four years before the premier of your crummy rip-off." He handed us his card. "I represent the estate of the late and famously tight-fisted comedian Jack Benny. "In his most celebrated radio joke an armed robber holds him up and says, 'Your money or your life.' There is a long, long silence. 'Didn't you hear me?' says the robber. 'I said your money or your life.' Mr. Benny says, 'I'm thinking it over.' The joke is in the silence. No silence, no joke. Your guy simply shaved the dialogue off and plagiarised the most lucrative portion of our gag. We're seeking $40 million." "Would you consider a quiet out-of-court settlement?" "Hush money," he laughed, "you can't buy my silence that easily." A nondescript English solicitor appeared. "Three guesses as to what this is." he said. He put on a scratchy 78 on his old Victrola and, for 15 seconds, an eerie nothingness boomed out across the room. "That's the lyrical middle section of 4.33, you thieving punk!" yelled Nick. "Wrong, old boy," said the solicitor. "I an the Unknown Lawyer and I represent my client, the Unknown Soldier. Our two-minute silence was first performed at the Cenotaph over four decades before your pathetic knock-off." Who should arrive next but our old friend Sulayman abu Ghaith, official spokesman for Osama bin laden. "hey Sully, baby!" I said. "Good to see you! How's that new Osama video you promised coming along?" "That's why I am here," he said, producing a piece of paper from his suicide-bomber belt. "What's the meaning of this?" "So you got my letter?" sneered Nick. "Did you bring along the cheque for #30 million?" I was stunned. "What possible connection can al-Qa'eda have with John Cage's 4.33?" "I charge," said Nick, "that Osama bin Laden is the most fragrant John Cage plagiarist in the world. He's been completely silent for eight months now. Do you realise how many continuous performances of 4.33 that represents?" "That's preposterous!" snorted Sulayman. "OK, have him break the silence," said Nick. "Get him out there doing 'Remember you're a Womble. But right now all I'm hearing is one big eight-month-4.33 Cage-athon." "Yeah, well, I'm counter-suing," said Sulayman. "That '1812 Overture' is a big steal of our suicide bomber' signature closing explosion." Nick and I were relieved to get down to my country place that weekend. It's beautifully unspoilt and, as we sat on the patio in the peaceful July night, I noticed that Nick had his stop-watch out. "Come on you damned crickets, chirp," I found myself thinking, clenching my glass ever more tightly. But fortunately the pub emptied and seconds later came the sound of baying yobbos vomiting in my front garden and hurling a bench through the window of the OAP centre. Phew.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2002 16:06:08 +0100 From: Jason Witcher <JasonW@teletext.co.uk> Subject: XTC plates Message-ID: <32D4AD886C11D511955C00508BAD1C10060B8974@exchback.teletext.dom> I know this thread is ancient history, but I took these a few weeks ago and only just got round to uploading them: http://www.etceterate.com/images/scooter.jpg http://www.etceterate.com/images/scooter2.jpg (close-up) These plates are Italian, but only this morning I saw a UK-registered car which had 'XTC' as the last three letters (although I couldn't get to the camera in time, and anyway it would probably take me another couple of months to upload them... Jason
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2002 23:52:31 -0600 From: "Pallius" <mcgjohn@prodigy.net> Subject: Mis-heard lyrics Message-ID: <000801c26aa1$11328e40$c305f5d1@john> Greetings XTC fans. I thought some of you may get a laugh from a recent discovery, as I did. It turns out, after repeated exposure to the song Yacht Dance in our car, my 12 year old daughter was sure they were singing "In all ya pants". Now, go check it out. I think you'll agree that it is possible to make this error. We are still laughing about it three days later. (My 8 & 12 year old daughters LOVE XTC.)
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #8-55 ******************************
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