Chalkhills Digest Volume 4, Issue 1
Date: Thursday, 25 September 1997
Chalkhills Digest, Volume 4, Number 1
Thursday, 25 September 1997
Today's Topics:
Andy's pinnacle? Stay tuned
I'm in the Limelight, ah-ha.
A house made of wood
A Sincere thanks
Selling out?
Todzilla I Share Your Anguish
'Moorcock, Moorcock' she cried
I'd like thaaaat if we could talk about that song...
Re: The Man With The Neon Hat
hey....hey....HEY!!!!!!!
Only back to Alice Cooper
greetings from st. louis
Turtles
Toasting fork, I'll be done
Put me on to Edenville. Aleph, alpha: nought, nought, one.
Strange tails...
Which came first - the chicken or the band?
Idea News ! May 98 Album !
Re: todd and his crash test dummies
peter blegvad
Hallelujah praise the Lord!
Re: Joe Boyd
Don't Pull My Whistle
Demos on CD
Favourite line...
Buzzcity & demos
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I've been just explosive since you lit me.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message-ID: <3426B156.3078@student.flint.umich.edu> Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 13:56:38 -0400 From: Rob Hill <rhill@student.flint.umich.edu> Subject: Andy's pinnacle? Stay tuned Someone claim Easter Theatre to be Andy's masterpiece? Yes, spot on. In fact for my meager changepurse contents, it's quite possibly the greatest song since Strawberry Fields. Evidence? The egg-sized lump which appears in my throat during both numbers (and I don't think it's allergies).
------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.32.19970922212727.006cf564@popmail.dircon.co.uk> Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 22:27:27 +0100 From: Simon Sleightholm <nonsuch@dircon.co.uk> Subject: I'm in the Limelight, ah-ha. Hi folks, Just to let you know that about two weeks ago Mark Fisher suggested I might like to transfer the best parts of the nine Limelight issues he produced into HTML and make them generally available. The piecemeal work has been available on Bungalow in spits and spots for a week or so, but now I have finished the project and invite any interested parties to check out The Limelight Zone at the regular Bunaglow address (see below or use the shorter http://come.to/bungalow - and thanks to Mark Strijbos for alerting me to the Come.To system) Thanks too to all the people who mailed me their kind words after my previous post about Andy's call. I wish I'd had a pencil and paper when he called because we talked about so many things in that short time that I forgot some of the finer details about the Neville Farmer book and the other ongoing projects. The hard part was finding someone close to home who gave a shit; I'm pleased I know you lot or I would have bust a gut... Simon -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/bungalow.htm (http://come.to./bungalow) -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- An XTC resource - "Saving it all up for you..."
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 18:27:13 -0400
From: J Holden-Dye <jonhd@compuserve.com>
Subject: A house made of wood
Message-ID: <199709221827_MC2-2171-387F@compuserve.com>
Re the enquiry about the song containing "We'll build a house, made
of wood . . .", I might be a little tardy in replying (!), but I'd guess
you're referring to "We'll Build A House", by Martin Newell, off the album
"The Greatest Living Englishman" (allegedly produced by, and certainly
"featuring" Mr. Partridge). In the U.K it was published by Humbug Records
(an offshoot of Trident Music Int.), with the catalogue number BAH 10X.
(BAH as in Bah, Humbug - a Dickensian curse.) The disc also states "All
tracks published by Nippon T.V. (UK) Ltd. 1993" - if you're keen to track
it down.
Any U.K. owners of the current demos - I'd love to hear from you !
(E-mail address: jonhd@compuserve.com)
For those of you thinking about getting the Cooking Vinyl catalogue, I
can recommend an artist on their roster - Rory McLeod
(political, South-American-influenced, multi-instrumentalist).
Finally, having stuck my head over the parapet - never seen
anybody mentioning Jellyfish (the now defunct band, that is!) on the list...
Any afficianados out there ?
Cheers, Jon H-D
E-mail from: J Holden-Dye, 22-Sep-1997
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 19:45:16 -0500 (CDT) Message-Id: <199709230045.TAA21826@thor.inlink.com> From: jims@inlink.com (Jim S) Subject: A Sincere thanks I just wanted to extend a very sincere "THANKS!" to Steve Schiavo, who was kind enough to make me a copy of the Andy Partridge demos. I had made two prior requests, but had not received a reply. Thankfully, Steve came through for me, as did Mark Strijbos, who also offered to make me a copy. Thanks to Steve, I now know what you guys are talking about when you mention the demos. BTW, they are for, the most part, great and I hope most of them make it onto the new CD. Thanks again Steve and Mark! Jim S. <jims@inlink.com> Serious fan of: *St. Louis Rams *Michigan Wolverines *"JAWS" *St. Louis Cardinals *XTC *MST3K Movie buffs: Check out Jake Gove's excellent "JAWS" homepage. Video, sound, reviews, trivia and more from the 1975 classic! http://www.winternet.com/~tandj04/jaws.html
------------------------------ From: Richard.PedrettiAllen@octel.com Message-Id: <199709230059.AA163266362@elroy.corp.octel.com> Subject: Selling out? Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 17:57:33 -0700 re: It's more a case that WE ALL HAVE TO SELL OUT TO SOME EXTENT Tut, tut. It's called BUYING IN. Cheers, Richard
------------------------------ Message-Id: <v01540b00b04cd804fecf@[207.71.193.161]> Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 19:38:14 -0700 From: pinks@silcom.com (May) Subject: Todzilla I Share Your Anguish Funny that you should mention covers of XTC songs..... Recently I went to see a play about "young modern people" and before the play started the theatre was flooded with "hip" background music. Just after a new song began I pricked up my ears..."hmm that sounds familiar", I said to myself. I realized soon thereafter that it was "Earn Enough For Us". Great! An XTC song! No! An XTC song covered by someone else! Can anyone inform me of the guilty party that recorded this song recently? As my friend told me, "Covering someone elses song is the finest form of flattery". True but why is it that we only hear the covers these days while the original gem is locked away in some dusty radio station attic. Sad sad. Love and Smiling Mermaids To You All, May O'Mahoney
------------------------------ Message-ID: <34279EDC.2781@oxmol.co.uk> Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 11:50:04 +0100 From: Jon Eva <jeva@oxmol.co.uk> Organization: Oxford Molecular Subject: 'Moorcock, Moorcock' she cried Mitch Friedman wrote: > More importantly though, Happy Birthday to Lord Cornelius Plum > (and believe it or not, me too!) Does anyone know whether Andy, Colin & Dave are fans of Michael Moorcock, the British fantasy writer? 'The Red Curtain', 'Sir John Johns' and particularly 'Lord Cornelius Plum' would fit in very well with the Dancers at the End of Time, and Jerry Cornelius is the central figure in much of Moorcock's work. Actually, now I think of it, Michael Moorcock himself used to be in a band (was it Quicksilver?), so if the boys are fans then maybe a future collaboration wouldn't be entirely out of the question. From what I remember of Quicksilver the results might not be to everybody's taste. Mitch also wrote: > And finally Idea Records is just about set with a logo > which would be a Roman column in the shape of the > letter "I" with a lit lightbulb hovering above it. Strangely enough my beloved employers, Oxford Molecular, have a very similar logo. Jon Eva
------------------------------ From: Cheryl <mcgregoc@regents.ac.uk> Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 14:12:38 GMT Subject: I'd like thaaaat if we could talk about that song... Message-ID: <14B3934461E@regents.ac.uk> Hello! I've being reading what others have had to say about the wonderful demos that are floating around and I found it sad that all people had to say about "I'd Like That" is I like that. I guess I just really took to this little unassuming song. What has really struck me about this tune is the way Mr. P has manage to capture a bit of that childish innocence, like in Mermaid Smile. Both these songs just conjure up feelings of joy and plant a smile on your face. I just love the way the song...feels. Mr. P has such a way of painting great masterpieces of songs. He can write the most complex lyrics and astound you with his prose, then turn around and with such simple ideas and words, compose a painting that is just as magnificent as the grand showy pieces he produces. How does he do that?! Okay, I suppose that is enough gushing for this session. Take care everyone, Cheryl
------------------------------
From: sunhouse@best.com
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 06:19:02 -0700 (PDT)
Message-Id: <l03020901b04d0bcdd7d5@[206.86.6.87]>
Subject: Re: The Man With The Neon Hat
>>...I noticed a guy who had a hat on that had, in bright green neon
>letters, XTC emblazoned on it. I wanted to approach him and ask if it
>was about our lads but chickened out...<
>
>It sounds like the logo of one of those energy drinks, you know, like a
>strong mix of caffeine and cocaine made to taste like cherry cola.
>Keeps you awake and jumpy for about a month.
I actually *have* a can of this stuff that was given to me recently by
Becki Digregorio. The can describes it as a "Guarana Power Drink" (whatever
the hell THAT means!) and also a "carbonated power drink with caffeine". It
is apparently made in Liechtenstein. There is a warning on the can that
includes the following line: "Please note XTC's stimulating effect if
consumed in the evening". (!)
Becki, John Relph, Mitch Friedman and I stood around for a while trying
to figure out whether or not we should open it up and try it. We didn't.
The stuff looks a little scary, but the can is cool! Oh yeah and they have
a Web address:www.xtc-power.com. If some brave soul dares to try some, I'd
love to hear what it tastes like!!
Regards;
John Wedemeyer(sunhouse@best.com)
"Swallowed a mountain, but I could not get me high"
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 09:35:59 -0600 (CST) From: AMANDA CARYL OWENS <ACOEA@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Subject: hey....hey....HEY!!!!!!! Message-id: <01INZ6W7W9WY8Y2WD0@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Alright Todd, you can calm down now. To vent my spleen against some of your little comments..... Why didn't XTC's version appear on the soundtrack? Because Ron Fair of RCA records heard CTD's version live and asked them to do it. Cool clothes...since when did jeans and striped t-shirts become some sort of image tool....the Dummies dress the way they've always dressed. Like PEOPLE!! Yes, XTC's version is better by a long shot....but I do know that Andy appears fairly flattered by all the attention. He even called the Dummies somethng to the tune of "the best PR band we never paid "(oops) or something like that. And yes, XTC does get royalites from playing odf the song. That's the way the music business works. And now, onto lighter things (and leave my guys alone goddarnit.) Richard-ROTFLMAO. David is nothing but greatness and....I won't get into that. I understand this is a family show....... (Damn typos. Now yo sea why I never type papurs on these dame compyutur.) I'm still searching desperately for anyone who may have the vids for Albert Brown and The Meeting Place on tape..... Ciao for now, Amanda Daemon est deus inversus XTC song of the day-King For a Day non XTC song-A Bud & a Slice-Joe Jackson/Brad Roberts
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199709231813.LAA01616@f49.hotmail.com> From: "Rob Crawford" <robcrawford@hotmail.com> Subject: Only back to Alice Cooper Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 11:13:23 PDT >Subject: Marilyn, Moose and 801 Just to prove that there is nothing new under the sun. >>Marilyn Manson (The novelty has worn off) >"Mr. Manson, I saw your show the *first* time. Back when it was called >Ozzy Osbourne." >Osbourne schmosbourne... some of us are old enough to remember it >when it was called Alice Cooper! Cooper try Lord David Sutch (can anybody get earlier than the early 60's in this thread even though it is off topic). Back in the early 60's the UK had band Screeming Lord Sutch and the Savages, the band featured many to be famous members (from my terrible memory, Jimmy Page, Jack Bruce, several members of the early Fleetwood Mac). Well he had a song called Jack the Ripper, where he would be carried onstage in a coffin, wearing the full victorian garb and appropiate ghoul stage makeup. Anyway the UK now know him for being the leader (if that is the appropiate term) of the "monster raving looney party", he has run in almost every election (general & by-elections) since the mid 60's and has been entirely unsuccessful in being elected to parlement.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 13:08:17 -0500 (CDT)
Message-Id: <1.5.4.16.19970923130548.39b79732@admiral.umsl.edu>
From: holly shea <s1006555@admiral.umsl.edu>
Subject: greetings from st. louis
Hello! I used to subscribe a year or so ago but then didn't for some
reason.. so here i am again.. greetings all fellow xtc fans!! =)
Um.. I see a lot of talk about these new demos... who wants to
hook me up with a copy?? =) I don't know what i could offer in
return but we'll see..
I'm from St. Louis. I mean I live in St. Louis. Right now. Right this
minute i'm in St. Louis. So basically, my question is is there anyone out
there who is also in St. Louis?? If so email me!! We can talk.
Buh bye!!
Holly Ann Cecilia Shea
s1006555@admiral.umsl.edu
------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 13:45:57 -0500 (CDT) From: Matt John <mjohn@richland.cc.il.us> Subject: Turtles Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.96.970923134057.8744B-100000@mail.richland.cc.il.us> Whoever put "You Showed Me" was a song that made you believe in God, you're COOL! I dig the Turtles. Saw them (the modern version...) last year and they were groovy, except that they were equipped with ridiculous guitar and keyboard sounds in their attempts to sound modern, but it was a good time. Flo and Eddie, in the flesh (the Mothers, any fans out there?) Okay, well, I just had to say that. Now someone respond. Oh, and email me, I need more messages, less digest... MJ, who never posts because this digest format is a crock.
------------------------------ Message-ID: <34273D21.602F@tmbg.org> Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 20:53:05 -0700 From: Chaos Harlequin <harlequin@tmbg.org> Organization: Nil Subject: Toasting fork, I'll be done Richard P-A: >Some women are born into greatness >and some women have greatness thrust into them. Eeek! And I thought this was a family list! No comments on Dave "tuning his guitar," please. >From: "JH 3" Oh, putting a space in there now, I see. Will it end the confusion? The world may never know... Sigh, not much content today. Hmmm. Here's a game for everyone to try: after the sea and fire/fireworks, what do XTC songs make reference to the *third* most often? -- Joshua Hall-Bachner Chaos Harlequin harlequin@tmbg.org http://www.servtech.com/public/particle
------------------------------
Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=BTG._Inc.%l=EXCH_SERVER-970923185814Z-19142@exchserver.btg.com>
From: "Sherwood, Harrison" <hsherwood@btg.com>
Subject: Put me on to Edenville. Aleph, alpha: nought, nought, one.
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 14:58:14 -0400
>From: "Miller, Ed" <EMiller@rjconsult.com>
>We figured that, when you boil it all down, American
>influences must be limited folk, blues and country music. Everything
>else we can attribute to our English pals.
>
>Any ideas on this?
Yeah...my idea is, you better put out a real quick news release, because
there's rioting going on in the Village and Midtown, where I understand
Liza Minnelli is hosting a benefit for the Save American Jazz
Fund...every jazzbo and bop cat that ever lived, from W. C. Handy to
Winton Marsalis, on the stage of Avery Fisher Hall, holding hands,
singing with radiant faces uplifted, "Kiss our ass, you limey
bastards/You haven't hearrrrrd the news/While we were wriiiiting
'Straight, No Chaser,'/You were cov'ring 'Limehouse Blues'..."
Ahhh, and after I catch my breath, wipe my eyes and regain my composure
a bit, I'll concede your friend's point, as I understand it on more
careful consideration: *In today's climate*, British bands exhibit a
greater and more eclectic range of influence than do American ones, and
>American bands that acknowledge the existence of anything other than folk,
blues and country don't do very well. This is _not_ true of the past,
and one day, D.V., will not be true again. It's a cycles deal, I'm
pretty sure. We're just in High Guitar Reactionary Mode right now. Go
put on some old Lindisfarne albums or something until we pull ourselves
together.
>
>From: James Dupuy <dupuy@nol.net>
>Anyway I have been trying to understand the chord structure to Bungalow. I
>got no reply to an earlier posted question on the underlying theme to
>Bungalow (unrequited love?) Maybe it was a dumb idea but I still can't
>help but feel that this may be true. What makes be think this is the music
>of the song. Can anyone, this includes you Sugarhips Sherwood, tell me
>about the chord progression of Bungalow and why it, along with Collin's
>voice, makes me feel this is a song about unrequited love?
I don't know about love, but having re-listened to the song a few times
I gotta say, Colin's voice sure betrays an unrequited need for _oxygen_.
>From the _diaphragm_, Col! Sit up! Back straight! Deep breaths! Put out
the fag! And SING, don't warble!
Ever read Stuart Gilbert's critique of Joyce's _Ulysses_? He suggests
that certain of the sections of the book are written in a "youthful"
style and others in an "elderly" style. (I may not have the terminology
quite right.) The former uses the active voice, the simple declarative
sentence, to make its points quickly and, well, vigorously. The latter
style is full of the passive voice, the run-on sentence, and gaseous
pomposity to suggest exhaustion, corruption and despair.
If "The Mayor of Simpleton" is the paradigm of the "vigorous"
arrangement style--everything short, sharp, and to the point, no note
out of place--"Bungalow" is its diametric opposite. It's exhausted,
decrepit, spent. (For good artistic reasons, as you'll see.)
The song has three sections: A) What we'll call the fanfare, for lack of
a better word ("Bunnnngalow!"--Cantcha hear Desi Arnaz, conga held high,
stepping out on the stage at the Copa and belting it out?); B) the minor
key, "Bungalow/In the sea air" part; and C) the major-key,
upward-climbing progression of "Luxury accomodation...fly away...saving
it all up" section. All three of these sections are in different but
harmonically related keys: E major, A minor and C# major respectively.
If anything definite can be said about this arrangement, it's that
there's absolutely nothing definite about it. Every time we feel we've
gotten our bearings, that we're in recognizable territory, it shifts its
ground, its mood, on us, jars us into a new key, a new tonal area. Never
was a song more calculated to elicit ennui--which I think is the typical
reaction to this song. It suffers badly from its flouting of the
cardinal rule of pop arranging: it never stays with a groove.
People just hate that.
There is, in the entire song, exactly one moment that has anything
resembling resolution to a tonic, and that is a wordless passage: the
small baritone-voice cadenzas after "traps the sun" and "for the town."
Quickly following that wispy little acknowledgment of a home key--C#
major--we're off again into the rising sequence that bounces like a
pinball through several keys before arriving at the slighly nightmarish,
flanged-voice Brighton-in-January fanfare again.
Unrequited love, you say? Curious. Not what I'd have said.
It's the dark, agonized, pessimistic flip-side of "When I'm 64":
Ostensibly about an aging couple fantasizing about an idyllic retirement
home, under the surface the emotional current is so sick and bleak and
hopeless and forlorn and bitter ("So we're working every hour that God
made/So we can fly away"), I can't believe that that yearned-for seaside
bungalow is anything but a stand-in for a long-anticipated and, yes,
welcome death.
Harrison "Dear Gramps and Gran, sorry you're in Heaven now, love, Vera,
Chuck & Dave" Sherwood
P.S. Which is another reason "Books Are Burning" is a _terrible_ album
closer. I mean, following _that_?
------------------------------ Message-Id: <2.2.32.19970923190502.006bdae4@popmail.dircon.co.uk> Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 20:05:02 +0100 From: Simon Sleightholm <nonsuch@dircon.co.uk> Subject: Strange tails... Hi folks, I was sorting through my pile of XTC stuff tonight and I found a photocopied article that the excellent Mr Martin Monkman had sent me. It was from Issue No 75 of Musician magazine (January 1985) and it was a review of The Big Express. So what? Well, the review was written by a certain Ms Erica Wexler, Andy's current partner. In the first Rifff chat, Andy told us the following :- "My current girlfriend is, bizarre concidence, the woman I wrote "Another Satellite" and "Seagulls Screaming" for." So we have the strange situation of a woman reviewing a song that was written for her. So what does she have to say about the song? " The eccentric love song, "Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her," rolls in like the fog with a haunting repetition of Mellotron, thundering drums and unresolved tensions. So kiss her already!" I wonder if she knew... Simon -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/bungalow.htm (http://come.to./bungalow) -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- An XTC resource - "Saving it all up for you..."
------------------------------ From: Martin_Bell@idg.co.nz Message-ID: <4C25651B.00747E06.00@idgnz1.idg.co.nz> Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 10:15:21 +1200 Subject: Which came first - the chicken or the band? I turned on the TV last night to find my favourite three letters emblazoned across the screen - X-T-C. Imagine my surprise. "What could this mean?", I pondered. Perhaps "Upsy Daisy" was finally being released in New Zealand and Virgin had decided to splash out on a prime-time TV advertising campaign? No such luck. Perhaps it was a promo for some sort of retro '80s TV special? Not on your nelly. No, the sad truth is that it was an ad for Kentucky Fried Chicken's new jumbo tub of the Colonel's finest product - jauntily named "The XTC Feast". It's a typically atrocious advertising campaign which features a New Zealand actor (or Australian - I've got a feeling KFC ads are created in Oz) talking in an embarrasing approximation of an American accent. The wafer thin concept has him lounging around a "Hollywood" pool, surrounded by scantily clad babes, while he gorges himself on the greasy contents of the gargantuan container. I think this bloke is supposed to represent some sort of Hugh Hefner-type figure and the XTC feast is meant to represent the ultimate decadent culinary experience. Tragic really. Interestingly enough, the typography employed on the container is a fairly close approximation to the lettering on "English Settlement". I suggest XTC (the band) engage the services of a good lawyer and sue the pants off the goateed one. He can afford it and the boys won't need to worry about financing for the new album. They better be careful though - if the defence finds about "The Colonel" (an early '80s XTC side-project who released "Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen"), a counter-suit could be in order. Cheers Martin Currently Listening To: John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band Relevant XTC Quote: Can't think of any XTC songs with chicken references
------------------------------ Message-ID: <31510B652669CF11BA1D00805F38219E02FF15D6@DUB-04-MSG> From: Peter Fitzpatrick <peterfit@MICROSOFT.com> Subject: Idea News ! May 98 Album ! Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 01:32:49 -0700 reproduced without permission from : Rocktropolis allstar daily music news September 22,1997 http://www.allstarmag.com all contents are the copyright ) 1996, 1997 of N2K Inc. XTC'S IDEA LABEL INKS DISTRIBUTION DEALS Next XTC Album Due In May Just as the heat begins to wane under summer's cauldron, word comes from XTC's management that the band has begun to finally ink licensing deals worldwide for their new Idea label. In the U.K., the Swindon trio's next release is to be channeled through Cooking Vinyl, while the Pony Canyon group has reserved rights for Japan and Taiwan. "After talking with 68 labels, all the offers we were getting were just like the one we had with Virgin," says the band's manager Paul Bailey. "The boys wanted to have control, but there's nothing new [being offered] out there." While recording for the first of the two albums covered by the new deals is set to begin in November for a May 1998 release, the artwork is already finished and the band is close to settling on a title. While initially their next record was thought to be a double album, it's beginning to appear that it will be a 20-track disc instead. "Because of the nature of the material, this has to be weighty," Bailey says. The list of potential producers for the project now includes veteran names like Tony Visconti and Chris Thomas. "We've been talking to a lot of young producers as well," Bailey adds. "We really liked the sound of the Beck album, but we're having a difficult time getting a hold of the Dust Brothers." Idea also plans to sign artists for a roster of its own. -Joe Silva
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 11:59:08 +0100 (BST) From: Chris Clee <cmc@sanger.ac.uk> Subject: Re: todd and his crash test dummies Message-Id: <Pine.OSF.3.96.970924111317.8246K-100000@manta.sanger.ac.uk> well is this the peter pumpkinhead cover they did a couple of years back, if not then thats 2 covers they've done now...at least they have taste in cover songs, later chris
------------------------------ From: monnickj@ubk.co.uk Message-Id: <199709241314.OAA23510@sys4.cambridge.uk.psi.net> Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 14:18:27 +0000 Subject: peter blegvad he is support act for Loudon Wainright's forthcoming UK tour in October. Details from Serious, Windsor House, 83 Kingsway, London WC2B 6SB jon on the turntable Turtles - Happy Together *---------------------------------------------------------------- The views expressed are of the individual, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The United Bank of Kuwait PLC. *----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 09:44:26 -0600 (CST) From: AMANDA CARYL OWENS <ACOEA@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Subject: Hallelujah praise the Lord! Message-id: <01IO0LM1J53M8XV0TM@jazz.ucc.uno.edu> Oh I've stumbled upon a fantasy land. You see, this is what happened when money burns DEEP holes in your pockets. A fellow tradee pointed me out to a wonderful website that has vinyl like crazy. I am now prepared to spend well, pretty much my savings account on XTC. I found 25 O' Clock, so no need to search for that anymore. And oh, the 12 inchers and seven inchers and all the records.....and to top that all off, there's a promo CTD record with a bio and an 8X 10. I'm as happy as a pig in.....;) Ciao, Amanda PS-Anyone who wants to check this site out: www.vinylvendors.com
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 11:45:40 -0500 (CDT) From: Marshall Joseph Armintor <mojo@owlnet.rice.edu> Subject: Re: Joe Boyd Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.96.970924105548.19903B-100000@long-eared.owlnet.rice.edu> I spotted Boyd's name in a previous post, but didn't respond until someone else weighed in... I agree with Chris, in the main, in that Boyd might be a good choice to produce the lads' next work...maybe not for the same reasons. Cheap, definitely, established, yes...for me his production's a little on the plain side. Fine if you're Fairport Convention, okay if you're R.E.M. but I dunno if it's suited for XTC. I remember reading an article about the 10000 Maniacs' experience with him on _The Wishing Chair_ -- according to the band, he mainly sat on the couch and read magazines while they were doing the the actual production work. Seeing as XTC's track record with producers is, um, well, a history of conflict, passivity would be nice for a change: it'd be kind of like having Gus Dudgeon without the anecdotes about Elton John. ______________________________________________________________________ Marshall Armintor/mojo@rice.edu/Grad.English Dept. Rice University/Sometime Systems Consultant x5833, Blackadder on the Romantic poets:"There's nothing intellectual about wandering around Italy in a big shirt, trying to get laid." ______________________________________________________________________
------------------------------ Message-Id: <199709242047.WAA09714@utrecht.knoware.nl> From: "Mark Strijbos" <mmello@knoware.nl> Organization: The Little Lighthouse Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 22:54:14 +0000 Subject: Don't Pull My Whistle Dear Chalkers, Rob Crawford told us that > (Andy Partridge's) video recorder wasn't working because > the rabbit had eaten through a lead. This is getting very weird... He doesn't drive a car (just like me), can't swim (just like me) and now his rabbit also chewed everything and the video mains lead? What is this man trying to do; drive me insane? ;) BTW: Many thanks to Chris for the fab ROL interviews EUROPEAN CHALKERS ! Remember the 1982 XTC Rockpalast live show is broadcast on German WDR and Astra Sat this Saturday - tape it if you can... yours reeling, Mark Strijbos at The Little Lighthouse the XTC website @ http://come.to/xtc ===> The Random XTC Quote <=== She has escaped from the world where they bake beautiful girls
------------------------------ Subject: Demos on CD Message-ID: <19970925.140413.5231.2.nightmusic1@juno.com> From: nightmusic1@juno.com (Steve M Ransom) Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 14:01:24 EDT I would love to have a copy of the newest demos. Alas, I have nothing to trade BUT... I would be happy to copy your tape to a CD (I've got a CD-R machine) E-Mail me if interested Thanks Steve rrrrrrrrr
------------------------------ Message-Id: <342AFDED.E6F2BF03@bowdoin.edu> Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 19:12:34 -0500 From: Ben Gott <bgott@bowdoin.edu> Organization: Loquacious Music Subject: Favourite line... Good evening Chalkhillians, I would like to propose a survey: We are all aware of the incredible lyrical talents that Andy and Colin possess -- and I'm sure we all have favourite lines from songs (such as Ira's: "People will always be tempted to wipe their feet/On anything with 'Welcome' written on it...") If you have a favourite line, e-mail it to me at <bgott@bowdoin.edu>, not to the list, because I don't want our moderator to hate me forever. I'll post them on my website; it doesn't matter if there's a clear winner or not, but it would be nice to have all these gems of wisdom gathered together. I'll close submissions when I get enough. Please put (and this is important) "XTC" (w/o quotes) in the subject line, so my funky new version of Netscape Noncommunicator can stick 'em in the same folder. Love, Benjy XTC SONG OF THE DAY (returns!): Are You Receiving Me? in the CD player: Robyn Hitchcock, "Eye" * --------------------------------------- * B e n G o t t :: Bowdoin College Internet :: http://www.wp.com/58596 Telephone :: (207) 721-5142 AOL Instant Msg. :: xtcnonsuch * --------------------------------------- *
------------------------------
From: Melsta@aol.com
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 17:03:14 -0400 (EDT)
Message-ID: <970925165843_-1597461355@emout04.mail.aol.com>
Subject: Buzzcity & demos
Oh Chalky residents of the Hill--
I have been, from time to time, checking in on BuzzCity. I often don't find
anyone there, but then I don't often have much time to chat anyway. And the
really popular time is not good for me. Not if I want to keep my job. But
it's nice talking to y'all when I can!
I know I'm probably weighing in a bit late here, but Richard P-A, that was in
_very_ bad taste!! You know what I mean!
Re the demos, which I had and then lost and now have again (thank you very
much MW) and don't ever want to be without again:
Easter Theatre: I'm still working on this one. I'll get back to you when
it's the standout track on the new album next May :-). (Hairs will kick and
leap indeed)
The Last Balloon: If this one's going to make it he's going to have to clean
up his diction. I don't think "climb aboard Jew women, you won't need any
gems or furs" is going to go over too well! Either that or he'll have to
change it to The Last Cattle Car. Oh, am I in bad taste now? Sorry.
Your Dictionary: Is it too personal? Too bitter and twisted? Not in this
reporter's opinion. It's bitter, but in a sad and broken-hearted way. I
just can't fault him for it. The last lines move me almost to tears:
Now your laughter has a hollow ring
and your hollow ring has no finger in
so let's close the book and let the day begin
and our marriage be undone. (sniff)
Especially the bit about the hollow ring with no finger. Don't know why. I
know I do tend to project very sad love songs onto myself and how sad I would
be if my own marriage broke up (Green Man forfend).
Which brings us to the Green Man. And that's something of a pet name for my
husband, so I have to love the line "and you know for a million years he has
been your lover", but the same line with father I mentally block out. Anyway
great song.
Bumper Cars: What's up with that? If we have to cut (which unfortunately we
do) I think we can give this one a miss.
I Can't Own Her: Beautiful and sad. I like Natalie JJ's assessment. But as
sad of a song as it is, and as sympathetic as he makes himself out to be with
the soaring violins etc., lyrically I can't feel sorry for him. It's a case
where the sound of the words is nicer than the meaning. To me, he's
contradicting himself. Making us feel sorry for him when his words don't
deserve it. Sounding sad and sensitive when his words make him out to be a
brute. But that's what the bridge is trying to counteract I guess. It's
okay, Andy. I'm sure someone will be glad to be your chattel. No, really, I
like this song, just until I think about it too much. Bad habit.
As for the Giant Peach demos, my favorite is "Don't Let Us Bug Ya". It works
both as a children's song and a (lighthearted) adult one. I also really
really like "Stinking Rich", but it has that definite "children's song" feel
to it. While I am usually alone in my office, someone invariably comes in
when this song is playing, and wonders about me. And the same goes even more
for "Everything'll Be All Right". I have to turn that one off if anyone
comes in. Which they always do. "All I Dream of Is a Friend" has great
children's song lyrics and a nice XTC melody, but to me they don't work well
together. I can't see some dreamy little kid (like I was) sitting and
singing this one to herself when she's alone and lonely, 'cause the melody's
too complex. And I can't get into it on an adult level 'cause it has such
terrific children's song lyrics.
My favorite of the demos overall? Hard to say. Either I'd Like That, or
Some Lovely.
That's all from me for now.
Until next time, I'm
--Melissa Reaves
Say a sunflower I became, I'd be growing in your brain.
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #4-1 *****************************
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