From: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org (alloy-digest) To: alloy-digest@smoe.org Subject: alloy-digest V3 #118 Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org Sender: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. alloy-digest Sunday, May 3 1998 Volume 03 : Number 118 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Alloy: Leipzig is calling you. ["Stephen M. Tilson" Subject: Alloy: Leipzig is calling you. Dear Mr. Rauhut, Earlier you requested information about the song "Leipzig": > ...essay about the history of rock in the East German town > Leipzig for a book, which will be published here in Germany this > year. It would be a nice idea to start with some background > information about the song "Leipzig", which was written by Thomas > Dolby and which was also covered by Dave Stewart and Barbara > Gaskin in 1984. Thomas Dolby suggested to ask you the following > questions: > * What do you think, what's the message behind the lyrics? I would prefer to leave that to others who are more knowlegable than I, but briefly, it is a song about someone who is approaching middle-age; bored with the seeming dullness and drudgery of a routine life, and dreaming of escape to other lands: in this case Leipzig. He realizes, however, that all places are the same and that the change he desires must come from within. > * What do you know about Leipzig? Pretty much nothing, except that it is a city in Germany. If you are asking about the song, we know who (reportedly) played on it: (quoting from the Armageddon 7" picture sleeve with my notes on the right in parentheses) Key. Thomas Dolby. String. Tim Kerr. (violin) Stick. Andy Partridge. (of XTC, playing percussion) Knob. Barry Kingston. (possibly the engineers) Simon Phillips. Click. Malou (possibly a credit for the photograph) who produced it: Thoams Dolby and Andy Partridge who published it: Armageddon Records, then others (see website discography) and when: *Thomas* could possibly give you intimate details of the songwriting, instrumentation, and production process. > * Could you please help me with any details about that song (date > of production, chart position etc.)? Leipzig never made it to the charts in the USA as it was never released as a single here. As a UK single it had a release date of 1981 on the Armageddon label, but there is some indication that it may have originally been released as early as October 1979 according to Lazlo Nibble's Thomas Dolby Discography. To find more specific information visit: and click on Thomas Dolby. > * Do you have any information about Barbara Gaskin and Dave > Stewart (I guess who's not the Dave from the Eurythmics)? You guess correctly. Perhaps Brian Clayton of Alloy can tell us more about them? I hope this helps, Michael. All credit for the information contained in this post not previously cited goes to Miss Mary A. Brown, Ph.D. aka Europa. Best wishes, Stephen ------------------------------ End of alloy-digest V3 #118 ***************************