From: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org (basia-digest) To: basia-digest@smoe.org Subject: basia-digest V3 #141 Reply-To: basia@smoe.org Sender: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "basia-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. basia-digest Monday, July 13 1998 Volume 03 : Number 141 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: basia-digest V3 #140 ["Paul S. Auh" ] Re: basia-digest V3 #140 ["Diane F. Fisli" ] Re: MB [DPilat@compuserve.com (Dirk Pilat)] Re: basia-digest V3 #138 [jp ] Basia and Lilith. ["Ashoke S. Talukdar" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 01:19:59 -0400 From: "Paul S. Auh" Subject: Re: basia-digest V3 #140 > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 23:54:30 +0200 > From: "Ben van Maaren" > Subject: Re: basia-digest V3 #138 > > > > Anyway, to get back to the Basia story, after Matt Bianco's second album it > was clear that Basia no longer was in the group. I didn't pay much > attention, except for the fact that Matt Bianco's subsequent albums never > reached the level of the first. I'm a newcomer to this group, but I have to disagree; the self-titled album by Matt Bianco (with "Dancing in the Street," "Undercover," and "Fly by Night" is one of the best pop albums I own. I don't know if it was released in the U.S. and I've never seen it on CD (mine is on vinyl) but I think "Fly by Night" is the best Basia song which Basia never sung. The "Gran Via" disc is pretty good, too, a little more funk than "Whose SIde Are You On," extremely hard to sit still while listening to. PSA ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 00:34:08 -0700 From: "Diane F. Fisli" Subject: Re: basia-digest V3 #140 Meg writes: >I've NEVER seen her interviewed on >television; I've only heard a radio interview with Rick O'Dell on WNUA >during the TSI release hoopla. I couldn't get enough, and I'm anxious for >more conversation! You need to find a copy of the video "A New Day"!!! Of course, it's not quite like a give-n-take interview, but it's good... >When I saw Paco de Lucia at Symphony Hall he said nary a word to the >audience. THAT was unusual, but the show was phenomenal. Also, Gipsy >Kings -- not much banter, but I don't blame them: they're French, singing >in Spanish, to an American audience. Confusing! But again, outstanding >performers so who cares? Ah... And Ottmar Liebert opened for Basia during the LWNY tour - and I was grumbling "Why can't it be PETER?" and then resigned myself to the fact that it wasn't Peter, so listen and enjoy... Liebert walked out, spoke not a peep, sat down, and simply sat there strumming and picking his guitar, and put me to sleep! (Spyro Gyra was a much more satisfying opening act!) Technically a terrific guitarist but his performance was *exactly* like listening to the album with very little dynamic or improvisational thrills... Rather a disappointment. I meant to write something for the "album contract" discussion - What I know of typical contracts is this - if you hear someone has signed to do a "six album contract," the artist is usually held to doing those six albums. BUT for the label, there is always an "out"... It is sometimes arranged that after so much time from the last album release, if the label wants the artist to record another then they must send a letter (this cannot be verbal, but must be in writing) stating exactly that. If the label does not send the letter in a certain period of time, that means that the contract is broken and the artist is free to pursue recording on another label, or free to stand in line at the unemployment office, or whatever... So who knows what's going on with Sony and Basia? As far as Danny and Basia working together after his marriage to another woman, I think they got over their "split" after the Time & Tide album. It hasn't affected their work since then... So far as I can tell, everything's "normal" (whatever that means) in the Basia camp - a long time between albums is typical. However, any recording artist with any kind of longevity to their career will tell you that the longer between albums, the more difficult it is to come up with something that will be breakthrough - You have to "top" the last recording, and the longer you take, the harder it is to impress people. WE're waiting and will buy the new Basia album as soon as it arrives... The rest of the public is either wondering, "Whatever happened to Basia?" or "Basia WHO?" TTFN! --Di. The trouble with doing nothing is that you never know when you are finished. :) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 11:43:38 +0000 From: DPilat@compuserve.com (Dirk Pilat) Subject: Re: MB PSA (prostate specific Antibody?) wrote: > I'm a newcomer to this group, but I have to disagree; the self-titled >album by Matt Bianco (with "Dancing in the Street," "Undercover," and "Fly >by Night" is one of the best pop albums I own. I don't know if it was >released in the U.S. and I've never seen it on CD (mine is on vinyl) but I >think "Fly by Night" is the best Basia song which Basia never sung. The >"Gran Via" disc is pretty good, too, a little more funk than "Whose SIde >Are You On," extremely hard to sit still while listening to. > >PSA Absolutely right! The only real cock-up Matt Bianco ever made, was their extremely ill produced "Indigo", produced by you all know who.... The other six albums are all outstanding, and they're still producing albums on a regular base, although I think that they should release a live album now. If you ever have the chance: See them. Dirk "It's fifteen hundred miles to Ankh Morpork, We've got three hundred and sixtythree elephants, fifty carts of forage, the monsoon's about to break and we're we're wearing....we're wearing... sort of things like glass, only dark.... dark glass things on our eyes...." Azrhual, Elephant Trader, Klatchian Empire Dr. Dirk Pilat, London, UK http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dpilat ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 08:34:13 -0400 From: jp Subject: Re: basia-digest V3 #138 At 11:54 PM 7/11/98 +0200, Ben van Maaren wrote: I can >only recommend everyone who's never heard anything by Astrud to listen to >her albums, especially the early ones. You'll fall in love with her frail, >ethereal voice, I guarantee. Although I've heard of people who thought that >same voice irritating... The voice quality is interesting - but Astrud's association with pitch was always loose. Perhaps that's part of her endearing quality. un abrazo, juan ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 16:41:50 -0400 From: "Ashoke S. Talukdar" Subject: Basia and Lilith. Thanks for clearing up the producer question for me Diane! This afternoon I was watching the VH1 Women First coverage series various '97 Lilith dates. It is a pity that our pretty polish diva has chosen to drop out of the music circle now, because I think she is indeed missing out on one of the most interesting periods of history for women in music. This IS the stuff that Hildegard of Bingen is made of. Before this, it was a novelty, and after this, it will be passe. But now is where the history is being written and the future is being designed. I listened, completely mesmersized, to a rendition of "The Water is Wide" featuring the Indigo Girls, Sarah McLaclan and Jewel. I dare say that when they went acapella on the last refrain and ended, I had a lump in my throat. And all the while I could not help thinking how beautifully Basia's voice would blend into this crowd (remember her singing "Yearning"?) But there is, for me, a specific reason for wanting her presence at Lilith. In all the interviews that were snipped into the VH1 show, between songs, there was a common theme of "serving some greater cause" - all of which ,I suppose, ended in a simple statement called "Tyrone". If you don't know what that is, it is a song by Erikah Badu along the "I-am-so-f**king-tired-of-your-crap-brutha'-so-let-me-tell-YOU" vein. In some ways, this is mildly disturbing; Sarah, in her interview, succinctly stated the origin of the Lilith tours - to get a bunch of women musicians on stage and have a bit of fun, and also get to hang out with some fellow artists who are all busy with their lives. Somewhere in all this turmoil that objective simplicity has been lost. And through this thick smoke of political statements and truisms of "let's-change-the-world" giddiness, it would be wonderful to hear Basia's high registers, stridently spreading her simple and eternal message of love. Ultimately, I have to say, "Thanks, Sarah!", for bringing us Lilith. Not because I am an arch supporter of feminism, but because I love good music and there is certainly that at Lilith. I await the day when Basia will lend her voice to this outstanding musical concept. Ashoke. ________________________________________________________________ Ashoke S. Talukdar | When the darkness takes you talukdar@morph.ebme.cwru.edu | with her hand across your face Home : 216-381-5872 | Don't give in too quickly Imaging Lab : 216-368-8812 | Find the things she's erased MetroHealth : 216-778-8987 | Find the line, find the face Pager : 216-670-5872 | Through the grain... Cellular : 216-317-7079 | Fax : 216-368-4969 | Suzanne Vega ------------------------------ End of basia-digest V3 #141 ***************************