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To: ecto-digest@smoe.org
Subject: ecto-digest V4 #38
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ecto-digest         Thursday, February 5 1998         Volume 04 : Number 038



                               Today's Subjects:
                               -----------------
  Today's your birthday, friend...                 [matthewm (Mike Matthews)]
  Re: This Week In Live Music               ["Neil K. Guy" <tela@tela.bc.ca>]
  Re: Tanita Tikaram                                         [Riphug@aol.com]
  Re: Cincinnati                     ["Scott S. Zimmerman" <scottz@best.com>]
  Tanita Tikaram                  ["Golden, Stephen" <stephen.golden@gs.com>]
  Cosmic or what?!                                   [Bill <bill@wagill.com>]
  Lilith news                               ["Neil K. Guy" <tela@tela.bc.ca>]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1998 03:00:13 -0500
From: matthewm (Mike Matthews)
Subject: Today's your birthday, friend...

                                i*i*i*i*i*i
                                i*i*i*i*i*i
                              ***************
                            *****HAPPY*********
                      **************BIRTHDAY*********
            ***************************************************
 ***************************************************************************
 ******************* Stephen Thomas (spt@cs.nott.ac.uk) ********************
 ***************************************************************************
 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

   Stephen Thomas           Fri  February 04  1966     Aquarius
   Doug Burks               Tue  February 14  1956     Blank
   Jim Sturnfield           Thu  February 18  1954     Aquarius
   Juha Kannisto            Wed  February 18  1970     Aquarius
   Joel Siegfried                February 19           Penguin Crossing
   Linda Saboe              Tue  February 20  1951     aimless
   Teresa Ross              Wed  February 23  1977     pisces
   Michael Curry            Fri  February 24  1967     Pisces
   Paula Shanks             Mon  February 25  1952     Pisces
   Brni Mojzes              Fri  February 26  1965     the vanishing boy
   Pamela Pociluk           Fri  February 28  1964     Pisces

- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1998 00:58:08 -0800
From: "Neil K. Guy" <tela@tela.bc.ca>
Subject: Re: This Week In Live Music

At 12:20 AM -0500 2/2/98, meredith wrote:

> [...] the Wild Strawberries disc from a couple years ago, and Patty Larkin's
> classic _Live In The Square_), so it wasn't a totally useless wait.

 Speaking of the new Wild Strawberries disc Quiver, I must say I rather
like it. I liked Heroine, the last one, well enough, but felt that they
could benefit from an edgier sound.

 Well the new album has sharper edges, and I'm most pleased. :) Of course,
American AOR stations are apparently balking at playing the regular radio
mix of the first single, Trampoline, because of the harder guitar. Ah well.
Sarah fans will also note that Sarah McLachlan band stalwarts Ash Sood,
Brian Minato and Sean Ashby play on the new album, and that it was produced
by Dave Kershaw. (who mixed the last one) And Roberta's new look is kind
of... well... different from her previous one.

 Of course, everyone should take my opinions with a grain of salt given
that I werk for Nettwerk. :) And that this post is mine and does not
represent the views of the company (ie: this isn't a subversive commercial).

> (Did anyone catch her appearance on Leno Friday night?  Am I the only one
> who almost died when he asked her "Hey, when you were here last time,
> weren't you seeing *another* member of your band?"  Tactless, yet funny in
> a sick, "ohmigod, they killed Kenny!" sort of way.  What an idiot.)

 Heh. The topic came up on the Rosie O'Donnell show, as I recall, along
with questions about her being adopted. Must be weird, having one's private
life the subject of such public scrutiny.

 - Neil K.

- --
 t e l a  computer consulting + design   *   Vancouver, BC, Canada
                 phone: (604) 254-1002   *   email: tela@tela.bc.ca
                   web: http://www.tela.bc.ca/tela/

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1998 09:38:21 EST
From: Riphug@aol.com
Subject: Re: Tanita Tikaram

Here's what I found out about Tanita (I've copied and pasted everything f=
or=0Athose of you who don't have web access):=0A=0A<<Tanita Tikaram: the =
name is as memorable as her music -- distinctive,=0Aidiosyncratic, exotic=
. And it's that same haunting originality that comes to=0Alife on Lovers =
In The City, the singer and songwriter's latest release on=0AReprise Reco=
rds. =0A=0AAs an eighteen-year-old, fresh out of school, Tanita Tikaram s=
wept into=0Ainternational prominence during the New Waif era of the late =
Eighties, and has=0Asince pulled out far ahead of the pack with a sound a=
nd style completely her=0Aown. While her emergence might seem like the qu=
intessential bolt from the=0Ablue, in point of fact, Tanita's remarkable =
musical history stretches back=0Aconsiderably further. =0A=0ATanita Tikar=
am was born in Munster, Germany where her father, an Indian-Fijian=0ABrit=
ish Army officer, was stationed with his Malaysian wife. It was Tanita's=
=0Amother who gave her daughter that euphonious first name, for no other =
reason=0Athan its melodious sound. =0A=0AMelody, along with harmony, lyri=
cs and rhythm, were a central part of the=0ATikaram household from Tanita=
's childhood on. "My brother would do Elvis=0Aimpersonations," she recall=
s, "and I would back him up on the harmonies. I=0Aloved the Beatles as we=
ll as soul and country music, with all those wonderful=0Atragic tunes and=
 straight-from-the-heart lyrics. I grew up listening to a=0Awhole range o=
f women singers in the '70s, from Karen Carpenter and Linda=0ARonstadt to=
 Rita Coolidge and Crystal Gayle." =0A=0AThe Tikaram family relocated to =
England when Tanita was twelve, settling in=0Asuburban Basingstoke. Her s=
ense of isolation in her new environs drove her=0Afurther into music and =
by the time she was sixteen, she was writing her own=0Aoriginal songs. Ch=
aracteristically, her lyrical and compositional influences=0Awere eclecti=
c and wide-ranging, from Virginia Woolf and West Side Story to the=0Aconf=
essional musings of Joni Mitchell and John Lennon. =0A=0ATaking a year of=
f before beginning her college studies, Tanita secured a day=0Ajob sellin=
g advertising and used the proceeds to finance a demo tape. It was=0Athat=
 tape that fell into the hands of agent and manager Paul Charles, who,=0A=
after seeing Tanita perform at an open-mike night in a London club,=0Aimm=
ediately took her under his wing. Literally within weeks, she had landed=
=0Aopening spots supporting the likes of Paul Brady, Warren Zevon and Jon=
athan=0ARichman. The next step was inevitable: a record company bidding w=
ar that ended=0Awhen the young artist signed to WEA in the UK and Reprise=
 for the U.S. By the=0Asummer of that year, 1988, she had released her fi=
rst single, "Good=0ATradition," an immediate Top Ten hit. Tanita was eigh=
teen years old. =0A=0AThe song was followed by her first album, Ancient H=
eart, produced by Peter Van=0AHooke and Rod Argent. It went on to sell fo=
ur million copies worldwide and=0Alaunched Tanita's career as a world cla=
ss performer. Two more albums, The=0ASweet Keeper (1990) and Everybody's =
Angel (1991), consolidated her reputation=0Aas a singer and songwriter of=
 rare range and resonance. =0A=0AThe 1992 release of Eleven Kinds Of Lone=
liness -- its title taken from a=0Aclassic collection of short stories by=
 American author Richard Yates -- was=0ATanita's first solo production an=
d served as an homage to still more of her=0Afavorite artists, including =
Nina Simone, Phil Spector, the Beatles and Ry=0ACooder. =0A=0AAfter so pr=
olonged a period of creative activity, Tanita took a well-deserved=0Asabb=
atical over the next two years, but typically for this prolific artist,=
=0Ashe used the time to further refine her songwriting skills. And when n=
ot=0Aputting her own words to her own music, she found herself increasing=
ly in=0Ademand as a collaborator, contributing tracks to the Bronte Broth=
ers' album,=0AThe Way Through The Woods, and teaming with Christie Hennes=
sy for his album,=0ALord of Your Eyes. She was commissioned by the BBC to=
 set music to the poetry=0Aof Stevie Smith and contributed to the annual =
Abitare III Tempo exhibition in=0AItaly. =0A=0AWith so busy a schedule, s=
he naturally limited her live appearances to a=0Achoice few, including a =
Nanci Griffiths appearance at the Royal Albert Hall.=0AIt was also a peri=
od of extensive travel for Tanita, including sojourns in=0AChina, France,=
 Romania, Italy and San Francisco. Eventually, she settled in=0ALos Angel=
es, to begin work on what would become her fifth album, Lovers In The=0AC=
ity.=0A=0AFor a woman who had written her second album while touring for =
the first and=0Awho'd taken just a month to write her third, the opportun=
ity to spend nearly=0Atwo years writing and recording was an entirely new=
 experience. "When I=0Astarted this album, I had to work hard to recover =
some of the confidence I'd=0Alost over a period of time. It didn't take l=
ong to regain it, and I used that=0Amomentum to go on and produce half of=
 the tracks myself. I find that I'm no=0Alonger afraid to say what I feel=
."=0A=0AThose feelings have found their full expression on the ten new tr=
acks of=0ALovers In The City with the able assistance of co-producer Thom=
as Newman. A=0Afilm composer with such enviable credits as Scent Of A Wom=
an and Fried Green=0ATomatoes, Newman was a key factor in bringing a new =
richness and emotional=0Aauthenticity to Tanita's work, without sacrifici=
ng the elliptical and often=0Aeven mystical elements of her earlier work.=
 "One hopes as one gets older that=0Ayour work becomes simpler, more dire=
ct," says Tanita. "A song like 'Happy=0ATaxi' is just about looking forwa=
rd to leaving one place and arriving at=0Aanother. 'Feeding The Witches' =
is a simple metaphor about prejudice, while=0A'Bloodlines' was inspired b=
y living in Los Angeles. People say this city is=0Acursed with riots, fir=
e and floods. But it's also a city where people go to=0Acreate a new life=
." =0A=0AThe consummate creativity that comprises Lovers In The City has =
already=0Aattracted critical raves. Released earlier this year in the UK,=
 the album=0Amarks, according to London's Hot Press, "...her evolution in=
to one of the=0Afinest female singer/songwriters of the present generatio=
n." "Tanita is back,"=0Aenthused The London Times, "with what sounds like=
 her strongest album yet,"=0Awhile New Musical Express singled out Tanita=
 as someone "worthy of sharing=0Alunch with Tori, Bjork or Kate Bush."=0A=
=0ALovers In The City, featuring the brand new single "I Might Be Crying,=
" is=0Aindeed a musical feast. Its arrival marks the long-awaited return =
of one of=0Athe most engaging, intuitive and richly gifted artists on the=
 contemporary=0Amusical soundscape. =0A=0A*---Biography from Warner Broth=
ers Records>> =0A=0ATANITA'S ALBUMS: =0A=0A=95Ancient Heart, 1988=0A=95Th=
e Sweet Keeper, 1990 (out of print)=0A=95Everybody's Angel, 1991  (out of=
 print)=0A=95Eleven Kinds of Loneliness, 1992 (out of print)=0A=95Lovers =
in the City, 1995=0A*The Best of Tanita Tikaram (import CD available thro=
ugh Harmony Ridge music)=0A=0AThe out of print CD's are available used th=
rough Harmony Ridge, too.=0A=0A And the best news of all:=0A=0A<<January =
23rd 1998 - Here's the latest news from Tanita's management: =0A=0A"Just =
to let you know that the new album sounds amazing, to say the least.=0AWe=
're looking at a first single release at end April with the album a coupl=
e=0Aof weeks later.">>=0A=0AThis comes from the best website I found for =
her:=0Ahttp://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/estate/ax16/tanita/tt.html=0A=0A=
Jill :D=0A

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1998 16:13:05 -0800 (PST)
From: "Scott S. Zimmerman" <scottz@best.com>
Subject: Re: Cincinnati

> Hmmm....well, the only truly wonderful Cincinnati singer I can think of is
> Karen Bergquist of "Over the Rhine."   She has such a heavenly voice when
> she's performing the softer songs (like "Cast Me Away").....but can rock with
> the best of 'em, too (like "All I Need is Everything")!

Well, continuing on the Cincinatti thread, I received a promo copy of a
new disc by a group from there called Radiolaria and I think  it's
pretty snazzy. It's out on TwistTop Records of Detroit, and the music is
kind of a cross between my bloody valentine and godzuki... guitars,
trumpet, keyboards, and drony spaciness with male/female vocals. 3 girls,
one guy. I've seen it on quite a few college radio station top 30 lists
the past couple weeks. 

- -Scott

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1998 10:11:40 -0000
From: "Golden, Stephen" <stephen.golden@gs.com>
Subject: Tanita Tikaram

> Tanita Tikarum (sp?) is a name I haven't heard in a while.  Wasn't she
> supposed
> to be the next big thing?  Anyway, I have a couple of her albums, "11
> Kinds of
> Loneliness" and her biggest one, the one with "I Might be crying" and
> a song
> about wanting to leave the party.  Sorry, I don't have them here.
> Anyway, I
> think she has one of the better voices in all of pop music... Tracy
> Chapman
> without any nasality and a little deeper, or Sarah McClachlan but more
> beautiful and deep.  Unfortunately, her lyrics aren't much
> (generally).  Still,
> I really like her.  Any word on anything new from her?  Oh, I think I
> remember
> the name of that last one... "Lovers in the City".  Is that her
> latest?  --mm
> 
Lovers in the City was Tanita's most recent studio album.  In the UK and
Europe ( I'm not
sure about the US ) her record company also released a greatest hits
album ( with one
new song ) and sent her packing.  It seems her first two albums (
Ancient Heart, Sweet Keeper )
sold well...but the next three ( Everybody's Angel, Eleven Kinds of
Loneliness, Lovers in the City )
have seen declining sales.  Whlie many prefer her first album ( that's
where her *hit* singles
come from ), her latest album has been considered her best by many (
myself included ).

She's recently signed to a new label ( Mother Records) and is expected
to have her next album 
out in May, with a single release in April ( in the UK anyway ).  There
is an unofficial website
for her that is a good place to check for more info....

  http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/estate/ax16/tanita/tt.html

- -- Stephen

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1998 21:35:36 -0800 (PST)
From: Bill <bill@wagill.com>
Subject: Cosmic or what?!

As I settled into tonight's therapy session, err, tonight's headphones-on
listening session, I played Mark Isham's self-titled disc, only to be
entranced by this really nice female voice making an unusual appearance
amidst Mark's wonderous instrumental arrangement...  Upon liking this
voice I decided to check it out in the CD's liner notes, and lo and
behold, the vocalist is none other than Tanita Tikaram!!! 

I had never before heard of Tanita before, yet there has been so much
traffic about her here in the last couple of days.  Her voice is so nice,
and definitely in line with the ecto tastes.  Not to mention that putting
Mark Isham and her together is great.  (almost (albeit not quite) as great
as the track that Mark Isham and Marianne Faithful and Kris Kristofferson
did for the soundtrack of the movie Trouble In Mind...). 

Dare I submit Stupid Quesiton of the Year Award nomination #2 ??? ...  :)

Cheers.

- - Bill.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1998 22:40:06 -0800
From: "Neil K. Guy" <tela@tela.bc.ca>
Subject: Lilith news

 The first item should be of interest to Oregon/Washington Ectophiles. Eh,
Julie, Neile, Br!an? :) And it's pretty groovy that Sinead and Natalie
agreed to the tour. Woo hoo! The live album should be great - Tim, the guy
who's working on it, says there are some pretty amazing performances.

> Hey everyone...some cool news:
>
> We've been informed that the very first date for Lilith Fair 1998 has been
> set for *Friday, June 19th* in Portland, Oregon. At this time, this is the
> ONLY confirmed date, but we'll certainly post more related and additional
> info as it comes our way.
>
> So far, confirmed artists for the Portland show will be Sarah, Erykah Badu,
> Sinead O'Connor and Natalie Merchant as well as returning performers from
> last year's Lilith Fair, The Indigo Girls. Other main stage acts will be
> added at a later date. Confirmed second stage performers at this time are
> Nettwerk artist Tara MacLean and K's Choice.
>
> There will be more artists and dates announced in the near future, so stay
> tuned for that...
>
> Also, the Lilith Fair double CD is set to be released in North America
> (only) on *Tuesday,April 28th* by Nettwerk in Canada and Arista in the
> States. The album will feature 24 out of the over 50 artists who appeared
> on the tour.

- --
 t e l a  computer consulting + design   *   Vancouver, BC, Canada
                 phone: (604) 254-1002   *   email: tela@tela.bc.ca
                   web: http://www.tela.bc.ca/tela/

------------------------------

End of ecto-digest V4 #38
*************************