Errors-To: owner-ecto@athos.rutgers.edu Reply-To: ecto@athos.rutgers.edu Sender: ecto@athos.rutgers.edu From: ecto@athos.rutgers.edu To: ecto-request@athos.rutgers.edu Bcc: ecto-digest-outbound@athos.rutgers.edu Subject: ecto #200 ecto, Number 200 Tuesday, 31 March 1992 Today's Topics: *-----------------* Tapes? Tapes!!! Rainbirds More from Albany She's back! She's back!! SHE'S BACK!!! Re: Laura Nyro Laura redux WICN-Worcester Tapes explanation (1) ======================================================================== Date: 30-MAR-1992 17:02:47.70 From: MTARR@eagle.wesleyan.edu Subject: Tapes? Tapes!!! Hi! Doug, I'll get an order of tapes to you soon, I really want them all! Vickie, you are wonderful for making them up...it's scary how much on them I've never even heard of. Uncharted waters, gotta love em! :) One thing I'd like to call to your attention to (sorry if I'm nitpicking): on the Female Voices tape the Rainbirds' song "Big Fat Cat" from _Two Faces_ is listed the other way around, i.e. "Two Faces" from _Big Fat Cat_. It's nothing major, I just thought I'd point that out in case people go looking for the album after hearing it and get confused. Wow, Vickie, you were playing Rainbirds already three years ago!!! And there I was in Germany thinking I'd discovered this wonderful new band I could bring home to people myself. ;) +----------------------------------------------+ | Meredith A. Tarr | | +++ | | "Oh let me fly, give me something to show | | for my miserable life..." -Kate Bush | | +++ | | mtarr@eagle.wesleyan.edu | +----------------------------------------------+ ======================================================================== From: kyrlidis@athena.mit.edu Subject: Rainbirds Date: Mon, 30 Mar 92 17:29:27 EST Meredith writes: >Wow, Vickie, you were playing Rainbirds already three years ago!!! And there >I was in Germany thinking I'd discovered this wonderful new band I could >bring home to people myself. ;) Imagine my surprise when I saw not one but TWO CD5's of 'Two faces' at the Tower Records in Cambridge last night! There were 3 songs on it: 'Two faces' (desert mix) 'ha ha houdini's laughing' 'Two faces' (string quartet mix) To quote Greg: 'the world is awakening to the magic of alternative female vocalists'! (or something to that extent) What a wonderful prospect!! :) Angelos +=====================================+ |'My ears have parasites'-hApPy RhOdEs| +=====================================+ ======================================================================== Date: 30-MAR-1992 17:16:28.84 From: MTARR@eagle.wesleyan.edu Subject: More from Albany Hi again... kIrI's account of the happenings of the Albany show pretty much square with mine, since we were doing the same thing pretty much until we parted ways. But in order to enrich her wonderful account, some additions from my perspective: What we talked about in the hotel room before the show ranged mightily from the mundane to the exceedingly bizarre, but I do remember an interesting discussion of the impact Hannah Bush's death is going to have on Kate and her future work, as well as album release dates and tours and such. The Chinese restaurant we went to is quite good, David, do you remember the name? Future reference, you know. ;) Cheap and HUGE portions. Best way to go. I was incredibly psyched to see Vickie standing outside the QE2, as well as a bit incredulous. I posed as Greg's roadie in carrying equipment inside, in case there was a problem with my getting in to the place, but as it turns out they only carded Jessica to say they'd done it once and didn't even look at me when they took my money for the ticket. I guess there's something to be said for seediness. :) And it was seedy. Ick. During intermission I was buying a T-shirt, and some people had ascertained that some of us had come improbable distances to see the show. The guy selling the shirts mentioned that Happy was setting up a show in CT in answer to someone's question, and a dude standing next to me said "Really? I'm from Connecticut- where?" I told him there may be a show in Middletown, and he said he lives near here. In the press I didn't get to ask him how he had heard of Happy, but there is a chance he's one of the people who listens to my show and called to ask where to get her album and also heard me announce the shows before I left for break. It's only a small chance, but I can always hope, right? ;) You've all heard details of the conversation with Happy following the show, as well as what we did after we left the QE2. However, I think one of my cooler memories of the trip will be driving back to NJ in the snow (though woj and Dave may disagree), listening to Tori Amos, Rainbirds, Sarah McLachlan and Concrete Blonde on Jessica's portable CD player, hearing Jessica sing along to almost everything through my haze of sleep. I'm always amazed at how quickly it gets light in the morning... I'll fill in Philly chinks as I see them... gotta go answer e-mail from somebody asking for AG's address. The work is never done. :> +----------------------------------------------+ | Meredith A. Tarr | | +++ | | "Oh let me fly, give me something to show | | for my miserable life..." -Kate Bush | | +++ | | mtarr@eagle.wesleyan.edu | +----------------------------------------------+ ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 30 Mar 92 17:32:47 CST From: vishal@ra.csc.ti.com (Vishal Markandey) Subject: She's back! She's back!! SHE'S BACK!!! YAY!! VICKIE'S BACK!! Welcome back, Vickie!!! I am *so* jealous of you folks attending Happy concerts and holding Ecto parties while poor Vish has been suffering in ski resorts. Did anyone else attend the Data Compression conference last week ? Mp, your tape is on the way. "Coil" on one side and "Swerdriver" on the other. - Vish ======================================================================== Date: 30 March 1992 17:24:57 CST From: Subject: Re: Laura Nyro To answer Angelos' question: Laura Nyro was one of the foremost urban- oriented (as contrasted with Joni Mitchell's more hinterland-oriented) female singer-songwriters of the late 60s and early 70s. I won't try to describe her music (which is one of my very favorite of its kind), I'll just implore you to try it yourself. She left the business to get married in the mid-70s (bending many out of shape in the process), then made a minor comeback in 1989, then disappeared again (I think). Several of her earlier albums are available on tape, at least (dunno about CD) in the Columbia Nice Price Line. They're well worth it. Alas, most of her later ones are out of print. If you can get them on vinyl used, they're also worth it. Her latest is on an A&M affiliate, and may or may not still be widely available in all formats. It's good too. For your future reference, the discography is like so: (all on Columbia unless noted) "The First Songs" (1966 on Verve, reissued on Columbia c. 1973) "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession" (1968) "New York Tendaberry" (1969) "Christmas and the Beads of Sweat" (1970) "Gonna Take A Miracle" (1972) (Covers of R&B Standards, w/ backup by Labelle) "Smile" (1976) (Out of Print) (includes "The Cat Song," should Court be reading "Season of Lights" (1977) (Out of Print) (concert album) "Nested" (1978) (Out of Print) "Mothers Spiritual" (c. 1983) "Live at the Bottom Line" (1989) (on Cypress, distributed by A & M) (Other info or analysis available on request) Mitch Pravatiner ======================================================================== Date: 30 March 1992 17:42:24 CST From: Subject: Laura redux It has just dawned on me that the autobiography of former Columbia Records exec Clive Davis, _Clive: Inside the Record Business_ (Putnam, 1974) has various readable tidbits about Laura Nyro. Most interesting, methinks, is her tendency to ask for "blue" and "orange" music from the backup bands (not fuzzy blue, however). Mitch ======================================================================== From: katefans@chinet.chi.il.us (Chris n Vickie) Subject: WICN-Worcester Date: Mon, 30 Mar 92 18:26:43 CST Thanks for all the replies and info about Worcester! The station I asked about is WICN, 90.5fm and is a Public Radio station. That's all I know. If anyone in the Boston area picks it up, definitely let me know. Thanks Doug for your efforts in helping spread the music played on Suspended in Gaffa!! Now that I'm back on-line I can explain about the tapes a bit more. I just downloaded Doug's list and will be posting something about it later. Academy Awards on tonight! (I'm a shameless sucker for those things... even though they never fail to make me mad in some way or another. I mean, Brazil getting ignored a few years ago, that kind of thing) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX <-----fingers crossed for Susan Sarandon and Mercedes Ruhle. FiePoohFie on the Academy for nominating Robin Williams for Best Actor and ignoring Jeff Bridges!! He was the center of The Fisher King! Vickie ======================================================================== From: katefans@chinet.chi.il.us (Chris n Vickie) Subject: Tapes explanation (1) Date: Tue, 31 Mar 92 1:49:21 CST Vickie here. Just in case your mailboxes aren't stuffed enough... Doug, the angel of dubbing, says: > Shortly following this post will be an announcement that I know quite > a few people have been waiting for. Vickie handed me seven tapes (well, > the story's a little longer than that, but I'll leave it at that) for my > tape duping operation. :-) yes, well, I passed around the list of songs in David Lubkin's Albany motel room and Angelos ended up taking the whole shebang back to Boston with him. Well, I was kinda confused about where the WXPN interview went. I thought woj took it, but maybe not. Anyway, all the tapes finally reached Doug's hands after the Philly show. Thanks again Doug, for 1) offering to do the dubbing, 2) not running from the room screaming when I pulled out 7 tapes instead of the two you were expecting 3) typing all the info in. You're a wonder!! >>>>> World Cafe interview > Happy Rhodes Feed the Fire live in studio > Happy Rhodes Given In live in studio > Happy Rhodes Words Weren't Made for Cowards live in studio I put these on first because I thought it would be nice to have the songs available all in a row, without having to fast-forward through the interview. Also, these are from the original masters and include things like coughs and tiny bits of talking (not Happy, I belive it was Pat Tessitore's voice) which I cut out of the next part. > World Cafe interview with the songs, though in the order "Feed the Fire", > "Words Weren't Made for Cowards", and "Given In". WXPN changed the order of songs, not me. Yes, this is the interview *with* the songs, which might seem redundant, but I didn't think anyone would mind. > Happy Rhodes When the Rain Came Down Ecto SiG :) This comes from the original tape Happy sent so it might sound a bit better than the mulitple dub copy that was on the SiG. I had a lot of time to fill on this side...as it is, there's still a big blank space. > Kevin Bartlett [1] Pretty Dreamy Stuff Evocations > Kevin Bartlett [1] Incantations Incantations As Doug writes in the notes section, Happy sings vocals on these songs. The vocals are all "lalala-ahahah" vocals, no lyrics. The song "Incan- tations" is in 3 parts, with Happy singing the middle part. I decided to include the whole thing, even though it's long, out of respect to Kevin. > SiG junk (Vickie talking about Happy on her Suspended in Gaffa show. > This gets very strange.) What? Me strange? :-) Ok, it's a bit weird. Because I put the Kevin songs on I ended up putting the shorter (22 min, I think) version of this instead of the long one I said I was going to. I must have you all totally confused about this silliness by now. That's why I called it "SiG Junk" 'cause I don't know what the hell I'm doing either. > five Suspended in Gaffa "collections" Vickie put together specifically > for you all, Yes, they were specifically recorded for Ectophiles (to be dubbed by Doug for Ectophiles *only*, though anyone who gets copies are free to pass the music along to other people, of course.) and I tried to include quite a variety of music. Still, they aren't near as eclectic as I could have made them because each tape has an "aura" I wanted to keep true to. Believe me, I could have kept going on and on. I was dubbing right up to the time I had to jump in the shower before heading to the train station. I finished the last tape and looked around me and was amazed that I had only played a fraction of what I had set to dub. Many, many artists and songs got left out...but that will ensure there will be more of these. Except (deliberately) for the "International Sampler" I tried not to duplicate artists too much, though I did in a few cases. Area, Anna Palm, TIM, Nina Hagen, Hex, Sam Phillips, Mary Coughlin, Sheila Chandra are some that were repeated but in many cases it's *so*hard* to just pick one song. Some of my favorites aren't even included :-( but will probably be on the next wave of tapes :-) > and a tape of one of her Suspended in Gaffa shows (edited down to 90 min, > though it includes Vickie's talking and other radio announcements). This tape, SiG 48, is one of my old (90 min.) Kansas City shows, before my slot was expanded to 2 hours. So, none of it was edited at all. You even get PSA announcements & me trying to talk everyone into going to see an African drummer instead of an art show that *I* was doing the music for! (That didn't make me real popular with the people putting on the art show, but they still asked me back to do another, my 3rd for them). I don't know why I picked this particular show. There are lots of things within it I am particularly fond of...the music is great and I had a fun time because one of my favorite listeners was visiting me. I especially had fun with the sign-off over The Andrews Sisters' "Beer Barrel Polka"! > I've listened to all seven tapes, while making my own copies to use for > copying. Vickie definitely had fun putting together the five collections, > as they contain a number of interesting touches. Thanks for all the wonderful things you said, Doug! I did have tons of fun. > The contents range from the beautiful to the strange, the old to the new, > artists from the well-known to the obscure, quite an eclectic collection. Say, Area to Diamanda Galas, Bessie Smith to Tori Amos, Sugarcubes to Deux Fille...I tried...:-) I realize that many people will have already heard much of the music on these tapes, but I doubt anyone will have heard *everything* ("heard of" doesn't count, because I used to post my SiG playlists and that might be where you heard of the group/artist). > I enjoyed listening to it, hearing some artists I've seen mentioned on > Gaffa and Ecto, but not heard before. This is what I indended, so if it happened for you, it probably will for others too. > A number of surprises popped up, but none more surprising to me than > a cover of a relatively obscure Nilsson song! Yeah? Which song? I should know, but I don't. > (By the way, does anyone remember who did the original version of "Beware > of Darkness" that Concrete Blonde covers? Hmmm, I hope someone answers this. I just assumed it was a CB original. > If you respect Vickie's musical taste or are curious about the wide range > of female vocalists, check this out, even if it does mean more work for me! Thanks again! >>>>> Suspended in Gaffa Collection I: Lushy Pop > Jennifer Fergusson Suburban Hum Forces Favorites Everybody in the universe *should* hear this song at least once! Or so... > Mary Kelley It'll Be Alright Greetings Five (EP) Put out an EP, and disappeared. Nearly every song on this EP is great. > Gyan Black Wedding Ring Gyan Martin's favorite Gyan song. Definitely mine too! > Tori Amos Little Earthquakes Little Earthquakes Just in case anyone's been on Mars, broke, or deaf, for the last few weeks. > Twila Paris Cry for the Desert Desert (cassingle) I only have a cassingle, never heard of her otherwise. Great song! > Bel Canto [2] White-Out Conditions White-Out Conditions Not my favorite song from this album, but close. "Capio" I was saving for a specific "Ethereal" tape which didn't get made. Yet. > Hex [3] Fire Island Hex My favorite song from this album. > Hetch Hetchy [4] Perfect Puzzle Swollen One of my favorites, this song *made* me put it on :-) > Throwing Muses [5] Dizzy Hunkpapa It was a single, sue me. It's still my favorite song from this album. > Area [6] I'll Gather Flowers The Perfect Dream *sigh* I as in the same room with this woman not too long ago *sigh* > Cassell Webb The Dancer's Song The Thief of Sadness Extremely uneven is Ms. Webb. I'd recommend the albums, on sale only. > Sam Phillips What Do I Do? The Indescribable Wow! I loved this song when the album first came out, but dismissed the rest of album. I was wrong. The entire album is excellent. > The Telling [7] World on a Wing Blue Solitaire Somewhat uneven album, but I like it. > The Shakers [8] City of Strange Delights Songs from Beneath the Lake *This* group deserves *ATTENTION*!! From Nashville, just wonderful! > Eleftheria My Mind's Reflection Meno Ektos Oh, Angelos, how can I thank you? Well, thank you!! It was *so* hard to pick a song, because I love them all. > All About Eve [9] Dream Now Scarlett & Other Stories Veddy, veddy nice, albums are a smidgen uneven, but worth having. > Heidi Berry Bright As Day Love Couldn't resist...Heidi and All About Eve's singer could be related. > Banderas [10] Too Good Ripe I like *most* of the songs on this album, but not all. This particular song (my favorite) is more laid back than many on the album. This album could be classified as "Dance" but I don't dance and I like it a lot. > Shakespear's Sister [11] Sacred Heart Sacred Heart They have a new album I haven't heard yet. This is one of about 4 that I really like from this 1st album. The singer used to be a Bananarama. > Shona Laing Glad I'm Not a Kennedy South Uneven album, but still highly recommended by me. This song was always a favorite. This is a great song without the lyrics. *With* the lyrics it's a classic! More later... Vickie ======================================================================== The ecto archives are on hardees.rutgers.edu in ~ftp/pub/hr. There is a README file explaining what is where. Feel free to send me (or leave in the incoming directory, just let me know) things you'd like to have added. -- jessica (jessica@athos.rutgers.edu)