Fegmaniax Digest Volume 2 Number 24 Today's Topics: ------- ------ Sara Lee bio, please? Soft Boys set list I assume... Deirdre O'Donohue interview lp Deirdre O'Donohue interview lp Soft Boys lead guitar raygun interview Groovy DecAy and friends... Sara Lee bio, please? Groovy DecOy / Groovy DecAy Sara Lee bio, please? [forwarded mail] Sara Lee bio, please? [forwarded mail] Groovy DecAy and Can of Bees liners Soft Boys lead guitar [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 30 Mar 1994 13:07:44 -0600 From: David Witzany To: fegmaniax-digest@gnu.ai.mit.edu, woj@remus.rutgers.edu Subject: Sara Lee bio, please? Yesterday, Hilary mentioned that in days long gone, Robyn had a bass player names Sara Lee. Sara toured with Indigo Girls recently; can anyone fill in some details about what else she's done? Thanks. dave. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 30 Mar 1994 15:11:28 -0500 (EST) From: MCA94ISA46@rcnvms.rcn.mass.edu Subject: Soft Boys set list To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu Greetings to all... I'm excited to have discovered this group of Robyn Hitchcock fans. I've been following him since his Soft Boy days, when I lived in Cambridge, England. I was a few years younger than Robyn and never really talked to him, but I remember seeing him around town--greyish skin, lanky, very cool and mysterious. I can still picture him supping a pint at the Fort St. George on Midsummer Common, leaning against a wall at the back. Anyway, I wasn't a huge fan of the Soft Boys in those days--I was and am a punk rock fan--but one night my friends and I went to see the Soft Boys at the Alex Wood Hall, a small, bare room that was (and probably still is) more often hired as a space for political meetings than "rock" shows--a major drawback of the Alex Wood Hall was its lack of a bar. The audience, however, came equipped with cans of lager and bottles of cider. The room was maybe half full and I think everyone there (except my friends and I) were friends of Robyn or Andy Metcalfe or Kimberley or Morris Windsor or the small chap with the harmonica. I enjoyed the show--it being one of the first I had been to (this would be late 1977 or early 1978, certainly well before the Nov. 78 Portland Arms recording--and afterwards got Robyn's autograph. "Robyn Hitchcock signs an autograph" it says in his elegant script. Underneath Andy (at least I *think* Andy Metcalfe was "The pigworker" wrote "The Pigworker Rules." But I also procured the set list for the show, also written in Robyn's fine scrawl, which is as follows: Give it to the Soft Boys Hear my brane Anglepoise Lamp ugly Nora Substitute Prawns Cold Turkey Reggae Song Which guy is me (I think it's"guy" Faace of Death Pigworker Blues I like me (I have no idea if this is right--could be "it life me" Look into your mirror Heartbreak Hotel Wading Through Your Ventilator Does anyone know about the two songs I can't decipher?? Cheers, Stefan [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 30 Mar 1994 14:30:34 -0600 (CST) From: AaRrOoNn LlOoWwEe Subject: I assume... To: -feg:;@gnu.ai.mit.edu I assume that my message w/subj "He died on the phone" got to you all, because I've received a reply about it, but I never got a copy back myself and I haven't heard anything from the list except for the reply.... ? Aaron **************************** @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ * C. Aaron Lowe | "She the one I love, put her on the stove @ * "An Old Pervert Sitting | She simmer and simmer, all day long @ * Around Under the Bridge" | I cut meat and sing this song." @ * st3cr@jetson.uh edu | --Robyn Hitchcock @ **************************** @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ [][][][][][][][][][] From: ruppen@qal.berkeley.edu Date: Wed, 30 Mar 1994 12:46:16 -0800 To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu Subject: Deirdre O'Donohue interview lp Andrew McDonald [ALDVAM0@NUACVM.ACNS.NWU.EDU] asks: >Over the weekend I came across a Queen Elvis era A&M lp whose label said >it was an interview by Deirdre Someone of some station in Santa Monica for a >show called Snap or something. Before I pay $20 to sate my curiousity, can >anyone tell me what this is? and Gene Hopstetter, Jr. [gene@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu] answers: >Good, is what it is. And very, very collectable. It's a very good, in-depth >interview of Robyn -- he offers much insight into his songwriting process, >and his mind in particular. One of the best Robyn interviews around, IMHO. >Never gets dull or boring. Gene's right, it is good. However purchasing makes sense only if one likes the album QE, as most of the interview is a dissection of that album. That and the Spectre album are probably the best we'll get as to what Robyn's songs are about. The other thing about this interview, is that unlike most other interviews he does there is no in-studio playing. Just talk. As far as the album's collectability, it isn't that rare. I keep seeing copies show up in the $12-$20 range. I'd probably buy some of the b-sides before I bought the Deidre O'Donohue album, but whatever... And in other matters, Larry-bob writes: >The "skull, suitcase, and long red bottle of wine" cover photo on >Groovy DecAy is a re-creation of a scene in The Bride of Frankenstein. Learn something new every day. Guess I'll have to see that movie again, since I don't remember the scene. The cover fits the album well though. Andy / ruppen@qal.berkeley.edu [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 30 Mar 1994 15:18:51 -0600 To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu From: gene@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu (Gene Hopstetter) Subject: Deirdre O'Donohue interview lp Andrew McDonald said: >As far as the album's collectability, it isn't that rare. I keep >seeing copies show up in the $12-$20 range. I'd probably buy some >of the b-sides before I bought the Deidre O'Donohue album, but >whatever... Wow. The only copy of the interview disk I've seen (other than my own) was for sale for $30 here in New Orleans (but this is New Orleans..., NOT a good place for buying records, believe it or not). Just goes to show you how things differ round the country. I've *never* seen any of the A&M b-sides around. Are they hard/difficult to get and expensive? Just curious, though, because I've already got them :-) =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Gene Hopstetter, Jr. + gene@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu Writer/Layout/WWW Guy + Tulane Computing Services =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ "Give me some more terminology!" -- Slovenly [][][][][][][][][][] From: treefrog@netcom.com (An Earthling...Really!) Subject: Soft Boys lead guitar To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu Date: Wed, 30 Mar 1994 13:43:08 -0800 (PST) All of a sudden, last night, a friend and I realized that we don't really know who (of Robyn and Kimberly) played which guitar solos and such on the Soft Boys records. Of course, there's a lot of interwoven, duet-style playing, but there are MANY proper leads, and we're at a loss. Does anyone know anything about this? peace Edward -- treefrog@netcom.COM "Bungalow, bungalow, by the sea." - C. Moulding, XTC [][][][][][][][][][] Date: 30 Mar 1994 16:55:43 -0700 (PDT) From: MARTINP@cgsvax.claremont.edu Subject: raygun interview To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu I've got the April issue of "Raygun" at hand, so I thought I'd give you a summary of the R Hitchcock interview. Kimberly and tours: The band's original plan was to do the british dates as a warm-up to an American tour, and to do them with Kimberly Rew. Unfortunately, there was a breakdown in communications with Rew's management, and after the British dates were scheduled they found out they couldn't get him. So Sean Lyons, who has been playing with the Egyptians filled in, joined by Matthew Seligman from the original Soft Boys. According to RH, they may do a tour in the States during the summer when Seligman is again available. RH notes that, curiously enough, most of the original Soft Boys are either playing with him (Andy & Morris) or lawyers (Jim Melton, Alan Davis, and Matthew Seligman). Kimberly, of course, has his own band - Katrina and the Waves. The Soft Boys Reunion: Over the years Kimberly and Matthew have joined the Egyptians for the occasional gig. When the Ryko release came out, the idea was to take the group to the States, where the original Soft Boys had never really played. Such a tour would probably just pay for itself, but would promote the Ryko back catalogue, as well any future Robyn Hitchcock/ Egyptians releases. As Robyn states: "[I]n it's day, the Soft Boys made absolutely nothing...I've done pretty well since the Soft Boys, my life and art have been vindicated." However, not in Britain, he feels, but in America. On playing as the Soft Boys: "I felt like an old actor being squeezed into a corset to play Hamlet. It was very much an act, though maybe that's why it was fun. There wasn't much of my current emotional state in that performance [at the Astoria] . It was like inhabiting a former self. I think the thing that differentiates us from the Velvets...this Soft Boys wasn't an attempt to go back. The Soft Boys never had two basses in their lifetime. "It's nice to play a version of hard rock, and this is our version of it. It's as close to in-your-face as it can be without pouring it into you pineal gland. The Egyptians use to do quite a bit of Soft boys material,...but as the testosterone level drops, you just don't come up with stuff that's that hard. "Y'know, something that we all found was that a lot of the songs are much easier to play now than when they were written. "Pigworker" and "Do The Chisel" were very difficult for us then. We hadn't spent a lifetime as professional musicians. Those were the days of leaping into funny time signatures just to keep ourselves amused. I hate to say this sort of thing in print, but my songwriting was a hell of a lot better by the end of the Soft Boys, by _Underwater Moonlight_. The early songs were really arrangements rather than songs, interesting pieces of music to play." _Zipper up my Spine_ was written last summer with Robert Plant in mind. This might show up soon on a "quickie" album; there is some thought about releasing one based on the live shows they've been doing. On "Sondra" and "Ugly Nora": The Soft Boys have not been performing these songs because, in Robyn's words, "a lot of it was quite misogynistic...A lot of the Soft Boys veered between being twee and being vicious." Flamebait of the day: Why doesn't anyone *really* like _Perspex Island_? Pam Martinp@cgsvax.claremont.edu [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 30 Mar 94 20:59 EDT From: EMIRMAN@hamp.hampshire.edu Subject: Groovy DecAy and friends... To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu I have Groovy DecAy on CD, so it does exist. I was also in Boston a week ago, for spring break, and in Tower Records in Harvard Square I saw a copy of it. This is the only other time I have seen a CD version of Groovy DecAy. It's been there for the past few months, so I assume it's still there. Also, someone mentioned something about So You Think You're In Love and the liner notes in Can of Bees. When I saw Robyn last summer, I talked to someone who interviewed him and said that he told her he made up all the Can of Bees liner notes. Does anyone know whether this is in fact the case? Does anyone know anything more about Zipper In My Spine or Surfer Ghost(?) and when this new album might be released? -Eugene _______________________________________________________________ |"A pox upon the media and everything you read | | they tell you your oppinions and they're very good in deed."| | -Robyn Hitchcock | | Everyone, in their own special way, is the Prime Minister | | of Canada. | --------------------------------------------------------------- [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 30 Mar 94 21:58:45 -0500 From: stame@emunix.emich.edu (Stewart Tame) To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu >Flamebait of the day: Why doesn't anyone *really* >like _Perspex Island_? I dunno. I just didn't do much for me. It was recognizeably Hitchcock and seemed pretty decent but it just sailed right in one ear and out the other without leaving much behind. After repeated listenings it's grown on me a bit. Also hearing some of the songs live (like "Child of the Universe") helped. "Child" made absolutely no impression on me until I saw Robyn in concert. There were playing this one song that was really cool and (I swear) I didn't recognize it until the chorus and I thought, "Wow! I didn't really appreciate what a fun song this was!" "Birds In Perspex" is another standout track. Actually my favorite song from those sessions is "Watch Your Intelligence" which wasn't even on the album, just the singles. -- Stewart High Priest, First Universal Church of Barney Keeper of the Death In June discography kibo*a bird in the hand is not dead*kibokibokibokibokibokibokibokibokibokibo iEmail: stame@emunix.emich.edu | Disclaimer: Eastern Michigan University b b-------------------------------- and all employees thereof fully agree i oSnailmail: Stewart Tame | with my opinions. The Easter Bunny k k 311 Jarvis, Apt. 102 | told me so. o i Ypsilanti, MI 48197-2462|__________________________________________b bokibokibokibokibokibokibokibo*dada is worth two in the bush *kibokibokiboki "I'm not your f*ckin' spritz-head girlfriend, I'm HOTHEAD PAISAN!" -- Hothead Paisan, Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Wed, 30 Mar 1994 19:23:34 -0800 (PST) From: Rohith Sood Subject: Re: Sara Lee bio, please? To: fegmaniax-digest@gnu.ai.mit.edu On Wed, 30 Mar 1994, David Witzany wrote: > Yesterday, Hilary mentioned that in days long gone, Robyn had a bass > player names Sara Lee. Sara toured with Indigo Girls recently; can anyone > fill in some details about what else she's done? > > Thanks. > > dave. > As far as I know, Sara Lee is a session musician that ocassionally tours with bands. She played and toured with the B-52s during Cosmic Thing (you can see her in Loveshack and other videos) and played with Matthew Sweet during his Girlfriend tour. Rohith Sood [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 31 Mar 94 08:48:32 BST From: smeats@lincoln.gpsemi.com (Steve Meats LDC 2392) To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu Subject: Groovy DecOy / Groovy DecAy Having only heard Groovy DecOy, I'd always assumed that the only difference from Groovy DecAy was the omission of Grooving On An Inner Plane. From the discussions on this group it is now clear that DecOy is made up of demos for DecAy. This is interesting because back in January a friend of mine mentioned that he had some demos which Robyn sent to NME around 1980ish which had some of the Groovy songs on it. It sounds as if these are the demos which became Groovy DecOy. I'll see if I can get hold of them at the weekend and find out if there are any un-released tracks on the tape. I have a version of Inner Plane on the Eaten By Her Own Dinner 12 inch. Is this the same version as on Groovy DecAy ? BTW, I really like The Abandoned Brain on EBHOD. It's an excellent song to sing in the bath. sm [][][][][][][][][][] To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu Subject: Re: Sara Lee bio, please? [forwarded mail] Date: Thu, 31 Mar 94 10:19:01 -0500 From: emp1@crux2.cit.cornell.edu In reply to message <9403311355.AA07335@romulus.rutgers.edu> : > Yesterday, Hilary mentioned that in days long gone, Robyn had a bass >player names Sara Lee. Sara toured with Indigo Girls recently; can anyone >fill in some details about what else she's done? I believe she was in Gang of Four...also, I think she's played with the B-52s. [][][][][][][][][][] Date: Thu, 31 Mar 94 11:46:24 EST From: majk@lotatg.lotus.com (Mike Decoteau) To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu Subject: Re: Sara Lee bio, please? [forwarded mail] I know she's also played with Fripp's League of Gentlemen and Gang of Four. [][][][][][][][][][] From: Weirdo Subject: Groovy DecAy and Can of Bees liners To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu Date: Thu, 31 Mar 1994 15:06:04 -0500 (EST) > > I have Groovy DecAy on CD, so it does exist. I was also in Boston > a week ago, for spring break, and in Tower Records in Harvard Square I > saw a copy of it. This is the only other time I have seen a CD version of > Groovy DecAy. It's been there for the past few months, so I assume it's still > there. Yes, Robyn sitting next to a table with a long red bottle of wine and a skull I believe. The quality is not as good as Groovy Decoy. To me, there's not much difference between the two. I think I detected 4 songs that sounded different. I also never understood why he put "When I Was A Kid" on both this album and on Invisible Hits. The two versions sound similar. > Also, someone mentioned something about So You Think You're In Love and > the liner notes in Can of Bees. When I saw Robyn last summer, I talked to > someone who interviewed him and said that he told her he made up all the > Can of Bees liner notes. Does anyone know whether this is in fact the case? Yeah, I was really stunned when I saw he'd done SYTYIL on Perspex Island. And there's also "Lobsterman" which is listed in the Can of Bees liner notes and was supposed to be released on Perspex Island too! I thought Robyn was just digging through old material or something. Supposedly, Robyn wanted "Lobsterman" on the album, but Paul Fox and the band said no. I'm working on getting a copy of this. :) Wish me luck. > -Eugene Weirdo - peoples@moe.coe.uga.edu [][][][][][][][][][] From: Weirdo Subject: Re: Soft Boys lead guitar To: fegmaniax@gnu.ai.mit.edu Date: Thu, 31 Mar 1994 15:14:53 -0500 (EST) > > All of a sudden, last night, a friend and I realized that we don't really > know who (of Robyn and Kimberly) played which guitar solos and such on the > Soft Boys records. Of course, there's a lot of interwoven, duet-style > playing, but there are MANY proper leads, and we're at a loss. > > Does anyone know anything about this? > > peace > Edward > -- > treefrog@netcom.COM > "Bungalow, bungalow, by the sea." - C. Moulding, XTC Its pretty easy to spot after awhile. Kimberly's guitar kind of squeals with lots of bends on high notes. Just really hellacious noise sometimes. Most of the solos are Kimberly's. Listen to the difference between a Can of Bees (with) and Wading Through a Ventilator (w/o) - its very noticable. The Soft Boys got rather hard once Kimberly joined. Weirdo - peoples@moe.coe.uga.edu [][][][][][][][] End of this Fegmaniax Digest. Archives can be found on fegmania.wustl.edu:/fegmaniax and ftp.uwp.edu:/pub/music/lists/fegmaniax. For administrative questions, subscription requests, and all that boring crud, send mail to fegmaniax-request@gnu.ai.mit.edu. Slipping you the midnight fish...