From: owner-fegmaniax-digest@ecto.org To: fegmaniax-digest@ecto.org Reply-To: fegmaniax@ecto.org Errors-To: owner-fegmaniax-digest@ecto.org Subject: Feg Digest V4 #124 Fegmaniax Digest Volume 4 Number 124 Send posts to fegmaniax@ecto.org Send subscribe/unsubscribe commands to majordomo@ecto.org Send comments, etc. to the listowner at owner-fegmaniax@ecto.org FegMANIAX! Web Page: http://remus.rutgers.edu/~woj/fegmaniax/ Archives are available at http://archive.uwp.edu/pub/music/lists/fegmaniax/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Topics: ------- ------- READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Billboard article--July 6, 1996 Re: She Said She Said Re: READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Re: READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Re: Feg Digest V4 #123 Re: READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!! ------------------------------ Date: 05 Jul 96 13:55:04 EDT From: King of the Archway Mods <101356.2516@CompuServe.COM> Subject: READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I received this today. As I haven't made tapes - aside from a few copies for friends - for years, presumably those of you who do regularly will either have had the same message or be getting it. Those of you who do, bear in mind that they're apparently monitoring the list (since this came by email, not snail mail) and be VERY cautious about giving out ANY details of your real names, and particularly your addresses, if you trade tapes. Be particularly cautious if you're in Europe; although the BPI can technically raid & distrain worldwide, obviously they're much more likely to here. [Forwarded mail] We are the solicitors acting on behalf of Robyn Hitchcock. We have reason to believe that you have been copying and distributing recordings of our client's performances and material. Please be advised that it is an infringement of copyright and it can be a criminal offence to make and/or deal with illicit (bootleg) recordings. Please also be advised that we are considering the matter further and reserve all rights. Eatons Putney London SW15 Ref: JCWW ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 1996 17:02:23 -0500 From: jojones@mailbox.syr.edu (John, Jacci, & Madison) Subject: Billboard article--July 6, 1996 the pic that appears with article is postage-stamp sized. i could hardly tell it was him. by the way, LONG LIVE live tapes of Robyn, and free information!!!! ROBYN HITCHCOCK TAKES A SOLO TURN 'Moss Elixir' Marks WB Debut Without Egyptians by Craig Rosen This article appeared in the July 6, 1996 issue of Billboard Magazine, and is reprinted without permission. Los Angeles- After having his back catalog with the Soft Boys and the Egyptians reissued by Ryko and Rhino, respectively, veteran British eccentric Robyn Hitchcock has emerged with his first studio album in four years under a new deal with Warner Bros. Records. Hitchcock's Warner debut, "Moss Elixir," will be released on CD and cassette Aug. 13. But even before the official release, Warner Bros. will whet the appetites of Hitchcock's loyal following with the July 23 release of the limited-edition, vinyl-only "Mossy Liquor: Outtakes and Prototypes." That album, which will be released in a limited run of 2,500 copies, will feature alternate versions of six of the tracks on "Moss Elixir," as well as six songs not available elsewhere. "Moss Elixir" also marks Hitchcock's first new album since disbanding his longtime band, the Egyptians. Says Hitchcock, "It's really sad for bunches of men over 40 to go around together. Either you do it because you're making millions of dollars or because your are some punk band who has been offered some gigs in Spain. Otherwise, after a certain age, you just don't want to go around with your legs tied together anymore." So in 1994, Hitchcock began recording "Moss Elixir" as a solo project. "I felt that I wanted to make a record that didn't need a band," he says. "I wanted to put only what was needed on the record. When you have a band, you have to find work for them. If you have a drummer, you can't say, 'I only want drums on three songs out of 12.'" Free from the constraints of a band and a recording contract, Hitchcock, who was between contracts when he began working on the album, enjoyed a new-found sense of freedom. "I had no deal and no band, and I could do what I wanted as long as I didn't spend too much money." The low-budget approach suited Hitchcock well. "I never believed that throwing money at recordings has paid off for me," he says. "My success with records has always been in inverse proportion to the amount of money that is spent on it." The strategy of inviting a variety of players--including violinist Deni Bonet and saxophonist Ntshuks Bonga--to play on individual songs (published by August 23 Music) worked well. "I'm an immediate artist," he says. "I don't produce entranced music. I'm not like Bryan Ferry, who I happen to really like. Some people work by building songs up out of layers and layers. We tried a bit of layering with the Egyptians, but my stuff is intimate. It works best when it's just a voice and a couple of guitars." Other supporting players appearing on the album are onetime Captain Beefheart guitarist Morris Tepper, whose playing Hitchcock describes as "tasty. You can almost eat what he plays." However, Hitchcock didn't abandon the band format entirely. He just borrowed a group. Up-and-coming British act Homer backed Hitchcock on a few tracks. "I borrow them when I need a rock band," he says. "Every so often they will open for me, or I will go and join them for an encore. We [re-created] Bob Dylan's 1966 Albert Hall show the other week, but everyone shouted 'Judas' at the wrong time." Like Dylan, Hitchcock is not a big fan of spending a lot of time in the studio. "With sustained periods of recording, you tend to have to go over things a lot of times, and the performances become sterile," he says. "I suppose I'm like Dylan or John Cale. If I don't get it in two takes, that's it." "Moss Elixir" and "Mossy Liquor" won't be the only Hitchcock albums released in the coming months. Hitchcock's former label, A&M, has a greatest-his album set for a Sept. 10 release, as part of its Backlot Series of reissues and compilations. Rhino also has a Hitchcock retrospective on tap for early 1997. Having all of his earlier material in print is pleasing, but it's also somewhat overwhelming for Hitchcock. "When I had two records out in the Soft Boys days, I would frequently listen to them, but now I'm up to about 20 albums or something like that. I don't think I've even got copies of everything, but it proves that I must have existed." For Hitchcock, the move to Warner Bros. makes perfect sense. "This is a realistic deal," he says. "There are projects that Warner will be spending money on, but we are not costing them a fortune. No one here thinks I'm here to be catapulted into R.E.M.'s shoes or Madonna's. "There's people like Elvis Costello and Lou Reed and other similar characters, and I think it fits very much to have me on this sort of label." Warner Bros. product manager Marilyn Gardner concurs. "We've always been an artist-driven label, and Robyn is very much his own artist. He's always done his own thing and walked down his own path." Gardner hopes that Warner Bros. will be able to attract new fans for Hitchcock. "His music has influenced a lot of people, but a lot of kids who are listening to music today don't know who he is, so we want to expand his base and open people's eyes." Initially, Hitchcock may be preaching to the converted. Plans are for Hitchcock to go out on tour with Billy Bragg, another critically acclaimed but commercially under-appreciated Brit-rocker, in October. "It's going to be a double-header," says Hitchcock, who points out that both he and Bragg are managed by Peter Jenner and booked by Steve Martin. For the tour, Hitchcock is planning to play solo, with accompaniment from an occasional support player, such as Bonet. "Bands are noisy and expensive things," Hitchcock says. "And humans are costly animals to feed and carry around." Warner is also hoping to land Hitchcock a support slot with a younger act and will continue to tap into the faithful at college radio and independent retail. Chris Douridas, music director and host of "Morning Becomes Eclectic" at public radio station KCRW Santa Monica, Calif., is looking forward to the album's release. "He's a core artist for us," he says. "When Robyn Hitchcock comes out with an album, we always pluck it out of the mail and get right at it." At press time, Warner Bros. had yet to choose a single, but the label plans to focus on college radio, triple-A, and modern rock stations. Joel Oberstein, director of retail operations for the 24-store, Simi Valley, Calif.-based Tempo Music and Video chain, also expects support from Hitchcock's core following. "His fans continue to buy his albums much the way that Lou Reed's or Neil Young's do," he says. "The vinyl pre-release is a different and unique idea for a different and unique artist." As for the future, Hitchcock has several other things on tap, including a film project with acclaimed director Jonathan Demme. However, Hitchcock is hesitant to go into details at the moment. "I have to get a bit more done on them or else I'll just wander off and milk a cow or something, and we can't have that now, can we?" ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MY RANKING OF THE SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS: 1. The Rock 2. Twister 3. Welcome to the Dollhouse 4. Mission Impossible 5. The Cable Guy (sorry, I've only seen 5 movies)...... John B. Jones **e-mail: jojones@syr.edu +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jul 1996 15:38:58 -0700 From: gondola@deltanet.com (E.B.) Subject: Re: She Said She Said >I said: >Not really. The "She Said" bridge contains two measures of 4/4 ("She said >you don't understand what I said, >I said...") and then the rest of the >bridge is in 3/4 ("...no, no, no, you're wrong....). I confirmed this by >>looking up the sheet music. You can count it out quite smoothly this way >-- it's just that melody goes >against the beat for two measures. When >"boyyyy" kicks in, the rhythmic dissonance is resolved.... >Mike wrote: >I disagree. Strongly. Fervently, even. > >For a start, try tapping out the beat as a march. It works. It works better >than any other way. Honestly. Yes, there are some triplets over the beat, >but it's basically in 2. > >Secondly, I have *never in my (unpleasntly long) life* seen a piece of >Beatles sheet music which bore any real relation to the notes actually >played by the Fabs. Well, I think you're just dead WRONG, Mike. Listen to the bass line. There's a very distinct pattern switch, indicating the change in time signature. As the 3/4 kicks in, McCartney changes over to basically ascending major arpeggios. And if you try to count it in 2, the bass line gets badly out of phase with the beat. This seems pretty evident to me. If you're STILL unconvinced, let me offer a reeeally simple alternative argument which blasts you out of the water. COUNT the number of beats in the bridge, irregardless of time signature. There are 35, an odd number!!! Now, can you please tell me how to divide 35 beats into measures of 2/4????? I rest my case. Now, I will offer one plausible alternative: Instead of beginning with 2 measures of 4/4 and 2 measures of 3/4 (followed by more 3/4), it's also easy to count it as 3 measures of 4/4 and 1 measure of 2/4 (followed by 3/4). Either way, it's 14 beats and that way, "When I was a... [boy]" is neatly isolated into one 2/4 measure. The melody counts out quite nicely this way. HOWEVER, I'm not too comfortable with this interpretation because McCartney's 3-note arpeggios have already kicked in before "When I was a boy" begins. Thus, my original answer (as supported by the sheet music) fits more smoothly. Also, I am NOT blindly adhering to what I read in the sheet music. I have an older sheet music book called Beatles Complete (it's NOT complete, because it ignores several George Harrison songs and a few other tidbits like "Wild Honey Pie"), and I basically learned my piano style through manipulating these arrangements. They ARE very lame often, and since I play by ear, I mostly just read the chords and lyrics and devise an arrangement. But even this way, there are a few songs with some wrong chords or wrong chord progressions. I can't think of an example off the top of my head, but there you go. Usually, it's a case of a chord being marked major when it's really minor. Oh well. But, to say "I have never seen a piece of Beatles sheet music which bore any real relation to the notes actually played" is a pretty snooty, over-the-top generalization. Lastly, let me just say that I'm suspicious of anyone so dependent on the word "bollocks." Regards, GB PS Someone else said "Here Comes The Sun" was the Beatles' trickiest set of time signatures. How about "I Want You (She's So Heavy)?" I believe the "chorus" is in 12/8! Ouch. :) ---------------------------------------------------------------- "Insanity is a blue St. Bernard, waiting patiently and faithfully by the door." - overheard (unfortunately) on an IRC channel ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 05 Jul 1996 23:27:32 -0400 From: Mike Breen Subject: Re: READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!! At 01:55 PM 7/5/96 EDT, King of the Archway Mods wrote: >[Forwarded mail] > >We are the solicitors acting on behalf of Robyn Hitchcock. We have reason to >believe that you have been copying and distributing recordings of our client's >performances and material. Please be advised that it is an infringement of >copyright and it can be a criminal offence to make and/or deal with illicit >(bootleg) recordings. Please also be advised that we are considering the matter >further and reserve all rights. Um... corerect me if I'm wrong, but dosen't Robyn not only turn a blind eye towards bootleggers, but actively encourage bootlegging? The shows I've been to he's gone out of his way to help bootleggers. Perhaps he should get new lawyers. ---Mike Loud Family, Robyn Hitchcock, Big Star Yamato, Macross, Highlander Visit the Other Days homepage: http://www.channel1.com/users/mikeb/odays.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Jul 1996 02:15:08 -0400 (EDT) From: Terrence Marks Subject: Re: READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!! On Fri, 5 Jul 1996, Mike Breen wrote: > > Um... corerect me if I'm wrong, but dosen't Robyn not only turn a blind eye > towards bootleggers, but actively encourage bootlegging? The shows I've > been to he's gone out of his way to help bootleggers. Perhaps he should get > new lawyers. Correct if wrong, but I thought that this was in reference to distribution of copies of pre-release of Moss* Terrence "The Human Mellotron" Marks ------------------------------ From: Alpacaprod@aol.com Date: Sat, 6 Jul 1996 09:03:57 -0400 Subject: Re: Feg Digest V4 #123 In a message dated 96-07-05 08:47:28 EDT, perhaps it's all 1/1. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 6 Jul 1996 18:10:08 -0400 From: flaky white stuff Subject: Re: READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!! also sprach Mike Breen : >Um... corerect me if I'm wrong, but dosen't Robyn not only turn a blind eye >towards bootleggers, but actively encourage bootlegging? The shows I've >been to he's gone out of his way to help bootleggers. Perhaps he should get >new lawyers. i wouldn't say robyn actively encourages bootlegging as much as he actively doesn't discourage it. i've seen him prevent venue security from taking someone's tape deck away (anyone who has a dub of carolyn hamilton's 1990 great american music hall tape can hear an example of this), but he doesn't go out of his way to help people get good dubs. i think, as mike alludes to in his last sentence, this is a case of legal types getting involved on the behalf of robyn as part of their job, not under his direction. we had a large discussion of this back when folks were discussing bootlegging the portland arms show to cd. look in the archives for a healthy debate (hah hah) which included a fair amount of useful information from aidan merrit regarding sincere's actions against the bootleg egyptian/soft boys discs that appeared last year. the archives are at http://archive.uwp.edu/pub/music/lists/fegmaniax. unfortunately, we don't have a search engine (yet) so you'll have to dig through them to find them. methinks it was sometime at the end of last fall, though. woj ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The End of this Fegmaniax Digest. *sob* .