From: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org (precious-things-digest) To: precious-things-digest@smoe.org Subject: precious-things-digest V2 #79 Reply-To: precious-things@smoe.org Sender: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "precious-things-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. precious-things-digest Saturday, March 22 1997 Volume 02 : Number 079 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Thanks everyone! ["Andrew Price" ] Chasing Tornadoes... [Fonty ] The story behind MPT's Tori story [Richard Handal ] Perey ["Andrew Price" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 16:39:34 +1000 From: "Andrew Price" Subject: Thanks everyone! I would just like to say thank you to everyone who replied to my request about the prices of certain boots, it was GREATLY appreciated! All of your advice was taken into consideration, and I will not actually save money!!! Thanks again! Kind Regards Andrew Price ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 22:59:53 +0100 From: Fonty Subject: Chasing Tornadoes... Hello. I really don´t want to bother anybody. I just want to inform everybody (who is interested) about my homepage. Chasing Tornadoes - an introduction to Tori Amos: http://wwwstud.uni-giessen.de/~s3045/chasing.htm The Worshipper´s Gateway: http://members.aol.com/FontyMMX/index.htm Fonty Online: http://members.aol.com/Fonty/index.htm That is all. Thank you for reading. Please delete this message now. Thank you. Fonty. :) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Mar 1997 20:05:03 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Handal Subject: The story behind MPT's Tori story Hi, All: Mike Whitehead put up a whole pile of screen captures and descriptive text on his website about next week's story on Tori which is to be shown on Maryland Public Television. I keep expecting one day to read an announcement from him that he's registered his own domain at tori-dent.org, but unless that happens, his scary website remains at http://www.aye.net/~mikewhy/toriamos.html. :-D Anyhow, I told the producer/reporter of this wonderful segment that it was being promoted on Mike's website, and when he checked it out he loved what he saw so much that he wrote up a piece about his doing the interview, etc. (See below, preceded by some of his accompanying note.) I must say, as big a fan as Mr. Hileman is, he maintained his composure during the interview quite well and it was professionally done, and not at all the usual fare we see in TV stories about Tori. He's added a few things to it since it first aired last November, so even if you managed to catch it the first time around be sure to watch it again next week and tell your off-line Tori friends. (There *are* some, right?) I know some of you are feeling awfully left out right about now, as you don't live in Maryland. (Think of how the fans in Uruguay feel all the time!) MPT is a six station network in the state of Maryland, but can be picked up in the surrounding states and the District of Columbia, so hopefully many of you who are interested in checking this out will be able to find someone in the area who can help you. Out of the 2,000 or so people on these three lists--RDT, ToriNews, and Precious Things--I know a lot of you live in the area. Mr. Hileman's words are below. Happy viewing. Richard Handal, H.G. <>====<> <>====<> <>====<> <>====<> <>====<> Wow. What incredible detail. I'm not sure how our legal department would react but I'm not gonna tell them :) Anyway, thanks for the promotional opportunity. I enjoyed reading the web page and with that in mind I've written an article about my experience with Tori that night. Feel free to foward it to the web page creater. Consider it my thank you gift. I'm sure fellow Tori fans would enjoy reading about my first hand account. <>====<>====<>====<>====<>====<>====<>====<>====<>====<>====<>====<>====<> When Tori Comes Marching Home My Experiences with Tori Amos By Scott Hileman It was the first day of Autumn, 1996. I was not looking forward to the start of another winter in Baltimore. Not in the best of spirits, I tooled around the beltway on my way to the office. I "button-pushed" my way to radio station WHFS, where I came in on the tail end of a TicketMaster commercial. My ears perked up and my day instantly improved when I learned that Tori was coming to town. Having admired her work since "Little Earthquakes," I decided to order tickets to her performance - -- an action I'd only taken for one other artist in all my twenty-four years. I arrived at my Owings Mills office where I beat tracks to my phone to order two tickets; this was my chance to see Tori up close and in person. The reality and extent of Tori's popularity hit me like a ton of cornflakes when I learned that only upper left balcony seats remained for the second of her two nights in Baltimore. It seemed I would not be as "up close" as I'd hoped but, as the cliche goes, "beggars can't be choosers." So I pulled out the card I don't leave home without and charged my seats in the "nosebleed" section. I work as a producer/reporter for Maryland Public Television and I often get the chance to work on feature news stories of interest to Marylanders. I said to myself, "what do people like more than a 'local girl does good' story." With a Thomas Edison having just gone off in my head, I was back on the phone, digging up information on Tori Amos. It didn't take me long to get through to her publicist. I'm not one to take "no" for an answer -- at least not the first "no." So the disappointment of hearing "Tori's not conducting press interviews this tour" didn't stop me from calling Atlantic Records (Tori's label) and asking someone else. After playing the phone tag that inevitably happens when I need an answer quickly, I finally spoke with Donna Jaffee of Atlantic Records Publicity. I gave her details of what I wanted, she made a few calls and in short order had given me the thumbs up and told me that Tori, herself, was looking forward to the interview. I took that as schmoozing only -- and didn't really think Tori knew at that point that she was to meet me -- but I didn't care. I was going to talk with Tori Amos! A mere week after first hearing the influential radio commercial, the day had come for me to conduct my interview. I arrived at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore at 6:00 p.m., about a half hour early for my appointment. (If Tori was ahead of schedule, I was not going to miss her). Joining me was my videographer, Tim Pugh, and a dear friend, and mega Tori fan, who had volunteered to be the "water boy" on this musical expedition. (I could not then and cannot to this day resist his persuasive smile). At 6:30 p.m., the three of us were ushered into the concert hall, where we set up our recording equipment and waited for the first glimpse of our star. I was really getting excited now. I have met quite a few celebrities in my short career, no other provoking such a reaction. Also, in the hall that night were a two-man crew from another local TV station, a few newspaper photographers and members of Tori's crew. With her fiery red-orange hair aglow under the lights, Tori entered to a smattering of applause. She sat behind her Baldwin Baby Grand and without saying a word began playing the best version of "Pretty Good Year" I've ever heard. As Tori played for our small group, I found my eyes in a tennis match between the stage and the expression on my friends face. (He still owes me big time for this one). The stage lights intensified and speakers vibrated a bit more than anyone expected as Tori hit the loud and high energy notes in the middle of the song. With a cunning little smile, she turned to the camera and uttered a helpless, "Oh well." After banging her last note, the petite one stood up, shaded her eyes from the houselights and beckoned my direction, "Guys, TV guys. You're not going to use all that, are you?" I answered her then and say again today, "No Tori. I didn't use all that." Tori exited stage left, descended a narrow staircase, and waited in her dressing room for her next entrance. My group was escorted downstairs to a room which we would set up for our interview. After giving the word to her tour manager, Tori entered the readied room wearing a pair of short, denim overalls, a white cotton tee-shirt, a pair of white stockings, and the most impressive pair of green suede pumps this reporter has ever seen -- straight out of Vogue, I tell you! Tori extended her hand to me as her gruff tour manager introduced us as "the people from Public Television." She sat down, smiling, and with her head tilted slightly to the left, Tim made final adjustments to the camera. In an instant, her attention was mine. Like a good local reporter, I asked her about her experiences growing up in this area before moving on to questions to which I'd always wanted answers -- like "what goes on in your mind when you hear your own music?" And "have you met your own definition of success?" (Hear answers to those questions in a program I'll tell you about at the end of this article). A half hour later, my time with Tori was over -- or so I thought. She thanked me and my crew for wanting to talk to her. (It was at this point that my friend got to touch his diva). Before leaving, she asked me if I was staying for the concert. After telling her that my tickets were for the following evening, she insisted, "Call Atlantic Records tomorrow morning and tell them I want your seats upgraded." The next morning I did call and apparently she was in contact as well because the following evening when I arrived at the box office to pick up my new and improved tickets, Tori had included back stage passes. My friend joined me that night and was in even more disbelief when I showed him the passes than he had been the night before. The concert was wonderful but the memory of the party after is one that would stay with me until this day. "Hi guys," Tori said. "Thanks so much for yesterday and for being here tonight." Wanting a physical reminder of the evening, I broke a sacred reporters' rule by asking her to autograph my program. (She did so right over the cow). She gave us each a kiss on the cheek and we made our way out. That evening, much like I imagine a 1960's teenage girl would have reacted to having been touched by Ringo Starr, I considered not washing my face that night. (I probably wouldn't have if not to remove the make up I'd applied to go on camera). On this, the first day of Spring, 1997, I never imagined the interview I conducted almost half a year ago, would still be affecting my life. I must admit. I was extremely flattered to be contacted by Richard Handal and to know that someone out there is watching what we do here at Maryland Public Television. I have included my interview with Tori Amos in "MARYLAND DAY: AN INSIDE MARYLAND SPECIAL." The program airs throughout the state next Tuesday, March 25, at 9:00 p.m. There is new material added to the piece so I hope everyone can tune in and enjoy. Originally I was asked if I could sell the story. Of course, because we're dealing with copyrighted material, I cannot. But now you know when it's airing so set your VCRs. I have so much more material from my interview with Tori that I did not have enough time to include in my original story. I'm looking for a new opportunity to produce a longer version of my day with Tori Amos. So stay tuned... and thanks for watching! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 01:31:19 -0300 From: Laura Subject: Re: The story behind MPT's Tori story Hi everyone, >I know some of you are feeling awfully left out right about now, as you >don't live in Maryland. (Think of how the fans in Uruguay feel all the >time!) Well, thanks for reminding me :) There isn't a day when i don't think about that... which brings something to my memory "some kids are born lucky... others in Uruguay" :) or :( ??. Well I don't really believe that except on Tori related matters. This is one of the worst places to be in if you're an EWF. I've never had the chance to see Tori on TV (needless to say in concert) as she is not that popular down here. In fact if it wasn't for my cousin Paul from Miami I guess I would never have had the chance to listen to Tori's music. Anyway through the mailing lists and people's pages I had the chance to get a little closer. I've said this a million times but it's just the truth...by reading the reviews and sTORIes that you lucky EWF wrote down I had the chance to feel what you felt when you lived them. And that way I was able to follow the DDI tour and just be by your side when all this great things happened to you. (hi D). Also through PT I met some wonderful people (hi Jo, are you there?), and I'm getting to know some more...I even made contact with Cynthia another doomed EWF from Colombia. She and I have been planning some new strategy for the next tour, as my "efforts" shall we say, didn't work for the DDI tour. there was no use in praying, selling my soul to the devil, or any kind of black/white magic (and some other things I'm not willing to reveal) she didn't come down here. Well this message is too long already, but I need to say one last thing: thanks to you all. And specially to Mike W, Danica K, Kim R, Rebecca C, Richard H and Doug S. Un beso para todos Laura p.s. I won't be seeing Tori on TV but I have next week off and I'll be in La Paloma by the ocean, spending the last days of summer just laying in the sun :) .... and i'll be roasted as there's no ozone layer over Uruguay :( ... Anyone from Maryland would like to change places with me? ******************************************************** "I do like to talk about things that nobody wants to hear at the dinner table. -Tori @ @ | \___/ ******************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 14:59:05 +1000 From: "Andrew Price" Subject: Perey I am wondering what Perey is? Is it a boot or what? Apparently it's from Japan?!?! Also, does anyone know it's quality/content? Is it any good? Please, let me know! Thanks Andrew Price ------------------------------ End of precious-things-digest V2 #79 ************************************