Out of the Blue and into your mailbox. It's.....Electric....It's... ============================================================================= T H E E L E C T R I C - Y O U T H Issue #1: March 31, 1989 ============================================================================= Contents: Administrative Notes DGIF - What is it? Current Event Update Review of the "Electric Youth" album Quotes from Debbie on "Electric Youth" Poetry Trivia of the Week Pick Quote of the Week Introductions & Questions Some Answers... ============================================================================= Administrative Notes Welcome to the very *FIRST* issue of our Debbie Gibson discussion forum. We couldn't think of a good name for it, so we BORROWED the name of Debbie's new album. If any of you can think of anything better, let us know! (Someone suggested "Between the Lines" -- what do you think of that one?). There are currently 15 people on usenet receiving this. So far, I have only heard from half of you more than once. HELLO out there people!! I'd LOVE to hear from you. This mailing list won't work without YOUR help! If you don't know what to say, just drop a note introducing yourself. Please Please Please keep your articles less than 78 characters EACH LINE. Our editor freaks out when a line gets close to 80 characters in length. Our mailer sometimes goes bonkers when it tries to send to a non-ARPA address. If possible, please give us an arpa address instead of a UUCP or BITNET address. Yes, the date of this issue is March 31. I was not going to mail it out until then, but the Oscars are on tonight -- at the Shrine Auditorium. In case you didn't know, that is RIGHT NEXT to USC, so I am stuck here until they re-open the roads. Thus, with the spare time, I was able to add the finishing touches to this issue. Kathyrn Ericson, Moderator ============================================================================= DGIF - What is it? For those of you who don't know, Debbie has a fan club called D.G.I.F. It stands for "Debbie Gibson International Fan Club". For $15 a year you get: * an 8 x 10 black and white, AUTOGRAPHED(!) picture of Debbie. * a subscription to DGIF, a mini-magazine containing lots of neat info on Debbie that is published a few times a year. * a membership card * a membership pin You are also supposed to get tour updates. You might get additional things, but I have only been a member for a few weeks. I KNOW that there are a few members on this mailing list, so hopefully they will enlighten us. For a membership application, send a SASE to: D.G.I.F P.O. BOX 489 MERRICK, NEW YORK 11566 Kathyrn ============================================================================= Current Event Update From: S Lee Hi Gang! Isn't this mailing list thing GREAT??! Anyways, Kathy asked me to write up a little message updating you all on what's happening with Debbie. So.... After spending a month at #1 on the Billboard Charts, "Lost in Your Eyes" has fallen to #6 as of last week. It is without a question, the most successful song that Debbie has released, as well as the biggest hit of the year. I think it has a great chance of winning song of the year in next year's Grammys (she wasn't even nominated this year!!!). When I first heard "Foolish Beat", her first #1 smash, I didn't like it that much; but I eventually did after listening to it for a while. When I first heard "Lost" (Jan. 3, 8pm or so), I KNEW it was going to #1....I have never felt more strongly about a song before... just think: ************************************************************************ The Date: February, 1990 The Place: The Shrine Auditorium, across the street from 'SC! The Event: The Grammys! : "And the winner is....DEBBIE GIBSON!!" [APPLAUSE] : (looking at her award) "Y'know, I lot of people felt I could never win one of these, but obviously they were wrong, right?!!" [CHEERS] : "I'd like to thank Fred Zarr, Douglas Breitbart, Atlantic Records, Mom, Dad, Michelle, Karen, Denise, Lou, Adam, Tommy...(the list goes on)...and last, but not least, ALL YOU FANS OUT THERE!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!" ************************************************************************ Tee-hee...just a thought...anyways, "Lost in Your Eyes" is a very interesting song (for you lyric fanatics) because it features four compact variations of the same musical idea...call out the professors!!! Continuing with current events, Atlantic has recently released the videotape "Debbie Gibson: Live - The Out of the Blue Concert Tour". It costs anywhere from $16-$20, depending where you buy it from. The video documents her very successful tour from last year. It was filmed at her Pittsburg concert and features 10 songs: the five she released from "Out of the Blue", three from "Electric Youth" ("Lost in Your Eyes", "Should've Been the One", and "We Could Be Together"), and 2 very well done oldies ("In the Still of the Night" and "Crocodile Rock"). It is well worth the money as you can not only listen to her "live", but also watch her perform. The title track of her new album, "Electric Youth", was released earlier this month, and the video (filmed in Los Angeles) should be hitting MTV any day now. I personally don't like the song that much, but it is a great thing to dance to! Revlon is negotiating with Debbie on a new perfume called, not surpris- ingly, "Electric Youth". A recent issue of "Super Teen" has a nice color picture of Debbie in it. The latest issue of "Bop" (where do they get these names?) has a behind the scenes peek at the filming of the "Lost in Your Eyes" video. If you are not embarrassed at looking at teeny-magazines, I recommend you browse them. I DON'T recommend that you buy them, as they have pathetic articles. Lastly, I heard from VH-1 (and a friend) that Debbie will be performing at the New York Music Awards at Beacon Theatre on April 8. Anyone have tickets? I doubt that it will be televised. ============================================================================= Review of the "Electric Youth" album From: Michael (pershing@athena.mit.edu) I have included my review of _Electric Youth_. It is meant to resemble a semi-serious record review, this explains the often formal tone. Artist: Debbie Gibson Title : Electric Youth Label : Atlantic #7 81932-2 Track 01: "Who Loves Ya Baby" -- The flow of the verses is too choppy for Ms. Gibson's smooth voice. The use of Debbie's voice improves toward the very end of the song. I like the song's message of not losing sight of the people who care most. As opposed to being swept away by success and a fast paced lifestyle. Track 02: "Lost In Your Eyes" -- A pure and simple love song. The drums could be softer and the instruments could be more natural, but Ms. Gibson's beautiful piano playing make this song about true love very enjoyable. One hopes for such commitment in a relationship. Track 03: "Love In Disguise" -- An invigorating introduction kicks off this upbeat fifties/early sixties song. Deb's radiant voice is backed up by a very precise musical arrangement. The song conjures up images of a girl trying restart a former relationship that never really shattered. A great upbeat song; the best pop song on the album. Track 04: "Helplessly In Love" -- Early sixties in style, but with an eighties sound. This song somewhat sounds like the title track to her debut album, _Out of the Blue_. Debbie was responsible for the keyboard program in this song just like she was in "Out of the Blue," so similarities are inevitable. The theme of the lyrics is one of being in love so much that one is almost blind. Track 05: "Silence Speaks (A Thousand Words)" -- A somber song presented with contrasting somber and light vocal styles. The use of a flute in the introduction and for a solo is fairly rare in pop/rock, but in this case it was very effective. I would suggest that the slight amount of echo used in this song be eliminated as the echo covered the richness Deb's mellifluous voice. She also played the piano in this haunting song, though at times, it was difficult to tell. Someone should have increased the level of the piano during the mixing process. The song tells the tale of a young lady whose young man refuses to communicate with her; it is a song about a dying relationship. The story is unresolved as she promises "to return your [his] song of silence," though we know the relationship has been dead for some time. This is reflected by the choruses and the fade-out, as the song ends one to two beats too soon, adding to the feeling of sorrow. Track 06: "Should've Been The One" -- A strategically placed upbeat song. Again the sound is fifties-like with a bit of Billy Joel blended in. Ms. Gibson plays the piano beautifully in this song reflecting her classical piano training. Unfortunately, the piano is buried under the rhythm section for much of the song. Quality headphones are necessary to locate the piano at the height of the "murk." The song is arranged like a concert performance, but the recording does not capture the excitement and energy of performing in front of a live crowd. The song centers around the "impossible" love, one that is out of reach. When it can be heard, the great piano playing combines with Debbie's splendid voice to make this a very enjoyable song. Track 07: "Electric Youth" -- One of two non-love songs on the album. This song is this album's contribution to the dance floor, it packs the same lure to dance of a good Madonna song. The song is a message for adults to take young people seriously. Unfortunately, her worthwhile message may never be heard by those she had in mind. Older adults are unlikely to listen to this song and the young people who would take this song as their anthem are not those in the dance clubs. Despite these problems, the song remains appropriate for a party or a club. Track 08: "No More Rhyme" -- Despite the title, rhyme is present, just in lower quantities than usual. This song begs for a mishap to strengthen a perfect relationship to avoid an ultimate conflict that would shatter it. A real horn section combined with a blazing saxophone make this song intense at its climax. Ms. Gibson has a very emotionally loaded voice that even overcomes the slight echo that is mistakenly applied in this song. This song promises to be the "Foolish Beat" of this album (the strongest single from her debut album) as it possess the strong appeal of "Foolish Beat" and a features a similar arrangement. Track 09: "Over The Wall" -- Early sixties sound with a sprinkling of early Motown. The inspiring message of being adventurous instead of playing it safe is only slightly marred by the needless application of echo. Track 10: "We Could Be Together" -- An energetic song about being smitten while still in a relationship or a general statement about leaving security behind for the chance of a lifetime. A real horn section graces this song adding an almost Latin character to the song. The chorus should be more sharply delivered to add to the irony. Will someone please destroy the echo processor?!? This song has far too much echo in it, only mediocre voices need that much echo. Despite these detractions, the song still is fine listening. Track 11: "Shades Of The Past" -- An interesting departure vocally for Debbie as she shows the smoothness of her voice during the chorus. The two contrasting vocal characters highlight the subject of the song. The song is about the contrast between mere friendship and real love. She asks for commitment and to "leave behind those shades of grey." Track 12: "We Could Be Together" [Campfire Mix] * -- A re-mix of song number 10. Replacing the bulk of the instruments is an acoustic guitar played in a "campfire" manner. Oddly enough, the enormous amount of echo used in this track, is pleasant. The echo makes one think of sitting by the campfire in a canyon. How about the "Grand Canyon Mix?" Track 13: "No More Rhyme" [Acoustic Mix] * -- LP and cassette buyers are missing out! This is a well done re-mix of song number eight. The percussion and electronic keyboards are removed leaving a piano (played by co-producer Fred Zarr), an acoustic guitar, a cello, and a horn section. In place of the original saxophone solo, an acoustic guitar solo is substituted with fantastic results. This is a major improvement on an already engaging song. CD owners, this is your reward!! * CD Bonus Tracks Album overall: Debbie Gibson should be congratulated for an album well done!! Instead of going purely by formula, she took risks and succeed handsomely. With this album, she will appeal to a much broader spectrum of the music buying public. With more ballads and less dance songs, she will have much larger audience. Hopefully those who had written her off as pop will sit down and listen; they might be surprised by what they hear. By drawing more on real life experiences, more people will be able to relate to her songs. Gibson has expanded her non-singing role greatly with album. She co-produced the album, produced/arranged or co-produced/ co-arranged most of the songs, and co-mixed all of the songs in addition to writing all of the songs. One can only wish her luck on that elusive path toward artistic perfection. Comments on Musicians: Fred Zarr, Ms. Gibson's co-producer is a competent keyboard/drum programmer; he provides an excellent rhythm section. The guitarist, Ira Siegel, was very good, he always was up to the task. Jeff Smith, the saxophonist is excellent, he provides superb sax solos to complement Debbie's singing. Bashiri Johnson has improved greatly since _Out of the Blue_, but he should be apprenticed to better drummer for a while. The Cadillac Horns were wonderful additions to the songs in which they appear. The cello player in "No More Rhyme," Bob Osman did a fine job. Gibson's tour musicians did quite well on "Should've Been the One." The various background vocalists admirably fulfilled the task of supporting Debbie's voice without distracting from it. Last, but certainly not least, is Deb herself, she is a superb pianist and keyboard player. Suggestions: My main suggestions concern the recording process. Stop using echo, to cover up such an incredible voice is virtually criminal. The sound stage should be expanded. Gibson and her piano (if present) should be in the center or slightly off center. The other instruments should sound like they form a wall behind Debbie, not a blob surrounding her. Alan Parsons should get together with Gibson to discuss recording techniques. The balance between the various instruments is crucial, so extra care should be taken in this area -- remember who is the focus of the music. My style suggestions are very simple: experiment and ignore the critics! Don't get caught by the trap of "making a statement." As Jimmy Page said, "...music is essentially emotional..." Use more natural instruments in the ballads, they sound more emotional than synthesizers. Try to capture the sound of a concert. Debbie is the only artist I know of that sounds better in person than on compact disc. The songs, "Lost in Your Eyes," "Love in Disguise," "Should've Been the One," and "We Could Be Together" were performed in her "Out of the Blue Tour". "Should've Been the One" was more energetic in concert as was "Love in Disguise." "We Could Be Together" had a much sharper and enthusiastic chorus when performed live. "Lost in Your Eyes" sounded slightly better live because the piano was dominant. I do realize that a recording studio is a completely different environment than a stage, but to capture the on-stage energy would be a worthy goal. Good Luck, Debbie!! ============================================================================= Quotes from Debbie (Gibson, of course!) on "Electric Youth" From: Matthew Jung (ez000018@deneb.ucdavis.edu) Who Loves Ya Baby? ------------------ "I originally wrote this song with Olivia Newton-John in mind because I knew she was working on a new album. Anyway, I ended up recording the song myself. It's basically a song about true friendship. At the end of the day, it's nice to know you have a friend who asks only one thing of you ... to be yourself." Lost In Your Eyes ----------------- "I wrote this song a little over a year ago (fall'87). The song itself is pretty self-explanatory and straight-foward. It basically says that eyes can speak a language of their own." Love In Disguise ---------------- "Sometimes two people break up because they think it's time for a change. Then both people walk around, pretending everything is fine when, in fact, they want to get back together. I had the chorus/hook to this song lying around for months because I lost the verses. Anyway, I did new verses, found the old ones, and decided I liked the new ones much better anyway... So everything worked out for the best in the end." Helplessly in Love ------------------ "I wrote this song around the same time I wrote 'Lost in Your Eyes.' Again, this is a self-explanatory love song about someone who is, you guessed it, helplessly in love. I would like to explain one line. 'I can't see clearly even though the sun's been lifted from my eyes.' I guess what I'm trying to say is that love blinds you when it's around, but still leaves you blinded/confused when it's gone." Silence Speaks a Thousand Words ------------------------------- "Shhhhh... Enough said." Should've Been the One ---------------------- "I was considering this song for the first album, since the 'Out Of The Blue' project was so dance-oriented. I decided to hold off on recording this live-sounding track. The song itself is about that one person you always had your heart set on, but was unobtainable." No More Rhyme ------------- "This is a song about how the consistency of the 'rhythm' of a relationship will keep it going even though the substance or the 'rhyme' is gone. The line 'waiting for the other shoe to drop' is like waiting for the last note of a scale to be played or waiting for something to go wrong in a relationship because something is going almost too smoothly. Fred Zarr produced this song and I think that this is one of his strongest pieces of work to date." Electric Youth -------------- "When I was in elementary school, I participated in a program called 'WINGS' - Widening Interests Through New Experiences For Gifted Students. This program focused on developing children's creativity outside the regular curriculum. If you have children or simply remember what it was like to be a child, you realize how much enery a young person has and how many off-the-wall ideas only a child can come up with. 'Electric Youth' is about not dismissing a young person's ideas because 'he/she is just a kid.' I owe a lot to my family and teachers for helping to develop my creative side and for teaching me and many other children how to channel energy and ideas into worthwhile and creative projects." Over The Wall ------------- "This is a song about looking for more than what is right in front of your eyes. The "wall" can mean something different to everyone. 'Over The Wall' is about bettering yourself by taking chances and not limiting yourself to only what you are familiar with. I spent ages on this string arrangement. People often call this song 'Over The Edge,' 'Over The Water,' 'Off The Wall.' The meaning of the song is 'Over The Wall.' Got it?" We Could Be Together -------------------- "The message in 'We Could Be Together' is this: Although you may be secure with what you have, you may really have your heart set on something else. This song is about doing what you know in your heart is best for you, even if the world disagrees. Society has a set of standards that discourages people from dating people of different cliques or classes or colors or religions. Sometimes people have to make decisions in life that not everyone agrees with but you have to do what's best for you because you only live once." Shades of the Past ------------------ "In this song, I'm having a conflict within myself. I want to make a decision about whether or not to continue in a relationship. I want things to be clear, either black or white, but love is so grey." ============================================================================= Poetry From: Steve (steveb@cs.odu.edu) I wrote this poem when I used to have a serious crush on Debbie Gibson. Her talents and the knowledge that she wrote her own songs was the reason( she's attractive too! ). When In Love ------------ Feel the happiness of life on the palm of your hands. See the brightness of your eyes like the glittering sands. Hear the beating of your heart. Feel it move. That's what happens when your in love. My heart pounds wildly with anticipation to feel your touch and your loving affection. But dreams are dreams, yet will I still listen, to your songs of love...Debbie Gibson. Steve Baylon PS: Her new video "Electric Youth" was awsome. ============================================================================= Trivia of the Week Debbie wears size 8 1/2 shoes and likes to eat Raisin Bran for breakfast. If YOU have any interesting trivia to share, mail it to us! ============================================================================= Pick Quote of the Week "I still love teddy bears and I get embarrased talking about guys." -- Debbie Gibson ============================================================================= Introductions ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Andy (art100@psuvm.psu.edu) Spring break? What's that?? Oh, you mean that week off we had back in FEBRUARY.... ah, I remember... 6 inches of new snow on the ground... Oh, yes, the topic was supposed to be DEBBIE. The first time I ever heard any of her music was once when "Only in My Dreams" was on the radio. I remember thinking how much she sounded like Madonna or something, and wasn't too interested. Then I went home for some break or other and saw the video for "Shake Your Love" on MTV -- well, about 30 seconds of it. My sister was flipping the channels around and wasn't too interested in this video, but I was! My sister, the venerable MTV junkie, didn't know who it was or wasn't about to tell me OR let me find out for myself. Needless to say I spent a lot of time flipping to MTV to find out, and of course eventually did. I found out what I could about her from the media, which wasn't much. First time I heard "Foolish Beat" on the radio I wasn't very impressed either. I thought her voice sounded a little deep and it was kinda slow. But that song grows on you, and I eventually came to like hearing it on the radio 3 or 4 times a day... I still don't have the "Out of the Blue" album of my own (well, I kind of do, but not really). My neighbor's copy spends a lot of time in my room, and I do have the tape in a drawer somewhere, unopened, so I can return it. Why? So I can get it on CD, of course. I joined one of those silly CD clubs so I could get it cheap, and they sent me tapes instead of CD's so I'm waiting, waiting, waiting... But I got "Electric Youth" on CD... good album, although those bonus tracks are better than the originals. Kind of gives you an idea of what exactly she can (but chooses not to, and it's up to her; I'll listen to her anyway) do with her music. Replace the synth with piano, replace the electric drums with real drums, and amplify Debbie's voice a bit and it would sound a lot better. Question time........ Did anyone else think the sound of the door closing 4:14 into track 12 on the CD think it was a glitch? I didn't, but Will did (maybe he's on this list.... "Who's Will??") How many Debbie posters are out there and where do I get them? I've only been able to find one! (called, appropriately enough, "Whiteshirt"...) How many people out there heard a rumor that she was going to their school or one nearby? So far I've heard a few: 1 - She's going to Penn State 2 - She was going to go to Altoona campus of PSU but went to main campus instead because they have a better music program 3 - She's going to Ithaca, NY 4 - She's going to some small school in Ohio Not one of these is very plausible. She just wouldn't have time. Is joining DGIF a good deal? I got something from them a while back, but at the time didn't feel like spending the $15, not to mention I didn't want all that stuff coming to my house. My parents would think I flipped. The club apparently took a dim view of my asking about a 6 month membership... Well, I think that's enough of an introduction. It's nice to be among people who like the girl. My roommate keeps telling me she's ugly and Tiffany is better, and he put a picture of Debbie on the door singing "I'm ugly, so ugly..." Grrr.... Let's get this thing moving!!! Andy art100@psuvm.psu.edu / art100@psuvm.bitnet ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Steve (steveb@cs.odu.edu) I am relatively new at e-mailing long distances so please bear with me. I enjoy listening to Debbie's music since it is quite relaxing as well as enjoyable to hear. I think her slow music such as: 'Lost in Your Eyes' ( my favorite ) and 'Foolish Beat' has more of an impact on music lovers than some of her fast songs ( my opinion ). I am not fond of heavy metal with its rapid, ear-deafening beat, and its sadistic, horrid lyrics. Debbie Gibson is refreshing to hear. I enjoy " We Could Be Together" and I think it should get some playing time on the air, as well as some of her other songs. Questions: Too bad you don't know her phone number, but can you tell me the address to send a letter to her. Any of you know when she will have a concert in Virginia? Philmon Baylon ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Aldrin (atangan@cs.odu.edu) Hello, I am sorry for being late in replying..just want to let you know that I still wish to be part of the list. I enjoy Debbie Gibson's album Electric Youth. She is one talented individual. My favorite songs from the album are _Electric Youth_, _Lost in your Eyes_ and esp. _We could be together_. I enjoy her "fast" songs as well as her "slows" songs. The only problem I see..um..hear is the percussion. The percussions are too loud in some of her songs. The songs should emphasize her wonderful voice rather than the drum beats. But that is the only flaw..I really enjoy listening to the album. Now for the questions: When was she born? What type of piano training did she receive? (jazz,classical,etc) What's her mailing address? What's her phone number? Does she have an account on the net? just kidding 8-) Actually, any biographical info on Debbie would be appreciated. ps. MTV showed the making of the _Electric Youth_ video and the world premier of it. It is Electrifying. The dance scenes were interesting..my sister wanted me to tape it so she could learn some of the dance steps. Debbie Gibson stated that this was her seventh video. What are the other six? I hope this is enough of a response. If you would like more comments from me..just email. thanks, Aldrin atangan@cs.odu.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: S Lee Hi! I guess we're all supposed to introduce ourselves, so...Here I am!! Pardon me if I sound so cheerful -- I just spent 2 days taping MTV on and off waiting for the video of "Electric Youth" to come on so I could get a copy...boy, was I relieved when it finally came on! I can't really stand all that heavy metal/hard stuff that they play over and over...But it was worth the wait! The video is FANTASTIC!! They crammed a lot of stuff into 5 minutes, and I will have to watch it a few times to fully appreciate it. Let's see...back in summer of '87, I heard the last half of "Only in My Dreams" on the radio. I liked it because it was such a fun song and her voice was so full of energy. I didn't listen to radio much then, so I said to myself, "What am I missing??". I later found out that it was "Debbie Gibson" who sang the song and she was only 16 years old! (I was 19 at the time, I think). I got her first album (tape, actually) right when it was first released. In fact, it was the first album that I had actually bought before (can you believe it?). Anyway, I liked 8 of the 10 songs from it. My favorite from that one is "Out of the Blue"...I didn't like "Foolish Beat" at first, because I prefered her dance songs...but eventually I did. Since then, I have bought all of her U.S. records (7" singles, 12" singles, videos, etc.). I have seen or heard of a number of her posters, but I did not like any of them. I also got "Electric Youth" when it was first released. When I bought a CD-player, it was also the first CD that I bought(!). I can't decide which song I like best: "Lost in Your Eyes", "No More Rhyme", or "We Could Be Together"...right after the album was released, we formed a little group of Debbie Gibson fans here at USC; and it is this group that brings you this mailing list (be thankful!!). All of us have joined her fan club (for those of you who are interested in joining, I have to warn you: You don't get much for $15...the fan club is also slow and disorganized. Only the serious fan should join!!). So why do I like Debbie Gibson? 1) she has a fantastic voice. 2) she has a special charm in her music; I like her fun, dance songs as well as her wonderful ballads. 3) she cares a lot about her music since she not only sings, but also writes and produces her songs. 4) lastly, she is so down to earth!! (something that many artists are not). Question Time: 1) I am looking for others that have taped stuff on Debbie either from the radio or TV (interviews, performances, whatever)...One thing that I would love to get a copy of is her singing of the national anthem in last years game 1 of the World Series...anyone have it? 2) Does anyone know of a good mail-order house that deals in Debbie Gibson import records/CDs?? Theres lots of good import stuff out there, but it is hard to find. 3) Anyone hear about the song by Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper? It has some silly title with Debbie's name in it, and it is supposed to poke fun at her. I heard about it on MTV...at first, I thought they were just kidding, but then they said they were filming the video and were looking for someone to play the part of Debbie...GRRRRR...I HATE people who make fun of Debbie and her fans... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Darren (kumasawa@cory.berkeley.edu) Hey! I guess I might as well start off this letter with an introduction. My name is Darren and I'm a sophomore here at CAL. The first time I heard a Debbie Gibson song was in January of '88 while I was stranded in the Squaw Valley ski resort parking lot in a dead car waiting for a friend to return with "help." The song was "Shake Your Love" and I remember remarking, "This song is kind of cool," to another friend as we slowly froze to death listening to our portable radio. Although I was in the midst of a rather heinous situation, I remember thinking that I'd like to hear some more of this Debbie Gibson's music. Some time later, I happened to catch "Only in my Dreams," which I REALLY liked. I don't know if it was Debbie's awesome voice, or the cool driving dancing beat, or her vocal "bops," that grabbed my attention, but that song became one of the few non-AOR/HARD-ROCK songs on my "favorite songs" list. Unfortunately, for the rest of Spring, Debbie's music took a back-seat to my favorites: Rush, Pink Floyd, the Police, Guns n' Roses, and Def Leppard. It wasn't until last summer when I started to become a real "fan." Sometime last June, I was rummaging through one of my friends' CD collection when I found a copy of "Out of the Blue." "Hey, Jon," I said, "I didn't know you liked Debbie Gibson!" "Yeah," he said, "I just couldn't admit it around the rest of the guys!" From that point on we formed a "Debbie Gibson" sub-group among our AOR/HARD-ROCK musically oriented group of friends. Although our musical tastes were subject to heavy insult assault by most of our friends, we managed to convert a few and get many others to tolerate her music. Unfortunately, I missed her concert tour last summer ( I was on a camping trip ). I eagerly awaited her new album, and was not disappointed with it. Immediately, "We Could be Together" became my favorite song off "Electric Youth." I've been wanting to know more about Debbie Gibson since the new album came out, which is why I think this mailing list is a good idea. I recently sent in the application for her fan club but I haven't received any news about her from that source yet. Because I know so little about her, I would be happy to hear any information anyone on the mailing list might have about her (even seemingly trivial information like her birthdate). I guess in closing I'd just like to say that I really enjoy Debbie Gibson's fun music and I think she is a talented songwriter and one of the best vocalists around. Thanks for letting me ramble, Darren Kumasawa e-mail: kumasawa@cory.berkeley.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael (pershing@athena.mit.edu) I like Debbie's music for the following reasons: I believe that she has one of the best singing voices in music today, I find her music very catchy and often emotionally engaging, and I admire her talent and personality. I am a member of D.G.I.F., my number is 1879; I joined in September 1988. I bought the new concert video. I was disappointed to find that 1/3 of the concert had been edited away. :-( It sparks some memories, but it certainly does not replace being present at the concert. I saw her in concert on August 2, 1988 in Portland, OR. I am an occasional poster to USENET and the international music ECHO. I wish this forum the best of luck!! Michael A. Scheele ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Ray (wilmott@topaz.rutgers.edu) I've been a big fan of Debbie's since I bought Out of the Blue a year and a half ago...fell in love with Foolish Beat immediately after hearing it, and have been hooked on her ever since. On Electric Youth... I vote for We Could Be Together as my favorite. -Ray ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ============================================================================= Some Answers... From: The "Electric" staff at 'SC! We will answer some of the more obvious questions that you asked in this issue. We left some of the others unanswered to give ALL YOU OTHER FOLKS out there a chance to answer them...this should bring in some new input for next issue (coming to your mailbox soon!!). Birthdate: Deborah Ann Gibson was born in Brooklyn, NY on August 31, 1970. Diane, her mom, is of Italian descent. Her father, Joseph, was an orphan(!!!). Thus, "Gibson" is probably not her proper last name; but we'll never know for sure. Just be glad that Diane and Joseph met when they did! Address & Phone: You can try to write to her at the Fan Club address mentioned earlier; but remember, she must get THOUSANDS of letters each week. As for her phone, it's unlisted :-). Other Videos: Debbie has made videos for the other singles that she has released, namely: "Only in My Dreams", "Shake Your Love", "Out of the Blue", "Foolish Beat", "Staying Together", and "Lost in Your Eyes". The first four are available on a videotape called "Out of the Blue", and costs $16.