=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S Issue # 8 - August 28, 1989 DDDDD D D D D GGGG D D G DDDDD G GGG G G GGGG A Debbie Gibson Discussion Forum =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CONTENTS * Administrative Notes * Concert Date Update * Song Line Up For Electric Youth Tour * Review of Worcester, MA Concert on July 28, 1989 * Newspaper Reviews of Worcester concert * Review of August 15 Concert in Detroit, MI =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Administrative Notes To new members of the forum: Welcome! I hope you enjoy our forum! I will send back issues (#1-#7) to those who want them. Just send me e-mail. If you requested back issues and did not get them, please e-mail again. I am sorry for the inconvenience. I would like to thank all those who sent in articles! Disclaimer: This forum does not necessarily reflect the views of Deborah Ann Gibson, GPI (Gibson Productions Inc.), Atlantic Recording Corporation, or any of the organizations that members of this forum belong to or represent. All songs by Debbie Gibson are copyrighted by Deborah Ann's Music (ASCAP). This forum is a non-profit organization. Information about products is fine, trying to advertise products for sale is not permitted, keep this to private e-mail. This forum is not intended to be a replacement for D.G.I.F., the only authorized fan club. Information on D.G.I.F. can be obtained by e-mailing me or by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to: D.G.I.F. P.O. BOX 489 MERRICK, NY 11566 Membership in D.G.I.F. is $15/year. Renewal is $10/year. If you are trying to reach another forum member via e-mail and cannot reach him or her, please let me know. I will try to provide additional suggestions for addresses and if necessary, I will forward mail to the intended person. I hope you are able to catch Debbie in concert in your area! I would like to apologize profusely to all of the members of this forum for my extreme procrastination in putting this issue together. I have no excuse. I realize the issues have been slow in coming out and I hope to improve my production rate for future issues. I will be on vacation from August 30 - September 4. So if you don't receive any replies, this is the reason. To those of you who e-mailed me within the last two weeks, I have been reading my mail, but not answering it due to a bit of laziness. I apologize for this rudeness. I will try to regain my previous promptness for replies. The opinions represented in this concert issue are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone else. If you wish to comment on the reviews, do not hesitate to e-mail me or the appropriate author. Please be honest but civil. I wouldn't mind having other concert reviews, so send them in! Between the Lines #9 will be forthcoming sometime in early September/ mid September. It will be shorter than previous issues, but it will go out. -- Michael A. Scheele "Between the Lines" moderator pershing@athena.mit.edu (ARPANET/Internet) ...!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!mit-athena!pershing (UUCP) site-dependent (BITNET) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Concert Date Update From: Michael A. Scheele Current as of September 23, when I received D.G.I.F. magazine Volume I, Number 4. Some of these dates were provided by forum members. Thanks! -- Michael Worcester, MA July 28 Worcester Centrum Portland, ME July 29 Atlantic City, NJ July 31 Bally's Grand Philadelphia, PA August 1 Toronto, Ontario Montreal, Quebec Saratoga Springs, NY August 7 Saratoga Pac Bristol, CT August 8 Lake Compounce Festival Park Rochester, NY August 10 Finger Lakes Pac East Troy, WI August 13 Alpine Valley Music Theatre Hoffman Estates, IL August 14 Poplar Creek Music Theatre Detroit, MI August 15 Pine Knob London, UK August 19 Wembley Mountain View, CA August 24 Shoreline Amphitheatre Sacramento, CA August 26 Cal Expo Amphitheatre Seattle, WA August 28 Seattle Center Colliseum Portland, OR August 29 Chiles Center (U. of Portland) Vancouver, British Columbia September 1 PNE Coliseum Edmonton, Alberta September 3 Northlands Coliseum Calgary, Alberta September 4 Saddledome St. Paul, MN September 7 Civic Center Indianapolis, IN September 9 Deer Creek Amphitheatre Cincinnati, OH September 10 Riverbend Cleveland, OH September 13 Blossom Music Festival Buffalo, NY September 14 Memorial Auditorium Hampton, VA September 16 Coliseum Columbia, MD September 17 Merriweather Post Pavilion Pittsburgh, PA September 19 Civic Arena New York, NY September 21 Madison Square Garden East Rutherford, NJ September 22 Meadowlands Arena Omaha, NE Austin, TX Dallas, TX St. Louis, MO Kansas City, MO Denver, CO Salt Lake City, UT Phoenix, AZ San Diego, CA Los Angeles, CA October 18 Costa Mesa, CA [Editor's Note: No venues have been selected for tour dates after Sept. 22 as of yet (according to GPI). Apparently, Debbie will be touring outside the US in late October, November, and December (information courtesy of D.G.I.F. magazine Volume I, Number 4). -- Michael] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Song Line Up For Electric Youth Tour From: Michael A. Scheele "Who Loves Ya Baby?" "Over the Wall" "Foolish Beat" "Staying Together" "Shake Your Love" "No More Rhyme" "Should've Been the One" "Out of the Blue" "Don't Flirt With Me" Motown Medley: Sly and the Family Stone -- "Stand!" Jackson 5 -- "ABC" Diana Ross & the Supremes -- "Stop! In the Name of Love" Diana Ross & the Supremes -- ? Diana Ross & the Supremes -- "Please Mr. Postman" Sly and the Family Stone -- "Dance to the Music" "Love Under My Pillow" "Team Spirit" (?) by Keeth Stewart "Lost in Your Eyes" "Electric Youth" "Only in My Dreams" Encore: "Try" "We Could Be Together" [Editor's Note: The total time is about 120 minutes. This is a list of her songs for the July 28, 1989 show in Worcester, MA. There maybe some small changes in the ensemble later in the tour. Could someone fill in the blanks? Thanks. -- Michael] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Review of Worcester, MA Concert on July 28, 1989 From: Michael A. Scheele Review of Debbie Gibson's concert at the Worcester Centrum (Worcester, MA) on July 28, 1989 by Michael A. Scheele. Summary: The Mississipi band Judson Spence opened for Gibson. Their 45 minute performance was rather soporific. The guitarist and bassist were competent, but the keyboardist and tambourine player were rather uninspired. The lead singer, Judson Spence, did a passable job for his funky style of rock. The sound was too percussion oriented given the relative talents of the musicians. Overall, the band did not seem to enthusiastic about their music and it showed. The lead singer had to rest and get a drink of water after almost every song and the remainder of the band seemed to lack energy. The preparation for Gibson's performance took about a half hour. The author was able to look around the Centrum, an indoor stadium environment. The crowd was more diverse than expected. Of course, about half of the concert goers were young girls of ages 10-15. A large number of older teens (often couples) were present as well. A surprising number of college age people manifested themselves. Adults were present, many of them parents and a number of them there by themselves (the author was seated next to an older couple in their fifties). Getting back to the stage, the minimal set of Judsen Spence gave way to Gibson's elaborate set. The two front corners of the stage were raised, like parapets on a castle; a perfect place to be easily seen by a large audience. Ramps leading to them were placed on the stage. The lighting proved to be a major undertaking as half a dozen stage hands were necessary to adjust and prepare the lights. Several columns of lasers were also installed. When Debbie says "Electric," she means it! The lights dimmed and on three large sheets of black cloth, three glowing figures appear, all bearing a familiar outline. The cloths rise out of view and a voice penetrates the darkness. The singer is Debbie Gibson and the song is "Who Loves Ya Baby?" The show starts out upbeat with Gibson doing an energetic arrangement of the first song of her second album, _Electric Youth_. As the songs comes to a close, Debbie issues an answer to that music question; the answer is "Me!" A few quiet notes are overwhelmed by the explosive (literally, six columns of pyrotechnics erupted from the front of the stage) intro to "Over the Wall." "Over the Wall" keeps the mood energetic. Debbie slows down to do an acoustic arrangement of "Foolish Beat." The lone sax intro followed by her voice accompanied solely by her piano evoked strong feelings of loneliness. The arrangement was similar to the one used in her previous tour. The focus was on Gibson and her white Baldwin baby grand. Once again, a shift in pace came about; Debbie and the crowd were "Staying Together." Her rendition this time around infused the song with more vital energy this time. In keeping with the fast/dance tempo of the concert so far ("Foolish Beat" being an exception), "Shake Your Love" was the song to follow. She decided that it was audience participation time and the Centrum was divided into four sections with different lines of the chorus to sing. After a "competition" between the sections, Debbie took control, but encouraged further audience sing along. The long intermission where the dancers can show their stuff provided Gibson an opportunity for a costume change. Her attire changed from a black hat with a white blouse and black skirt to jeans, a baseball style cap, t-shirt, and black vest. Her more casual outfit seemed a bit out of place with her next song, "No More Rhyme." The arrangement of the songs was similar to the acoustic version (on the CD) except that the sax solo was retained. The energetic "Should've Been the One" followed. In between playing the piano portions, Miss Gibson would reach out to the audience to shake hands with those close to the stage. During one of these interval, the author threw his English style rainhat on stage. She promptly picked it up and wore it for the remainder of the song while playing piano. The hat matched her outfit surprisingly well. The greater prominence of the piano compared to the studio version was quite welcome. A bouncy "Out of the Blue" was next in the line up. Another clothing change was effected, this time into a white jacket and skirt. It was a mock dispute between guys who like to flirt and the girls they talk to that lead to an unreleased song, "Don't Flirt With Me." Its Motown style was quite evident and was an appropriate lead in for an excellent six-song Motown medley. This followed her explanation of her affinity for this style of music. Sly and the Family Stone, the Jackson Five, and Diana Ross and the Supremes were featured. The energy level was appropriate and the singer definitely up to the task of doing such classics as "ABC," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "Please Mr. Postman," and "Dance to the Music" justice. While she was in this sixties mood, she followed with a song from her upcoming motion picture, "Skirts." The song was called "Love Under My Pillow." It was performed as a duet with dancer/backup-singer Keeth Stewart. This ballad was touching and it is a shame she won't be singing this song for the soundtrack. Again, it was break time for Debbie. Keeth Stewart did a funk/rap song called "Team Spirit" (or something to that effect) in her absence. The outfit this time was a black pants-suit similar to the one in the "Lost in Your Eyes" video. This was quite appropriate as this was the next song. Debbie and the piano were center stage once again. Half way, she stopped playing to sing while kneeled on her piano in homage to her musical idols, Billy Joel and Elton John. Her voice was bell clear and powerful as she poured her heart into the song. For those of you who were disappointed with the style of "Electric Youth" (including me) were treated to a long, but very energetic arrangement of "Electric Youth." Instead of the dance club feel, an anthem for young people emerges. The lyrics take on substance with real drums and spirited unsequenced keyboards. The high spirits aren't given a chance to fall as Debbie proceeds to sing "Only in My Dreams," the song that launched her into the spotlight. The arrangement of the song resembles the one used in the previous tour; she takes several opportunities to display her beautiful voice. The opening line, "Only in dreams...as real as it may seem...it was only in my dreams...," was a good example. The last two words took about ten seconds each as she produced strong, clear notes for each. Deb's voice was in fine form even after ninety minutes. So concluded the main set. Debbie and the band left to a large round of applause. After much applause and chanting "Debbie!" the musicians reappeared. Debbie then returned to sing a new ballad called "Try." It was an excellent ballad in the spirit of "Lost in Your Eyes" and "Silence Speaks (A Thousand Words)." The author had the same feeling when he heard "Lost in Your Eyes" for the first time last year; the feeling that this song was destined to do well. If this song is on her next album, I can't wait to hear it! The very last song, "We Could Be Together," being one of her favorite songs off of _Electric Youth_, was expected. The arrangement was superb with one of her keyboardists playing the piano and her saxophonist filling in for the horns. Her guitarist also contributed with acoustic guitar. Gibson had tremendous energy for this song and she certainly raised the audience's spirits by encouraging them to sing along. A little girl joined Debbie on stage during the song, surely a great thrill for the girl who could not been more than 5. The song ended smoothly and to much applause. A successful concert for Miss Deborah Ann Gibson tonight... Comments: The sound system in the Centrum was really poorly adjusted as there was a very large (+6 - +12 dB boost) emphasis on the treble resulting in Debbie sounding squeeky at times. When she talked, she sounded kind of like Cyndi Lauper. Unless dozens of microphones across the world are all out of adjustment, her voice should not sound like this. It was amazing she was able to use her voice as effectively as she did with this problem. The soundboard engineer must have severe high frequency hearing loss or else he left the controls on the same settings used for the Cult/Metallica concert a couple of days earlier. This proved to be the most annoying part of the concert. The songs were oriented to a more "rock"/dance sound than her previous concert which highlighted her ballads more. Notice the absence of "Silence Speaks (A Thousand Words)," "Shades of the Past," and "Between the Lines." "Love in Disguise" was left out for some unknown reason even though it is one of her best mid-tempo songs and certainly capable of generating the high energy level she had in mind. Concessions were made for her hit ballads like "Foolish Beat," "Lost in Your Eyes," and "No More Rhyme." I can't figure out the exact reason for this shift in direction, but I will speculate nonetheless. I figure that her concert going audience is a bit younger on average than her album buying fans. The ballads probably aren't generating as much interest as the dance songs, so in order to make her concerts more appropriate for the fans who attend, she decided to go to a more dance oriented format. The Motown medley was meant to introduce her fans to a genre of music she enjoys and which many of them haven't really heard. Perhaps, her future albums will be her place for experimentation rather than concerts. I would prefer both. Her preview of "Lost in Your Eyes," "Love in Disguise," "We Could Be Together," and "Should've Been the One" in her first concert certainly made me look forward to the release of _Electric Youth_. I certainly looked forward to live performances with Debbie playing the piano. I am puzzled; I have no idea what her future musical direction will be. Surprises are in store... Recommendations [or Michael's wish list]: Get someone to properly adjust the sound system. Lose the synthesizers. Hire a real horn section. Get a flutist. Less concentration on the visuals; more on the songs. More ballads and fifties/early sixties material; less dance oriented songs. Eliminate the rap "Shake Break" in "Shake Your Love." Perform in smaller venues, like concert halls and club; the stadiums have horrible acoustics. Find better opening acts. Just a few requests for now... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Newspaper Reviews of Worcester Concert From: Michael A. Scheele Copied verbatim without permission from the _Boston Globe_, Saturday, July 29, 1989, p. 6 and p. 10. Music Review by Paul Robicheau "Gibson Delivers Perky Pop" WORCESTER -- It's opening night of a world tour, on an arena stage of fancy lights and roomy ramps, with an 11-member backing ensemble and even a piano that rises out of the stage. It could be a scary position to be in, even for a seasoned performer. What about 18-year-old pop upstart Debbie Gibson? Don't worry about Gibson -- she sure didn't seem worried headlining the Centrum for the second summer in a row. Older performers should have the talent and confidence of this Long Island teen-ager. "I was told I was too young to be on the stage," she told a youngish crowd of 9,000 last night, "but here we are!" "We" was an appropriate word, since the singer-pianist was joined by a sharp six-piece band, three female singers and two male singer-dancers -- mostly young and sharing her New York roots. They showed exceptional poise for the first night of a big tour, romping on a stage decorated like a castle. It made sense: The pop world is Gibson's play castle with No. 1 singles like "Foolish Heart" [sic] and the new "Lost in Your Eyes." At first, the bouncy-stepped singer -- sporting a black cap, skirt and high-top sneakers -- was overshadowed by the props as she went through pop- star moves. A shot of fireworks prefaced Gibson's choreographed twirls with dancers Buddy Casimano and Keith Stewart on "Over the Wall," and "Foolish Heart" [sic] -- her first ballad on the hydraulic white baby grand -- was a bit lumbering. But Gibson pulled it together with dance numbers "Staying Together" and "Shake Your Love," which recalled Olivia Newton-John, an older singer of similar blond, wholesome looks and a knack for perky pop and syrupy ballads. But while Gibson is a slick songwriter (she won her first national competition at age 12), it was her natural stage flair that impressed most last night. She was boosted by entertaining interplay with her singers and dancers during the battle-of-the-sexes frivolity of "Don't Flirt" and a snappy six- vocal Motown medley that ran from the Jackson Five to the Supremes and a clap- along to Sly Stone's "Dance to the Music" that let her band smoothly cover key solos. Even more dynamic were dancers Casimino [sic] (with his aerial somersaults) and Stewart, who also sang a touching biracial duet with Gibson on "Love Under My Pillow," from the star's upcoming '60s-styled film, "Skirts." But it was ultimately Gibson who shone. First she showed she could put across a ballad, her voice soaring on "Lost in Your Eyes" as she kneeled on top of her piano in a nod to idols Elton John and fellow Long Islander Billy Joel. And while she has yet to pen pop classics like those singers' (though she has already showed growth from her 1987 debut, "Out of the Blue," to the new "Electric Youth"), she matched them for confidence and exuberance as she again engaged dancers on the new LP's title track to bring the set to a zesty peak. She even dared to do a new song (a passable ballad called "Try") as a first encore, then pulled a young girl from the crowd to dance along to "We Could be Together." Even if other fans coudn't [sic] be together on stage with Gibson, they shared vibes with a good role model. Mississippi-bred opener Judson Spence, while a few years older than Gibson, unfortunately displayed little of her talent or charisma as he and his five- piece band pounded through funky, forgettable rock. Copied verbatim without permission from the _Boston Herald_, Saturday, July 29, 1989, p. 26. "Gibson Coming Into Her Own" By Karen Schlosberg "DADDY, build me a home recording studio." Those words may not rank with "I have seen the future of rock and roll and his name is Bruce Springsteen," and Debbie Gibson may not have said those words exactly, but in the annals of current pop music, Gibson's self-made rise from the suburbs of Long Island to a platinum-selling singer/songwriter is pretty impressive. At the Centrum -- the first stop on her new tour -- Gibson walked a fine line between the somewhat vacuous dance hits of her first album, "Out of the Blue," and the poppier, more sophisticated tunes on her new LP, "Electric Youth." It does seem just a little mean-spirited to criticize her past too harshly, considering she was all of 16 when she released the first LP -- and both albums were self-penned and largely self-produced and arranged. And certainly, even her emptiest of songs (like "Shake Your Love") are no sillier than other current dance hits written by people twice her age. Even if Gibson, 18, doesn't yet live up to the song-writing standards of idols like Billy Joel and Elton John the operative word here is "yet." With an 11-piece band (including three female back-up singers and two male dancers/singers), Gibson cheerily pranced through a 115-minute set on a backdrop that was a surreal cross between German Expressionism and Barbie's Fashion Show. Even though many aspects of Gibson's show -- her four costume changes, her peppy choreography, her tour sponsorship by Natural Wonder cosmetics -- reflected her and her audience's more transient, youthful concerns, when Gibson struck out from both the bland dance formulas and the syrupy ballads into more melodic pop, she trancended [sic] her typecasting as child-prodigy performer. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Review of August 15 Concert in Detroit, MI From: Steve Burstall [Editor's Note: I have taken the liberty to correct a few spelling errors, but be assured I did not alter the text in any other way. -- Michael] To the many Gibson fans, On the night of August 15, 1989, I, Steve Burstall attended the Electric Youth concert of Ms. Deborah Ann Gibson. Let me say that...that...I was not pleased. The truth, okay. For the first half of the show, I was better off watching the Out of the Blue tour concert video at Pittsburg. Seriously, there was nothing new or astonishing about it. The only thing different was a little pyrotechnics for the second(?) song. Otherwise, I would have slept. [Editor's Note: It was the second song, "Over the Wall." -- Michael] The second half was a little different, but more of the same. Her "jam" session with Motown songs was the highlight. Being a music player myself, I was even disappointed with this. Her transitions from song to song was weak to say the least and she even "butchered" some of the good Motown standbys. [Editor's Note: It depends on how you define "butchered;" I enjoyed them, but that is only my opinion. -- Michael] The introduction of two new songs left a bad taste in my mouth. "Don't Flirt With Me" was something to be desired. It was corny. "Love Under My Pillow" had a little more substance, but again because of her lack of experience with the feeling of love and relationships it doesn't hold water. I was glad it was a duet. [Editor's Note: Debbie acknowledges this lack of experience and makes no attempts to deny it. It was meant for a movie soundtrack and may be more appropriate for the character it pertains to. -- Michael] Keeth Stewart's song (I can't remember it right now) really left me in the outfield. It was jr/sr high school type directed more towards the sports person. Me being a music/science...let's say I didn't care for it at all. A few guidelines I wish she would do on her next concert. Change the format. This is the second time she used the format of half the show some of the popular songs then jam session with "Shake Your Love", then open with "Foolish Beat". There was a few good spots in the show. One was the Motown jam session like I mentioned earlier. Second was the fact I was a few inches from getting her hat she threw. Because I lost it in the light the person behind me got it (to tell you the truth, I think she did mean to throw it at me....haha....right..sure...pipe dream) and I got to shake hands with her during the show. [Editor's Note: Great! -- Michael] Final note, I would give this concert a mediocre at best. She has to change her format. Oh, Judsen Spence, he was better than what I understood from Michael [Scheele]. His songs were not good, but they were more mature than Debbie's. He did sing with Debbie during the Motown jam session. He did a very good job. It was funny to see him try to dance with Buddy and Keeth. I really enjoyed that. [Editor's Note: Judsen Spence did not perform during the Motown medley at Worcester. I still stand by my assessment. I disagree that Judsen Spence had more mature lyrics. I did not find them so and he was much less sincere in his delivery. They were more musically talented than Times Two (opened for Debbie on her first tour, but were rather lackluster. This is my personal opinion.] Now I know I'm going to get flamed big time from everyone who reads this, but bear in mind that I said I'm her biggest fan, but on that same hand, I am also her biggest critic. Let's just say that I am leery about going to the next concert. That's all from the Ann Arbor connection 'till next time Steve Burstall [Editor's Note: The biggest flames you will get will be for claiming to be her biggest fan (or critic); there are some pretty major fans on the forum... Do not flame Steve for his opinions. He was being honest; I like that. I am afraid that my comments may dissuade others from posting negative reviews. Be honest, I am only another member as far as the forum is concerned. I do not refuse articles because I disagree with them. -- Michael] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=