=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S Issue # 10 - October 3, 1989 DDDDD D D D D GGGG D D G DDDDD G GGG G G GGGG A Debbie Gibson Discussion Forum =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CONTENTS * Administrative Notes * Alert!! * Raymond and the News * Raymond Part II * Update from Amin Kamadoli * Report from Matthew Jung * Debbie Gibson II? * List of Articles * Youth Survey * Steve and _Spin_ Survey * Roast the Moderator * Update from Steve Burstall * Introduction from Ian Justman * Introducing Henry Lee * "We Could Be Together" Discography * (Not so) New Poll Idea * Yet Another Poll * Quotes of the Week * Random Thoughts * Questions & Answers =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Administrative Notes To new members of the forum: Welcome! I hope you enjoy our forum! I will send back issues (#1-#8) 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 decided to send BTL #9 and #10 simultaneously as two separate issues will be easier to read. I will be taking submissions for BTL #11. The closing date will be October 20. I will get that issue out by the end of the month. Thank you all for your patience and support -- Michael A. Scheele "Between the Lines" moderator pershing@athena.mit.edu (ARPANET/Internet) ...!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!mit-athena!pershing (UUCP) site-dependent (BITNET) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Alert!! From: Matthew Jung Date: Sat, 23 Sep 89 23:47:46 PDT DEBBIE NEEDS OUR HELP "We Could Be Together" debuted on Billboard's HOT 100 at #80. This is her poorest showing since "Staying Together." To make matters worse, DGIF members each received a postcard recently asking us to request her song. The last two times DGIF asked us to request a song, both singles became the worst charting singles in Debbie's career. Please help out by requesting her song on a station near you. Below is a list of important Billboard stations that have significant weight to effect the HOT 100 chart: KIIS Los Angeles KPWR Los Angeles WBBM Chicago WEGX Philadelphia WHTZ New York WPLJ New York WQHT New York WYTZ Chicago KKBQ Houston KMEL San Francisco KRBE Houston X100 San Francisco WAPW Atlanta WAVA Washington D.C. WBZZ Pittsburgh WIOQ Philadelphia WKQI Detroit WKQX Chicago WXKS Boston WZOU Boston KBEQ Kansas City, Missouri KCPX Salt Lake City KDWB Minneapolis KGGI Riverside, California KHYI Dallas KISN Salt Lake City KJMZ Dallas KJYO Oklahoma City KKLQ San Diego KKRZ Portland KNRJ Houston KOY Phoenix KPLZ Seattle KQKS Denver KRXY Denver KUBE Seattle KWSS San Jose, California KZZP Phoenix WAPE Jacksonville, Florida WBJW Orlando, Florida WBLI Long Island WBSB Baltimore WCKZ Charlotte, North Carolina WDJX Louisville, Kentucky WEZB New Orleans WGTZ Dayton, Ohio WHYI Miami WKBQ St. Louis WKCI New Haven, Connecticut WKDD Akron, Ohio WKRQ Cincinnati WKSE Buffalo, New York WKSS Hartford, Connecticut WKTI Milwaukee WMEE Fort Wayne WMJQ Buffalo, New York WNCI Columbus, Ohio WNVZ Norfolk, Virginia WOKI Knoxville, Tennessee WPHR Cleveland WPOW Miami WPRO Providence, Rhode Island WPXY Rochester, New York WSTW Wilmington, Delaware WTIC Hartford, Connecticut WXLK Roanoke, Virginia WYHY Nashville WZPL Indianapolis These are the most influential stations that report to Billboard magazine. If you do not see your local station on this list, then please send email to u463291352ea@vega.ucdavis.edu or ez000018@castor.ucdavis.edu. Be sure to tell me what city you live in so I can check the list of 160 minor Billboard stations and I will get back to you within 24 hours. Thanks for helping Debbie! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Raymond and the News From: Raymond Michiels Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 9:49:56 MET DST At first, good news for the European Debbie-promotions. Throughout all of Europe, the Voice Of America (VOA Europe) can be heard on cable radio. I don't know if they promote Debbie because she needs it (unfortunately) or just because she's great. When I started counting how many times per day they played Debbie Gibson singles I came up with the following list of singles all aired within 24 hours: 3x No More Rhyme, Out Of The Blue, the club mix of Only In My Dreams and the electro mix of Electric Youth. I hope this will help Debbie with her European career, but I'm not too confident. No More Rhyme hasn't even been released yet! :-( Debbie will open (by the time you read this: has opened) for Bros Friday August 19th. Sky Channel (an English satellite station) will broadcast the concert the next day, so someone might be able to tape Debbie's perfor- mance. (I won't, because we don't have our private satellite dish. Maybe some other station might broadcast it.) Just to judge the popularity of Bros: only 50.000 of the available 75.000 tickets were sold... probably to Debbie Gibson fans :-) When I went to Belgium last week I checked some large record stores to see how Debbie was doing in Belgium. (On average she charts better in Belgium.) I hoped to find the No More Rhyme 3"-CD single, but the only thing I found was the 7" Electric Youth single. Well, I hope I'll have better news next time. -Raymond. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Raymond Part II From: Raymond Michiels Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 9:56:20 MET DST Hello everybody, When I went to a small record store in a town nearby and asked if they had any 3-inch :-) CD's of Debbie Gibson, he said he didn't, but if I was interested he did have a poster of her. He showed it to me and I said I really would like to have it (among others, because the little letters on the bottom said "for promotional use only. Not for sale"). "Well, here you are!" he said, as he gave me the poster. I hope I can help you next time. (As if he didn't help me THIS time!) Maybe some _BTL_ readers would like to have the lyrics from Debbie's two albums in computer readable form. I do, because I sometimes suffers from the I-know-I've-heard-it-but-I-can't-find-it-anywhere syndrome, so I typed them in. The only problem is that it's not appreciated by my system manager when I start e-mailing them to tens of people, because they are already threatening us (students) with being cut off from long distance e-mailing. (It's too expensive they say! Does anybody have a price list?) Maybe someone in America would volunteer and distribute them? [Editor's Note: I think that this may run into problems with copyright laws. Any volunteers? If you mail them to me, I can distribute them. I will type them in myself if I get the time, but... -- Michael] For now, I think that's about it. Until next time.. (please keep the trivia coming. It's my favorite part of _BTL_.) -Raymond. EXTRA: I've just read that the two Goss brothers (=BROS) will be working on Debbie's next album which is to be produced by some house- producer who's name I've already forgotten. :-( [Editor's Note: I hope not! I can't stand house music! It will ruin Debbie's music and waste her fantastic voice. She would be giving up much of her artistic control to those clowns! Ugh! I hope this is just a false alarm. Sorry if I over-reacted. These are my opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of the forum or any of its other members. -- Michael] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Update from Amin Kamadoli From: Amin Kamadoli Date: Fri 10 Sep 89 11:52:18-PDT If you/BTL subscribers want a smell of the Electric Youth perfume....there is a sample in this month's issue of TEEN magazine (September 1989). The ad is the same as in the tour book with an additional insert containing the sample. It is located in the first few pages of the magazine. I haven't actually seen the product in stores yet. On HITVIDEO USA last night they had a recent interview with Debbie. No new information, just the same old likes/dislikes. Debbie did mention that she was attending the Elton John concert in NY, and Elton asked Debbie if she would like to perform with him (Billy Joel was also in attendance and accepted the offer to perform a trio). She also said that she has her own private jet for this tour. She also has a nutritionist now. Her nutritionist won't allow Debbie to eat any pizza!!! Earlier she had a viral infection and felt weak for some time. Now that she's on a health food diet she says she has a lot more energy. She said she has no respect for singers who promote sex, drugs or violence. That statement is a contradiction--She has expressed that George Michael is a singer/musician/producer that she respects immensely. But George is the guy who has written many pro-sex songs (I WANT YOUR SEX-3 different versions and lyrics, FATHER FIGURE, HARD DAY, I'M YOUR MAN, etc.). She also has stated that Guns n' Roses is one of her favorite bands. And we all know GN'R's themes: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: sex, violence. IT'S SO EASY: perverted lyrics about raping a woman. NIGHTTRAIN: alcohol abuse. OUT TA GET ME: nice clean lyrics! ha! MR. BROWNSTONE: heroine/drug abuse. They also have a nice cover for their album (I highly doubt that they picked Robert Williams' "Appetite For Destruction" for its symbolism of society vs. technology. HA!). You get my point. Explain this one. [Editor's Note: She has said she respects George Michael's control over his music. To me, Billy Joel is a better choice. I suspect that Debbie, like many, don't really look at their music that deeply. I have seen some of her choices for favorite songs/artists and I wonder how she picks them. No one is perfect. Just my opinion...for whatever that is worth. -- Michael] I called information for Culver City, CA. The operator checked for the "DEBBIE GIBSON BUREAU." It doesn't or hasn't ever existed. There is a classified ad in the Entertainment section selling tickets for a "DOOBIE GIBSON" concert. I'm gonna call and find out if this is a joke or what the deal is. I think it might be a print error, the DOOBIE BROTHERS are appearing in Los Angeles about the same time as Debs. [Editor's Note: Amin was referring to the _Los Angeles Times_ newspaper. -- Michael] She was asked what experience she had in acting in movies. I expected her to say "Ghostbusters," but she said she appeared as an extra in the movie "Sweet Freedom." I'll have to check this one out. I have written a letter to NBC Sports and sent a video tape asking if they could make a copy of Debbie Gibson's performance of the national anthem at Game 1 of last years World Series. I think she has sung the national anthem at a variety of sporting events: Ice Hockey (the Islanders) and Basketball (the Knicks) both in New York. I hope NBC comes through for me, if they don't then there is a sports video warehouse back east that stores all video footage for professional baseball. I know they showed Debbie singing on TV, because several of my friends ragged on her the next day. I put an advertisement all over campus offering to buy a VHS copy of Game 1--I figured someone had to have taped it. But all I got were messages on my answering machine by smart allecks claiming to be agents of NBC Sports and that I was violating their "sale without written consent of National League Baseball and NBC Sports" rule. HA-HA. That's my Debbie Gibson update for the week ending September 16, 1989. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Report from Matthew Jung From: Matthew Jung Date: Tue, 19 Sep 89 00:43:49 PDT It seems like all the news I have for you guys is bad news. :-( First some good news. Record Guide has added her "We Could Be Together" video this week. Hit Video USA and Night Tracks have already added it. The August 28th concert at Seattle was a sellout with 7,100 tickets sold. It grossed $125,578. Now for the usual bad news. The "Electric Youth" album drops to #55 with still only 2 million units sold. When singles are released, the album generally rides a roller coaster course up and down the chart. However, despite the releases of "No More Rhyme" and "We Could Be Together," the album has been slowly dipping. If this continues, "Electric Youth" may not be as successful as "Out of the Blue." "We Could Be Together" debuts at #80. This is her worst showing since "Staying Together" debuted at #84. To make matters worse, DGIF sent out a postcard today asking for us to request her song. Remember, DGIF also asked us to request her song for "Staying Together" and "No More Rhyme." Since those two songs are currently her worst charting singles, you can only worry about this one. [Editor's Note: As many of you know, "We Could Be Together" did climb to #71, but has dropped to #74 this week on the Billboard charts. Let's call those stations!! -- Michael] In England, "We Could Be Together" drops to #24 this week. It peaked at #22 last week. Deb is still pretty unpopular over there. The September 7th concert at St. Paul Civic Center only sold 4,000 tickets. This is a very bad showing for such a major artist! What can I say? Not too long ago, in early 1989, Deb was on top of the world with a grand slam (simultaneous #1 album and #1 single) and now she is at the lowest point in her career. The turning point occurred in May when "Electric Youth" was held at #11, even with a bullet. Now a days, if you aren't New Kids on the Block or Paula Abul, you're nothing. It is sad to say that radio, which helped her into stardom in the first place, is now dumping her for New Kids and Paula. Pop music is such a dirty world. - Matthew =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Debbie Gibson II? From: Amin Kamadoli Date: Tue 26 Sep 89 02:46:42-PDT Atlantic has launched Debbie Gibson II, a girl named DENISE FANIA. She writes her own songs, and I think is a teen. Get this...her first single is called "I'm DREAMin'" The song was recommended by BILLBOARD with this comment "....with visions of DEBBIE GIBSON dancing in your head." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= List of Articles From: Steve Burstall Date: Mon, 14 Aug 89 14:06:21 EDT It would be nice if we can get a listing of article from newspapers and magazines and start trading or giving the paper in which the article appeared. We have to keep up on her. talk to you later, may the farce be with you, -Steve [Editor's Note: What does everyone think about this? Agree? Disagree? -- Michael] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Youth Survey From: Matthew Jung Date: Tue, 22 Aug 89 00:18:59 PDT GIBSON RANKS HIGH AMOUNG TEENS Seventeen magazine recently surveyed 8440 teenagers about various topics. Evidently, Debbie did quite well: BEST SLOW SONG -------------- (1) Lost in Your Eyes (2) Eternal Flame (3) Every Rose has its Thorn (4) When I'm with You BEST VIDEO ---------- (1) Paradise City (2) Straight Up (3) Lost in Your Eyes (4) Pour Some Sugar on Me BEST FEMALE SINGER ------------------ (1) Debbie Gibson (2) Paula Abdul (3) Whitney Houston (4) Madonna BEST-DRESSED FEMALE ------------------- (1) Debbie Gibson (2) Cher (3) Alyssa Milano (4) Lisa Bonet WHOM YOU ADMIRE MOST -------------------- (1) Mother (2) Parents (3) Debbie Gibson (4) Boyfriend [Editor's Note: Some teens have good taste. :-) -- Michael] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Steve and _Spin_ Survey From: Steve Burstall Date: Thu, 21 Sep 89 20:58:34 EDT Greetings from Ann Arbor, It is I, Steve. There's not much going on around here except for the "I saw Debbie on campus" craze (sorta like "I saw Elvis"). I have definitely tried to make them understand Debbie is to busy to go to college because of her tour schedule and upcoming movie. But do they believe me......a little. Of course if they want me to believe it, I wasn't to see an actual photograph. These Gibson sightings at U of M are really starting to burn me (no flames intended). I can't say that I have been just here. I have been talking to a few other Gibberites around the country. I've been in contact with Matt (ez000018@ucdavis.edu (can't remember the full address at this time)), Ray (wilmott@topaz.rutgers.edu) and Henry (Henry_Lee@cc.sfu.ca). It's been fun. I hope to get a hold of, or maybe receive, e-mail from all of you. Not much happens at EMU. If anyone hasn't gotten the latest issue of Spin (Oct. '89). It was the Fan Choice ranking(?). Debbie was in there twice, and let me say, it made me laugh big time. Here's the listing: Worst Dressed Babe in Music ----------------------------- 1. Madonna 2. Cyndi Lauper *3. Debbie Gibson ***** (I'm not going on) and Most Dateable Babe in Music ----------------------------- 1. Madonna 2. Suzanna Hoffs 3. Samantha Fox (drool later guys) *4. Debbie Gibson ****** (and more. I'm sure someone is going to print out the whole thing) Now come on, is this a joke? I mean, they kill her on how she dresses and then says she dateable. Are these people okay? I sorta pick the women I date on how she dresses. These ranking are not (can not) be serious. Oh well, I let out my little steam. Do many of you agree with me? If many of you didn't get my new address it's HNR_443854@emunix.emich.edu I'll talk to all later. Steve [Editor's Note: _Spin_ isn't as weird about their polls as _Rolling Stone_ is and likes her music far more than they do. The polls are very unscientific and worth more in amusement value than anything else. -- Michael] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Roast the Moderator From: Darren Kumasawa and Norman Mitchell Eliaser [Editor's Note: I made a comment about Michael Jackson being the only artist to release seven singles off of one album recently. Unfortunately, I was in error. Darren and Norman corrected my errors. Thanks to both of these two hawk eyed individuals. -- Michael] Darren: Michael, I'm sorry to inform you that Michael Jackson isn't the only artist that has released seven singles recently. DEF LEPPARD did it too: 1) Women 2) Hysteria 3) Animal 4) Pour Some Sugar 5) Love Bites 6) Armageddon It 7) Rocket All of these off of the HYSTERIA album. Dude, make sure you do your research before you jump to hasty conclusions. Norman: Michael [Jackson], though is not alone in releasing 7 singles from one album. Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The U.S.A." had seven as well from 1984-5: Born In The U.S.A. Cover Me Dancing In The Dark I'm On Fire I'm Going Down My Hometown Glory Days. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Update from Steve Burstall From: Steve Burstall Date: Tue, 26 Sep 89 10:54:37 EDT Gibby Fans, For the past 6 months, I've trying to get an interview with Debbie. David says to keep calling at this time and I do and he puts me off even farther. I believe I might (big one) be able to do next month. He told me to call on the 15th of Oct. for more details. If anyone wants me to I'll take any questions you wish to have answered and ask her. Try not to get to personal, I don't want to be hung upped on. I'm trying to make a good impression on her and that will help us out. Also, I am to call Dave next week for a copy of her tour for the next few months. When I get that schedule I'll put it on for you all to see. All questions can be sent to Michael, who will mail them to me, or e-mail them to me (HNR_443854@emunix.emich.edu). I'll update everyone on any upcoming news. Steve =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Introduction from Ian Justman From: Ian R. Justman Date: Mon, 2 Oct 89 21:52:39 PDT Hiya Gibson type folk! My name is Ian Justman of North Highlands, CA, which is near Sacramento. It seems that I'm the only one who's on a public access system, whereas everyone else is either using a school computer or a corporate computer. Enuff with that stuff. Anyways, I became a Gibson fan rather belatedly (this year) but I heard her stuff for the first time when we got cable back in November of last year (Our neighborhood wasn't wired for cable until summer of '87, and Dad didn't want to buy cable because of MTV. He says there's too much violence and sexual suggestions that kids could easily get at, but I think his feelings are not entirely well-founded. So my mom foots the bill.). I saw "Staying Together" as my first Gibson video, but I can't for the life of me remember when. As for the other _Out of the Blue_ videos, I have yet to see them. I've seen "Electric Youth" and "No More Rhyme" and the concert version of "Lost in Your Eyes" a couple dozen times (I have them on tape in VHS and Cartrivision (a VERY old home video format which predates Deb's receiving her first ukelele). I have yet to see "We Could Be Together". A fellow DG fan said he saw the video once on a bay-area channel on cable, but I don't think it has been broadcast since. I've checked MTV a lot, but no soap. My real bout with fandom began when I purchased tickets to see Debs at the Cal Expo Ampitheatre here in Sacramento. At the same time, I got _Electric Youth_ so I could hear her stuff because the only stuff I had heard to any extent was EY and NMR, and it was fairly recent. I bought it on vinyl because we don't have a CD player (yet), the cassette version was too expensive, and personally, I _HATE_ cassettes! I made a dupe so I could listen to it on the run and in my bedroom because I don't trust my old BSR (I use my dad's as-old-as-I-am turntable, a Dual 1019, one of the best t'tables around). My favorite songs off EY are (in no particular order) "Lost in Your Eyes", "No More Rhyme", "Silence Speaks", "Should've Been the One", and "We Could Be Together". I borrowed "Out of the Blue" from a friend of mine, because I don't have the money (no job presently) to buy it. I taped it on both (uggh!) cassette and my more favorite format, open reel (reel-to-reel). My favorite songs off that album are (again, in no particular order) "Out of the Blue", "Only in my Dreams", "Foolish Beat", "Red Hot", and "Fallen Angel". As far as putting songs on a C-60 is concerned, I don't know or care because to me, cassettes are unworthy of anything because they, to me, offer inferior response. When I do use cassettes, I prefer BASF Chromdioxid, because it's REAL chrome, not this fake stuff made of Cobalt. Honestly, I don't know what I would put on there so I could get the timing proper. If you were to say unlimited medium, I would almost always choose 1800' open reel tape because that's the main length that a lot of tapes are sold. I do seem to be wandering off the way just a little bit, but that's how I operate as far as my high-fidelity standards go. Otherwise, I would probably go CD, though I _LOVE_ vinyl. I will be doing a discography on "We Could Be Together", so watch for it. Now for my questions. Question #01: Since I'm a computer nut and am sometimes interested in knowing what some celebs use for a computer (and OS), if they have one at all, does Debbie have a computer? If so, which one, and which operating system does she use? I use an S- 100 box, make Dynabyte, model DB8/1, operating system CP/M (and have no intention of switching to DOS anytime REAL soon). Question #02: Also, I'm a Doctor Who fan (for those not in the know, it is THE longest running science fiction series on TV in the world. Sandy Matthews might be able to fill you in a little more.). My question is does she like Doctor Who (and is she what we call ourselves a "Whovian")? Yours very truly, Ian Justman, ianj@sactoh0.UUCP =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Introducing Henry Lee From: Henry Lee Date: Sun, 17 Sep 89 12:01:18 PDT Henery the HitMan a.k.a. Henry Lee Sunday, September 17th, 1989 part 1 Thanks to my initial membership into ALLMUSIC headed up by Eric Harnden at AUVM, I discovered this mail list. Finally, I said. An organized discussion forum for people who have discovered Debbie Gibson's music and have grown to really like/love/enjoy the way she does her stuff. I'm sure many here have found "Between the Lines" rather refreshing, if not, relieving because we've all found too many times that our expressing for even liking (god forbid) Debbie Gibson has led to "being trashed". Anyhow, we mustn't also fall into a similar trap of having "narrow vision". I, like the moderator, encourage honest criticism. Without criticism, we can not improve on anything that we do or do not enjoy. We also musn't force our own impressions or restrictions on what she may or may not in the future. For example, my own "fear" is having Debbie turn into another Sheena Easton (remember "Morning Train"?). But that's just my own lack of trust in anyone's security for maintaining a fresher outlook in the music industry. Or a fear thereof. But who am I to say? I'm just a "lowly" undergraduate science student. :-) Initially, Gibson's music was met with critical skepticism. That is, the one hit deal; the teeny bopper set; she's too young; oh god, another pop/dance album; etc. etc. Oddly enough, the critics eventually came around and realized that the young lady did have that certain "something" with the first album. A debut album from a sixteen year old that yields FIVE top-20's, of those THREE go top 5, of that, a #1 single with "Foolish Beat". The second album, associated with the sophomore jinx, roared its way to the #1 spot with "Lost in Your Eyes". That single held #1 for three weeks on Billboard; on the 2nd week, the album went to #1. Quite a feat and an accomplishment for a second album from an 18 year old woman. We all know this but just reminding oneself of these facts can be rather "breath-taking". The word "genius" comes to mind. The critics finally acknowledged Debbie Gibson as an upcoming power in the world of popular music. However, we've all come to realize that this lady's here to stay. And stay for a long, long time. After reading all eight previous issues since March, I made some notes to a few things and I will reply to most of them. But, there's still a lot I want to say : i/ An introduction ... I feel that even if it's not a mandatory thing, I should still say something about myself. Fair's fair. Most of you have done the same, anyway. ii/ I attended the concert here in Vancouver at the PNE Pacific Coliseum on Fri Sept 1. The British duo Bros. headlined. My rather modest review shall ensue henceforth. iii/ DGIF ... I have a few inquiries iv/ Some comments on her released singles, remixes, etc. v/ How her singles have done on local (Vancouver) top-40 radio. That should occupy a wee bit of space. Part 2 with the above is coming next .... Henry (Henery) Lee BITNET : hlee@sfu INTERNET : hlee@cc.sfu.ca Henery the HitMan a.k.a. Henry Lee Tuesday, September 19th, 1989 part 2 Ah, this part's a whopper, folks; please bear with me. This beast's well over 400 lines long (including all blank lines). I have eight digests worth of material to make up. i/ Intro ii/ Sept 1 concert & info on where to get DG merchandise (!!!) iii/ DGIF iv/ comments on singles (Paula Abdul connection?) v/ Vancouver response to singles vi/ Maintaining connections .... an idea to throw around Final Remarks Before I begin, I must say that I regret not having found this discussion forum before I attended the Sept 1 concert. It would have been interesting to exchange some ideas/facts/what have you before the concert. Trading notes, as it were. I should say at the outset that we must really be "nuts" or (at the very least) somewhat strange. Certainly, there are better ways to spend time. But what the hey. I'll call this a "hobby" anyday! ;-) i/ INTRODUCTION As you well know by now, I, Henry Lee, am disguised as a mild-mannered undergraduate physics student at S.F.U. who, unbeknownst to his family and friends, has become a Debbie Gibson fan(atic). Actually, becoming a Debbie fan has also "crept up" on the author himself. With no hesitation, he wholeheartedly agrees and not the least bit ashamed of it either. (S.F.U. or Simon Fraser University is located atop Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, B.C., which borders on the east boundary of Vancouver. I was born and raised entirely within Vancouver; the true Centre of the Universe. The Greater Vancouver metropolitan area has an estimated population of 1.2 million plus.) By next April (90), I will receive my B.Sc. Honors Physics degree and hope to enter graduate school in the following fall to pursue studies in either astronomy or theoretical astrophysics somewhere on this continent. After five years as an undergrad student, it's about time. (Truly, we have a Gibson group of diverse applicability. The purpose of which is thus : we infiltrate the masses and "convert" others to the "joy and wonder" of Gibson-dom.) :-D I have a good range of listening music but not as broad a range that I would like. Anyhow, among my faves are Richard Marx, Breathe, Def Leppard, Karyn White, Paula Abdul, BLVD., Glass Tiger's "Diamond Sun" (last two are Canadian groups), INXS, and even that George Michael dude. I'll admit that I'm a preferred top-40 kinda guy but I'm not choosy about my music. However, particularly over the past year, I've found a real liking to Canadian artists/groups : Tom Cochrane & Red Rider, David Wilcox, Jeff Healey Band, BLVD., Kim Mitchell (Rock n' Roll Duty), and Colin James. So, I've read some of the stories which got people hooked onto Debbie Gibson and her music. I shall then follow a similar line now. My reaction to "Only in My Dreams" was pretty well instantaneous (after I heard its airplay the 2nd time). I went out (in cognito) and bought "Out of the Blue" in September 1987 and proceeded to wear out that and another copy from a friend's CD in just over six months. Her next singles from "OotB" only reinforced my liking, if not immediate CRUSH, and reinforced the way she understood the makings of current popular music. I was hoping for a more critical response with her inevitable second album. (And inevitably within 12 to 18 months ...) What do I mean? Even with her RIAA multiplatinum success, I don't think many others were convinced of her ability, her natural talent (no, let's say "almost genius"), and her (let's face it) commercial appeal and approachability. Yah, being a 16 or 17 year old teen didn't help much either ... but clearly, time would tell the story herein. With the release of "Electric Youth", I believe that Debbie got what she wanted for her 2nd album. She cured the supposed "sophomore jinx" with an absolutely fabulous effort for an album. Her voice, her lyrics and her music grew along with her as she went into 19th year (that is, after her 18th birthday). My bias took "Lost in Your Eyes" as the "perfect" debut single. Her album has a lot more worth saying than the first even if she doesn't talk about social issues or about the environment. I'm sure you'll all agree that music doesn't have to take a serious bent all the time; some music's got to be fun for listening and even "watching". Who knows? Perhaps one day Gibson may take a more "serious outlook" into her music. For now, she's got the right stuff to make a great album as it is. One might ponder on what she'll do to improve for her third album. I'm not saying there isn't room for improvement; I'm saying that I can't wait for her next album. The film that she's taking part starting next spring (90) may do some time. (Me, I dunno about this film business; she's trying to do many things, I have no qualms about that. But taking a movie part so soon could go either way for her --- the risks (that) she seems to thrive on! Just as support is starting to really going, she may lose it with a bad film. She could gain even more (oh god, she's just RAKIN' the bucks!) with additional support for her abilities. Again, who knows? And far it be for me (or us) to question her direction.) ii/ The SEPTEMBER 1 CONCERT AT THE P.N.E. plus important info At 9am, Tuesday June 20th 1989, (1 year to the week that Foolish Beat went to number 1) LG 73 announced the September 1 date for a Debbie Gibson concert at the PNE. Tickets went on sale three days later and I had absolutely no hesitation to getting to my nearest ticket outlet at earliest notice. Well, no, I didn't do the "Overnighter" because I knew that it wouldn't be the type of concert to sell out in a few hours. Anyway, it turned out that I acquired 7th row floor seats just left facing the stage. Although I should have had better seats, I certainly was in no mood to complain. I got the tix, I got floor and the best thing, I was still within "spitting distance". ;-) Two whole months of anticipation strolled by. On that fateful day, I had no real expectations of what her concert would have been like. I haven't been so fortunate to have seen what Debbie has released in the form of videocassettes; all I had was her videos to go on. The Pacific Coliseum venue has a potential seating of 13,000 but what with the uni-directional stage, the maximum went down to 10,000. Of that, by the time Debbie came on, I observed a 60 to 80% fill rate. Rough figures to be sure but not bad for her first time in Vancouver. I, along with my girlfriend, took our seats in row 7 seats 34 and 35 and quickly noted the ... uhm ... the youth (that's it) of the crowd. Not surprisingly, the floor crowd was predominantly female between 12 to 16 with lots of generous smatterings of older teens, college-aged people, and parents who accompanied the teens. You know, this is starting to sound like Michael Scheele's review of the July 28 concert he attended in Worcester, MA. If it does, don't be too, too surprised. I won't bore you too much with similarities. Bros. opened up at 705pm, a British group formed by twins. I thought that the music was appropriate as an opening act for Debbie Gibson. However, the almost disco sound in their songs weren't in my blood that evening; I was at fever pitch to see the young lady. Yes, the guys on stage got the female boppers a-screaming and a-bouncing. Visions of George Michael again (Sept 25/88). I was pretty sure that these same females weren't going to scream with the similar .. uh .. zest once Debbie came on. Anyhow, they finished at 735pm and left the stagehands to their handiwork. Both my girlfriend and I thought it a long wait, getting everything right .. though we had no idea of what was in store. At 820pm, just as Mike (Scheele) described, the lights dimmed, the three pieces of cloth with the familiar figures appeared and ascended. Debbie came out with "Who Loves Ya Baby" and therein, I have no recall of her song lineup. (What did you do, Mike? Write all the songs down or do you just have a fab all memory?) The songs that Mike mentioned are close to what I remember her doing in concert. [Editor's Note: I did write all the songs down. I did the same for her first tour as well. Ok, so I am a bit strange. :-) -- Michael] There were several highlights : --> a confirmation : she looks much taller (and better) and sounds better LIVE. I also noted a squeakiness in her voice as Mike also noticed; I'd attribute that to the sound system. --> the white grand(?) piano that rises from underneath at front centre stage for Lost in Your Eyes and later, Foolish Beat. [Editor's Note: It was a Baldwin baby grand piano. She used a Yamaha baby grand piano for her first tour. -- Michael] --> she sustained an incredible energy level. She did have "long" breaks for her outfit changes; I'm sure backbreaking tour schedules would have take their toll, especially for the young lady in question. She rested well in her breaks. (We speculate all we like ...) --> Casimano & Stewart (the latter whom I swore was the twin of Roland Gift, lead of F.Y.C.) held their own very well. They were a lot of fun to watch. Oh yeah, these two and the band surprised her (allowing the crowd to participate) with a birthday cake and a birthday song in lieu of her 19th birthday the previous day. Rumour had it that she et al. were about town celebrating her birthday the previous evening. Needless to say, Debbie looked genuinely surprised by the turn of events; didn't look like a contrived set-up. From where we were watching, I'd have sworn she was blushing the entire time they were singing happy birthday to her. --> her encore consisted of "Try" and "Electric Youth" For me, it was a perfect way to end the evening with E.Y. The various laser and pyrotechnic displays came through over the course of her stint, and certainly they "went for broke" with "Electric Youth". She came out with her (Vancouver) Canucks shirt, obviously to the delight of the crowd and proceeded to roar lightspeed. They all did their thing and very similar to the video, too, I might add. Towards the end, I observed that Debbie was blinking (her eyes) quite profusely; she was sweating buckets, I'd say ... Both of us commented : her stage presence was fabulous. Again, she seems to know what's going on in the album making and in the aspects of concert touring. I received my second confirmation : she's going to be doing this for a long time. Love her or hate her, people can no longer deny the power she exerts on popular music today. All I really could afford from the concert (and what I thought was the only thing worth buying) was the tour programme ... lots of nice colour pix of Debbie, band, and her family. Other stuff at the concert included Bros. pins (no Debbie pins!), Gibson t-shirts ($23 Cdn), Gibson sweatshirts ($40 Cdn) and a door poster which has a similar, if not the same, pose to the back of the "Electric Youth" LP/CD that went for approx $10 to 15(Cdn). Let me reiterate ... is she EVER rakin' in the bucks ... At the back of this tour programme, I found the following : ***** For the latest in Debbie Gibson merchandise send self-addressed stamped "regular mail" envelope to : Debbie Gibson c/o ROCK EXPRESS P.O. Box 59 San Francisco, CA, USA, 94101 ***** By the way, I bought an *EXTRA* tour programme. I didn't really know why I did what I did but thought the notion would be useful. I believe a possible trade may be in order here. So, give me some ideas, folks. I don't really need the extra programme ... now, a poster ... there's an idea (hint hint) So, how useful have I been thus far? :-) What's really knocked my craw is the lack of concert reviews. Debbie was in Seattle for the Aug 28 date and I could find no review of her concert in the Seattle Times. She played here in Vancouver on Friday just into the long Labour Day weekend. There was absolutely no review in any of the local papers; they did seem fit to review a few other smaller acts around town that did play on Friday. ooooh What a p---s off .... iii/ DGIF I have questions about the reliability of DGIF, in terms of having its material "periodically" mailed out to its members. An "obvious" solution seems to find its way to locating an additional office on the West Coast (how about Vancouver? nahhh) in Los Angeles. Having material sent out from Long Island, no less New York, all the way to Vancouver (Canadian West Coast) looks like it could take an appreciable amount of time. I don't know about the reliability of your U.S. Postal system but here, in Canada, our beloved Canada Post is notoriously UNreliable. (And besides, you never know when they'll next go on "strike".) I would appreciate input from the DGIF members here in this forum discussion. What kind of "stuff" have you received? What kind of time difference are we looking at ... between sending your hard-earned dough and receiving your wares? (I note that there are quite a few from USC and Berkeley; some comments from you would be great since we're all West Coast.) Thanx a bunch. iv/ A FEW COMMENTS ON HER RELEASED SINGLES Only In My Dreams : hook, line and sinker! This was it ... Nothing deep but a whole lotta fun for a debut single (radio & video) She was made to look older in the vid, yes. Shake Your Love : Debbie wanted to look more herself than the first video; certainly got that here. I still liked this ... again, nothing deep but I got a better groove from this than the Milli Vanilli @#$%* going around these days. Here's the Paula Abdul connection; Debbie asked Paula for her choreography for the single. Out of the Blue : What a great way to open an album ... Although I wouldn't have admitted it earlier, I was rather convinced of her vocal ability and her "Knowledge" of what a pop song should be like. I wore out my first copy of the tape right about when this song peaked on the charts. Foolish Beat : Wow. I was in Ottawa, Ontario this summer (1988). I remember falling in love with this song and not really getting very tired at any radio or video play. I also remember going down to Toronto and purchasing the cassette single from the A&A's (the one with the HUGE sign) on Yonge St. Can't say enough of about this one, as far as I'm concerned. ***** either this or "Lost ..." could be possible Grammy nominations for 1988 Song of the Year Staying Together : By now, I was back in Vancouver and I thought it curious to come home with this single in mind. Now, I personally don't prefer the LP version. I would much rather listen to the "video" version ... the performance video for this single was good for a change, as compared to the above. After this vid, I was convinced that I had to attend her concert once she came around to Vancouver. Lost in Your Eyes : As I said earlier, possible Grammy nomination; allow me to speculate and say that we could have more than just one nomination for Debbie. Not a doubt in my mind once I heard this for the first time; it's that feeling you get about a song --- you know it's gonna go #1. But, my god, three weeks; some charts had 4! A small irony here. After "Lost..." completed its stint at the top, Paula Abdul (Shake Your Love) then (if memory serves me correctly) proceeded to take #1 for her 3 week hold with "Straight Up". Fascinating. I bought the album on the day of the actual album release not long after the release of "Lost..." (Debbie has a better, more rounded, even more "mature" voice in the way handles her material; a range of emotions in varying tempos for her many songs. Even her music has grown with her.) Electric Youth : An anthem for the youth of today, as it's said. I really liked this one, too ... I did not agree with its chart activity, though. The lack of response for the follow-up single to "Lost in Your Eyes" was puzzling. It just couldn't seem to accumulate much chart action. But those dance moves were a lot of fun to watch .... in video and in LIVE concert. No More Rhyme : Didn't she comment on her songs in issue 1? 2? About the rhythm of a relationship that's lost its rhyme? Good way to put it. The almost absolute "lack" of response, as compared to the previous songs, was almost frustrating. (To me, anyway) Just what kind of song was making it to the top, anyway? (Oh yeah. Right Here Waiting. Two to three weeks at #1. Gonna see that Marx dude Thursday night at the Orpheum. It'll be his and my 3rd time around.) As for the 12 inch versions that I've acquired, I have them all, although I have Foolish Beat and No More Rhyme on cassette. However, there are two that I'm missing ... I could NOT find Staying Together anywhere in Vancouver. I called the local offices of WEA Canada and they told me that there was no official Canadian release for that single. (Argh.) I'm also missing Lost In Your Eyes. Now, I know this was released everywhere but nowhere could I find it ... none, zip, nada, argh. (I personally refuse to buy the very breakable 7 inch beasts.) v/ VANCOUVER RESPONSE to RELEASED SINGLES based on Vancouver top 40 radio station (CK)LG 73 (AM 730) Song Peak Spot (When) Weeks on Top 40 (Total) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Only In My Dreams #6 Sept 15 - 22/87 Aug 12 - Oct 21/87 (11) Shake Your Love #16 Dec 23/87 Oct 28 - Dec 30/87 (10) Out of the Blue #7 Mar 9 - 16/88 Feb 3 - Apr 13/88 (11) Foolish Beat #1 Jun 22/88 Apr 27 - Jul 27/88 (14) Staying Together #12 Sept 14 - 21/88 Aug 17 - Oct 5/88 (8) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lost in Your Eyes #1 Mar 1 - 15/89 (3) Jan 18 - Apr 19/89 (14) Electric Youth #14 May 10 - 17/89 Apr 5 - May 31/89 (9) No More Rhyme #24 Jul 26 - Aug 2/89 Jun 28 - Aug 9/89 (7) --------------------------------------------------------------------- I've found that Vancouver, in general, ain't too receptive to Gibson, although the concert certainly was well-attended. Certainly, my own personal bias would have preferred to have seen more of her singles do (much) better. vi/ CONNECTIONS Although I have already expressed this to Michael (our lord, the moderator), I would like to get comments on the following. Since most of us are undergraduate students, we eventually will move on after graduation, whether it's employment, vacation or even (for saps like myself) grad school. As such, losing contact with people may be inevitable with inaccessibility to e-mail. Therefore, I have suggested the trading of e-mail and/or actual postal mail addresses between people. For "hard-core" fans like myself, it might be "unbearable" to go 2 months without an issue of "Between the Lines". I understand that this can lead to abuse (ie. hate mail) and I have little to no idea how one filters or even "selectively" filters out the good from the bad. It really depends on the (good) nature of the participants. Initial impressions have been good to me upon reading the previous issues. But again, this is something to toss around for awhile and I'd like to get some input on this, as I'm sure Mike would too. [Editor's Note: About the "our lord, the moderator" comment... Am I really that tyrannical? If so, why doesn't anyone say so? My mission is to insure that this is a quality publication. Any suggestions and comments are welcome. Criticizing me is not wrong. Anything to improve the mailing list is in order. -- Michael] FINAL REMARKS I am very grateful to the participants of this forum discussion. It *is* relieving and almost comforting to find people (mostly) in North America and in Europe who enjoy Debbie Gibson and her music as much as I do. Here's to you. I have NEVER seen such dedication and a following to a young woman who isn't even Universally Legal (21). We should keep this in perspective, though. It's entirely possible that she may read ALL of our musings someday. It's also very possible that she won't EVER know of our existence, though I get the feeling that could change anyday. There's still lots that I want to say, but the length is getting ridiculous. I'll save it for the next issue; you've got another contributor from this end for quite some time!! In closing (finally! you say), allow me these thoughts. You know, I've always wondered. What with her busy schedule, doing the concert and interview thing, and the movie bit coming up next spring .... this kind of fame has to have its price. Fortunately, she has her family to maintain important personal contact and ties. One might also wonder : "So many people know of her, you just can't be an ordinary person any longer. Once it happens, you're stuck for life. The actual thought and reality for Privacy becomes rather unique. The rest of us "normal" folk take day to day privacy for granted. Life's a pretty long stretch. Doesn't she ever get lonely?" Hmm. Henry (Henery) Lee BITNET : hlee@sfu <<-------- preferred INTERNET : hlee@cc.sfu.ca WHUAAAA!!!! C-c-c-c-c'mon!"!!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "We Could Be Together" Discography From: Ian R. Justman Date: Mon, 2 Oct 89 23:14:00 PDT Here's my discography on the "We Could Be Together": I bought the cassette single version (I'm starting to wish I had bought it on vinyl). Atlantic issue: 7 4-88896 Released 09/89 "We Could Be Together" This is a different mix from the one on the album. The mixing ratios are different. Mainly there are more vocals, and the synthesizers are a bit quieter in this version. There is a slight echo on the vocals, particularly on Debbie's voice, but it's not too much like it was on the house mix on the 12" single "Electric Youth", but just enough to be there. And the background vocals are brought out more, but a little too much for my tastes. Another thing to note is that the entire second bridge (starting with "There are no guarantees...") has been axed from this mix, probably to make it shorter for radio stations. The equalization is horrible probably because they were using inferior tape, but then again, to me, as a rule, cassettes tend to be inferior anyway. Very little, if not, no, high frequencies. Also, there's too much mid-range frequencies (250- 500 Hz). I haven't tried to dupe it to 7 1/2 i.p.s. open reel tape yet, so I don't know what kind of effect it will have. It does wonders with albums. "No More Rhyme" (Acoustic mix) I've seen a previous synopsis, so I won't mention it again. What I will say is that I'm impressed with this version of NMR. I like the more airy feel to it created by the absence of the percussion and a few other tracks, and the addition of the almost classic-sounding acoustic guitar in place of the saxophone which was a bit harsh, but I could listen to it (the song was building up to a very strong sound anyway). Overall impression: I would have to give it a lukewarm reception. If you're looking for a good place to get the acoustic version, of NMR, this is it. As for WCBT, it's OK, but not great. I liked the album version somewhat better. So, I think it's pretty much a good choice. Also, I haven't heard the vinyl version of it, so I don't know what its equalization is like and can't make a good assessment. My recommendation is STAY AWAY FROM THE CASSETTE SINGLE!! [Editor's Note: The best place to get the acoustic mix for "No More Rhyme" is the _Electric Youth_ CD. If you don't have a CD player, either the cassette single or the 7" vinyl single are alternatives. Side note: She's smiling on the cover of this single, thus breaking the streak of three non-smiling covers (I didn't like the one on NMR, but the one on EY was OK). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= (Not So) New Poll Idea From: Darren Troy Kumasawa Date: Sat, 22 Jul 89 15:31:55 PDT New poll idea: What songs (in order) do people wish were released from OUT OF THE BLUE that were not released? [Editor's Note: This was in BTL #7... No response so far... -- Michael] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Yet Another Poll An idea from Kathyrn Ericson: What are your three favorite Debbie Gibson songs? Re-mixes are allowable choices. With the large change in the membership (tripled) since this question was last asked, the results should be interesting. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Quotes of the Week From: Kathyrn Ericson Date: Fri, 8 Sep 1989 22:58:27 PDT Here is an interesting quote I found: "Once I sat down and said to myself, 'I want to write a song right now.' I looked at the paper and I actually used the paper as an idea, saying 'Hmmm...lines...BETWEEN THE LINES... that would make a great song title..." -- Debbie Gibson From: Steve Baylon Date: Sun, 30 Jul 89 20:34:25 EDT Debbie: " Well, I'm taking my road test next week. I just got a '57 Ford Fairlane Convertible. Actually, I just got it registered. I got the license plate for it yesterday. I'm sooo nervous. I bought it when I was out in California. I've always admired Fifties cars and I thought, "This is it!" when the dealer drove it over. I drove around in it a little and it's not too hard to drive. I thought it would be harder than it was. I love everything about the fifties and to me all new cars are starting to look alike. It's a lot of fun! The day I got it, I spent all day waxing it and it rained the next day anyway. " =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Random Thoughts From: Michael A. Scheele I am concerned that Atlantic will try to take control of Debbie's music from her due to her poor single performance recently. Despite a triple platinum debut album, a double platinum follow-up album (actually, this may not reach the triple platinum mark given sales), two #1 singles, and (until now) a string of 8 top 30 singles, Atlantic may lose faith in her ability to sell records for them. Their relatively free hand in her music was possible since she created commercially successful material. A capricious young fan base have switched their allegiance to artists like New Kids on the Block and Paula Abdul. Her growing legion of older fans may not increase fast enough to save her. I hope I am just being paranoid, but it is something to consider. Any ideas? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Questions & Answers Q: Mac Liaw Are there any posters available? A: Amin Kamadoli My friend from Hawaii said he saw at least three different cardboard promotional stand-ups of Debbie Gibson (in Hawaii). Q: Raymond Michiels Can anybody fill in the missing syllable (*) in the last line of Electric Youth? ("The next generation, inflation, *ation, relaxation, electric generation. An electric youth".) A: Amin Kamadoli The word that everyone was trying to figure out in the song "Electric Youth" is "flirtation." Q: Tim Hu What else do fellow Debbie fans listen to? [paraphrase of Tim's question] A: Steve Burstall < hnr_443854@emunix.emich.edu> Huey Lewis and the News, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Paul Simon, Any drum and bugle corps (I'm am ex-corpsman and BIG fan), Fleetwood Mac, Canadian Brass, Tchaikovsky, Was(Not Was), Spyro Gyra, Mr. Mister, ZZ Top and many more......let's say I listen to it all. Q: Darren Troy Kumasawa Correct me if I am wrong -- Debbie is not smiling on any of the single cover pictures for the three songs released from ELECTRIC YOUTH. Weird, eh? Any comments? A: Michael A. Scheele She is smiling on the cover of "We Could Be Together." As for a reason, I have no idea. Q: Michael A. Scheele Does anyone know if Danielle is really Deborah's niece or cousin? A: Michael A. Scheele Danielle is Deborah's cousin. Answer from D.G.I.F. Newsletter Volume 1, Number 4. Q: Michael A. Scheele What is the status of Deborah's driver's license? A: Steve Baylon I believe Debbie has her license already. This came out of an interview of a magazine a few weeks back. Q: Mac Liaw Was Debbie in Taiwan last year? Q: Michael A. Scheele Does anyone have the first D.G.I.F. Newsletter that they would willing to mail or photocopy? It should say "Spring '88" or something like that with no picture of Debbie on it. Q: Amin Kamadoli What is Debbie's favorite color? Someone said it was yellow, but I have never seen her wear a yellow shirt or anything else yellow. I thought her favorite color was blue....OUT OF THE BLUE, and she's always wearing blue (both album covers, front and back). Q: Michael A. Scheele Comments on the format of "Between the Lines"?? Any suggestions on how to improve the forum will be given consideration. Anything you would like to see added? Anything deleted?