=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S Volume 3, Issue 3 - March 11, 1991 DDDDD D D D D GGGG D D G DDDDD G GGG G G GGG A Debbie Gibson Discussion Forum =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CONTENTS * ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES * AN INTRO BY ARCHIE MEDRANO - Archie Medrano * AIP ALBUM REVIEW - Michael Scheele * _MIRACLE_ PROMO CD REVIEW - Sandra Chen * _MIRACLE_ SINGLE REVIEW - Steve Burstall * _SO CLOSE TO FOREVER_ REVIEW - Michael Scheele * A PRESENT FOR DEBORAH - Michael Scheele * DEBWATCH * QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS * CLOSING REMARKS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES Please send all submissions to ez000018@bullwinkle.ucdavis.edu and include the word 'SUBMISSION' as the subject. If you do not get a note indicating that we have received your submission within a few days, please remail it. We have added a new section called DEBWATCH which will summarize all the TV appearances by Deborah since the last BtL issue. We hope you will find this info useful. It will most likely appear occasionally like the QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS section. DISCLAIMER : **************************************************************************** This forum does not necessarily reflect the views of Deborah Ann Gibson, Gibson Management Inc. (GMI), the Atlantic Recording Corporation, or any organizations to which members belong or represent. All songs by Debbie Gibson are copyrighted by Deborah Ann's Music (ASCAP). This forum is a non-profit organization. **************************************************************************** BtL's moderators - * Matthew Jung : ez000018@bullwinkle.ucdavis.edu or myjung@ucdavis.bitnet * Henry "Hitman" Lee : userhhgc@mtsg.ubc.ca or lee@physics.ubc.ca * Sandra Chen : ez003229@bullwinkle.ucdavis.edu =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= AN INTRODUCTION BY ARCHIE MEDRANO Archie Medrano (MEDRANO@USDCSV.ACUSD.EDU) Date: Thu, 7 Mar 1991 16:47:37 PST Hi to all you Deborah Ann Gibson fans! I hope everyone is full of NRG. My fanaticism started when "Only in my Dreams" was played a lot on the radio. What caught me was Deborah's voice. It was high and NRGetic. Then came "Shake Your Love" and "Out of the Blue". That voice!!! But I didn't know much about her then than what I do now. And then "Foolish Beat" (which wasn't "a foolish beat of my heart") went to #1. That's when I bought the OOTB album, the first album I ever bought. I listened to it for an uncountable number of times. {The second album I bought was INXS' Kick.} "Staying Together" was played on the radio after I bought the OOTB. In 1989, I heard a song sung by a familiar voice. I thought to myself, "Could that be Debbie?" And yes, it was her. "Lost in Your Eyes" was a new single from her second album, _Electric Youth_. I bought the EY album when it first came out. I couldn't wait before that to buy it. Then there was an Inter- national Fashion Show at the University of San Diego. It was organized by the International Students Organization of USD. I helped out with the music by putting in the player different tapes. I brought some of mine along, and I was able to play the song "Electric Youth". That was before it was released. I thought it was great. Also this year is when I started collecting articles, pin-ups, etc., on Debbie. That same year, I joined DGIF. After seeing the address on the album, I wrote to DGIF. The first issue I received was Vol.1, #3. I still don't have copies of the first 2 issues. {I would like to receive photocopies of the first 2 issues from someone who has them. Thank you.} I also saw on the album about ordering the 2 videotapes, but Atlantic said they discontinued the mail order. So I bought the videotapes, OOTB & OOTB Live, from a music store instead. It was a very long time before _Anything is Possible_ was finished and released. I was also hoping to see "Skirts" during the summer of 1990 but it was never filmed. :-( When AIP and _Live Around the World_ came out, I bought them immediately. ...And then they had a box set containing the album and the video-tape. {I can't believe it.} This year I heard about Matthew Jung from a penpal of mine whose name is Rich Soto {Thanks Rich!}. I sent a message to Matthew and I got a response back from him. Anyway, this newsletter is great! I have found info that I have never seen or heard. Now, about me: - 20 years old (birthdate: August 16, 1970 - same day as Madonna's, different years - 15 days older than Deborah) - Junior (as of schoolyear 1990-91) at the University of San Diego - Major: MATHEMATICS; Minor: COMPUTER SCIENCE; also taking piano lessons for about a year now - I haven't been to any of her concerts, but I hope she'll come to San Diego this year... I have: - Music: * CD's --> OOTB, EY, AIP * CD-5 single --> EY * Cassettes --> OOTB, EY * Cassingles --> EY, NMR, WCBT, AIP, TSCM * Maxi-single --> AIP * 12" singles --> OIMD, AIP * VHS --> OOTB, OOTB Live, LATW * Other albums (w/ songs written by Debbie) include Ana's _Body Language_ (2nd album), _The Party_, Chris Cuevas' _Somehow, Someway_, and the Wonder Years soundtrack * Also: Atlantic Hit Singles 1980-88 (w/ "Foolish Beat") and Gold & Platinum, Vol. 6 (w/ "Only in my Dreams") - Books: * Piano_Vocal_Guitar --> OOTB, EY {Do they have AIP yet?} * Between the Lines * Electric Star * Debbie Gibson * Tour programs --> OOTB, EY - Miscellaneous: * pin-ups, articles, buttons, 6" button, squeeze bottle, 1990 calendar, posters, T-shirts, EY (press kit) folder, clips from shows (intrvw & performance), backstage/laminated passes - DGIF: * Vol. I, #3-4 * Vol. II, #1-4 * Vol. III, #1-2 * Official Member T-shirt * poster * postcards * AIP folder - penpals through DGIF from: * US, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, Philippines, Italy Fave: - band: INXS - male singer: Elton John - author: Isaac Asimov - colors: blue & gray Address: - MEDRANO@USDCSV.ACUSD.EDU or - Archie Medrano Box 383, USD, Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 USA =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= AIP ALBUM REVIEW Michael Scheele (pershing@ATHENA.MIT.EDU) Date: Tue, 12 Feb 91 02:56:40 EST Artist: Debbie Gibson Title : Anything Is Possible Label : Atlantic #7 82167-2 NRG^ (I assume this means "Energy Up!" rather than "high energy") Track 01: "Another Brick Falls" -- Interestingly enough a friend noted that this song resembles Japanese pop songs in general sound (at least in the intro). The descending chords were catchy. The piano solo is marvelous; the energy flows! The piano solo reminded me of a Chopin-like piano etude. The lyrics are passable, but a better vocabulary would have killed any semblance of honesty in the song. This is the third most energetic song on this section. Track 02: "Anything Is Possible" -- Lamont Dozier should either keep to himself or relearn what he did right for "Stop In the Name of Love." The song grows on you somewhat after awhile, but the production is the star of the song. The lyric sheets will prove necessary for most not blessed by a VERY revealing stereo setup. Track 03: "Reverse Psychology" -- The song has a sort of silly charm that won't let you hate it... The verses are much better than the chorus; a light hearted way to address a problem of a number of relationships. The "never did, never will" and "always have, always will" asides reminded me of the old Seven Up slogan. Cute, but not anywhere near her best. Again, eject Lamont... Replace with "Love Under My Pillow," it would be an improvement. Track 04: "One Step Ahead" -- The Jellybean effect in full force. He proves that he is a step ahead of Shep Pettibone in the mixing department; he can create a dance song without too many obvious gimmicks (Deb, Madonna, et al take note!). This song seems to illustrate the Miss Gibson strategy to keeping ahead of the competition. The rap portion was quite unnecessary; to use Deb's smooth voice for something as obviously choppy as rap is a crime of high order. It is never "time to rap" for some people -- "white girl" rap isn't the wave of the future. Kudos to Jellybean are in order for keeping Lamont under control. Track 05: "Stand Your Ground" -- Fred Zarr must have been mad at Deb to help her produce this song! Choppiness is once again rearing its ugly head; Deb should know better. I heard it in concert and didn't like it much; it didn't improve in the studio version. Madonna may like to sound "black," but this is unsuitable for Deb's vocal register. The rap makes me want to strangle Fred Zarr, well, not seriously (I'll just rag on him...). "Don't Flirt With Me" would have been far preferable to this song. Track 06: "Deep Down" -- This is an _Out of the Blue_ style song; the spiritual/gospel flavor of "Between the Lines" writ large. Ah, anachronisms are fun. One little minor complaint, the "sax solo go" comment is sort of cheesy... Track 07: "It Must Have Been My Boy" -- Okay, Lamont Dozier doesn't deserve to be hurled into a volcano... This is the most energetic song of the NRG^ side. It is extremely catchy and the horns are good. The subject matter initially struck me as petty, malicious -- "catty." After repeated listening, I get the feeling it was done more "tongue in cheek" than with any real ill will. This is good or else Allison Smith might hold a grudge against her for years to come. She is the logical real world model for Genevieve (note: Smith's "Kate and Allie" character's name is Jenny). Brian Bloom seems to be the logical fit for the male character though the scenario in the song is probably an amplification of real life. Teenage spleen venting done well. Track 08: "Lead Them Home My Dreams" -- A slick tune indeed. The message is rather vague, but I interpret the song to be a quest to recapture one's dreams that one has temporarily lost. Mood Swings (Ballads with a twist) Track 09: "One Hand, One Heart" -- Lucky Electric Youth tour attenders got to hear this long before the album. This is one spectacular ballad! The piano level could be kicked up about 3dB, but the strings were a nice touch (how about an entire orchestra string section next time? I'd love it!). Some might complain about the breathing into the microphone, but this seems to be a common tendency of many singers, just listen to most Carpenters albums (Karen Carpenter does so to about the same degree and few will dispute her vocal quality). Miss Gibson is definitely getting better at putting her emotions into the song. Her voice continues to improve and has a richness not heard in previous efforts. Track 10: "Sure" -- The repetitive piano at the beginning certainly illustrates the concept of something steady and certain (she loves using musical devices like this a lot). This is one of the most pessimistic songs I have heard in awhile (i.e. "Daylight turns into darkness as you realize only in dreams do dreams come true."). One can speculate about the inspiration for this song a great deal; my guess is that deals with either her family problems, disillusionment with some aspects of her career, or regret about a normal teenage life that never really was (or cut short). Once again Gibson shows real emotion, one can feel her pain in "God all I ask of you is to be sure..." Track 11: "Negative Energy" -- It takes some getting used to, but it is really a good song. The sound is similar to some jazz songs I have heard (a duet with Harry Connick, Jr. in the future?). I found the disjointed piano/vocal relationship very interesting; it is also similar to classical "lieds" in this respect. The subject of the lyrics is straight forward: direct, up front relationship, now! This type of song is a bit of a risk on a pop album and Miss Gibson should be congratulated for the courage. Track 12: "Mood Swings" -- Gibson's singing saves this somewhat syrupy song. The way she sings "mood swings" and the chorus is simply entrancing. I hope she never takes residence near an area with large rocks and vortices; a siren is not a respectable career (obligatory literary allusion). Freddy Jackson was a complete waste as a backup singer; he should go back to making his rather formula romance albums -- he's far better at it... Track 13: "Try" -- Some Electric Youth tour attendees will remember this song. I recall having the same "spine tingling sensation" hearing this song as I did hearing "Lost In Your Eyes" the first time in the Out of the Blue Tour. Studio songs don't hold a candle to Deborah singing live in concert though. When she sings "Why don't we try a little harder," it melts the heart a bit to hear it (some of my sentimentality showing). The electronic organ sound must go though! Track 14: "In His Mind" -- A very eerie sounding song; a result of harmonic minor chord being used according to a friend (as good an explanation as I could come up with). This song shows some added sophistication on the part of Deborah Gibson, the songwriter. A very moving song. Bravo! Track 15: "Where Have You Been?" -- This song shows why we can expect to hear a lot more from this 20 year old wunderkind (if there is any justice in the music world). This is one of the most emotionally powerful songs to grace a pop album in awhile (in this reviewer's opinion). The orchestration is very good except the piano and the strings could be boosted about 3 dB relative to the rest. The ending is particularly powerful, the strings really conveyed anger. Vocals were superb with excellent emotional projection. The climax of the song at "What did you do to me?" is heart wrenching. If one isn't somewhat drained after hearing this song, one just isn't listening or would remain passive in the midst of a tornado (some hyperbole added in). This song is too "down" for Top-40 play, but it would be excellent for Adult Contemporary. It could drive an unfaithful spouse to suicide one would imagine... Track 16: "This So Called Miracle" -- A very personal anthem. One cannot help but feel sympathy for her listening to the lyrics; one realizes stardom isn't all roses. The extended coda worked well to illustrate the frustration she must feel. The progression of phrases with the word "miracle" in it is well done. Madonna doesn't have a monopoly on personally revealing songs in pop (songs from _Like A Prayer_) Album overall: This album is a musical portrait of the maturing process; Deborah Ann Gibson's fourth album will be the album that really shows a grown-up, mature artist and woman. _Anything Is Possible_ is a study in paradoxes and contradictions. She shows lyrical growth while still showing some remnants of her teenage years; this is to be expected. As an artist, she continues to grow: her voice is still improving, her sophistication with instrumentation is improving, her songwriting talent shows signs of marked improvement (on the average), and her control remains very high (though she needs more experience as a recording engineer). Risks and formula were mixed with the tried and true Gibson style; she takes some interesting departures while also making some unfortunate concessions to today's impoverished musical tastes. Though inconsistent in many ways, _Anything Is Possible_ rises above both _Out of the Blue_ and _Electric Youth_ due to artistic growth. In any event, _Anything Is Possible_ is a snapshot of an artist in transition and one suspects the best is yet to come, truly anything IS possible... Can't wait until the tour and album #4!!!! Comments on Musicians: A mixture of familiar musicians and newcomers are featured on this album. Most are up to the task. Why Bashiri Johnson is still around is a mystery to me; he is truly a limiting factor in the percussion tracks. At least Fred Levine isn't so mediocre as a drummer. The backup singers were fair, but not spectacular. Suggestions: Make the studio more anechoic! Echo decimates smooth voices, so avoid it. Some more attention should be paid to the levels, key instruments deserve to be more in the foreground. The soundstage could be enhanced, the imaging is satisfactory on few stereo systems (except for very expensive setups). With the number of tracks possible to employ in the mix (48 on her state of the art digital recorder), attention should be paid to the phase relationships for clear and coherent sound. A more minimalist recording technique might help in this respect. Also, she should never forget who is the star; sometimes the instruments and background overshadow her voice. My wish would be for recordings of her music to more closely capture her mellifluous voice and consummate musicianship plus the energy of her concert performances. Stylistic recommendations: Avoid rap/hip-hop at all costs; it may be popular, but some artists aren't meant for it. Concentrate on ballads and mid-tempo songs, those are strong areas for Miss Gibson. Conceding the dance style to the likes of Madonna, Paula Abdul, and Janet Jackson might not be a bad move from the commercial standpoint. Continue to explore new areas like jazz and the incorporation of classical elements; experimentation is often rewarding. Avoid the excessively chaotic and choppy. Ignore most critics who write first and listen (if at all) later; most aren't qualified to be the judge of much of anything. Focus on a specific target audience; one that appreciates the ballads and mid-tempo songs. Realize that keeping the younger audience becomes more difficult as each year passes by; the commonality fades with age. It is far better to have a small, but loyal fan base rather than a large, transient one (Billy Joel was a good example of this up until _The Nylon Curtain_). Image: The Harley was an amusing/horrifying touch. That outfit was trashy looking, though it is in fashion. Sexy is not how I would describe Debbie Gibson, especially in that outfit. So-so legs, and a rather modest figure, et al do not a sexy image make. Her eyes and smile are definitely her best features (having met her, I'd vouch for that). I'd suggest strapless evening gowns/cocktail dress at raciest; anyway, classy beats trashy anyday in my book. A medium length of hair seems to be the best for her and she should retain her natural hair color. She wants to be taken seriously, she should stop coloring her hair blond (how men take blondes seriously?). Growing up and looking "sexy" should not be confused. The two are certainly not heavily correlated except in the minds of the superficial. Maturity is not a matter of declaration, but of being. As long as she retains her mostly old fashioned values, a "sexy" image is not terribly appropriate. Does she expect to meet any worthwhile man looking like that (one not after just one thing)? Conservative clothes will allow her to look older and more mature (if that is what she is after) without advertising the wrong messages. Proper doesn't necessarily mean boring, so why not? Summary: I liked the album, but this will prove to be the most difficult Debbie Gibson album to get used to. I miss the exuberance and optimism of the first two albums, but I appreciate her artistic growth. This album is not as accessible, but if non-fans gave this album a chance, they might discover what they have been missing all these years; musical talent! Michael Scheele's Ranking of Songs from _Anything Is Possible_ 1. "Where Have You Been?" 2. "One Hand, One Heart" 3. "Sure" 4. "In His Mind" 5. "This So Called Miracle" 6. "Try" 7. "Lead Them Home My Dreams" 8. "Another Brick Falls" 9. "It Must've Been My Boy" 10. "Negative Energy" 11. "Anything Is Possible" 12. "Mood Swings" 13. "One Step Ahead" 14. "Deep Down" 15. "Reverse Psychology" 16. "Stand Your Ground" Michael A. Scheele pershing@athena.mit.edu =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _MIRACLE_ PROMO CD REVIEW Sandra Chen (ez003229@bullwinkle.ucdavis.edu) Date: Sun, 17 Feb 1991 19:10:10 PST DEBBIE GIBSON: (This So-Called) MIRACLE [PRCD 3770-2] 1991 Picture : A closeup of a wet-haired Debbie Value : $5 (approximate, since this CD is not intended for public sale) Track(s): 1) (This So-Called) MIRACLE (Edit) (4:14) Notes : This is the version of the song that was sent to radio stations. It differs in 3 ways from the album version: 1) Notice that the title has been changed to "Miracle". 2) Remixing was done to emphasize the song's beat (very noticable). 3) The most important change is the removal of the 3rd and 4th verses, as well as the song's bridge. As far as promo CDs go, this is a no-frills disc compared to what Atlantic has put out in the past (see article in BTL 2.11). No extra mixes, no lyrics sheet, nothing! The picture on the title card isn't a very good one of Debbie either. Review : Although it was necessary to shorten the song for radio, the removal of key verses and the bridge makes this version sound very repetitive after the first 2 minutes (she sings the same thing over and over again for the rest of the song). Rating : 6 (out of 10). [I gave the album version an 8]. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _MIRACLE_ SINGLE REVIEW Steve Burstall (Steve_Burstall@um.cc.umich.edu) Date: Wed, 6 Mar 91 11:47:44 EST PLASTIC REVIEW OF (This So-Called)Miracle The votes are not all in yet according to DGIF. So to keep the Debheads happy, Deborah has released the next single from the AIP album. She released (This So-Called)Miracle (notice title change). I was expecting the whole version (the 7 1/2 minute one) to be released, but to me, the whole song was too long for many listeners to want to stay on the radio. We were talking channel change real quick after the first minute. Instead she recorded an edited version which only lasts 4 minutes. You might say there was much rejoicing. Instead this edit is a bomb. I mean it's worse than even the long version. In the long version, the ending was only 2 minutes long and I thought that she could cut a lot out and make the song more listenable. Instead, she cut out of the center, leaving the whole 2 minute ending. This is quite distracting from the edited single. It was bad enough when the ending was less than a third of the song. Now it's over half and it really makes the song seem even longer. This is one time that editing is going to hurt a song. If she wanted a better release she should have cut some of the ending. Actually to me she should have gone with what the majority of the votes were at that time (maybe even the second place song). Afterall she had "One Hand, One Heart" or "Another Brick Falls" to fall back on, both of which are considered some of her works on the album. So now onto the Plastic rating: Musicality (30) : 17 General Effect (40) : 21 Ensemble (30) : 18 Total (100) : 56 Musicality: The song lost a lot with the edit. It doesn't sound musical anymore. I'm not saying it's choppy, in fact, you can't tell that it is. It's just the transitions are a little awkward and more time should have been spent on fixing it. General Effect: OOoooo, this really hurt her. What was considered a good song to begin with (it would have been top 30 by my previous reveiw) now turned into a disaster and will be lucky to into the top 50. This song is not possible. Ensemble: There was no difference here. I didn't like it in the first place so why change. TSCM just doesn't do it for me and the ensemble work was making me think of the Beatles. Are they making a comback? Final: A score of 56 says the the song will not break the top 50. Even the Troopers had a better show than she did with this song. We can pray that I'm wrong but I'm sticking to my guns. Pray for This So-Called Miracle Steve "Plastic" Burstall =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _SO CLOSE TO FOREVER_ REVIEW Michael Scheele (pershing@ATHENA.MIT.EDU) Date: Tue, 12 Feb 91 02:56:40 EST Lyrically similar to "One Hand, One Heart," but a bit darker. The solo piano (plus minor acoustic guitar accompaniment) suits Deb's voice very well. Emotion was well expressed and the style reminds me of the Carpenters. This song further reinforces the fact that Deborah's ballads are best done with minimal accompaniment (mostly her and her piano). This song deserves to be on the album _Anything Is Possible_ (cut something from NRG^ if necessary). Michael A. Scheele pershing@athena.mit.edu =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A PRESENT FOR DEBORAH Michael Scheele (pershing@ATHENA.MIT.EDU) Date: Tue, 12 Feb 91 22:20:25 EST For Deborah's twentieth birthday (August 31, 1990), I thought that a special present was in order. After all, her music has brightened up my life a great deal and she provides an excellent source of inspiration to succeed. I would have wanted to buy her a classic car from the 1950s, especially this red and white '57 Chevy convertible (in near mint condition) that the father of a friend owns, but I did not have (and will not have for awhile) the funds to do this. I could not think of a gift that would be appropriate and not frivolous. Another constraint was that the gift could not be taken the wrong way (i.e. a large gold necklace). A talk with another BTLer (who shall remain nameless) helped me out as he noted that she probably owns most of what she wants and that a standard gift would be a waste for the most part. I conceded this was probably true as barring anything really rare, what could I purchase for her that she has a use for and doesn't already have? After skimming some articles on Deb I noticed that a lot of the gifts given to her are donated to charity (Deb has one of the kindest hearts in the Universe). Then came inspiration like a proverbial lightning bolt! I could donate gifts on her behalf to some needy children. Deborah is especially concerned about children with terminal illnesses, so I decided to pick a NYC hospital that had terminal illnesses as a recipient. I called FAO Schwarz in NYC and arranged to have several stuffed animals donated to Mount Sinai Hospital's Children's Center in Deborah's name. It worked out rather well; FAO Schwarz was very helpful (beyond the call of duty) though the personal shopper (a middle-aged woman by the sound) didn't know who Deb was. Unfortunately, I was not able to get GPI to contact Deb about this. So my attempt at setting up a PR opportunity for Deb panned out (her publicist is under the thumb of GPI). I thought the kids would have been thrilled to meet her, but it didn't work out -- it was sort of my fault as I arranged the deal only a couple of days before her birthday. Later I received a letter from The Mount Sinai Children's Center Foundation, Inc. thanking me for the donation and a copy of the note they sent to Deb at GPI. I also received a note from DGIF thanking me for the "thoughtful gift." Incidentally, to those of you have received handwritten notes from Deb on little DGIF cards, the handwriting is that of some of the office staff and the signature is a copy of an original (I checked the handwriting on a number of notes I have received against the autograph I got from her at the NY Music Awards in March 1990). Regardless of the fact that it is entirely possible that Deb never found out much about this due to GPI/DGIF filtering, I still have no regrets about it. I made some children suffering from kidney ailments feel a little better and gave Deb a minor PR boost, so I felt quite satisfied. For her 21st birthday, I'd like to figure out a way to get invited to the party, but no inspirations have hit me yet. I'd settle for her showing up at my graduation at M.I.T. this June though. :-) Word of caution to those who would like to duplicate this feat, it was very expensive (around $200) and I was glad I was earning a lot during the summer. Roses are cheaper to send ($40-60/dozen from Long Island florists)... Birthday cards cheaper still... I do the craziest things because of Deb, but then again a number of other people I know do too... On to the next crazy endeavor... :-) Michael A. Scheele pershing@athena.mit.edu =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= DEBWATCH Here is a summary of the known TV appearances that Debbie made between 02/11/91 - 03/10/91: 1) RICK DEES (2/14/91) - Dees did an interview with Deb and gave us a peek at her new "Miracle" video. Deb "kinda, sorta" has a boyfriend. 2) BEVERLY HILLS 90210 (2/14/91) - Deb made a surprise cameo at the end of the show; the school DJ called her number (thinking he was calling M.C. Hammer) and she listened to him for a while before hanging up. "Deep Down" was played in the background and we got to see her new puppy. 3) GRAMMY AWARDS (2/20/91) - Deb presented an award with Vanilla Ice to Mariah Carey (Best Female Pop Vocal). 4) A CURRENT AFFAIR (2/28/91) - In their report of "Voices That Care", they showed a small segment of Deb demoing a verse from the song. 5) VOICES THAT CARE (2/28/91) - Deb appeared very briefly throughout this documentary. Apparently, her verse (demoed in "A Current Affair") was never used in the video. She does appear in the chorus, however. At the very end of the credits, a good facial shot of Deb was shown for a split second. 6) ARSENIO HALL (3/2-3/91) - This was the long awaited repeat of the episode that wasn't aired in many parts of the country on 01-16-91 (due to the war). Deb gave a live performance of "Anything Is Possible" and talked a little bit with Arsenio. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Q. Archie Medrano (MEDRANO@USDCSV.ACUSD.EDU) What are _GIF_ files? A. GIFs are graphics files which may be viewed on many popular computer systems with the proper software and video hardware. Several members have made Debbie Gibson GIFS. For more information, please send email to Matthew Jung (ez000018@bullwinkle.ucdavis.edu). Q. Archie Medrano (MEDRANO@USDCSV.ACUSD.EDU) Who has the lyrics to the songs that Debbie wrote for Ana? I would appreciate it if someone can send them to me. Thanks! Q. Archie Medrano (MEDRANO@USDCSV.ACUSD.EDU) When are Jo Beth Taylor's and Keeth Stewart's debut albums going to be released? Who was that Alexander guy in DGIF 3.2? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CLOSING REMARKS We'd like to thank the people who have been feeding BtL issues onto Fidonet; we appreciate the support. According to Felix Ng, Deb will be on the Much Music Spotlight FRIDAY, MARCH 15th. For our Canadian members, as well as the members who have access to satellite dishes, this may be your chance to watch the video for _Miracle_ in its entirety. Deborah is supposed to begin her tour very soon so we'd appreciate any info. Could the members who receive the tour schedule from DGIF first please send the data to us? DGIF doesn't have a systematic way of sending out stuff so some members have been lucky enough to receive stuff weeks before others. Any important tour information will be sent out via the mailing list from now on as well as updates. Please do not reply to these unless you have further information. Thanks.