=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S Volume 4, Issue 1 - January 1, 1992 DDDDD GGGG D D G A D D E B B I E G GGG I B S O N D D G G DDDDD GGGG DISCUSSION FORUM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CONTENTS =- ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES INTERVIEW ON Z-95.3 FM - Felix Ng NO MEET AND GREET POLICY - Various DG STALKER SENTENCE OVERTURNED - Eldon Beard CONCORD RESORT CONCERT REVIEW - David Stoeckl UPCOMING ATLANTIC CITY CONCERT INFO - Shaun Stuart 1992 DG CALENDAR - Jim Cook SONG POLL RESULTS - Sandy Chen SONG POLL COMMENTARY - Various MORE ASTROLOGY - Sandy Chen QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CLOSING REMARKS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= 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) or Possibilities Publishing (ASCAP). Any material used in this forum may not be sold or distributed for profit. Between the Lines is a non-profit organization. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES =- Between the Lines (BtL) is an electronic newsletter about Deborah Gibson and her music. To join the BtL mailing list, send email to Matthew Jung at ez000018@hamlet.ucdavis.edu or myjung@ucdavis.bitnet. When we started in 1989, there were just 15 people receiving our issues. Going into our fourth year, the mailing list has grown to over 130 members worldwide. Sometimes there may be information regarding an upcoming TV appearance or other important info which cannot wait for a BtL issue. If you have this kind of information, please email it to Matthew Jung and Sandy Chen. We will distribute the information on the mailing list if we believe it is of interest to others. We reserve the right to edit such information. BtL has been successful during these past few years due to participation. We encourage you to write articles about Debbie Gibson whether raving or critical. Please keep your articles original. We will accept transcribed material from magazines, newspapers, radio, or TV only if you write some analysis as well. To submit articles, please email them to Matthew Jung. Submissions for BtL are now accepted by Fax or postal mail. Sorry, the computer cannot "recognize" handwritten submissions. Please proofread and type your articles. We reserve the right to include, exclude, or edit them. To submit articles by postal mail, please send them to: BETWEEN THE LINES c/o Felix Ng 2137 Qualicum Drive Vancouver, B.C. V5P 2M3 CANADA To submit articles by Fax please call: Fax: (604) 322-5936 BtL is now available through postal mail for the cost of postage and paper. Rates are subject to change since some BtL issues can be twice as long as others. Canada $1.25 Cdn. United States $1.30 U.S. International $2.50 Cdn. Please make a cheque or money order payable to Felix Ng and mail it to the postal address mentioned above. BtL is not responsible for cash lost or stolen in the mail. Lastly, if you have any questions, experiences (past, present, or future), or comments on Deb, please share them with us. Anything is possible in 1992 if you just set your mind to it! -= BtL moderators =- Matthew Jung : ez000018@hamlet.ucdavis.edu mjung@bloom.ucdavis.edu myjung@ucdavis.bitnet Sandy Chen : ez003229@othello.ucdavis.edu Felix Ng : fng@arkham.wimsey.bc.ca =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTERVIEW ON Z-95.3 FM =- Felix Ng (fng@arkham.wimsey.bc.ca) December 26, 1991 Here's a transcription of an interview on Z-95.3 FM in Vancouver, Canada. Debbie Gibson was here to guest star on "Street Justice" in late November. She tells Street Beat's Gordino the part was made for her. Debbie Gibson = DG Gordino = G DG: The role is of a singer... G: Oh, wow. DG: But the fact that she's a singer actually is the only similarity between this girl whose, the character's name is Gabrielle. That's really the only similarity between me and this person. G: Do you sing in the show? DG: Just a little bit. It's just there is one scene where we're supposed to be kinda working out a song sitting on my bed with a guitar. G: Is it this right here? DG: That sure is . G: That's, uh, okay. Sheet music with Debbie Gibson's name on it and then Grady down here so I guess you have four or five bars to do. DG: Yeah just a...and then Grady comes in on the guitar and then I kinda sing along with him and just kinda humming and ooze and ah's. Not...nothing real, no big production numbers or anything like that. G: Okay. You've talked about timeless music and your want and love for that and Broadway. The next stop for you, I understand is you're going to hit the boards on Broadway again. DG: Yes, I'm going to play the role of Eponine on Les Miz and I can't wait because I wanted to play that role for six years since they auditioned for the original cast because I auditioned at the time. And that was about six months before I got my recording contract so I guess everything does work out for the best, you know. But, I don't think vocally I was ready for it then. I don't think mentally I was ready for it then. I was fifteen years old and now I feel completely ready for it so I'm psyched. G: Are you ready for the day to day grind and two show on Saturdays? DG: Yeah, you know, it's so funny people would say that, but to me when I'm on the road, I carry a two hour show by myself. So the idea of being a part of the cast takes a load of pressure off me to begin with. And being in the same city everyday takes a load of pressure off because the hardest thing...like I said after doing five shows a week in different cities everynight travelling on the bus, I mean, to me that's a grind. That's very, very difficult. Just the fact that I'm going to be, like I said be in New York everyday...if I'm tired, or whatever, I can sleep during the day and do my show at night and the two show a day thing is not really a problem to me 'cause I've done it before. I've done theater before. _Anything_Is_Possible_ was played. G: When are you coming back to Vancouver? DG: I'm not sure. I've been here a few times, on tour. I've spent my birthday here one year because I happen to be in town doing a show. Now I'm spending my Thanksgiving here this time so I'll probably be here on new year on Christmas or something, I don't know. But next tour I'm sure I'll come through. [Editor's Note: Deb spent her 19th birthday in Vancouver] G: Where do you like to hang out when you're in town? DG: There's really no time to hang out . A person from the background says Robson Street. DG: Yeah, yeah. I do try to get a little shopping, a little walking around and...I love Penny Lane. I haven't gone there this trip, but last trip I went. I wanna go back. G: What did you buy the last time you were here? DG: The last time I was here I bought a pair of riding boots. G: Ooh. DG: Yeah, I don't ride. It's just for the fashion statement. This time I bought shoes too which is very funny. A lot of good shoe stores around here. G: That's strange because a lot of Canadian's go to the States to buy their shoes and you come from New York City to Vancouver to buy shoes. DG: I guess it's just that they're different. So I guess if people go to New York, you know, they have totally different stuff here than they do in New York and you always like to get stuff that's a little different so I guess that's why. G: You'll probably be going to a lot of Christmas parties in December and I have to know what you're going to be wearing. DG: What am I going to be wearing ? I bought a little dress here too and it looks kinda like fifties-ish. You know, it's a little flary kinda dress. It's black and white and it's got.... G: Black and white are good colours. DG: Yeah, it's like white up top, black on skirt. It's got little black polka dots on it. It's really cool. See I love everything about the 50's and 60's. I love that last year, it seemed like 60's styles were in and this year it seems like it's going back another decade to the fifties. The interview ended with _One_Step_Ahead_. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= NO MEET AND GREET POLICY =- For some fans, to meet Deborah means a lot to them. There was a girl at the Caboodles concert who mentioned how she used to dream about meeting Deborah. When she finally got to meet Deb after the concert, she couldn't help but hug Deb and cry. Other fans have been fortunate enough in the past to meet Deb at various places on tour, at charity benefits, etc. Unfortunately, there may be a new policy in the future which will curtail attempts by fans to meet Deb. We begin our discussion with an incident that happened in Vancouver, Canada, where Deborah was in town to film some scenes for an upcoming (week of Feb. 3rd) episode of the television show Street Justice. * * * * * From: Felix Ng (fng@arkham.wimsey.bc.ca) November 26, 1991 Okay, this is what happened yesterday. I just got home. At about 2pm, Nimet and I found out that Deb was staying at Le Meridien. When we got there, about 3pm, we looked around the hotel. There was no trace of Deb so we sat in the lobby for about 2 hours hoping we would see her walk by. Nothing. It was now about 6pm. We didn't want to stay there too long so went back out and looked into the stores on Robson Street. Also, we went to Penny Lane (that's where she ate at last time she was here). Nothing. We then proceeded to Denny's which was right across the Le Meridien for a long dinner. We saw nothing so we went back to the hotel and walked around again. We asked the hotel operator to connect us to her room but she wasn't there so we left the flowers we bought at the reception desk so they could give it to her. It was now about 8:30pm. Nimet and I decided to go his apartment (only about 4 blocks away) to think out our next move. We decided to go back to leave all the Volume I BtL's and BtL3.14 for her at the reception desk. When we got back there at about quarter after nine, we decided to sweep the hotel one more time. We did about 10 levels starting from the top and stopped. It was now ten after ten. We went back to the lobby to give the BtL's to the reception desk. While I was taking them out from my knapsack, three people walked across the lobby behind me. Yes, it was Deb, her mother and Herby Sanchez (I think)! They were heading for the elevators. [Editor's Note: Herby Sanchez is one of Deb's dancers. He appears in the "This So-Called Miracle" video as her lost love in the 50's and her "boy" in concert for "It Must Have Been My Boy."] When her mother knew we were there to see Deb, she walked up to us and said I DO NOT WANT TO SEE YOU GUYS IN THIS HOTEL. IT IS AN INVASION OF PRIVACY and stuff like that. While her mother was telling us all of this, Deb and Herby(?) went into the elevator. Deb then looked at us inside the elevator with a guilty face. When her mom saw us look at her, she pushed us away and told security and the reception desk we don't belong here. Security then said sorry to us very sympathetically. After that, we went home. * * * * * From: Henry Lee (lee@physics.ubc.ca) November 28, 1991 You know, as I told either Nimet or Felix yesterday, if I were there, I've emotionally distanced myself far enough to have not taken it. "An invasion of privacy" doesn't cut it, as far as I'm concerned. Clearly, the motivations of these guys being at The Meridien were *not* ill-intended because as most of you have said, she has been vulnerable MANY TIMES ... especially during the recent tour. So, there is little reason (rationally speaking) for the public display. As well, I would've chewed her out big time because my friends were embarrassed. I'm not one to take these things lightly anymore ... Why? Because it's happened to me before and well, I understand it even though it's hard to empathize sometimes. I'm angry because my friends were publicly humiliated. And I'm a little dissed (no, angry) that Deb stood idly by with a guilty face. "You the centre of the world now, homegirl, with your mother as public defender?" * * * * * From: Jonathan Bradshaw (jbradsha@mentor.cc.purdue.edu) November 28, 1991 Hmm, I wonder, what would happen if DGIF received a bunch of letters referring to the incident asking if this is what we can now expect as future treatment to all Deb fans. Include in the letter the numerous examples of her loyal fans standing by her, the birthday cards, etc. Gently hint at the fact that this goes against everything Deb has said about herself and how she feels about her fans and that in so going back on her statements her fans may not feel the same support for her. This should get to Diane's ears - and with any luck turn them bright red, after all, if Diane feels money comes above all else, then the hints should make her realize insulting fans does NOT raise your sales or support! It also shows that Deb fans are united in their support and insulting one member causes every member to feel insulted (I sure feel that way, and from the number of messages I've got, I think everyone does). Well? Anyone game for it? The letter must be carefully worded NOT to insult Deb in anyway or her mother, but rather to express CONCERN. There may have been a perfectly legit reason. * * * * * From: Matthew Jung (ez000018@hamlet.ucdavis.edu) November 28th, 1991 I've already sent my letter. If Deb realizes that this incident has upset many of her loyalist fans across the country then perhaps she will tell Diane to be a little more civil to us in the future. It was only in August when Felix and I were running around Seattle to find Deb's hotel in hopes of meeting her in the lobby. Diane wasn't around and we weren't successful anyway since everyone went to Portland right after the show. Suppose if Diane were there, the band had stayed in Seattle that night, and Felix and I were successful. Would we have received the same treatment back then? I take this very personally and I feel like I was there with Nimet and Felix. Was there a legitimate reason for Diane's unreasonable behavior? One could argue that Diane was only protecting Deb. Nevertheless, if there was a death threat, then why wasn't Deborah surrounded by a bunch of goons to protect her? Besides, this didn't stop Deb from meeting her fans before. According to what Felix told me a while back, Deb received a death threat at the Calgary airport a little over two years ago during the Electric Youth tour. Even so, Nimet was able to meet Deborah. Even when security was busy trying to usher Deb on the plane, Deb still took time out to take a picture and shake Nimet's hand. * * * * * Robert Liptack December 10, 1991 Just read your note about Diane... We were at the Concord to see Debbie. From an inside source, there has been a lot of in house problems: security VS public relations. This is the second time I had problems with their road manager Mike. He seems to get a charge out of the "POWER" he has over who sees Debbie and the amount of time she spends doing it. At the Concord, Diane and Mike had a shouting match about the "no meet and greet" policy they had planned. Mike said, "I can't believe how much you cave into these fans" along with other choice words I can't mention here. If GMI was smart, they would hire a concert publicist to handle and clear all the meet and greets and try to work with the publicist to help them understand why she can't see them etc. Could be that Diane was just plain tired. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DG STALKER SENTENCE OVERTURNED =- Eldon Beard (71541.475@CompuServe.COM) December 20, 1991 Following is an article I picked up off the news wires. It is really sad in a lot of ways... but I know it will be of interest to all of Deb's fans. CINCINNATI (UPI) -- A federal appeals court says a six-year prison sentence is too long for a man who threatened to kill singer Debbie Gibson. A three-judge panel with the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday threw out the sentence in the case of Robert C. Pelfey, 39, of Barberton, Ohio, and sent it back to a lower court in Akron for resentencing. Pelfrey, who is a father of four, pleaded guilty to one count of extortion for stalking Gibson and threatening to kill her. Judges Nathaniel Jones, David Nelson and Charles W. Joiner said a federal district judge in Akron failed to explain how he arrived at a six-year prison term when the maximum allowed under federal guidelines is 16 months. Judges can go beyond the guidelines under certain circumstances. Court documents showed Pelfrey had sent more than 100 letters to Gibson since April 1988. The letters began with an amorous tone but later turned to threats when Gibson's father ordered Palfrey to stop writing his daughter, who was then a teenager. Pelfrey, who was later diagnosed with a delusional paranoid disorder, drove to New York state in 1988, demanding to see Gibson at a house her family owned. The house had been rented to other people but Pelfrey refused to believe Gibson was not there. He continued writing to the singer, threatening to kill her and blow up the house, despite warnings from police and the FBI. Federal officials arrested Pelfrey on Sept. 14, 1989, after he threatened to kill Gibson at a concert at the Blossom Music Center near Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Copyright 1991 United Press International =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CONCORD RESORT CONCERT REVIEW =- David Stoeckl (David.Stoeckl@f415.n270.z1.fidonet.org) December 13, 1991 On November 30, due a lot to the generosity of Robert Liptack, I was able to attend the concert in Kiamesha Lake, NY at the Concord Resort. After a quick 5 hour drive, I arrived and found my way in to change and get ready for looking around, finding any "regulars" and of course going to the concert later that evening. The concert was very much the same as the other one I saw (Devon, PA) with a few exceptions... 1 - There was a lot more "polished" dancing (but then again, Valley Forge has a rather small stage). 2 - The overall performance was shorter. Among others, "Sure", "Try", and a few others were dropped from the lineup. The 'hits' were included of course. Also, no "new" songs. 3 - "On My Own" was performed using a Broadway version, not just the short 4 minute clip, but the "full" production. This was probably the best song of the night! [Editor's Note: Deb started using the full Broadway version on August 25th, 1991 at the concert in Anaheim, California] Thankfully (grin), Chris Cuevas went out to play football earlier and mangled his foot. Because of that he was pretty much carried onto the stage, sat in a chair, given a guitar and went at it. His performance (this time) was a mercifully short 4-5 song set. Regrettably, the boy decided he should try country music... Debbie's performance was excellent, although with the crowd almost totally made up of 60 year old vacationing Jewish couples, it was somewhat less than enthusiastic... Thankfully for Debbie, there was a pack of about 20 "Debheads" (including fellow DGIF contest winner Carrie Sapp, and the infamous Jennifer Yeko) present to give Debbie her own cheering section. The crowd was pretty much dead, with only a few scattered people REALLY into the performance other than our little group. Since our area was the "real fans", we ended up getting performed to for about 2/3 of the night, with Debbie singing to her family (opposite of us) the remaining 1/3 of the time. Also, as an extra bonus, we were directly in line with her at the piano. As a joke on Debbie, one of the crew (unnamed... he looked like he was in hot water, and if it didn't get out who did this by now, I'm not saying!) let us in on the title of a song Debbie wrote the night before... Of course that title was chanted.. Debbie was stunned, Mike was flipped, and Diane hit the ceiling...(AND we didn't hear the song either!). After the show, Debbie sacked out, and regrettably I had to leave before any possible meet, but did get to give my thanks thru Julie Cassimano over the "congratulations" package from the DGIF contest. Overall, I'd say it was a very good (albeit pricey at $45 a head) concert and was well worth it (name a Debbie show that isn't though). I do wish it would have been longer, but since she didn't get started until around 11:00pm, and played for about 1.5 hours, it was understandable that she retired. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= UPCOMING ATLANTIC CITY CONCERT INFO =- Shaun Stuart (no current email address) December 18, 1991 I got some info about Deb's Atlantic City appearance from Patrick Colcord: Debbie will be performing at the Sands Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ on Feb. 14-16. Times are: Feb. 14th, 10 PM Feb. 15th, 8 PM and 11 PM Feb. 16th, 8 PM Tickets for each show are $35.00. You can call the Sands for recorded info at 800-227-2637. Choose "upcoming events" (press 4 on a touch tone phone). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= 1992 DG CALENDAR =- Jim Cook (LRFREDERICK@UALR.EDU) December 19, 1991 Let me start off by saying that this calendar is definitely worth the $10 that D.G.I.F. is charging. Each month's picture shows a different side of Deb from the serious to the silly. Here are my impressions month by month. The cover - This is a closeup of Deb lying in a haystack with her head propped up on her hand. This photo is either very new or taken before her new "short do" because it looks like it's about neck level. [Editor's Note: This is the same picture used on the "One Step Ahead" picture sleeve of the UK 7" and UK CD-single] January - A concert shot of Debbie wearing a black sequined dress. Her hair length seems to indicate this was taken before the new hairdo. February - A closeup of of Debbie wearing a violet top. She is smling and is sporting her short hairdo. March - Another concert shot. Deb is wearing a hat, black jacket (open) and a sequined bikini top (whew!). April - Debbie is wearing a purple jacket and has her back to the camera. She is looking over her shoulder. Her hair is medium length. May - Like the cover shot Deb is in a haystack laying down with her hands behind her head. She is wearing a purple and very glittery dress. June - Deb on the beach. Kinda looks like the cover to D.G.I.F Vol. 3 #4 except she isn't smiling as big. July - Debbie is in a (ahem) unique outfit consisting of black, red, yellow, and horizontally striped purple pants, a purple vest and what looks like a straw hat. August - Another beach shot. Deb is wearing the outfit from her CABOODLES ad. September - Deb is wearing her outfit from the "Anything Is Possible" video and is holding a hat next to her face. October - A nice pic of Debbie with a rather wistful look on her face. Her hair is mid-length and she is wearing a white dress with a plunging neckline. (She is definitely growing up!) November - A shot from the "Anything Is Possible" video. December - WOW! Deb is wearing a VERY sexy black dress and a pearl necklace. Her hair is fairly long and is being worn in a piled-up style. She is kneeling next to a lion cub and is holding its chain. Back Cover - Another concert picture. Debbie is wering a black dress with an orange top covering it (looks like the outfit from Rock In Rio II). All things considered a VERY nice calendar. Now if only my concert poster would get here...... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= SONG POLL RESULTS =- Sandy Chen (ez003229@othello.ucdavis.edu) January 1, 1992 Here are the results for the BTL Song Poll. Members were asked to pick their 4 favorite Debbie Gibson songs, ranked in order of favoritism. A total of 37 people participated, and votes were scored by the following point scheme: #1: 5 points (most favorite) #2: 3 points #3: 2 points #4: 1 point The number of remix (non-album) votes received for a song are also noted. Pts Song 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Remix ----------------------------------------------------------- 72 Lost in Your Eyes (9) (5) (5) (2) (1) 57 Foolish Beat (7) (5) (2) (3) (1) 33 Without You (6) (0) (1) (1) 27 We Could Be Together (1) (4) (4) (2) (1) 25 One Hand, One Heart (1) (4) (3) (2) 23 Where Have You Been? (3) (2) (1) (0) 23 No More Rhyme (1) (2) (3) (6) (1) 17 Out of the Blue (0) (4) (2) (1) (1) 13 Only in My Dreams (0) (3) (2) (0) 11 Electric Youth (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 11 This So-Called Miracle (1) (1) (1) (1) 10 Staying Together (1) (0) (2) (1) (1) 9 Sure (1) (0) (1) (2) 8 In His Mind (0) (2) (1) (0) 8 The Most Beautiful Love Song (1) (1) (0) (0) 6 Another Brick Falls (1) (0) (0) (1) 6 Between the Lines (0) (1) (1) (1) 6 Fallen Angel (1) (0) (0) (1) 6 Who Loves Ya Baby (0) (0) (2) (2) 5 Helplessly in Love (1) (0) (0) (0) 5 Shades of the Past (1) (0) (0) (0) 4 One Step Ahead (0) (1) (0) (1) 4 Deep Down (0) (1) (0) (1) 3 Anything is Possible (0) (0) (0) (3) 3 Silence Speaks (0) (0) (1) (1) 2 Mood Swings (0) (0) (1) (0) 2 Over the Wall (0) (0) (1) (0) 2 Should've Been the One (0) (0) (1) (0) 2 Wake Up to Love (0) (0) (1) (0) 1 Don't Flirt (0) (0) (0) (1) 1 In the Still of the Night (0) (0) (0) (1) (1) 1 Negative Energy (0) (0) (0) (1) 1 Shake Your Love (0) (0) (0) (1) TOP-5 ANALYSIS 1st Place: LOST IN YOUR EYES (72 points) A whopping 57% of the people who voted named this song as one of their favorite four. Possessing the #1 spot in the Billboard charts for 3 weeks in 1989, this is arguably her most successful song to date. LIYE is the runaway winner for this poll. 2nd Place: FOOLISH BEAT (57 points) Debbie's only other #1 song continues to be very popular, particularly with older fans ("older" being the ones who have been fans the longest). 3th Place: WITHOUT YOU (33 points) For a song that is only available in Japan, this did SURPRISINGLY well in the poll. Everyone whose heard it, likes it. So what is Debbie waiting for? Let's see this on the next album! 4th Place: WE COULD BE TOGETHER (27 points) Who says that a song needs to be successful in order for it to be well liked? Many people mentioned this song in their lists, but it only received one #1 vote. 5th Place: ONE HAND, ONE HEART (25 points) Some argue that this is Debbie Gibson's strongest ballad. It did well in the early portions of the poll, but quickly fell behind as more and more people voted for Lost in Your Eyes and Foolish Beat. OHOH is definitely a good ballad, but LIYE and FB seem to have a more lasting effect on fans. Honorable: NO MORE RHYME (23 points) The hard luck song. Half of the votes for this song were #4's, yet it still came out ahead. Deb does great ballads, and its not surprising that this kind of song dominated the poll. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? (23 points) WHYB has developed a very devoted following among many DG fans. This polltaker was surprised at how this underrated song fared. ALBUM ANALYSIS I categorized the votes into the albums that the songs belong to. Here is how many POINTS each album received: OUT OF THE BLUE: 112 ELECTRIC YOUTH: 156 ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE: 96 OTHER: 43 _Electric Youth_ appears to be the winner, mostly because of the popularity of Lost in Your Eyes (which accounts for the bulk of its points). ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE DEBATE The _Anything is Possible_ album is divided into two sides: NRG^ and Mood Swings. There is some debate as to "which side is better?". If you total up the POINTS that each SIDE received, you will get: NRG^: 17 Mood Swings: 79 This is a very misleading figure though because songs from all 3 albums were considered. I have a feeling that if people voted only for songs from the _Anything is Possible_ album, Mood Swings will still come out ahead, but not by such a great margin. CONCLUSION I would like to thank everyone who participated in this poll. 33 of Debbie's songs were represented, which means that the BTL crowd is a very diverse group of DG fans (with some favoritism toward ballads). Anyone who is interested in doing a more specific poll, or perhaps a poll on a different DG subject is encouraged to do so! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= SONG POLL COMMENTARY =- From: Robert Christopher Chesnavich (rc3u+@andrew.cmu.edu) Thanks for doing the poll. Here are my picks, with nifty comments included. 1) FOOLISH BEAT This song's composition simply defies description. Occasionally one will listen to a song, and there will be a part for 2 or maybe 10 or 30 seconds which is absolutely the heart of the song: a level that the rest of the song does not compare with. "Foolish Beat", starts out on that level, and simply rises from there. Simply brilliant. 2) WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I can listen to the piano in this for years straight. Completely smooth and flowing: flawlessly executed emotion. 3) STAYING TOGETHER I can't turn this song on without feeling all of the energy that DG put into it. Great to start a concert with: it builds up energy and releases it with a gleeful fury, 4) ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE Don't ask me why I like this song so much. Even I don't know. I suppose it has something to do with the song's swaying sound and choice of electronic instruments. It creates a very distant mood that really appeals to me. That's all of them. -Rob * * * * * From: Archie Medrano (archie@teetot.acusd.edu) Although I love all of Deborah's songs, there are some that I tend to listen to more than others. Here they are: NRG^: 1) Deep Down 2) One Step Ahead 3) Only in My Dreams 4) A Medley of Rhymes 5) Electric Youth Mood Swings: 1) Lost in Your Eyes 2) Without You 3) Foolish Beat 4) The Most Beautiful Love Song 5) This So-Called Miracle For this song poll, we can only pick FOUR (I wish we could pick four of each type). So here are my FOUR favorite songs: 1) Lost in Your Eyes (5 points!) 2) Deep Down (3 points) 3) Without You (2 points) 4) One Step Ahead (1 point) Here are some comments: 1) Lost in Your Eyes * Reason: "Don't know why/Something's there we can't deny..." * The good: - background vocals (harmony) - piano!!! 2) Deep Down * Reason: "Deep down I feel it - burnin' in my soul..." * The good: - Great intro! - "gospel"-y - high notes: "I feel... oooo (sax solo go... huh!)" - used in TV show "Beverly Hills, 90210" - good ending: "Ooo..." 3) Without You * Reason: "Life will always be the same without..." ...Debbie * The good: - background vocals - instruments (similar to "Someday" --> Andrew Zulla) - in Japanese TV show "About Men" * Drawbacks (to LIYE): - no bridge or final verse (not written by Deborah) - not produced by Deborah 4) One Step Ahead * Reason: "Bring(s) the energy up!" * The good: - great bridge! - OK rap * Drawback: - synthesizers - although OK More comments: - Foolish Beat: "..now is a new time..." - The Most Beautiful Love Song: "Were you feeling what I was feeling?" - This So-Called Miracle: "It's gonna take a miracle/To give up my hope" - Only in My Dreams: "Now I see my world come tumbling down" - A Medley of Rhymes: "Like a diamond in the sky" - Electric Youth: "Don't underestimate the power" I guess that's all I can say. Hopefully next year, there'll be two categories. Archie * * * * * From: Myra Wong (mkwong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu) Finally, I have compiled my vote including comments. 1. Without You 2. Out of the Blue 3. Wake Up To Love 4. Who Loves Ya Baby? I like "Without You" and "Who Loves Ya Baby?" because they are about true friendship. I like them all because they are all bright, happy-sounding, and upbeat. Two songs that were not listed that I especially love are Ana's "Everytime We Say Goodbye" and the duet "Someday" with Chris Cuevas. Myra Wong * * * * * From: Bill Jackson (billj@.seas.smu.edu) CHOICE #1 - FOOLISH BEAT "Foolish Beat" remains one of the best songs Deborah has ever written. Not only does it contain all the elements of a #1 single, but it also has the distinction of having more emotional impact than most of her other pieces. This song also has a special meaning to me in that after hearing it for the first time, I immediately became a Debhead for life. Listening tip: If you've become bored with "Foolish Beat" (after listening to it 1000+ times), pick up a copy of the "Vocal/Extended Mix" available on the 12". Listen to the extended mix first, then follow up with the album track. CHOICE #2 - IN HIS MIND CHOICE #3 - WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? CHOICE #4 - NO MORE RHYME (ACOUSTIC MIX) * * * * * From: Peter Blomgren (f89-pbl@nada.kth.se) Picking out one's favourite Debbie Gibson songs is hard, very hard. There are so many good songs! I would pick different songs at different times depending on what mood I'm in; sometimes I turn up the volume really loud and put on my favourite up-tempo songs; like "Another Brick Falls," "Should've Been the One," "We Could Be Together," etc... But more often I find myself listening to the slower songs. It is in the ballads, in my opinion, where you find Deborah's best song writing and her beautiful voice comes out the best in "sparse" arrangements. Since no ties were allowed I tried to pick out the songs I listen to most and/or which in some sense mean more to me than other DG songs. The choice for my #1 favourite was easy -- "Foolish Beat" will always have a special place in my heart, because it was the first Debbie song that I got to love and which turned me into a fan. The rest of the choices were not as easy. I picked "The Most Beautiful Love Song" and "Silence Speaks" as my #2 and #3 choices; and "Deep Down" as my #4 since I felt I should vote for at least one non-ballad. These three choices are somewhat arbitrary; I really cannot discriminate between "One Hand, One Heart," "Sure," "Try," "Where Have You Been?," "No More Rhyme," "Lost in Your Eyes" and the two ballads I ended up voting for; I wish I could have put them all in the #2 spot! Having realized I could not vote for all ballads I decided to throw in "Deep Down" as my fourth choice. Again, the "competition" for this spot was hard; "Another Brick Falls," "We Could Be Together," "Should've Been the One" and "Love in Disguise" were all contenders for my last vote. After a quick listen-though (like I didn't know the songs by heart! :-)) I felt that the songs off "Anything Is Possible" were stronger than the ones off "Electric Youth" and the choice between "Another Brick Falls" and "Deep Down" was more or less a toss of a coin... Finally; since "Til You Come Back Again," "Heart and Soul" and "Taken By You" were not eligible for votes I never considered them. Still I feel that these songs are very strong and, depending on how they come across on record, will show up among my votes in next year's poll... * * * * * From: Gordon Zaft (zaft@caritas.cotdazr.org) Here are my picks for my favorite DG songs. 1. (most favorite) Foolish Beat. A great ballad in general. I think it especially gets me because of the scene in the video where Deb is walking along the Brooklyn (?) Bridge. 2. Out of the Blue Gets me every time. 3. Lost In Your Eyes Another great ballad. 4. Anything is Possible. Upbeat with a great sound. Honorable mentions -- Shake Your Love, One Hand One Heart, No More Rhyme, Silence Speaks (A Thousand Words). This was really tough. I've noticed that I haven't really gotten into DG's newer songs as much as the older ones. Altogether EY is still my favorite album. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= MORE ASTROLOGY =- Sandy Chen (ez003229@othello.ucdavis.edu) December 23, 1991 Here is Debbie's horoscope for January. I felt that it would be a good idea to share it with others since Deb will be going through a period of change and uncertainty starting with this month. My interpretations of this forecast are included below. This will be the last horoscope article that I write, since these forecasts cost $10 a month! This horoscope is based on the following information: NAME: Deborah A. Gibson BIRTHDATE: August 31, 1970 BIRTHPLACE: Brooklyn, NY MARITAL STATUS: Single [Editor's Note: The basis for determining your horoscope is the position of the planets relative to when and where you were born. This horoscope summary is provided for your amusement only; we do not guarantee validity to any of the forecasts stated here.] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * DEBORAH A. GIBSON'S HOROSCOPE FOR JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 31 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY ASTROLOGICAL RESEARCH GROUP OF AMERICA, INC. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * LUCKY NUMBERS When comparing her birth date with the Transiting Planets for the month, the following lucky numbers popped up for Debbie: 05, 09, 11, 17, 21, 23, 29, 33, 35 << Deb could have special reasons for using these numbers, such as choosing a phone number or a date or a time for something important. Does anyone know if Deb plays a state lottery? >> NEW BEGINNINGS The best start that Deb could make in the New Year is to concentrate on improving her imaginative and creative energies. She is encouraged to initiate new artistic or creative projects in the coming weeks, whether they are related to work or used to fill in her leisure time as a hobby. Deb may have a very full schedule of social obligations, organizational activities, and events and responsibilities that involved children or a romantic partner as the Full Moon influences her personal chart January 20-22. << Les Miz could be viewed as a new artistic project related to work (singing/performing). Maybe Deb will find romance on the set of the play? Deb indicated that she has a strong desire to adopt children in a recent article from the New York Daily news. Who knows? >> ROMANCE Work related travel distances Deb from friends and perhaps a special person. For now, she'll have to grin and bear it. << This is probably true for any performer with a hectic schedule like Deb's >> CAREER Deb will get applause for being a team player as her workplace undergoes a major transition. This time of change proves beneficial to her as new employees or managers ask for her help. Her recognition turns into financial gain with a raise or added commission. Her clients or customers come through for her with compliments and added business. << Hopefully, this is referring to her stint in Les Miz as Eponine. The audience will be her 'clients or customers', so this is a good sign >> FAMILY LIFE Deb should be thankful and happy for what she achieves, but she has to re-evaluate where her family is going after each ambition is accomplished. << This is good advice for anyone. Deb has certainly achieved a lot, but to what extent has this affected her family (mom, dad, sisters)? >> HOBBIES AND LEISURE TIME PURSUITS Winning comes easy when Deb applies her energies and talent. Entering several contests and competitions become a very satisfying pursuit even if she is good-naturedly called a show-off. People like to see a winner perform and she's got what it takes. Public agencies or civic organizations may give her further opportunities to use her skills and become a role-model for others. << Of all the predictions, this one seems to be most far off. Deb is already a role-model and a 'winner', and I don't think that she'll have the time to pursue many competitions this month. >> IMPORTANT DATES FOR DEBBIE Days to achieve a major goal or ambition: January 21-23 Days for success in love and romance: January 21-23 Days for best results in talking or writing to others: January 22-24 Days to shine through her personality: January 21-23 Days to improve her appearance: January 25-27 Days when she will have extra energy and drive: January 20-22 Days for success with new ventures: January 1-2, 26-28 Days for getting her life more organized: January 14-16 Days to try unconventional methods and plans: January 23-25 Days she will be more creative: January 1-2, 27-29 Days to follow her intuition: January 22-24 Deb has to watch her step on the 29th -- an unpredictable day when anything can happen. << Looks like there is a lot of potential in the later days of the month! >> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS =- Q. Bill Jackson (billj@seas.smu.edu) I just saw Deb's 'limited edition' box set of the "Anything is Possible" cassette and the "Live Around the World" video. My question is: since I already have both of these, is there any reason for me to buy it? (i.e. booklet, etc.) A. Matthew Jung (ez000018@hamlet.ucdavis.edu) The "Anything is Possible" limited edition boxed set has been available for about a year now. Unlike the Phil Collins "Serious Hits Live" boxed set (also from Atlantic) there is no special booklet. The only reason to get this is if you like the picture on the cover of the box since it does not show up as often as other DG pictures. If you want to get a special CD booklet, buy the "Anything is Possible" double CD-set from Japan. Q. Hans Noordam (hrnoorda@praxis.cs.ruu.nl) There is a song on the album 'Yui Orta', performed by Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson called 'Little Dreamer'. This song was written by M.Ronson/D.Gibson. Do you know if this is Debbie, or would it be some other Gibson (Dan Gibson perhaps?). The song has no vocals and is dominated by Ronson's guitar. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- A new DG Christmas song was aired in the New York area on WHTZ Z100 during Christmas Eve and Christmas day. As a temporary name derived from the chorus (as was done with "Til You Come Back Again"), it will be referred to as "Take Me Home For Christmas." Deborah will play Eponine in the New York production of Les Miserables from January 7th to March 29th. To order tickets at the Imperial Theatre, you can call Tele-charge at (212) 239-6200 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is a $4 service charge. The performance schedule and prices are: Tuesday - Saturday at 8pm : $60, $45, $30 Saturday at 2pm : $60, $45, $30 Sunday at 3pm : $60, $45, $30 Wednesday at 2pm : $50, $37.50, $25 You can also call 1-800-233-3123 to order tickets. Speaking of Les Miserables, new BtL member Garying Chan went to the Imperial theater on December 17th to see if he could catch Deborah on her way to rehearsal. At about 2:25pm EST, a dark blue Lincoln Grand Marque pulled up and Deb got out of the car along with her driver/bodyguard. She was wearing a hat like the one she wore in the "Lost in Your Eyes" video in the scene where she was with John Gallagher in the cold. She also wore something like a dress and purple stockings. For those of you wondering, Deborah still had short hair. Garying approached her and said he was a member of BtL and gave Deb the two latest issues at the time (BtL 3.13 & 3.14). She said "thanks" with her trademark giggle and then entered the theater. DGIF has released their latest issue so comments are welcome. Reviews of Les Miserables will also be appreciated. The next issue of BtL (BtL 4.2) will be released on February 3rd so the deadline for submissions is February 1st.