=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S Volume 4, Issue 6 - May 25, 1992 DDDDD D D D D GGGG D D G DDDDD G GGG G G GGGG A Debbie Gibson Discussion Forum =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CONTENTS =- ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES INTRO BY STEVEN MANFRED - Steven Manfred DG AT LES MIZ AUDITIONS ON LONG ISLAND - Chris Backa COMMENTARY AND SUMMARY ON D.G.I.F. 4.2 - Archie Medrano/Myra Wong RESULTS OF D.G.I.F. SURVEY - Bill Jackson THE DIAL-MTV EXPEDITION - Steven Manfred REVIEW OF DG SONGS ON JO BETH ALBUM - Matthew Jung 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). Between the Lines operates on a non-profit basis. Distribution is permissible only under the condition that no part of it will be used for profit. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES =- We would like to thank Sandy Chen for helping out with BtL for the past year. Along with Kathy Ericson, she was one of the founding sisters of BtL at the University of Southern California back in early 1989. We wish Sandy the best of luck in the future. Before you submit your articles, please PROOFREAD them. Remember that more than 170 people receive BtL via electronic mail and an increasing number of people are receiving BtL via postal mail. Copies of submissions should be sent to all moderators. We reserve the right to edit submissions. 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 Postal submissions must be typewritten so that Felix can scan them. To submit articles by FAX, please call (604) 322-5936. BtL is now available through postal mail for people who do not have access to electronic mail. Prices per issue are at cost and are subject to change: 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. We are not responsible for cash lost or stolen in the mail. BtL issues, including back issues, can be obtained on floppy disk. The cost should be significantly cheaper than sending hard copy versions of BtL on paper. Please ask Felix Ng for details. For those of you interested in joining the "bouncing" version of the BtL mailing list, please send email to Matthew Jung. The supplemental list is for the fans who like to discuss Debbie Gibson and her music on a frequent basis. For those of you interested in joining the BtL Lounge on Time Traveller, please send email to Jonathan Bradshaw (jbradsha@mentor.cc.purdue.edu). This is where fans can discuss Debbie Gibson and her music in real time with other participating fans. Debbie Gibson GIFs (these are computer graphics files) and BtL back issues are available via anonymous FTP at cs.uwp.edu. For instructions on how to use FTP, please ask one of the moderators. -= BtL moderators =- Matthew Jung : ez000018@hamlet.ucdavis.edu mjung@rosarita.ucdavis.edu myjung@ucdavis.bitnet Myra Wong : mkwong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu Felix Ng : a1430001@bcit.bitnet f6529910@rick.cs.ubc.ca =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY STEVEN MANFRED =- Steven Manfred (steven.k.manfred@uwrf.edu) May 3, 1992 By way of an introduction..... Greetings members of BtL, my name is Steven Manfred, but you can all think of me as "The Valeyard." For over three years I have been a Debbie Gibson fan and a member of the D.G.I.F. Now for the "how I discovered Debbie" story. It was very gradual. I didn't take much notice of her during OOTB's release, just enough to learn who she was. I started taking much stronger notice after the EY album came out, particularly as I liked the first two videos. So, around late May of '89, I bought a tape copy of the EY album. It could have gone no further than that, but as "luck" would have it, I caught the chicken pox (for the third time, one time only is a myth folks) like I've never caught them before and was bedridden for four days. During those four days I became very well acquainted with all eleven songs, liking them more and more. I recovered, and became more and more curious about that D.G.I.F. address on the tape sleeve. Sometime that summer I wrote to them, they wrote back promptly (which I understand is a problem for some of you) and I joined up, getting a number of 5258. I proceeded to declare myself the "unofficial club jester," and wrote a number of very very silly and childish letters for the next year and a half. Being a senior in high school does that to you. One time I even went so far as to write "rude" letters to Fred Zarr in the hopes of getting a rise and then a phone call from him. It worked too. We talked for twenty minutes, and I fell apart on my end. I rambled, stammered, and stuttered. Let it be known that he knew I didn't mean the "nasty" things I was saying about him; I was just trying an original way of getting attention, and it worked. Now that I've done it once, I doubt it would ever work again for anyone else, so don't try this at home kids. College has mellowed me quite a lot. Now I confine my humor to the odd weird question in a Q&A submission for the magazine. Surprisingly, one of these got published! It was that "If you were a tree..." question a few issues ago that provoked Deborah to ask "What kind of question is that?" I've already had some questions about it so I'll explain it here. This "tree" question was asked by Barbara Walters to some VERY big celebrity during one of her interviews, and she's been pestered by people ever since wondering what on Earth possessed her to ask that. This last year's Oscar Edition of "TV Guide" mentioned it again, so you can look it up if you like. My main "hobby" or "interest," (sorry to say Deborah ranks Number Two, but she comes close to this one) is the British science fiction series "Doctor Who." If anyone else is a dual Gibson/Who fan, email me for I'd love to hear from you. Until I found BtL and Jonathan Bradshaw, I thought I was the only one in existence. Being a big fan of "Doctor Who" I feel has prepared me for a few things in the Debbie-fandom world. For instance, I have met several celebrities from "Who" at sci-fi conventions, so I think I am much more used to meeting "famous" people than the average Deb fan (unless it's over the phone!), so I think I can give you a little advice should you ever chance to meet Debbie (which I also did last fall). DON'T PANIC! She is a completely normal human being. She is not Moses, Jesus Christ, or the prophet Mohammed, so you have nothing to fear about her! A little excitement that brings a smile to face is perfectly alright, but I think hyperactive jumping and screaming is a bit much. Mobbing is definitely too much. Should you ever see something approaching a mob situation, DO NOT add your body to it; find someone to help get her out of there. Pursuit of Debbie around your home city could also be too much. One of two things can happen in a chase: 1) you completely miss her, or 2) you present yourself at a time when she and those around her are not expecting you, and thus you are more likely to get an agitated response from someone. Debbie herself is unlikely to do this, but I understand two of our BtL members ran into a problem of this type in Vancouver between themselves and Diane Gibson. Another thing I am prepared for, and find EXTREMELY interesting is a phenomena I call "fan inferiority-complex." For both "Doctor Who" and Debbie Gibson, each has gone through almost parallel rises and falls in popularity in the late 80's and early 90's, and I've seen the same thing happen in both fan groups: as each has shrunk in popularity with the general public, some (but not all) of the fans for both have turned on the object they adore, criticizing many of those behind the most recent years of each, whether or not the criticisms are deserved. In "Doctor Who," producer John Nathan-Turner has been the person to "blame." It is obvious to me and many other fans that the last two years of the series contained some of the best shows in the whole series, yet still many fans say they weren't, and blame Nathan-Turner for it. Ratings for these last years were very low, but that is because the show was scheduled against the No. 1 show on the other network, and that show got a five minute head start! Nathan-Turner was not to blame, but because of the seeming lag in popularity, the fans have blasted Nathan-Turner. I am beginning to see the same sort of thing happen in Gibson fandom, to Diane Gibson, Debbie's mother and manager. It goes without saying that "Anything Is Possible" is the best of the three albums thus far released, and yet the popular mainstream support did not materialize solely because of the inaction by Atlantic Records to properly publicize it. Diane Gibson had little to do with this, yet I've seen articles in past BtLs criticizing her, and have heard some similar talk in the BtL lounge in Time Traveller (the breakout of the Gulf War at the same time couldn't have helped much either). This fall will see the release of Debbie Gibson's fourth album, and it could again be a tough sell. I have a feeling the inertia within the radio community towards Debbie may have eroded a little in the past year. With her 22nd birthday coming up, perhaps the radio DJs and programmers will be just ready enough to seriously listen to her this time. "Les Miz" will no doubt have helped this. It is therefore ironic that I think our support may in fact be a hindrance to her this time. Let me explain. I am not saying not to request her songs. I am not saying don't buy the album. What I am saying is should you talk to your local radio big-wigs, do it in the most intelligent and unemotional manner you can. An excess of emotion from a die-hard fan is the sort of thing that makes DJs laugh uncontrollably when they hang their phones up. Debbie's reputation is nearly solely in their power, and if they don't like the kind of requests they're getting, or suspect the requestor is a dedicated fan, they are much less likely to play the song. They do not take a dedicated fan's opinion as seriously as a mainstream requestor, because the mainstream requestor is the sort of person they would like for their audience, for they are most desired by advertisers. "Obsessed" fans, as an advertiser sees us and other groups, are not the most favored demographic. It is unjust, stupid, pig-headed, and narrow-minded, but that's the way they operate. Timing and lack of promotion are the only things which killed AIP's success. Unless another war breaks out (not impossible given the state of the former U.S.S.R. these days), timing shouldn't be a problem. Lack of promotion is Atlantic's problem, and if Debbie and Diane let them get away with only half-doing the job again, THEN we have cause to criticize them. As of now, I don't think we do, with the exception of that "Street Justice" episode, but "Les Miz" should make up for that. I should like to hear anyone else's suggestions for helping Album Four reach its full potential here in BtL, or at my mailing address I printed below in this text. I DEFINITELY think a carefully planned and executed "plan of attack" by us here in BtL is a MUST, and I also think we should try to coordinate our efforts with D.G.I.F., Atlantic, and GMI, should they wish to listen. If they don't, that's up to them, but I would like to see us press on anyway. Let's pool our resources into a concerted concentration of fire when the time comes. If anything I said above sounds like I'm passing it off as THE facts, well, that's not what I had in mind. These are all opinions I strongly hold, but they should not be mistaken for facts. And I am perfectly prepared to dump my ideas should anyone else have better ones. So, please, let us all hear them, so that we can decide what to do. Well, that's the type of person I am. Someone who hopes to be as active as he can be in Deb fandom. Here's to the success of Album Four! And now, two parting quotes from my two favorite things: Doctor Who and Debbie Gibson. The Gibson one is one you all know and probably think is cliche to use by now, but I've always liked it better when I place it side by side with this Who quote: "There is a world of endless resources. There is a mind full of outrageous dreams. There is a place where the two meet. Anything is possible..." "There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, Where the sea's asleep, and the rivers dream; People made of smoke and cities made of song; Somewhere there's danger, Somewhere there's injustice, And somewhere else, the tea's getting cold Come on Ace, we've got work to do!" With a hat tipped in farewell, Steven Manfred "The Valeyard" 113 Halls Hill St. Ellsworth, WI 54011 phone (715) 273-4758 D.G.I.F. member #5258 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DG AT LES MIZ AUDITIONS ON LONG ISLAND =- Chris Backa (CSC3CSB@HOFSTRA.bitnet) May 10, 1992 NEWSDAY 4-15-92 By Bill Kaufman "Les Mis" Audition The producers of Broadway's "Les Miserables," seeking a boy and a girl between 7 and 11, will hold a special audition at Hofstra University on April 25. Ian Rand, a spokesman for the hit musical, explained the casting came about because singer Debbie Gibson, who grew up in Merrick, recently completed a stint in the show and mentioned to executive producer Richard Jay-Alexander, "that she felt there was an enormous potential pool of talent on Long Island who had not been seen because the auditions have been held only in Manhattan." Rand added that Gibson is expected to attend the auditions. * * * * * NEWSDAY 4-29-92 By Susan Howard LI Tryouts for 'Les Miserables,' thanks to Debbie Gibson Broadway Bound: Kids' Cast Call Recording star and Long Island native Debbie Gibson, who recently portrayed Eponine in "Les Miserables," got Jay-Alexander to bring the auditions to Long Island. "I went to fifty auditions before I got a professional part," said Gibson, who remembered the difficulties her parents had making trips to Manhattan for auditions when she was a child. "It doesn't come really easy or quickly. You've got to really want it and I think a lot of kids here on Long Island really want it too." Each child who impressed Jay-Alexander was asked to return to the audition room with his or her parents. Alisa Scholl of East Williston was called with her daughter, Jessica, a ponytailed, wide-eyed 9-year-old, who clutched nervously at the sheet music for the song "On My Own," which Gibson sang in the show. "This was her back-up song," Scholl explained. "She was reluctant to sing it because she said, 'How can I compete with Debbie Gibson?' " Upon hearing this, Gibson offered to autograph Jessica's sheet music and asked her "Can you sing a little bit of it?" Not only could Jessica sing a little bit of the song, but every note of it. "You have to have an understanding of the song that goes beyond just singing the words. I thought she had that," Gibson said. The whole experience was a shocker for Jessica who was more impressed with her autograph from Gibson ("I can't wait to show it to all my friends!" she exclaimed). [Editor's Note: Jessica got the part!] * * * * * HOFSTRA UPDATE Hofstra Alumni Vol. 6 No. 1 Spring 1992 Alumni Profile: John Leone Class of '85. John Leone currently plays Marius in Les Miserables. He comments on Debbie: Leone's new co-star is pop-singer Debbie Gibson, about whom much fuss was made when she joined the musical in January this year. Leone does not mind sharing the spotlight with a bigger name celebrity. "On her opening night there were a lot of press and photographers. If she were to receive that kind of attention every night, it might not be healthy for the ensemble cast. However, I think that kind of publicity will die down after a while. We were selling out before she joined the show, so ticket sales were not the reason for bringing her on. She does a terrific job." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= COMMENTARY AND SUMMARY ON D.G.I.F. 4.2 =- Archie Medrano (archie@teetot.acusd.edu) Myra Wong (mkwong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu) May 15, 1992 The latest D.G.I.F. magazine was sent out during the month of April. Although it was printed only in black and white with a light purple background, it contained many exclusive photos of Deb and a lengthy QUESTION & ANSWER section. Page * Description (Myra Wong) - Comments (Archie Medrano) 1 * Deb as Eponine in "Les Miserables." - Great photo! The "other side" of Debbie. 2 * A letter from Deborah to the members. - Error: allthough - should be although. - I am upset for not seeing Les Miz and her Atlantic City show. - Interesting sentence: "*I've never* met... *I've never* been... *I've never* been this inspired." -- sounds like a song! - Who wants to bet the album will NOT be out in late summer? - Yeah! She is working with Fred again. Who are Phil Ramone and Elliot Wolfe? [Editor's Note: Phil Ramone is Billy Joel's producer.] 3 * Les Miz costume fitting. - She looks cute in the upper left and bottom right photos. - She looks gorgeous in the bottom left photo. Yeah! 4,5,8, * QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 9,16 - Wow! A lot of questions and answers! 1) * Forgotten words in concert. - Everyone makes mistakes! 2) * Most meaningful award. - What else could it have been? 3) * Lost night's sleep. - Calm down, Debbie. :-) 4) * Modern Bride cover. Hint at marriage. - Hint? Nah. She looks really beautiful (even with a lot of make-up) on the MB cover. 5) * Song in time capsule. - Possibilities! "...possibility..." - EY "...possible..." - AIP Aside: What ever happened to _Possibilities Publishing_? 6) * Fan clubs. - Romper Room? 7) * Biggest misconception. - See, Debbie is NOT conceited. She's not wimpy, but she's not as forceful as Madonna. 8) * Writer's block. - She writes for fun! A hobby. 9) * Weirdest place. - She wrote a song in the bathroom on an airplane?!? What did she do -- bring pen and paper in there? Please note that Debbie said in Between the Lines (the book) and on the Profiled! CD that she wrote "Foolish Beat" on an airplane. 10) * One age forever. - Was she taken seriously at 21? 11) * Singing or acting. - They go together pretty well. 12) * Hope for 1992. - BIG tour!?! Isn't that what she said during AIP? She's gonna have a lot of competition this year! 13) * People not believing it's her in public. - It's because she is a down-to-earth person. 14) * "Annie" audition. - Annie asking about Annie :-) 15) * 'Former teen queen' - Why do people keep asking that? :-) 16) * Advice for song writing career. - Good advice! 17) * Highest bowling score. - 182?!? I can barely get over 120! 18) * Favorite charity. - _For Our Children_ 19) * Accuracy of teen magazines. - Yup! Except that they are usually out-of-date. 20) * New dancer for MDA telethon. - Where are Stepp and FIERCE? 21) * OSA and OHOH videos on future compilation. (OSA was not made) - When? When? 22) * Sense of humor. - She's always laughing and giggling, even in interviews. Kinda like me; although not in interviews. 23) * Yelled at person, fan or worker. - As you can see, she is a very nice person. 24) * Favorite video to film. (WCBT) - Goofy video, but fun! 25) * Test pressing. - What do they usually sound like? 26) * Les Miz reward/drawback. (Asked by me!) - Myra is sooooo lucky! 27) * Favorite shows. - 90210. (Yeah!) 6 * Pictures at Paula Abdul's NY concert. * Deb with Keeth and Buddy. - top picture - Ya know what it reminds me of? OOTB. * with Paula Abdul. - left middle picture - Was Paula wearing high heels? * with Freedom Williams of C+C Music Factory. - right middle picture - I hope she doesn't work with C&C on any of her future albums. * with Color Me Badd. - bottom picture - Cute! 7 * Full page picture of Deb with Les Miz producers. - Cool! Not too much make-up. 10-11 * New Year's Eve 1991 pictures. (Deb as Marilyn Monroe.) - Did Marilyn have a mole on her face? - Debbie kinda looks like Madonna in these photos. 12 * PEN PALS 13 * NOTES FROM ABROAD - Comment on these two: I've written to some people from previous ads, but NO replies! 14 * Full page picture of Deb as "Gabrielle" with the regular stars of "Street Justice." - Nice hairdo! 15 * Pictures from on the set of "Beverly Hills, 90210" and backstage at George Michael's concert. * Debbie and Shannen Doherty. Debbie and Jennie Garth. - 90210 - Debbie looks almost exactly like her mom. * Chris Cuevas and Luke Perry. - No pose with Luke? :-) * Debbie, Chris, and George Michael. Debbie and George Michael. - George Michael - Debbie with one of her idols! 16 * Letter to D.G.I.F. about "A Wish Is Granted." - I hope Amanda gets better as she grows. 17 * Special offer for a teddy bear wearing a D.G.I.F. t-shirt. - Should I? It says *white* teddy bear and some of you have complained because you got brown. 18 * Long poem by Ariana Bolduc "Always A Friend." - Error: fifth stanza, first line: *became* should be *become* - Nice poem! 19 * Penpal request and Membership renewal forms. - As I said, I need to renew. - Does one have to be a D.G.I.F. member to put a pen pal ad? 20 * Full page picture of Gabrielle (Debbie) of "Street Justice," with Grady (Bryan Genesse). - The dreaded scene from SJ! :-) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= RESULTS OF D.G.I.F. SURVEY =- Bill Jackson (billj@seas.smu.edu) May 21, 1992 After publishing our article in the previous issue of BtL, Myra Wong and I received thirty-two responses from D.G.I.F. members regarding the arrival times of their volume IV, number II magazines. Of these, twenty-nine were from domestic members and four were from members living overseas (or Canada). Because of the nature of the survey, I divided these two categories into separate databases for analysis. Please understand that the purpose of the survey was not to prove that D.G.I.F. issues take too long to receive. Rather, it was intended to show the extreme amount of time required for domestic members to get their magazines, as compared to the international members. I believe Myra and I have accomplished this goal. As far as the numbers are concerned, pay special attention to the mean (average) and the confidence interval. These are the two crucial pieces of information. I will explain their significance later. Anyway, on to the calculations.... Note: The April 3, 1992 postmark date was assumed to be the same for both international and domestic members. Domestic Members: N = 29 Standard Deviation (N-1) = 4.541 Mean = 19.759 Standard Deviation (N) = 4.462 Median = 20.000 Sum = 573.000 Minimum = 10.000 Variance = 20.618 Maximum = 29.000 Tukey five number summary (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100th percentile) (10, 18.5, 20, 22, 29) 95% Confidence Interval about mean is (18.030, 21.487) International Members: N = 4 Standard Deviation (N-1) = 0.816 Mean = 4.000 Standard Deviation (N) = 0.707 Median = 4.000 Sum = 16.000 Minimum = 3.000 Variance = 0.667 Maximum = 5.000 Tukey five number summary (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100th percentile) (3, 3.25, 4, 4.75, 5) 95% Confidence Interval about mean is (2.698, 5.302) Notice the large difference between the means. The average amount of time required for an international member was over two weeks shorter than for a domestic member. This is unacceptable in my opinion. The added cost of first class postage is nominal compared to the benefit of receiving a D.G.I.F. issue on time. However, this is not the most shocking conclusion. The confidence interval is a measure of the probability of receiving the issue in a certain time frame. In this case, a domestic member has a 95% probability of receiving his/her D.G.I.F. issue between eighteen and twenty-one days after it has been mailed. On the other hand, an international member only has to wait between two and five days. A better representation of this can be seen in the histogram below. Both sets of data have been overlaid on the same graph for easier reading. Histogram Key: (##) International (\\) Domestic 12 - | __ | |\\| 9 - |\\| | |\\| | |\\| 6 - |\\| | __|\\| | |\\|\\| 3 - __ __ |\\|\\| | |##| |\\| |\\|\\|\\|__ __ | __|##| __|\\|_____|\\|\\|\\|\\|__|\\| 0 - |##|##| |\\|\\|\\|\\|\\|\\|\\|\\|\\|\\| |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|----- 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 Time Elapsed The second portion of the survey involved asking members whether they would be willing to pay an extra $2 - $3 per year for first class postage. Of the eleven respondents, there was only one vote of dissention. However, I do not believe that D.G.I.F. needs to raise its rates in order to improve service. This part of the survey was only intended as a "worst-case" scenario to demonstrate to D.G.I.F. our insatiable desire for first class postage. These results, along with several suggestions for improved service, will be mailed to D.G.I.F. in a few weeks. If you do not wish your name included in the list, please email me immediately at the SEAS address below. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- William E. Jackson a.k.a. "Snugglupagus" D.G.I.F. #3260 Internet: billj@seas.smu.edu Bitnet: e1fr0006 at smuvm1 e1fr0006@vm.cis.smu.edu CompuServe: 70673,761 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= THE DIAL-MTV EXPEDITION =- Steven Manfred (steven.k.manfred@uwrf.edu) May 10, 1992 (excerpts from the private logs of expedition leader: Steven Manfred) Wednesday, the Fifth of July, in the Year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Nine, 2:45 pm (CST) I have come to a great decision today. I shall attempt to do that which no human being on the face of this Earth has attempted before: I shall attempt to reach the DIAL-MTV request lines and request the latest Debbie Gibson video, "No More Rhyme." Background: The video "No More Rhyme" had been world premiered on WTBS's "Night Tracks" two weeks and four days previously, after which it mysteriously disappeared. Gibson fans all across America began a frantic search for this video and their efforts were rewarded on Monday the Third when at long last, MTV played the video on "Now Hear This." 2:53 pm (CST) Preparations for the ordeal are proceeding at pace. Supplies have been gathered around the telephone to be used. As the expedition ahead was almost certainly to be gruelling, I packed light: a pillow, a cup of M&M's, my lucky coin, and, most important of all, a lucky hat. The expedition could not hope to succeed without this essential item. 2:57 pm (CST) The expedition has taken one more step towards success as I've found a kindred spirit in the guise of my little sister. She has graciously allowed her phone to be the one to be used. I cannot begin to explain how important this was. On previous attempts to reach the MTV request lines, some resistance had been put up by the government (sometimes called Mom). She claimed that what I was about to embark on would become a source of national embarrassment. What would neighboring countries (neighbors) say about a fellow neighbor they could not reach by telephone as this end would be busy for possibly an hour and a half? Using my sister's phone avoids this resistance as the government no longer knows its phone is being used. 2:59 pm (CST) All supplies have been checked and I am ready to go. I am seated in front of the phone in a manner I picked up from the American Indians. I am waiting impatiently for the clock to tick past the three o'clock mark. 3:00 pm (CST) I am writing this as I make my first attempt. All I seem to be getting is a busy signal. But I shall not let this depress me! I expected difficulties from the outset. My spirits are high as I nobly press the reset and redial buttons. 3:05 pm (CST) Still no progress, but I am not worried yet. Conditions in my sister's tent, sorry, room, are better than expected and the phone is performing very satisfactorily. 3:15 pm (CST) The very first stages of phone fatigue are beginning to set in. I am becoming fidgety and I find myself handing the cradle from one hand to the other at an alarming rate. I am also not hitting the redial button as fast as I used to. 3:20 pm (CST) I have started taking M&M's to counteract the hypnotic effects the touch tones and busy signals are having on me. One hour, ten minutes to go before the 4:30 deadline. 3:30 pm (CST) Conditions in my sister's room have taken a turn for the worse. She has brought her little friend from next door over and they are kicking up a storm of toys. Even if I got through now, I am not sure the operator would be able to hear me above them. 3:40 pm (CST) The M&M's have run out and I'm already beginning to feel the effects. I find myself subconsciously whistling along with the touch tone tune. Fifty minutes remaining. 3:47 pm (CST) The busy signals are having an hallucinogenic effect on me. I keep seeing myself getting through to an operator to find it it is Debbie herself taking my request. I must try and get a grip on myself if I am to succeed. 4:00 pm (CST) I head into the final half hour in a bottomless pit of despair and despondency. On my last call my hopes surged as I reached a ringing telephone, but those hopes died a slow and painful death as I realized after sixty rings that no one was going to answer. I am not sure what to make of this. Perhaps DIAL-MTV is just a legend after all. I am pressing on in the hopes it was a mirage. 4:10 pm (CST) Five minutes ago I reached the request lines and jumped in delight at one hundred and two miles an hour. I now wish I would have looked up first as I jumped into something very hard and knocked myself unconscious. Being unconscious, I couldn't give them my request so they hung up. I do not know how much longer I can keep this up. 4:20 pm (CST) I'VE MADE IT! I'VE SUCCEEDED! I requested "No More Rhyme!" I... Manfred's logs stop there. He was found dead by his little sister at 4:25 pm that day. Autopsy revealed he died as a delayed result of the head injury he suffered from his jump for joy, exacerbated by a sudden increase in blood pressure. Manfred's efforts were not totally in vain, however. That day Debbie Gibson's "No More Rhyme" video debuted on the chart at Number Fifteen. DIAL-MTV sources will not reveal the vote count for that day, but it is believed Manfred's vote tipped the balance as the video failed to appear again on either of the two days after that. News of his death got around that weekend, and the following Monday the video reappeared at Number Three. Donations to the Manfred Family Relief Fund may be made by calling the following number: 1-800-342-5688. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= REVIEW OF DG SONGS ON JO BETH ALBUM =- Matthew Jung (mjung@rosarita.ucdavis.edu) May 8, 1992 There have been two articles about Jo Beth Taylor's _99 Reasons_ album published in BtL. Still, neither of them really went into any depth about the songs that Deb worked on for the album. This review will discuss the five songs which Deborah contributed to Jo Beth Taylor's album. Plain and simple, this is the most Gibson oriented non-DG album to date. Ana's second album, _Body Language_, was a stew of other producers with the sound dominated by Maurice Starr. Chris Cuevas' _Somehow, Someway_ debut album was also not as Gibson oriented because he is a singer-songwriter and the album clearly has his own sound. However, _99 Reasons_ is clearly very Gibsonish because Deb wrote, produced, and arranged four songs for Jo Beth Taylor. She also wrote, co-produced, and co-arranged with Jellybean on one track, and even had her ex-keyboard player and music director, Gary Corbett (Electric Youth tour), contribute one of his own songs ("Slow Jam") for the album. "Worth My Time" reminds me of one of those impromptu type songs that Deb used to write while guest appearing on shows such as the "VH-1 Celebrity Hour" with Roger Rose (1987). For instance Jo Beth says (not sings) "I'm your girl and you know how I feel - you know the deal" at the end of the song which is something Deb would do in an impromptu type song. The style of the song is reminiscent of the younger Deborah Gibson where the subject is about simple romance; it would fit very well on the _Out of the Blue_ album. An aspect of this song which makes it different from songs of the Out of the Blue era is the arrangement; it has a thinner texture than that from Fred Zarr's work on the debut album. For those of you who love how "Deep Down" was sentimental about Deb's old style, you'll love this song. "Snatched Down" was co-produced and co-arranged by Jellybean and it sounds very similar to Deborah's other collaboration, "One Step Ahead." The similarities are blatantly obvious when Jo Beth Taylor raps the introductory lyrics as well as the chorus. The lyrics are about dressing to look cool and fashionable. Unfortunately, Deborah shouldn't have used such obscure slang as "snatched." This album was only released in Australia and since "snatched" is regional slang (New York?), I can't see how the Aussies would relate to it. The only time I've heard Deb use that term was on "The Arsenio Hall Show" back in the summer of 1989. Deborah was in the audience with her mom and publicist David Salidor. Arsenio noticed Deb wasn't wearing her trademark hat, but Deb pointed to her mom and said that she was looking "snatched." "Have Things Changed" is one of those sad ballads. The theme of the song is very similar to "No More Rhyme" where there is doubt in a relationship. At the very end of the song, Jo Beth sings "seems so secure, but I'm so unsure, have things changed?" with pure emotion as if she were crying or about to cry. I hope to hear Deb perform this song someday on stage or perhaps cover it on one of her own albums. "Everyone's Not Me" is one of those witty songs like "Play the Field," "Don't Flirt," and "When I Say No." It also shares the same theme as "One Hand, One Heart" and "We Could Be Together" which tells fans and friends that who she loves is her business and that we should butt out (but in a witty and humorous way, of course). Deborah, and her former dancer, Keeth Stewart, do background vocals for this song which makes it a real treat. The chorus is extremely catchy. It would have been nice if Deborah did this in concert including some theatrics with her dancers like in "Don't Flirt" (Electric Youth tour) and "It Must've Been My Boy" (One Step Ahead tour). "The Ways of the World" ends the Jo Beth Taylor album, but on a disappointing note. This is Deborah's second attempt at writing a socially conscious type song; her first attempt was "Whose World is it Anyway?" for Earth 90. Deb's first attempt was more successful because she's a pop environmentalist, so she knows something about the subject. However, Deb has said on a few occasions that social studies was not her subject (she almost fell asleep in such a class which resulted in "Wake Up To Love") and it is clearly evident in "The Ways of the World." It starts off very promising with the sound of a helicopter, police siren, and gun shots to evoke a certain mood. Unfortunately, the first signs of failure are foreshadowed by a cutesy melody in major key which is totally out of place. The song shows promise again when the verses begin in the minor key. The verses which I found interesting were: You take from the homeless Take from the hungry Give it to the lotto It's the way of the world They spend 20 hours Watching cartoons Then copy the homework What a waste of their world However, the song goes downhill from there. The chorus switches back to major key and tells us that boys and girls can make a difference. Of course, Deb's reasoning for doing this is obvious because she is trying to show that she is aware of the problems, but she is trying to be optimistic at the same time. Nevertheless, the rest of the song is just a repeat of the chorus (no less than five times) with the same empty lyrics. Listening to this song can be compared to being served a good appetizer in a restaurant, but only to have the waiter forget your entree later. Out of the five Debbie Gibson songs, I love two very much, can live without two of them, and absolutely despise one. I love "Have Things Changed" because I am very partial to Deborah's ballads. I always felt, since "Foolish Beat," that Deb has a certain talent for ballad writing and will eventually establish herself in the adult contemporary market. I also love "Everyone's Not Me" because I love the songs which have an attitude and witty lyrics. I can live without "Worth My Time" because when the _Out of the Blue_ album was released, I was never able to relate to some of the teenybopper songs on there written from a teenage girl's point of view. Even though I like "One Step Ahead," I can definitely live without "Snatched Down" because I think the lyrics are corny and I don't care much for the chorus being rapped because it takes away from Deborah's best asset, her melodies; the rapping worked in "One Step Ahead" because it was a very rhythmic song which was meant to "drive" people. Last and leastly, I totally despise "The Ways of the World" and think Deb has a long way to go before she can write songs like Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." In general, a "must have" for the Debheads out there. Like in Ana's album, Deborah seems to produce well for other artists. Deb doesn't try to get too ornamental and doesn't overproduce like she does for some of her own songs. Contrary to what Archie Medrano wrote in his review, Jo Beth's voice is nothing like Tiffany (where she attempts to imitate her idol, Stevie Nicks, with a raspy voice). Jo Beth's voice is smooth and similar to Deb's as well as Deedee and Tiffini of The Party. Unlike Ana, however, Jo Beth is more or less content with letting Deb walk her through the songs; Ana was better able to add her own sound into them. At any rate, if you are now interested in this album, you'll probably want to go to a store that can import records since _99 Reasons_ is still not available in the United States and it probably will never be. It will cost you quite a bit to get it, but it is worth it. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS =- Q. Ray Wilmott (wilmott@remus.rutgers.edu) The latest D.G.I.F. mentioned that Deb played "several ensemble" roles and had "5 costume changes." Okay, there's Eponine, one of the whores - that's two roles. I think Eponine had a costume change, right? Someone mentioned that they thought she was one of the factory girls. Does anyone know exactly what roles/costumes Deb did do in Les Miz? A. Myra Wong (mkwong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu) In Les Miz, Deb played Eponine, as well as some additional roles. Deb first plays a peasant, a factory worker, and a "lovely lady." She is shown in these three costumes on page 3 of D.G.I.F. Vol. 4, No. 2. In Act One, Eponine is wearing a peasant dress. In Act Two, Eponine is dressed as a boy, in pants and a coat. Q. Liam Skinner (Liam.Skinner@vaxa.newcastle-poly.uk) The 1992 calendar is sold out unfortunately. I was wondering if anyone had maybe digitalized a copy of this or any other Debbie Gibson pictures? Are there any plans you know of for a re-release of this or any other Debbie calendar? A. Matthew Jung (mjung@rosarita.ucdavis.edu) Digitalized photographs are available in the GIF format on cs.uwp.edu via anonymous FTP. You may also find these on various bulletin boards. As far as I know, no one has scanned all the photos from the 1992 calendar yet. If anyone would do so, and place them on cs.uwp.edu, it would be greatly appreciated by many. According to D.G.I.F., they would need 1000 orders to make more calendars, so it is unlikely anymore will be made. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- According to Tricia Houston, Debbie will be performing on the Children's Miracle Network Telethon live from Disneyland on the weekend of May 30-31. It will be televised live. Included in the 5/17/92 issue of USA Weekend (included in the Sunday edition of many U.S. newspapers), there was a question asked by a reader. The fan asked if Deb was going to be doing Les Miz in London. The answer given by USA Weekend was "doesn't look like it" because "Gibson's handlers say she couldn't commit the time because she is focused on the 4th album, to be released in late summer."