=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S Volume 4, Issue 10 - November 1, 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 ROBERT NOVAK - Robert Novak DG OPENS LONG ISLAND HOCKEY GAME - Peggy Campbell EX-TWISTED SISTER TALKS ABOUT DG - Bill Grohs WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART - Andrew Vernon "SLEIGH RIDE" REVIEW AND A LOOK FORWARD - Mike Falkner A LETTER TO DEBORAH - Bob MacDowell 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 =- Before you submit your articles, please PROOFREAD them. Remember that about 200 people receive BtL via electronic mail and a significant number of people are receiving BtL via postal mail. Copies of submissions should be sent to all moderators. We reserve the right to edit, defer, or reject 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 should be typed or written legibly. To submit articles by FAX, please call (604) 322-5936. For those of you who do not have access to electronic mail, you may subscribe via postal mail. Issues are printed with a bubblejet printer which allows six pages of text to be printed on one sheet of paper (both sides). Prices are at cost and are subject to change: Canada $0.50 Cdn. per issue United States $0.50 U.S. per issue International 3 IRCs for two issues 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. Issues are always mailed via first class. 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 discussing Debbie Gibson and her music in real time with other participating fans in the BtL Lounge on TheVoid, please send email to Jonathan Bradshaw (jonathan@nova.decio.nd.edu). 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.engr.ucdavis.edu mjung@pcocd2.intel.com myjung@ucdavis.bitnet Myra Wong : mkwong@freedom.nmsu.edu mkwong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu JSXS97D on Prodigy Felix Ng : fng@nyx.cs.du.edu =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY ROBERT NOVAK =- Robert Novak (rnovak@nyx.cs.du.edu) October 26, 1992 Hi there. I'm Robert Novak, a fifth-year broadcast communication major at Manchester College in Indiana, a fifth-year broadcaster on WBKE-FM North Manchester, and a fifth- or sixth-year Deborah Gibson fan of sorts. Some readers may know me as ArthurDent on some of the computer systems, or as a recent contributor to the bouncing DG list. As for how I discovered Deborah, it's not a captivating story. I've been an avid collector of music for several years, and I listened regularly to Casey Kasem's countdown from about 1983 through his move from ABC Watermark (AT40) to Westwood One (CT40). I always enjoyed hearing new charting music and the stories behind the artists, the songs, and the fans. Of course, when a young singer who also wrote, played, and produced her music came along, Casey's vocalics went into full gear, raving over this new musical sensation named Debbie Gibson. Since I was picking up new musical interests at the rate of two per week, I didn't take a particular interest in her any more than I did any of the other performers I listened to. That is, I chose to listen to and enjoy (and eventually buy) her music because I liked the songs, not because of who she was or what she did. I finally got my first DG tape when _Electric Youth_ came out. About the same time I found a copy of the CD with the bonus remixes, one of which I had played regularly on my radio shows from the flipside of one of the 45s. I was really so taken by the remixes that I got the CD just for them. Yes, the door slam in WCBT surprised me the first time I heard it -- I was walking down the street with my headphones on listening to EY when the door slam came up and I was looking around like a lunatic trying to figure out what had fallen. It took two or three listens to the words to figure out that it was a door, and not just temporary insanity. I didn't get too involved in my interest in Deborah's music for quite some time, mainly because I was pursuing the career of another young female performer, one whose name starts with a T, one whose first album was much more successful than either of the two that followed it. . . . Tanita Tikaram. Seriously, though, I was also (and still am) an avid fan of Tiffany, as well as Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Tears for Fears, Alan Parsons Project, Bruce Hornsby, and dozens of other groups, so it wasn't really until I found the supportive environment provided by the BtL people on the late great Time Traveller lounge and on the bouncing mailing list that I was able to expand on my interest, and finally go out and hunt up a copy of AIP (the two record stores closest to me didn't have anything but EY, and I already had it), ending up with the cassette and the CD (again!). Well, by the time you read this I should have been able to find OOTB, and hopefully I won't have to wait three years for the next album. I hope I get to see Deborah on this album's tour as well, and I hope I don't have to wait three years to hear from some of you -- I welcome E-mail or snailmail (U.S. Mail) at Box 627 Manchester College, North Manchester IN 46962 (until May 1993). In case you're wondering, some of my other interests include Doctor Who and Monty Python's Flying Circus (Ni!), desktop publishing (I'm editing my third college yearbook this year), computer programming, a very wide spectrum of music, and meeting new and exciting people. Please drop me a note if you're intrigued, or if you want to know why I'm glad the next album isn't coming out this year, or if you're just bored. I look forward to hearing from you. Shine on, Robert Novak =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DG OPENS LONG ISLAND HOCKEY GAME =- Peggy Campbell (WGSK63B on Prodigy) October 17, 1992 Hi everyone! Debbie just finished singing "America the Beautiful," live, before the season opener of the Islanders and NY Rangers hockey game. She wore a black hat and a white blazer and her version of the song was beautiful and inspiring. The announcers made it a point to call her Deborah, stating that that is her new name. There was a very short article in THE DAILY NEWS about it on Friday, October 16, 1992. Here it is. "Debbie Gibson won't take sides when she helps usher in the home opener for the Islanders tomorrow at Nassau Coliseum. Gibson, a Long Islander, was asked by the team to wear one of their jerseys when she sings 'America the Beautiful' before the face-off against the Rangers. She said she wants to remain impartial, so she'll wear a white jacket with a red AIDS ribbon on the back. Gibson just recorded an album 'Body, Mind & Soul'." [Editor's Note: According to the September 4th issue of Entertainment Weekly, the white jacket with the large red AIDS ribbon was designed by Richard Tyler at the request of Deborah.] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= EX-TWISTED SISTER TALKS ABOUT DG =- Bill Grohs (Brigantine, New Jersey) October 6, 1992 Hey Debheads. I'm writing to share part of an interview I did with ex-Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider. Dee's in a new band called Widowmaker. He called the college radio station where I work (WLFR in Pomoha, New Jersey) to promote his new band and album. We talked about his new and former bands, Howard Stern, touring and of course, Debbie Gibson. Bill Grohs: I heard you used to live across the street from Debbie Gibson. Is that true? Dee Snider: O.K. Debbie Gibson stories. B.G.: Yeah, that's what we want. D.S.: I lived not across the street but in the same neighborhood. My producer lived across the street from Debbie Gibson. But I lived in the same neighborhood. Now, why did she move into my neighborhood? This is a true story. Debbie Gibson, before she got famous, used to make her boyfriends drive her up to my house and look over my fence and peek in my windows. Now I didn't believe that story but one of her boyfriends told me this story which is that one day I came home and they were there looking over the fence. I pulled up behind them and started smoking my tires. I remember that 'cause it only happened once. And Debbie Gibson was looking over my fence. So I haven't met her but when I do meet her I'm gonna look at her and say "You know you look real familiar" and take my hand and cover the lower half of her face and say "Oh Debbie, is that you?! I used to see you looking over my fence." So after she became famous she had to move where I moved and that's another reason I moved [to Florida]. Her and Taylor Dayne moved into the same area I lived and I told a local reporter that I left 'cause all the cool got drained out of the neighborhood. And while I have you all here I have to publicly thank Sandy for hooking me up with BtL since November 1990 and to Pat and Rich for tickets to Les Miz and information which led me to meet Debbie outside of the Imperial Theatre in New York City on February 23rd of this year. One last item: A local rock newspaper (EAST COAST ROCKER) listed _Deborah_ Gibson as one of the artists on the upcoming _A Very Special Christmas Volume 2_. This could be the beginning of the official name change. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART =- Andrew Vernon (avernon1@ua1vm.ua.edu) October 24, 1992 Five years ago, we didn't have this kind of anticipation. We were all just discovering what Deborah Gibson was all about, not sitting on pins and needles waiting for the next album to hit the street. But, the days of stumbling on "Only In My Dreams" while skipping through the TV channels are gone. Now we know who she is and what she wants to do. We know about all her influences and her kind-hearted tendencies. We just don't know when her next record will be released. Two years ago, we found _Anything Is Possible_. For some reason, a lot of Debheads had mixed emotions about that record. More casual followers dropped away completely. While AIP proved to be a strong collection of music and received positive reviews from the critics, it dove from the charts and the public consciousness within a few weeks of its release. The word was that Deborah was now washed up. For me, that was the beginning of what has been a two-year cold spell. I felt quite lost once AIP bombed out on the chart. I remember shaking my head as I read the articles forecasting that Deborah's career was over. I remember seeing singles in the record stores that never were played on the radio. Then, I remember Deborah disappearing from the face of the earth shortly after the beginning of the Persian Gulf War. No television appearances. No magazine articles. Occasionally, I'd hear from D.G.I.F. Eventually though, BtL would reassure me the she had only went out on tour, stopping everywhere but Birmingham and Atlanta, where I could have gotten the personal appearance to rebuild my faith. I felt like the Last Debbie Gibson Fan On Earth. Fortunately, this only lasted a year. Deborah came out of the shadows to appear in Les Miserables. I was ready to plan Spring Break around Deborah's farewell performance on March 29, but my wallet objected. When the wallet vetoes your plans, there is no override. I just put my hopes into the prospect of a new album for the summer. Then true to Deborah's form, summer became fall and then January 1993. I remember when the news of the January release date hit the BtL bouncing mailing list, the prospect of waiting four more months for a record originally promised during the summer puzzled me. I asked myself, "What is taking Deborah so long?" I came up with an answer: Deborah's got a good bit riding on this next album. This has to be the record that causes the audience to take her seriously and to dispose of the "washed-up teen queen" perceptions among the people. She has to give her devotees something new. She has to reintroduce herself to those outside her old fan base. In other words, she needs another breakthrough. I tell myself this every so often to keep things in perspective, because the anticipation is killing me. I've spent a lot of the past few months reading back issues of BtL, listening to concert and radio performances and making projections about what to expect about the still forthcoming _Body, Mind, And Soul_. "Sleigh Ride" has given me a little to chew on over the holidays, until Gibson Management Inc. or Atlantic Records announces a release date for the album. So now, after two years, it may seem that Deborah Gibson's Second Big Break is approaching, but it's far from arrival. For now, all I can do is hope, pray and (yes) wait. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= "SLEIGH RIDE" REVIEW AND A LOOK FORWARD =- Michael Falkner (FALKNEMJ@cnsvax.uwec.edu) October 25, 1992 On October 20, I eagerly, but nervously, sat down at my CD player to listen to the long-awaited (at least by the Deb fans here present) release of _A Very Special Christmas 2_, of which Deb performed a very bouncy adaptation of "Sleigh Ride." When I heard the drum beat to begin the song, I thought, "What is this?" I expected a rather slow, yet choppy version, much like the generic version you hear while you are shopping at the malls. Thankfully, I didn't get it. Not even close!! What I got was a very bouncy, very energetic style which seems to fit Gibson to a T. I was immediately impressed with the deepness, clarity, and fullness of Deborah's voice, and can't help thinking that her stint on Broadway certainly helped her in that respect. As I told my fellow Debheads on the bouncing list, it seems that she has improved over some of her songs where her voice seems to "explode" at the start of a given note, lessening the musical effect. What especially impressed me was the harmonization of Deb with the backups in the middle of the song, and could almost picture the warm fire where the chestnuts in question are popping. Deb then returns to the familiar melody, with some ad-libbing to end the song. There seemed to be one point in that ad-libbing where Deb, in my humble opinion, seemed to scream-sing. It was the start of the second half of the last verse. I just couldn't place it in what was going on in the song, but I knew that, anytime she was being that energetic, she was just being herself. Deb at her finest! My thoughts: A very strong effort which gives many of us something to look forward to with the January release of the new album, _Body, Mind, and Soul_. My thoughts on that come later. Although this was not a Team Gibson project, it seems that Deb has taken her experience on Broadway and incorporated it into a stronger singing package, which can only bode well for the future. As for the future, when I read Andrew's article , I couldn't help but think, "This is it. It's make or break time." Deborah Gibson's musical career is at a crossroads. We all know she still feels that she has so much to give to her fans: past, present, and future. I agree with Andrew in saying that this is the album where she is going to have to come forth and really knock it dead. If she doesn't, she may end up fading into the background of the pop music scene, to be rarely heard from again. It almost seems like that 12-inch dance single of "Only In My Dreams" again. This time, she has to prove that she can go beyond the teeny-bopper image and be accepted by a very skeptical public at-large. We all feel that she can do it, because most of us know that Deb's last album wasn't that bad. In fact, in my humble opinion, it was her most complete work. We are dealing with a business, so no matter how well we feel about how well an album is put together, it is a fact of life that she needs to branch out and reestablish herself as a viable music artist. Knowing that this is an important time in Deborah's career, I can only say that we should remain patient, even if the album gets pushed back again. Deb will give it her all, and I just pray that all associated with the album do the same. If this song is any indication, I doubt we will be disappointed. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= A LETTER TO DEBORAH =- Bob MacDowell (75730.3410@compuserve.com / RBWR79B on Prodigy) September 10, 1992 Hi! My name is Bob MacDowell, and it's time I introduced myself. But I decided to do it in a little different way, though! In January 1992, I wrote a *rather long* letter to Deborah, about an adventure I had. I've decided to share the letter with you, as a way to introduce myself, and also tell an interesting story! This letter is about a trip that I took with a friend, Bob Liptack (he's not on Internet) to make a TV show about Debbie Gibson fans, and also to see Deb perform at the Concord Resort Hotel in Kiamesha Lake, NY, during Thanksgiving 1991. It's a *big* letter (25K), but Matthew has assured me that there's room in BtL for it. When I wrote it, I realized she might never have time to read it, but I wrote it anyway, maybe more for myself than for her. As an introduction to the letter, I had written the story of how I became a fan. I'm dropping it out because of room, but if you'd like to hear, write me and maybe it'll be in a future issue of BtL. Well, I've said enough... read what I wrote to Deborah! -------------------------- 27159 Apple Tree Lane Franklin, MI 48025 January 10, 1991 Dear Deborah, I just have to tell you about the adventure I had coming to see you in concert at the Concord over Thanksgiving. A friend of mine, Bob Liptack, is a video producer from Chicago. You may know Bob from when you met him at Merrillville, Indiana; he gave you a laser disc from Japan. Bob is a partner in a video production company called Crystal Productions; being a partner means he can do whatever projects he wants. Bob did a really nice video birthday tribute to you this year. (And he says he's not that much of a fan!) He also tried to do a project at Merrillville, but I guess it fell through. Anyway, I helped him shoot another video! This one's about "inspiration," and how people are inspired by your music. He's been interviewing people and asking about why they're a fan, how they're inspired by you, and that sort of thing. He met everyone, including me, over a computer service called PRODIGY, where people use the public "bulletin board" to talk about common interests. The "Debbie Gibson" topic is pretty active! Why would Bob make this video? The flip answer is, "because he can." Bob's like me - he's a fan, he believes in you. If I had a video production company at my disposal, I'd be doing the same. Oh, I should introduce myself! I'm Bob MacDowell, I'm 28, I'm from Michigan. I install and repair IBM computers, and I teach people how to use them. My hobbies are music and playing with trains - full size ones, that is - at a railway museum. I also ride railroads all over the country (with permission) with my special Suburban truck that runs on railroad tracks. I've always liked your music, but I only started to become a "fan" when I heard a promotional CD called "Profiled!" When I saw your concert on August 15, 1991, two days before my birthday... well, that did it! The positive energy I took out of that show was the best birthday present I could get. There's several of us from Prodigy involved in the video - Bob, myself, David Stoeckl, Peggy Campbell, Jonathan Bradshaw and Cindy Chambers. Bob flew out to California to film Cindy. I really hope you get to meet her someday! I saw the raw footage from her interview, she said your music saved her life (WOW!) and the way Bob described her to me, I'm afraid of getting into hearsay, but your music did exactly that. You saved her. Well, she saved herself, but you helped. Wow! Anyway, on to the story already! Thanksgiving Day ================ I was at home, packing for a trip to New York with someone I'd never seen or met before. I knew him from correspondence on Prodigy and videos he sent me, but that's all! The phone rang and it was Bob Liptack. He must've stopped along the freeway to give me an update. "Hi, Bob, where are you?" "At the end of your street. I forgot your address!" "27159." I went into "panic-pack-mode" as he drove up. Ever do that? I figured it would be pretty dumb to bring my 8-mm home video camera since Bob had broadcast equipment in his car! I grabbed it anyway. The drive to Pennsylvania was pretty dull, so Bob and I talked about trains all the way there. I'm a railfan (train buff, whatever), and I know a LOT about the technology. It's absolutely neat. Railways were designed by some very clever people. I can bore people to tears if I'm not careful, but I kept checking and Bob was actually interested! Truth is, I'm more than a railfan. I volunteer at a railway museum. The museum started when three kids watched their hometown railroad get abandoned. So they did what any sixteen-year-olds would do. They created the Southern Michigan Railroad Society, and through it they bought the railroad from Conrail. I'm not kidding. But that's another story. Beaver Falls, Penna. ==================== About 8:00 we stopped at a motel near Pittsburgh. We unloaded and tried to go to dinner. This was Thanksgiving night. Beaver Falls goes on forever, and *everything* was closed, even the McDonalds! We finally found a 24-hour mini-mart, and Thanksgiving dinner was a pizza sub and Cheetos. ("Munch all you want, we'll make more!") As we drove back, a train appeared out of the "blue" (Conrail "blue") and the big blue locomotive was running alongside us. Like, where'd THAT come from? Normally, railfans chase trains, not the other way around! Only serendipity brings a train to us (and it will again this trip!) Fog was starting to tickle the ground, which dropped away as we and the train leapt over a river. It was absolutely surreal. Back at the motel, Bob tuned in the evening news and Bob described how they produce an evening news show. I learned all about "font"-ing, and "chroma-keys." Bob even noticed that the anchors were wearing the same clip-on mikes that he uses. The Road to Lancaster ===================== Friday morning, we headed for Lancaster. Near Pittsburgh, we went right alongside the old, majestic and huge Wheeling & Lake Erie railroad bridge. It's a great bridge, unless you have to paint it! The Pennsylvania Turnpike is different and kind of interesting, as freeways go. Most freeways look pretty much the same, but this was built before they standardized. It's in the mountains, and they fit the road where they can. Bob put in a tape. I recognized the beginning, it's one of yours - "Only In My Dreams," except the bass sounded a little funny. About halfway through the first verse, it hit me. "Where's Debbie?" I exclaimed. The lead vocals were absolutely GONE! Apparently Bob has a way of filtering them out. We played the "Where's Debbie" tape a lot, and we sang in place of you. It's one thing to know a song well enough to sing along. It's another to be able to sing solo! I forgot the words! Ever happen to you? (well, maybe not, since you wrote 'em!) By the way, Bob and I won't be going on tour as a singing duo, any time soon. The city planners who designed Lancaster, PA must have been drunk at the time. The roads are laid out like spaghetti! With meatballs! But between David Stoeckl's good directions (off a computer printout) and my great navigating (NOT!), we found our way to his house. We were interviewing David Stoeckl (rhymes with "Jekyll") as part of the video. He's an interesting fellow. He has a computer bulletin board of his own (people around Lancaster call his computer and leave messages and read them), and he's on Prodigy too. He's a Captain in the Army, and he's in the State Department's Bureau of Anti-Terrorism. Definitely one of the Good Guys! Shooting at Dave's ================== I helped Bob set up the video gear... the Ikegami camera, a 3/4" video recorder, portable lights, clip-on mike. It was little tiny mike with a huge plug, but I didn't know that, so I gave David the plug to wear, and I ran the mike back to the VTR! After abandoning my short career as a sound man, I pulled out my little video camera and filmed Bob setting up to film David. "Hey Bob, how 'ya going to white-balance with incandescent lights and the sunlight coming in?" Bob Liptack stopped dead and gave me a look like "Where'd THAT come from!?" I'd been doing my homework... I read a book about video production the week before. See, white light isn't white. Sunlight is tinted blue, and incandescent light is tinted yellow, and if both "colors" are mixed, the camera can get confused. But I sure surprised Bob by knowing that! (Of course, knowing and doing are two different things. Half the trip I had the white balance set wrong on my little camera!) David did the interview in his Electric Youth tour jacket, which he got as a D.G.I.F. contest winner. He was very proud of that! He showed us everything he'd won, and he let me browse his _*priceless_* collection of old D.G.I.F.'s. David handled the interview pretty well. Bob had a list of about thirty questions, and he told David to include the question in the answer. If he asked, "What is your favorite song", you didn't say "One Step Ahead." You said, "My favorite song is One Step Ahead..." All of the interviewer's questions would get edited out. Everybody kept going, in deadpan, "My name is ____ and I am a Debbie Gibson fan" like they were in A.A. It cracked everybody up. Nobody used that on their interview though! Too Much Adventure For One Day ============================== David tried to give us directions out of Lancaster but it was hopeless. So he would lead us out of town to a Burger King. Great plan, until we lost him! But then we found the Burger King. David rolled in ten minutes later..."Gee, where'd you go?" The Burger King was a smart choice because it was right on the main road out of town. We still got lost! So we drove over hill and dale on all these charming Pennsylvania two- lane roads (hint in Pennsylvania driving: _never take a "shortcut"!_) Eventually we got back on the Interstates and we approached New York. On the entrance ramp to the Holland Tunnel, we drove within 20 feet of a warehouse that was billowing thick black smoke. The fire was just about to get interesting, and there we were, equipped to do "Electronic News Gathering!" Alas, we didn't stop. Bob said that if this was Chicago, he would've stopped and filmed it, and even tried for an interview with the fire chief. But this being New York, Bob didn't have the slightest idea how to sell the video once he took it, and he was concerned about union hassles. I guess I have to defer to Bob's judgment there. Besides, no way could we have filmed it and got it to the stations by the 11:00 news. I keep thinking "Ahh, we should've gone for it!" But that's just me (and that line of thinking will get me in trouble later...) If nothing else we'd have a unique souvenir of our trip. But we were tired, and we didn't know what more adventure stood between us and our hotel! Manhattan was fun. There aren't freeways (no room for 'em!) so we pinballed around the streets for awhile. Crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. Crossed the Manhattan Bridge. Crossed the Brooklyn Bridge again. (I was navigating!) Made about *n* wrong turns, where *n* approaches infinity. Almost got in a Genuine New York Traffic Jam (at 11 P.M. no less!) We wound up driving Atlantic Avenue all the way to the Van Wyck. Finally. Freeway! We crashed for the night at the Comfort Inn in Jericho. Around the corner from the Westbury Music Fair, as it worked out. Before we turned in, we strained our brains and searched your "Between the Lines" book, trying to find places from your youth. I asked the hotel manager where Nunley's was. Jericho ======= "Location, location and location," Bob says, "That's what's important in video. Show and tell." So on a beautiful Saturday morning, we awoke in your "backyard" (figuratively speaking!) to do some location shooting. Bob and I went to breakfast at the Big Boy, then he set up his camera in the parking lot. He has a lot of work to do. Assemble the tripod; cable up the camera, VCR and portable monitor; turn on everything and white balance the camera. Me, I videoed him setting up. On our way to breakfast, I noticed a "To Westbury Music Fair" sign... Hey, I remember the Westbury Music Fair from the book! So that was our first location shot. Bob just shot a picture of the sign in front of the place, with cars going in. He had to set up the shot just right, because there was another sign that was almost in the way. Then it was off to 375 N. Broadway. We parked across the street and did a static shot of what I _hope_ was the right building. There wasn't a sign on the building... I mean, it could've been 375 S. Broadway and we'd have never known it! (It was across the street from a mall, and only a block from the Northern State Parkway.) We would've said hello, but everybody was at the Concord. Rail Road, not Railroad ======================= We headed east then south and along the Sunrise Highway, paralleling the Long Island Rail Road's Montauk Branch (but commuters call it the Babylon Branch... I do my homework!) By the way, the Long Island uses the classic spelling, "Rail Road" as two words, instead of "Railroad." The friend who told me that, grew up on the Far Rockaway Branch, near a station called... _Gibson_! He now owns a fifteen mile line in Michigan called the Adrian and Blissfield Rail Road. Two words. I had my video camera rolling and I was having an eye for trains. None at Bellmore, but as we approached Merrick... "Oh Yeah!" were my words on tape as an eastbound came rolling into the station! Perfect timing, and even on the photogenic side of the platform. I couldn't have staged a better shot if I had the cooperation of the railroad! Railway serendipity strikes again! (Well, since serendipity is a gift from God, I guess He was dispatching all the trains this weekend!) While Bob shot the sign at the entrance of town, I ran over to the train station. I should say that, in the rail industry, you have industry professionals, railfans, crazy railfans, and "rail-foamers." The foamers are the ones that'll drive their car off the road when they see a train, and start salivating around steam engines. Railroads... the only heavy industry with groupies! Normally, I'm the consummate professional - I have to be - I deal with industry folks who are not impressed with railfans. But for just a moment at Merrick, I turned from "professional" to "foamer." I ran around that station like a little kid! And not because it's "Debbie Gibson's Train Station." I would've gone nuts if it was the Bellmore station. See, I was back "home." I spent a year around San Francisco, and I found out how liberating decent public transit can be. That's what made me a railfan. I LOVE transit, I thrive on it, I MISS it (there's none in Michigan) and Merrick is an example of commuter rail at its best! I've seen systems all over America. The Merrick-style station is modern, beautiful and efficient, and it's as good as even the new super-subways like the Washington Metro. And the train service is frequent and fast, at least on paper. You may not share my opinion of the L.I.R.R.; you've actually _used_ it! But the L.I.R.R. could do lots worse. I bugged the agent for a Long Island Rail Road map and every timetable he had. I even bought a ticket and some subway tokens. (Ever miss a train because you had to buy a ticket first? I HATE that! So I keep a few tickets and tokens on hand for most major cities. Spares, and souvenirs!) Anyway, I ran up to the platform, waved at Bob, and headed down. Bob was afraid I'd jump on a train, and then call him on his cell phone from somewhere. With a wink, I told Bob not to put it past me! "Debbietown U.S.A." =================== Then we headed into Merrick. We were looking for your old schools, particularly Calhoun High School, and maybe that favorite pizza place of yours. We found the Camp Avenue School no problem, and we shot the front of it. These two kids kept riding across our shot in go-carts. We didn't mind! Calhoun was a little tougher to find. After asking directions, we came at it from the north, then we drove around half of Merrick trying to find the front entrance! (This was on a Saturday.) At Calhoun, we shot the front of the building where it says "Calhoun High School." A custodian came out to see what we were doing. He was a nice fellow, I didn't catch his name. We talked for awhile off camera. He didn't know you that well, but he said you were nice and not stuck up. Calhoun looks like a nice school. We didn't go inside, I didn't need to. In my job I see plenty of 'em. I install computers in schools all the time. There's posters on the walls with inspirational messages from Corey Feldman (or you!) And, oh yeah, I spent about 12 years in them awhile back. I've always enjoyed working in schools. But I couldn't figure out what was magic in them until "Electric Youth" reminded me. As we left, I started up my little camera and exclaimed, "Look! Here's the receiving department of Debbie Gibson's high school!!!!" and I did a fake fan scream. The silliness of it all, us driving around taking shots of all the places you've been, was getting to me! "Look, there's the Fotomat where Debbie Gibson got her pictures developed! There's Debbie Gibson's Blockbuster Video!" It was definitely time to move on. Nunley's ======== The last stop was the best stop. Nunley's! You mentioned Nunley's amusement park in your book, but my parents really have to get the credit for putting us onto the place. They love carousels like I love trains. They go all over America to ride them, and they even own four original wooden horses off of carousels that were auctioned off. So when I read about Nunley's, I told them, and out came the photos and videos! The good news is, Nunley's is still alive, at least the one in Baldwin. They had some trouble a couple of years ago, but it's running now. We met the owner and he said he's trying to sell, so it may not be around for much longer. The carousel still has real wooden horses, and that makes it valuable, like $5,000 and up, _per horse_! Someone could buy the whole park just to close it and sell the horses to people like my parents. That's what often happens to old carousels. We did a lot of shooting at Nunley's. First, we shot people riding the carousel, then we went out and got an exterior shot of the building. Then, I did a "walk-on." The camera had a picture of the building and I walked into the shot. "Hi, I'm Bob MacDowell and this is Nunley's!" (gesturing at the sign.) The camera zoomed in on me as I kept talking. You know how hard that is? (well, yeah, you probably do.) I was totally nervous, but it needed to be done, so I just did it! When I look back at it I still get butterflies, and I'm mortally embarrassed to watch the playback. But it feels great, and I think I did a pretty good job. For an amateur! The Concord Brickworks ====================== In a bit I'm going to invoke your "falling bricks" metaphor to describe some of the craziness at the Concord. I mean it all in good fun, and I think pretty much everyone did their best under the circumstances. Around the railroad I have observed that when a few bricks fall, it's trouble. When more fall, it's a disaster. But when a great many bricks fall it lapses into comedy, because there's not much left to do but laugh! After we ate lunch at Nunley's, we headed for the Concord. Freeways around New York are amazing. And I thought the subway system was complicated! Speaking of which, we passed a railyard full of red subway cars with absolutely no graffiti. After we crossed the Tappan Zee bridge (cool bridge!), we saw some commuter trains. New Jersey Transit. UH OH! But then I remembered that one of their lines goes into New York. The first thing in my mind when I saw the Concord was that it was the biggest hotel I've seen in my life. Security was tight, it was like Checkpoint Charlie! We unloaded, and unloaded, and unloaded, all the video gear. The porters were a big help, needless to say! Our room was, in a word, GREEN! Walls, ceiling, drapes, was all "institutional green." It was so bad that Bob had to adjust the camera. We tried to buy a ticket for David Stoeckl, who couldn't stay the night. The Concord folks sold us one after some confusion. I asked if they sold a lot of tickets separately, and they said this was the second one! Getting David in the gate was another thing. He had to come back three times before they let him in! That was a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing, plus a little trouble that I guess security had earlier from some fans. It seemed to be raining at the Concord... raining bricks! We met a nice young couple at dinner. (Wait a minute, I'm writing to a 21-year-old about a young couple! They were thirty-ish.) They were going to your show but they didn't quite know what to expect, so I told them as best I could. I Put My Foot In It =================== On our way out of dinner, I saw a table marked "Reserved for GPI." Now, Bob Liptack had been trying to catch up with Julie Casimano about the video, and maybe a "meet and greet" with you and us folks from the interview. Knowing yes or no would've helped Bob plan better, plus, I want to meet you! (And your Mom!) Although I know that's not always possible, and I'll have other opportunities. But mostly, Bob was getting a little frustrated from not hearing anything. Well, sometimes things get forgotten, nothing wrong with that... My line of thinking is, if you're not getting something you want, ask! (Gee, wonder where I got that? wink wink!) So, I marched up to the "GPI" table and asked. "Hi, are you folks with GPI?" "No, I only wish we were! We are the owners of the Concord. Were you looking for someone in particular?" "Yes, Julie Casimano," I said. "Well, if she's here, hurry to the theater. They're open now but they'll be closing soon." "Thanks!" Bob didn't really want to go, he figured their silence was their answer. I don't think that way. My feeling is, if you need an answer, ask for it! So I eventually talked Bob into going down there. We didn't find Julie, but the fellow we talked to, the tour manager I guess, gave us exactly the answer Bob didn't want to hear. He said "no," of course, but Bob really didn't like the WAY he said "no." I think he could've been nicer. But I also know that communication between good people can go astray even in the best circumstances. The Concord was certainly not the best circumstances. So I think he did his best, and I can't hold anything against him. Still, Bob was frustrated from that encounter, and I was feeling really guilty for pushing him into it. That kind of put a somber mood on the proceedings for awhile. Fortunately, there's no mood that one of your concerts can't fix! Showtime! ========= What can I say about your show? Your stage presence is incredible, it speaks volumes, but it leaves me speechless! You are the most vibrant, energetic, and interactive performer I've seen. Frankly, you make it look easy, and usually that means it isn't! My walk-on at Nunley's left me with a greater respect for what you do. You are one of the few artists that is better on stage than recorded. (There, have I buttered you up enough?) I love how you handled the fans who were chanting "What If! What If! What If!" I'm still cracking up over that whole episode. You've got a great sense of humor. So does Buddy! Didn't he put those fans up to it? (OOPS, did I just let the cat out of the bag?) By the way, I've been trying to fit one of your themes into six letters for a license plate for my railroad truck. Given that Suburban's misadventures, "Another Brick Falls" would be perfect, but how do you fit it in six letters? Cindy Chambers has "NRG-UP" which is the best I've heard, but I hate to steal her idea. Maybe I'll just use "WHAT IF." It better be good-_got it_? Seriously... got any license plate suggestions? "On My Own," once again, was incredible. I'd only heard the song once before, when you sang it in Detroit, and I didn't quite understand it then. But this time, I was absolutely swept away by the emotion of the song, and every word rang crystal clear. How can such a beautiful song be so, so sad? I can FEEL Eponine's anguish! We stayed up 'til 4 A.M. talking to fans. They'd all been there for two days, with probably nothing better to do than bug you all! That, and Chris Cuevas getting hurt, and some electrical problems in the show, I guess it was raining bricks on everybody at the Concord! I hope Chris got back on his feet OK, give him my best. Jennifer Yeko is something else... I guess she's been to EACH of your concerts! (What, does she have a seat on the tour bus?) I also got to meet Buddy Casimano... he is great! The Next Morning ================ It was still raining bricks. At breakfast, I asked the waiter if they had any meats, like bacon or ham! The couple we met at dinner last night loved the show, by the way. We interviewed Peggy Campbell. She and her husband were up from New York City to catch your show. She did an incredible interview. She told the story of how she had been allowed to watch a soundcheck while you sang "Lost In Your Eyes," and she was crying for happiness and everybody was asking if she was OK. It seemed like everybody was leaving at once, so we couldn't get a bellhop! Bob made about four trips to the room while I stood in the lobby watching the video equipment. I tried desperately to remember the words to "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" but I just couldn't do it. Just as we were leaving, Jennifer Yeko and some fans walked by and stopped to talk. So I pulled out my video camera and they all said "Hi" into it. Even Buddy got into the shot and said "Hi!" When the valet got our car, he lost our keys for a nervous few minutes. So, after we cleared all the bricks off the roof of the car, we headed home. The Old & Weary =============== >From Concord to Michigan was a L-O-N-G drive back. We took New York route 17, which runs along the southern edge of New York through Binghamton and Elmira. It's a beautiful run, sometimes skirting rivers, sometimes attacking the mountains directly. In mountains, the railroads and highways seek the same valleys, and so they run quite close to each other. Time and again I spotted a carefully graded burrow of earth - an abandoned railroad grade. But the way it crossed the highway, the railroad was gone before the highway was built. Then I realized I was looking at the "Old & Weary." The O&W was really called the New York, Ontario and Western, but "Old & Weary" fit better. The O&W never was successful... it struggled during its entire existence, and it died young. Today, there are a legion of fans who are fascinated by its history. Bob and I were discussing "On My Own," and so Bob put in a tape of "On My Own" without vocals. (A friend of his was trying for the role in a Chicago production.) Bob knew some of the words, and I had a book that had the lyrics. So as we rolled by the remnants of the O&W, we sang along to "On My Own." Ironic, since Eponine had a thing or two in common with the O&W. We got back to Detroit quite late, and I did my interview at Bob's hotel the next day. For some reason, doing my interview was a lot tougher than the walk-on spot at Nunley's. I did OK in the interview, but I was getting downright sick from what I thought was nerves. But after the interview it got worse! Turned out it wasn't nerves at all. I had a 24-hour virus of some kind, and I was fine the next day. Epilogue ======== All in all, I had the time of my life. Seeing your show was the highlight of the trip, of course, but the rest of it was wonderful too. It was nice getting to meet some of the people I'd corresponded with on Prodigy, and the other fans, like Jennifer Yeko. Getting to see your hometown was a treat! It's a charming community, and naturally I loved the trains. I'll have to remember Merrick if I ever move to New York! And of course, the chance to work with Bob Liptack was priceless. I learned so much about video production! I like it, and I want to do more. The local cable company lets residents produce shows, so we'll see. Thanks to Bob, I already know how to work in the field, the right way. It was a great experience, and I'm glad I could share it with you. Yours truly, Bob MacDowell =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- In BtL 4.5 (April 26, 1992), a transcript of Deborah's testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee was included. For those of you who are interested, the AUDIO HOME RECORDING ACT OF 1991 was passed recently. Davide Guida, BtL's first member from Italy, has FTPed three MOD files ("In His Mind," "Lost in Your Eyes," and "Only in My Dreams") onto cs.uwp.edu. MOD files are digital music files which can be played back on Amigas and PCs. We welcome other Amiga users to contribute to our collection. Ansley Hamrick wrote to the Mickey Mouse Club about two years ago saying that she wanted to meet Debbie Gibson. On October 16th, she received a call informing her that her wish would soon come true. She was flown to Los Angeles to spend the day with Deborah on Thursday, October 22nd. With camera crews catching it all on film, they went bowling, had lunch, went window shopping, played in the piano store, rode in Deborah's limousine and listened to the new album! A four minute segment of this will be shown on the Mickey Mouse Club on the Disney Channel (most likely on a Tuesday - "Guest Day") in November and will be rerun four times. Part of two new songs can be heard in this segment. Ansley says that she heard a very pretty slow song, another song that was "very easy to catch on to," and a very upbeat song called "Shock Your Mama!" which she really liked. She notes that Deborah sounds a lot "older" on this album. Tommy Montalto called GMI on October 29th and asked a couple of questions. There was a rumor in a teen magazine that Deborah was engaged, but GMI claims the rumor is false. The album is definitely called _Body, Mind, and Soul_. The first single is "Losin' Myself" and it will be released January 11, 1993. Lastly, the next D.G.I.F. will be released soon and a 1993 calendar is being offered. The cover of D.G.I.F. 4.4 is in color, according to James Duffy who received his issue via first class (he wasn't sent D.G.I.F. 4.3 last time, so they sent the two together). Speaking of songs from the new album, according to Rich Soto (as relayed by Archie Medrano), some song titles from the new album are: "Shock Your Mama," "Love or Money," "Love or Lust," "Goodbye," "Free Me," and "I Lost Myself." Please note that the last song title is similar to "Losin' Myself," so they might actually be the same.