=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S Volume 5, Issue 1 - January 18, 1993 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 JAMES BLIND - James Blind DEBORAH ON CNN SHOWBIZ TODAY - Michael Falkner DEBORAH IN SASSY - Patrick Colcord BILLBOARD REVIEWS "LOSIN' MYSELF" - Rob Polinsky BILLBOARD AD FOR _BODY MIND SOUL_ - Ronald Coulter CLUB POTENTIAL FOR "LOSIN' MYSELF" - Myra Wong SOLUTION TO A DEBBIE GIBSON PUZZLE - Archie Medrano "LOSIN' MYSELF" OR "LOSIN' MYDRESS"? - Jonathan Bradshaw DEBORAH IN DAILY VARIETY - Patrick Colcord DEBORAH ON OPEN HOUSE PARTY - Jonathan Bradshaw DEB FANS WORK FOR A GOOD CAUSE! - Thomas Montalto DEBWATCH 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. 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 both sides of one sheet of paper. Back issues are also available on one MS-DOS 3.5" or 5.25" high density disk (please specify disk format when ordering). Prices are at cost and are subject to change: Canada $0.65 Cdn. per issue / $2.75 Cdn. for back issues on disk United States $0.65 U.S. per issue / $2.75 U.S. for back issues on disk International 3 IRCs for two issues / 7 IRCs for back issues on disk 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. If you would like to be added to a loosely moderated mailing list where you can discuss Deborah Gibson and her music on a frequent basis with other BtL members, please send email to debhead-request@scf.nmsu.edu. For those of you who have access to Telnet and are interested in discussing Deborah Gibson and her music in real time with other BtL members, 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 more info on how to use FTP, send email to Myra Wong (mkwong@freedom.nmsu.edu). Members without FTP access can obtain these files through two file-mailing services. For more information, send email to Andrew Vernon (avernon1@ua1ix.ua.edu). -= BtL moderators =- Matthew Jung : 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 JAMES BLIND =- James Blind - Vancouver, Washington (jblind@pro-freedom.cts.com) January 13, 1993 Hello all. I don't really have that much to say, but I thought I would briefly introduce myself to my fellow Debbie Gibson fans. My name as you can see is James Blind and I live in Vancouver, Washington. I was however born and raised on Long Island in New York, where our fair heroine is from (and I don't mean Amy Fisher). I got into Debbie Gibson when she was on a local radio show in NY on Z100, just before "Only in My Dreams" came out. I thought it was so cool that someone only a few years older than me could be a pop superstar. I have been hooked ever since. On a personal level, I was born May 22, 1975 in Valley Stream, NY. I lived in New Hyde Park, NY until I was 13 when I moved to my current residence. Some of my hobbies include writing (I have had three articles published locally). I also enjoy songwriting and short stories. I have a wide variety of musical tastes and some of my favorites include Chicago, Queen, Extreme, The KLF, Genesis, Michael W. Smith, of course Debbie, and just about everyone else. I can only say I really don't like country or rap, other than that there is a band in each format that I like. I also like a wide variety of sports: baseball (The Mets), basketball (Knicks & Blazers) and hockey (Rangers). I guess I am a fairly well-rounded individual. As far as school I am a freshman at Clark College here in Vancouver and am looking into the fields of secondary education, and journalism. I hope you all enjoyed this brief introduction of me, and let me assure you, this is not the last you will hear of me. Best Wishes To All, James Blind =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBORAH ON CNN SHOWBIZ TODAY =- Michael Falkner - Eau Claire, Wisconsin (FALKNEMJ@cnsvax.uwec.edu) January 8, 1993 On Tuesday, January 5, 1993, Deborah appeared on CNN's "Showbiz Today" to promote her new album and the first single from it. The video does get a lot of attention, as seen in the transcript below. Comments follow the transcript. The article started after a commercial break, about 12 minutes into the program. Bella Shaw, the host of the program, introduced the feature: "Tiffany is a mom and the New Kids on the Block are missing in action, but Debbie Gibson is still hard at work. Now a little older, and a little wiser, the former teen star is set to return to record stores with a new album and a new look... {She then passes it to Senior Entertainment Correspondent Jim Moray, who narrates the segment...} JM = Jim Moray DG = Debbie Gibson [ ] = What is shown [clip of SYL video] JM: She's grown up before America's eyes... [clip of EY video] JM: ...and, indeed, it's a long way from those songs to this one. [Cut to the stage, where a single, seductively upward extended leg is shadowed through a curtain. Gibson, behind that curtain, slowly rises and, as the camera cuts to her, rolls her shoulder. She's wearing that extremely low-cut black outfit.] JM: Yes, that seductive shadow belongs to Debbie Gibson. Now 22, the singer is unveiling a sexier image with the first video from her new album _Body, Mind, and Soul_. Lyric: I feel a hundred lifetimes deep within your kiss... [Gibson then comes out and walks down the runway, peeling a black glove off and twirling it in classic stripper fashion before discarding it.] DG: The song is called "Losin' Myself"... [Cuts to the interview site, backstage, rather cluttered area. Observation shows this to be the CNN "Showbiz Today" studios in Hollywood, CA. Gibson is wearing the same leather jacket and black tank top that she was wearing in the Santa picture of D.G.I.F. 5.1 and the Christmas postcard.] DG: ...and the idea of the song and the video is how you can totally get wrapped ... so wrapped up in someone else in a relationship that you lose sight of yourself." [Back to the stage, where various scenes show Gibson on a box, wearing only a skimpy bikini-like outfit that's just strings of sequins. This outfit is obviously the endpoint of the stripper sequence, and not much is left to the imagination as Gibson squirms and shakes on the stage. This is shown in a blue-tinted light.] Lyric: Nothing I can do, I'm losin' myself -- over you... [back to the interview] DG: The video goes with the song. And a song like "Losin' Myself" and come out in the hat, the T-shirt, and jeans. [smiles] It just wouldn't work! [laughs] [This time in regular light, there's more gyration in the string outfit.] JM: But Gibson says the sexier image only goes so far. The singer refused an offer to pose nude in Playboy magazine. [to which Deb responds on the interview set] DG: It's very flattering, since I've been working out and stuff, but I think it's much sexier when you don't show everyone everything. I've always been a believer in that. [In green tinted light, Gibson now wears that black, swimsuit-like outfit, and with one arm extended overhead executes a classic stripper's circular hip grind, with the camera quickly panning to her legs at it's completion.] JM: This time out, Gibson, who normally prefers to write solo... [cut to a more fully dressed Gibson drenched in a rainstorm] JM: ...enlisted the assistance of hitmakers whose credits include songs for Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, and Paula Abdul. Five of the record's tracks were produced in just two days. [As the last sentence is completed, some promotional interview or something is quickly on screen, with Deb sitting in a rocky backdrop, wearing a black, polka-dot jacket over a white shirt.] [Returning to the interview...] DG: We were, like, playing Tetris, lying on the couch, and writing songs. It was so casual and relaxed and fun. [Clip of Deborah, as Eponine, singing "On My Own" in Les Miz last year.] JM: Gibson's experience starring in "Les Miserables" on Broadway inspired her to include a song on the album that's a tribute to old show tunes. Eyeing Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler as role models, Gibson hopes to combine a pop music career with films and Broadway." [Return to interview] DG: I've got tons of goals and I'm just trying to kind of adjust to them one at a time and slowly but surely a lot of those goals I've set for myself have happened... [Quick cut to the LM video, with a close-up Deb singing in a white sweater.] DG: ...but I only feel like I've climbed the first step on a very long ladder. Lyric: I'm losin' myself over you... {End of segment} Also, at the end of the program, the first part of the LM video is shown as the credits roll over it. COMMENTARY: This clip shows much more skin than in the ET clip which got us all started back in December. Bluntly, to me, I begin to wonder why she just didn't decide to take it all off to begin with and be done with it. (That's not a suggestion; that's just my feelings.) What Deborah is doing is inciting sexual fantasy in the eyes of those who see this video, and for an artist who needs to have her music be the message to be taken seriously, this is not right. We find out that the Playboy rumor was legitimate in this interview too. Funny, Deborah.... You won't accept $250,000 to go all the way in a centerfold, you flame Madonna for her book, and then you turn right around and basically shake a lot more than your love on that stage in this video, wearing next to nothing. Now, I really think the double standard that I feared may actually be the case here. This is beginning to reek of a sellout on her part. Moreover, it makes no sense!!!! What does the strip have to do with the message of being so wrapped up in someone that you lose sight of yourself?? The scariest thing of all is that Deborah really seems to do more than a passable job as a stripper, drawing some Debheads to say as they initially saw the video that she could have another calling if her pop music career fell flat. That scares me, not just for now, but for what her (newer) fans (and there will be many drawn to her for this) will expect of her in the future. I really don't know whether I want the song to do well, for the sake of her career, or to bomb, as a message that she does not need sex as a selling tool. I have no argument with the song, which I'll review later. My argument is with Deb stripping in this video. Flame me for stereotyping Deborah if you wish, but she is really becoming a Madonna clone whose body is taking up more than the mind and soul are. My basic comment is that the writing is on the wall. Deb is going to use sex as a selling tool. For this, I am deeply saddened, and a bit ashamed to be a fan of hers because a lot of what she has said in the past now is contradicted. My message to Deborah would be: I hope you know what you're doing, but for you, I feel this is a waste of your time and considerable talent. Deborah, I am hurting because of what I see here, and I'm not getting much reassurance from you. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBORAH IN SASSY =- Patrick Colcord - Beaverton, Oregon (71303.3170@CompuServe.COM) January 11, 1993 The following is to be found in the February issue of Sassy magazine. A 2/3 page ad of _Body Mind Soul_ with a beautiful picture of Debbie is on page 21. The first review of _Body Mind Soul_ is from Sassy magazine. It is not a good review. Let's hope it gets better as things go along. Remember, I don't write it, I just report it. It is as follows: DEBBIE GIBSON - BODY MIND SOUL (Atlantic) ** With so much trauma in the world, who can muster up the energy to hate Debbie Gibson? Cloistered in her Long Island garage, a role model to nice suburban girls everywhere, she write her own songs and had a hand producing her own albums. A Tiffany she was not. But as the years passed, Deb got older, her fans moved on to the New Kids, bubble gum ceased to thrill her loins and a turn on Broadway in Les Miserables failed to jump-start her stalled career. Body Mind Soul is clearly an attempt to shake things up, to grow as an artist, if you will. The Gibber goes lunging for the Paula Abdul/Janet Jackson audience base ("Love or Money," a catchy dance tune) while also dabbling in rap (ouch), a more sexual vibe and a moment of Mariah Carey-esque warbling in her upper register ("Do You Have It In Your Heart?"). You got your song about racism ("Tear Down These Walls," set to a funky-yet-safe, techno-inflected beat) and one about date rape ("When I Say No," a public service announcement in which Deb puts a little growl in her voice). All this while trying not to alienate her old audience ("Goodbye," a saccharine ballad, is vintage DG). In short, this album is a sincere effort to be all things to all people. And yeah, Deb has every right to try new stuff, but flailing at social issues and aping VH-1 artists smacks of desperation. Incidentally, the overproduced song Deb raps is "Shock Your Mama." Only in her dreams. Margie =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= BILLBOARD REVIEWS "LOSIN' MYSELF" =- Rob Polinsky - State College, Pennsylvannia (RAP115@PSUVM.PSU.EDU) January 14, 1993 I was just downtown and picked up the January 16, 1993 copy of Billboard. On the singles review page by Larry Flick, here is what the top entry says: *** DEBBIE GIBSON Losin' Myself (3:57) PRODUCERS: Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers, Deborah Gibson WRITERS: D. Gibson, C. Sturken, E. Rogers PUBLISHERS: Possibilities/EMI-April, ASCAP, Bayjun Beat/Warner-Tamerlane/ Could Be Music, BMI REMIXERS: Louie Vega, Kenny Gonzalez, Todd Ray, Darroll "G" Gustmachio, Scott "Marz" Christian Atlantic 4917 (cassette single) Brace yourself for the new and improved Ms. Gibson. On this first single from her forthcoming "Body Mind Soul," she delivers her most assured and mature performance to date by exploring the previously untapped lower register of her voice. Add a sullen melody and an urbanized pop/dance groove, and you have the ingredients for a potential smash. Astute remixes by Todd Ray and Louie Vega & Kenny Gonzalez take the song through cool hip-hop and house moods. Quite tasty. *** stands for Picks - New releases with the greatest chart potential. In this week's edition, this is the only single out of 10 reviewed singles to get a *** pick. My thoughts: This critic is right on the money on his picks about 80-85% percent of the time. So, my thoughts are we're in for a great song! It could very well be the next song to knock Whitney Houston out of No. 1. Keep your fingers crossed, Debheads! This could be Deb's return to glory!!! Rob A.K.A. Robbie Po =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= BILLBOARD AD FOR _BODY MIND SOUL_ =- Ronald Coulter - St. Paul, Minnesota (GBSB67A on Prodigy) January 15, 1993 The January 16 issue of Billboard has a full page color ad on page 4 for _Body Mind Soul_. The three words 'BODY MIND SOUL' are in gold lettering at the top, middle, and bottom of the page. The words 'FuNky UnexpecTed IntrospecTive' run vertically in small blue lettering between the 'D' and 'Y' of BODY; the 'N' and D' of MIND; and 'S' and 'O' of SOUL, respectively. In bigger vertical lettering running between BODY and MIND, down through the 'N' and 'D' of MIND run the words 'DeBBIE GIBSoN,' and below GIBSoN are horizontal white letters 'THe NeW ALBuM (82451).' At the bottom in small white letters: FEATURING "LOSIN' MYSELF," "LOVE OR MONEY," "SHOCK YOUR MAMA" AND "FREE ME." EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: DIANE GIBSON MANAGEMENT BY GMI Also, there are the trademarks GMI Gibson Management Inc. and The Atlantic Group. Behind all of these words is a picture of Debbie with her eyes almost closed. Her head is in the top lower right quarter. She is wearing a maroon V-neck shirt, with her neckline partially hidden in the shadows. The picture is from the waist up. She has red lipstick on, and her hair is brushed back from her forehead. Her head is tilted to the right. It is much the same as in the Musicland lightbox. She looks like a sultry, unapproachable goddess. She looks like she is in a dreamlike trance. It is interesting to see how they have picked "Losin' Myself," "Love or Money," "Shock Your Mama," and "Free Me" to list. I would guess they feel those are the strongest songs and will probably be the four singles to be released. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLUB POTENTIAL FOR "LOSIN' MYSELF" =- Myra Wong - San Diego, California (mkwong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu / JSXS97D on Prodigy) January 17, 1993 Billboard, January 16, 1993 - DANCE The ever-wholesome Debbie Gibson is poised for her first major club hit in eons with "Losin' Myself," the first single from her new Atlantic album, "Body Mind Soul." On its own, the song has a sullen urban/pop tone that is bolstered by Gibson's deepest and most assured vocal to date. Remixes by T-Ray and Louie Vega & Kenny Gonzalez transform the track into a smokin', state-of-the-charts hip-hop affair that will work well during R&B-slanted programs and on crossover radio. House jocks will savor the rousing "Masters At Work Dub," which is one of Gonzalez & Vega's better efforts in a while. By the by, trivia buffs will recall it was via Gibson's 1991 near-hit, "One Step Ahead," that the Masters At Work remix concept was popularized. Be served. "One Step Ahead" peaked at #18 on the Club Play Hot Dance Music charts for the week of July 20, 1991. It also peaked at #21 on the 12" Sales Hot Dance Music charts for the week of August 17, 1991. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= SOLUTION TO A DEBBIE GIBSON PUZZLE =- Archie Medrano - San Diego, California (amedrano@euler.ucsd.edu) January 6, 1993 Please see BtL 4.13 for background information and puzzle. Answers: Wake Up to Love Play the Field Staying Together Red Hot Fallen Angel Out of the Blue Foolish Beat Shake Your Love Between the Lines Only in My Dreams =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= "LOSIN' MYSELF" OR "LOSIN' MYDRESS"? =- Jonathan Bradshaw - South Bend, Indiana (jonathan@nova.decio.nd.edu) January 15, 1993 Anyone who has been on the Debhead bouncing list lately knows that one of the biggest topics has been the video for "Losin' Myself." Speculation ran rampant and still does. I was lucky enough to be given the video a week ago from Atlantic. I'm not here to review it. Just to give a little more information. The video is 3 minutes, 59 seconds just like the single is. It is directed by Matthew Rolston and produced by Alison Dickey. It is dated 12/22/92 and arrived 12/28/92. It opens on various shadows (used in other videos such as C&C Music Factory) of dancers, and a guy who will shall refer to as "the blue chest" since that is about all we see of him and is nearly always backlit in blue. We see our first shot of Deb a few seconds later. She is wearing a turtle neck white sweater. This shot will be used throughout the video along with the first. In fact, the whole video is a blaze of quick fades and wipes. Most scenes are under five seconds. We then see Deb in a bar clutching a metal pipe on the stage. She has on a wig (ugly) and a reflective sequin strapless outfit which emphasizes her legs and other areas. "Lost all reality, you've really got a hold"... as we get into the first verse. The first verse consists of many wipes between the blue chested guy, indicating the attraction she has for him, her singing in the turtle neck and the contrast as she performs on stage. At this point she parades downstage fully clothed in a black outfit over the strapless. She has a look on her face that would have me scared. They show a few scenes of her on the beach. They are quick and to me they are the best (except for one other) in the video. Then again, maybe I just don't get turned on by Deb doing the other kind of performing. We switch back and forth to the stage where she has a different outfit each time. The sequin and the black full-length outfit. Obviously NO continuity was designed into this. There is one shot where Deb looks frighteningly like Suzanne Summers! I do mean FRIGHTENINGLY. (Thighmaster commercials next with Deb? Eeek?!) If you are worried about what Deb looks like on stage. Well, we are over halfway through the video and if you have both calendars you have seen about as much as we have. It's provocative but no more than I've seen people in clubs and on the beach. "and when the darkness came, you took away the pain" it is 2:45 into the song and we change tempos. This is my favorite scene because of its power. Deb is standing in pouring rain (must be England (grin)) in the dark with light blue moonlight illuminating her. We see a shot of her and the blue chested guy -- her face in against his chest. (Geesh Deb, do we get the picture?) At 3:10 into the video this is where all the shows have grabbed footage from. We stay with her on the stage for 30 seconds and we see her parading around and acting very seductive. The video closes as we fade out from the stage. After I saw this video a few times I have to wonder, WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? Sure, Deb is falling in love with a blue chested male. But why is she playing a stripper? What does this have to do with her falling for the wrong guy? And why is he the wrong guy? If this video was up to me, it would be the other way around. It would be the stripper that a guy was falling in love with --- the wrong kind of person to fall in love with. The video is well produced, full of changes to keep your interest and goes well with the song tempo. It just doesn't make sense like her previous videos. If I had one thing to ask right now, it would be, Deb, explain please! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBORAH IN DAILY VARIETY =- Patrick Colcord - Beaverton, Oregon (71303.3170@CompuServe.COM) January 15, 1993 There is this short article in Daily Variety for January 11. It is verbatim without permission as follows. GIBSON MAKES A 'COMEBACK' AT 22 WITH NEW 'MIND SOUL' By Bruce Haring It seems like Debbie Gibson has been around forever, the illusion fostered by incredible success at a young age. She began moving the first of her estimated 10 million albums sold in 1987, when she was all of 16. But the lackluster response to her last album has raised questions about whether the magic behind such megahits as "Out of the Blue," "Shake Your Love" and "Electric Youth" has vanished, putting additional pressure on her new Atlantic release, "Body Mind Soul," which hits stores on January 19th. Gibson is aware people are watching, but isn't bothered. "I'm 22 and making a comeback," she says, laughing. "Yeahhh. The last album only had one hit on it. People might see (the new record) as that, but I really don't know. I haven't stopped working." Gibson, fresh off a Broadway stint as Eponine in "Les Miserables," has enlisted songwriters Carole Bayer Sager, Narada Michael Walden and Rhythm Syndicate for material. The album is produced by Phil Ramone, Elliot Wolf and Rhythm Syndicate, sharing duties with Gibson on 10 of the 11 tracks. "For me, this album just meant growth," Gibson says. "This is kind of a more intense version of the other albums. I've always included love, message and dance songs. The arrangements, messages, melodies, and every area have just gotten more complex." The new disc's first single, "Losin Myself," is a midtempo ballad co-written with Rhythm Syndicate's Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers that has just arrived at radio. The song features an accompanying video featuring Gibson playing a stripper, not the usual fit for her All-American image. "For me, everything I've done is natural to how I felt," she says. "With the latest video, I had to be sexier. If I was losing myself over somebody, it would have to be contradictory to how I looked and acted in everyday life. I always try to do what's appropriate for the song and be true to how I feel at the time." More acting is unquestionably in Gibson's future. "I would love to do film and definitely more theatre," she says. "What I really want to do is play a role comparable to Barbra Streisand's Fanny Brice, a character that's strong and witty. I'm not interested in playing cheerleaders." A summer tour in support of "Body Mind Soul" is planned, with Gibson promoting the album with a series of industry events until then. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBORAH ON OPEN HOUSE PARTY =- Jonathan Bradshaw - South Bend, Indiana (jonathan@nova.decio.nd.edu) January 15, 1993 On January 10th, 1993 Deborah made a guest appearance on Open House Party. Open House Party is a live show that is sent via satellite to U.S. and Canadian radio stations. It runs about 5 hours. After many delays I finally called the OHP studio direct and found out she would be on at 9:40 P.M. EST. The interview was by phone. The following is a transcript of the conversation which lasted about 4:30 minutes. After the interview the song was played. JG = John Garabedian (Host) DG = Deborah Gibson (guest) JG: Open House Party. We want to welcome Debbie Gibson (claps) once again to our fabulous show. Hello Debbie! DG: Hi, how are you? JG: Terrific. And you're doing terrific too, you have a brand new single and just about to come out with a brand new album. DG: Yeah, I'm very excited. It's been a little while, and I've been working on this album the better part of the year and it's finally out and I'm excited. JG: Boy, last Sunday night when we ran "Losin' Myself" on Make It Or Break It, it did 84% which is spectacular. DG: Really?! JG: Yeah. DG: Alright! JG: They didn't tell you that before we put you on? DG: No, I didn't get that statistic, so that's great! JG: You've been on Broadway. DG: Yeah, I did Les Miz for a while. That show was a great experience. It was great. I love theatre... JG: What was it like doing Broadway? To me doing the same show over and over would get repetitious. DG: I guess I did about a 100 performances. Which sounds like a lot but there are people there who have done thousands of performances of the same show. I think at that point I become kind of bored of it, but these people are such great actors that they find something new each night and they learn something new every night and they keep it fresh for themselves. It such a great show too, it's not the kind of show that has no substance. That part of what kept it interesting. JG: What's it like doing Broadway shows as opposed to doing concerts which you've done like millions of? DG: Well, its there is definitely a common thread running through entertainment. There's that whole discipline and it takes a lot of work and everything. It was kind of fun, first of all, being in the same city (laugh) and in the same theatre for a long period of time as opposed to you never know what your walking into when you are on the road. It was very different and the wierdest part was the first time I got sick. I got a little tonsillitis for about four shows and the fact that I could call in sick was so strange because you cannot call in sick to your own concert. Or if you do, you have 80 million people around you flipping out. JG: Yeah, substituting for Debbie Gibson tonight will be Martha Wash! DG: (laugh) Right, I mean, that was a very strange concept to me. Partially it took some of the pressure off but at the same time two of those four shows I missed I had friends who came and people who where going to surprise me so it was like a big guilt trip anyway but, hey, what can you do? JG: Tell us about the new album, you have an all star lineup of people who have helped you write some of these songs. DG: I decided to work with Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers from Rhythm Syndicate and I figured we'd come up with a song ... maybe ... you know, you never know what might happen and we got together and came up with about 6 songs in two days and 5 of them ended up on the album and one is the first single, so, it was a very pleasant surprise and I also co-wrote one tune with Carol Bayer Sager and Michael Walden who I have admired for years so that was exciting too. And the other ones I wrote on my own. JG: What is it like co-writing a song with someone. Do you sit down at a piano or a keyboard or something? DG: Well, you see, that's what always boggled my mind. I'm mean did they sit around saying, "Well, when I was in love I felt this way, how did you feel?" It either clicks or it doesn't and basically some of the ideas I came up with, some they came up with and we just take it from there. You know, they'd say you know, I've got this really great groove and this cool concept and I'd say oh yeah, you know where we could go from there we could go here and they'd say yeah and its just kinda like trading off and there was just so much energy in the room it was so much fun. It was like we were playing Tetris, ordering Chinese food and writing songs and it was so relaxed and I think the energy comes through on the album and I don't think you can fake that energy. JG: Well, how about doing an intro for us for "Losin' Yourself" and any shouts for anyone out there? DG: How about "Hi to everyone I know"? (laugh) JG: That's great, that way you can't get in trouble. DG: How about "Hi to all the people I haven't spoken to since high school." How about that? JG: Alright! Here's "Losin' Myself" and Debbie you have a great year! DG: You too! JG: And best of luck with the new album can wait to hear all the cuts from it. (as song is starting) DG: Hey, wait, I thought you were gonna let me intro it! JG: (laughter from crew) Oh! Alright! I'm sorry! DG: Alright, here's "Losin' Myself "on Open House Party with John Garabedian. JG: Happy new year Debbie! DG: You too! (song fades up) At the end of the show, John commented on the huge number of calls he had got about Deb and remarked he must have her back on the show again. Whether this will happen is debatable. The operators on the request lines did comment on the large number of calls and since my station broadcasts OHP I had the ability to call the studio line direct and speak to the producer to find out when she would be on. John is certainly supportive. The interview was upbeat and very friendly with small laughter (much of it nervous from Deb) throughout. I wish she had been at the studio but there may be another time. It seems no one can get "Losin' Myself" right, as many people including John keep referring to it as "Losin' Yourself." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEB FANS WORK FOR A GOOD CAUSE! =- Thomas Montalto - Staten Island, New York (GSPV00D on Prodigy) January 14, 1993 Approximately two months ago, Deborah Gibson made a $5,000 donation to the Gail Schollar Fund. Gail Schollar was the woman in New Jersey who was killed after a mad man pulled her and her daughter over on a New Jersey Interstate. Luckily, he let her two year old daughter out, but a week later Gail Schollar was found dead. Because the family was struggling to pay the bills to the funeral home, Deborah donated the money with a mass card that said, "Sorry to hear what happened, I hope you can see that there are still good people in this world." In late November on Prodigy, I had suggested that instead of all of us buying Deborah Christmas gifts - she can probably buy anything she wants anyway - we should put our money together and make a donation in the name of "The Prodigy Fans of Deborah Gibson" to a charity of her choice. We also figured that she would appreciate something like this more since it came from our hearts. Everyone seemed to like the idea so I followed this up with a phone call to GMI. After time went by, I was told to donate the money to "The Gail Schollar Fund" by Deborah herself. As weeks went by, I was getting checks in the mail from all the Deborah fans on Prodigy. All of a sudden December 10 was among us; the deadline date to make a donation was here. I was more than shocked when I had seen that we had raised more than enough money than my goal - my goal was $100 - and we had in fact tripled that with exactly $300. I then went to the bank and had a bank check made out to "The Gail Schollar Fund." I then made copies of the check, and wrote a letter to "The Gail Schollar Fund" telling them what we had done. I also included a message that said, "Once again I hope you see that there are still good people out there." My next step was to write letters to Deborah and GMI just to hope she would get it to see what we had accomplished. I mailed her a total of four letters: three different addresses I had for her and one to GMI. Approximately two weeks later when I had woke up from bed and went down stairs, sitting on the kitchen table was a box mailed priority mail from GMI. I rushed to open it, and finally I got it open after struggling to tear the tape off with the knife my brother handed me. The first glimpse was fourteen CDs. I then pulled one out of the package real fast to see what it was. It was the single to "Losin' Myself," the new Deborah Gibson song that had not been released in the stores yet. What made it even better than just being the single is that it's a promotional single - one you can't buy in stores - that they just distribute to the radio stations to play. Along with it was this letter from Diane, Deb's mom. Dear Thomas and friends, Deborah and I would like to express our sincere thanks to all of you for being so kind to Gail Schollar's family, What happened to Gail was a tragedy and we can only hope that the family knows that there are caring people out there. We certainly appreciate what you have done, and thank you. Sincerely, Diane Gibson This was a very good thing to do around the holiday season. It made me and everybody else, I'm sure, feel good to help others in need. I personally want to thank everyone who donated again. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBWATCH =- Here's a summary of the significant TV appearances that Debbie has made since the new year: 1/5/93 : CNN SHOWBIZ TODAY See transcript and commentary in this issue. 1/5/93 : HARD COPY Showed clips of the "Losin' Myself" video while addressed the issue of Debbie's image change. Comparisons to Madonna were made and Deb discusses the differences between them on the subject of sexuality. 1/8/93 : CNN LIVING IN THE 90S The same segment as "Showbiz Today" was shown. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- Deborah was one of the announcers of this year's Grammy Nominations at the press conference held at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York on January 7th. An album listening party was held in Miami Beach, FL on Monday, January 11th at Steven's Talk House. According to GMI, listening parties will also be held in New York and California. According to TV Guide, Deborah will be making her tenth appearance on the syndicated morning show "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" on Wednesday, January 20th. Check your local listings for specific time and channel. Tomorrow, January 19, 1993 is the official release date of Deborah's fourth album, _Body Mind Soul_ and its first single "Losin' Myself."