=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S Volume 5, Issue 6 - March 2, 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 KEN GEBAUER - Ken Gebauer INTRO BY DOUGLAS TRAPASSO - Douglas Trapasso I'M LOSIN' MYSELF OVER DEBBIE GIBSON - Jeff Tharp MY CHAT WITH DEB - Jonathan Bradshaw SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS REVIEWS BMS - James Lyau L.A. WEEKLY REVIEWS _BODY MIND SOUL_ - Shaun Stuart BMS REVIEW FROM ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - Ronald Coulter ROLLING STONE ON _BODY MIND SOUL_ - Andrew Vernon BMS....IMAGE _AND_ SUBSTANCE - Jim Cook THE BEST SO FAR - Michelle Chobotar DEBBIE GIBSON ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS - Rob Polinsky GIBSON FINDS INITIAL JAPAN SUCCESS - Michael Falkner LONG ISLAND NEWSDAY KEEPS UP WITH DEB - Chris Backa 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. Opinions expressed in Between the Lines are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire forum. All songs by Debbie Gibson are copyrighted by Deborah Ann's Music, ASCAP or Possibilities Publishing, Inc./ EMI April Music, Inc., 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 240 people receive BtL via electronic mail and postal mail. Submissions via electronic mail should be sent to ALL moderators at their respective e-mail addresses listed below. To submit articles by postal mail, please send them to the postal address listed below. Postal submissions should be typed or written legibly. To submit articles by FAX, please call (604) 322-5936. We reserve the right to edit, defer, or reject submissions without notice. BETWEEN THE LINES c/o Felix Ng 2137 Qualicum Drive Vancouver, B.C. V5P 2M3 CANADA 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 Debbie Gibson and her music on a frequent basis with other BtL members, please send e-mail to debhead-request@scf.nmsu.edu. For those of you who have access to Telnet and are interested in discussing Debbie Gibson and her music in real time with other BtL members, please send e-mail 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 information on how to use FTP, send e-mail to Myra Wong (mkwong@scf.nmsu.edu). Members without FTP access can obtain these files through two file-mailing services. For more information, send e-mail to Andrew Vernon (avernon1@ua1ix.ua.edu). -= BtL moderators =- Myra Wong : mkwong@scf.nmsu.edu mkwong@sdcc13.ucsd.edu JSXS97D on Prodigy Felix Ng : fng@nyx.cs.du.edu 1:153/710 on Fidonet Andrew Vernon : avernon1@ua1ix.ua.edu avernon1@ua1vm.ua.edu avernon1@ua1vm.bitnet =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY KEN GEBAUER =- Ken Gebauer - Hoboken, New Jersey (U92_KGEBAUER@VAXC.STEVENS-TECH.EDU) February 14, 1993 Hi. My name is Ken Gebauer and I am a 22 year old senior majoring in electrical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. I have lived in a small town in NJ called North Arlington all of my life. I play the saxophone and snare. I used to be in a Drum and Bugle Corps and I still try to go to shows whenever possible. I'm a Giants and a Yankees fan. I am very open to different types of music but for the past couple of years I have mostly been listening to alternative. Now for the story of how I became a fan. It was senior year in high school and I remember hearing "Only In My Dreams" just about every day, either on the way home from school or on the way to bowling practice. This led me to buy the CD which led me to see her live. She was touring some local colleges to practice for the first major tour of her career. The first time I saw her was on March 25, 1988 at Pace University. My friends and I managed to find our way to the front of the stage. It was a good show. When we heard she was coming to Seton Hall on April 30, we knew nothing would keep us away. We went to get tickets but all they had were balcony seats. But that's O.K., we would still be there. Then we all chipped in and sent her some roses before the concert. In these early days, security wasn't that great and once again we managed to find our way up to the front. The place was jumping. My friends put me up on their shoulders and she came over to me and I held her hand for what seemed liked forever. Then the people behind us asked us if we would put them up on our shoulders. It was a great night. There is nothing quite like seeing somebody at such a small show and getting to be so close. Then I came home one day and went through the mail and saw a letter with a Long Island postmark on it. I just sat there staring at it for a while. My friend finally had to make me open it. It was from Debbie thanking us for the flowers. What a gal. It was at that moment that I realized what a special person she was and I became a loyal D.G.I.F. member, #973. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY DOUGLAS TRAPASSO =- Douglas Trapasso - Trumbull, Connecticut (KXXW43A on Prodigy) February 18, 1993 Hello! My name is Douglas Trapasso, and I am a new member of Prodigy and a fairly new reader of BtL (about four months now). I really love owning my own PC and having access to a service like Prodigy, and I look forward to reading new "Deb Info" online every day. My interest in Debbie goes back to summer 1987, when OOTB came out. To me, it's still probably my favorite of hers. Something about the way that song just leapt off the radio caught my ear instantly. The more I found out about her, the more intrigued I became. Here was a so-called "child star" who seemed very much in control of what she wanted from her career. She seemed very confident, and yet level-headed at the same time; which in my opinion is very rare in the music business. And even back in 1987-88, I started asking myself, "Where will she go from here?" I still love the _Out of the Blue_ and _Electric Youth_ albums more than what has followed, but I know she can't repeat the sound of those records forever. _Body Mind Soul_ is her attempt at a fresh start; if you've seen Billboard, you know the early chart results are less than promising. But albums have been known to turn around (look what happened to the last Extreme and Mr. Big albums; they just needed that one right single to carry them up the charts). My favorite songs from the album are "Losin' Myself," "Free Me," and "Do You Have It In Your Heart?" ("Free Me" should be the next single). I hope to hear from many of you BtLers soon; especially you older fans. (I'm 28.) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= I'M LOSIN' MYSELF OVER DEBBIE GIBSON =- Jeff Tharp - Indianapolis, Indiana February 17, 1993 Anything is possible, but I was so close to forever to be silenced. Ever have one of those days where everything seemed so right but on the other hand something went wrong? On Sunday, February 7, 1993, a dream almost came true. I made it through the telephone line to speak with John Garabedian of Open House Party. First you reach the switchboard and they decide who gets to talk with John Garabedian. Well I was a lucky caller that night, but for some reason John G. was not in the mood to play Debbie Gibson. I don't understand, but I had an interesting phone conversation with the switchboard. OHP = Open House Party JT = Jeff Tharp JG = John Garabedian OHP: Hello? What do you want to hear? JT: I'm losing myself over Debbie Gibson! Can you please play her new song? OHP: Yes, of course [chuckles]! It's about time somebody asked for Debbie Gibson! I think it's so unfair how the media and radio stations are treating Debbie. Do you know why she doesn't get much or any airplay? JT: Why, I think so. OHP: Debbie is still being labeled Miss Teeny Bopper. They think she only brings in the teen boppers which is not so. According to radio stations, record companies want to release sexual lyrics only because that's what the radio listeners want. Atlantic Records wanted Debbie to start singing with sex listed. Debbie refused their orders. I used to think Debbie as "Teen Queen" until we had her in the studio two years ago. She won all my attention. Debbie Gibson is a very talented young lady. We brought in a keyboard and boy did she put on a jam session! She deserves all the airplay she deserves. Jeff, can we put you on hold? JT: I guess. OHP: We're going to put you on the other line with John Garabedian. JT: Super! OHP: Hang on. [2 minutes later] JG: Hello, Open House Party. What do you want to hear? JT: I'm losing myself over Debbie Gibson! Please, oh please play her new song for me! JG: [Chuckles before answering] You must be in her fan club. JT: Why, of course [as I sounded very proud]. JG: Has Debbie called you yet? JT: Not yet. JG: Well keep praying for your call and thank you for calling. Bye bye. That was it. I stayed up until midnight, but my request was never played. It didn't make any sense. A month before, John interviewed Debbie live and the week before, she won the call in contest with 84% for "Losin' Myself." There is a big demand out there for Debbie Gibson. Why do radio stations refuse to play her songs? I think we should have a poll of radio stations who are playing the song "Losin' Myself." It's so unfair! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= MY CHAT WITH DEB =- Jonathan Bradshaw - Lafayette, Indiana (jonathan@nova.decio.nd.edu) February 24, 1993 The last week in January was a terrible one. But sometimes a terrible week can turn up unexpected surprises. It was Thursday afternoon. I logged in to my account to check my e-mail and I had a message from David Jewell. He informed me that Deb would be calling the station I work for (U-93 South Bend, Indiana) and they needed some good questions to ask her. I immediately called Taylor Richards (our evening guy) who would be doing the interview. I told him not only would I get him questions but I was on my way back to South Bend (120 miles from school). I posted mail to the Debhead mailing list asking for questions for the next day. I got back over a hundred questions to ask. I spent most of the night going through them, sorting, and word-processing a document that could be used. Deb would never know that up until I gave Taylor the document he knew nothing about her. I hung around the station Friday waiting for the call. FINALLY the call came through at 3:00 P.M. EST. We were given 20 minutes. We went through the usual question and answer session you have heard many times. We then recorded some "liners" (for those of you who do not know what a liner is, it's something like "Hey this is Debbie Gibson and you're listening to Colin Bates on U-93!") and an answering machine message which I edited and have mixed under cut 4 of "Losin' Myself" and is now on my machine. We had three minutes left. Those three minutes were given to me. I ran from the studio to an extension and in a rather excited voice said "HEEEEEEYYYY DEB!" Yes, I was actually having a conversation with her. Ever since I first heard Deb, I have vowed if I got a chance I would thank her for being there when I needed someone. I got my chance and as I explained, corny as it may sound, I had to say it. I think she understood. I asked her if she knew about BtL and she said, "YES." She asked me to say "HI" to everyone for her. She told me that "Shock Your Mama" would be released in Europe (which she was off to film) and "Love Or Money" would be the next U.S. release. As mentioned in last issue's Closing Remarks, she also asked me if we were doing a song poll and to let her know the results. I also asked how "Mr. Wright" (Kevin) was doing and she laughed. I asked if he would be appearing in the Indianapolis production of Jesus Christ Superstar but she didn't know although she said she'd get back to me and took my home phone number. Don't hold your breath since it didn't happen but I'm not exactly surprised! Of course, if she did call, she'd love the answering machine message! So what was she like? I know, the question has to come up. It's funny, I am constantly amused at my small stardom in the radio world. People who actually want my autograph and get excited when they talk to me. Of course, I think Deb must feel the same way. I was as calm as possible but I doubt it was convincing. SO???? Deb was everything I had imagined. She was fun to talk to, sincere, and didn't push me. In fact, I'm not sure how long she would have chatted had I not said, "I know we are out of time, so I'll let you get on to your next call," since she had many to do that day and was feeling sick. I have spoken with Firehouse, Color Me Badd, and other groups/singers and none was as nice as Deb with a close runner up being Regina (how many people remember her? Broadbeard Productions, Centurion Records). It's weird. I made a plan to see her in concert two years ago and I did (12th row). I then said next time BACKSTAGE. So guess what? I saw her backstage at Les Miz. Maybe I'll chat with her one day... guess what? I DID. Sometimes, it gets quite scary. I'm not predicting anything else! Feel free to call 317-497-6422 and listen to her answering machine message but if you do, please tell me who you are on my tape! I hate hangups! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS REVIEWS BMS =- James Lyau - Santa Clara, California (james.lyau@amail.amdahl.com) February 16, 1993 This past Friday, February 12, 1993, the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS had a review of _Body Mind Soul_. Note that the reviewer is from the syndicated Knight- Ridder news service so you might have seen this review in other papers too. Here it is, copied without permission. Debbie Gibson "Body Mind Soul" * (one out of four stars) The latest album by the onetime Electric Youth takes off like a fire engine from the station house. Then it splatters and breaks apart like an egg on a brick wall. Credit for the takeoff goes to the sassy, agile "Love Or Money." With its infectious hook, jittery guitars and tight, quick-cut production, it reminds you of something Paula Abdul might do if Abdul could sing. Blame for the splattering goes to the rest of the album. Not that it's bad - it's not. It's just bland, like tuna on white bread. Like a Perry Como special with Kenny Rogers and Lionel Richie. And it's not that Gibson doesn't try to raise a spark. She works hard to infuse "Shock Your Mama" with funky swagger. And "When I Say No" is an earnest if unfocused attempt to deal with a woman's right to say no to sex. Clearly, Gibson - who was America's sweetheart a few short seasons ago - is hot to shred the old teen- dream persona and establish herself in the adult marketplace. But outside of "Love Or Money," her material is second-class and the production is lacking invention. - Leonard Pitts, Jr. Knight-Ridder Newspapers =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= L.A. WEEKLY REVIEWS _BODY MIND SOUL_ =- Shaun Stuart - Fullerton, California (XSSTUART@FULLERTON.EDU) February 22, 1993 The following is copied from the L.A. WEEKLY newspaper, February 18th: DEBBIE GIBSON Body Mind Soul (Atlantic) Teen dreams die hard. Tiffany just became a mother at age 20, Dana Plato (better known as Kimberly from "Different Strokes") is currently on probation for forging Valium prescriptions and robbing a video store, and Debbie Gibson is giving Long Island as bad a name as Amy Fisher did now that her "Shock Your Mama" single has been banned in Korea for being too sexually suggestive and her video for "Losin' Myself" has been rejected by several TV stations because of her portrayal as a stripper. We all want our teen idols to stay the same, to become images frozen in time as the word "idol" suggests, but Gibson's follow-up to 1990's _Anything Is Possible_ is ample evidence that this electric youth has done a bit of growing up. For one thing, she's not a teenager anymore; the callow optimism of _Anything Is Possible_ has been replaced by songs about date rape and AIDS which show that everything possible is not necessarily recommended. Gibson's music has matured also, but not without some help. For the first time in her career, this singer/writer/producer has enlisted outside help in songwriting. A lucky thing too, since the best cuts on this LP were co-written with Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers of Rhythm Syndicate. Their "Losin' Myself" is a house-beat ballad that puts Gibson on a par with Whitney and Mariah; the song's lush production combined with Gibson's comely vocals proves that this ambitious mall queen has more than youth going for her. On the other hand, duds like the half-digested high-NRG funk of "Love Or Money" and the overwrought, overproduced "Little Birdie" drag the album down. Gibson's at her best when she's not too terrified to sound out of touch with comtemporary dance music, as in "Goodbye," where she puts her recent Broadway experience to use, setting aside the drum machine and focusing on melody and sincerity instead. However, most of the time, Gibson and friends are too busy taking notes from the competition, as on "Shock Your Mama," which starts off in a Prince groove, segues into a C+C Music Factory beat, and climaxes with a couple of raps, a few Aretha Franklin samples and s breathy Madonna- like come-on. Gibson says the song is supposed to be sarcastic (after all, in real life her mama is also her manager), but with lyrics such as "In a different world, I'm a different girl / You'll see me in a darker light," it sounds more like a fantasy. After all, Gibson's 22; she's entitled. We're just lucky enough to be taken along for the ride as Gibson's love - to paraphrase Giant Sand's Howe Gelb - turns from wonder and lust to just sin. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= BMS REVIEW FROM ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA =- Ronald Coulter - St. Paul, Minnesota (GBSB67A on Prodigy) February 22, 1993 The ST. PAUL SUNDAY PIONEER PRESS, February 21, 1993, carried the following review of _Body Mind Soul_ by Melissa Heng: Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! Off the stage, right into the fire, one might say. In the wake of her Broadway stint as Eponine in 'Les Miserables,' Debbie Gibson is back with this new album, an effort fraught with nothing but problems. The high-pitched vocals sound like Marie Osmond's without the charm, the tunes sound like Paula Abdul's without the edge, and the whole product's irritant factor surpasses even Kylie Minogue's. Imagine that. Now don't get me wrong. I'd be the first to welcome return to pop banality. Really. Problem is, while Minogue sings within the confines of endearing mindlessness, Gibson tries to add funk and punch to her songs. Unfortunately, her sweet voice is not equipped with the necessary edge. Songs such as 'Kisses for One,' (sic) 'Love or Money' and 'Shock Your Mama' epitomizes an album that neither varies in style nor speed. It doesn't matter how many journalists call this Gibson's come-of-age, 'mature' album. What it really is, is a collection of Paula Abdul songs (Abdul producer Elliot Wolff also produces some tracks on this album) with weak(er), saccharine vocals that grate, and an end product to be relegated to the bottom shelves next to your New Kids on the Block albums. 1.5 stars (2=fair, 1=poor) I must say I get tired of these reviews by low-paid hacks who think they have the ability to pass judgement on someone else's artistic achievement. If Melissa Heng had Debbie's talent as a musician, songwriter and performer, then she might be in a position to pass judgement. Let her try to write and perform an album of songs and see if she can do anything that is even a tenth as good as BMS. I suppose it's good there is a review, so at least people who do like Debbie will see that there is even a new album. I've read that a bad review is better than no review at all. There is also a picture of the album cover. It is really odd in that it has "BODY" at the top and "MIND" at the bottom. I don't know how they could mess up an album cover. It also has her face over to the left, with no hands showing, and the vertical words "DeBBIE GIBSoN" all in one row rising up from between the N and D of "MIND." [Editor's Note: The picture was most likely taken from the top two-thirds of the front cover of the cassette of _Body Mind Soul_.] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= ROLLING STONE ON _BODY MIND SOUL_ =- Andrew Vernon - Tuscaloosa, Alabama (avernon1@ua1ix.ua.edu) February 17, 1993 Rolling Stone, March 4, 1993 BODY MIND SOUL Debbie Gibson Atlantic *** (out of *****) Used to be the most risque thing about Debbie Gibson was how in "Lost In Your Eyes" you could hear her sing "I get weak in the glands / Isn't this what's called romance?" when she really meant "glance." But "Losin' Myself," on her surprising new _Body Mind Soul_, is another story -- what Deb does here, Madonna only talks about on _Erotica_ in a voice too frozen to perk up a lonely sailor. Gibson's breathy notes climb mall waterfalls and extend toward heaven as the music flows into cascades of incrementally harder rhythms; she loses her inhibitions as something that "hurts me so right" sends the "ocean ... rushin' over me." That ocean feeling is in the sound, and it's interesting that joyless guitar droners of the My Bloody Valentine ilk are hyped as "oceanic" or "dream pop," because Debbie beats them on both counts. Bashful Eurodisco girls had been whispering about fleeing to dreams for years, but Debbie's 1987 debut, _Out of the Blue_, was dream disco's commercial coming out. "Only In My Dreams" was her greatest moment, and "Foolish Beat" was a torch nightmare about abandoning a place where you could wish on four-leaf clovers for a crumbled city of "broken hearts and broken dreams." Three albums later, Debbie is twenty-two instead of seventeen, yet she still chirps spring-fever tear-jerkers in a fluttery voice as if she's daydreaming during her piano lesson. She also reveals the body and mind we've never seen: "Do You Have It In Your Heart?" and "Free Me" have her escaping the chains of an empty life, then "Shock Your Mama" samples Mitch Ryder, "Losin' Myself" makes its waves, and "How Can This Be?" builds from carbonated gurgles into gospel screeches. Producer Phil Ramone disrupts the bubble- skank of "Tear Down These Walls" with a clanking groove made from industrial power tools. If Debbie is the chaste damsel that Ministry fans heckle, _Body Mind Soul_ is her revenge. --Chuck Eddy This is a surprise if you are familiar with Rolling Stone's editorial focus on classic rock and fast-breaking alternative acts. Believe it or not, this is actually the most positive review from a national publication yet. We can tell that reviewer Chuck Eddy actually did his homework and listened to the album, because he cited things from individual tracks. In contrast, other publications, like Entertainment Weekly, failed to prove that the critic even took the disc out of its packaging. However, some parts of the criticism are still a bit unsound, like the butchered quotations from the lyrics to "Foolish Beat," which were used to change the inferred meaning of the song. It also seems that he missed the point of "Do You Have It In Your Heart?" completely. It doesn't follow the same theme as "Free Me," as Eddy suggests. Barring that, Eddy does give Deborah credit where it's due. He notes Deborah's sultry vocals on "Losin' Myself," and does a good job of relating the record to the "dream disco" concept he mentions by citing the lyrics to LM and Deborah's previous works. This is more than I expected from Rolling Stone on a Debbie Gibson album. [Editor's note: Rolling Stone also gave _Electric Youth_ three stars in 1989.] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= BMS....IMAGE _AND_ SUBSTANCE =- Jim Cook - Little Rock, Arkansas (lrfrederick@ualr.edu) February 15, 1993 I'll admit that _Body Mind Soul_ is the first Debbie Gibson album I've ever had to get used to which is why I waited until now to write a review of it. I keep hearing about Deb's "image change" and I can see that this album is part of that but only to a certain degree. Everyone's "image" changes during their life and a person changes more between 18 and 25 than they do throughout their entire lifetime. Deb's "change" has been, in my opinion, very gentle and realistic. Her songs have become more passionate rather than "puppy-love"-ish about the opposite sex and in the case of "Shock Your Mama" even more sexual in nature (but don't take this song too seriously I can see Deb singing this with a mischievous gleam in her eye). Someone on the Debhead mailing list made a comment about feeling some "theme" in this album. Well, quite simply, that theme is life. Every song on this album deals with how you treat life and how it treats you. Ranging from how you treat other people "Tear Down These Walls" to how you treat a date "When I Say No." I can admit to having lived through many of the things that Deb sings about and remembering the good and bad events will keep me coming back to BMS for a long time. Anyway, just remember don't get so hung up on the "image" that you forget the "substance" which is wonderful, inspiring and heartbreaking music. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= THE BEST SO FAR =- Michelle Chobotar - Surrey, British Columbia February 6, 1993 Amazing! Deborah Gibson has done it again. This album is full of body, mind and soul. Here are some of my comments song by song. 1) LOVE OR MONEY An extremely strong opening track. I hope it is the next single to be released. This song will be awesome in concert. 8.5/10. 2) DO YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR HEART? This song almost has the feeling of "Losin' Myself." I think it is a good song, but I wish Deb played the piano instead of keyboard. 6.5/10. 3) FREE ME Wow! Debbie, please release this as a single. I can almost see the crowded dance floors! Debbie has a definite hit in this song. 10/10. 4) SHOCK YOUR MAMA This is a great song to show a contrast from Debbie's image in 1987 to now. The video will be interesting but I doubt it will "Shock anyone's mom." 7.5/10. 5) LOSIN' MYSELF I love this song so much! It has such a unique style compared to other Deb songs. It is wonderful how the song gradually builds. Debbie sounds wonderful in her low register voice. I also think the video is tastefully done and appropriate. This isn't "Shake Your Love Part 2." 10/10 6) HOW CAN THIS BE? This song is an absolute gem! The sax solo is excellent and I love the backing vocals. It is a beautiful number which will be hopefully released as a single or B-side. 9/10 7) WHEN I SAY NO Terrific message song without being too political or depressing. I thought this song wasn't too great in concert, but is wonderful on the album. 8/10. 8) LITTLE BIRDIE I can't help tap my toes to this one. This one is extremely fun and upbeat. I love the chorus and truly, this song lifts your spirits. 8.5/10. 9) KISSES 4 ONE Boy! This particular track has wonderful vocals. Another message song which is serious, but not gloomy. A wonderful song to sing along with. 8/10. 10) TEAR DOWN THESE WALLS My absolute favorite on the album. Debbie's voice is worked to its potential. The choir-like vocals give me shivers and the bridge is beautifully written. An excellent song with a wonderful, important lesson. 10/10. 11) GOODBYE In terms of ballads, this is Deb at her best! I always tear up listening to this song. Deb is a vocal genius when it comes to ballads and this song truly shows it. I really miss her piano playing, but the song is still wonderful. 10/10 Deborah Gibson truly has grown as a vocalist and musician. I love this album and it truly is my favorite of the four. My main complaint is that I miss Deborah's beautiful piano playing. I will anxiously await a new tour this summer to hear her new album performed. ALBUM: 9/10. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE GIBSON ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS =- Rob Polinsky - State College, Pennsylvania (RAP115@PSUVM.PSU.EDU) February 17, 1993 "Losin' Myself" has been on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three weeks, and it's been on the Hot Adult Contemporary Singles Chart for two weeks. _Body Mind Soul_ has been on the Billboard 200 album chart for three weeks. A Look At How The Charts Have Stacked Up For Deb -- This Week Last Week 2 Weeks Ago Weeks Song or Album Chart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 91 * 86 * 96 3 "Losin' Myself" Hot 100 49 * 50 -- 2 "Losin' Myself" Adult Contemporary 188 179 * 109 3 _Body Mind Soul_ Billboard 200 * - stands for a bullet. A bullet is a symbol indicating that single or album was one of the major chart gainers in overall points for the past week. While a song has a bullet, it is still able to make great leaps and bounds on the chart for the following week. If it does not have a bullet, it does not necessarily mean that the song will not go any higher, but it will only go a few places higher on the chart at best, unless the song or album is able to re-gain its bullet. And as you can tell, Deb does not have a bullet on any one of these charts this week. How can you make a song's point total improve? The only possible way is through sales and airplay. As a fan, all you can do is BUY BUY BUY and REQUEST REQUEST REQUEST. It's very important that you do this. For BMS you can pick up extra copies and give them to your pals. Or if you know someone who is interested and wants the album, but doesn't feel like going to get it, buy it for him or her and then tell that person to pay you back. The reason BMS isn't selling is because there isn't a major hit off it yet and almost no album sells without a major hit. For this, you need a hit single How do you get a hit single? By buying copies of LM. Just buying the album and not the single isn't good enough. If you don't buy the cassingle and you just buy the album, your purchase does not help LM in anyway at all. The albums chart and singles chart are two different charts all together with. So go out and buy LM and get some copies for your pen pals or friends. Sales are an important drive of any song's success because a song can rack up unlimited points through sales. For example, Whitney Houston's latest has sold over four million copies in the U.S. That is the major reason why it has been number 1 on the charts now for 13 straight weeks. The other way you can get a song moving is through airplay. Call your favorite station and request the song. There are 250+ radio stations throughout the country that the chart monitors. Every time the song is played on one of these stations, the single gets a point, and it can obtain a maximum amount of points should it be on all radio stations at No. 1 on all stations. When you request the single, make sure to ask the station if LM is in their station's playlist. If it is not, ask the DJ why and be nice by saying, "You're one of the top stations in this area and are an influence to the charts. LM, my favorite song will never be a hit unless we get your radio station's support because your station is a major influence to the chart. Please play LM for me and add it to your playlist. It's a very good song and it will catch on if you just give it a chance." Chances are the radio station may like your compliment and add it to their playlist. Keep calling, and even after they do start playing it, keep requesting. Requests can fuel a drive up the charts. How does LM look right now? Not very good, bleak at best. It doesn't have a bullet on either the AC or Hot 100 chart. Does that mean that the single can never become a major hit? No. In reality, it looks bad, but there is always a chance. And if the song does not become a hit, make sure when Deb releases her new single, which is rumored to be "Love Or Money," please do buy the single, request the song and follow the practices above. One of the key factors to a song's success is a strong debut and strong showing from the beginning. Now that people know Deb has new stuff out, people may go for the second single. We now have the recognition that Deb is back again. We just need some spark to it. Should the single become a smash, that would turn around the BMS album and likely push it back on the charts. So you see, just my calling your favorite radio stations, being persistent, and shelling out $3.50 for a cassingle, you can have a major influence on Deb's charting life. So, please, I ask all of you to go out and make a difference. Deb needs and will appreciate your support. Help her out. We're all in this together and can achieve results through teamwork. So spread the word and keep trying. Anything Is Possible -- if you just put your mind to it!!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= GIBSON FINDS INITIAL JAPAN SUCCESS =- Michael Falkner - Eau Claire, Wisconsin (FALKNEMJ@cnsvax.uwec.edu) February 18, 1993 It has been no secret to many a Gibson fan around the world that a strong base of Debbie's fans are in the "Land of the Rising Sun", Japan. According to a chart posted to the USENET newsgroup rec.music.misc regularly by Cazou Sanata, Gibson's _Body Mind Soul_ debuts at #13 on the Oricon Albums Top 20. This chart was compiled as of the week of February 20. The Oricon charts are published by Oricon Weekly, which is regarded as the most popular music chart magazine in Japan. The dynamic of this week's chart seems to lend some credence that Gibson's Japanese fans are still behind her 100%. BMS, one of three albums to debut on this week's chart, is the only American act to debut this week. In fact, the only other American album on the Top 20 is the world-wide #1 _Bodyguard_ soundtrack. The other 18 albums are made by Japanese and other Oriental stars. This, along with the fact that BMS has sputtered in the United States, seems to lead to ask why Debbie is more popular over in Japan, and whether, like when she only released the videos to "(This So-Called) Miracle" and "One Hand, One Heart" to foreign audiences, Gibson may concentrate more of her efforts in the international arena, de-emphasizing the American music public in her career. The only answer I have to that is: Only time will tell. In other Japanese chart news, according to the February 20th Billboard, "Losin' Myself" made the top 50 of the major Tokio radio countdown, sponsored by Pioneer. For the week ending January 31st, the song debuted at #49, and showed some strength. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= LONG ISLAND NEWSDAY KEEPS UP WITH DEB =- Chris Backa - Garden City, New York (CSC3CSB@vaxc.hofstra.edu) February 16, 1993 LONG ISLAND NEWSDAY, FanFare January 31, 1993 DEBBIE GIBSON: AFTER THE MALL By Wayne Robins, Staff Writer There are songs about date rape, racism, and AIDS. There is a track produced by veteran ace Phil Ramone. There is a writing collaboration with pop hit-makers Carole Bayer Sager and Narada Michael Walden. These are issues and people that should be taken seriously. Which is how the artist on whose album they appear, Debbie Gibson, would like you to take her. Seriously. The very title of Gibson's latest album, "Body Mind Soul" (Atlantic), suggests the well-roundedness that the former teen star hopes to project. Now 22, with a host of huge successes and a few humbling setbacks behind her, Gibson is a youthful veteran trying to complete the transition from _wunderkind_ to mature artist. And those who've worked with her believe she has the tools to do it. "I don't think she's a fluke at all," said Ramone, the producer and engineer who has recorded many hits by Billy Joel and Paul Simon. Ramone produced the track "Tear Down the Walls" [sic] on "Body Mind Soul." She's a serious person about her music; she attacks her vocals with a most professional attitude," Ramone said. "She has major potential to do incredibly strong writing. She's not a hack writer, because she's very critical already. As a prodigy, people misinterpret her because she's not as simple and blatant and one-dimensional as some young talents." For her part, the Long Island native (she grew up in Merrick and now lives in an exclusive enclave near Huntington) tried to soften her rigorous technical standards on "Body Mind Soul" for something a little more spontaneous. "I'm a perfectionist," Gibson said last week in a conversation at Atlantic Records offices in Manhattan. "My ear is always focusing on pitch, and focusing on rhythm, and in the process of all that, you're forgetting that the most important thing about a song is what it's saying, rather than, oops, the third note in the second measure was a little sharp." Three of the songs on "Body Mind Soul" deal with social issues. "Tear Down the Walls" [sic] is a plea for racial harmony. "Kisses 4 One" suggests monogamy not as a moral choice, but as a wise health decision. "I don't think people can afford to give in to their own selfish desires anymore, because it's not just themselves they're affecting," Gibson said. "Madonna always comes out saying, people are too sexually repressed, and I think too _repressed_? We're talking about AIDS, and unwanted pregnancies, all kinds of stuff. I don't think prudish is the right word to use anymore. I think sensible is more descriptive." "When I Say No," which deals with date rape, stems from situations Gibson observed while growing up in Merrick. "I think every girl has been around a pushy guy in her life," Gibson said. "For me, I always felt an incredible sense of self-worth from my own accomplishments, I never relied on attention from males to feel good about myself. But I had a lot of friends who believed that if they didn't have a boyfriend, it was the end of the world, they were nothing. A lot of girls feel that way, and that's why a lot of them get into situations they don't want to be in." Talking about sex and the suburban teenager brings us to the person who has made Debbie Gibson the _second_ most famous young woman to grow up in Merrick: Amy Fisher. "My sister Denise sat next to her in homeroom at Merrick Avenue Junior High," Gibson said. Gibson believes that there's plenty of adult blame to spread in Fisher's sad saga. "How do you not notice your daughter has a beeper?" Gibson wondered. "How do you raise a child that can lie that well? The way I was raised, I can't tell a lie even if it's one of those lies that you need to tell [to protect someone's feelings]. My parents always paid attention to what was going on with me emotionally. And that seems to be what was missing there." Gibson, whose parents are divorced, says that the Fisher affair is neither typical nor an aberration. "I saw it in Merrick, where you definitely had your share of spoiled kids, whose parents were so wrapped up in their own social lives that they didn't really pay any attention to the kids," Gibson said. "But I think I've seen that everywhere. I don't know if it's just Long Island." Gibson's album isn't all current affairs, but even the topical songs are buoyed by uptempo tracks. Besides recording "Tear Down the Walls" [sic] with Ramone, Gibson did three songs, including "Kisses 4 One" and "When I Say No" with Elliot Wolff, who recorded hits for Paula Abdul. "He was able to use synthesizers and sequences to get something that had a real feel," Gibson said. "It didn't sound like a metronome." Nearly half the album - five tracks - was co-written and co-produced by Gibson with Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers of the group Rhythm Syndicate. Until this album, Gibson had largely declined to write with others (though she did collaborate with Motown legend Lamont Dozier on "Anything is Possible"), preferring to sink or swim with her own abundant material. "They came in quite late on the project," Gibson said. "I had gotten out of 'Les Miserables' with a bunch of songs I had written during that period. I thought I knew what the songs on the album were going to be at the time, but I kept feeling: I'm more aggressive than this music I'm doing. I had a meeting with Carl and Evan, and played tapes of the songs I had, and they said, it songs like you've got an album already. I said, I do, but I've got another side that's not being shown here. I don't want to wait until the next album to show it, I feel it now. So we got together, and came up with six songs in two days." Gibson spent three months last winter in the role of Eponine in "Les Miserables," when she met her current boyfriend, actor Kevin Wright. The theater-trained Gibson, who first auditioned for the musical at 15, bristled at those who believed that the relatively weak sales of her 1990 album "Anything is Possible" following the the [sic] multimillion certifications for "Out of the Blue" (1987) and "Electric Youth" (1989) had somehow forced her into a career switch. "You know what comment I resented? That the last album didn't do well so I resorted to doing Broadway. 'Les Miz' has been around for what, six years? It didn't need my help. Broadway is so tough, if anything, it makes pop music seem like a very easy outlet." But clearly, not the only outlet. Gibson would like to do an album of show tunes; an album of '50s style music, half original, half cover versions of classics from that era. And she's looking at other stage possibilities, including, possibly, a role in a revival of "Grease." "I've got so much stuff in my mind that I want to do, I hope I get to do it all," said the former child star, almost grown. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBWATCH =- The episode of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" with Debbie, announced in an Immediate Release, was a repeat of the 1991 segment and was shown locally in Los Angeles, California. Here's a summary of the significant TV appearances that Debbie has made between 2/8/93 - 3/1/93: 2/28/93 : NBA BASKETBALL (NBC) Debbie sang the national anthem at the game between the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets. She was also shown in the crowd enjoying the game. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- Thanks go out to all of our chartwatchers. According to Billboard for the week ending February 27th, "Losin' Myself" moves up two slots to #89 without a bullet on the Hot 100 for its fourth week. It also slips one notch to #50 on the Adult Contemporary chart for its third week. _Body Mind Soul_ has dropped out of the Billboard 200 after three weeks, peaking at #109. For the week ending March 6th, "Losin' Myself" is at #92 on the Hot 100. On the Radio & Records Top 40 chart which is based only on radio airplay, "Losin' Myself" debuted at #40 for the week of February 19, 1993. On Pioneer's Tokio chart of U.S. hits, "Losin' Myself" moves up to #21 in its second week. The European single, "Shock Your Mama," is being released in the first week of March on three formats : 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl, and 5" CD. "Love Or Money" will be the second single released in the U.S. and is currently being distributed to radio stations.