=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S [tm] Volume 5, Issue 13 - October 23, 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 SCOTT MCKENZIE - Scott McKenzie VIRTUAL REALITY ON THE VOIDMOO - Jonathan Bradshaw GREASE GOSSIP - Chris Foote A TRIP TO LONDON - Justin Scott BtL POLL - MUCH ADO TO THINK ABOUT - Michael Falkner MORE GREASE NEWS FROM ENGLAND - Khurrum Sair HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEB! - Chris Foote DEB'S BIRTHDAY IN LONDON - Khurrum Sair 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 lyrics 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. "Between the Lines" and "BtL" are trademarks of Between the Lines. Copyright 1993, Between the Lines. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES =- BtL would like to thank Andrew Vernon for his work as moderator during the past year, especially the special birthday issue. We wish him well in his future pursuits. Information regarding submissions via e-mail, the supplemental "bouncing" mailing list, using Telnet to talk to other BtL members in real time, and obtaining GIFs and BtL back issues via anonymous FTP will now be sent to members upon joining the BtL mailing list. You may request this information from any of the BtL moderators listed below. Complete information will be included in the administrative notes twice a year. To submit articles by postal mail, please proofread and send them to the postal address listed below. 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. Submissions become the property of BtL. 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 $3.25 Cdn. for 5 issues / $2.75 Cdn. for back issues on disk United States $3.25 U.S. for 5 issues / $2.75 U.S. for back issues on disk International 3 IRCs for 2 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. -= BtL moderators =- Myra Wong : mkwong@scf.nmsu.edu mkwong@ucsd.bitnet Felix Ng : fng@acca.nmsu.edu 1:153/915 on Fidonet =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY SCOTT MCKENZIE =- Scott McKenzie - Ballarat, Victoria, Australia August 15, 1993 I started liking pop music seriously in 1987, when I was 14. I followed the radio chart shows "Take 40 Australia" and "American Top 40." In May I started to keep a record of the charts each week. Six years later and I'm still doing it. While listening to AT40 on Sunday 5th July '87, I first heard "Only In My Dreams." This incredible song became an instant favourite. The voice behind the song was just as good. Debbie was really the first (and best) new artist I learned through AT40. As each single charted I appreciated Debbie and her amazing talents more each day. "Shake Your Love" was a solid second single, though later it became obvious that Debbie could do MUCH better songs. I really loved "Out Of The Blue." So much happiness flows from this song. It's the best pure pop moment on her debut album. When "Foolish Beat" debuted, my fingers went down on the record button without hearing it first. I'd never done that before. I was pleased to see it go to No. 1 after the others missed out. From that moment, Debbie was my favourite artist. Then of course came "Staying Together," another excellent song, yet it should have been an earlier single. This is a list of exposures that Debbie Gibson had in Australia in 1987/88 that I know of. The OIMD 12" and SYL 12" were played on a radio station that broadcasted live from a club on weekends in '88. SYL was Debbie's only Top 40 hit from her first album. It reached No. 23 in May '88 and was in the Top 40 for 5 weeks. FB charted highly on a popular radio station request countdown (Top 8 at 8, 3MMM) for a few nights. The videos for SYL, FB and ST were played on various television stations more than once. Debbie received some attention in teen magazines. I didn't hear OOTB on radio or television, apart from AT40. In contrast to this, Tiffany's debut album charted very well and gave her 3 Top 20 hits. 1989 was the big year. Apart from Debbie's success on the U.S. charts, which I kept track of, she really broke through in Australia. I bought my first cassette in '89 - _Electric Youth_, and _Out Of The Blue_ soon after. My first single was the EY 12". When I bought a CD player later in the year, EY was my first CD. My favourite tracks on OOTB were all the singles except SYL, plus "Wake Up To Love." _Electric Youth_ is still my favourite Debbie Gibson album because every single song is very strong and incredibly catchy. "We Could Be Together" is the best track (both versions). This song is my absolute all time favourite of any artist. The vocals, melodies, lyrics, theme and bridges are all perfect. "Love In Disguise" and "Shades Of The Past" are the other standout tracks to me. Here is what happened in Australia for Debbie in 1989. She started receiving attention on Aus. MTV. They played the video for "Lost In Your Eyes" and various interviews. There was some decent overexposure in the teen magazines. LIYE reached the Top 40 in the chart aired on radio 8 April. It peaked at No. 7 and was in the Top 10 for 8 weeks, the Top 40 for 20 weeks. The single "Electric Youth" debuted in the Top 40 on 8 July. It hit No. 21 and was in for 11 weeks. The album _Electric Youth_ was on the Top 100 (ARIA charts - used by Take 40 Australia) for most of the year, a total of 48 weeks. It peaked at No. 10. End of the year standings went like this. The Top 100 singles of the year (ARIA): No. 27 "Lost In Your Eyes," No. 95 "Electric Youth." The album _Electric Youth_ was No. 37 for the year. It went platinum (70,000 copies). "Lost In Your Eyes" went gold (35,000 copies). Also, a local radio station's chart (FOX FM) had EY as the No. 3 album/cassette for the year! Videos for all four singles received good airplay, especially on Ch. 10. "No More Rhyme" and "We Could Be Together" did not make the Top 40, but charted somewhere in the lower half of the Top 100. Debbie also did a few television interviews by satellite. One was very early in the year to "The Early Bird Show," a kids' variety show (I missed taping it). One much later was with video show host Emily Symons. Debbie toured Australia in December. I think she played one show in Melbourne, one in Brisbane and three in Sydney. Unfortunately I didn't go to see her. I really regret that. She appeared on a television show "Countdown Revolution" and performed (EY and WCBT), as described in an earlier BtL issue. She was interviewed live in the studio of radio station 3MMM for about 20 minutes. I taped this. The interview was not that serious, full of idiotic phone callers and questionable jokes, but Debbie handled it with a great sense of humour. During early 1990, I was lucky to hear three more Gibson songs, two of them fantastic. I got _The Wonder Years_ soundtrack (I love "Come Home" from that) and watched "Earth '90," to hear the beautiful "Whose World Is It, Anyway?" I collected various singles as well. In November I heard "Anything Is Possible" for the first time when the video was played on television. AIP went to No. 1 - but only on 3MMM's Top 8 at 8 request show. On the ARIA charts it hit No. 61, possibly a fraction higher, and was in the Top 100 for at least 5 weeks. The video did get reasonable airplay on Ch. 7 and Ch. 10. Here's a coincidence. At the same time, the Australian band Icehouse released a single called... "Anything Is Possible"! It charted a little higher than Debbie's song. I was very impressed with the AIP album, but it took longer to appreciate some of the tracks. At first I liked "It Must've Been My Boy" and "Mood Swings." Then the track "Where Have You Been?" grew on me, and I consider it Debbie's best written ballad. Lately I've been singing "Deep Down" to myself every second night, and it wasn't even a favourite. For 1991/92 there was not much of Debbie Gibson's music in Australia. The AIP album debuted on the ARIA Top 100 at No. 87. Where it went from that I'm not sure, but it didn't go Top 40. The video for "This So-Called Miracle" was played once on Ch. 10. Also Ch. 10 showed 3 hours of Rock In Rio 2, simulcast on radio. Debbie's performances of AIP and OIMD were buried in the last hour. I bought the "Live Around The World" video on the day the Gulf War was ending. It was strange to sit through 90 minutes of quality entertainment, including the best track "Love Under My Pillow" (will she ever release it?), and at the very end see the "War Is Over" message at the end of the AIP video. This video made the ARIA top 20 videos for a week in January (15) plus the month of February (16). In the middle of 1991 I had to leave school halfway through my final year (Yr. 12) due to headaches and stress. I was listening to the AIP album a lot at this time. Before I left, I lent my copies of AIP to some other students. They all liked it. Some of their favourites were the title track, "One Hand, One Heart" and "Sure." Even though my school year was over, I felt that I'd achieved something that was very important to me personally, sharing the Deborah Gibson magic with others. It may sound silly, but it's very true. For the rest of 1991 and 1992 I kept busy collecting various Gibson singles. Also I found the albums by Ana, Chris Cuevas and Jo Beth Taylor. Jo Beth's first Australian single "99 Reasons," produced and co-written by Fred Zarr and recorded with Debbie's band, hit No. 31 in September '91 and was in the Top 40 for 6 weeks. It made Top 10 in Queensland. Her second single "You Don't Own Me" did not hit the Top 40. Her album was not hugely successful, but she was nominated for ARIA's best new female talent of the year, as well as her U.S. Emmy nomination for "If This Isn't Love." She did videos for both singles, and mentioned living and working with Debbie in various interviews at the time. I discovered Debbie's Japanese favouritism by accident. In 1992 I went to a store in Melbourne called Gaslight which gets in import records. I found _Super-Mix Club_ on the shelf. Then I decided to order more Japanese singles. The order book listed many of her singles, and WITHOUT YOU by DEBBIE GIBSON. Fearing that this was some Japanese tribute single, I ordered it anyway and was nicely surprised by this wonderful song. I also have the Japanese singles for "One Step Ahead," which was not an Australian release, and "In His Mind." In late 1992, having just hit Debbie mania again thanks to "Without You," "Sleigh Ride" and "Someday," I was thrilled when I bought a copy of Billboard in Gaslight and discovered mention of "Losin' Myself." On January 25, 1993 I took the train from Ballarat to Melbourne one evening to look at the record stores. In Gaslight, I found the import of Expose's new album (not released here) and a Marie Fredriksson (Roxette) Swedish album. Feeling pleased already, I casually asked at the counter if they knew anything about a new Debbie Gibson album, not expecting anything. The salesman said "just a minute," went to the back of the store and returned with _Body Mind Soul_ CD. It had only just arrived in that day! That was a very expensive but worthwhile trip. I really do like BMS but in many of the songs I miss Debbie's old sound and the direction she was going with AIP. I'm very disappointed with the track "Goodbye," which sounds somewhat false and not truly her song. My favourites are "How Can This Be?" "When I Say No" and "Do You Have It In Your Heart?" The album and first single "Losin' Myself" were not released in Australia until March. There were a few television interviews screened from "Hard Copy" and "World Entertainment," in which I saw bits of the LM video. The single LM was on the playlist of one radio station in Canberra that I know of. The album BMS had mixed reviews in a few magazines. It hasn't charted yet. Then things started turning around. In April a gossip column reported that Debbie Gibson was being considered for Grease, instead of Kylie Minogue! It mentioned that "Shock Your Mama" was a single and was very sarcastic in tone, so I spent weeks wondering how true it was. News soon started coming through, thanks to Craig McLachlan. Craig is very well known here for his roles in two successful nighttime television soaps, "Neighbours" and "Home And Away," which are also really popular in the UK and other countries. In 1989 he started a recording career. He and his band Check-1-2 had the biggest selling single here of 1990, a remake of "Mona." His debut album charted well here, and he had success in England. His second album, a solo one was not as popular but it still gave him three Top 100 hits, including a remake of "I Hear You Knocking." Now there has been lots of reports about Grease in magazines, papers and television. Unfortunately it's all been focused on Craig, but at least he's dragging Debbie back into the spotlight. She gets a mention here and there. The SYM video was played in full here at least. I have an import copy of "You're The One That I Want." It's Debbie's best pop song in ages with beautiful singing by her and reasonable by Craig. As yet it's not a single here. A few months ago I got in contact with Paul Burnim by accident, after we both replied to an ad seeking Deb merchandise. He's sent me plenty of information and back copies of BtL, which have kept me busy. I'm helping him collect information on Grease, and also about Jo Beth Taylor who has become a real media star and magazine darling lately. Pity she's split from Debbie. A MESSAGE TO DEBORAH Thank you Deborah for being such a large part of 6 years of my life. A special thank you for "We Could Be Together" and your long album credits! Please get Craig's wife Rachael to interview you for the Ray Martin show, and even get you to do a song for your Australian fans. Record "The Streets Of London" for a soundtrack, it could be a huge hit. I will follow your career wherever it takes you. -------------------- About myself. I'm 19 years old and really love adult contemporary/pop music. Apart from Debbie Gibson I like Madonna, Gloria Estefan, Roxette, Belinda Carlisle and acts similar to those on Archie Medrano's list. At the moment I work in my family's milk bar/mixed business. I will go back to school eventually. You can write to me at this address. Scott McKenzie 1217 Howitt Street Ballarat 3355 Victoria, Australia You can also write to Scott via e-mail to paulb@cs.uq.oz.au. Also from Scott are the exact positions of the charting Deb singles in Australia. "Shake Your Love" (debuted 21 May 1988, charted for 5 weeks) 23 29 31 30 39 "Lost In Your Eyes" (debuted 8 April 1989, charted for 20 weeks) 40 30 17 10 8 7 9 8 9 12 10 10 19 16 20 30 34 30 ?? 38 38 "Electric Youth" (debuted 8 July 1989, charted for 11 weeks) 39 32 30 27 24 21 21 23 23 24 36 "Anything Is Possible" (debuted 23 December 1990, charted for 5 weeks) 77 ?? ?? 61 64 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= VIRTUAL REALITY ON THE VOIDMOO =- Jonathan Bradshaw - South Bend, Indiana (Jonathan.Bradshaw@nd.edu) October 18, 1993 As I was writing this article, I was wondering how to catch your attention. Maybe an AT&T style message would work... "Have you ever wanted to talk to other Deb fans in real-time all around the world? Well, you can!" (Read in fake, obnoxious AT&T style.) Then I thought, that really didn't describe what VoidMOO was all about. Yes, it's open to all Deb fans. Yes, it lets you communicate with other Deb fans all around the world at the same time but so what? After all, isn't there Debhead for that? VoidMOO is directly on the Internet and is in "real-time." What about Talk and IRC and Relay? Don't they do that? The answer is no, otherwise I wouldn't have written this article! VoidMOO is an interactive virtual environment. You create your own 'character' in this environment, give it a description and wander around a text city (Merrick, New York) talking to other people who also have made characters and taking in the sights. There are no graphics, just your imagination. The MOO is set in Merrick, New York, the time is now. When you connect you will be able to walk around Merrick, check into the boarding house, visit Deb's old house. (Sorry, you can't go in; the dogs are guarding it - though if anyone knows what the inside is like get ahold of me!) You can visit her school and go to the pizza place she ate at. While travelling around you may bump into other people doing the same thing as you. You can chat with them or follow them around. If you enter the second floor of the boarding house you can find a copy of any file on the Deb FTP site for reading and the last 100 messages on Debhead are stored in the Deb archives room. VoidMOO has been online and running for the last year. We have had an estimated 10,000 connections and average 76 connections a day. It is normally available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. VoidMOO is not just a place to go when you are bored, it is a place to REALLY meet other fans and friends. Although 90% of the users are fans of Deb, it is open to friends of fans too. Electronic mail is 'flat' text. The MOO allows you to describe yourself, look at other people, objects and display an infinite range of emotions. People who meet on the MOO have gone on to become friends in real life too. This experience is not for everyone, but give it a shot. Even if you don't have an Internet account, you can access it through Delphi, Netcom and various other commercial systems. For a document describing how to get online send e-mail to me (Jonathan.Bradshaw@nd.edu) with a subject line of "void information." I look forward to seeing you online! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= GREASE GOSSIP =- Chris Foote - Surrey, England (shufoote@reading.ac.uk) August 31, 1993 Deb had a surprise birthday party the night before her birthday at Bill Wyman's Burger Bar in London. Apparently, any mail sent to The Dominion Theatre for Deb gets sent back to D.G.I.F., before Deb gets to read it! This is probably due to the threatening letters Deb has allegedly received. So if you want Deb to read a letter as soon as possible, you have to hand it to her personally. During one performance of Grease, Deb got so involved with "Summer Nights" she knocked her microphone off. During that same night, the whole stage sound was cut off during "We Go Together." The Grease album will be released on the 20th September. The next single from Grease will be "Summer Nights," and on the B-side is "Hopelessly Devoted To You." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= A TRIP TO LONDON =- Justin Scott - Granada Hills, California (VBCSC09E@VAX.CSUN.EDU) October 17, 1993 To Dream The Impossible Dream -- Or Is It? When I found out that Debbie Gibson was going to be in London to do Grease, I was thrilled for her. However, I was wondering if there would ever be a chance for me to see her perform. I talked this over with my mom (a travel agent) and are now pleased to tell you that a group to see Deb in London has now been organized so all of us fans can actually see her! The trip is for five days and nights in London, from January 18th through the 24th, 1994. Flying from Los Angeles it costs $769 per person; from New York $639 per person. Total Package Includes: o Roundtrip airfare from LA or NY to London on Virgin Atlantic Air o Transfers to and from airport and hotel o 5 nights at the Royal National Hotel in London (Or similar) o Complementary continental breakfast every morning o 1/2 day sightseeing tour of London o Admission ticket to Grease (Best seats in the house!) o Transfers to and from hotel and theatre on night of show Prices based on double occupancy (single supplement, add $99). A deposit of $200 per person will reserve your space. Airfare to LA or NY not included but can be arranged. Call for more information. Reserve today as space is limited. Full payment due 12/01/93. Call Linda Scott for more information at (800) 891-2084 or (818) 891-2084, or send deposit to Beck Travel, 11143 Woodley Ave., Granada Hills, CA 91344, ATTN: Linda Scott. [Editor's Note: BtL is not affiliated with Beck Travel.] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= BtL POLL - MUCH ADO TO THINK ABOUT =- Michael Falkner - Eau Claire, Wisconsin (FALKNEMJ@CNSVAX.UWEC.EDU) September 14, 1993 1> In my talking to several Gibson fans and reading some of YES NO the mail I have received, I seem to get the impression that there are a number of fans that feel abandoned by Deborah's decision to do Grease. If her London run in Grease, for whatever reason, were extended several more months, would you feel that was the last straw and move on? 0 14 Well, I said I had gotten the impression, but the loyalism of the Gibson fans who responded far outweighed the impressions I had felt that I received. Basically, almost all of the responses to this question basically accentuated the positives of what this entails, an opportunity yet again for Deborah to do something that she has always wanted to do. Which brings up an interesting thought I had: Maybe, in a vicarious way, it's better for Deb not to be so popular such that these doors like Les Miz after AIP and Grease after BMS are open for her, and she can take them without having to worry about the expectations of the music establishment for her next effort. 2> This question is a combination poll question / interest gatherer: In his comments to me, Jeff Tharp suggested that some BtL members could get together, write to Deborah, and send our letters to one place, where they would be sent as a group to London for Deb to receive. Do you think this is a good idea? 11 2 Most thought it a good idea. However, Myra Wong brought up a very good point when she said: "Deborah was given BtL 5.10 the night of the first preview show [for Grease on July 5th]. When asked later if she read it, she stated that she hadn't had time. In general, I think Deb would be too busy to read many letters that arrive together. Perhaps a brief note of congratulations is more appropriate." And forty lashes with a wet noodle to me for asking this one AGAIN... 3> Do you think that there is an inherent bias against Deborah and her music in the music industry and/or in the media? 13 1 I shall try in the future to avoid such repeats. (For those of you who are wondering, this was in my first poll.) 4> About a year ago on the bouncing list, an effort was started, though not completed due to a major financial road-block, to attempt to nominate Deborah for a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Do you feel that Deborah would, for her work in music and in theatre, deserve such an honor yet? 6 8 Bluntly, I was very surprised at this result. I felt that the loyalism toward Deborah might have this vote heavily in the affirmative column. There is little disagreement that she might deserve a star either now or someday, but the thing that most all of the no votes said was "Not yet. It's too soon. Much more needs to be accomplished." Like Chris Bovitz: "Sorry, Deb :). I don't know if 5 years (or however long she's been around) would be enough. Let's give her a few more years and see what she does. I agree that she has done in her career (both music and stage) than most, but I don't consider her one of the 'greats.' Yet." Perhaps this gives an indication that it was better for us not to go ahead with it. And then, I asked three full discussion questions, which I referred to as "Debhead Classics", to which I got some interesting responses: A> It's not easy to work so hard on a project like the last album and basically see it go up in smoke on some major sides of it. If Deborah were to call you tomorrow from London and confide in you that she was a bit upset about how that turned out, what would you tell her? Andre LeBlanc -- "I would basically tell Deborah that success is largely beyond her control, which it is. Her fate was determined after _Electric Youth_ when media giants like MTV labeled her as 'former teen queen' and no longer hip. [...] For _Body Mind Soul_, it seems like she relied too much on Rhythm Syndicate, to the point that it started to sound like their album." Robbie Po wants to be Deborah's marketer. -- "I'd tell her to write/produce ALL of her songs, go back to the non-sexy image, and dump Atlantic Records. You have great potential. Get someone who cares to market for you!" Jeff Tharp echoes a sentiment of a lot of Deb-fans with respect to musical direction -- "You should really try to concentrate on becoming an adult contemporary artist. That is where beautiful music is being played. You should really write and perform your own style." Karim Damji -- "To keep on at it until people come to their senses and realize what a treasure she is. Also, to keep in mind that her true fans are there for her and always will be. Life wouldn't be the same 'Without You', Deborah." B> At the present time, there can be much confusion as to what Deborah has said in the past regarding her music and image and what she is saying and doing now. How would you reconcile this confusion in the eyes of these fans? Ray Allen simply stated -- "Give her a break. She's just getting OLDER!" Michelle Chobotar summed up a lot of feelings with this response: "Debbie is trying to show people that she is all grown up and by being a little (and I stress little) shocking Deb is telling people WAKE UP! Look I am 22, not 16! I still will never ever think that Deb would do anything to the extreme as say someone like that M slut who loves to do gross things. Deb will always be the same person even if she wears black and more make-up." C> After Grease, where do you think Deborah will go from here? Many ideas -- -- Another album... Ray Wilmott suggests Fall '94, I think 1995. -- Grease on Broadway, by several respondents. -- Some sort of, ANY sort of BMS tour, by several more posters, though others see doubts in that scenario. One poster [whose name I lost] put it quite eloquently: "I would be just as thrilled to attend a concert with her sitting on a box singing acapella as I would with the grand stages she has had in the past." -- Myra Wong -- "I would definitely like to see Deb do voice-work for an animated feature." [And Deborah is rumored to be working on an animated screenplay.] -- Television and movies, but Chris Bovitz points out, "A problem would be finding a good character in a good script," unlike what many saw in "Street Justice." Anyway... a lot of ideas, and we will eagerly await further news on the next step in Deborah's career as April 1994, the end of the London Grease run, comes to pass. Stay tuned. Now, for this month's questions... If you wish to participate in the poll, mail your answers by November 19th to: Michael Falkner OR FALKNEMJ@CNSVAX.UWEC.EDU 436 1/2 Water St Eau Claire WI 54703 Theme of this month's poll: Deborah's abilities -- as far as her career goes. Sometimes, in seeing what Deborah has done in the past, some of us have been inclined to say, "She does this very well." or "Why the heck is she doing that? She couldn't do that well!!" For this month's poll, I'm going to list some of the things we see Deborah doing or think she might do, and I'd like you to tell me whether you think Deborah does it well or can do it well, from what we have seen, or that what you have seen lends you to believe Deborah shouldn't do it. So, with that in mind, do you think Deborah is good at: 1> Writing songs alone GOOD NOT SO GOOD 2> Writing songs with the aid of collaborators GOOD NOT SO GOOD 3> Writing songs you can relate to GOOD NOT SO GOOD 4> Dancing GOOD NOT SO GOOD 5> Choreography GOOD NOT SO GOOD 6> Keeping up with her age GOOD NOT SO GOOD 7> Acting in theatre GOOD NOT SO GOOD 8> Acting on television or in the movies GOOD NOT SO GOOD 9> Keeping up with the companies [GMI/D.G.I.F./ Possibilities Publishing/etc.] that help her run her career GOOD NOT SO GOOD 10> Caring for her fans GOOD NOT SO GOOD 11> Showing her feelings toward her fans GOOD NOT SO GOOD 12> Responding to the criticisms levied at her by the industry and people in it GOOD NOT SO GOOD And, some "Debhead classics"... A> If you could go back to 1986 and be at the start of Deborah's career all over again, what, if anything, would you do differently? B> There has always been a lot of discussion as to where it all went sour for Deborah with respect to her early success and her recent struggles. Identify the major "turning point(s)" in her career and tell me why you think this is where it started downhill, or, for the more optimistic ones, changed gears. C> Fill in the blank: Deborah Gibson's music gives me _____________. D> When I saw the "Losin' Myself" video, I saw Deborah do something I never thought she'd do in her strip-tease. What is one thing that you say Deborah would never do [not necessarily in a bad light], but, somehow, you just think she might do it anyway? D> And, not that I'd ever run out of ideas, but your ideas for questions for future polls are always welcome. Remember, the deadline is: Friday, November 19, 1993 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= MORE GREASE NEWS FROM ENGLAND =- Khurrum Sair - London, England (khs@doc.ic.ac.uk) August 18, 1993 Here's what's been happening on UK television and radio relating to Grease and Deb, over the past month. Thursday 15th July - London Tonite (ITV 6.30 P.M.) A one minute introduction of the opening night of Grease, just before doors opened. The live link up, at the opening night party failed to materialise. Sunday 18th July - Radio 1 (5.00 P.M.) "You're The One That I Want" enters the national chart at #14. Monday 19th July - GMTV (ITV 8.30 A.M.) Craig and Debbie appear on breakfast TV, for an informal chat about Grease. Provides information about second night fiasco and detail about new Grease soundtrack. Friday 23rd July - TNT (BBC1 10.50 A.M.) A behind the scenes look at the shooting of the YTOTIW video. Interviews with both Deb and Craig. Friday 23rd July - Chart Show (ITV 11.50 P.M.) [repeated next day at 11.30 A.M.] First showing of the YTOTIW video, after entering the music charts. Enters at programmes own #4 position. Saturday 24th July - Gimme 5! (ITV 9.30 A.M.) A behind the scenes look at Grease production at the Dominion, with Craig directing the tour. A brief interview with Deb. Sunday 25th July - Radio 1 (5.00 P.M.) YTOTIW goes up just the one position to #13. This is indeed unlucky 13, as this is the single's peak. Wednesday 28th July - Radio 1 Roadshow (11.00 A.M.) Deb and Craig appeared at the Roadshow in Clacton. Sing an acoustic version of "Summer Nights with the crowd, and an amazing live version of YTOTIW. Friday 30th July - American's Top Ten (ITV 3.30 A.M.) The British version of the long running Americal pop show. In the segment, 'Whatever happened to...' they highlight the career of Deb, starting off with "Out Of The Blue," "Foolish Beat," "Electric Youth," then showing her new look with "Shock Your Mama," and playing the "Losin' Myself" video. Friday 30th July - Entertainment UK (ITV 4.00 A.M.) A look back at the Grease opening night party. Interviews with Deb, Craig and other stars attending. General reaction is very positive. Sunday 1st August - Radio 1 (5.00 P.M.) YTOTIW drops four places to #17. Sunday 8th August - Radio 1 (5.00 P.M.) YTOTIW drops further, to #26. Thursday 12th August - Capital FM Expodome (1.00 P.M.) Craig appeared at a festival run by Capital FM radio. The crowd absolutely mobbed him. During the interview he commented on the selection of Deb as Sandy. Also appeared in a later slot on the same radio station. Tuesday 31st August Deb's birthday, and a crowd gathered outside of the Dominion Stage door, after the performance. She talks to the crowd in her usual relaxed manner, signing autographs and posing for pictures. Monday 20th September Official release of the Grease cast recording. However, release is overshadowed by other releases (Prince and the Beatles). Sunday 26th September - Radio 1 (7.00 P.M.) The Grease cast recording just makes its way into the albums chart at #20. The host of the Radio 1 album chart show, plays approximately 2 minutes of "Sandy." Sunday 3rd October - Radio 1 (7.00 P.M.) No sign of the Grease cast recording in the top 30 album charts. Mainly due to poor publicity, and virtually no air-play on the radio. Generally, as we approach November, Deb and Craig are still performing to full houses, even if their songs are not viewed by the media moguls to justify air-play. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEB! =- Chris Foote - Surrey, England (shufoote@reading.ac.uk) August 31, 1993 Seeing that this was the first, and perhaps the only time, Deb will spend her birthday in England, we decided on going up to The Dominion Theatre to celebrate. In the time-honoured tradition of meeting Deb, we arrived at a horridously early time of 11:00 A.M., eight and a half hours before the show started. A few minutes later, the others arrived, bringing the grand total to six - it was almost a convention. There was Tania, Michael, Anna, Trudy, Anne and myself. After an hour of hanging around the stage door, we risked leaving the theatre to get some bits (banners, balloons, etc.). We only intended on being away for an hour at the most - no such luck. Primarily we were after a banner which said "Happy Birthday" on it, so we headed for Athena (a huge card shop) in Leicester Square. Unbelievably they didn't do them, so we continued along to Picadilly Circus. By which time, Tania had managed to persuade a stall-keeper to give her five USA TODAY helium promo balloons! After searching through all the shops in the Trocadero Centre (and a complete madman following us around, headbutting Tania's balloons), visiting the Disney Store, and other shops we finally tried the huge toy shop Hamleys in Regent Street. Finally, we had found a place that sold party equipment. Unfortunately they didn't have any banners, but they did have balloons with "Happy Birthday Debbie" on them, streamers, candles and some annoying yellow sticks which held a card at the top, which when you pulled the card out, it played Happy Birthday! We all bought one of these each, and after getting some strange looks from the cashier, we headed back for The Dominion along Oxford Street with Tania still clutching those helium balloons, which seemed to get in the way of everything! When we arrived back, it was gone 2:00 P.M., but luckily Deb hadn't arrived yet. So we set to the task of setting up our party! Michael, Trudy and I blew and tied up the balloons to the barriers surrounding the stage door. Trudy wrote some messages on the USA TODAY balloons, like "Happy 23rd Deb," "Happy Birthday" and something rather stupid, which for Trudy's sake, I won't mention. Now that the balloons were beautifully arranged, we tried to figure out how we were going to put the candles up. Mike tried to stick them along the barrier with hot wax, but that didn't work (besides the stage doorman would probably go mad), so we tried sticking them through an upturned Coke cup. But after putting five or so in, the cup couldn't handle the weight and it collapsed (good job the candles weren't alight, otherwise there would've been a huge towering inferno!). We really needed a cake to stick the candles in, so Tania and Anna went off to a neighbouring cafe to see what they could get. Guess what they came back with? A DOUGHNUT! After artistically arranging the candles on it, it looked a lot more presentable (honest). To complete the overall party effect, we draped streamers across the barriers. By now some of the cast we arriving, and you should've seen some of their faces! We'd transformed what was a dull side street into something resembling the aftermath of the Notting Hill Carnival. Jo Bingham who plays Frenchy came out from rehearsal and came across to find out what was going on! She seemed to like it, and said that it was really nice of us to go to such an effort (I'm sure she wanted to say we were completely mad!). It was now 3:00 P.M., and we were ready - now where was Deb?! Three hours later, and Deb still hadn't arrived. The party mood had fizzled out, and we'd even grown tired of playing with those Happy Birthday stick-things (in fact two had broken by then). In an attempt to relieve the boredom, Tania and Anna got some cardboard from a skip and made a banner which read "Happy 23rd Deb." We wrapped it over another barrier, and tarted it up with some streamers. Craig had already arrived, and so had Shane Richie (who laughed at our "cake"). Passers-by gave us some very strange looks (I can't imagine why), and a police patrol car went by several times (probably in disbelief). Finally just before 6:30 P.M. a large car arrived and pulled into the car park. A few moments later Deb got out with Diane. Unsurprisingly, after seeing what we had done, Diane went straight inside, but Deb stayed out with her bodyguards. After signing some autographs, she made her way over to our group. Tania pointed out our "cake" to Deb which was left by the stage door, and after recovering from laughter said "Arrrr, isn't that cute?" and showed it to her bodyguards. We showered Deb with cards and presents, Anna gave her a Les Miz book, Mike had bought her a huge teddy bear and Anne gave her a cuddly dog toy, which both had a huge "Arrrr" factor. Deb also liked those card holders which played Happy Birthday, and because we gave her four of them she said, "Great, I can hear them in quadraphonic sound!" Tania asked Deb if she could pose with our cake so we could take a photo, by which time one of her bodyguards had taken it, so she called out "Hey, where's my cake?!" She got it back, and we took a picture of her holding it. Unfortunately, because Deb was late arriving, she couldn't stay out that long, so she had to go in to get ready for the show. Which left us to tidy up the mess we had created! The others had managed to get tickets for that evening's show, and because I hadn't, (and besides I had tickets for the next day's show), I caught the tube back home and let my feet recover (I'd been standing for over 8 hours!) Looking back now, it was a completely mad day, and I doubt Deb will ever want to return to England after confronting us with yellow sticks playing "Happy Birthday," and especially that "cake"! I found out that day that standing tickets are available most nights for 10 pounds. So if you are planning on coming to see Grease, and can't get tickets, try these. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEB'S BIRTHDAY IN LONDON =- Khurrum Sair - London, England (khs@doc.ic.ac.uk) October 20, 1993 On the 31st of August, I managed to see Deb outside the stage door of the Dominion Theatre. There was quite a large crowd gathered, most of whom had just enjoyed another wonderful performance of Grease, but there were others like me, who were there simply because it was Deb's birthday. As soon as Deb appeared, a young girl started giving her a rendition of "Happy Birthday," with several other fans presented her with gifts. She then went around, signing autographs and talking with everyone. She was very relaxed and in good spirits. Apparently the leather jacket she was wearing, was a present from Craig, and it seemed to be the basis of a private joke between them, when Craig appeared a few minutes later. I managed to pass on a copy of BtL 5.12 to Deb, which she gleefully accepted. She also signed my copy of "You're The One That I Want," as well as posing for a few snaps. After handing her the BtL copy, a few guys noticed her reaction on receiving it, and wanted to know more about BtL. So I gave them details, and now I'm happy to say, that they're now on the BtL mailing list. So it seems that Deb has had another very happy birthday. But my question is, where was her Grandmother's lobster? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- _Grease - The Original London Cast Recording_ was released on CD, cassette, and LP in England on September 20th. It contains 25 tracks and almost an hour long. Debbie Gibson has lead vocals on six tracks: "Sandy (Opening)," "Summer Nights," "It's Raining On Prom Night," "Hopelessly Devoted To You," "Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)" and "You're The One That I Want." Reviews of the album are encouraged for future issues of BtL. According to GMI, the entire Grease cast will be taking two weeks off in November, before Thanksgiving.