=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S [tm] Volume 7, Issue 9 - July 5, 1995 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 KEITH CREIGHTON - Keith Creighton INTRO BY MATT BAYFIELD - Matt Bayfield D.G.I.F. 7.1 REVIEW - Mike Falkner PEOPLE, GET READY - IT COULD BE UGLY - Paul Hanlin, Jr. DEBBIE GIBSON ON "STRAIGHT FORWARD" - Ray Wong ALL THE LATEST NEWS - D.G.I.F./Eric Wong BtL ARTICLE CONTEST - BtL moderators DEBWATCH CLOSING REMARKS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DISCLAIMER =- Between the Lines (ISSN 1201-4826, electronic publication ISSN 1201-4834) 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 1995, Between the Lines. This forum does not necessarily reflect the views of Deborah Gibson, Gibson Management Inc. (GMI), Electronic Music Industries (EMI), 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 EMI April Music, Inc./Possibilities Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES =- Between the Lines has a central account and e-mail address. Please send all administrative requests and submissions to: BtL@btl.org 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 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 laser 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 $5.00 U.S. for 5 issues / $4.00 U.S. 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@ucsd.edu mkwong@ucsd.bitnet Felix Ng : fng@acca.nmsu.edu =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY KEITH CREIGHTON =- Keith Creighton - Chicago, Illinois (sunnydee@popmail.mcs.net) June 6, 1995 Greetings Debheads one and all! My name is Keith, I'm 27, I live near Wrigley Field in Chicago and am the PR manager for an advertising agency. I simply love passionate music, so Debbie Gibson, Nirvana, The Smiths and Vivaldi all peacefully co-exist in my CD collection -- plus I thankfully live in a town bursting with live Jazz, Blues and Big Band/Swing. Before anyone flames me, please read this all the way through. It has been so upsetting to read all of the posts criticizing Debbie's appearance on The Circle Jerks album. All I can say is LIGHTEN UP! Bravo Deb for the cameo and the stage dive! It is so wonderful to see that Debbie can appreciate music outside of the style she records. It's also wonderful that she supports other artists in the music community. During my years in College radio, nobody ever made fun of my Debbie fandom. While many would tell me that her music didn't appeal to them, they supported their comments by saying they really respected the fact that Debbie wrote, recorded and produced the music she wanted to. Her "Fallen Angel" actually fit quite nicely in my new wave dance music sets. When you think of it, Deborah employs a very punk attitude which is "Do It Yourself!" Punk music, not to be confused with Hardcore or Speed Metal, was light, peppy, and positive. The only difference between Debbie and The Circle Jerks, Dickies, X-Ray Spex or Green Day is she plays keyboards and they play guitars. Allow me to wrap-up by saying that it is refreshing to see what a loyal fan base Debbie has. My former career in Top 40 radio exposed me to the unfortunate fates that befell many performers who would be selling out stadiums one day only to have those same fans embarrassed to admit liking them by their next album. Who here admits still owning albums by New Kids, Hammer, Vanilla Ice or Roxette? This never used to phase me until it finally happened to an artist I cared about, Debbie and the _Anything Is Possible_ album. Thankfully Debbie is talented enough to weather the storm and smart enough to dump Atlantic Records, which employs the worst promotion staff of the major labels. While Debbie is busy at work promoting the new album, it is the challenge, and honor, of us, her true fans, to do our part by spreading the word about the new album and flooding those request lines! I hope to see her on tour this year. I remember camping out for fabulous second row seats on the Electric Youth World Tour. When I was interning at Power 108 FM in Cleveland in 1989, I was scheduled to meet Deb the day of the show. However, some mentally sick person ruined it for me by making serious threats to her. Debbie was kind enough to send me an autograph through her record rep. (It's one of my most prized possessions.) Most importantly, the criminal was apprehended and Debbie was never in danger. This incident really did made me realize something about crossing the line into the personal lives of public figures. I really don't need to meet her in person or send her gifts to have the ultimate Debbie Gibson experience. The ultimate DG experience is listening to her songs and thanking her by supporting her efforts and spreading her +NRG. P.S. (I'm all over the map aren't I?) If the Circle Jerks album that Debbie sings on is a retrospective, it should include their delightful cover medley called "Golden Shower of Hits (Jerks on 45)" which tells the story of a romance by blending Jerked-up versions of "Along Comes Mary, "Close To You," "Afternoon Delight," "Having My Baby," "Love Will Keep Us Together," and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E." If you don't recognize these song titles, ask your parents, they were hits in the 70's. I look forward to corresponding with any and all Debbie fans. Zap messages to sunnydee@mcs.net Love, Peace & Flowers sunnydee =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY MATT BAYFIELD =- Matt Bayfield - Cambridge, England (mb10025@hermes.cam.ac.uk) June 23, 1995 Howdy. I'm Matt Bayfield, a second year Chemical Engineering student from Cambridge, England. And, as my appearance here would indicate, I'm a Debbie Gibson fan. And a lucky one, at that... I was born in the mid-70's to parents who knew even less about their backgrounds than me, so I was never going to have a conventional childhood. Hey, I guess I owe them for that one. Looking back, it's taught me a lot about myself and everyone around me. At the time though, it all seemed normal - when you're a kid, you believe everything you're told - that's part of growing up. But it meant that at the age of 12, one important feature was missing from my life... Popular and chart music had always been discouraged at home. In January '88, I probably couldn't have named more than five bands or singers. I'd never seen a music show on television, and well, we had a radio at home, but I don't ever remember it being switched on. In fact, just about the only music I'd ever heard was the odd Bing Crosby number. Nothing else was allowed in the house - "nothing else was music," apparently. But, no matter how hard you try, you can't shut music out forever. Eventually, in February '88, despite my protests, a friend played me his sister's vinyl copy of the then number one single when I was staying at his house. And boy, am I glad he did! That week, I taped every music show on television to hear the track again - I was amazed that a pop song could actually be that good. And out of curiosity, I suppose, I watched the shows the whole way through, listening to all of the songs. Only then did I realise I'd been missing out for so long. >From there, everything took off. I built up a collection of my favorite hits by videotaping "Top of the Pops" and transferring the music to audio cassette. And after a few months, I went into a record store for the first time and bought my first album, Belinda Carlisle's _Heaven On Earth_. As the years went by, I just got deeper and deeper into music. By now, it was 1991, and I was 16. And as I thought back to some of the first songs I'd listened to, a number of tracks, which at the time had just passed me by as cool pop songs, began to strike me as suddenly being rather good indeed. Amongst tracks by other artists, "Foolish Beat" and "We Could Be Together" stood out in particular. So, it was upstairs to dig out my old tapes from '88 and '89. And this time, well, it hit me square in the face. The moment I played those tapes again, I fell in love with Debbie's music. I bought _Out Of The Blue_ the next day. Later that month, I chanced upon _Anything Is Possible_, which, as a result of the virtually non-existent media coverage of Debbie at the time, I didn't even know existed. Sixteen new songs. The first time I'd bought an album never having heard any of the tracks. I wasn't disappointed. It was beautiful. I completed the set with _Electric Youth_ the next day. Since then, I've never looked back. I bought _Body Mind Soul_ on its release and finally saw Debbie in Grease in 1994. And when _Think With Your Heart_ gets its UK release, well, you just try and keep me away... Probably because I missed out on music for so long, it's always had a tremendous effect on me, whether it's Garth Brooks or Green Day. For me, music's as close as it gets to pure emotion. I guess that's why it took me until I was 16 to really begin to appreciate what was going on. And it's why Debbie's songs have meant so much. Lyrically they're close to the heart - I've been there - I've felt like that too - but most of all, the music and Debbie's voice say something that words just can't. You know what I mean - the sax solo on "Foolish Beat", the piano and vocal arrangement of "Lost In Your Eyes" - you just close your eyes and you're there... pure emotion. Expressing your feelings in any form - whether it's dance, music, art, or whatever - and then laying them out in front of the public is a giant step, and requires tremendous courage. It's impossible for me not to admire Debbie for her strength and determination to pursue her dreams. "One Hand One Heart," "Foolish Beat," and "We Could Be Together" are three of the most beautiful and emotional songs ever recorded. And on top of that, throughout her career, Debbie's positivity and honesty has been an inspiration to us all. There's no question that Debbie is a very special talent. But she's also a very special individual. Sure, I've never met Debbie, and although I've played her albums so much my stereo's wearing out, until I got on-line, I knew relatively little about her. Even now, there are plenty of bigger fans of Debbie out there than me - you only have to read BtL to see that. But I'm not so dumb that I can't see just a little of the real Deborah Gibson, somewhere amidst the press and the hype. And for that I owe a great deal to BtL and fans on the Internet: I hope my anonymous thanks to you are received. Through her music and her work, Debbie has given happiness to thousands of us across the world. I can only hope to give some back one day. It's been a great last 8 years... Okay, I've probably said enough. But that's how I feel. Music, in particular Debbie's work, is so important in my life that, hey, I guess I had to tell someone. So thanks for listening. And when I think about it, way back when I was 11, I did (with some help from one of my teachers) write and perform a song. And, despite never having really heard one before, somehow I managed to make it an upbeat pop song. Not exactly prizewinning, but a start... maybe I knew what was going to happen to me in six months' time! Anyhow, that'll do for now. If anyone wants to write to me about Debbie, music, or anything, then drop a note to . My inbox is always open. Until later, with love, goodbye... Matt =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= D.G.I.F. 7.1 REVIEW =- Mike Falkner - Milwaukee, Wisconsin (mfalkner@csd.uwm.edu) July 2, 1995 D.G.I.F. 7.1 was the first issue that was sent via first class mail to the deluxe members of D.G.I.F. It showed a different side of Deborah, as a last preview to the new album coming out THIS WEEK!! [Editor's Note: Basic members also received this newsletter via first class.] Page 1 was information from Karen, a "Letter From The Editor." It is mostly information that has already been discussed by Karen online, including the new hotline, the credit cards, the new address, etc. Page 2 was a brief letter from Deborah, about Diana turning 3, and a couple of other things, including her affinity for amusement park rides! Page 3 were three GOOFY pictures of Deborah in Los Angeles, including a couple of circus pictures where Deborah caught "Spring Fever..." Page 4 is my favorite page of the newsletter. *HUGE GRIN!* That's because it was where I got the long-awaited opportunity to interview Deborah in the "Fan Interview" section. I learned some things about her and her view on her career, and I hope you do as well. Page 5 were some workout photos at a local stadium, as she was stair-running. O.K., guys, you can start wolf-whistling at her now! Page 6 was the "Survey Results" from the online and mailed surveys sent by D.G.I.F. earlier in the year. Page 7 was the same merchandise page from the last issue, and page 8 were the quick headlines, the mailing page, and a list of the song titles of the new album. Also, if you look very closely on your mailing label, you'll see to call the hotline for the information on the promotional tour that is almost definitely listed elsewhere in this issue of Between the Lines. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= PEOPLE, GET READY - IT COULD BE UGLY =- Paul Hanlin, Jr. - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Paul95@ix.netcom.com) July 28, 1995 By the time you receive this, it will be just before or just after Deborah Gibson's first studio album in 3 years, _Think With Your Heart_ is released. >From all indications, the entire album could even be as good as BILLBOARD's review of the debut single. Or it could be par for the course, sales-wise. As in dismal. There are several things conspiring against its hoped-for success, even though yours truly will be among its first purchasers and enjoying every minute of it. They are, in no particular order, the calendar (in several ways), the promotional tour for it, the mindsets of those who get paid to review music for a living and by those who listen to it and buy it. So, you ask, who is this newbie and why is he risking getting spammed and flamed for being a purveyor of doom and gloom? I am a 32 year-old Debhead (and proud of it, too, since 1989, when I attended three Electric Youth concerts, including the one on 9/22/89 in East Rutherford, New Jersey at the Meadowlands, on the night Hurricane Hugo introduced itself to the rest of the east coast). I believe I can, being the senior citizen of a.f.d.g. in a manner of speaking, bring to the table a balance between the excitement I share with you and a healthy dose of reality. Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. Why? For these reasons... The promotional tour itself: In my neck of the woods, not counting an appearance in 1991 at the Valley Forge Music Fair in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the 7/8 appearance by Deborah at the Bryn Mawr Border's bookstore will be her first Philadelphia area gig in almost six years. It will mark her fourth guest shot in two days, as she is double booked the day before in White Plains and Westbury, New York. Hopefully, fans in all four places will not be done in by having to leave early and, subsequently arriving late for the next stop. So far, only the Northeast and Midwest is on her July '95 roadmap. Perhaps that will change. Yet I can't help but feel sad about a woman who wowed nearly 300,000 fans in her 1989 EY arena tour who will travel to bookstores, Malls of America and Super K-Marts to push a make-or-break album. Tiffany in reverse. Unlike La Tiff, however, Deborah has eons more talent. The Calendar (part 1): Very few stores will opt to open their doors on this nation's birthday. I would have been happier if the release was pushed back a day. There has been no music video for the first song "For Better Or Worse," nor no CD or cassette single release of it as of this writing in Philadelphia. One can almost wonder if she will live to regret severing her ties with Atlantic Records. The Critics: Debbie has had to contend with her share of jerks, and I don't mean just of the circular variety . Like the ignoramus music critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer who ripped _Nothing is Impossible_. Yes, you read that correctly. This moron never even bothered to get the album's title right. How can you deal with that kind of mentality? To music critics, Deborah Gibson is an act of the past, not worth their time, and conversely, not worth yours, either. Only you don't get to decide that for yourself. It would behoove them, however, to give _Think With Your Heart_ a very long look-see because of... The Calendar (part 2): The music industry is under siege in 1995, from politicians who rightly denounce music which encourages violence against women and others (and we won't mention genres, gangsta rap!). An album with good vibes and mercifully free of, say, anti-Semitic lyrics written in one of its songs solely to cause controversy (read: sell more albums, even with an insincere apology after 2 million copies with the offending lyrics were shipped out...and we won't mention names, MJ!) needs to be given a hearing with the general public. It needs to rise or fall on its own merits. The audience (also The Calendar, conclusion): The music landscape, and those who listen and buy the music, has completely changed since _Body Mind Soul_, let alone _Anything Is Possible_ or _Electric Youth_. The teenagers who gobbled up Gibson's CD's and cassettes have moved on to other teenage artists. The 20 and 30-somethings who make up the adult contemporary audience still think (and link) Deborah to a leftover of the 80's scene. That 80's stigma absolutely snuffed out Laura Branigan's comeback and may do the same with Paula Abdul as well. That's not a very nice Twilight Zone-like purgatory to get caught in. She should have escaped that place with BMS. But it never happened, and she was done in by, in my opinion, poor marketing. Now there is zero margin for error this time. Admittedly, Atlantic did release BMS and that may have been the catalyst for the split-up. The Style Change: It was necessary, it took guts and it had to be done. But you could make an awfully strong correlation between the decline in Gibson's album sales after _Electric Youth_ with the video for "Anything Is Possible." There will be an awful lot of second-guessing on just how far Deborah went to nuke her teen image in that video. Two months after AIP was released, a Sam Goody store in center city Philadelphia was selling the CD for a fire sale price of $5.99. You don't see those kind of prices until after a couple of years. But a couple of months? Have people forgiven and forgotten? The jury is about to come in on that one. I want this album to succeed. I think this album _needs_ to succeed. I'm weary of hearing how music influences our youth in negative ways. I'm weary of seeing (and flame me if you must) an avowed lesbian on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, smooching her "bride"-to-be inside the issue (no names necessary). With all due respect, I'm weary of reading Kurt Cobain and Circle Jerks advocacy threads. Now, finally, it's time to get down to business. Time to enjoy great music. Time, perhaps to ask the Chief Debhead, "What took ya so long? It's good to have you back." It sure is, Deborah. Good luck. Godspeed; and see you in Bryn Mawr on 7/8! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE GIBSON ON "STRAIGHT FORWARD" =- Ray Wong - Hayward, California (negativl@netcom.com) July 2, 1995 On Wednesday, 21 June 1995, "Straight Forward," a talk show carried by the America's Talking cable television network, interviewed Debbie Gibson as one of two featured guests. The other guest was Senator Arlen Specter, GOP presidential hopeful. As well as I can discern, this show is generally much more of a "newsmaker/politics" type talk show, though they have had other performers. For most of those cable systems carrying the network, "Straight Forward" is generally carried at 8:00 P.M. local time. My carrier seems to be one of the few exceptions, airing at 9:00 P.M. local time. There is also the same show listed 3-4 hours earlier, as well as on weekends. It is not clear if these are repeats of the 8:00 show, or if this show has more than one daily taping. The host either was not familiar with Debbie's pop career, other than what SBK relations provided, or was simply not as interested in this part of her past. I actually found this a refreshing change, since, while she was once again asked about her studio she built in her garage, she was not asked the many questions about her first four albums she typically is. Performance interviews are apparently new to this show, as it opened with jokes about being on live television, and talk of problems being expected as part of the evening's events. The interview itself started off as a fairly typical interview, based on the promo material, with the familiar (to fans) talk of the studio, of her first song, and the like. The interesting difference (for me) was how much of the interview really wasn't based on her recording career. The host, Roger Ailes, was more interested in her Broadway career and her family, than in her pop career. If SBK really wants to present Deb as a new artist, this is exactly the kind of interview they want. Roger actually mentioned talking to a friend who follows Broadway, and indicated that as far as his friend was concerned, Deb was not just capable, but outstanding on Broadway. General interview portion lasted approximately 12 minutes. Deb was wearing a long flowing "springtime-y" dress, a floral print over a black background. She was wearing a lightweight black leather jacket, one that is sort of dressy, as opposed to a biker type. It was really more short coat than jacket. General demeanor was extremely relaxed, as she seems to have been on all her recent appearances. I really do think Deb has become quite comfortable with the interview circuit, and she comes across as very articulate and personable. She was also wearing a simple necklace, with 3 small stones of some sort I can't make out. Evidently, the obligatory performance from Deb is now "For Better Or Worse," and "Make Sure You Know Your Classroom" (the first song that she wrote when she was five years old). In addition to these, Debbie did a very nice (heavy piano) version of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" These are available by both WWW browsing (http://www.ccnet.com/~negativl/) and anonymous FTP (ftp://ccnet3.ccnet.com/users/negativl/). For FTP, there is a file audio.txt containing some hints. WWW users should be able to follow instructions on the page. These songs are where the best and worst of this show are located. Deborah has, without a doubt, become a very powerful singer, with great depth and range in her voice. Unfortunately, the talk show nature of "Straight Forward" does show. The microphone is not placed well, resulting in not only a lot of breathing noise, but also some vibration noise from the piano. There is also some noise apparently coming from the studio equipment itself. These songs require that she project her voice passionately, but the listener can tell that she has to hold back, and is still pushing the limits of the recording equipment. Still, a very moving performance, and I recommend anyone capable of retrieving and listening to the files I have made available do so. Also, for anyone wanting a videotape copy of this episode, the show does have provisions to acquire one (many thanks to Myra Wong for finding this in the ending credits of the show): For a videotape of this program please send $19.95 plus $3.50 shipping and handling to: Burrelle's PO Box 7 Livingston NJ 07039 For credit card orders, call 1-800-777-8398. There is an additional charge for credit card ordering. This is the service that provides videotape copies/transcripts from many many talk shows. They need the name of the show, airdate and subject of program. In this case it would be: Name of Show: Straight Forward with Roger Ailes Network: America's Talking Original Airdate: June 21, 1995 Subject/Guest: Debbie Gibson Overall, another very favorable appearance, with very little to fault. Total time of appearance was a respectable 26 minutes. These shows that are not part of the typical promotional circuit open up the possibility of making a whole new audience aware of the album. There are many lovers of musical performance that are not able to follow the much more crowded and less receptive music scene that could benefit from these kinds of appearances. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= ALL THE LATEST NEWS =- D.G.I.F. - Huntington, New York (DGIF@aol.com) Eric Wong - New York (eqw6875@is.NYU.EDU) June 29, 1995 Debbie Gibson is planning on visiting the following locations on her promotional tour. She will be performing for approximately 20 minutes, signing autographs and meeting with fans. Thursday, July 6th - Boston, Massachusetts Boston Herald doing interview running on July 6th. 7:30 A.M.: WSSH Morning Show interview. Afternoon: Ch. 7 News. 7:00 P.M.: Border's Books & Music, Peabody, Massachusetts. WEIM, station will come to Border's. Friday, July 7th - White Plains and Westbury, New York Gannett Newspaper scheduled to do story, TBA. Morning: WKJY "KJOY", Long Island radio morning show. 1:00 P.M.: Border's Books & Music, 60 S. Broadway, White Plains, New York (914) 421-1110. WFAS, doing remote from show. 8:00 P.M.: Border's Books & Music, 1260 Old Country Road, Westbury, New York (516) 683-8700. News 12 TV at show. Saturday, July 8th - Paramus, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Surburban News interview - date TBA. 2:00 P.M.: Border's Books & Music, Garden State Plaza. 8:00 P.M.: Border's Books & Music, 1149 Lancaster, Ave, Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania (610) 527-1500. Sunday, July 9th - Albany, New York Time Union interview - date TBA. 12:00 noon: WKLI, lunch with listeners, listen for special contest. 3:00 P.M.: Border's Books & Music, Albany, New York. Tuesday, July 11th Television: Live! with Regis & Kathie Lee. Wednesday, July 12th Television: CNBC or America's Talking. Thursday, July 13th - Washington D.C./Arlington, Virginia 7:00 A.M.: WASH, morning show interview. 5:00 P.M.: Border's Books & Music, Pentagon City, Washington D.C. Friday, July 14th - Cleveland, Ohio 9:00 A.M.: The Morning Exchange. Ch. 7 Live from performance (tentative). 10:00 A.M.: WLTF, Guest DJ. 1:00 P.M.: Cool Kids Festive at Naudica Ent Complex. 5:00 P.M.: Live On 5 TV. Saturday, July 15th - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1:00 P.M.: National Record Mart, Ross Port Mall. Sunday, July 16th - Chicago, Illinois 2:00 P.M.: Musicland, Oakbrook Mall, Oakbrook, Illinois. Monday, July 17th - Chicago, Illinois 8:00 A.M.: WPNT, live performance on morning show. Wednesday, July 19th - Indianapolis, Indiana 2:00 P.M.: Meijer, location TBA. Thursday, July 20th - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota WLTE, lunch with listeners. 4:00 P.M.: Sam Goody's, 3rd Floor, Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota. Friday, July 21st - Los Angeles, California TBA. The SouthEast Asia promotional tour is scheduled for July 23 - August 20. The Japan album release is now scheduled for August 23 with the two bonus tracks ("You Know Me" and "You Call Yourself A Lover"). The release date for the album in the U.K. and other countries will be announced as soon as they are scheduled--please be patient. A commercial cassette single will not be released at this time. However, a "For Better or Worse" commercial single (International) is to be released on August 23rd. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= BtL ARTICLE CONTEST =- BtL moderators (BtL@BtL.org) July 4, 1995 BtL is holding an ongoing contest for the best articles of 1995. (The first best article contest was done in 1990.) At this time, we have our first set of winners from the first half of Volume 7. All winners will receive a prize--a brand new BtL t-shirt. Third prize was a tie: Misty Cochran for her story about being Deborah's "sister" for a night in Nashville in BtL 7.8 and Ross Smith for his clever letter and write-up in BtL 7.3 about PC Magazine's pseudo-apology for including alt.fan.debbie.gibson in a list of joke-newsgroups. Second prize goes to Robert Evans for his submission n BtL 7.6 about seeing Deborah in Nashville as well. And the first prize goes to Sara Gauchat for her captivating article about meeting Deb at a Lifebeat fundraiser in New York City in early December in BtL 7.2. Honorable mentions go to those armed with the most information and material to write about: - D.G.I.F., for finally joining us online and providing BtL with surprisingly well-written updates. - Eric Wong, at EMI Records, for delivering sneak previews and news of the new album. - Mike Falkner, for his extensive opinion polls, and for sheer volume--he's had articles in 7 of the 9 issues so far this year. The best articles contest will run until the end of the year. At that time, the BtL moderators will judge articles from the entire year in different areas, such as "Best Intro Article" and "Best Album Review." Thanks to everyone who has contributed to BtL this year! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBWATCH =- Here's a summary of significant media appearances shown since that last issue of BtL. 06/23/95 : BIGGERS & SUMMERS (Lifetime) Debbie was the last guest of Sissy Biggers and Marc Summers' week-old television talk show. The brief interview was a quick rundown of Deborah's experience in theater, and as a songwriter and singer throughout her childhood. Deborah closed the show by performing "For Better Or Worse" on the piano. 06/29/95 : HOWARD STERN Debbie and her mom Diane joined Stern on his nationwide morning radio show. Stern was his usual personality, making numerous sexually-suggestive comments to both Debbie and her mom. They also listened to some of the new album. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- Debbie Gibson was at a T.J. Martell Foundation benefit with her publicist David Salidor on Tuesday, June 27th at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City. The television entertainment news show "Extra!" showed a few quick clips of her with Tony Bennett from this event. The NEW YORK POST printed a picture of Debbie with her new boyfriend, soap opera star Chris Bruno, on Thursday, June 29th. There is also a (blurry) picture of Deb performing with the Circle Jerks in this month's issue of Rolling Stone. Rumor has it that Debbie is interested in joining the cast of "Fantastiks," a long-running off-Broadway show. On Sunday, July 2nd, VH-1 showed the videos for "Only In My Dreams," "Shake Your Love" and "Lost In Your Eyes" as part of their weekend-long History of Music Videos from A to Z. _Think With Your Heart_ was officially released in the United States on July 4th; although some lucky fans were able to get the album a day early because of Independence Day. BtL 7.10 will be released in mid or late July. Reviews of the new album are welcome, however, please concentrate on personal comments rather than describing the new album in your reviews since most BtL members will have already heard the album. For those of you lucky enough to catch Deborah on her promotional tour this month, please share your experiences with us!