=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S [tm] Volume 7, Issue 12 - July 28, 1995 DDDDD D D D D GGGG D D G DDDDD G GGG G G GGGG A Debbie Gibson Discussion Forum =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CONTENTS =- ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES DEBORAH TO THE RESCUE - Ricky Morgan DEBORAH IN NEW JERSEY'S STAR-LEDGER - Ken Gebauer DEBBIE COMES TO THE MALL OF AMERICA - Ron Coulter DEBBIE GIBSON ON FX "BREAKFAST TIME" - Richard Evans DEBBIE GIBSON AND THE CIRCLE JERKS - Laurie Timmons/ Patrick James Sandoval DEBBIE GIBSON ON KTLA'S MORNING NEWS - Kazuto Okayasu DEBBIE GIBSON AND CHRIS BRUNO IN STAR - Myra Wong MEETING DEBORAH IN WASHINGTON D.C. - Robert Evans DEBBIE GIBSON IN PITTSBURGH, PA - Hai Le 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 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBORAH TO THE RESCUE =- Ricky Morgan - Jacksonville, North Carolina July 19, 1995 I have been a fan of Deborah's for eight years now. I first heard her beautiful voice at a very low time in my life. You see, for nine years of my life I was a victim of child abuse. Back in 1987 I was going to commit suicide. I didn't see any other way out of the pain I was feeling. I could not see tomorrow or have the courage to face my pain and fear. I was in my room with a razor blade in my hand. There were tears in my eyes and I focused all my attention on my wrist. It was at this moment I heard a beautiful voice come over the radio. I listened to this beautiful song. As fresh tears came to my eyes I began to see all that I had to live for. The song filled me with hope that tomorrow could be the end of my pain. That song was "Only In My Dreams." Later that year, I finally told my mama what was happening to me. With her love and support I realized that indeed "Anything Is Possible." I want to thank Deborah for carrying me with her music when no one else would. You have lifted me into the heavens when nothing else could. You cared when no one else would. You are and always will be my favorite singer. If anyone wants to share their feelings with me about what Deborah means you, you can write me. Sincerely, Ricky Morgan 200 Mill Ave. Jacksonville, NC 28540 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBORAH IN NEW JERSEY'S STAR-LEDGER =- Ken Gebauer - North Arlington, New Jersey (kgebauer@ix.netcom.com) July 20, 1995 STAR-LEDGER (a northern New Jersey paper) July 19, 1995 THAT GIBSON GIRL Queen of teen unplugs away By Jenifer Braun There were people crouched on top of bookshelves, squatting on the floor between the feet of security guards and sitting on each other's shoulders. About 300 strong, they've clawed their way into the music room at "Borders Books, Music and Espresso" store at the Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus. After a loud and sweaty half-hour of pushing and wiggling to get close to the piano at the center of the room, a hush falls over the crowd. Security guards force a path through the crowd and suddenly, as the assemblage gasps in unison, there appears a face, one that is familiar and yet at the same time almost forgotten by many... Debbie Gibson! "Hi, everybody!" carols the singer, as she glides up to the piano and the crowd cheers, claps and stamps their feet. Gibson, the teen queen of 80's pop music, is back-with a new album, a new label (SBK) and an image designed to erase memories of her boppy, "Electric Youth" past. In support of the album "Think With Your Heart," Gibson has gone on a promotional tour, performing acoustic sets at "Borders" bookstores across the nation before heading to Southeast Asia for a similar tour that will continue next month. Acoustic Debbie Gibson? It sounds as strange as electric Dylan once did, but the young singer/ songwriter/producer who hit the top of the charts in the late 1980's with cheery, heavily synthesized bubble-gum pop tunes like "Out of the Blue" and "Lost in Your Eyes," has transformed herself into a reflective, even soulful pianist and balladeer, a la Carole King. "My very first album was very honest, but after that, the next couple of albums were really tailored to radio, there weren't me," Gibson said in an interview after the show. "I'm much more interested in traditional pop music, and I've developed this I-don't-care-what's-happening-now attitude," she said. And her fans' reaction to the new Debbie? "They love it; they say it's their favorite album," Gibson insisted. Indeed, at her Paramus appearance-the only New Jersey stop on this promotional tour-fans clamored for her old hits, but when she flubbed the lyrics to one of her new songs, "Too Fancy," audience members who had already purchased the recently released album called out the words to help her along. She also delighted fans by performing several tunes from her Broadway career, including "On My Own," from "Les Miserables" and an a capella, apparently off-the-cuff rendition of "Look at Me, I'm Sandra D. (Reprise)," which was requested by a fan in the audience. Since her last album, "Anything is Possible," was released in 1990, Gibson-signed to a major label at 14, popular by 16 and chart-topper at 19-has had trouble commanding the huge audiences who flocked to her concerts in her teen years. She seemed to be past her prime at the tender age of 20. [Editor's Note: Debbie signed to Atlantic at age 16, and topped the charts with "Foolish Beat" at 17, and "Lost In Your Eyes" and _Electric Youth_ at age 18.] So instead of recording another album, Gibson went in for musical theater, first playing Eponine in Broadway's "Les Miserables," and then creating the role of Sandra D. in the popular revival of "Grease," playing in the show for the first nine months of its original London run. "People said to me, 'Oh what a great career move,' Gibson said. "But really I'd done musical theater a lot when I was a kid, so it was more a return to my roots. 'Eponine' was a role I'd always wanted to play," she said. It was while she was in London that most of the songs on her fourth album were written. "When I was there I wrote constantly, and so many had accumulated that I just felt it was time to sing and record my own music," Gibson said. And although a suburban shopping mall is a long way from performing in the Meadowlands Arena-as Gibson did in 1989-or even on Broadway, Gibson insists this "mall tour" was her choice. "We hate to call it a mall tour; it's really a 'Border' tour. 'Borders' just felt like the perfect place to reach people interested in hearing my music, because it turns out that the fans who have stuck with me are more coffee-bar people than bar-bar people," Gibson said. Gibson said that when she returns from Asia, she hopes to "get a band together" and launch a full-scale concert tour before the end of the year. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE COMES TO THE MALL OF AMERICA =- Ron Coulter - St. Paul, Minnesota (GBSB67A@prodigy.com) July 21, 1995 On Thursday, July 20, Debbie came to the Megamall here in Minnesota's Twin Cities. Well, I got to the mall around 2:00 P.M. and checked out the store, the 3rd floor Sam Goody's. I met a salesperson who used to work at my neighborhood Musicland a couple of years ago and she remembered me talking about Debbie back then. I decided to get a drink at the fountain and come back for the wait. As I waited, the crew was getting things ready. They spent quite some time tuning the piano and testing the microphone. I read over the descriptions of people I printed out and brought with me. The first I recognized was Andre LeBlanc. We chatted off and on for a while as they continued to set things up. He mentioned he was there about 1:00 P.M. and they spent 20 minutes arguing which way to point the piano. There was a square tiled area with four pillars facing at a diagonal as you walk in the store, about half-way in. One forward-facing side pointed to the main area of the store, and the other side faced towards the connected Classical/Jazz/ New Age specialty shop next door that has its own mall entrance. After a while we saw Mike Falkner and his friend Amy, Scott Schumacher, Jeff Tharp, Ali Zimmerman, Misty Cochran and her mother. People from Wisconsin, North Dakota, Indiana, Tennessee, and someone else who came from Texas. I was right up front so I didn't dare move for fear of losing my place as the crowd grew the closer the show came. Apparently there was a radio contest to have lunch with Debbie at Planet Hollywood at the Mall of America. And they played her album when she was there. I'm not sure how many contest winners were there or what station it was from. That must explained why she wasn't on WLTE at lunchtime as previously announced. I certainly wish I'd entered and won. After a while, they were done tuning the piano and then they covered the small piano with a lace table cloth and set candlesticks on it. The Yellow Pages were placed on the padded piano bench. The candles were placed in the candlesticks and were lit after a while. A woman came on and reminded people that no video cameras were allowed, but we could take as many pictures as we liked, and that we should get only one item signed by Debbie after the show. I would guess about 300 people were there by that time. Finally Debbie came on at about 4:15 P.M. and did "For Better Or Worse," "Too Fancy," "On My Own," the "Foolish Beat/Lost In Your Eyes" medley, "Only In My Dreams," "Think With Your Heart," and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" During her chats with the audience in between songs she answered some questions, including how many years of vocal training she's had--10, with a really solid two years to which has built upon in real-life performance. Someone asked how old she was and whether she was married--she said 24 and single--marriage can wait a while. Someone asked why the change of record labels and she said what a controversial question. She wanted someone who will stand behind the kind of music she wanted to do and not the trendy. Before she did _Think With Your Heart_ she said how great it was to fly to England and hear a 44-piece orchestra bring her music to life. She described how she had an intestinal flu and finished directing the recording of the strings over the phone from the hospital with an IV in her arm. She mentioned how she would like to do a full concert tour sometime after returning from the Southeast Asian part of the promotional tour which starts in a few days after this final appearance here in Minnesota. She explained one of the reasons she decided to do this free-performance promo tour was to overcome the negative reviews of the trendy publications and bring the music directly to the people. She mentioned how this was the only time on the promo tour she used that compact upright piano rather than a grand or baby grand piano. Debbie was somewhat surprised people think it's great anyway (I guess I know the difference and wished it had been a grand piano. My ears were about three feet from the speaker being up so close (within 10 feet of her) so I couldn't really say there isn't distortion from being so close. But what a great position to snap and snap away with the camera. Well, her magnificent performance was over at about 4:48 P.M., and what a pell-mell stampede to line up for autographs which were to begin 10 minutes after Debbie took a break. The two security guards and the rest of the staff were somewhat stunned as they tried to set up the ropes and get us organized into a single-file line, threatening to make us start the line all over again if we don't shape up our line single-file. Well, eventually things settled down as they promised that everyone would get to see Debbie. I wound up about right in the middle of the store, but I couldn't tell if the line ran out into the mall. The line moved reasonably well once things began. The fellow in front of me who was dressed in what sure looked like one of those thousand dollar suits Debbie sings of in "Too Fancy" apparently had to be somewhere and was very fidgety. He finally asked a store clerk how long it would take to get up front and so on and they bumped him up to the head of the line. They came along with Post-It notes so we could put our names on the note and stick it to what we wanted Debbie to sign. That certainly was a good idea. There would be nothing more surprising than to find out after you leave that your name was spelled wrong! Well, it was my turn, and I got my stuff ready, getting the CD booklet out of the jewel box at the last minute so it didn't get creased or fingerprinted, getting the camera ready and explained to the lady how to use it. Well, I decided to get her a card and gift this time after seeing all the nice puzzles and stuffed animals everyone gives her: "Come home empty handed. Or with a brilliant surprise." I had them wrapped and in a flowery gift bag which I laid on the table while handing her my CD booklet. While she was signing the booklet I walked around the table for my picture. She peeked to see what was inside the bag so we started talking about what it was. The lady must have had the green light for the picture, so we posed. Then I got back my CD booklet. As I left, Debbie said that she has a camera like mine but it's broken. The lady handed back my camera as I was trying to make sure the markered autograph on my CD booklet was dry before I slipped it back into the jewelbox. I saw that there were some pictures left on the roll so I finished it up with shots of the stage area and what's left of the line that slowly crept along the tile pathway to the table with Debbie sitting in front of a backdrop of her album promo posters. Upon leaving the store I saw a Ritz 1-Hour Photo Service right across the way so I took them in to get developed. As I sat down on a bench outside the store with my pop a fellow from a market research company offered me five dollars if I'd come over to their office and look at a demo of the new Windows '95 program. I figured, why not?--just about right for supper at the Food Court. Well, he didn't know much about the computer and most of the operating system was inoperative on the demo version, but it looked from what does work like it will be very easy to use. I answered a few questions on what I'd seen and off I happily went with an extra five dollars. Well, by then, back at the store the line of fans and even the table she was at to sign autographs had vanished and things were back to normal so I looked around and found a few things I've been wanting but haven't found at Best Buy--some Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Rodgers & Hart material. I made a point of telling the clerk how expensive their prices were. Boy, that really was irritating to pay $20 for each CD in a 4-cd set. Now the stage crew came back and began to dismantle the equipment from the show and they saw one of Debbie's plastic water bottles left over (I noticed it sitting there but that really would have been obsessive to grab it) and they joked with one of the store clerks and someone took a sip and another one jokingly asks him how she tasted. People certainly can be buffoons at times. Well, by now my pictures were finished and I picked them up and found they turned out well. Finally, I had a reasonably good picture with Debbie. It was off to spend my five dollars on supper and then home to write this story before the details faded. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE GIBSON ON FX "BREAKFAST TIME" =- Richard Evans - Gainesville, Georgia (neppie@mindspring.com) July 19, 1995 First, a little background. "Breakfast Time" broadcasts from a fully functional apartment in New York City. All of the cameras are handheld to encourage the show's hosts to move from room to room. The three hosts are Laurie Hibberd, Tom Bergeron and Bob the Puppet (aka Al Rosenberg). All three are incredibly sharp and make the 2 hour program work each day without a script. They have a dedicated T1 (128kbps) line to the Internet in the apartment's gameroom and occasionally demonstrate WWW pages on the air. Viewers are encouraged to e-mail and fax comments. The few times I've faxed, my comments were read on the air. It's pretty neat to type something and see it broadcast on national television just minutes later (I'm easily entertained). I e-mailed BT last week suggesting Debbie as a guest; I'm not sure if that had anything to do with her appearance. Debbie looked amazing in a blue-green dress with a long, black leather overcoat. After her introduction she was led to the dining room where the "visiting families" were having breakfast. She stood in the background while the hosts quizzed the families (loser had to cook). Debbie was quick to offer assistance when one of the children needed help into his high chair. Very sweet. She has a way with kids. The next segment was Debbie being interviewed by Tom Bergeron in the living room. The crew had listened to the CD before the show and made positive comments. They discussed the "For Better Or Worse" video and Chris Bruno. The video clip they aired was a really sensual Debbie. One scene was Chris holding her close, another was Debbie singing while sitting backwards in a wooden chair. The clip ended with "...'cause I live in paradise" and Deb (sitting at the piano) surprised everyone by finishing the song live. Tom congratulated her for being the first musical guest with the savvy to pick up where a video clip left off. No one was sure Deb would even sing because she'd had a late night at the vet. Debbie explained that her little dog had gotten into a duffle bag and swallowed 15 Advil. Her pet will be O.K. but was still in the hospital after having it's stomach pumped. Tom asked Debbie how she'd met Chris (Disneyland) and "on what attraction did he become THE attraction" (Space Mountain). The puppet was impressed because it was an E ticket ride. Laurie commented that she'd read Deb was joining the cast of "The Fantastiks" on Broadway. Debbie replied that something was in the works for the end of this year. It was also revealed that Deborah's neighbor isn't thrilled to be living next to someone who plays the piano constantly. Next, Debbie was supposed to sing "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" into the commercial break, but ended up doing the entire song. While she sang the cameras recorded reactions from people in the apartment; even the producer appeared pretty much wowed. In the midst of applause that broke out when she finished the puppet shouted, "book her again for next week!" After commercial break Tom and Laurie said goodbye to Debbie while the show's announcer (Jim) and Bob the Puppet protested. When Bob (in the next room) muttered that he didn't get a goodbye kiss, the Debster trotted over and indulged him (in the background, the song "Bobby's Girl"). As Deborah walked out of the apartment the puppet exclaimed, "I'll call you!" A pretty standard "Breakfast Time," but special because THE GUEST WAS DEBBIE. I haphazardly scanned a dozen or so images from Deb's appearance and put them into a collage GIF. It's a pretty sloppy effort, but serious fans of Deb might appreciate it. It's available via anonymous FTP at: ftp://ftp.mindspring.com/users/neppie/btdeb.gif =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE GIBSON AND THE CIRCLE JERKS =- Laurie Timmons - Winter Park, Florida (Laurie4072@aol.com) July 18, 1995 Patrick James Sandoval - Brooklyn, New York (AXPGUY@aol.com / no1bettr@pipeline.com) July 24, 1995 Hi! My name is Laurie and I have been on BtL here for a while. I got the transcript of what was said on MTV's "Week In Rock" and here it is: Hi, I'm Kurt Loder with MTV news. The long-running California punk band, the Circle Jerks, has just released its first major-label album, called _Oddities, Abnormalities, and Curiosities_ -- the first single from which is a cover of an old song by the Soft Boys, Robyn Hitchcock's former band, called "I Wanna Destroy You." The kicker here is that that track features backing vocals by the one-time girlfriend of the band's producer -- and that she also showed up recently at the New York punk mecca CBGB to join the band onstage. Here's the story. KEITH MORRIS, Circle Jerks: It's difficult to walk away from something that you've spent 15 years of your life doing. You realize that you can do it better than a lot of the other people that are out there doing it. MTV: The name of the new Circle Jerks' album is called _Oddities, Abnormalities, and Curiosities_. And buckle your seatbelts -- 'cause it doesn't get any more odd, abnormal, or curious than this! MORRIS, on stage: We have a special guest who's gonna sing this next number with us, 'cause she's a favorite of ours. And her name is Debbie Gibson. MTV: Yes, that's Debbie Gibson -- former teen pop star, who later took the stages of Broadway and London's West End -- now onstage at CBGB's with the Circle Jerks. MORRIS: If we had Neil Young on our record, that would give us a lot of alternative credibility. DEBBIE GIBSON: I don't know what kind of credibility this gives them, but it is definitely hysterical. MORRIS: Mainstream. GREG HETSON: Bubblegum. GIBSON: Hey now watch it. Watch it! ZANDER SCHLOSS: I think it was a natural progression for us. KEITH CLARK: We needed to increase our mall sales. GIBSON: Now that's Tiffany. MORRIS: It's an ugly pop song. GREG: She adds such a beautiful counter melody towards the end. GIBSON: It was kind of like, yeah, do what ever you want. So I tried to make it as bubblegummy as possible. MTV: Back when Gibson first got going, upbeat teenage bubblegum pop filled the airwaves. Today, it's teen angst. MORRIS: Time to cash in. GIBSON: I like what's going on. I mean a lot of, a lot of stuff that older people would say, "Aw, it's just noise." It's actually very musical! CLARK: How did you like your stage dive this evening for the first time? GIBSON: Thank God my mother didn't come. I knew there was a reason I told her to stay home. I looked off the stage and all these people were like, "Debbie, you can do it! You can do it!" And they were so friendly that I just couldn't resist! MTV: With the Circle Jerks touring in support of their new album and Debbie Gibson out promoting her new release, _Think with Your Heart_, might this impossible scene come to your town? GIBSON: We were just actually discussing their future tour dates and my future tour dates and the possibility of me opening up with an acoustic set or something. HETSON: I think we should do the acoustic set and you should do the electric set. GIBSON: There you go! LODER: You may remember that the Circle Jerks appeared in the 1985 cult film "Repo Man" -- directed by Alex Cox, who also shot the Jerks' "I Wanna Destroy You" video. Word now is that Cox will start filming a sequel to "Repo Man" next year. As for the Circle Jerks, they'll start a tour -- minus Debbie Gibson -- in Ventura, California, on July 26th. And as for Gibson herself, who's currently winding up a record-store promo tour, she's considering taking a part in the ultra-long-running off-Broadway show, "The Fantastiks" -- although no deal has yet been signed. That's the news for now. We'll be back with more later here on MTV. ------------------ Here is a transcription of the Circle Jerks interview on Modern Rock Live, which took place on July 23 1995, and the little bit about Debbie that they discussed. CALLER: My question to you is, why the title, _Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiousities_? CJ1: Because it was the best thing that we thought of at the time. [Random banter] CJ1: Basically what happened was, there's four of us in the band, and I figured that I could get everyone in the band to come up with one word, and the fourth member couldn't come up with the fourth word. So it's just the three words for the title. CJ2: The fourth member will go unnamed. CJ1: And it isn't Debbie Gibson. CJ2: She couldn't come up with anything.. HOST: No, she just was tapping her feet hanging out, that's it. Now did you get a chance to hang out with her after the session at all, or was it uh, have you seen her lately? CJ1: We saw her in New York, she came and sang with us in New York when we played at CBGB's. She actually did a stage dive, and all those guys out there were just foaming at the mouth... CJ2: Grabbing, groping... CJ1: Those hormones were just raging full on... HOST: What is she really like? I mean is she a nice person, did you even get that intimate with her? CJ2: She's as sweet as a summer's breeze and as, as cute as a glass of milk. HOST: Wow, I'm sure she's flattered. CJ2: She's tasty. CJ1: She actually, the day she did the vocals, she brought her mom in who manages her and we had to, I actually had to like stand there and explain what the lyrics meant to her and her mom. CJ2: Yeah, we had to keep her from hyperventilating, during the session. HOST: [Rambles something about Robyn Hitchcock] CJ2: She was freaking out, ya know, she thought that we were gonna like, ya know, do something mean to her. And we're really nice guys, aren't we Keith? KEITH: Oh, we are, most certainly. CJ2: Oh yeah. KEITH: Wouldn't have it any other way.... About the transcriber: Patrick James Sandoval, 23, is currently waiting to get into physical therapy school. To keep busy, he works as a floor supervisor at the GAP, is participating in an indoor lacrosse league, basketball league and inline hockey league. In December, he plans to get his degree in biology. During his spare time when he isn't listening to _Cracked Rear View_ or _Think With Your Heart_, he hopes and prays that Ketchikan, a town in Alaska, finally gets a local Internet Access number, so that his friend Andrea won't be without AIP and BtL for too much longer. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE GIBSON ON KTLA'S MORNING NEWS =- Kazuto Okayasu - Irvine, California (KOKAYASU@uci.edu) July 25, 1995 This is my first attempt at transcription. It was a _lot_ tougher than I thought! I tried to be as accurate and descriptive as possible. Words just don't do justice though. Notes and observations in "<>" are mine. KTLA MORNING NEWS, Friday, July 21, 1995, 7:00-9:00 A.M. The #1 morning news program in Southern California can be seen in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, and apparently in some other areas with a satellite dish. The "cast": Mark: Mark Kriski, weathercaster Barbara: Barbara Beck, Co-anchor Gloria: Gloria, Barbara's dog that reporter Eric Spillman found astray and gave to Barbara. _Not_ normally on the news. Sam: Sam Rubin, entertainment reporter Edwin: Edwin Catli, production assistant Deb: Deborah Gibson, singer-songwriter extrordinaire Songs played during the newscast: - "Dancin' In My Mind" 27 seconds, end of 1st commercial break. - "Dontcha Want Me Now?" 32 seconds, end of 4th (final of the 1st hour) commercial break during the Decco and Daily3 lottery game numbers. - "Too Fancy" 26 seconds, at the end of the 1st commercial of the 2nd hour. - "Two Young Kids" 1 minute 52 seconds, at the end of the show, as the credits roll. Debbie arrived on the news floor at about 8:00 A.M., wearing a black short-sleeved shirt with sparkles, white bellbottom-like pants with a black pattern, black platform shoes, and a big ring on her right middle finger. As the Morning News is not a very formal news program, they tend to cut away to candid off-stage shots often. This was no exception. 8:01 Camera shot to Deb, sitting down in front of a black grand piano. 8:12 During weather, Deb was playing with a stuffed "spider" with Gloria: Mark: Isn't that a great dog, Gloria? Deb: Great dog, and a great toy. Barbara: Isn't it? Camera cuts to Deb tossing stuffed spider to Gloria 8:15 While cutting to commercial: Shot cuts to Deb playing around with Gloria. 8:40 It's Debbie Time! Sam: Now, how do you follow a story about Barbara Streisand, with singer Debbie Gibson, of course. Debbie's new CD, let's pop it up for you, is called _Think With Your Heart_ and the song Debbie's about to sing-- ...there it is, right there--is a song that has apparently been played at a lot of weddings. Here is Debbie Gibson, the tune entitled, "For Better Or Worse." Sam: Oh, that is terrific! Deb: Good morning vocal cords! Sam: Good morning. Good to see you. Deb: Good to see you, too. Sam: When did you first hear that people were playing that song at their wedding? Deb: Actually I heard that there was a marriage proposal to it on the air, and I've been getting out and doing like a promo tour and kinda doing little acoustic sets and meeting people and people have been saying, "Oh, that's my wedding song now." One girl that told me a really funny story. There's a lyric in there, "May God take me first." She says, "Whenever my husband gets mad at me he says, 'May God take _you_ first.'" So, oh great... Sam: One of our P.A.s, Edwin, has this mad crush--I think Edwin is in our FlashCam in the newsroom and he just would die if you'd say "hi" to him. Deb: Hey, Edwin! Sam: Edwin's lighting a match... Deb: Hey, how are ya? Sam: So you had done a lot of things since the last time. You spent some time on Broadway in Les Miz. Deb: Yes, I was in Les Miz for a few months and then I went over to London and played Sandy in Grease for a year which was great. A lot of fun. Sam: So are you anxious to get back out on the concert stage? Now what would you like to... Deb: Yeah, yeah. That's what I've said, like I've been getting out and performing the new stuff which feels great, being a lot of these songs on this album I wrote like three years ago and by the time you get them recorded, get the al--I almost said album--CD pressed up and get it out there, it's along time, so I'm anxious, very anxious to get out. Sam: _Think With Your Heart_ is the new CD and Edwin says you cannot leave unless you do a little bit of his favorite song, "Lost in Your Eyes," which is my favorite song too. Deb: O.K. I wanna sing it to Edwin, though. Get him back on the monitor. Sam: Alright, can we pop Edwin back up? Deb: Alright! ...I get lost in your eyes and I feel my spirits rise and soar like the wind oh is it love that I am in --ha ha ha ha ha! I get weak --I can't even do this with a straight face!! in a glance... Debbie was on for a total of 6 minutes. Later, Mark told Barbara that now she's going to have to sing to Gloria, and Barbara said she's no Debbie Gibson. Haha!! Well, I have to say this is probably the most airtime that stuff from the new album has been on the air in Los Angeles. Now, assuming Deborah had something to do with the choice of songs they'd play during the commercials, could we assume that the ones they played might be her personal favorites or at least those she'd like to have "out there"? The KTLA Morning News is a pretty informal news program, and they take 1 hour to do less than 30 minutes of news. I think a large portion of the viewing audience might be in the target audience range for the album. Pretty good exposure for her, I think. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE GIBSON AND CHRIS BRUNO IN STAR =- Myra Wong - San Diego, California (mkwong@ucsd.edu) July 25, 1995 STAR, July 18, 1995, page 23 SOAPS By JoAnna Zulli LOVE ON A ROLLER COASTER Chris Bruno falls for Debbie Gibson riding Space Mountain [AMC] You could call it a roller-coaster romance without the ups and downs for Chris Bruno (Michael) and singer Debbie Gibson. They met April 4, which was the same day Chris got his role on AMC. [All My Children] Now, the two are spending every minute together before Debbie takes off [on] her new album tour; _Think With Your Heart_. "We met at Disneyland," Chris and Debbie tell STAR. A mutual friend had invited them. "We rode Space Mountain together sitting in the front row. Our eyes were closed and our arms were up in the air. I screamed so hard I got laryngitis. It was our first bonding experience." Later that night, Chris found an urgent phone message telling him to be on the 9 A.M. flight to NY. Coincidentally, Debbie left for New York an hour later: "We didn't know it, but we could have carpooled," she jokes. "But, Debbie admits, "there wasn't an instant romantic connection. There was a connection." It wasn't until Easter when the friendship turned to romance. When they're together, Debbie says, "we like to psychoanalyze things, look for the meaning in things." On the lighter side, she says, "we like to play darts." "Debbie likes that Chris has a serious side--"he's very dedicated to his career," she says--and a silly, fun side. "He likes to run around and tackle me on piles of garbage bags on the street." Debbie also says she hopes to be married and hae a family one day. "I want to have at least four kids, and adopt, too." A 4"x5" color photo of Chris and Debbie is included, with the caption: Debbie Gibson and Chris Bruno are in seventh heaven after meeting on Space Mountain. It looks like Debbie was the only one interviewed for this article, even though it appears in the soap opera section of the STAR. Debbie and Chris look really good together, dressed casually in the photo. It's great that Debbie is getting this additional publicity--maybe "All My Children" will play one of her new songs on the show! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= MEETING DEBORAH IN WASHINGTON D.C. =- Robert Evans - Morristown, Tennessee (VRQL91A@prodigy.com / DGIBSONFAN@aol.com) July 18, 1995 I drove to Washington D.C. from home here in East Tennessee which was a 450 mile trip one-way. I arrived at the local Borders store two hours before show time. There were, I'd say fifteen fans there already. I was lucky enough to get a second row seat directly in front of where Deborah would be playing the piano. Deb showed up approximately 10 minutes after 5:00 P.M. She was wearing a new dress with several different colors in a pattern (i.e. blue, lime, & what seemed to be a mixture). The piano was a black baby grand and the set-up crew had already set out not one, but two large hardback books for her to sit on while she played the piano. The area Deborah performed was within the record section of Borders which faced the main street outside. This was a perfect spot as many people passing by the store outside stopped to watch and listen as Deb played her heart out on the baby grand. It was a sunny day in Washington and as evening came rolling around, the western sun light started coming in through these huge windows which encircled the store front. I didn't see Diane, Karen or any of the Gibson family with her; however, there was a short woman with black hair who seemed to be in charge of the show set-up. I also noticed a rather tall woman with short blond hair wearing western boots and jeans who seemed to be a important part of Deborah's clan as well. Deborah came out after a nice introduction from the Borders staff who were there to assist in what ever way they could. She sat down at the piano, talked about how she was having the promotional tour at the various record stores instead of performing in a bar-type scene. Deb told the crowd that by performing at more classy spots such as the Borders store she could play her music to all age groups and not just the older fans. The first song was "For Better Or Worse" followed by "Didn't Have The Heart." Deb then took some questions as well as receiving several song requests. She was asked about her new romance with Chris Bruno. She was asked how she came up with new songs and the words to go along with the music. Someone made the statement about how she should do a duet with Billy Joel. Deb seemed to be taken off guard with this, but was excited about the question and responded by telling everyone how she had the chance twice to be on stage with Billy. Once in her local area of Long Island. I think it was the Nassau Colsieum. Some of the songs requested were "Only In My Dreams," "Out Of The Blue," "Foolish Beat," "Lost In Your Eyes," and "On My Own" which made me happy! I love that song ever since I watched Deb sing it on one of those videotape's I got from Jennifer Yeko (Thanks!). Deb was also ask to sing a song off the Broadway show "Funny Girl" which caught her off guard as well, but the request really made her happy! I can't remember which song it was, but I've heard Barbara Streisand sing it on the New York concert double CD set. I had mentioned earlier about many of the first songs Deb came out with being requested. She sang a FB/LIYE set, plus we all joined in with OIMD. There was a special request for OOTB, so Deb being a real crowd pleaser sang a short piece of OOTB. Next, Deb sang "Too Fancy" and "Think With Your Heart." She closed her show with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" After Deborah finished singing, she told us that we would be able to meet with her (pointing to a special bar that had been set-up for autographing). Everyone lined up and patiently waited for their turn to meet the Deborah! When my chance arrived I handed my camera to a short woman with black hair who was handling the pictures and proceeded to tell Deborah how I loved her new album, told her that her dress was nice (I'm trying to be a gentlemen here). She told me the dress was new and seemed to appreciate my remark. I got my picture, and moved on so that the next fan could meet Deb. I stayed until the last fan was seen, snapping pictures right and left. I've got to get a professional camera next time. Though my pictures turned out well, there was always somebody's head in the shot. I can't complain though, I shot a roll of 36 pictures and all but a couple have Deb in them. As Deborah left Borders, I told her that all the online members were grateful for Karen's support and to thank her for us!! I really had a great time meeting Deb for the third time. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE GIBSON IN PITTSBURGH, PA =- Hai Le - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (tle@keystone.westminster.edu) July 26, 1995 On July 15, 1995, I got to the National Record Mart at about 1:20 P.M. at the Monroeville mall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was late, but to my luck, so was Debbie Gibson! As she appeared in the back, I could hear the crowd cheering. I could not get a good view, since the back was so crowded; I'd say there were about 150-200 people there. Fortunately, there was a camera set up, and a television in the front. So I went to the front and watched as she opened with "For Better Or Worse." It was incredible, after so many years, I finally got the chance to see Debbie Gibson perform--and I must say that it was NOT disappointing. She sat at the piano in her pink/white outfit, and a white hat. She sang into the microphone like a professional, and entertained like a veteran. She sang many songs, and even sang an acappella of "Only In My Dreams," and she even started to sing "Between the Lines"! I say 'started' because after the first verse, she said "I don't remember the words...it's been so long!" But she then said "but I remember this part," and then finished the end of the song. After her performance, she was going to sign autographs in the front of the store. Fortunately, I was already in the front! I was third in line to see her. As soon as she walked up to the table, I started taking pictures as if my life depended on it. I got up and I let her sign my vinyl album cover of _Out of The Blue_. I honestly think that I may have impressed her, because I think I was the only one with a vinyl album for her to sign. I then got my picture taken with her. I didn't really like it so I asked if I could have a picture taken with me shaking her hand. She said yes, and I must say that it is the best damned picture I have ever had taken. She was absolutely beautiful. She's around 24 years old now, but she could easily pass for 20. She had a smile that could warm snow capped mountains, and she was so incredibly friendly. Her music has only gotten better over the years, and her singing could make flowers bloom in the dead of winter. It may sound odd, but meeting her has honestly changed my perspective on life. Meeting her seemed to have put a spark in my life that has been missing. I never thought that I would get a chance to meet her, and now I have a picture of her and I shaking hands. Everytime I look at the picture, I have to smile. It feels good to smile for a change. --The Hoang Le =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- The D.G.I.F. Hotline (212-803-5425) has been updated since BtL 7.11. They are offering a new 24"x36" poster of Deborah. BtL is holding a year-long contest for the best articles of 1995. Articles will be judged at the end of the year in different categories such as "Best Intro," "Best Album Review," etc. Authors of the winning articles will win a prize. According to Emily Quek, Deborah sounded excited to get BtL 7.11 ("Hey! I always get one of these!") on July 27th in Singapore at a special meet-and- greet session for winners of an EMI contest. BtL 7.12 is our fourth issue in July 1995. This is the first time that four issues have been released in one calendar month. Keep submitting those articles! BtL 7.13 will be released in early August.