=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S [tm] Volume 7, Issue 13 - August 16, 1995 DDDDD D D D D GGGG D D G DDDDD G GGG G G GGGG A Debbie Gibson Discussion Forum =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CONTENTS =- ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES AN "A+" FOR _THINK WITH YOUR HEART_ - Shawn Feeney THE WASHINGTON POST REVIEWS TWYH - David Paige DEBBIE GIBSON ON E! NEWS - Lisa Burrell DEBORAH IS BACK! - Michael Scheele CHARITY DONATION FOR DEBORAH'S BIRTHDAY - Jennifer Yeko THREE TIMES A CHARM - Mike Falkner 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 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= AN "A+" FOR _THINK WITH YOUR HEART_ =- Shawn Feeney - Yorba Linda, California August 1, 1995 Imagine my surprise when I walked into my local record store on the _third_ day of July, only to find the latest release from Deborah Gibson on the "New Release" rack a day early. Actually, I had gone there in hope of perhaps buying the album a day early, but didn't actually think it would become reality. Well, it did, and lets just say that I was very happy! I could hardly get the CD out of the store and in to my CD player fast enough. I scanned through each song on the CD before leaving it on track 5 - "Dontcha Want Me Now?". This song instantly became not only my favorite song on the album, but, aside from my all-time fave "Losin' Myself," my favorite Deb song period! I agree with what others have said, in that the song doesn't really fit on the album, but who cares?!? It's a fabulous song! And although I absolutely love every song on the album, I felt that "Didn't Have The Heart" has a special magic/emotion to it, along with "Two Young Kids," "Too Fancy," "For Better Or Worse," and "Can't Do It Alone." This CD is just so _perfect_! I truly feel that it's Deborah's best effort to date. I'm having an extremely difficult time understanding why the critics don't agree. I mean, what exactly would make them happy? In my opinion, Deborah has proved that she can do it all, and that she has the potential for so much more as far as stardom is concerned. Why won't the people in the music industry WAKE UP?!? There is so much _crap_ on the radio right now, that I would think radio would be dying for songs like "For Better Or Worse." Sorry if this sounds like a newspaper editorial, but, as someone who appreciates good music, I wanted to take this opportunity to voice my opinion. _Think With Your Heart_ is an excellent CD - that's the bottom line. And though I pray that this album does well, that fact is irrelevant. Deborah put her heart and soul into this album, and, as her fans, that's all we can ask for. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= THE WASHINGTON POST REVIEWS TWYH =- David Paige - Alexandria, Virginia (David_Paige@csgi.com) July 12, 1995 THE WASHINGTON POST Style Section Popular Music by Mark Jenkins With such engagingly synthetic late-'80s hits as "Shake Your Love" and "Foolish Beat," Long Island teenager Debbie Gibson announced herself as the post-disco heir to the Brill Building pop once crafted by such songwriters and producers as Carole King, Gerry Goffin, and Shadow Morton. It soon turned out, however, that Gibson wanted to be Barbra Streisand, not Little Eva. Her grown-up easy-listening ambitions were disastrous for her career, which may explain why Gibson (now almost 25) is again cultivating a cute-teen look on the front of her new "Think With Your Heart" (SBK/EMI). That cover, however, is as misleading as the album's cover of Goffin/King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" is revealing. Her enervated version of the song trades its original vitality for prissy backing vocals and fussy strings, submerging the melody in Broadway shtick. "Don't you want me now?/Now that I'm trying not to try so hard," she asks on "Dontcha Want Me Now?," one of the album's rare up-tempo songs, but singer/songwriter/producer is still trying much too hard. "Perfect love exists/I've seen it for myself," sings Gibson in "Two Young Kids," which she dedicates to her golden-anniversary grandparents, and her quest for romantic perfection leads her to cliche and melodrama. "There are plenty of fish in the sea," she explains earnestly in "For Better or Worse," a smarmy matrimonial hymn whose sentiments range from the feeble ("And if harm's way found you/You know I'd be there/To wrap my love around you/To let you know I care") to the morbid ("And when the angels came down/I'd say don't you dare/You know not what you do/May God take me first"). "Music makes lovers of all of us," Gibson suggests in "Dancin' in My Mind," but her notions of love are idealized and airless. Though "Heart" specializes in treacly ballads, it's just as absurd when Gibson tries to vamp: "You looked a mess/Cause my little black dress/Stopped you on a dime," she mock-growls in "Dontcha Want Me Now?" Most hilarious is "Too Fancy," a wannabe show tune in such lines as, "Don't want 'em finely tuned/Cause quirky men are cool/The Concorde's caviar/Ain't like Balducci's food." That's Gibson in a nutshell: using an upscale Manhattan grocery as a symbol of commonplace pleasures while peddling adolescent romantic cliches more at home at a Long Island 7-Eleven. (To hear a free Sound Bite from this album, call Post-Haste at 202-334-9000 and press 8152.) [They play some opening lines from WYLMT?, the only song on the album which isn't written by Deborah. Coincidence?] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE GIBSON ON E! NEWS =- Lisa Burrell - Lompoc, California (LBurr74439@aol.com) August 9, 1995 E! News Week In Review August 4, 1995 Anchors: Steve Kmetko, Dagny Hultgreen Interview by David Adelson, Managing Editor of Hits Magazine (a clip from the "For Better Or Worse" video) Adelson: She may not be controversial, but Debbie Gibson is on a roll. Fresh from a stint doing musical theater in London and on Broadway, (a clip from Les Miz) ...the singer's return to her pop music roots with a new album, _Think With Your Heart_. (a store called MARGI KENT STUDIO) Adelson: During a recent shopping trip to Los Angeles, Debbie took a few moments from her worldwind schedule to sit and chat. (Adelson opening the door to the store for Debbie) The result, the most frank, open, and probing Debbie Gibson interview ever! (Adelson and Debbie are sitting, facing each other, in the store. Debbie is facing the camera. She's wearing the same blue dress she wore on "Biggers & Summers.) Adelson: So Debbie, I've known you since you were just 16 years old. (Debbie is shaking her head in agreement.) It's amazing! Debbie: I didn't like you then, and I don't like you now! Adelson: Tell me a little about the new record. Debbie: Why should I be talkin' to you when I could be talkin' to... Amy Powell (another anchor) or... Steve Kmetko? Adelson: Debbie, thank you very much for the great... (Debbie abruptly gets up from her seat.) Debbie: Oh, get lost you creep! Adelson: (mumbles) Oh man! (playing in the background, "Shake Your Love") Adelson: (Voiceover) That same special reaper between Debbie and I was exhibited as she tried on a variety of clothes and hats. Debbie is trying on a gray hat, red coat. She spins around. She tries on a black feather hat. She then tries on a black jacket and spins around again. Debbie smiles as she takes off another black feather hat. Debbie holds up to a mirror a loose fitting, off white dress to see what it looks like on her. Then she places a black hat on David Adelson's head.) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBORAH IS BACK! =- Michael Scheele - Kirkland, Washington (MAScheele@aol.com) August 6, 1995 General Comments ---------------- Deborah Ann Gibson is BACK!!! After the disappointing response to _Body Mind Soul_, Gibson returns with a much stronger effort, _Think With Your Heart_. Fans of her earlier work (particularly her ballads), you are in for a treat! _Think With Your Heart_ is an excellent album; this is Gibson's most consistently good album since _Out of the Blue_ and _Electric Youth_. There are no "hits" in this album, but that is not a bad thing. This album is more mature and more subtle an effort than any of her previous albums. The use of vocals, piano, and strings primarily is VERY effective; for the next album, maybe a symphony orchestra? Actually, a quality string quartet would be better accompaniment to Gibson's vocals and piano. The heavy ballad emphasis on this album makes considerable sense considering her strengths and the preferences of her fans. The mixture of joy, worry, hope, and longing in the themes of the songs is very effective. As usual, the strongest features are Gibson's singing voice and songwriting. She has a great gift; she touches the soul with her well crafted lines, sung with grace. A bold move on her part is that she leaned more toward refined rather than virtuosic in her performance as vocalist and pianist. Throughout this album signs of Gibson's increasing maturity as an artist are evident. Excellent songwriting, piano playing, and singing are not unique, but they certainly are rare in the same artist. Deborah Gibson's many talents have produced a superb album that grows on you; it gets better with each playing! I look forward to more of the same (or even better) in the future! Just make the album longer please - 42 1/2 minutes is NOT enough! Song By Song Comments --------------------- 1. "For Better Or Worse" - The first few verses with just vocals and piano were superb; the introduction of the strings was also well done. This spartan arrangement would have been sufficient; lose the unnecessary percussion. I was impressed with the way the refrain "Life's blessing, life's curse..." evolved subtly within the song. The contrasts between the first two verses and the bridge were quite dramatic and emotionally loaded. Lucky is the man who earned the love of the woman in the song. 2. "Didn't Have The Heart" - This song conveys conflicting emotions well. The strings worked well with the chorus, complementing the lyrics. The change of wording in the last chorus reflected the conflicting feelings contained in the lyrics. As in the previous song, the percussion needs to be toned down. The music in the chorus reminded me of Celine Dion's "Love Doesn't Ask Why" (from _The Colour Of My Love_). This is a strong song. 3. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" - An excellent rendition of the Carole King classic. I prefer this version to King's because of the cleaner singing and superior piano playing. Gibson has performed this song in concert many times; the album version is less dynamic, but more refined than its concert counterpart. I prefer the simpler arrangement of the concert version though - just the piano, strings, and vocals. As in the previous song, Gibson got too close to the microphone a couple of times, which picked up the sound of her breathing - a minor distraction. All in all, a nice gift for fans of her live performances. 4. "Dancin' In My Mind" - This is one of my favorite songs on this album. The saxophone accents this song very well. The strings are also used to good effect. I was particularly impressed with the expressive vocal phrasing of the line "You're just what I need right now." This song is so catchy, it will be "dancin' in my mind" for quite a while. 5. "Dontcha Want Me Now?" - This song's opening sounds like a cross between the _Grease_ soundtrack and 1970s Elton John. Later, it sounds reminiscent of Billy Joel's _52nd Street_ in style (particularly the horns). This song is definitely in the spirit of "Should've Been The One" and "It Must've Been My Boy" - "Hi-NRG" - and will make an excellent concert song. To boost the energy, she should increase the levels of the bass and piano. What's with the horns? They sounded quite polite and muted for horns - I was expecting something more akin to the horns in Billy Joel's "A Half Mile Away" (from _52nd Street_). A very fun song, even if incongruous with the rest of the album, sort of a reminder that Gibson likes rock as well. Another question is, why were the piano fireworks saved for this song? Gibson may not be Liszt, but I'd like hear the virtuoso in her more often. 6. "Can't Do It Alone" - The introduction was very sweet though it reminded me of Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting." The lyrics in this song are mature and somber, matching the music well. I would request an additional verse or two as the chorus makes up too much of the song. A minor omission was made in the liner notes, the final repetition of the chorus is not noted, nor is the closing line. A more mature look at relationships, well done. 7. "Think With Your Heart" - A piano and string introduction - fantastic! I love the sparse arrangement I can envision Mancini conducting the orchestra for an epic love story. This is the kind of song I can picture Julie Andrews singing - high praise indeed. The musical bridge with Miss Gibson plays after the second singing of the chorus was superb; a showcase for her piano. Again, the final repetition of the chorus is not noted in the liner notes. All in all, this song is the closest in spirit to "Lost In Your Eyes" on this album. 8. "Too Fancy" - Sort of a nightclub sound, Creole style. This song seems really out of place on this album, but I enjoyed its quirkiness all the same. One potential problem is the Balducci's reference; who is going to be familiar with Balducci's other than people who've been to New York City? An interesting departure... 9. "You Don't Have To See" - The saxophone is used to good effect again. I am not fond of the background vocals; the pseudo-gospel sound is inappropriate and distracting. Another liner note error appeared; the word "your" is spelled "you're" in last verse. Doesn't anyone proofread liner notes? Despite it all, this too is an acceptable quality song. 10. "Two Young Kids" - A splendidly sentimental song; who cannot look at the long marriages of older generations without a touch of wistfulness? I was particularly struck by the imagery of the last verse, "I picture flowers and me dressed in white; And you and I and candlelight" it evokes a romantic dinner and a wedding at the same time; excellent songwriting! A wonderful tribute to Gibson's grandparents indeed! 11. "Interlude/Tony's Rehearsal" - This is totally random. This might have been more interesting if it had been longer. Why not an instrumental composition; Miss Gibson is certainly capable of it. This track is a missed opportunity. 12. "Let's Run Away" - Along with "Dancin' In My Mind," this is one of my favorite songs of the album. The introduction starts out with some strange effects, but develops into a beautiful, haunting song. The meter of this song is appropriately slow, romantic, and deliberate. The woodwind accents are excellent; the music expresses the emotions and illustrates the images very well in this song. The piano and string closing of this song is very powerful; you can almost picture the couple disappearing into the distance as the strings fade to silence. This song is very Impressionistic in nature, it evoked a dark moonlit night for me; the couple in the song is sailing away across the dark water. I have compared Gibson to Mozart in the past, how about Monet? Despite the omission of the final repetition of the chorus and the song's final lines in the liner notes, this is a superb close to the album. Comments On Singles & Other Promotional Issues ---------------------------------------------- 1. "For Better Or Worse" - A reasonable choice for AC play. With proper promotion, this single could do well. This song is not likely to be a Top 40 contender, but anything is possible. The focus should be on AC to build a strong following; this will be an easier to maintain franchise than Top 40. Other songs with AC single possibilities: "Didn't Have The Heart," "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?," "Dancin' In My Mind," "Think With Your Heart," and "Let's Run Away." The songs with the strongest chances are "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" and "Think With Your Heart." Covering the Carole King song is popular with Gibson's fans, but King's fans (a segment of the AC audience) will prefer the original. This translates to an iffy proposition, although Gloria Estefan is doing well with "It's Too Late." "Think With Your Heart" will work well with current AC listeners given proper promotion. An outside AC possibility is "Let's Run Away"; it is a somber song that would be outside the norm for AC - that is its chance, it would either become a classic or a flop. _Think With Your Heart_ is just not a singles oriented album. Marketing the album itself is harder if radio isn't a big component. Word of mouth will be key to its success; older fans will need to tell their friends, co-workers, and family about the album. It is too bad that Johnny Carson is no longer hosting the Tonight Show, that would have been the perfect showcase; Leno and Letterman would be less ideal. Just say no to MTV! Say yes to hosting VH-1 or something similar. Naturally, the obligatory performances on "Live! Regis & Kathie Lee" would be appropriate. How about a duet with Kathie Lee? Another idea would be to place a single on a daytime serial or movie soundtrack (look for the next _Sleepless In Seattle_). Maybe a romantic song for NBC's _Mad About You_? Other ideas anyone? Comments On Mixing/Production ----------------------------- Apparently requests for lowering the instruments relative to the lead vocals have been heard. Did anyone ever say "lower the level of the piano"??? There were often interesting piano lines being overwhelmed by the strings and other instrumentation. Perhaps Gibson wanted to underplay her piano playing or at least be more subtle. Some of the instruments, particularly the horns on "Dontcha Want Me Now?," sounded somewhat muted or compressed. The horns just didn't sound "brassy" enough and the piano and strings in other songs didn't have the sharper attack they are supposed to have. It was as if a "soft focus" filter were applied at times. The song, "Think With Your Heart," had the most natural piano sound of all the songs; if more of the songs had the instruments sound at least this natural, the music would have been more effective. Why Gibson still insists on adding a mild echo/reverb to her voice is beyond me. Her pure voice doesn't need the pseudo-richness that echo/reverb imparts. Is this a recording flaw or is this intentional? The Adult Contemporary audience that will enjoy the songs on _Think With Your Heart_ typically have better quality sound systems than is considered the norm for Top 40; record it straight and don't be concerned about whether it is optimized for boom boxes or office radios or not. If the studios are not already using high quality tube amplifiers and microphones, add them! How about Manley Reference or Apogee A/D converters or analog recording decks? These will help in achieving a warm, natural sound without echo/reverb problems. Speaking of recording studio matters, what happened to Electric Blue Studios? Is it now called Garage Studios? Comments On Musicians --------------------- Overall, the musicians were well matched to the music they played. How about convincing a famous solo musician or two to perform on selected songs? Kenny G or David Sanborn for the saxophone? Itzhak Perlman for the violin or Yo-Yo Ma for the cello? James Galway for the flute? Emmanuel Ax or Billy Joel for a piano duet? Exchanging a session or two for some use of Gibson's home studio might be worth a try. Cover Art Comments ------------------ Front Cover - Nice picture of Miss Gibson with a pleasant facial expression. Just adjust the gamma a bit to reduce the slight wash-out... The starburst symbol reminds me of the starburst from Madonna's _Like A Prayer_ album cover, though I doubt this was the inspiration. Interesting choice of writing style for "Debbie Gibson," sort of a "print" version of the earlier calligraphic font. The odd things is the darker tail of the second "e" in "Debbie"; it looks like someone extended the length of the tail with a different pen or the original pen retraced the tail. This is a vast improvement over the last two album covers. Back Cover - Stylish "D" on the back cover! The photo here is also nice with appropriate brightness. The facial expression reminds me of an ad featuring Elle MacPherson. The font for the numbers were a little hard to read, but this is a minor quibble. This is the best back cover of all Gibson's albums. Liner Notes Comments (From The CD) ---------------------------------- Page 2 - Splendid shot; Miss Gibson looks very fetching here. She looks her age (24) finally - very cool. That outfit wouldn't be Armani, would it? Page 4 - An O.K. black & white photo, the "sixties-ish" look complements Carole King's song listed on the same page (though not Gibson's interpretation of it). Pages 6 & 7 - Deborah in her natural element - next to a piano! This is the best photo in the liner notes. This B&W photo is more effective than the equivalent color photo; the light and shadows make it work. Page 12 - Gibson in a Kylie Minogue like pose - must be the hair. She looks younger in this photo than in the rest of the liner notes. Cute and not "too fancy." Credits - Brief by contemporary standards, which is rather refreshing. David Salidor is back; anyone else from the EY days coming back? "Thank You to whoever's up there..."??? That is the most flippant reference to God that Gibson has made in her credits to date. Minor penance may be required... Father Tom Hartman probably has already mentioned it by now... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CHARITY DONATION FOR DEBORAH'S BIRTHDAY =- Jennifer Yeko - Norwalk, Connecticut (JenniferY@aol.com) August 15, 1995 HELP A CHARITY & MAKE DEBBIE GIBSON'S 25TH BIRTHDAY A DAY SHE'LL NEVER FORGET! Instead of buying a gift for Deborah's 25th birthday, I am collecting donations to give to her favorite charity. Other fans have done this in the past and she has been very appreciative so I thought I'd do it again this year. Here is what her sister, Karen, suggests: "Regarding the charities - two suggestions would be: 1) Children's International Kansas City, MO Deborah sponsors children in 3rd world countries, and you would be able to sponsor a child in her name. The average yearly cost is about $168 a year, plus gifts at Christmas, Easter and birthday. So, you could probably prepay a $25 gift for each of those three things in advance if you wanted. 2) St. Judes Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN Deborah does yearly contributions for them. They do research for children's diseases. I can't remember which ones specifically. A third option is a charity such as Feed the Hungry or one of the charities that help feed children or families in the U.S. Anything along the lines of my suggestions would make her extremely happy. It's very generous of you all to be thinking of this and I'm sure the recipient of your generosity will be very thankful also. Karen" Please choose either option #1 or #2, make the check out directly to them (or me and I'll do one big check, whichever you prefer) and I will give the donations to Deborah when I meet her in California at the end of the month. Please send all contributions to me no later than August 20, 1995 so I will be able to give them to Debbie before her birthday. If you donation is received after the 22nd, I will forward it to her next time I meet her but it will be after her birthday! You can Federal Express or Priority Mail contributions to me. Jennifer Yeko PO Box 2128 Norwalk, CT 06852-2128 (203) 899-0398 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= THREE TIMES A CHARM =- Mike Falkner - Milwaukee, Wisconsin (mfalkner@csd.uwm.edu) July 26, 1995 To know Deborah Gibson fully is to experience her live. Over the course of five days, I had the chance to experience her three times in a journey that spanned four states. JULY 16 -- CHI-TOWN SHAKEDOWN The Oakbrook Mall in Oakbrook, Illinois was the site for the first performance of that week, as Deborah performed for an overflowing crowd estimated by tour workers at 200-300. This did cause MANY logistical problems, as they had to move the piano from the stairs area [where the Musicland ran into an adjoining Express clothing boutique] to a part of the classical section, where the crowd basically overflowed from there. The initial premise was to hold it outside, but after Deborah was nearly baked to a crisp in a Cleveland outdoor performance, she and her people said no. With that, the first people came around _9 A.M._ for a 2 P.M. show, and a raucous crowd was soon in evidence by the time that Deborah was ready to come out. When she was introduced, the crowd's cheering could probably have been heard through the expansive mall. The crowd was actually quite noisy for the better part of Deborah's first song, "For Better Or Worse." Deborah seemed to, without saying it, get QUITE annoyed, but remained professional, and the crowd [at the insistence of those who weren't so belligerent] soon quieted. Deborah was quite in her element on a warm day, as she performed several of the songs from the album, including a portion of "Dontcha Want Me Now?" for a group of four girls in the front of the SRO audience, as well as some other requests. The highlight of the show, definitely, was when Deborah had been getting requests from a male fan in the front of the group to do some of her Sandy stuff from Grease. She sang "Hopelessly Devoted to You" -- to him, while holding his hand!! The crowd was predictably all over themselves, and the guy was predictably embarrassed and happy at the same time. Even funnier, after Deborah finished, the guy's girlfriend, who was standing next to him watching the whole thing, piped up. When asked by Deborah if she was his girlfriend, she responded "I _WAS_..." One notable addition to the program was a song she did that was planned to go on this album, "Streets Of London." Deborah finished about 3 P.M. [getting there about 20 minutes late], and proceeded upstairs for the autograph signing. The line was nearly TWO HOURS long, and Deborah had to hurry to catch a 7:30 plane [apparently to return to New York -- an appearance on fX's "Breakfast Time" was on tap], so there was about no time when I finally got up there about 4:40, Deborah and I engaged in some small talk, in which I said that it was "one of those days." She responded that she hoped I didn't mean that in a bad way, which I didn't, but there was so much I wanted to say to her [which I'd get the chance to do some of it later] that I decided to just punt it, get a CD booklet signed ["Enjoy!"], get a picture, and move on, but not before telling her I'd see her in Indianapolis and Minneapolis. JULY 19 -- SPEEDWAY SPECIAL IN THE SUPERMARKET Well, not quite a *supermarket*, but a Meijer's store, which is about an entire mall in one self-contained building -- a supermarket, a department store, and a restaurant in one. We were also not in Indy, but in a far-south suburb of Greenwood, Indiana, for a 2 P.M. show. By noon, there were a few people, but not more than 10-12. I met Andy Hock, one of the on-liners, and we chatted the better part of two hours away. As we were chatting, we were noticing that this crowd was more of a late-arriving one than the others, as we finally got around 100 people there by about 2:10, when Deborah showed up. Before this time, we found that they had a lot of setting up to do, converting a corner of the food court [yes, the FOOD COURT] of the store into a seating area for the show. Some of the tour workers noted the early people, and stated that if we really wanted to, we could move to chairs that they were setting up in front of the piano, or we could stay at our tables as they moved them back. That, my friends, is a trick question. Also, as they were sound-checking, one of the men in the crew showed us a very good singing voice, and he could play the piano too. After his "performance," I noted that he better watch it, or Deborah would recruit him to be a backup singer for the next album. About 2:10, Deborah showed up, after the same woman who introduced her the last time introduced her, and, again setting the ground rules and the fact that there was, yet again, another semi-rush [drawing an "AGAIN??" from me] to get Deb on the plane [this time, to Minneapolis]. Deborah, this time, was wearing a multi-colored ankle-length sundress that she looked great in. Most of the songs were the same ["For Better Or Worse," "Too Fancy," "Only In My Dreams," "Foolish Beat/Lost in Your Eyes," "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" and "On My Own"] as previous shows, but she added a small snippet of "Try To Remember" to say that discussions were still going on for a possible fall stint in "The Fantastiks." She also did "One Hand, One Heart" and "You Don't Have To See" [a request and debut of the song]. I was able to have a couple of memorable moments in Indianapolis, as I first was able to ask her a question about sequencing of the albums. After taking the better part of 30-45 seconds to ask whether she'd do the albums in a different order, if she could do it again, she said that the fourth album was done during a time where there were some things that she had to deal with that could only be dealt with by that kind of a project. Deborah then looked at me, coyly smiled, and basically concluded that "... anything is truly possible." At the start of the show, Deborah was going over her philosophy for the tour and what she was going to do, and one zealous fan screamed that he wanted to hear her do "ELECTRIC YOUTH!!" Deborah responded to the effect of "Now, you didn't come all this way just to hear me do "Electric Youth", did you??", to which I responded "Now wait just a minute!" [because I WOULD do that] Deborah stopped, turned to me, and said that I had now been duly offended by that statement. As in other shows on the tour, she had us join in as her "rhythm section" and her "backup singers" when she did "Only In My Dreams" on the piano. After we all messed it up [missing a line completely] in Chicago, I went back to my CD and found that we had also forgotten the opening lead-in! So, when she started on the piano, I decided to chime in with that lead-in, and Deborah's looking at me with this BIG grin as if to say, "If you're the only one that's going to do it, bring it! You've got the right idea!!" She finished around 3 P.M., and we snaked around the food court for the autographs. When I got to her, I decided to apologize for something. Anyone who has read BtL over the last two years knows my vehement opposition to the "Losin' Myself" video and the Circle Jerks situation. I had felt, until I saw radio's opposition to our efforts, that Deborah was hurting her own career, rather than the media just being too pig-headed in trying to hurt it for her. Although my personal objections still stood, I felt I owed it to Deborah to apologize to her. So, I rose that during the autograph session, stating that Karen ["I have to ask you, Where Have You Been?"] and Deborah had been talking about it, and Deborah full well knew to what I was referring, and then she responded by reiterating what she said about what she had to deal with at the time she had done the video, and finished with "... but we're here now," and made it seem that she was SO happy to put out such an honest work. When we put our arms around each other, I think we both felt our bond had been strengthened. JULY 20 -- MALL MADNESS -- OR "ANYTHING TIFFANY CAN DO, DEB CAN DO BETTER" After a long night in transit, my friend Amy picked me up and we went to the Mall of America in Minneapolis for a 4 P.M. show. After getting lunch, we found the Sam Goody's on the third floor [and a convenient photo place near it] and went in for the show. While there, I met up with Andre LeBlanc, Ron Coulter [whom I recognized from Nashville at Tin Pan South], Scott Schumacher, and Ali Zimmerman. Ali and I were almost inseparable, since we've spent a lot of time online, and she's really cool. Anyway, I was standing in the pop area of the store, and noticed an opening in the classical area, where the piano was right in between. Needless to say, we closed that opening. Deborah comes out [after the hostess lets us know that the rush is worse than ever -- I only later found out that Deborah had to reschedule several flights to accommodate everyone, presumably in Chicago and Indy], and, since this is the last of the promo shows before she goes to SouthEast Asia, she took an extra moment to thank us all for coming out, pointing out Jeff Tharp [who was going to his sixth promo show] and myself [my third] as familiar faces whom she was happy to see. Deborah then went through the standard fare [the show did seem a bit rushed], and answered some interesting questions, including a self-admitted "controversial question" -- "Why the label change?" I now fully get the impression she left Atlantic for creative freedom. I also get the impression Atlantic was not sorry to see her go, so the departure was [albeit on less than amicable terms] mutual -- unlike some label/performer splits. She also dismissed any rumors of being Mrs. Chris Bruno in the foreseeable future, as she blankly dismissed any readiness to get married at this time. Deborah was available for autographs afterward, at which I gave her a picture of the rose with the words "I Love You" above it [which I had received for someone guessing 158 pounds for my 233-pound frame at Camp Snoopy]. Deborah adored it, showing it to everyone in the area of the table. Basically, all I could tell her is how much she meant, and that I hoped to see her soon, sentiments she returned [with "Love Always", as she autographed my "Potluck Pic", as well as my D.G.I.F. 7.1 the day before]. A FINAL THOUGHT If you ever get the chance to see Deborah live, DO IT. You will NOT be sorry. Deborah's radiance shows through, and I loved every minute of it. Deborah, God bless you, and thank you for a week I will not soon forget. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- "For Better Or Worse" debuted at #30 on RADIO & RECORDS' Adult Contemporary Top 30 chart on August 4, 1995. The following week, FBOW was pushed back into the "New & Active" section (just below the top 30 songs) with 31 AC stations in the U.S. reporting an official total of 251 plays. Keep requesting the single at your local Adult Contemporary stations! _Think With Your Heart_ is one of 48 CDs included in Tower Records' listening stations across the United States for the month of August. On VH-1's "4 On The Floor" on August 5th, the topic was teen idols. They showed two short interview clips of Deborah talking about who her teen idols were, and how kids listen to different music these days. Deborah appears in the August 9th issue of Beverly Hills [213] magazine. This is a magazine local to Los Angeles. Issues are $3.00 each postage paid and can be ordered by phone at 310-275-8850 or by mail by writing to: Beverly Hills [213], 9777 Wilshire Blvd #707, Beverly Hills CA 90212 The Audience Relations department of "The Mike & Maty Show" would like fans of Debbie Gibson to be part of their studio audience when she appears on the show on August 24th. The show will be taped in the morning at their studios in Hollywood, California. If you can attend, please call Amy Reynek at 213-468-5942. The actual show with Deb's appearance will air on Monday, August 28th. According to Eric Wong at EMI, Deborah ends her tour of Southeast Asia on August 18th. The European release date of _Think With Your Heart_ has been set for October 9th. According to the August 9th Soundscan report, _Think With Your Heart_ has sold 13,249 units in the United States so far. Debbie Gibson will be performing at the House of Blues in Hollywood on August 30th for an hour and fifteen minute set with a full band. The show is all ages and starts at 7:30 P.M. For tickets, call 213-650-1451. BtL is pleased to announce our first t-shirt! We are now taking pre-orders at the cost of $7.50 per shirt. For more information, please e-mail . BtL 7.14 will be released at the end of August. Please get your submissions in by Monday, August 28th.