=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= B E T W E E N T H E L I N E S [tm] Volume 8, Issue 1 - January 31, 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 DANIELA ALBL - Daniela Albl INTRO BY LISA BURRELL - Lisa Burrell INTRO BY JAN GOL - Jan Gol INTRO BY HENK CHRISTIAENS - Henk Christiaens DEBBIE GIBSON IN THE PROVINCE - Felix Ng DG CONTINUES TO PURSUE ACTING - Al Cresci - Joseph Riccitelli, Jr. - David W. Lemons THE BEST DEB IS IMPORTED - Shannon Muir 1995 BtL ARTICLE CONTEST RESULTS - BtL moderators WIRED "REVIEWS" _THINK WITH YOUR HEART_ - Myra Wong ENCORE PRESENTATION - Shaun Stuart LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS ARTICLE - Robyn Reed 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 1996, Between the Lines. This forum does not necessarily reflect the views of Deborah Gibson, GMI Entertainment, Inc., Electric And Musical 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 Deborah Ann's Music (ASCAP) or 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 If you would like to submit an article for an upcoming issue, please e-mail it to the BtL e-mail address listed above. Please include the word "SUBMISSION" in the subject field of your e-mail message. Before you submit your articles, please proofread them. Keep in mind that approximately 1000 people receive BtL via electronic and postal mail. Please provide a title for your article, your name, city, state/province/country and current e-mail address. 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 $4.25 Cdn. for 5 issues / $2.50 Cdn. for back issues on disk United States $4.25 U.S. for 5 issues / $2.50 U.S. for back issues on disk International $6.00 U.S. for 5 issues / $3.50 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 Felix Ng : fng@btl.org =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY DANIELA ALBL =- Daniela Albl - Linz, Austria December 15, 1995 Since I have been reading BtL for about two years now I guess it's time to finally introduce myself: Hi, I am Daniela. I am 19 years old, I live in Austria, and I study Psychology and English in Vienna. I don't have a fascinating story about how I became a Deb fan, sorry. I saw "Lost In Your Eyes" on T.V. one day and that was basically it. The best things that happened during my "Deb years" so far is going to London some two years ago and seeing Grease, and Deborah at the stage door a couple of times. I don't think I have to tell anybody how I felt when it was my turn to get Deborah's autograph. I only managed to say my name and that was it. I was tongue-tied and nearly fainted. But it was still an incredible experience. It was also during this trip that I met Felix Ng, and this is basically how I got to know about BtL. Well, Felix has become a great friend (the trip to Vancouver this past summer was really cool, thanx again Felix!) and I have become a happy BtL member. When I first became interested in Deborah's music I listened to a lot of pop. And while this has changed (I now prefer Clawfinger, Pearl Jam, Therapy?, Rage Against The Machine and the like), I have remained a Deborah Gibson fan and she still is my favorite performer, because to me, she has something that the others don't have. I wasn't really sure what would happen if I didn't like the new album. Well I don't have to worry about that anymore. _Think With Your Heart_ is my favorite Deborah album to date and I don't care about what critics say about it or how it does in the charts. I think it's great and that's the only thing important to me. I wanted to close my intro with something really wise and thoughtful, but I can't think of anything - so I guess I'm just gonna stop right here. Bye. If anybody out there is still interested in corresponding via snail mail, please WRITE! Daniela Albl Schiffmannstr. 26 4020 Linz Austria =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY LISA BURRELL =- Lisa Burrell - Lompoc, California (lisa10019@utech.net) January 21, 1996 Hello, my name is Lisa. I'm from a small town north of Santa Barbara called Lompoc. I am currently a college student majoring in Liberal Arts, soon to major in Dietetics. I decided to become a dietitian after being diagnosed with diabetes at age 8. After visits to the dietitian, I became interested in the field and decided that I can make a difference in peoples lives like my dietitian made in mine. I became a fan of Debbie Gibson's after I first heard "Only In My Dreams" on the radio. I was impressed with her talent. What I like most about Debbie's music is the fact that she filters a positive outlook through her music. Having a positive attitude through music is important because people of all ages listen to music and the younger public is very impressionable. I believe in a positive impression rather than a negative one. I had the opportunity to see her in concert during her Out of the Blue tour in Concord, California. This past summer, I saw her at the taping of the "Mike and Maty Show." Last October, I met her for the first time after the taping of "Step By Step." I could only say four words to her because I was so nervous. She was very nice and courteous. At some of these events, I was able to meet the people that I have met online. It has been a pleasure introducing myself. I look forward to reading future introductions and articles by others. E-mail is welcomed. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY JAN GOL =- Jan Gol - Holland (jgol@knoware.nl) January 26, 1996 Hello fellow-fans, My name is Jan Gol. I'm 26 and I live in Holland, a small country in Europe. This is a country with very few Debbie Gibson fans, I think most people over here never even heard of her. And those few people who do know her, can't believe I'm a fan. But I'm proud to be one! Like most of the other fans, I became a fan the first time I heard Deb's music. I don't know why, but the music and her crystal clear voice just struck me! I found the name of her album on a 'Best of 1987' album which included "Only In My Dreams," and that was the beginning of the DG-era for me. It wasn't always easy to get her records and CD's (at least in the area where I live), especially _Think With Your Heart_ and the _Greatest Hits_ album, but a wise person once taught me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it, so I managed to get all her CD's eventually. For a long time I thought I was about the only person in this world who liked her music, but when I got online in the summer of '94, I soon found out that there were LOTS of other people like me who liked Deborah's music! I think her positivity and her open mindedness has been of great value for a lot of people. I hope she will continue making music and playing in theatre for a long, long time, and I really hope one day I will meet her in person. Now THAT would be a day to remember all my life! It feels great to know that Deborah still has so many loyal fans, and I'm very proud to be one of them! Well, I guess that's it. Thanks very much for reading my non-censored intro! Jan Gol ("Grass") =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= INTRO BY HENK CHRISTIAENS =- Henk Christiaens - Sint-Agatha-Rode, Belgium (Henk.Christiaens@student.kuleuven.ac.be) January 25, 1996 Hi! I'm Henk Christiaens from Sint-Agatha-Rode, Belgium and I'm studying Communication at the University of Leuven, my second year. First, I want to thank progress on the Internet, because Debbie doesn't get much attention in the Belgian magazines. Actually, no attention would be more exact. There is, luckily for the Debheads, the Debbie Gibson International Fan Club, and the Internet. I discovered the Internet a week ago. Let me start by telling you how it all started. (As the professor of Social Philosophy recently said, that it is a good place to start.) It all began when I heard the song "Foolish Beat" at my nephew Nico's place. He had the single. I was sold; the song repeated itself over and over in my head. So, there was only one thing left for me to do..."album-hunting." But as I already told you, Debbie wasn't that popular in Belgium, or Europe for that matter. So, my search ended in defeat, for now. Of course I had the song "Foolish Beat" on tape, but my hunger for Debbie music wasn't that easily appeased. (I have to tell you that the album _Out of the Blue_ had already been released for a long time, before I ever heard the song "Foolish Beat" for the first time. This will help you to comprehend the rest of my story.) Time passed (I can't remember how much time, though). One day, I went to Borcht-Lombeek to stay with my nephew, Lee, for a week. I did this every Summer Holiday, and sometimes still do. Little did I know that this visit wasn't like the others. No, it would change my life, as I knew it, forever. I don't know who came up with the idea, I think it was Lee, to go to a record library. I thought it could be fun and just maybe I could get lucky. I know I was browsing through all the records, until I came eye to eye with her album _Electric Youth_. I went in cardiac arrest... I finally found an album of Debbie Gibson's! Though it was not the album with the song "Foolish Beat," but still I couldn't get fast enough to my nephew's place to listen to the album. I heard, sung and loved it. But my luck didn't run out that day, no, I discovered the fan club address as I looked closely at the backside of the album. My mind was made up, I would become a member. That reminds me that I still have to renew my membership. I have to say in all honesty that I have skipped a year of being an official member. It was my only source of information, until now. I also got in touch with other members, thanks to the pen pal pages. So, I had my first album (on tape) of Debbie Gibson. But as an "official" fan of Debbie Gibson, I couldn't leave it at that. I had to continue with my quest. I had to still buy her first album _Out of the Blue_. One day it happened. It was after school. My mom and I entered a record store (a little one). I had money for one album. The tension was rising. I had reached the letter G. Did they have a Debbie Gibson record or not? I would find out soon. _Out Of The Blue_. Debbie Gibson. Yes, they had it!!! A few minutes later, I was the proud owner of a Debbie Gibson record. It was the first record that I ever bought. Thanks to the D.G.I.F. I knew exactly when another record would be released. Luckily for me I didn't had to wait long before they announced the release of her third album _Anything Is Possible_. I had to buy the tape of AIP, because it wasn't available on record. I loved it, although her style had changed (a little bit). It was a more mature Debbie Gibson. My favorite song on that album would be "Another Brick Falls." Her fourth album _Body Mind Soul_ was a completion of this process. Which, by the way, wasn't a bad change. I, personally, like it a lot. "Losin' Myself is my favorite. In the meantime, I had bought the "Out Of The Blue" videotape and obtained from a friend "Live Around The World" videotape. I still look for the other videotape, but without any success. Thanks to great timing, I obtained her _Think With Your Heart_ CD. Let me explain. It was September 14, 1995 when my plane took off for New York. From there I had to take the Greyhound bus to Charleston. Why Charleston? Well, I have a pen pal living in Charleston. And during one of my final days in Charleston my pen pal and I ended up in a record store. There I found the _Think With Your Heart_ CD without any difficulties. Once I arrived in Belgium, it came to my attention that some other fans had great difficulties finding this CD. And this, I think, is an outrage!!! But this lead me to the next idea, a Belgian Debbie Gibson Club. The purpose of the Club is to unite all Belgian fans. As far as I know we are with four. We will have our own magazine, create our own T-shirt, have meetings. It will be a very informal thing, therefore the word "club" isn't that well chosen. But we will seek a more appropriate name, when I have contacted the others. I was in need for more information about Debbie to put in our magazine, so I could share it with the others. I know they can't access the Internet or they have to pay for it. But as a university student, I have free access to the information highway. I hoped the Internet would provide me with information about Debbie, and it did. It did even more, it lead me to the Between the Lines newsletter. Why I'm a Debhead? My answer would be the following: "You know why, if you watch 'Electric Youth,' especially the end, on the 'Live Around The World' video. That says it all." I will end my introduction by telling you that I have never had the privilege to meet Debbie, but I keep hoping that one day I will. Take Care, Henk. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBBIE GIBSON IN THE PROVINCE =- Felix Ng - Vancouver, British Columbia (fng@btl.org) January 14, 1996 There was a full page article on Debbie Gibson with a picture of her as Rizzo in last Sunday's Province. Thanks to Karim Damji (karim@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca) for a copy of the newspaper. THE PROVINCE Sunday, January 7, 1996 SHOWCASE Cover Story - Section B5 GREASE! GOT A LOT GRITTIER FOR DEBBIE GIBSON Damian Inwood - Celebrities (provshow@ppress.wimsey.com) New stage role left star a little schizophrenic Debbie Gibson says she gets as much satisfaction out of cleaning or doing the laundry as she did as a pop diva with an entourage of 70 people. "I want to be an independent person," says Gibson, on the phone from Chicago. "People assume the accomplishments are things you've done, the awards you've won. For me the little accomplishments I feel I achieve every day are something that makes me happiest." The girl who burst onto the scene as a Long Island teen sensation, says performing always came naturally. Right now she's swapped the recording studio and the grind of the road for another kind of touring. She's playing Betty Rizzo in the hit Tommy Tune Broadway touring production of the musical Grease!, which opens Tuesday at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for a six-night run. And it's her second stint with the show. She played the sweet ingenue, Sandy Dumbrowski, in the London production and says she felt a "little schizophrenic" when rehearsing for the grittier Rizzo role. "I kept thinking I would say the wrong lines," chuckles the 25-year-old Gibson who's swapped her blonde tresses for Rizzo's black hair. "I've been stuck in a '50s timewarp since I was 18. My first car was a '57 Ford Fairlane. I always knew I'd do the show Grease!, I just didn't know it would be a year-and-a-half chunk of my life." While Gibson says she was more like Sandy at school, she's also got this "twisted, cynical side that Rizzo has." Gibson's Broadway career has seen some wild character swings. She played Eponine in Les Miserables. "As far as downers go, that's the biggest -- you're shedding tears every 10 minutes," she says. "Grease! is the top of the up list, so I've had some extremes." After releasing her last album, Think With Your Heart, Gibson did 35 acoustic gigs. She says she saw Grease! as an opportunity to reach a different audience. "You run into so many cynics in the music business," she adds. "Theatre is a way of being around 35 people every day who choose performing for the love of it. I crave that. This is like my way of staying sane and happy." Gibson has perfect pitch and grew up with a natural gift for music. She started writing tunes at the piano when she was two. She was a member of the Metropolitan Children's Opera from age 9 to 11. "Music was my life as a kid," she says. "If there was a sleepover party I wanted to go to, I'd try. But if it was between that and an audition I'd choose the audition." She's sold 10 million records but enjoys the kind of instant gratification she gets from the theatre. When she became a megastar, she says, she focused on music and was unaware of the hoopla. "I'd say, 'Mom, let's go to the mall,' and she'd say, 'You can't because people will recognize you.' I was in denial." She says in hindsight, it was a crazy time. I'm very lucky that I escaped with my sanity and that's all to do with my family," she adds. These days, she's learning to balance having a social life with her drive for perfection. "Because of my conditioning from when I was younger and so disciplined, I block everything out of my life and concentrate on the show or the record or whatever," she says. "Somewhere, about two or three weeks into it, I go, 'I'm going to go insane if all I see is everybody on stage and then go back to my hotel room. Sometimes you think by resting your voice you're doing yourself a service, whereas what you're doing is stressing all by yourself, which is terrible." She's staying with Grease until February and then will work on a TV pilot with Warner Bros. She'd also like to write a film score and an original Broadway musical. "For the TV pilot, I want to do something quirky--I've got a very strong business side and then I can be a total goofball and a klutz." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DG CONTINUES TO PURSUE ACTING =- January 27-28, 1996 There was an article about Deborah in the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, Thursday, January 25th. The person who wrote it obviously thinks Deb got this pilot shot "out of the blue." It is given that the author has done no research on Deborah to see what projects she's been involved with the last several years. Al Cresci (ACresci@aol.com) 'BIG TIME' BREAK Just like Debbie Gibson's hit tune, "Out of the Blue," comes word that the former teen idol is set to have her very own series next season on ABC called "Queens of the Big Time." Feel free to make your own joke here. No, really. The details are very sketchy, but Gibson is slated to play a music teacher at a Manhattan private school. Is it just us, or do you also smell musical interludes? The show, which will be shot in Los Angeles, will eventually tape here in New York. We're told to look for some good interaction between the adult stars and the kids, since Adriana Trigiani, who worked on "Cosby," will be instrumental in the new series. If we become overwhelmed with a desire to belt out "Sunrise, Sunset." please excuse us, but it seems like only yesterday Debbie was singing songs like "Only in My Dreams" and the classic "Shake Your Love." ------------------ On Friday, January 26th, there was a small article on Debbie Gibson in the NEW YORK POST on page 36. It is transcribed here: Pop singer Debbie Gibson, who has been starring in a tour of "Grease," told Post Plus she's turned down an offer to play Rizzo in the Broadway production of the revival. "Even though I was asked to do Rizzo in New York, I've signed with Warner Brothers to shoot a TV pilot in March called "Queens of the Big Time," with 'Cosby Show' director Adriana Trigiani," Gibson said. She added that she still plans to do a "one-week only" stint in "The Fantastiks" later this year. Joseph Riccitelli, Jr. (MooseJoe@aol.com) ------------------ Last night, after the show in Cerritos, we asked Deb about the TV pilot plans. She said the "people'" came to the show last night to see her perform. She said there are three different projects they are working on. One based out of New York (which is "Queens of the Big Time") and two more which she said are based on something else but had to do more with L.A. and the west coast. She wouldn't disclose any details, but I did ask her if we had a vote in it, she laughed. I'm hoping on one of the two later projects. She said they were still deciding on which is best. I'm sure she'll go with the one that let's her use her music. I'm prone to believe that the L.A. ideas might be better for that than a Brooklyn teacher, but that's just my opinion. David W. Lemons (dwaynel8@aol.com) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= THE BEST DEB IS IMPORTED =- Shannon Muir - Cheney, Washington (S.Muir2@genie.com) January 22, 1996 You all realize I'm being a bit tongue in cheek there, yes? But seriously, Deb has some fantastic music that only appears on import (defined as: not United States release version) albums. I've designed this article to be a primer about imports as well as a look at Deb's import offerings. I find it almost a shame that some of Deb's best songs are only available through the Japanese market, with all the added costs to obtain it involved. There are even a couple of the four I've heard so far that I think could do real well on the American charts (but I suspect the Japanese have exclusive rights to them). One of the things about Japanese imports is that they have a limited shelf life. Except in extreme situations, only one pressing of an album is done and that's it. That's much different than other parts of the world, where a successful album will be re-pressed for years. I'm not sure of the exact time copies manage to stay on the market, but I suspect they plan for them to last about two years or so. If you look at the back of _Think With Your Heart_, for example, it shows three dates on a white label. The first, 95-8- 23, is the date the CD came out in Japan. This is followed in parentheses by (95-7-4), the U.S. release date. Lastly, if you look in the right bottom corner of the label, there is the date 87-8-22... two years after the day it came out. This exact same pattern is seen on the obi (paper slip) for the Japanese _Greatest Hits_ release. [Moderator's Note: The last date indicates when the pre-printed price of the CD expires.] For those of you unfamiliar with some of these imported gems, what follows is my personal review of four of them. The first two are from _Greatest Hits_ (EastWest Japan AMCY-900) and the other two from _Think With Your Heart_. WITHOUT YOU: An incredible tender ballad that I put on a scale with "Lost in Your Eyes," in that I feel it has #1 single potential. Had it been a released first single from the U.S. version of _Anything is Possible_ (it was first included with the Japanese release before showing up on the _Greatest Hits_), I think the reception of the album might've been a lot different. Deb's vocals are stunning and powerful, and it's a pity a lot of people missed out on hearing this song outside of Japan. EYES OF THE CHILD: This track was originally part of Japan's release of _Body Mind Soul_. It is an unusual sound for Deb... the song is A CAPELLA. Her voice sounds excellent for this, but I find the male backing vocals to be a tad bit overpowering and intrusive when singing solo (only with the words, versus "oohing"). Otherwise I find the harmonies to be very powerful. Very simple -- but not simplistic! -- lyrics capture the childhood essence. The song itself is short (possibly one of the shortest Deb's ever done) but sweet. CALL YOURSELF A LOVER: This song is closer to "Dontcha Want Me Now?" and "Too Fancy" than the rest of the album: very uptempo, heavy on the horns. The song makes allusions to the "fairy tale" notions of what a man should be, but Deb says these attributes don't belong to real men. Like "Without You," I hear -radio airplay- all over this one (which I don't quite with "Dontcha Want Me Now?" or "Too Fancy"); it's the occasional bouncy, uptempo song from an AC artist, such as "Big Yellow Taxi" from Amy Grant is atypical for her type of songs but still sounds -right-. This is a very catchy song. YOU KNOW ME: Another uptempo song, not quite as strong as "Call Yourself A Lover" but comes very close. It's a song of appreciation to people who understand someone for who they really are. It's a very enjoyable track, all in all. The only other import album I'm aware of (but don't own) would be the London version of _Grease_ from the U.K. Though I've talked heavily about Japan, it's not the ONLY import market. There are also, of course, import singles - - which sometimes, but not always, contain additional material. Now comes the big question: where does one find imports, Japanese or otherwise? There are a couple options. One is that some music stores run a small import section, and what they don't have on stock they usually can special order. For those people in smaller towns or more remote geographic areas (and have computer access!), many Internet music stores carry imports -- such as CD Now, AB CD's, and others. While imports can be a great way to hear more of Deb, there's often a semi- high to high price tag involved. They usually cost more to acquire, and some places may push the price tag up further just because the items are imports. So if you can, definitely shop around. I hope this basic look into Deb's import offerings has been helpful to some any newcomers who were unaware of import offerings or didn't know where to start. That's where I was less than six months ago. Hopefully it'll be easier for you. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= 1995 BtL ARTICLE CONTEST RESULTS =- BtL moderators (BtL@btl.org) January 27, 1996 The results of the 1995 BtL Best Articles Contest are in! Thanks to everyone who submitted articles last year, making Volume 7 our biggest ever with a total of 19 issues. Articles from the entire year were judged on writing quality, uniqueness and journalistic merit in the following four categories: BEST INTRO ARTICLE - This award goes to Shannon Muir for her retroactive introduction in issue 17 (she had previously contributed an article; it's never to late to write an intro!) Honorable Mention goes to longtime fan Martin Coats (7.8) who related his struggles to see Debbie Gibson live in concert. BEST ALBUM REVIEW - "Two Takes On _Think With Your Heart_" (7.10) from sisters Shannon Muir and Lesley Muir wins this award for their unique album review format. Michael Scheele's very thorough review ("Deborah Is Back!", 7.13) earns him the Honorable Mention. BEST LIVE APPEARANCE REPORT - Christine Rudakewycz's descriptive double-take on seeing Deb in New York in issue 14 captures this title. An Honorable Mention goes to Hai Le for sharing his first experience meeting and seeing Debbie perform live (7.12). BEST GENERAL ARTICLE - With "'Didn't Have The Heart' Single Review," (7.18), Ray Wong fully analyzes BILLBOARD's review and positively interprets _Think With Your Heart_'s sales figures. Melissa Fosseen's "Thank You For The Music" the closing article of the year (7.19) gets the honorable mention for her thoughtfully expressed words. All winners will receive promotional items donated by Eric Wong at EMI Records. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= WIRED "REVIEWS" _THINK WITH YOUR HEART_ =- Myra Wong - San Diego, California (mkwong@ucsd.edu) January 25, 1996 The February 1996 issue of Wired magazine contains a "review" of Deb's _Think With Your Heart_ album. It appears on the two-page spread along with their monthly album reviews. Nearly all are alternative pickings, not your usual chart-toppers. Wired magazine usually trashes the CD they pick to microwave that month, so this is actually a positive review. It were almost as if this were the only "cool" way to admit, in print, to liking the album. By the way, the CD pictured -- all charred and cracked -- probably isn't a real TWYH CD because there isn't a trace of blue. Thanks to Alvin Vitangcol for originally transcribing this so-called review. Microwave o' the Month Debbie Gibson Think with Your Heart EMI Records Group Serving suggestion: throw on a tattered sequined number, pour yourself a scotch, light up a Lucky Strike, and lose yourself in the sheer magic of Debbie.--Steven Overman (steven@wired.com) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= ENCORE PRESENTATION =- Shaun Stuart - Fullerton, California (shaun@acca.nmsu.edu) January 22, 1996 Sometime in the middle of December, a few lucky fans received a package from "T.Y.K." (Two Young Kids) containing a letter and a CD. The letter started off: "You are holding an advance copy of a truly unique compact disc." Indeed, these fans received exactly what the letter claimed: disc one of a two disc set featuring Debbie Gibson's performance at the House Of Blues on August 30, 1995. News of the release was posted to the Anything Is Possible mailing list and many people, including myself, placed their orders immediately. A few days later, I received the set. The double CD package is titled _Out At The Blues_, a cute play on the title of Debbie's first album. It comes in a slimline jewel case with color inserts. The front cover is a picture of Debbie from the show wearing a black leather jacket and with her hands raised. The House Of Blues logo is visible behind her. The back cover is another picture of Debbie, this one taken during the encore when she was wearing a black tee shirt that says "Do you dream?" across it. She's got one hand raised, waving. The color shots are somewhat blurry and the front is the worst of the two. Neither is so bad however, that it is distracting. The inside front cover contains a listing of the songs and their starting times, song credits, and information on contacting D.G.I.F., all superimposed over a close up of the watertower that sits on top of the House Of Blues building. (It also contains one error: In the "Special Guests" section, Rickie Paull Goldin is listed as "Rickie Call.") The inside back cover is a black and white shot of the House Of Blues exterior. The discs themselves are silkscreened in blue. The title is printed on each in an inverted "L" shape, progressing up the left side of the disc, then across the top. The most important thing however, is how the discs sound. I was pleasantly surprised. Debbie's voice is clear throughout and her piano is almost always up front. The bass and the background singers are not as prominent as they should be and the string section is a bit understated. The liner notes state that this is a full digital recording and that must be true as there is no tape hiss whatsoever. But before getting excited at the prospect of a full digital recording, I should warn you that the levels of the bass, background singers, and strings suggest little to no mixing was done. Don't expect this to sound like a major label release. But then, this is a bootleg and you shouldn't expect that anyway. Still, the sound is very good overall. One thing that is present on the discs is audience noise. Not just the general clapping that is on all live recordings, but actual conversations that you can discern. This is definitely a bootleg recorded from the audience, not from a soundboard feed. Some people may find this to be annoying. I tend to look at it as adding to the ambiance. If I put on my headphones and close my eyes, I can almost imagine I'm back at the show. Once you put the disc in your CD player, you'll understand why the liner notes give the starting time for each song. Each CD is one big track. No indexing is present to allow you to skip to your favorite song. This is perhaps my biggest (and really, my only) complaint with the set. For those that like to only hear certain songs be prepared to stand on the fast forward button. On the other hand, if you set your CD player to "random play," you'll always know what track will come up. Perfect for winning bets with your friends. Each CD is over 50 minutes long and the two discs contain the entire concert with the exception of the last two songs of the show: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" and "We Could Be Together." Highlights are the performances of "On My Own," "A Little Fall Of Rain" (with John Leone, who played Marius while Debbie played Eponine), "Hopelessly Devoted To You," and the confused but entertaining version of "Summer Nights" (with Rickie Paull Goldin, who played Danny in the U.S. version of _Grease_). Other tracks of interest are "One Hand, One Heart," (with Debbie pausing mid-song to squash a bug), and rearranged versions of "Shake Your Love" and "Only In My Dreams." Of course, the entire concert was a special one - the whole show was acoustic. Except for "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?", every song from _Think With Your Heart_ is on this set. I've been collecting bootlegs of various artists for the last 8 to 10 years, including many on CD. Despite the minor packaging flaws, this is a very well done bootleg. On the Anything Is Possible list, concerns have been raised about the ethics of purchasing this item. Personally, I feel if you own all of Debbie's released albums and videos, you've already financially supported her as much as she or her record company can expect and buying this release isn't morally wrong. Some people have purchased it and made a donation in the same amount to a charity. Still others have said they won't buy it at all. The decision as to the rightness or wrongness of buying _Out At The Blues_ is a personal one. As a fan that was at the House Of Blues concert, I am grateful for this set and find it to be a wonderful method of capturing the excitement of that evening. I think for anyone that was not at the show, it will provide them with the next best alternative to being there. It's definitely worth owning. [Moderator's Notes: The original offer is as follows: "This double CD set is available now for $30.00 plus $3.00 shipping and handling. Send cash or money orders made out to CASH to: T.Y.K., P.O. Box 5424, Diamond Bar, CA 91765. Orders will be sent via first class mail within 48 hours of receipt of payment. Supplies are limited. We here at T.Y.K. understand you may be reluctant to send cash. Rest assured that we are Debbie Gibson fans ourselves and would not swindle anyone out of their money." Shipping and handling is $6.00 outside of the United States. Although numerous fans have ordered and received _Out At The Blues_, BtL does not endorse this offer nor have knowledge of the identities of T.Y.K. Order at your own risk. Debbie Gibson was given the CD by Kazuto Okayasu the night of January 27th after her performance in Grease at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center in the Los Angeles area.] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS ARTICLE =- Robyn Reed - Granada Hills, California (Rniki@aol.com) January 22, 1996 Here's a reprint of an article in today's L.A. Life section of the LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS. From 'Electric Youth' to Worldly Woman By all appearances, Debbie Gibson - the former teen idol who sold millions of records in the 1980s as the "Electric Youth" - would most resemble sweet Sandy Dumbrowski, the good girl in the musical "Grease!" But don't let her blond looks fool you. This girl is a woman now, with enough experience to assume the mantle - and in this case, dark wig and leather jacket - of Betty Rizzo, the smart-mouthed, gum-chewing firecracker who leads the Pink Ladies of Rydell High. Her performance, which can be seen when the touring musical comes to the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts for a six-day run beginning Tuesday, stunned even her own family. "I love doing Rizzo because everyone outwardly associates me with Sandy," Gibson said from Chicago, one of the tour's earlier stops. "It's fun to surprise people. Even my family members who have come to see it have been quite surprised." One of Broadway's longest-running musicals, "Grease!" tells the story of Burger Palace Boys' king Danny Zuko and his affection for Sandy, a wholesome transfer student from Immaculata High. Rizzo and Sandy, polar opposites, play pivotal roles in each other's lives. "I look at the girl playing Sandy (20-year old Sutton Foster) and I go, 'Oh, my God. I know where you're at in your life because I was there five years ago.'" Gibson said from a restaurant where she was dining with Sally Struthers, cast as Miss Lynch, the iron-fisted English teacher. Sandy is naive where Rizzo is worldly. "I've kind of graduated from playing Sandy from that standpoint. Sandy spends the whole show trying to prove that she's worthy of these other girls' approval, and I feel like I'm more of a leader of a gang coming into this show. It feels right that I'm not bouncing around and trying so hard. I can take a stronger stance even in my body language." And yet Gibson identifies with both characters. At one point in the musical, Rizzo feels that none of her friends understand her, despite their attempts to help her through a difficult time. "I've had a bit of that in my life. I've been in school and people think they know what was going on when I was on the road, let's say. And they have no idea, the levels of discipline it takes. You just kind of want to go, 'Look, leave me alone. You guys don't understand,'" she said. "I can find many parallels." And with Sandy, too. "Like Sandy, I've always been very outgoing, very friendly. People assume that means you're wimpy; they assume that means you can't put on a little black dress and surprise people, which is kind of what she does at the end. So I think I've got bits and pieces of both in me." Besides musicals (she's been performing in them since she was 5 and appeared on Broadway in "Les Miserables"), Gibson has a wide range of tastes in the performing arts. Now represented by ICM, one of the major talent agencies, the 25-year old native New Yorker recently struck a deal with Warner Bros. to make a pilot for a possible sitcom next season. And she would love to score soundtracks for film, getting a chance to use her classical background. At 2, she begged her parents for a guitar, but because her tiny fingers couldn't fit around its neck, they got her a ukulele instead. Two years later, she took up the piano, and by her fifth birthday, she wrote her first song - "Make Sure You Know Your Classroom," a ditty about her kindergarten experience. She won piano competitions, appeared in more musicals and was ready to take on the pop world while still in her teens. In 1988, Gibson's first album, "Out of the Blue," produced four top-five singles, including the No. 1 hit "Foolish Beat." Three more albums followed her debut - "Electric Youth", which produced another No. 1 hit, "Lost in Your Eyes," "Anything Is Possible" and "Body, Mind, Soul." And, by the way, she wrote and produced her songs. "Its really interesting, because while all that stuff was going on, I was as aware as I could possibly have been and as grounded as I could have been," she remembered. "But now, I have this whole different perspective of that time in my life." And now she is kind of surprised to have survived her overwhelming fame at such a young age. "It seems like that was such a whirlwind, I was lucky to have saved my sanity," Gibson said. "I feel I have, which is, to me, probably my biggest accomplishment. People will think, 'Oh, that record sold 3 million copies, what an accomplishment.' But my accomplishment was more on the personal end of things." She called her songwriting at that time "honest. Totally fun 16-year old music that also happened to be marketable at the time." Yet while she doesn't out-and-out cringe hearing the teenage Debbie, she does have mixed emotions. "I go,'Oh, my God, I thought I was singing like Barbra Streisand and I sounded like a munchkin,'" she recalled about the years before her voice took on more resonance. "I also kind of say, 'Well, that sounds like a 16-year-old made that record.' Period. End of Story." These days, Gibson is looking to find a blend between the personal and the professional. "Even though the work is play, you have to have friendships, and I used to put those on hold a lot of times," she said. "This time of my life is more about growing up. and starting to find a balance because I want to have a family someday. I hope to juggle that and a career." So far, Gibson has maintained a yearlong romance with actor Chris Bruno, whom she met at Disneyland through a mutual friend. "We've had our ups and downs, but we've kind of come through it now," she said. "We just saw each other yesterday; we saw each other a week ago; we'll probably see each other next week. But we could go two weeks without seeing each other, so its kind of sporadic. It really depends on his work schedule, when he can get on a plane." And her relationship gives her more fodder for her songwriting. "There's something to be said for having a life. As a songwriter, you need life experiences to write about. I feel like I've just begun to accumulate that. I'm looking forward to seeing how that affects my writing in the future." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= DEBWATCH =- Here's a summary of significant media appearances shown since the last issue of BtL. 12/22/95 : JENNY JONES Debbie Gibson appeared on the special Christmas show, while Grease was in Chicago for a month. After chatting with Jenny Jones about what she's been doing lately, Deb performed "Didn't Have The Heart" at the piano. Then, she surprised a male fan, and sang "Sleigh Ride." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -= CLOSING REMARKS =- Debbie Gibson performed the Canadian and U.S. national anthems for the NBA basketball game between the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors at General Motors Place in Vancouver on Friday, January 12th. BtL moderator, Felix Ng, gave Deb a copy of BtL 7.19 while she was performing in Grease in Vancouver, B.C. For fans in Australia, this Saturday's episode of "Step by Step" (February 3, 6:30 P.M., Channel Nine) is the episode guest starring Debbie Gibson as "Christi Rose." D.G.I.F.'s 1996 charity fundraiser has been going on for over a month now. Over 150 club members are participating, selling merchandise from Jewelway's catalog to family members and friends. The charities will receive 25% of all sales. D.G.I.F. is offering many prizes for total sales, as well as prizes in daily sales contests announced on their hotline (212-803-5425). Prizes include an exclusive photo, promotional videos, rare collectibles, and more. Debbie Gibson continues in the U.S. Touring Production of "Grease" in the lead role of "Rizzo." The following is a list of remaining show dates as announced by D.G.I.F. and individual theatres. All dates are subject to change. Call individual theatres for tickets and more information. Jan 30 - Feb 4 Palm Desert, California McCallum Theatre Feb 6 - Feb 11 San Diego, California Copley Symphony Hall Feb 13 - Feb 18 Tempe, Arizona Gammage Auditorium Feb 20 - Feb 25 San Antonio, Texas Majestic Theatre Feb 27 - Feb 29 TO BE ANNOUNCED Mar 1 - Mar 3 Minneapolis, Minnesota Orpheum Theatre Deborah made a return appearance on KTLA's "Morning News" (a local Los Angeles program) on Thursday, January 25th. She performed Rizzo's solo song from Grease, "There Are Worse Things I Could Do." Details will appear in the next issue of BtL. Since the last issue, BtL has grown to an online membership of over 1,000 members. Our readership has more than doubled since the beginning of 1995! We hope that 1996 will bring Debbie Gibson and BtL continued success.