From: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org (alloy-digest) To: alloy-digest@smoe.org Subject: alloy-digest V4 #88 Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org Sender: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. alloy-digest Saturday, March 20 1999 Volume 04 : Number 088 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Alloy: Business 2.0 update ["Stephen M. Tilson" ] Alloy: Van Halen connection? ["Mary A. Brown" Subject: Alloy: Business 2.0 update Checking in to let you know that I've scanned both the March and April issues of Business 2.0, the magazine that will be running an advertisement featuring Mr. Dolby as recently reported here. NDY (No Dolby Yet). In fact it looks as if they have not begun this advertising campaign yet. As I recall the advertiser was to feature a different IT innovator each month. Nope. Nothing like that so far . . . /\/\iles ********************************************************* * * * Bill Gates is a white Persian cat and a * * monocle away from becoming a villain in * * a James Bond film. ---Dennis Miller * * * ********************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 11:38:24 +0200 From: "Ulfstedt, Louise" Subject: Alloy: Dolby snippets,... Hi all! Just a few snippets concerning our fearless leader,.. First up, as Tim already mentioned, Thomas appeared on British TV on a programme called "Megalab 99", providing music for an on-line live recording of a single,.( as far as I know, Sinead O'Connor did the vocs.) The proceeds of the single go to charities supported by the popular British fund-raising event, Comic relief, as far as I know. Great stuff, eh? I don't know much else about this, but my darling mother recorded it for me, knowing my penchant for Thomas' music,..and although it'll take a while, the said video will be in my posession in the future, along with the latest season of Red Dwarf, once the latter has come to an end. Mums are great, aren't they??!! The other snippet is something I came accross on the official Joni Mitchell site I was browsing some weeks ago,...It comes from Joni's bio, and seeing it mentions Thomas, I thought I'd post it for you all. It's quite interesting from a historical perspective,......Although I like a lot of Joni's songs, I get the feeling that there was something rather primadonna-ish about the way she limited Thomas' creative input in her music,....see what you think,.... Take care all! Lissu :-) - ---------------------------------------------------------------- here it is: JONI MITCHELL: THE EXPERIMENTAL EIGHTIES 1985-89 In late 1984, Geffen Records wanted to hire synthesizer-wizard Thomas Dolby of "She Blinded Me With Science" fame as co-producer on the tracks that Joni and Larry Klein had been working on. Joni had written some angry songs and Larry and she were experimenting to get the right colors on modern machinery like their FAIRLIGHT CMI synthesizer. Joni told Digital Audio magazine: "Larry and I knew the sounds we were after, but it took us a long time to find them. Thomas was hired in that capacity...as a colorist and a player." Joni did not want someone else re-decorating her music, so she agreed to hire only as a guide to the modern programming techniques that she and Larry were still learning. Joni told the U.K's New Musical Express: "I was reluctant when Thomas was suggested because he had been asked to produce the record (by Geffen), and would he consider coming in as just a programmer and a player? So on that level we did have some problems." She also said about the collaboration with Dolby: "He may be able to do it faster. He may be able to do it better, but the fact is that it then wouldn't really be my music." Following the recording of the mega all-star single "We Are The World" at the end of January 1985, Columbia Records wanted an albums worth of superstar songs for an April release date. Canada's contribution, a song called "Tears Are Not Enough," was recorded mostly on Feb. 10, 1985 and Joni, who had been in the studio starting work on her next album, flew in to Toronto to contribute her vocal lines along with the likes of Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, and Bryan Adams (who wrote the words with his longtime partner Jim Vallance). The music had been written a day proir by David Foster. Joni spoke to writer Iain Blair about her Northern Lights For Africa experience. She said: "I know it sounds ridiculous, but I was literally starving when we did the session 'cuz my yoga teacher had sent me to a psychic dietician who, while rubbing her chin and swinging her arm around in a circle, had diagnosed a lot of food allergies. The result was, predictably, that I was hardly allowed to eat anything, so by the time I arrived with an apple and a rice patty, my poor stomach was making all these strange noises. Then we get in the studio, and the engineer says he can't record 'cuz he's picking up some weird rumbling sound coming from my direction. (She laughs). And it was all pretty ironic, considering the subject matter." NORTHERN LIGHTS FOR AFRICA 1985 The song "Ethiopia" was written after the "We Are The World" album had been recorded, and in response to the songs on that album. Joni felt that the tunes were all from the point of view of the stars with their "We Can Change The World" themes, so she wrote "Ethiopia" from the point of view of an Ethiopian who was going thru the famine. The song also pointed out how any country could succumb to the same misfortunes. "Your top soil flies away--Ethiopia / We pump ours full of poison spray--Ethiopia / Between the brown skies and sprinkling lawns / I hear the whine of chain saws / hacking rain forests down / On and on--insanities / On and on--Short sighted greed abounds / Ethiopia--Ethiopia--Ethiopia..." Ethiopia- JONI MITCHELL 1985 Crazy Crow Music BMI At the Grammy Awards show on February 22, 1985, Joni and Dionne Warwick presented the final Grammy of the evening for Album of the Year to Lionel Richie for his mega-hit collection "Can't Slow Down." THE GRAMMY AWARDS February 22, 1985 In early 1985, Joni also split with her longtime manager Elliot Roberts, saying he was the one who needed a manager; they still remained friends. After a few weeks of trying to manage herself, Joni hired on with Peter Asher Management. Joni, Larry, Thomas Dolby, and engineer Mike Shipley recorded and programmed for more than 7 months from February thru September until they felt that the tracks were ready for release. Since Joni is a night owl, the sessions were mostly wee-hour events with Larry assisting. Larry would then work on adding his bass lines to saxophonist Wayne Shorter's solo album each afternoon. Two songs: "Fiction" and "Tax Free," were Larry's instrumentals for which Joni wrote words and music. His rhythm tracks caused her melody lines to come out in shorter phrases. The use of modern technological machines, such as the FAIRLIGHT CMI and various drum machines caused the DOG EAT DOG album to be Joni's most expensive record to date. When the album credits were printed for the album, Thomas Dolby was listed as a producer on most of the tracks on DOG EAT DOG, even though had Joni hired him only as a guide and an assistant. I suppose that his agreement with Geffen required this credit. Some of the other musicians credited on DOG EAT DOG were Mike Landau on guitars, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and drum samples, Michael Fisher on percussion samples, Zyg Winard and Dan Marnien as engineering assistants, and Mike Shipley as engineer and co-producer. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ------------------------- Louise Ulfstedt DTP Specialist Teleste Access Systems http://www.teleste.com louise.ulfstedt@teleste.fi ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 12:11:59 +0200 From: "Ulfstedt, Louise" Subject: Alloy: Another dolby snippet,.. More details about Thomas' involvement in Megalab 99 Lissu :-) Megalab 99 Reports and results from this year's experiments from Roger Highfield and Aisling Irwin Internet pop record is a smash hit for charity Sinead O'Connor was one of a number of musicians scattered across the planet who linked up on the Internet last night (Wednesday 17 March, 1999) to make a pop single in record time, as a Megalab fund raising effort for charity. The stunt demonstrates the latest on-line jamming software, developed by the company Rocket Network, that enables a musician in London to play live with a guitarist in New York and a drummer in Norway, or indeed anywhere else on Earth with access to the Internet. Sinead O'Connor was to be joined by Thomas Dolby, on keyboards in San Francisco, singer Lucky Dube in Johannesburg, drummer Mike Wilcox in Australia, Jay Griggs in New Orleans on rhythm guitar, and Rodney Orpheus on synthesiser in Hamburg. The effort is backed by the War Child, a children's charity that offers humanitarian aid to war zones, which hopes to turn the recording into a fund-raising single. Readers of The Daily Telegraph and Tomorrow's World viewers were invited to audition for a chance to provide backing vocals. Annabel Walker was selected for last night's live demonstration. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 08:14:21 EST From: RThurF@aol.com Subject: Alloy: Dolby collaborates in historic Internet recording to benefit War Child Hello everyone, Please visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/tw/megalab/9903sing.shtml for an article describing the project, and an address to write to for further information on the single's release! Also please go to the War Child site http://www.warchild.org to see some of the other amazing work being done to help children in hundreds of communities around the world who must endure the horrors of war. I'm grateful that so many of the world's best artists have been contributing their names and their work to this crucial charity. Please explore the site & help where you can!! Look especially at the sections for the Benefit CD, Artwork by Musicians, and Fashions designed by musicians... and of course inquire about the Internet single, which Thomas has so wonderfully contributed his work to. Thank you Thomas :) Robin T ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 19:00:12 EST From: RThurF@aol.com Subject: Alloy: more information about the internet single Hi everyone, I wrote to the people at War Child this morning & received the following response: :: Thanks for your interest in War Child and our internet single recorded last night as part of Megalab 99. As yet, no deal has been reached with a record company, so there is no date set for the release of the single. As soon as a release date and details are known, I will email you with the information. In the meantime, if you would like to know more about War Child and our work, please visit our website at www.warchild.org Thanks very much for your interest, Nicky Jenns :: When I hear more I'll let everyone know, meanwhile keep your eyes & ears ready :) Robin T ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 20:57:01 -0500 From: "Mary A. Brown" Subject: Alloy: the Jello man! Keith explained: > Actually, the man was flesh colored. He was lying flat, face > up on a board on top of dry ice. Because otherwise there would be fruit juice everywhere? > He had a towel over the mid section if memory serves me correctly. Okay, Keith, I have to know: what part of him did you get to eat? There's always room for Jello, right? > He had a peach flavor. Well, you know, some fruit are sweet and some are poison...(had to get the Dolby connection in there somehow!) I burst out laughing when I read this, Keith, because it was so deadpan and I could just imagine you saying it. Hmm, do you think the writers for Chicago Hope saw this exhibit? Anyone else remember the episode with the edible man? Europa ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 20:56:59 -0500 From: "Mary A. Brown" Subject: Alloy: Van Halen connection? The man who looks so fetching in the fedora wrote: > Supposedly, Eddie lived down the street from Thomas at the time, > though I can't recall if "down the street" meant they were > literally neighbors or not The implication was that Eddie was a > friend or acquaintance at the time Thomas started recording A&H, > rather than someone he sought out solely on the basis of his/her > talent... > > The usual parties are invited to correct me, of course... :) Ahem, did someone say, "Party"?! Yeah, it's Dr. Know-It-All, being insufferable *yet* again. What I remember, Brian, is that Kathleen was a friend of Valerie Bertinelli's (you know those showbiz types) and they figured their spouses ought to work together. But I don't always believe what I read. I do know from a very credible source, however, that as a result of TMDR scoring the film Fever Pitch which starred Ryan O'Neal, Thomas was able to play tennis with Tatum's hubby at the time, John McEnroe. Not too shabby, eh? And Lissu's post reminded me of a topic I've been meaning to raise - has anyone heard the Chieftains' latest opus? I ask because there are, as of a couple of days ago, three artists TMDR has worked with on there. Both Sinead O'Connor and Joni Mitchell seem to naturally fit with the Chieftains' music, I think, but I am *really* curious about Akiko Yano. Slarvi, can you enlighten me or are you maintaining Radio Silence? Over and out, Europa ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1999 00:29:01 EST From: CJMark@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: So Long, and thanks for all the fish... Hey Charles.. Sorry to hear you feel the need to unsub from alloy.. However.. just to let you know.. I travel a fair amount.. too, and yet I find that even if I have to ignore my alloy mail for a week or two.. I'm happy to finally get to a point when I can sit down for an hour or so and page through it all. It takes a bit.. but at least I can keep up to speed on things that might be developing.. and I never .. ever have to worry about missing that once in a blue moon post from the person who is our raison d'ette.. That makes it all worthwhile to me.. even if it is only to hear that he decided to shave off his beard.. One day.. and I feel it will be soon.. I will be the proud owner of a small discreet e-mail that says.. Okay folks.. I've decided to go back into the studio and record again! For that.. I must stay faithful and not unsub... if for nothing else.. including the friends here amongst us that represent the world.. However.. if you must go.. enjoy the work.. traveling is the best for the soul... in my opinion.. and tune in when you get the chance.. Ciao for now.. Mark ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1999 00:41:14 EST From: CJMark@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: A Canadian Were-monkey In London And thank you.. Crackers.. for such a great description of your evening in London !!! I am still laughing.. Mark ------------------------------ End of alloy-digest V4 #88 **************************