THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR
The Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #173 - January 26, 1997
THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #173
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Topics for Today:
UK/Europe and US Tour Dates Announced
Ben Folds on NFL game (sort of)
The Goods
new bff album
xmas
BFF and Counting Crows
Australian Tour......
The Counting Crows Song
another great song title
Signing off
Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #172
Re:score, sheet music, SOMEBODY RESPOND TO THIS!!! :)
another rebuttal about small keys and big hands
Jody's Power Bill and the Semantics
me again
IRC's?
==============================================================================
First, apologies for taking so long to get these out. Computer troubles
combined with an exceptionally heavy work schedule resulted in no time to
tend to the list. Due to the number of posts in that time, I'm splitting
them up into three issues. #174 and #175 will be mailed out shortly.
Good news: The touring schedule for Europe and the UK has been released, and
the first dates of the US tour, opening for Counting Crows, have been
released. Here are the UK/Europe dates:
Mar. 2 Glasgow @ The Arches
Mar. 4 Newcastle @ Riverside
Mar. 5 Manchester @ MDH
Mar. 6 Norwich @ Waterfront
Mar. 7 London @ Astoria
Mar. 9 Sheffield @ Leadmill
Mar. 11 Copenhagen @ Cafe Rust
Mar. 12 Stockholm @ Studion
Mar. 13 Malmo @ KB
Mar. 15 Hamburg @ Logo
Mar. 16 Munich @ Backstage
Mar. 17 Cologne @ Underground
Mar. 18 Amsterdam @ Melkweg
Mar. 20 Brussells @ Ancienne Belgique Club
Mar. 21 Paris @ Divan Du Monde
Also, a gig is scheduled at the Gavin Convention (a radio programming
convention) at Jimmy's in New Orleans on Feb. 13.
The US dates with Counting Crows are further down in the digest. Now, on to
the posts:
=============================================================================
Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 17:51:43 -0700 (MST)
From: "Eric T. Beteille" <eric@hemi.com>
Subject: Ben Folds on NFL game (sort of)
During NBC's broadcast of the football playoffs last
Saturday, the network ran several commercials promoting
the NBC Saturday night lineup of action dramas. Very
quickly-cut promo piece, with lots of explosions and
stunts.
The featured music, quite in the foreground, was "I'm Not
Afraid" by Fleming & John. Perfect choice for high-action
video, it has a driving drum beat and a powerful vocal.
Best of all, the drum beat is courtesy of our own Ben Folds,
who plays expertly on several Fleming & John songs. Seems
he's good at any instrument you can pound.
One promo listed song credits at the bottom. So maybe folks
will pick up F&J and, in turn, turn on to Ben.
Eric
P.S. - We *need* that BFF version of Champagne Supernova here
in the U.S. Now why can't they put their version of Video
Killed the Radio Star on CD??
=============================================================================
Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 21:16:41 -0500 (EST)
From: Michele <mmenuck@umich.edu>
Subject: The Goods
I would love more than anything to know how to get a hold of some BFF
stuff, like t-shirts and stickers... Not sold in stores, but what about
mail order?
Michele
Perhaps if the tour hits within a two state radius I'll be sporting
some...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michele R. Menuck
University of Michigan
mmenuck@umich.edu
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mmenuck
"Life is hard, but it's even harder when you're stupid." -?
"Welcome to the world. Thank you, drive through." -Beavis
"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dreams." -WW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=============================================================================
Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 18:56:53 -0800 (PST)
From: "Darrell N. Phillips" <dnphillips@earthlink.net>
Subject: new bff album
hey guys...
well, i got the advanced release of the new bff album, and it is FANTASTICK!!!
possibly, even more exciting than their first album!!
I'm happy to report that it contains an excellent excellent mix....the songs
that we already know (i.e. angry dwarf, steven's, and song/dumped) sound
great on a studio recording..., and the new stuff is sooo great!
Well worth the waiting...
...and NO, so far as I can tell, Ben doesn't make any mention of Adam Duritz ...
D.P.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Darrell N. Phillips
Email: dnphillips@earthlink.net [or]
ST930984@pip.cc.brandeis.edu
Phone: 617/894-8035
=============================================================================
Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 21:26:47 -0600 (CST)
From: Cool Hand Luke <gb0709@broncho.ucok.edu>
Subject: xmas
To Ben Folds Five:
I got a Jimi Hendrix: Live at Woodstock CD for xmas. What did you guys
in the band get?
Gregor--> in OK City
=============================================================================
Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 21:29:16 -0600 (CST)
From: Benjamin Baeker <bbaeker@mail.coin.missouri.edu>
Subject: BFF and Counting Crows
Hi-
This is the first time I have ever sent anything to this group. I want
to say that I bought the BFF CD strictly because of the song Monkey by
counting crows. "I got no where else but home to go, got ben folds on my
radio right now." That is what got me hooked. I have to disagree with I
think it was keith who said that A long december sounds BFFish. I think
that A long december is pure counting crows. Listen to raining in
baltimore and an unrealesed song called chelsea, and another unrealesed
called good luck. Neither of the following two are on the CD, but almost
made it. Counting Crows is counting crows. That is all there is to it.
I would love to see BFF open for counting crows. That would be amazing.
Although it would be tough to beat Cake. They were great when they
opened for counting crows. No Adam and Ben could not compose lyrics
together. I think that the styles are too different. It wouldn't be as
magical. Perhaps a two piano set with the music written by ben, but the
lyrics by adam. That would be a killer single. Just my thoughts. Until
next time.
Sweet Dreams,
Benjamin T. Baeker
bbaeker@mail.coin.missouri.edu
"Said, 'You gotta stand up in the garden, baby let the rain come pourin'
down upon your head.'
Said, 'You gotta stand up in the garden, Darlin let the rain fall down and
wash away all your sins.'" -Murder of One, by Adam F. Duritz (Counting Crows)
"I know, all of the good things in life are unkind
I could be everything I could be, anything
But all the time I'm thinking `If I only had a pair of wings.'
But you won't touch me." -Suffocate, by Adam F. Duritz (Counting Crows)
"i am the wayward - stung with cold, bereft of warmth and reason
in the pond i saw your eyes before me beckon to a warmer season but -
just as it was long ago, i knew and (so did you)
i was meant to roam alone and no, even now, I could not go." -Candace Chaney
=============================================================================
Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 12:31:44 -0800
From: Hitech World Cannington <hitechwc@ois.com.au>
Subject: Australian Tour......
Hi,
I was so disappointed to here that BFF weren't coming to the Big Day
Out tours here.....when will I get to see my favourite band (in Perth
but will travel)?
Greg.
=============================================================================
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 09:35:53 -0500 (EST)
From: Michele <mmenuck@umich.edu>
Subject: The Counting Crows Song
True...Along with that, the "Long December" intro sounds a lot like BFF as
well, with the piano and all. Looks like sombody's catching on... A
collaboration would be quite interesting...
Michele
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michele R. Menuck
University of Michigan
mmenuck@umich.edu
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mmenuck
"Life is hard, but it's even harder when you're stupid." -?
"Welcome to the world. Thank you, drive through." -Beavis
"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dreams." -WW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=============================================================================
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 10:46:31 -0500
From: Pat_Meusel@Sonymusic.Com
Subject: another great song title
Leave to BF5 to come up with some of the most original song titles. Here's
a new one:
FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL WEARING FANNY PACKS
Not sure if it'll make the new record.
pm
=============================================================================
Date: Thu, 09 Jan 97 13:37:07 PST
From: Derek Ebbrell <dse@postman.sabwabco.co.uk>
Reply to: derek.ebbrell@sabwabco.co.uk
Subject: Signing off
Just a note to ask to be taken of the List for the time being,
I will be back with a new Address soon, Hopefully.
And to say that where is Alice B was played in the Background of
Party of 5 last night, I'm not sure how far behind we are in England
Compared to the US, and this already may have been commented on.
With this and people going to a BNL show on the same series,
It must be good, Well reasonable any way.
Feck, Drink, Women, Arse,
Father Jack.
Bare is the thing to be
derek.ebbrell@sabwabco.co.uk
=============================================================================
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 00:45:14 -0500 (EST)
From: THE YANKEE <mcdonpj3@wfu.edu>
Subject: Re: THE MAGICAL ARMCHAIR, Issue #172
On Tue, 7 Jan 1997, Frank Maynard wrote:
> A few questions...
> 1) Wouldn't it be great if they had a knock-down ballad on their next
> album?
Maybe Frank could confirm this-did the "Risky Encore" from Ziggy's make
the disc? (ANy body from the 8/18 Ziggy's show know the name of the
song-sounded kinda Jackson-Brownish at points and the chorus contained
the line "I lost my heart"
> 2) Does anyone else think Long December by the Counting Crows sounds very
> BFFish?
Vaguely...
> 3) Wouldn't it be great if Ben and Adam Duritz wrote some songs together?
> 4) WOuldn't it be great if BFF opens for Counting Crows next tour?
Don't tease me!! That would be incredible. The only thing that might
improve the package would be to let Counting Crows open...
(No offense to diehard CC fans-I'd pay amint to see them myself as one of
my all-time favorite bands)
On a "just-missed an incredible show note, I recently missed the
WallFlowers and BareNaked Ladies together atb the orpheum in Boston.
Aargh!!!
> How many of me would it take to screw up your life?
Frank-which song is this from?
Patrick J. McDonough
[It's from an unreleased song called "Kalamazoo". And I don't believe
"Risky Encore" is on the new CD. -fjm]
=============================================================================
Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 22:53:22 -0800
From: eric weiss <eric_w@geocities.com>
Subject: Re:score, sheet music, SOMEBODY RESPOND TO THIS!!! :)
yeah, what's the spiel on the bf5 sheet music? I'd absolutely love to
find a copy. Please someone help us pathetic ivory tinklin' fools out.
I'm one of those that can't play by ear, but can certainly READ. Thank
you and have a great day!
nancy poop
=============================================================================
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 13:14:18 -0300
From: Daniel MacEachern <dmaceach@is2.dal.ca>
Subject: another rebuttal about small keys and big hands
from Michael Bluejay:
> So what's the point of being able to play anywhere, at any time, if you CAN'T
> PLAY AT ALL because your hands are too small? Pianos SHOULD be like clothes.
> One-sized piano doesn't fit everybody, so it's ridiculous that they're all
> the same size. Now that we've hit the digital age, and you can get 76-key
> keyboards for less than $500, someone with small hands who wants to learn to
> play needs to be able to buy a smaller-key keyboard. Sure, you can think of
> any number of situations where you learn on one keyboard and then find a
> keyboard that's the "wrong size" -- all I can say is, you don't invalidate an
> idea just because it doesn't work 100% of the time.
But aren't you invalidating the idea of a standard-size keyboard because it
doesn't work 100% of the time?
Can't play at all? Just how small are your hands? I started playing piano
when I was five, and I don't think my hands were too huge then. Besides, I
don't think the skill of a person is dependent on how big their hands are.
I don't think Ben Folds is a good piano player because he can play 10ths.
All that means is that his hands are big enough. Maybe we're arguing
different things here. I can understand that one might want a smaller size
keyboard so that they can play 10ths or whatever that they can't do on a
regular keyboard, and maybe you can see that it's not a bad idea to have a
standard-size for keyboards. But I don't see 10ths popping up in music all
that often, and it's probably because MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE HANDS THAT
BIG. So what? So don't play tenths. Make smaller size keyboards, and now
the big hand giants can play elevenths or twelvths, so what's been solved?
You don't lower the basketball hoop to nine feet because most people can't
dunk on ten. You can do it in your own driveway, sure, there still needs
to be some sort of standard.
Daniel
Halifax
=============================================================================
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 18:48:58 -0500
From: Tom Spagnardi <toms@worldrg.com>
Subject: Jody's Power Bill and the Semantics
> On 21st Dec,The Semantics's debut album,"POWERBILL" was released in
Japan.
>
> Ben named "Powerbill" ,mixed Will's nickname and Millard's family name.
>
> [Not coincidentally, one of Ben's earlier bands was called Jody's
> Power Bill. -fjm]
Hello BFF fans:
I've been reading happily and quietly for months now, but now it's time for
me to chime in and do a little shameless self promotion. My name is Tom
Spagnardi and I played bass in the band Jody's Power Bill with Ben in
Nashville. We did name the band after the guys who were in the Semantics at
the time (Jody Spence, Millard Powers, and Bill Owsley). I think there was a
suggestion for them to use the name for their band, but they chose not to,
and so we took it. Around 1992 and 93, The Semantics were signed to and
recorded an album for Geffen, which was never released in the US.
Apparently, it is now available in Japan. Thanks for the news Azusa. I'm
glad that it will finally get to see daylight, it deserves to.
I am currently playing in a band called Mr. Henry. We are based in New York
City but have been traveling around a bit. We played with Bus Stop in North
Carolina last autumn (thanks, Chuck) and we opened for Counting Crows in
December at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. We have CD's and cassettes out but we
are not signed yet so we don't have a record available in stores (though we
do have a song on the soundtrack to an Orion Picture's film called Ed's Next
Move, which is available on Milan/BMG). You can find us on the web at
http://mrhenry.com
=============================================================================
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 1996 19:24:07 -0600
From: Derrick Look <dlook@wctc.net>
Subject: me again
hey,
I figured you might be a good person to ask.
I dont know if your a musicain or not, but
I was woundering the chords for Philosophy.
In the begining i think it's C A F and maybe G.
And in the end It's just a take off of Gershwins
Rhapsody in blue, but what are the chords for the
funk part in the end (solo section) and in the
body of the song. I you know can you please help
me out if you don't thanks anyway, or maybe you
know someone else I could ask maybe. Well Until Later....
Derrick
=============================================================================
Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 21:40:18 -0500 (EST)
From: Andy <OLERS@wabash.edu>
Subject: IRC's?
"Surrey, GU9 8RZ ENGLAND and if you live abroad then send a 3 or 4 IRC's
to cover the cost."
I'm feeling pretty ignorant here, but I have no idea what IRC's are.
I'm interested in the fanzine, but then again I don't know what the
heck those are. . .
I was bitten- must have been the devil,
Andy
PS-- Any other Pearl Jam fans out there?
[Outside the Internet, an IRC is an International Reply Coupon, which
currently cost $1.05 at the US Postal Service. They are good for one "unit"
of first class postage in almost any country in the world and are a
convenient way to send postage to people overseas that they can use in
their own countries. -fjm]
=============================================================================
[Today's posts continued in Issue #174]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Well she got fat and now they're living in a trailer