Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #47 - March 9, 1996
Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #47
Topics for Today:
Ben Folds Five is Catching on!
Ben Folds Shirts
The REAL Ben Folds comparison
Letterman or Leno...
BFF in Canada ???
Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #46
BF5
Can't stop blabbering about BF5
UK Release Date for BF5
Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #46
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 10:54:09 -0500 (EST)
From: Natalie Jean Wells <nwells@bgnet.bgsu.edu>
Subject: Ben Folds Five is Catching on!
a funny thing happened the other day. I was walking down the hall in my
dorm the other day and down to my friends room. When I opened the door
to enter the hall I was smacked in the face by Ben Folds Five being
blasted in the hallway. I was really surprised and had to go find the
person who was playing it. I found the room and knocked on the door and
told the guy I liked what he was playing and if he was a big fan. He
said he just bought the CD that day and loved it. Another BFF fan in my
dorm is great!! It just really shows how they are catching on cause I've
had their album since November. They are slowly working their way up to
number one!
I'll quit babbling now!
Natalie Wells
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 11:08:40 -0500 (EST)
From: GOTTLIEB@BU4090.BARRY.EDU
Subject: Ben Folds Shirts
Aright, I have succumbed. I probably won't get a chance to see the band,
since they might not play in Florida SO what's the deal about getting these
cool t-shirts I hear about? Anyone?
Adam
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 08:50:05 -0800 (PST)
From: Marc Nathan <mdnathan@netcom.com>
Subject: The REAL Ben Folds comparison
Ok, OK, I agree with all the Queen, Elton, Jellyfish, BugEye Joel stuff,
but the real winner is TODD RUNDGREN (circa early 1970's). Listen to
RUNT, THE BALLAD OF TODD RUNDGREN and of course, SOMETHING/ANYTHING? and
you will surely understand :)
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 13:30:11 AST4ADT
From: KEVIN HUBERT <EKH3854@Umoncton.Ca>
Subject: Letterman or Leno...
Hi!!!
When were they on Conan O'Brien??? What song did they play??? Will
they be on Leno or Letterman soon playing Underground???
Any help would be appreciate...
Later...
Kevin
[Conan was Dec. 26 and they played Underground. Don't know about the
others but you'll probably hear it here first. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 13:44:28 AST4ADT
From: KEVIN HUBERT <EKH3854@Umoncton.Ca>
Subject: BFF in Canada ???
Anybody know if they will do a Canada tour after the USA tour???
Is there a lot of BFF fans from Canada on this list???
Later...
Kevin
[Seven members have .ca domains. Maybe more with others. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Mon, 08 Mar 1999 12:34:15 -0600
From: Geoffrey McNulty <gmcnulty@students.wisc.edu>
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #46
my roommate has this crazy idea that bf5 will be playing at the paramount in
madison this sunday, 3/8. call for details. unfortunately, even if this is
true, i'll be back home in minneapolis. :(
geoff
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geoffrey McNulty |
Asst. Promotions Director | "But still my heart beats
| for the one I may never reach
UW Madison Student Radio | It's time for me to learn to lose,
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(608) 264-2261 |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 13:55:27 -0500
From: pprociss <pprociss@sun.tir.com>
Subject: BF5
Hello all. I just joined the list and wnated to say hi! I have only
ben listening to BF5 for about a month now. I missed them in concert in
DETROIT because i didn't know they were here and whn they were I didn't even
know their music yet. Until about a week later a Detroit radio
station(93.9)played their whole record as athe album feature and i fell in
love with the music. I ran out and bought the cd and a week later the
"Mr.Wrong" sondtrack. I just can't get enough of them! Anyways i am pissed i
missed them in concert so can someone give me a review of a concrt they
weent to?
HOw was a concert, how many poeple were there, did they do any cover songs,
did they talk to the audeince, were they crazy on stage? Stuff like that.
Cya, Shannon
[The Pontiac show was great. The 7th House is a very intimate club,
with seating on the main floor and a balcony and a good-sized dance
floor. You can get right up to the stage. There were about 200 in the
audience, they did Video Killed the Radio Star as an encore, yes they
talked to the audience, before and after the show, and crazy? I'd say
so... Ben didn't play the piano with the mic, but Darren did a nice dive
into the keyboard. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 17:56:09 -0500
From: PowerVegan@aol.com
Subject: Can't stop blabbering about BF5
>> I first heard them on The Conan O'Brien Show a few months ago. I thought
they were really good and I went out and bought the tape.
They were on Conan!? I'm damn sorry I missed that. Who wants to sell me a
videotape?
>> Continuing on the Queen kick, I too hear some Queen in "boxing," as well
as Squeeze, early Elton John, and Jellyfish. Let's give it up for our
"indie-rock Billy Joel!"
>> All I could say is wow! the influences of Joe Jackson, Billy Joel, Elton
John and even Squeeze definitely come through.
I'm gonna dissent. I don't hear, Queen, Elton John, Billy Joel, Billy Idol,
or ANYBODY in BF5's stuff. To me, it seems truly original, which is damn
tough to pull off these days after 40 years of rock music -- what else is
left to create? I'm wondering whether some of you might think that BF5
sounds like Queen or Elton John just because there's a piano in it? I guess
Ben's voice on Boxing sounds a little like Freddie Mercury's in Bohemiam
Rhapsody, but I don't see much similarity beyond that. The closest I hear
musically is the opening notes of Best Imitation (which start on G, hit C,
and proceed to C major), and We Are the Champions (which start on G, hit C
but STOP there, and proceed to C minor). Maybe if you all could provide
examples? i.e., Which parts of which BF5 songs are you comparing to which
parts of other songs?
The closest similarity I've found is between Summer B. and Wedding Bell Blues
by the Fifth Dimension (Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.), since parts of both
of them are structured with consecutive quarter-note minor seventh chords.
>>Hey by the way, has anyone tried playing the BF5 album backwards yet?
My four-track recorder just arrived by FedEx minutes ago, so I'll have a
report for you soon! :-)
>>I talked to Ben after the Chicago show in late January and as of then, he
was not romantically involved with Summer. If I remember correctly, she was
still with Darren at the time (I have no idea if they still are together at
this moment, but I haven't heard otherwise.) But again, as of then, Ben and
Summer were not together.
>> Funny post about summer. Am I allowed to show her? She'd get a kick out
of it. She's NOT living with Ben, by the by. She's waiting tables over at
Elmo's Diner in Carrboro. You should see this girl salsa dance tho...
Okay, but remember, I was just the messenger! I mentioned that I couldn't
vouch for any of the information my informant gave me.
>> "You take any dumb rock band and start playing their songs on piano and
watch their eyes light up." -Ben Folds
That's a interesting comment, because since piano's my main instrument,
that's what I've always played my favorite songs on, even if they're not
piano songs. I grew up playing Rush and AC/DC on the piano! In fact, when I
played in a restaurant when I was 15-17, I played lounge versions of those
songs.
>>A list of everything that Ben Folds Five has put out to date (i.e. LP's,
EP's, singles, 45's, appearances on tributes, appearances on soundtracks
(such as Mr. Wrong), and any other thing.\
It's all on the Web page. I don't have the address handy -- just do a
NetSearch for Ben Folds Five.
What *I'D* like to get is a list of all the other musical projects Ben Folds
himself has played on, drums or otherwise. I know it's extensive, Fleming &
John, Archers of Loaf, etc.
>>Does anyone have any idea if Caroline, Sony, or even Ben himself could help
me get in touch with some copies of the piano [sheet] music to his
wonderfully entertaining and philosophically invigorating music.
I doubt BF5 music has ever been scored by anyone, even by Ben. (Why bother
to write it down when you wrote it?) I can play the songs since I play by
ear, and I guess I could play them into my computer and have it create the
score, except my software doesn't have that score-generating feature... maybe
I'll upgrade my software some day and generate some sheet music.
One way to figure out how to play Ben's songs is to watch him. I got a spot
right next to the piano at the last show, but he was too high up. I could
only see the sides of the white keys... you have to be able to see the black
ones so you have your landmarks. It was frustrating, because I could tell
that I would have picked up a lot of I could have only seen what the hell he
was doing. I did pick up one thing -- the chord from Summer B. which had
been giving me fits -- a Bm7 chord with the right hand and two E's with the
left. No wonder I couldn't figure it out. Who the hell plays a Bm7/E?! It
oughtta be illegal!
>>Is there any Ben paraphenalia out lurking the streets, I'd like to catch
some, (T-shirts, key chains, dolls of Ben, Rob, and Darren with the little
suction cups on their hands and feet so that they can attach themselves to a
car window...)
Hey, back off buddy -- you better not be trying to challenge my status as the
biggest BF5 fan! :-)
Hey, Frank, are BF5 themeselves one of the recipients of these digests?
Sorry for blabbering so much. See you on AOL on Tuesday night!
-- Michael Bluejay * Austin TX
[Lessee... They were on Conan Dec. 26; the address for the web page
is at the bottom of each Digest; and the digest goes to Caroline Records.
At the Pontiac show I gave Ben printouts of the first 25 or so issues,
and he had read much of it already. The people at the label said they are
saving them for when they get back home.
I used to be a piano player, and still hope to have time to get back
at it, so I appreciate good technique. When I saw them in Cali I was left
of stage and got to watch Ben play, from behind, which was about ideal.
At Pontiac I could roam around, and I did, watching over his shoulder
sometimes, and other times from over by Robert's side to catch Ben
head-on. I was on the piano side for Philosophy, one of the songs I
wanted to see him play, just to see if he used mirrors or put on some
extra fingers for.
Finally, my list of Ben's credits is incomplete but a lot of it has
been mentioned on this list. Perhaps someone can compile it and I'll
start a new section on the web page. -fjm]
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 19:34:58 -0500
From: Caroline Records
Subject: UK Release Date for BF5
New Info:
The Ben Folds Five album will be released in the UK on April 15th. They
will probably tour there in late-April, early May.
Thanks!
==============================================================================
Date: Fri, 08 Mar 96 20:42:01 -0500
From: Nina Hays <nimsey@neosoft.com>
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #46
-- [ From: Nina Hays * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --
somewhere i red that BFF were going to play in Austin, Texas on March 14.
that is the 1st day of SXSW. can anyone confirm this? I NEED to know
before i head there.
nina
[The latest word was that the show at Scholz Garden is still on. -fjm]
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