Ben Folds Five Digest

Issue #77 - May 4, 1996



                     Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #77
 
Topics for Today:
 
      The Alice Childress Controversy
      Another vote for "Magical Armchair"
      RE: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #76
      The endless name suggestions continue...
      Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #76
      D-tox single
      bf5 on eMpTyV again (sorta)...
      Let's get crazy about "Uncle Walter"
      BF5 UK single
 
==============================================================================

 Date: Thu, 02 May 1996 08:43:48 -0700
 From: Colin McConnell <cmcconnell@prudential.com>
 Subject: The Alice Childress Controversy

 Lot's of people are still caught up in this Alice Childress controversy.
  Alice Childress was a writer.  Alex Chilton was the leader of Big Star.
  But Ben confesses in a live radio interview on WNEW in New York that
 neither is the subject of the song.  In fact, he'd never heard of Alice
 Childress until a reporter applauded his "astute literary refernce."

 This song was co-written (by whom I can't remember), and it was actually
 co-writer who came up with the name Alice Childress.  (Or so Ben says in
 the interview.)  Alice was a mental patient at a hospital where this
 person worked.  I think Ben said her only real claim to faim was that she
 "threw water on my friend."

 Colin

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Thu, 02 May 96 17:23:27
 From: bminnick@locrscs.CMIC.STATE.PA.US
 Subject: Another vote for "Magical Armchair"

  Just wanted to add my two cents on the list name.  Magical Armchair works
  fine for me.  I'll chime in, too, with my unequivocal appreciation for
  Uncle Walter.  Great song, funny lyrics, and stellar musicianship.  How
  could anyone not love that song?  Boxing is fab, too, but the demo version
  (with background vocals in place of the strings) beats the commercial
  version hands down. The strings always struck me as being a tad pretentious.
  The background vocals on the demo are simply gorgeous!  They should
  definitely release that version.  Hey, here's an idea.  Press up the demo
  onto CD and provide all the Magical Armchair subscribers with a copy!
  This, for the band, could serve as a way of saying, "Hey, thank you, folks,
  for all of your support!"  Please tell me, all, if I'm starting to sound
  like a greedy little BF5 fanatic who has to have a pristine copy of
  absolutely everything they've ever recorded!  You know what?  I plead guilty!
  See ya!

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Thu, 2 May 1996 16:40:25 -0500
 From: amy b <kbrenham@dialin.econonet.com>
 Subject: RE: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #76

 For a list name, how about They Wouldn't Dig This Town or Hand Me My Nose
 Ring or Made A Face 'Til It Stuck or Sore Tooth

 My favorite song is "Best Imitation of Myself" and the classic line is "Do
 you think that I should take a class to lose my Southern accent?"  I go to
 a school full of kids from up north and even though i live in TX, southern
 accents are ridiculed.  So, my friends and myself, being southerners,
 really appreciate that line.  I used the song for a creative project in my
 English class and everyone loved it. This is my biggest reason for
 thinking BF5 is about to get really huge.  Of course these are the kids
 that like a band as long as they are on Mtv... something I've never had
 the honor of having. So, who knows?  BTW: Did anybody see their February
 show in Houston at the Urban Art Bar? amy b

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Thu, 2 May 1996 19:02:43 -0400 (EDT)
 From: laura hanyok <lhanyo1@gl.umbc.edu>
 Subject: The endless name suggestions continue...

 Hello all.  Don't know if i've posted before, but i guess this is a good
 place to start. Personally, i love "The Kindest Truths", although "The
 Pit Fantastic" is pretty cool as well.  But the lyrics "the kindest
 truths are often spoke but never heard" are some of my favorite off the
 whole album, and i think it'd be perfect since we all basically gossip on
 this list, trying to find "the truth" about a great band. :)

 Just a thought...and a probably stupid question that i'm sure somebody
 knows the answer to, but why is it Ben Folds Five when there's 3 of them?

 Laura

 "Without music, life would be a mistake. " - Nietzsche

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Thu, 2 May 1996 21:29:48 -0400
 From: Wri10@aol.com
 Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #76

 Just a quickie this time, I promise.

 It's been my observation that some of our best <unappreciated> pop/rock bands
 do exceptionally well in Japan.  Todd Rundgren's album before The
 Individualist was only available on a Japanese label for almost a year before
 Phillips released it for CD-I here in the states.  Cheap Trick wouldn't still
 have a career if it weren't for their Japanese sales, probably, and I'd
 consider that a darn shame, because even when they're all replacement parts
 I'll still like them.

 So domo arigato, Japan -- keep the royalties up until our fellow Americans
 get a clue and pick up on BFF too!

 Melinda

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Thu, 02 May 1996 23:42:55 -0400 (EDT)
 From: Melanie Schatz <st942523@PIP.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU>
 Subject: D-tox single

 hey guys!

 well, now that this single is an official rarity, and since I just missed
 it (i'm one of the ones who will be recieving my check back from them :( )
 I was wondering if any of you who are lucky enough to have this would be
 willing to make  a copy of it?  I would love to hear "Eddie Walker"...i
 have never heard it!  Well, if anyone can help me, i would appreciate it so
 much!  i'm afraid i don't have anything to trade...i am just building my
 collection!

 thanks!

 melanie
 st942523@pip.cc.brandeis.edu

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Thu, 02 May 1996 23:43:19 -0500
 From: geomac <gmcnulty@students.wisc.edu>
 Subject: bf5 on eMpTyV again (sorta)...

 I was watching eMpTyV today, some show called "MTV News Unfiltered," when,
 during either the story about the macaques or the lesbian mother, they start
 playing bf5's "Underground" as background music.  If I'm not mistaken
 they'll rerun this show god knows how many times, so it'll be on again for
 all you bf5ers out there.  Yippiee.

 Geoff

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Fri, 3 May 1996 06:35:00 -0400
 From: MARK400@aol.com
 Subject: Let's get crazy about "Uncle Walter"


      Ok, I don't know what everyone else is thinking but I know what I am
 going to do when this video is premeired.  On that day I am going to send Mtv
 and MuchMusic email a few times a week requesting this song.  I am going to
 find time to call my local radio stations at least once a day and request to
 hear this song.  I recommed everybody who reads this mailing list do the same
 thing.  We need Ben Folds Five mania to sweep the nation.  This band is too
 good to keep to ourselves.  We have had them long enough and it is time to
 share with the rest of the country.

 MARK

 ==============================================================================

 Date: Mon, 01 Jan 1996 13:57:07 -0800
 From: Eugene Unger <eunger@sctcorp.com>
 Subject: BF5 UK single

 Hi

 Do you have any info on the UK 'underground' single??
 I saw an advert in Melody Maker for a limited 7" and CD single.

 thanks,
 Eugene

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            The girl tearing the curtains down looks funny as hell