Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #89 - May 28, 1996
Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #89
Topics for Today:
radio airplay
BF5 List Yelling Code Words and stuff...dot dash dot dash...
Jools Holland Show
Ben's piano tuner and remakes we'd like to see
Ben Folds Five Mailing list
BFF
"stop the bus"
BF5 chant
BF5 Squeeze Frank Jellyfish Set List Variants Splash Club
The Results of the Great Ben Folds Fan Fave Band Poll of '96
Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #88
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Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 19:16:42 -0400
From: UFOPhiler@aol.com
Subject: radio airplay
Hi! I have been subscribing to this for a month but this is my first post.
I got hooked to Ben Folds Five when I got the CD for Christmas. I hink its
one of the best albums i ever heard. I first heard the song on a radio
station. They never play them now. Even the modern rock ones don't so i
have refrained from listening to the radio lately. All the radio stations
around here suck. I'm so frustrated.
bye,
kate
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Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 18:36:12 -0500
From: Iron Kong Productions <monkey@inf.net>
Subject: BF5 List Yelling Code Words and stuff...dot dash dot dash...
I think we should have something other than "Stop the bus" as our
battle cry...it's a lyric to a song, and I think a bunch of other people (if
they knew the lyrics, but weren't on the list) would probably start
yelling...I'm sure some people think that's the name of the song,
anyway...we should have some sort of strange shout, that maybe has nothing
to do with the band at all...perhaps "MAYNARD!"???? How about "I like
pizza!"? I don't think many people would understand, except us...plus,
you're guaranteed to get a few stares...kinda fun, if you ask me...
Greg
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Date: Sat, 25 May 1996 01:02:56 +0100 (BST)
From: D W Logan <bs5dwl@bath.ac.uk>
Subject: Jools Holland Show
All,
Someone mentioned that they wished that they had seen the Jools Holland
show. I can't help you in seeing it (because my parents forgot to record
it for me) but i can tell you what happened. BFF only played one track -
because they were the least well known band playing. They played
"philosophy" and it was pretty much the version on the album, except at
the end Ben went rather overboard with the piano, using his feet and his
rear end!! It was all rather impressive. Jools seemed quite impressed and
explained away the fact that they were only playing one track, by saying
that Ben had knocked his piano seriously out of tune (probably true!).
The only other thing that happened was the Jools got confused between
where Hootie and the Blowfish came from (South Carolina) and BFF came from
(North Carolina). Ben jokeingly said that he came from New York.
Hope that goes some way to satisfying your curiosity!
Two questions,
1, Is Caroline records in anyway linked to North Carolina?
2, Is the USA version of the album exactly the same as the British
version?
Bye,
Darren
P.S. You'll all be happy to know that BFF are getting maximum airplay on
Bath University Radio, where i DJ!!! Every little bit helps!!
[I don't think there's any connection between Caroline Records, which
is based in New York, and North Carolina. Just happy coincidence. -fjm]
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Date: Sat, 25 May 1996 02:58:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: eric t beteille <beteille@mary.iia.org>
Subject: Ben's piano tuner and remakes we'd like to see
On the subject of the beat-up baby grand that BFF hauls (er, Ryders)
around to most of their shows ... Has anyone seen the guy who tunes it
before the show? In Boulder, a non-band member spent a good deal of
time carefully tuning the dented black case. Do they bring their own tuner
guy? Or hire a new one in each town? Or do venues have their own? Can
Ben tune it? Does he want to?
If it hasnt' been done already, I'd like to start a list of "Other
People's Songs We'd Like Ben Folds Five to Cover" ... I know they
regularly do a few covers already, but our attentive ears could pick
up some old and new tunes that would greatly benefit from the BFF spin.
I nominate Prince's "Let's Go Crazy." Next time you hear it, imagine
the BFF rhythm section providing the power behind it and Ben doing his
jerky-but-smooth vocals to lyrics like "are we gonna let the elevator
break us down oh no let's go" and the guys singing harmony like Lisa
and Wendy used to during Prince's Purple Rain days..
It even has a few tempo changes that the band seems to like so much
and some hugely overblown guitar solos that could be vastly improved
by becoming piano solos! And if you listen closely enough, the song
already has a "rhythm piano" going through most of it ....
Goin' crazy,
Eric
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Date: Sat, 25 May 96 11:16:53 -0700
From: Kenny Friedman <Pkennydoe@orion.webspan.net>
Subject: Ben Folds Five Mailing list
My sister in law gave me the CD - I haven't stopped listening to it in two
months...I'm a piano player also (professionally) and it's hard for me to
get into other piano players because they either SUCK, or they always
sound like one of the big 3 (Elton, Billy and/or Bruce) - I doesn't sound
like any of them...That's excellent. I hope that after lollapaloozer
he'll come to the NY area on his own.
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Date: Sat, 25 May 1996 15:55:45 -0500
From: Lee Nelson <lee.nelson@thursby.com>
Subject: BFF
Homee,
This list rocks! So, how about Ben Folds Five. I said how I Found them,
how about telling me how you guys found them. I think I'm gonna make a top
ten list of answers to this questttion.
Thanx,
Lee Nelson
"Your Uncle Walters goin on and on bout everything He's seen and done."
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Date: Tue, 28 May 1996 11:19:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: Amanda Elizabeth Plumb <aep1@acpub.duke.edu>
Subject: "stop the bus"
i think saying "stop the bus" is cheesy-sorry.
is anyone going to the columbia show on friday (may 31?)?
amanda
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Date: Tue, 28 May 1996 03:19:26, -0500
From: MS A FRIEDMAN <EDWU22B@prodigy.com>
Subject: BF5 chant
hey frank...why don't you want us to use your name as our
chant? i dunno...someone mentioned it in the last
issue...perhaps as a joke...but..i actually think it's a
good idea..why not???? *g*
'stop the bus is' good...but maybe not crazy
enough...shouldn't it be something that is seemingly not
related to BF5?...but actually is..and we are the only ones
that know that relation? that's what i'm thinking the chant
should be...if not 'frank' something just us on the list
would have a clue about..otherwise it just sounds like fans
spouting off lyrics..hehe..don't get me wrong..if you guys
like 'stop the bus' then lets do it...just offering my
opinion....so..thanks for listening...
[How about "Baldwin! Baldwin!" -fjm]
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Date: Tue, 28 May 1996 11:04:25 +0000
From: Matthew Trigg <mat@gmtnet.co.uk>
Subject: BF5 Squeeze Frank Jellyfish Set List Variants Splash Club
Hey all
the subject line is a reminder to me about all the things I need to cover here.
So, first up, yeah, the Later with Jools Holland thing was fantastic. The
show included the Manic Street Preachers (who are one of the most energetic
bands in the UK at the moment) and even they couldn't match the power of the
BF5. The dear old BBC really went to town on the lighting for the song,
whereas everyone else just played to normal studio lighting. I made all my
friends stay up to watch it and I was relieved that they stood out so much
even on a star-packed show. It was a shame that they played so late in the
set, but apparently Jools needed to play the piano to accompany Pete
Townsend and was rather keen on it still being in tune when he used it!
And you're so right that they sound a bit like Squeeze - Ben's "wimp" vocals
are very similar to the Difford/Tilbrook sound. But what surprised me was
that at the Splash Club gig, they reminded me a whole lot of Jellyfish -
very powerful; big drum sound, backing vocals right up in the mix. (People
moshed to Julianne!)
My friend Finbar and I stood against the mixing desk at the gig, and so I
could see the set list over my shoulder. Interesting that they varied the
order of songs a good deal - notably "Boxing" was in brackets in the middle
of the set (I think before Sports and Wine) but Ben played it as the first
encore. Anyone heard them do it in the middle of the set?
And as a final note, I like Stop the Bus, but since they were the first
words of the set at the Splash Club (and I guess elsewhere too), it might
seem a little strange to the band to have us apparently chanting for a song
that they had already played earlier on. So, I hate to do this to you after
you said no, but, Frank - I think that we should adopt "Frank" as the
hallmark of the list member. Oh yes! (does this mean I'm gonna get
mysteriously unsubscribed now? :(
Right - new day awaits.
9.8 straight down
Matthew
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Date: 29 Apr 1996 02:23:57 GMT
From: BuTteRworth <akline@disneys.oro.net>
Subject: The Results of the Great Ben Folds Fan Fave Band Poll of '96
Dear Everyone,
The idea of making a list of the favorite bands of BF5 fans came
to me as a vision : a list of great bands (because the contributors
obviously have remarkable taste) that I may not have heard of. I hope the
results of the poll inspire you to give a good listen to some of the bands
that did well.
The e-mailed responses I received were diverse and varied. From
"songs from the Animaniacs" to Frank Zappa to Rancid, I knew I had my
hands full. One list looked like MTV's standard rotation list while
another was ten bands so obscure, they had to be great. Anyhow, here's the
results of the Great Ben Folds Five Fan Internet Favourite Band Polling of
1996 (by the way, Ben Folds Five would obviously be considered to be
number one, so they aren't on the list)...
1.) the Beatles (7 votes)
2.) Barenaked Ladies (6 votes)
3.) R.E.M. (5 votes)
Tori Amos (5 votes)
4.) Dave Matthews Band (4 votes)
Joe Jackson (4 votes)
They Might Be Giants (4 votes)
U2 (4 votes)
Weezer (4 votes)
5.) Green Day (3 votes)
Kate Bush (3 votes)
Led Zeppelin (3 votes)
Live (3 votes)
Matthew Sweet (3 votes)
Moxy Fruvous (3 votes)
Pavement (3 votes)
Radiohead (3 votes)
the Replacements (3 votes)
Sebadoh (3 votes)
Violent Femmes (3 votes)
There's the top-vote getters for you. The list of bands that got 2 votes is
huge, and a waste of everybody's time, and the single voted band list is even
longer. It looks like I ought to go buy some Barenaked Ladies... (take that
how you may)...
Thanks to all contributors,
Adam Kline
akline@disneys.oro.net
-----------------------
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Date: Tue, 28 May 1996 17:17:55 -0400 (EDT)
From: Kate Cottle <kcottle@hopi.dtcc.edu>
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #88
Hey all!
Since I suggested it, I vote for "Stop the Bus!"
More importantly, though, I was excited to see quotes from Dave
Matthews and Jeff Buckley in some folks' sig files. Besides BFF, they
are two of my favorites, and it is nice to see that others' taste overlaps.
Lately, on Nancies, which the Dave Matthews Band List, people
listed their other favorite artists besides DMB. It was really
interesting to see where people were coming from musically./ Do you
think that might be a good idea for this list?
Just a thought in the aether.....
Kate
....Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the
talent to the dark place where it leads. E. Jong
....There's so much comedy on television. Does that cause comedy
on the streets? --Dick Cavett, mocking the TV violence debate
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