Ben Folds Five Digest
Issue #94 - June 5, 1996
Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #94
Topics for Today:
Rhode Island
Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #93
first post
New UK Ben Folds Five Web Site
New To Q Transcription.
Suggested covers, not that it matters anyway
Re: Slogan
Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #93
BFF: West Palm Beach Quickie Review
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Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 11:15:21 -0400 (EDT)
From: Marge Bouvier <mjt7742@is2.NYU.EDU>
Subject: Rhode Island
All you Rhode Islanders will be pleased to hear that Ben Folds Five will
be playing Club Babyhead on June 15th. I am from Pawtucket, but I'm in
New York right now playing with my own band. I hope to be coming in for
the show that weekend. Hey... It might make a groovy father's day gift
for any hip parent.
Love,
Marc
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Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 09:17:46 -0600
From: Joe Sweetser <joes@Access.COM>
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #93
Someone here done said:
> samples on "Philosophy," but I believe that whoever told you about that
> was referring to the samples of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" towards the
> end of the song. It's the big loud piano fill/solo.
A few comments: I don't think the Gershwin stuff is a sample in the true
sense of the word. Ben is *playing* the lick, it's not a recorded
snippet. He does it live, too. Don't mean to be anal about this if it
sounds like I am.
On a related note, I saw a band called the Bluesbusters a few weeks back.
The keyboard player was T. Lavitz (Dixie Dregs, one Widespread Panic
album) and he did the exact same thing with the Gershwin lick during a
solo. Being as I have seen him many times and he never did it before, I
can only assume that he, too, is listening to BFF and is liking what he's
hearing. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to ask him after the show.
later,
joe (joes@access.com)
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Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 14:09:24 +0000
From: dl <dl@cates.demon.co.uk>
Subject: first post
Hi kids
This is my first on this list. I'm a UK fan, got into ben about 5 months
ago through an american fan.
I was the guy who shouted out for Emaline at the Splash show in London, I
felt like donkey kong when he actually played it, and now it's on the new
single:-)
What's the story on Majosha? I'd love to trade or buy a tape copy, if not
can someone post a tracklisting? I've got the BFF demo's stuff I can trade
if anyone's interested.
I'm buzzing about Reading festival as I live in Reading UK so I'll be there
anyways:-)
Anyways, this is just an intro. If any UK fans wanna chat it's good.
Anytrades kool too:-)
LateR:-)
DL
dl@cates.demon.co.uk
"Testing POSITIVE 4 tha' Funk!"
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Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 17:44:22 GMT
From: Mark Piper <MFP540@novell3.bham.ac.uk>
Subject: New UK Ben Folds Five Web Site
Hello all,
Just a quick message to say that my new Ben Folds Five Web Site is
now up and running. Well, more sort of cantering, but it's there. It
is mostly aimed at the UK fans, carrying all the latest UK news as it
comes in, however it does have some interviews and things from
various places, so anybody may find something of interest there.
Check it out at:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/5430/bff.html
However, I will be away for the summer in a couple of weeks time, so
the news will not be kept up to date. But, if any UK fans are willing
to help just keep the place running until September, I'm quite
happy to let them, just keeping the news up to date and so forth. Email me at
mfp540@bham.ac.uk if you wish to do this.
Thanks,
Mark
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Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 18:28:19 GMT
From: Mark Piper <MFP540@novell3.bham.ac.uk>
Subject: New To Q Transcription.
Darren wrote:
> BFF were also mentioned in the Indie chart section. And there is an
> article on them in "Q" magazine in the "NEW TO Q" section. There is a lot
> of interesting quotes from Ben. Well worth a look. If anybody wants it i
> could post a transcript personally or to the list.
I already have a transcription of this on my WWW page, if anybody
wants to read it. It can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/5430/newtoq.html
Check out the rest of the stuff too,
cheers,
Mark
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Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 15:56:37 -0400
From: Jeff Turrentine <jturrentine@forbes.com>
Subject: Suggested covers, not that it matters anyway
We could hold an international summit with representatives from 100
different nations, each suggesting an interesting cover for BFF to do --
and it wouldn't matter. I think covers are a very personal matter for a
band, and most pride themselves on doing covers that nobody, not even
their biggest fans, might anticipate. As a connoisseur of covers, I've
catalogued some faves, among them Marshall Crenshaw's live version of
ABBA's "Knowing Me, Knowing You," the Replacements' versions of KISS's
"Black Diamond" segueing into the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There," and Elvis
Costello's brilliant melding of his own "Pump It Up" with Prince's "Sign
of the Times" *and* Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues."
Despite my belief that bands only cover what they *want* to cover and not
what *we want them* to cover, I'll throw in my two cents' worth. I'd like
to hear BFF do:
1. "September Gurls" by Big Star
2. "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me" by Warren Zevon
3. "Girlfriend" by Matthew Sweet (a great choice, whoever picked it)
4. "Headache" by Frank Black
5. "Echos Myron" by Guided by Voices
Hearing BFF cover any one or all of these songs would confirm my suspicion
that they suffer from the same affliction which has cursed me since I
bought Rockpile's "Seconds of Pleasure" as a curious thirteen-year-old:
the insatiable drive to find the perfect, Platonically ideal three-minute
three-chord (or four- chord, or maybe even five-chord) pop song. ("Where's
Summer B.?" comes very close.)
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Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 16:57:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Donna L. Hokanson" <hokansod@goldey.gbc.edu>
Subject: Re: Slogan
How about if we yell "I can't think of a slogan!" Since we are not
coming up with anything. I believe we should not use Maynard if he
doesn't want it to be used.
Whatta ya think.
Donna
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Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 11:10:29 +0100
From: John Allison <JOA95JWA@sheffield.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Ben Folds Five Digest, Issue #93
Binky wrote:
>Hate to be a downer folks, but this whole cover song suggestion thing
> seems to be mostly besides the point. This is a band with great
>songs built in. Covers just take stage time away from great *new* songs
>the band could be performing. Why would you want great songwriters to
>do the songs of others?
We could always debate Ben's haircut ;-)
When a band's new it's always good to hear their interpretations of
other peoples stuff.
My last cover prod:
Radio Free Europe by REM. Ooooh yeah!
Ta-ra
JOHN ALLISON
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"It gets on my ne-e-e-e-e-rves"
-Our Man Neil
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Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 13:25:41 -0400
From: MandelI@aol.com
Subject: BFF: West Palm Beach Quickie Review
If I could use just one word to describe last night's concert it would be,
WOW!!!!! The concert sealed my love for these guys. All three were in
top form last night treating the audience at the Carefree Theatre to a
rousing set including several unreleased tracks as "One Angry Dwarf"
(Awesome song!), "Steven's Last Night Out" (Get me one of 'em 'hooters'!),
and "Song For the Dumped" (The lyrics were hilarious). Does anybody know
the title of the song which has the "Chopsticks"-like piano backing to it?
It was a short one and was the very first song he did. It was also done
in the dark. The covers performed that night were "Your Cheatin' Heart"
(Ben promised to play all our favorite "country and western" selections!),
"Champagne Supernova" (Ben launched into this one while Robert took a
little "urination" break), "The Rose," "Video Killed the Radio Star," and
get this, "Havah Nagilah!" The theatre itself was a little odd since it
also doubles as a movie theatre. This resulted in the whole audience just
sitting in the chairs for the first few songs. Ben made a few remarks
about how playing at Carefree made him realize what it feels like to be in
a movie. Fortunately, people started to get up and boogie once the boys
whipped out "Underground." Most of the first several rows got up and
stayed up at this point. There were several great things which came
through onstage which don't come through on their CD.
First, the guys have great energy. They all seem to be having a blast
playing up there. Ben really has a great stage presence throwing an
occasional mug or goofy grin to the audience or doing a little side-thrust
with his hips in that burlesque-dancer style! They all have a great sense
of humor too. I loved Ben's joke about how "The Last Polka" was based on
an original idea: a breakup. Another classic moment was when Robert asked
Ben if he could go to the john to take a pee. Also, when an audience
member shouted out "Uncle Walter!" about four or so songs after they had
done it already, Ben decided to do an "alternative" version of "Uncle
Walter" off-the-cuff. He also "previewed" some lyrics of a song he was
supposedly writing about why "twelfth grade sucks." (It was joke, right?)
However, the big highlight for me (mainly because I'm a piano player
myself) was seeing Ben in action at that Baldwin. My jaw was dropping
like crazy! My mother was fortunate enough to get me tickets only about
nine or ten rows away from the piano side of the stage, so I had a really
good view of Ben's hands. They were literally a blur! Now, if I could
only play like that! Of course, Ben threw in some other piano gymanstics
playing with his forearm, his shoe, the piano stool, and my all-time
favorite: his whole body! Robert and Darren did awesome jobs too putting
in their great harmonies and showing off their skills on their
instruments. In fact, all three of them were in excellent vocal shape!
Needless to say, this was a truly magical experience for me. These guys
knew how to work the audience and put on a good, tight show. I was just
upset that it went by so quickly! The concert had the feel of the concert
documented in Elton John's "11-17-70." The crowd was loving it. The band
was loving it. The music kicked butt. Everybody was having fun. And
there's this feeling that these guys are going to headed to bigger, better
things. I'm just glad that I had the opportunity to see them while
they're still playing in smaller venues like the Carefree Theater (though
I hate to say it might be their last time there considering that the
seating arrangement made it so that it was a bit hard to stand up).
Another plus, the concert helped me convert two of my friends into BFFers.
So, if you haven't seen Ben Folds Five live and they're going to be in
your neck of the woods, SEE THEM! Not only will you hear good music
(that's not counting Geezer Lake...Don't get me started on those guys!)
but you'll have a good laugh and a good time!
P.S. Is it just me or doesn't Ben look like a cross between Forrest Gump
and Dave Matthews? Also, is it just me or doesn't Darren look a little
like Steven Weber from the show "Wings??"
Mandel Ilagan
ilagan@fas.harvard.edu
mandeli@aol.com
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