Gary Numan Digest Sun, 15 Aug 99 Volume 1 : Issue 564 Today's Topics: "don't let them touch me" "The Plan" / "Dance" reissues? Arrgh!!!! Ebircsbusnu Gary Numan Digest V1 #563 (2 msgs) Introduction, a few things for sale Musings on copyright, DVDs, remasters, and Eagle Sorry ! The Radio One Recordings Tik Tik & Tok Tik and Tok Who's Alec Way? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 13:01:19 -0500 From: Valerie Iglar-Mobley Subject: "don't let them touch me" To: The Gary Digest Dear numanoids all, Someone of us wrote in recently to say that Gary's moment to reclaim his standing... had passed. I'm afraid he may be right. I've written before that I thought Gary should have released a hits collection, and that should have been the FIRST thing out of the gate with Cleopatra. He finally gets another US release contract, one with a company interested in reissuing his backcatalog, and his reaction is one of blase disinterest. He finally returns to the states to tour, and after giving us a live album for EVERY studio album he's released up to this one... he takes a pass on a live recording from the US tour. With the utmost of respect for our numanoid cohorts across the puddle, the US is a much bigger market than the UK. This was a huge opportunity to come back from a dark period in his career. And he blew it. Quite cavalierly. It makes me wonder if Gary's really all that interested in success. I know he's a perfectionist, and he wants his music to be done HIS way. I understand that, but that argument only goes so far. Rod comes to Gary and says, "Hey, I'd like to include the William Orbit remix of 'My Dying' on 'Berserker.' It could give it a real boost!" and Gary says "no." Rod tries again with the remixes form the "My World Storm" ep, and Gary says "no." Those versions would indeed have given whatever reissue they were on a real boost, because how many of us have them? Certainly not all of us. In glaring contrast, for 'The Mix' he got so behind that project he actually re-recorded the vocals for the older tracks, because Eagle/Cleo doesn't have the rights to the BB songs. But that was just about every track on the disc; check out its playlist and do the math, my friends. That kind of shows the lie of his excuse that he doesn't like others to muck about with his music. Maybe Gary is just contemptuous of America. I would at least respect that sentiment, but to then sabotage his own career to satisfy that feeling is pretty foolish, to my thinking. Gary should have been very careful and attentive to his US releases, and to his career moves in general at this point. EVERY reissue should have had at least one new-to-cd track on it; he apparently has plenty to draw upon. Look at the way BB has reissued his material, complete with extensive liner notes on each album. Does Gary do the same with Eagle/Cleo? No. Instead, Rod has to make do with pulling quotes about the albums from 'Praying to the Aliens' to accompany his compilation. Gary should have made sure a new live disc was put out from this tour, a single disc to give it greater reach with the market. I'm sorry, the excuses about the final show being taped and then contested by Marilyn Manson's management and then, oops, the masters were lost anyway... are just that: excuses. He should have realised a return to the US is a major victory. He should have ensured he'd get a live disc out of it by recording several of the nights, and then picking whichever sounded the best. Where was a "greatest hits" compilation to follow on the heels of 'The Premier Hits'? Didn't that disc's success mean anything to Gary? He should have follow it up immediately with a collection from his Numa catalog, and released it concurrent with 'Exile.' Instead we get the lukewarm 'Mix' which actually features songs from his BB days instead. What about 'Random'? Okay, now we've seen that Cleopatra releasing a tribute collection is actually a fairly regular occurrence for them, but still Gary's is the only one I've seen that filled TWO discs for its set. This was momentous; it should have been a feather in his cap. And how was it labeled? Plain black. It was such a confusing package, an additional label had to be added to the top edge to read "file under Gary Numan" so that store clerks would know where to put it in their bins. It should have had actual PHOTOS of all the bands on it, with their names prominently displayed on the front, with Gary right smack in the middle. Big sticker that reads "double disc set, at single disc price!" Hey, here's an idea: let's actually try to promote our release, rather than disguise it! I don't know what went wrong with the "Dominion Day" single, but what happened to the other obvious single from the album, "The Angel Wars"? I even wrote to him to suggest he release it, complete with a controversial video to accompany. Look at how much controversy his anti-religiosity caused among us numanoids, among his loyal fans! Think what the reaction might have been from the general public. Go ahead, let the record and video be banned, and let that publicity work for you, the way it has other banned artists. Madonna's video was never shown on MTV, and the public swarmed into stores to buy it, based only on the fact that it was banned; it was actually a fairly boring vid, and the song wasn't a song so much as a spoken word piece set to a drum loop, but it grabbed the public's attention the way "The Angel Wars" could have. Only "Wars" is actually an amazing song, and it could have had a really challenging and daring video. Gary's reaction? Not interested. So Gary has recorded something like 36 songs, and now he's not happy with any of them and is going to start all over. Again, letting momentum slip away from him. In contrast, Boy George puts out on his private label a demo disc of songs he meant to be his follow-up to 'Cheapness & Beauty' called 'The Unrecoupable One Man Bandit,' and his fans go so batty over it that his regular label decides to issue it for general release. Doesn't Gary still have that capability? Okay, maybe he can't be faulted for not including "Are 'Friends' Electric?" in his recent appearance at that whatever-it-was festival. I didn't know "Electric?" was such a monster hit with the Europeans, maybe Gary didn't either. But what has he been doing with his time now that he's just playing one-off shows and not touring? It used to be that he would tour every year, AND knock off an album every year. And now? Now that his career is coming back, bands are paying tribute to him, he's got a record label and a US release contract? No tours. No album. Bear in mind, these points are not hard to figure out. They don't require a brilliant market strategist to plan them; they're fairly obvious. Maybe Gary has become comfortable being uderground. Maybe the daylight scares him. Well, Gary, the catacombs will welcome you back. Tell me I'm wrong. Benjamin Iglar-Mobley * * * "I don't need heroes I don't need this name I don't need favours And I know I don't need fame" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 14:49:41 -0700 (PDT) From: david c carroll Subject: "The Plan" / "Dance" reissues? To: Gary Numan Mailing List Does anyone have an update as to when these Beggars Banquet reissue CDs will be released in the US? Also, what about "I, Assassin" and "Warriors"? -- dave ''' "sometimes you win. C-OO sometimes you lose. david c carroll \ sometimes it rains." Seattle, Washington, USA - tvc15@speakeasy.org ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 00:01:33 -0700 From: Pythoness Subject: Arrgh!!!! To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Please, I beg of you all: KEEP PERSONAL POLITICS THE HELL OFF THIS LIST. They have no place here. They're boring. They raise people's adrenaline needlessly. If most of us wanted to discuss Rush Limbaugh, abortion, or conservation, we would be on a different list. I know Gary's not doing a lot to talk about right now, but if you feel you absolutely *have* to respond to something ==>completely off-topic<===, especially when it is liable to OFFEND or anger people, ***pleeeeease*** respond in private. Surely there must be something Numanoid to abuse each other over instead? zg Ziggy Blum (zigi@ravenland.com) Ziggy's House O' Vermin http://www.ravenland.com/index.htm/index.htm Updates dead in the water! You just wait! --------------------------- "I should admit that I scream in my sleep sometimes and am often tortured by incommunicable self-loathing." --Elric ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 07:07:09 -0800 From: awa Subject: Ebircsbusnu To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Ebircsbusnu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 09:35:26 +0000 From: steve.gardner@intentia.co.uk Subject: Gary Numan Digest V1 #563 To: numan@cs.uwp.edu (Gary Numan) Hi all, I'm very disappointed that Mr Numan has not released any new stuff this year. I think that this is a major mistake as he made such small but significant inroads last year will quite a bit of press (most in favour of him) and now nothing for 1999! 25 songs written and none acceptable to him? It doesn't stack up, maybe I am being cynical but the one-off shows are providing him with a little money this year and are an easy option. I will attend the Manchester one (as I did the Nottingham and London gigs) but have to say he has played this very smartly - all of the fans will attend like they have the others. But a question - how many new attendees are being attracted to these events - I reckon not many. In the past all of the tours have been a financial disaster - I appreciate that this needed to be rectified but now I feel that we are being short changed. Don't get me wrong I love to see him live. I get a great feeling inside before and during the gig and at the end I wish / want to start all over again - it goes too quickly. I only wish that he would give us a taster of something new! I need a Numan fix and I need it NOW. Stephan ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 15:56:25 -0400 From: Matthew Roberts Subject: Gary Numan Digest V1 #563 To: Gary Numan >But in Europe, Gary has no choice [but to play AFE]. When you talk = >about Numan, the reaction is always. Oh yes, AFE and Cars. I suppose if you're happy for Gary to become a tribute band to = himself, you wouldn't wish to argue with this. Personally, I think a = "His last album was quite good" = is worth a million = "Didn't he do Cars?" = >Clinton supports the massacre of unborn and partially born = >children. >"Murder a dog, you're a criminal. Murder a child, you're a doctor" When I see something as deeply offensive and insulting as this, = I can't be blamed for going off topic can I? = There IS an intelligent debate taking place on this subject, but you = clearly aren't part of it. "Massacre", "partially born children", = "murder"...... you do realise that your tactics are similar to Hitler's = don't you? I can do it too, look.... "As everyone knows, people who believe in = God are either retarded or mentally disturbed". It's not very = pleasant is it? Just in case you aren't aware of some of the issues, let's imagine = a 12 year old girl who has been raped by her father and made = pregnant. I believe that according to you, if she agrees to an = abortion she is party to the murder of a child. Am I wrong about you? Then tell me, which women are criminals = and which aren't by your definition? Under EXACTLY WHAT = CIRCUMSTANCES does a woman change from innocent victim = to murderer's accomplice? Just for the record, I think abortion should be allowed under ANY = circumstances, at ANY time. I have my own rational defenses for = that view. They may be WRONG, but they are RATIONAL. Can = you claim the same thing about your opinions? Matthew Roberts ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 09:35:20 -0700 From: Joel Turner Subject: Introduction, a few things for sale To: Gary Numan Hi everyone, My name is Joel Turner. I live in Gilbert, Arizona which is in the southwestern United States. I'm 38 years old and work at a local utility. Fortunately, my job allows me to listen to music about 6 hours a day. I became a Gary Numan fan after hearing "Are Friends Electric" on the radio back in 1979. For any musicians out there, I was surprised to hear a tritone used so prominently in a pop song. I've bought every release since then, though I lost interest when he released Dance. (I regained my senses a year or two later.) It's hard to pick a favorite album, as each has it's high points. I'd probably say Telekon, Warriors, Beserker and Sacrifice get the most play in my collection. My least favorites are Machine + Soul and Exile. I am surprised though pleased to see Gary finally get some recognition in the last year or so. his stuff is much easier to find these days. Even though he came through town a year ago, I have never seen Gary in concert. I have used CDs of Machine + Soul and Sacrifice that I would like to sell. These are the original issues on the Numa label, and are not the extended versions. I also have most of his releases on vinyl (the first album through Strange Charm) available if anyone is interested. Please e-mail me for details on any of these. Looking forward to the discussions on this list. Thanks, Joel jturner5@earthlink.net ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 23:46:57 -0700 From: Derek Langsford Subject: Musings on copyright, DVDs, remasters, and Eagle To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Well, we seem to have got over the copyright squabble. I have been on the verge of stepping in, as your ephemeral moderator, and requesting we move on for a couple of weeks but have held off. Any further contributions on the subject unless it directly pertains to Gary should go to email IMO. I noticed my name mentioned in one argument (not by Joey or Kev) and wondered where that came from - someone dredging the archives? It even appears either Gary or Steve Malins is using the archived Digests for the Fan Top 10 feature in Alien Magazine. I shudder to think what could be used against me. A few weeks ago I jokingly suggested that Eagle should consider issuing a DVD boxed set of Gary's concerts. Not that this is going to happen, but I did notice in a local store the other day an ELO DVD of their Out of the Blue Concert plus videos of the Discovery album songs. The connection is that this ELO DVD was put out by Eagle Rock Entertainment i.e. the same folks as Eagle Records (even had the Eagle symbol on it). So, Eagle have produced at least one DVD. Admittedly ELO will sell better than Gary, but the possibility for Numan on DVD is not as remote as I originally thought. Listened to TPP (UK remaster issue) today at a decent volume (no one else in the house). All I can say is "WOW!" BB did a wonderful job. I can't wait for Dance and I, Assassin. Anyone have any thoughts on Eagle using the 20th Anniversary mixes of songs from the Dominion Day singles on the Premier HIts follow-up? I spoke with My old Numan buddy Brian Hammond (one of the originally subscribers to "Numanews" back in 1991) the other day, and he rightly pointed out the DD singles are still available, so why mess up a true singles collection by adding them but omitting some singles to make room for them. Is this an Eagle tendency to put certain tracks on their CDs to boost sales no matter how inappropriate the choice? I saw an Eagle CD of ELO and Friends and they put tracks from The Move, Wizzard and Violinski on a CD with live ELO tracks, the only ELO material to which they have rights. What a mish-mash. You may have guessed I was an ELO fan too by now. Second guessing Eagle is such good sport. If only they listened to fans, they might actually please us and make money. Derek San Diego, California A native Cornishman who didn't go back home to see the solar eclipse be obscured by clouds (though Simon's description sounded as if it might have been worth the visit). ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 17:51:36 -0700 From: "petego" Subject: Sorry ! To: Sorry about the format that I sent my first email in and I am also very sorry about the capital letters thing, I had no idea that it meant I was shouting thank you. I have not yet received any angry emails yet, in fact I've had a few very nice ones (thank-you to all who sent them). Now something about me. Favourite Gary numan album is Berserker. I saw Gary numan once in about 81 ( I think) when he came to Edmonton Alberta Canada. I've been a fan since the late 70's, oh boy I'm getting old.that's about it, no need to go in personal stat's. I have one comment I would like to have you're reactions to, how come Numan seems so angry and negative this I feel dose not help him very much.He always seems to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I've just read his book and feel that if he were that candid all the time he would have a better time of things. Thanks Numan fan, but not a fanatic Peter. (hope this is the right format) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 22:39:46 +0100 From: "Marty" Subject: The Radio One Recordings To: "Numan Digest" I arrived home from work today and my girlfriend had bought me the radio one recordings as a surprise. I don't normally buy compilations but this one is definitely worth having just for a different slant on the familiar tunes. I even like "cars", how many versions now :) Anyway my favourite has to be track 2 down in the park, my least favourite Films. This sounds like more of a practice than a recording. BTW does anyone think alien magazine is better than the old fan club newsletter. All my best Martin Poyner. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 11:09:57 +0100 From: "Gary" Subject: Tik To: I forgot to say that the following single was released by Tim and Georg Kajanus (Sailor fame). NOIR (Georg Kajanus and Tim Dry): WALKING (5 versions) KOCH U.K. (CD single) Noir is no longer with us, unfortunately. Although Tim Dry and I fronted a bizarre food programme called "Feast" on Channel Four last year (involving the use of our single, "Walking" to make gastro-pop videos in Paris, Hamburg, Amsterdam and Barcelona), in the end we couldn't get a deal. Tim is currently working with a fetching young singer and I am doing something completely different. Georg Kajanus (Taken from http://memebrs.tripod.com/~j_withers/updates.htm) Also from same site: NOIR: "Walking" was released on Koch Records U.K. But Georg and Tim (Dry) got back the rights for it now, and are looking for a new company, as the last deal (or activities) with Koch wasn't very satisfying. Tim and Georg have enough (and brilliant!) material for a longplay and I hope that fans out there will be able to listen to it someday soon, as well. Gary Hough Support Services Manager www.madasafish.com - www.iomart.com "www.madasafish.com, pass it on" ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 21:51:08 +0100 From: "ade.pitkin" Subject: Tik & Tok To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Four years my 12" discs of "Summer in the City" & "Cool Runnings" amongst others dominated the record deck, as much as "Intolerance" never left my prized Walkman...You guys made Numans stage return most memorable, I only had tickets for six or seven gigs on the tour, but after your performances, got tickets for all the South Coast venues aswell. I still sing "Vile bodies" and such like to my self......without having played the tracks for over 10 years. It was damned fine music.....and unforgettable shows. "A soulless synthetic heartstep of an unconcerned android" or something like that.... was a quote or maybe a lyric that I thaught was so cool (at the time) that I covered my University folders with it....!! I'll have to get up in my loft and get all my T&T stuff down now and see what it was. 1) Do you know if there is any video footage of your shows, I'm sure Central TV were at the Glasgow Apollo? 2) Did either of you attend the "Rock Cake Banquet"? 3) What going on now..are you still in the business? Or perhaps managing a bookies in Tooting?? later Ade (ps. There are still a couple of you guys out there that owe me some pennies for the Tubeways shirts I made for you......please be honest enough to send me the the dosh..Cheers!!!) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 08:18:27 +0100 From: "Gary" Subject: Tik and Tok To: I'm starting a TnT website at the moment. I will put it up once I get some decent material on it. I have loads of stuff that may if any of you will have seen especially stuff from the hippodrome gigs, venue, Wembley with Gary and the Warriors Tour. I have some great offstage photo's of Shock, Tim and Sean as well as a number of promo photo's. and a mass of info going back years. I'm working on it ad hoc just now as I'm up to my eyes in work for Madasafish www.madasafish.com the UK's new Free ISP but I intend to spend a lot more time on the site in the near future. The site will probably start off with either www.madasafish.com~tartysauce or www.madasafish.com~vilebodies or I may register a domain for something completely different. Intolerance on CD - WOW! That would be cool. I don't think anyone knows were the Masters are for this album now or indeed who owns the rights to it. I suspect Survival Records. If Tim reads this I'm sure he'll tell you all. Tim did some absolutely brilliant work which never saw the light of day commercially and to this day I play it to death. Most are demo's that he gave me in the 80's. A CD with some of these tracks on would be great for the fans but I think (Correct me if I'm wrong, I usually am) Tim might probably find that a step backwards. To say I was gutted when he dropped out of the music scene was the understatement of the time. IMHO there are many artistes that have so much inventiveness it is overlooked but Tim was so underrated it was a disgrace. Anyone heard the Wang Bro's 12" of While My Guitar Gently Weeps? Best version of that song I have heard and the b.side it takes two to wango could only have come from Tim. I also remember a gig he did at Heaven with the "Psychic Mutant Allstars". Songs that were great like Serophia had a mystique about them with Tim on vocals. Then Nasa released the album with a different singer not long after which although a reasonably good album, lost out on the vocals. I know how hard it is trying to get record company interest and some of those old duffers at record labels haven't a clue unless it's manufactured pop pap. It's great to see Tim back on the scene again and I hope that this time round things happen for him. Regards Gary Hough Support Services Manager www.madasafish.com - www.iomart.com "www.madasafish.com, pass it on" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 09:29:14 -0700 From: Ian Golder Subject: Who's Alec Way? To: numan@cs.uwp.edu Gosh, just after we had all that fun debating copyright law, and exactly when the millennium was (and how to spell it), now Michael Tressler would like us to hash out, once and for all, abortion. After we have reached our definitive conclusions, we can forward that issue of the digest to all major world leaders and finally resolve this issue. How can anyone read this digest and not know who Alec Way is? He's one of the few who post with interesting (and usually relevant, hint hint) things to say. Someday, God willing, I am going to hear a Gary Numan song at a Stuckey's. And then I can die. Ian David Golder Berkeley, CA iandg@wenet.net ------------------------------ End of Gary Numan Digest ****************************** _______________________________________________________________________ _____ ____ ____ _____ _____ / \ | | / \ / \ / \ / \ | |-----| |-----| | |-----| |-----| | | | G | | A | | | R | | Y | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-----| |-----| | |-----| |-----| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | N | E | W | S |=====| | | | | | | | & | | | | | | | \_____/ I | N | F | O | | | | is produced and distributed by Derek Langsford dlangs@sunstroke.sdsu.edu -------------------------------------------------------------------------- To reply to the messages in this list, mail to: numan@cs.uwp.edu If you want to be removed, or someone wants to be added, you can mail to numan-request@cs.uwp.edu ----------------- The Gary Numan Digest is brought to you via Datta Production and Development, 905 97th Street, Kenosha, WI 53143 USA datta@cs.uwp.edu and computer resources courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Datta Production and Development. 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