The _Cathy_Demos_ dilemma

[IED0DXM%OAC.UCLA.EDU@mitvma.mit.edu]

 To: Love-Hounds
 From: Andrew Marvick
 Subject: The _Cathy_Demos_ dilemma

     IED has been deluged by requests for the _Cathy_Demos_. He
would genuinely like to accomodate everyone, because he understands
how long and ardently Kate fans have been waiting to get hold
of the mythical demo recordings. Alas! He has not seen another
copy since buying the one he was offered (literally under the
table) two days ago. He also paid a rather steep $20.00+tax for
his 4-song seven-inch EP.
     Now, here is the situation. IED is presently in deep trouble
with his Columbia U. professors over the miserable rate of progress
on his Ph.D. dissertation (guess what could possibly be distracting
him from his work?). He absolutely has to force himself to toil at
non-KT-related tasks during the next three months.
     Also, much of what little time remains to him for the pursuit
of Kate Bushological knowledge will unfortunately be dominated by
obligations he foolishly assumed on behalf of a large group of
non-computerized fans. The details of that burden need not be related
here; suffice it to say that he has many hours of dull and
unrewarding work to do.
     This said, IED would still like to help the Love-Hounds out.
He suggests that anyone seeking the _Cathy_Demos_ should first
do everything he/she can to find them on his/her own. Check _Goldmine_
magazine for mail-order offers (Music Machine may very well have
copies, even if they don't advertise them--they have a large ad
in every issue). Also check _Goldmine_'s schedule of record swapmeets
for the date and exact location of the swapmeet nearest you, and
when you get there, inquire of all dealers. Finally, try writing or
telephoning Intergalactic Garage or Burning Airlines. And of course,
check your own neighborhood import/alternative shop.
     If none of these leads produces the _Cathy_Demos_, _then_ you
may send IED a blank cassette, with a padded, stamped, self-addressed
envelope. He will make a tape of the demos for you and send it back
as soon as possible. His address is: Andrew Marvick, 10499 Wilkins
Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024.
     There is another reason for waiting a while, and exhausting every
other avenue before sending a tape to IED. There are going to be _more_
demos coming out _soon_. IED doesn't know exactly how many, but he
was told that this particular group of bootleggers had a total of
twenty tracks. That probably means four more EPs in the _Cathy_Demos_
series alone. In addition, the release of these tracks will put new pressure
on the possessors of the so-called _Early_Years_ collection of ten
demos (which do not, apparently, overlap with the _Cathy_Demos_) to
get their booty on the market lest demand for them begin to decline.
And IED has heard of a third collection of demos, the fate of which the
"owner" was undecided about, but which may also eventually show up
in stores. You can be relatively sure that IED will get such demos if
and when they appear, and you may want to wait until he can add them
to a cassette.
     Also, of course, the original records are a lot nicer to have
than IED's home-baked dubs. And remember, this is the age of the
bootleg CD--count on a CD, a la the Beatles _Back-Track_ disks,
to come out within the next three or four months.
     If you are even remotely like IED, however, when it comes
to the words "Kate Bush demos", most of what he has just said will
have had no sobering effect on you. If you absolutely _must_ hear
_Feeling_Like_a_Waltz_ and _Keeping_Me_Waiting_ asap, send
along your cassette. Listening to these recordings is like
eavesdropping on Kate's most intimate moments alone: the beauty of
the experience makes the guilt worth living with.

-- Andy
   And to think she composed and recorded over _200_ songs during
those early years...