MisK. (incl. some minor sub-KT NEWS)

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

 To: Love-Hounds
 From: Andrew Marvick (IED)
 Subject: MisK. (incl. some minor sub-KT NEWS)

     Glad to hear from Norvald Stol in Norway. Thanks for the note.
     Incidentally, Vickie Mapes, a longtime Kansas City Kate fan,
has been the DJ of a weekly 2-hour local radio program called
_Suspended_in_Gaffa_ for over a year now. The program's only format
limitation is that all the music she plays is either composed or
performed (or both) by women. Aside from that one characteristic she
is the most eclectic programmer in the U.S. (Oh, IED forgot one other
peculiarity--she always plays one recording of Kate's in every show...)
     Well, beginning last Sunday (that's right, it was on Katemas!)
Vickie began a six-hour-long (three-week) special series all about
the life and magic of Kate Bush. Any- and everyone within range of
the Kansas City, Missouri radio-waves should be sure to tune in for
the second and third shows. It is _well_ worth it. IED has heard the
first program (on tape) and Vickie did an _extremely_ good job.
Next Sunday she covers the _Never_For_Ever_ and _The_Dreaming_ periods.
     Uh, only thing is, IED doesn't remember the call letters of the
station. Still, you've all got till Sunday to figure out where it is
on the dial...
     Vickie passes on another bit of interesting information. Seems
there's a record dealer in Kansas City (connected with the Penny Lane
chain of record stores) who insists that "a collection of Kate's
early demos" will be coming out on bootleg CD very soon. This project,
it should be stressed here, is _in_no_way_ connected with _any_
proposed Love-Hounds plans regarding the tape, but seems to have sprung
up entirely independently. Anyway, IED'll believe a CD when he sees one.
     However, far more solid (though again, _completely_ unrelated
to Love-Hounds' recent hypothetical notions) is news from a local
Hollywood importer that Volume 2 of _The_Cathy_Demos_--Volume One was a
red-vinyl seven-inch EP which contained four tracks from the 22 demos--
will finally be out, "any day now." This was based on new and reliable
information, he told IED. Meanwhile, he added that Volume One
was completely finished with. That record is now officially out of
production.
     Vickie alerted IED to one other extremely neat little synchronicity
(or is it more than that?) in the _New_Musical_Express_ article about
Kate's work with Trio Bulgarka from last December 12. IED simply quotes
the relevant paragraph (italics added):

                "Down at the old Bul' and Bush"

     Kate Bush and Yanka Rupkina sit on a bean-bag couch and sing to me,
Bulgarian style; Rupkina bleating high and joyous above Bush's harmony.
     Short but sweet, a brief musical meeting of East and West, it's the
sort of _sensual_ aural treat every philanthropist would wish to share with the
_World_. Except that the World would have been pushed to fit in this studio
broom cupboard off Upper Street, Islington.

     Make up your own minds--does this mean the first single will be
one of the Trio B. collaborations? Or could it mean that the album
itself had already been given its title (what Kate has said always
comes last, after the LP is completed) last December--which would be
a very hopeful sign that the past year has been spent working up
a concert programme and videos, not the album itself?
     Idle speKulaTion KompleTed for the time being.

 >   Could someone please KasT some light on the song "Cloudbusting" for
 >me?
 > I will apologise in advance if this subject has been discussed before.
 >
 >-- Andy Hynes, RT3121.

     Apology accepted, Andy. _Cloudbusting_ is based on a book by
Peter Reich called _A_Book_of_Dreams_ (now back in print, at least in
the U.S., from Obelisk Books). The book is a memoir of the childhood
and later trauma experienced by the son of the famous (or infamous)
psycho-analyst Wilhelm Reich, an extremely eccentric renegade from
the original Viennese Freudian school who emigrated to Maine in the
1940s and caused much trouble with the McCarthy-era FDA by attempting
to spread word of some highly challenging theories about human psycho-
sexuality, UFOs and rainmaking, among other things. (Yes, if you're
wondering, the general consensus is that WR was certifiable, though in
a completely harmless and even rather beautiful, artistic way.)
     Kate read the book when she was 17 or 18, and was deeply affected
by it. She also sent the tape of the finished track to Peter Reich for
his comments, and says Reich was extremely supportive.
     Anyway, the story tells of the boy's experience as a child, when
he was forced apart from his beloved father by the U.S. authorities
(on a pretty-much trumped-up charge of illegal interstate trafficking
of quack medical devices). In an attempt to cope with this trauma, the
child thinks back on some of the experiences he had shared with Wilhelm,
among which were their afternoons with a machine WR had invented which
(among other things) the two sincerely believed could make it rain.
     If you want more information, _A_Book_of_Dreams_ is strongly
recommended reading. It's a real downer, but very touching.
     Special message to Corey Lofdahl: IED (that's right, even IED)
hasn't laughed so much in some time. Ultra-good letter, and spot on
about everything. IED shared all the same feelings at the party, but
could never have expressed them as well as you did. IED _strongly_
urges you to allow him to print out your letter and send it to
Peter at _Homeground_ immediately. Even if they don't publish it,
they're sure to get a lot of pleasure from it. (Thanks for all your
kind words re this "Marvick" character, too, though that's not why
IED liked your piece.)
     Also, thanks to Steve S. for his summary of the Washington
party, which IED would like to send along to Peter as well. OK?

 > Subject: IED is wrong! <re EMI-America release schedules>
 >       Please don't flame me if I am wrong;  I'm just trying to
 >honestly say what I think is right.  I'd appreciate any comments
 >from anyone who knows differently.
 >
 >-- Ed Suranyi

     No possibility of your being flamed for such helpful and accurate
information, Ed! IED was definitely wrong to attribute timeliness to
EMI-America, as your posting proves. He supposes even CBS couldn't
do much worse, after all.
     M.T. Diamond asks about the resale value of a signed UK copy of
_The_Dreaming_. Well, no-one can set a reliable price on such an item--
there might be someone willing to shell out $300 for the thing, though
that seems extremely unlikely to IED. Perhaps $50 or $75 might work,
if the proper steps were taken to alert potential buyers. Still, it
would depend also on the condition of the album, and--even more
important--on whether the previous dedicatee's name is part of Kate's
autograph. A personalised autograph (example: "Thanks, Jim-Bob. Yours,
Kate xx") is bound to have less appeal to fans other than Jim-Bob than
a simple "Lots of love, Kate Bush xx". But the fact is that Kate has
signed several thousands of album and single covers in her day, so
autographed copies of _The_Dreaming_ are really not all that rare.
Sorry to bring down your hopes, and your mention to L-Hs first is
appreciated. Good luck with the sale.

 >   Yeah yeah, you're completely right.  Love-Hounds used to be the
 >bastion of craziness and insanity, and now it's just too darn safe...
 >...I have been reminiscing through the love-hounds archives in
 >detail of late, and have concluded that the old days are gone and will
 >never return.  They had their bright spots, but who's to say that
 >there won't be more in the future.  I for one am on pins and needles
 >to see the new Kate album, precisely because it should definitely
 >inject some life into this list.
 >
 >-- Jon Drukman

     IED has a somewhat different view of Love-Hounds's history, Jon.
As he recalls, the first two years of L-Hs, though admittedly packed
with passionate dialogue, were  generally a very ill-willed, crabby and
unfriendly affair. There were moments of bonhomie, perhaps, but IED
tended to be an amazingly smug and intolerant character (which of course
he is today, also, but much less overbearingly so). There was too much
vitriol, and IED is happy to see those days gone for good (if they are).
The thing is, all it would take to bring IED's Hyde-ish side to the fore
again would be the appearance of another Wic or Hof back in the fold...
     As for Love-Hounds being lifeless of late--IED doesn't agree at
all! The amazing success of the two west coast parties, as well as the
extraordinary common interest in the subject of a possible tape project,
are certain proof that the Love-Hounds' pack instinct has never been
stronger. And what's wrong with everyone being all nice to each other
for a change?
     On a different note, it was nice talking to you, too, on Katemas,
Jon.

-- anDrew (the new goodiE two-shoes) marvIck