Happy Rhodes' new address and news!

[katefans@world.std.com (Chris'n'Vickie of Kansas City)]

Vickie here. I talked to Happy last night for the first time in months.

                    Major HAPPY RHODES News!

First, her address has changed, so disregard my posting of a couple of
weeks ago. Her new address is:

Happy Rhodes
c/o Aural Gratification
P.O Box 8658, Academy Station
Albany, N.Y. 12208

Happy has been working on a new album that should be out in the fall.
This one will be called "Warpaint" and will be available on CD. That's
a major deal with Happy because she does NOT have a record contract and
pays for everything out of her own pocket (always has). Like Jane Siberry,
she worked as a waitress to finance her early music. She has a regular
daytime job (I think she's still working at a gift shop, I forgot to
ask her) and could use any support anyone is willing to give her. She
told me that she'll never give up music, it's her passion and she'd do
it even if she never released or sold another piece of work. My view is
that she's too brilliant to be obscure and since her music has enriched my
life tremendously I want other people to hear it too. That's one of the
main reasons why I sent my 6-hour SIG marathon tape out into the world, so
that people can sample what she's like.  I find it impossible to describe
Happy's music and I'd much rather just say "here, listen to this" than try.
For those who get the tape, know this:
     Everything you hear is Happy. She couldn't afford to hire any other
musicians so she does everything--voices, instruments and all. Of course
she wrote the music and the lyrics and she produced all her albums (tapes-she
couldn't afford to have records pressed) and she even engineered parts of
them. She's one amazing lady and I hope that some of you will be moved 
enough to buy her early tapes and pass the word along to other music lovers.
When her next album is available I'll let everyone know. Unless she gets
picked up by a record company the album will only be available by mail
order.

For those living in the Albany area, a couple of record stores carry
Happy's tapes. Try Records'n Such or The Music Shack.

This is NOT meant as a comparison, just a thought: Suppose you were in
a position years ago to buy and support early Kate Bush and Jane Siberry...

Struggling artists need support and encouragement. Struggling artists
as brilliant as Happy Rhodes need to know that people care about musicians
who care about the music they're making.

Nuff said...

Vickie (one of Vickie'n'Chris)
katefans@world.std.com

ps: btw, Happy is her real, parent-given name!