from Little Light

[Jeff Tucker <R3JMT%AKRONVM@vm1.cc.UAKRON.EDU>]

  The following appears in Little Light, Summer 1991,
published by The American Association of Them Heavy
People, PO Box 221, Cuyahoga Falls OH 44222-0221.
  Replies are welcome, as are letters to the editor
or other discussion.


EDITORS NOTES
The event everybody seems to be waiting to hear about is the convention.
There is a small summary elsewhere in this issue, and there is also a
related column of AATHP news to go along with it.
        That said, I have to correct a few mistakes made in the last issue,
as well as promulgate a few clarifications. Due to a typesetting error, the
Kate Bush Club's address was listed as Wellington, instead of Welling,
where they really are. In Whifferdihl's 3B's column, the second movement
of Beethoven's Second Symphony was erroneously accused of being tied
hopelessly to E-flat. It is in fact the second movement of the Seventh
Symphony that is thus hopelessly tied. Third, contrary to appearances in
our "Grinding On" column, we do not speak for the PMRC and have no idea
what level of satisfaction they derived from Homeground's retraction.
Finally, several people have questioned our assertion that MTV played the
"Running Up That Hill" video "about a quarter of the time".  The "one
quarter" figure we quoted was fact is the current ratio of video vs. Wogan
plays to date. Within the first year of RUTH's release, the Wogan was
played far more often, in part be cause MTV had exclusive rights to it for
a month or so. However the fact remains that the video was played on MTV
within that first year (our MTV source says at least three dozen times in
the first year). The notion that "Running Up That Hill" wasn't played on
MTV because it was too erotic is not in dicative of an understanding of the
historical facts. The following was culled from Love-Hounds, the computer
net devoted to Kate: "It's about time that HG either showed some proof of
this allegation (beyond rumors spawned by their own innuendo) or dropped it
for the baseless speculation that it is."We couldn't have put it better
ourselves.  Love-Hounds also confirms that MTV played the video version as
early as January 1986, a few months after the release of RUTH.
        Three or four of you have written in complaining that Mr. Ashton's
letter in the last issue was a bit too insulting to Homeground. To you we
apologize, and if Homeground felt insulted, we apologize to them as well.
Mr. Ashton's letter was written as a joke.  The humorous nature of the
letter aside, I do have to admit to questioning an editorial policy that
doesn't recognize proper names. We apologize for the errors and confusion
and thank Love-Hounds for the unwitting assistance.
        Speaking of Love-Hounds, We have been reading them for a couple
months. Love-Hounds comes out daily and is a computer network of Kate
Bush fans. Those of you with a computer will find Love-Hounds to be a
very worthwhile forum, both enjoyable and manifestly useful. I would give
you unqualified encouragement to join them.  Their address is included in
Other Heavy People.
         On the censorship front, Kevin Hendryx has informed us of HB 1017
in the Texas legislature. The bill crept into committee after last issue's
publication, and is expected to die there. It is, alas, a stickering bill,
somewhat harsher than the norm. The bill, filed by Rep. Al Edwards,
D-Houston, is being opposed by nearly everybody, including AATHP. We passed
a resolution opposing the bill and sent letters to NARM, RIAA, PMRC (all of
which oppose the bill), and Rep. Edwards (who presumably does not).  Rep.
Edwards, you will recall, submitted the infamous "guillotine bill" a couple
years ago. We'll let you know when this bill gasps its last.
        In my review of the boxed set two issues ago, I stated I wouldn't
be surprised to see the two extra discs released separately sometime in
the future. Reports have surfaced of the discs being sold separately on
both the east and west coasts of the US, and the second disc is being sold
separately at some stores in England. In some cases the sets are being
broken up by the distributors or at the store. In other cases, though, it
is clear the discs are arriving free and clear of the encumbrance of a box
set to the distributors (several are shipping the This Woman's Work discs
but are not dealing in import copies of the other albums). EMI isn't
admitting to it, and we can't confirm it, but it appears something fishy
is going on at EMI or their manufacturers.
     We reported months ago that CelloVideo was going to release The Single
File in the US. We did this on the basis of a postcard from a guy in
Kentucky, and on the basis that a major overseas fanzine reported similar
news. Thanks to Richard Caldwell, it is now apparent that CelloVideo is a
pirate outfit and as such draws all of Little Light's contempt. We
apologize for any confusion we may have caused.
Sinead O'Connor has been widely quoted in the Kate fan press lately on the
basis that she sang "Don't Give Up" with Peter Gabriel in Argentina, and
thought she did a bad job of it. Presumably she either didn't mean what she
said, or didn't say what she meant; in any case she made a hash of the song
on international TV in a benefit for the Kurds. Peter Gabriel didn't seem
to mind (nor did Sting or his band, which was being borrowed for the
occasion). Fortunately for American viewers MTV put all kinds of
distracting tape noise over the broadcast so it wasn't so easily seen how
awful the rendition was. We agree with Sinead's original comments to the
effect that she couldn't replace Kate.
      By the way, take a close look at Sting's video for "The Soul Cages"
as some of the words going by on that screen might surprise you.
      The rumours circulating that Bill Graham Productions is handling
promotions for Kate's upcoming tour appear to be untrue. Karen L. Newcombe
of San Francisco tells us that Bill Graham's promoters deny the rumors,
though they think someone has been contracted. Sony, Kate's US record
label, won't comment on who it might be but also denys that it is Bill
Graham.
      Kate has changed her plans on the upcoming album. She is now saying
there will be a single by year's end. This is changed from having an entire
album this fall. Here we go again! No news on her alleged live shows,
though, except that she has not, apparently, backed out of that promise. I
suggest nobody hold their breath.
      Finally, I'd like to express my thanks to Bill for editing the last
issue while I worked on the convention. It was fairly odd seeing the issue
for the first time when it reached my mailbox, but Bill did an outstanding
job.  Everybody take care, see you in August.