Re: Medkeff Unmasked!

[caen!bsbbs!nrc@harvard.harvard.edu (N. Richard Caldwell)]

barger@aristotle.ils.nwu.EDU (Jorn Barger) writes:

> ...or, Ohioans Bite the Dust!

Ohio State did do lousy against Michigan but otherwise I'm not
sure why Jorn would include the entire state in this remark.  

Yes, Jorn's post has gotten pretty stale by now but I'm pretty far
behind in my posts.  Yes, some of this is the same old thing but
some of it is new and at least somewhat germane.
  
> [Precis so far: Jeff Medkeff of AATHP/Little Light fame claimed some months
> ago to have an exclusive inside contact at Sony, and special privileges
> regarding advance notice of Kate's plans.  He threw a Convention that was
> only announced to us a couple of weeks before it took place, and boasted in
> print that he read congratulatory messages there from everyone from
> Kate to the Trio to PG to Dave G, etc etc etc.   Based on a very vague
> report of the text of Kate's message, Chris and Vickie seemed to have
> gone way too far out on the limb by publicly expressing skepticism that
> the message was real, suggesting it may have been spliced together from
> the Canadian Con's similar tape.  Certain flaming Ohioans leapt to Jeff's
> defense, and shillelagh law was all the rage (as the song says).  

Golly, I wonder who Jorn could be talking about here?  Jorn, your 
facts are fairly accurate but your reporting owes more to the Enquirer
than it does to the Times.  Perhaps someday you'll understand the
difference between defending someone and defending someone's right
to be treated fairly.  If anyone was trying to apply "shillelagh
law" it was Chris and Vickie who had no reasonable basis for their
accusation at the time.  Finding evidence after you've already
passed judgement isn't exactly something of which to be proud. 

> Jeff
> produced a message that corresponded in almost every detail to the
> Canadian message.  

Not exactly true.  The message bears considerable resemblance to a
version of the Canadian message that Chris edited.  That edited
version and the Cleveland message also bear some resemblance to
the Japanese fan club message.  

> Jeff broadcast a report that Sony was threatening
> Kate with penalties for missing a promised delivery date.  All were
> incredulous...] 
>
> Little Light, Fall 1991
> 
> "THE FOLLOWING IS AN OPEN LETTER FROM THE COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAN
> ASSOCIATION OF THEM HEAVY PEOPLE TO OUR READERS AND ALL THOSE INTERESTED:
> 
> To all concerned,
>    It should be apparent at this time that Jeff Medkeff is no longer
> Editor of Little Light, nor does he hold the position of President of
> AATHP.  On September 16, 1991, it was brought to our attention that
> Jeff Medkeff reportedly printed an interview with Marilyn Gardner of
> Sony Music which was fabricated.

Marilyn Gardner was Jeff's primary contact within Sony/Columbia. 
Marilyn attended the con in Cleveland and was there when the much
debated message was read.  According to Bill Barwick, Jeff Medkeff
wrote down things that Marilyn Gardner had said to him privately
and presented it as an interview.  Marilyn was evidently unhappy
because the account was not accurate and should not have been
construed to have been the official remarks of a Sony
representative.  
 
Jorn seems to be assuming that Jeff's ouster also invalidates all
his claims to contacts within Sony.  While his downfall certainly
casts a pall of suspicion over everything he (and to some degree
AATHP) did or said, there is ample reason to believe that the
contact did exist.  Certainly Marilyn Gardner exists and was in
contact with Jeff.  Also, we know that at least one useful piece
of information appears to have made it's way to us through this
contact.  Little Light was the first to report that the album
would be delayed until next year and that there would be a single
by the end of this year. 

Jeff's claim to have sat in on a conference call between a Sony
vice-president and a Novercia representative is considerably more
suspect.  Bill Barwick, President of AATHP and now editor of
Little Light, could offer no first hand confirmation of this
meeting.  I asked that Bill check this with Marilyn Gardner but
I've yet to receive a response. 

I also requested that Bill ask Ms. Gardner if she would make a
statement as to the origin of the con message.  The details of
Marilyn Gardner's interaction with AATHP, Little Light, and Jeff
Medkeff would cast a great deal of light on the veracity of Jeff
Medkeff's claims and the con message in particular.   It would
also be interesting to hear Ed Suranyi's perspective on all of
this since he was evidently in contact with Jeff Medkeff.



"Don't drive too slowly."         Richard Caldwell
                                  The Big Sky BBS (+1 614 864 1198)
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