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Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!faqserv
From: levien@cc.gatech.edu (Levien de Braal)
Newsgroups: rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson,alt.fan.debbie.gibson,rec.answers,alt.answers,news.answers
Subject: rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson FAQ v3.1.8
Supersedes: <music/debbie-gibson-faq_874914142@rtfm.mit.edu>
Followup-To: rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson
Date: 22 Oct 1997 09:09:58 GMT
Organization: none
Lines: 552
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU
Expires: 5 Dec 1997 09:08:33 GMT
Message-ID: <music/debbie-gibson-faq_877511313@rtfm.mit.edu>
Reply-To: levien@cc.gatech.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: penguin-lust.mit.edu
Summary: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson
and alt.fan.debbie.gibson. Deborah Gibson is a songwriter, producer,
performer, actress, musician and musical star.
X-Last-Updated: 1997/07/25
Originator: faqserv@penguin-lust.MIT.EDU
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson:10365 alt.fan.debbie.gibson:6037 rec.answers:34925 alt.answers:29763 news.answers:115123
Archive-name: music/debbie-gibson-faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1997/7/24
Version: 3.1.8
The rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) v3.1.8
Maintained by Levien de Braal (levien@cc.gatech.edu)
Written by Levien de Braal and Bob MacDowell
Special thanx to Shmuel Ross and Myra Wong
This FAQ is stored as:
ftp://ftp.nrgup.com/pub/music/dgibson/info/FAQ
http://www.nrgup.com/archives/FAQ
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/music/debbie-gibson-faq
Questions answered here:
1. The Newsgroups
1.1 What has Usenet to offer for a Deborah Gibson fan ?
1.2 What is rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson (RMADG) ?
1.3 What is alt.fan.debbie.gibson (AFDG) ?
1.4 Can I post pictures or soundfiles (binaries) ?
1.5 What if my site doesn't offer the newsgroups ?
2. Resources On and Off the Internet
2.1 What is the official fan club, and how do I join ?
2.2 What is the "BtL Newsletter" ?
2.3 What mailing lists exist to discuss Deborah Gibson ?
2.4 What FTP resources are there for Deborah Gibson fans ?
2.5 What World Wide Web (WWW) services are there for Deborah Gibson fans ?
2.6 Can I chat with other fans on the net in real time ?
3. Deborah Gibson's Music
3.1 What Deborah Gibson albums have been released ?
3.2 What Deborah Gibson singles have been released ?
3.3 What Deborah Gibson videotapes have been released ?
3.4 Why Japanese only Bonus tracks ?
3.5 Who writes Deborah Gibson's music ?
3.6 Who produces Deborah Gibson's music ?
3.7 Who has had the privilege to work with Deborah Gibson ?
3.8 What instruments does Deborah Gibson play ?
4. Deborah Gibson, the person
4.1 Who is Deborah Gibson ?
4.2 What has Deborah Gibson done so far ?
4.3 What is she doing in the theatre ?
4.4 What are GPI, GMI, and Espiritu ?
4.5 What is this with Deborah Gibson and Tiffany ?
4.6 Is Deborah Gibson still a teenager ?
4.7 Are there any biographies about Deborah Gibson ?
4.8 Has she ever posed nude in Playboy, Penthouse or similar ?
4.9 Did she write a letter to the Times about Madonna's book ?
4.10 Is it true that Deborah Gibson did a striptease in one of her videos ?
5. Miscellaneous
5.1 What do OOTB, BMS, LM and all those funny acronyms mean ?
********** 1. The Newsgroups **********
1.1 What has Usenet to offer for a Deborah Gibson fan ?
Usenet readers can keep informed about Deborah Gibson by reading the
rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson (RMADG) or alt.fan.debbie.gibson (AFDG)
newsgroups. Members of Deborah Gibson related mailing lists read both groups
regularly, post the latest news there and are willing to answer questions that
people might have. Also, it is possible for people to have elaborate group
discussions on one of the newsgroups that are inappropriate on one of the
mailing lists.
Please note that since the creation of RMADG, it is more appropriate to post
to that newsgroup, if possible. The rec.* hierarchy has in general a much
better availability to users than the alt.* hierarchy.
1.2 What is rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson (RMADG)?
On October 13, 1995, the results were announced of the official vote for
the creation of a new newsgroup, called rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson.
The volunteer votetaker counted 292 votes in favor, with only 70 votes
against. Since this outcome meets the requirement for newsgroup creation
in the rec.* hierarchy, RMADG was created a few days later. No propagation
(availability on news servers) or readership statistics are known.
Official Newsgroup-line:
rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson The music of Deborah Gibson.
Official Charter:
This group would discuss Deborah Gibson, her music and appearances.
Official Proponent was: (many thanks to him)
Richard Evans
You can read this newsgroup using the CDNOW service at:
news://news.cdnow.com/rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson/
An e-mail to usenet news gateway for this group is located at:
rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson@dispatch.demon.co.uk
A news to e-mail gateway is also available. Send a subscribe message to
rmadg-request@nrgup.com to receive the RMADG trafic as separate messages
(reflector format). Send a subscribe message to rmadg-digest-request@nrgup.com
to receive the RMADG trafic in digest format.
1.3 What is alt.fan.debbie.gibson (AFDG)?
Early February 1993 the newsgroup alt.fan.debbie.gibson was created for the
fans of Deborah Gibson. Regrettably, the group was created in a whim, without
any discussion, and it violates generally accepted Usenet regulations. It
subsequently suffers from a poor propagation (availability on news servers).
To name one thing, its name violates the newsgroup naming convention, due to
the dot placed between "debbie" and "gibson" (should have been a dash). July
1995 propagation was estimated at 29% of all sites that carry newsfeed, while
readership was estimated at 3,300 people. Because
rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson has been created since, the number of readers
can be expected to have changed substantially.
Due to the way it was created, this newsgroup has no official Newsgroup-line
or Charter. The Newsgroup-line used by news servers tends to vary, but it is
most often provided as "Thwarter of the supervillain Tiffany", which was once
added as a joke by some unknown system administrator.
You can read this newsgroup using the CDNOW service at:
news://news.cdnow.com/alt.fan.debbie.gibson/
An e-mail to usenet news gateway for this group is located at:
alt.fan.debbie.gibson@dispatch.demon.co.uk
1.4 Can I post pictures or soundfiles (binaries) ?
We suggest you do not post any type of binary file to either of the two
Deborah Gibson related newsgroups. Picture files, soundfiles and other
binaries take lots of bandwidth and tend to overload gateways and cause lots
of problems for the entire net. Instead, post them to alt.binaries.pictures,
which is designed to handle it. Remember to put a note on either one or both
of the newsgroups telling people you posted those pictures there. You can also
upload files to the archive at ftp.nrgup.com. (See FTP resources, 2.4)
1.5 What if my site doesn't offer the newsgroups ?
Usenet spreads by connections between computers. People own those computers
and connections. They have a legitimate right to decide which newsgroups to
carry. Many sites do not carry groups of a certain type. Some sites even
exclude all alt.* groups. However, most system administrators will carry a
group if you kindly ask them.
********** 2. Resources On and Off the Internet **********
2.1 What is the official fan club, and how do I join ?
The Deborah Gibson International Fan club (D.G.I.F.) is the only official fan
club for Deborah Gibson fans, managed by Deborah's family. D.G.I.F. has been
in operation since 1987. At first they sent out one-page photocopied
newsletters. Since early 1988 they have printed quarterly magazines on glossy
paper. These magazines are approximately 20 pages long and contain full-page
pictures, exclusive candid pictures, questions & answers, "When I Met Deborah"
stories and pen pal listings. Most issues contain a message from Deborah,
usually one or two pages in length. Since January 1995 they alternate similar
16-page full-color magazines with shorter black & white newsletters.
First time membership costs $25 and includes two magazines and two
newsletters, a membership card with your membership number on it, a color
button/pin and a glossy color 8"x10" autographed photo. All mailings will be
sent through first class mail. Special contests and promotions will be offered
from time to time for members. Renewing your membership costs $20 and provides
you with the same as the first time membership, with the exception that you do
not receive a new membership card.
D.G.I.F. occasionally offers merchandise, such as posters, tourbooks, gift
baskets, teddy bears and calendars. Also, members occasionally receive
postcards between issues, like a Christmas postcard.
To join D.G.I.F., send your name, address, phone number, date of birth,
nearest major city and a check or money order made payable in US dollars to
"D.G.I.F." to:
D.G.I.F.
666 Fifth Ave, #302
New York, NY 10103
U.S.A.
You can also join D.G.I.F. using your Credit Card (American Express, VISA or
Master Card). Either FAX the same information to the GMI FAX number:
(212)-541-7547 with your credit card type, number and expiration date, or
leave a message stating the same on the HotLine answering machine:
(212)-803-5425. Once the fan club has your credit card information on file,
you can renew or order merchandise through e-mail: dgif@aol.com
You can obtain a file with information, like merchandise list/prices and other
standard information, plus news from D.G.I.F. by sending a blank email message
to: DGIFNEWS@infofree.com. An autoresponder will reply by sending you the last
information file. The information file is not often updated by D.G.I.F.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
* Fanmail should be sent to the postal address. No other method of sending
messages to Deborah are accepted.
* The fan club e-mail address is strictly for membership business only.
* The GMI FAX number is strictly for membership business only.
* The HotLine contains the latest D.G.I.F. provided information about Deborah
as an answering machine message. Leaving messages on the answering machine
is restricted to membership business only.
2.2 What is the "BtL Newsletter" ?
On March 31, 1989, several fans got together to create a Deborah Gibson
discussion forum in the form of a regular newsletter. They first called it
"The Electric Youth", which was changed to "Between the Lines" in the second
issue. BtL (ISSN 1201-4826, electronic publication ISSN 1201-4834) operates on
a non-profit basis. BtL releases issues approximately every month that contain
the latest information, transcriptions of other sources, reviews and opinions,
all submitted by BtL members.
The membership started off with fifteen people and has since then steadily
grown. Currently the membership is estimated at a 1000, with members from
Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands,
Sweden, Thailand and the United States. Internet is BtL's primary medium of
distribution. Issues for electronic mail subscribers are sent by e-mail and
are free of charge.
To subscribe to the BtL newsletter, send e-mail to:
btl@btl.org
If e-mail to the above address bounces, please send e-mail to:
Myra Wong : mkwong@btl.org
or
Felix Ng : fng@btl.org
It is also possible to subscribe to BtL by postal mail. The issues for postal
subscribers are printed with a laser printer which allows six pages of text to
be printed on both sides of one sheet of paper. Back issues are also available
on one MS-DOS 3.5" or 5.25" high density disk. Prices are at cost and are
subject to change:
Canada $4.25 Cdn. for 5 issues / $2.50 Cdn. for back issues on disk
United States $4.25 U.S. for 5 issues / $2.50 U.S. for back issues on disk
International $6.00 U.S. for 5 issues / $3.50 U.S. for back issues on disk
To subscribe via postal mail, please make a check or money order payable to
Felix Ng and mail it to the postal address mentioned below. BtL is not
responsible for cash lost or stolen in the mail. Issues are always mailed via
first class.
Between the Lines
2137 Qualicum Drive
Vancouver, B.C. V5P 2M3
Canada
FAX: (604)-322-5936
2.3 What mailing lists exist to discuss Deborah Gibson ?
There are several mailing lists for Deborah Gibson fans:
* BtL
* AIP
* ELECTRIC NEWS
* BtL EXPRESS
BtL is the mailing list for the BtL newsletter. (see 2.2)
AIP is a mailing list for members of the BtL Newsletter to have lively
discussions regarding Deborah Gibson and any related topic. This list is
available in both Reflector (each message immediately sent) and Digest
(collections of messages sent during a day) format. Digest back issues since
1992 are available by FTP to ftp.nrgup.com, directory:
/pub/music/dgibson/aip-archive/
ELECTRIC NEWS is a mailing list only for news and information regarding
Deborah Gibson. It is only available in Reflector format.
BtL EXPRESS is a mailing list used by BtL moderators to quickly send out
information to interested individuals. It's only available in Reflector
format, and is one-way (receiving information only). Also, the BtL issues are
being sent out using this list.
Detailed information about the use of these mailing lists is given upon
subscribing to the BtL Newsletter.
2.4 What FTP resources are there for Deborah Gibson fans ?
Through the years the Deborah Gibson fans on the net have created and
collected a wide variety of data resources about Deborah Gibson. These include
lyric, picture and sound files. Most of these files can be obtained through
anonymous FTP. The FTP-site with the largest amount of Deborah Gibson related
files is:
ftp.nrgup.com
directory: /pub/music/dgibson/
admin: levien@nrgup.com
The contents of this FTP area was used as a starting point for the creation
of a limited edition CD ROM, which sold out almost instantly. To UPLOAD files,
place the files in the incoming directory: /pub/music/dgibson/incoming/ and
notify the administrator through e-mail.
An old mirror location of the Between the Lines FTP area is:
mirrors.aol.com
directory: /pub/music/lists/btl/
2.5 What World Wide Web (WWW) services are there for Deborah Gibson fans ?
There are a large number of WWW-pages created by fans. The NRG^ site attempts
to provide as objective information as possible: the latest news, a short
biography, information from this FAQ in HTML format, archives for a few
mailing lists, and many links to other resources on the net related to Deborah
Gibson. It has an extensive list of other WWW resources on the net. The URL:
http://www.nrgup.com/
2.6 Can I chat with other fans on the net in real time ?
Check out http://www.nrgup.com/void.html
It will inform you more about Void-MOO, a MUD-like virtual environment that
allows people to chat within a certain theme. (Theme for Void-MOO: Deborah
Gibson/Merrick, New York) You can access the Void-MOO when you have telnet
or a Java-based browser. Pointers to download required software are given at
the above location as well.
You can also try the #DebGibson channel on IRC or Undernet.
********** 3. Deborah Gibson's Music **********
3.1 What Deborah Gibson albums have been released ?
"Out of the Blue", "Electric Youth", "Anything is Possible", "Body Mind Soul",
"Think With Your Heart", and "Deborah". That's not counting the "Greatest
Hits" album released by Atlantic after Deborah switched to SBK.
3.2 What Deborah Gibson singles have been released ?
Whoa! We will not go into a complete discography here. A discography is
available through anonymous FTP to ftp.nrgup.com (see 2.4) or using a
webbrowser: http://www.nrgup.com/discography/
3.3 What Deborah Gibson videotapes have been released ?
"Out of the Blue" has the first four music videos. (30 min.)
"Live in Concert (Out of the Blue tour)", self-explanatory. (60 min.)
"Live Around the World" is another concert, plus 6 more videos. (90 min.)
All of them contain interview segments.
3.4 Why Japanese only Bonus tracks ?
Domestic CD prices in Japan are set by the Japanese government. These prices
are far above the normal market price for CDs imported from the USA. To
improve sales of the Japanese CDs, extra bonus tracks are included that are
not available on the USA versions of the CDs.
The Japanese version of "Anything Is Possible" was sold with an additional
3" CD, containing the song "Without You". "Body Mind Soul" in Japan has an
extra song called "Eyes of the Child". The album "Think With Your Heart" has
even got two additional tracks: "You Know Me" and "Call Yourself a Lover".
Finally, the Greatest Hits album comtains both "Without You" and "Eyes of the
Child" as bonus tracks.
3.5 Who writes Deborah Gibson's music ?
Most of it is written by Deborah Gibson herself. She uses her actual name,
Deborah Gibson for the credit lines, while she initially got famous using the
name "Debbie Gibson". If she does not write music and lyrics by herself, she
at least co-writes her songs, with so far one exception of a cover of the song
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", first made popular by Carole King. Deborah wrote
"Only In My Dreams", her first hit, when she was 12.
3.6 Who produces Deborah Gibson's music ?
Deborah Gibson, usually, although she lets others spin the knobs on occasion.
She produced "Foolish Beat" herself and became the youngest person ever to
write, produce and perform a #1 single.
3.7 Who has had the privilege to work with Deborah Gibson ?
On "Out Of The Blue" she worked with Fred Zarr, John Morales, Sergio Munizibai
and Lewis A. Martinee. On "Electric Youth" Fred Zarr did some of the
producing. On "Anything Is Possible", her third album, she worked with Lamont
Dozier, Jellybean and Fred Zarr. She also teamed up with Tatsuro Yamashita in
creating the song "Without You", which was released in Japan only. On her
fourth album, "Body Mind Soul", she worked with Carl Sturken, Evan Rogers,
Elliot Wolf, Phil Ramone, Carole Bayer Sager and Narada Michael Warden. The
privilege of co-writing and/or co-producing for her fifth album, "Think With
Your Heart", was given to nobody at all. On "Deborah", she teamed up with
Joy Swinea, Richard Drummie, Mark Portmann, Steve Rosen, Junior Vasquez, and
Anna-Jane Casey (duet).
Artists that have worked with Deborah outside of her own albums include Ana,
Jobeth Taylor, the Party, Chris Cuevas and the Circle Jerks. Many people were
suprised to see Deborah team up with the Circle Jerks, sing backup vocals on
their last album, and stagedive into a mosh-pit during their gig at CBGB's in
New York.
3.8 What instruments does Deborah Gibson play ?
Piano, programming synthesizers and drum machines, guitar and flute. At age
six she won first place in a piano recital, playing the full "Fur Elise". She
can hack on the drums, but not well enough to record.
********** 4. Deborah Gibson, the person **********
4.1 Who is Deborah Gibson ?
Full name: Deborah Ann Gibson
Confirmation name: Marie
Religious denomination: Catholic
Date of birth: August 31, 1970
Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York
Education: Sanford H. Calhoun High School, June 1988
Marital Status: Single
Hair: Light brown / blonde
Eyes: Hazel
Deborah has an upbeat, caring, open-minded, ambitious and family-oriented
personality. In her career she has always had the support of her family. Her
mother, Diane, is also her manager. Her sisters have also helped from the
start by doing things like designing her stage-outfits, sound engineering and
running the fan club.
She supports several charities, among which are the Pediatric AIDS Foundation,
the Make-A-Wish Foundation and St.Mary's Children & Families Foundation. The
latter is a home for abused, orphaned and/or neglected children. Deborah's
father, Joe Gibson, has spent several years there. After listing those causes,
it should come as no surprise that Deborah is very fond of children. She
has no children of her own yet, but has stated that she definitely wants
several, own as well as adopted.
4.2 What has Deborah Gibson done so far ?
Deborah Gibson started her career at a young age. She got experience in
theatre by playing roles in plays like "A Christmas Carol", "Annie" and
"Mickey Mouse and Friends". At age 12, she started songwriting seriously.
She was part of the Metropolitan Opera for several years, doing operas like
"Hansel und Gretel", "La Boheme" and "Le Rossignol", some of which meant
singing in a foreign language.
Deborah got her first recording contract at age 16, for a 12" aimed at the
dance market. In late 1986, "Only in my Dreams" was released, a song she had
written three years prior. After it became a hit, 6 months of hard work
performing at various clubs later, she recorded her first album, titled "Out
of the Blue". It went triple platinum, just like her second album "Electric
Youth", which was released in January 1989. With the song "Foolish Beat" she
set a record: she became the youngest artist in chart history to have written,
produced and performed a Number 1 song.
After Deborah's third album, "Anything is Possible", she made her broadway
debut as Eponine in the musical "Les Miserables". She continued her efforts in
theatre by appearing as Sandy in the musical "Grease" on London's West End for
a period of nine months, shortly after she had released her fourth album "Body
Mind Soul". Her fifth album, called "Think With Your Heart", once more shows
her abilities as a songwriter, musician, singer and producer. It contains
mostly ballads with Deborah playing piano, accompanied by an orchestra.
Deborah played Betty Rizzo in the National Touring Company of Grease. She was
part of the cast from October 29 1995 through March 3 1996, touring through
the USA and performing in 19 different cities in a usually sold out theatre.
Deborah recorded her sixth album, "Deborah", in the summer of 1996, after
which she starred as Fanny Brice in a brief revival of the musical Funny Girl.
Besides her own career, she has written and/or produced material for several
other artists (Chris Cuevas, Ana, the Party, Jobeth Taylor) and regularly
participates on "various artists" albums benefiting charities. She surprised
many, including her own fans, by singing backup vocals for a song on the last
Circle Jerks album.
4.3 What is she doing in the theatre ?
Deborah has been involved in the theatre longer than she has been in music.
She got her "Equity" card at age 11 when she did "A Christmas Carol". From the
very beginning (even before her recording career started in 1986) she
participated in many plays and auditioned for many many more. (see also 4.2)
4.4 What are GPI, GMI, and Espiritu ?
Deborah's production/management companies: Gibson Production International and
Gibson Management International. GMI also manages other artists. Both are run
by either Deborah, her sister Karen or her mother Diane Gibson. Espiritu
Records is the name of the Gibsons own record label.
4.5 What is this with Deborah Gibson and Tiffany ?
A long long time ago, Deborah Gibson and Tiffany were teenage artists who
appeared on the music scene at nearly the same time. That drew a connection in
the eyes of the public, though their music is really quite different.
4.6 Is Deborah Gibson still a teenager ?
Time marches on. She was born August 31, 1970.
4.7 Are there any biographies about Deborah Gibson ?
The best is the authorized biography by Mark Bego: "Between the Lines". It was
written in 1989, so it is not up to date. Published by Eakin Publications,
Austin, Texas. (the book and the Internet mailing list coincidentally have the
same name).
Also, "Debbie Gibson: Electric Star" by Randi Reisfeld, March 1990, Bantam
books, New York. It is scarce and unauthorized. While it fills in the picture,
it is quite lacking in the "scandal" department, most likely due to a lack of
scandals :-)
Further: "DEBBIE GIBSON" by Gary Poole. Modern Publishing, New York 1989.
And: "DEBBIE GIBSON - UK BIOGRAPHY", 1990 Omnibus Press. (small)
They are all out of print.
4.8 Has she ever posed nude in Playboy, Penthouse or similar ?
No, Deborah refused an offer made by Playboy. The offer itself lead to lots of
rumors in the tabloids, but Deborah has said flat-out: "NEVER!"
4.9 Did she write a letter to the Times about Madonna's book ?
She wrote a letter that the New York Times never published. She questioned
that a role model of so many teenage fans would publish a book of rather
bizarre erotica, stressing the importance of being a good role model to
young people.
4.10 Is it true that Deborah Gibson did a striptease in one of her videos ?
Yes. She plays a stripper in the video of "Losin' Myself", the first single
released from her fourth album, "Body Mind Soul". Do not expect to see
anything indecent though. The video is actually pretty modest. She stripteases
down to a well-covering bathing suit.
********** 5. Miscellaneous **********
5.1 What do OOTB, BMS, LM and all those funny acronyms mean ?
These are song or album names. Some people have a habit of using these a lot.
OOTB = "Out of the Blue", BMS = "Body Mind Soul", LM = "Losin' Myself", etc...