Archive-name: music/debbie-gibson-faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1996/10/19
Version: 3.1.5

The rec.music.artists.debbie-gibson Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) v3.1.5

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/nrgup/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 and GMI ?
  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. Propagation
 (availability on news servers) and readership have not been determined yet,
 but will show up in this FAQ as soon as they 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 3,000 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 ask them friendly.


********** 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. It is managed by Karen Gibson, Deborah's sister.
 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.

 DeLuxe 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 DeLuxe 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. The membership is called DeLuxe
 because there also used to be a "Basic" membership, costing and offering less.
 Due to the overwhelming preference of fans to get the DeLuxe membership, the
 "Basic" membership option had to be terminated.

 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 the latest news from D.G.I.F. by sending a blank
 email message to: DGIFNEWS@infofree.com. An autoresponder will reply by
sending you the latest information file.

 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@ucsd.edu
 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 location for the Deborah Gibson area is:

  ftp.uwp.edu
  directory: /pub/music/lists/btl/
  admin: datta@ftp.uwp.edu

 which is mirrored on:

  music.wit.com
  directory: /uwp/music/artists/g/gibson.debbie/

 and mirrored on:

  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/nrgup/


2.6 Can I chat with other fans on the net in real time ?

 If you have access to Telnet and want to discuss Deborah Gibson and her music
 in real time, drop a line to Jonathan Bradshaw (jonathan@nrgup.com).
 He can 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 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"
 and "Think With Your Heart".


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/nrgup/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.

 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.
 Just before performing the role of Fanny Brice in the new revival of Funny
 Girl, starting October 1, 1996, Deborah recorded her sixth album, Deborah.

 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 and GMI ?

 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. The Gibsons
 also have their own record label: Substance Records, a small dance 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...
