A girl named Wendy

Pretty self-explanatory
laughingcrow
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A girl named Wendy

Post by laughingcrow »

Has anyone got the Wendy James CD he wrote for her all those years ago, I've never been able to find it...is it out of print? What's it like???

Also, has anyone heard the Gwendolen Letters (him singing those songs).....will they be on a reissue do you think???
johnfoyle
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Post by johnfoyle »

Go here for multiple copies of the Wendy James album

http://www.gemm.com/ddc/search.pl?sid=3 ... YOUR+TEARS
laughingcrow
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Post by laughingcrow »

Cheers John.....you're unspeakably genius!

Word on the back streets is that it ain't that hot tho... :?
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HungupStrungup
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Post by HungupStrungup »

The songs are good, of course; Wendy James is not so.
"But it's a dangerous game that comedy plays
Sometimes it tells you the truth
Sometimes it delays it"
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ReadyToHearTheWorst
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Post by ReadyToHearTheWorst »

... in fact, you'd be better off acquiring the 'Wendy James Demos' (sometimes titled 'The Gwendoline Letters'). She nicked the arrangements right off ECs originals!
"I'm the Rock and Roll Scrabble champion"
johnfoyle
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Post by johnfoyle »

http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/sho ... hp?t=16202
Elvis Costello 1990s Wendy James demos--Remastered (4 deleted) (FLAC)
You know the story by now--EC and Cait supposedly wrote an album's worth of material for Wendy James in a weekend. The album stiffed. An interviewer once asked Elvis why he didn't put them out himself, the songs were rough and angry, just like This Year's Model. EC said, you've just answered the question. It's a shame I can't seed London's Brilliant--it's said that it's Elvis' tribute to the Clash. It now appears very unlikely the whole tape will officially surface--some pundits are wondering whether they would be bonus tracks to The Juliet Letters, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Always more, Todd

Elvis Costello
The Wendy James demos
1991-1992
A Panda Production for TD 105 MB

studio>unknown transfer>cdr(x)>EAC>cooledit>flac

1. London's Brilliant (deleted--released officially)
2. Basement Kiss (deleted--released officially)
3. Puppet Girl (deleted--released officially)
4. Earthland
5. Do You Know What I'm Saying
(only released as 'b-side' on very rare 2 track US promo-only cd, I have substituted this cleaner version)
6. We Despise You (deleted--released officially)
7. Fill In The Blanks
8. The Nameless Ones
9. I Want To Stand Forever

Remaining tracks were equalized left to right track for volume, then maximized for presence
Hiss reduction was performed

No amount of remastering can save Elvis's dyijng voice on track 9--ugh!
johnfoyle
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Post by johnfoyle »

terryhurley
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Post by terryhurley »

I like the CD - it occasionally surfaces on Ebay (where I got my own copy about a year ago).
Hawksmoor
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Post by Hawksmoor »

Do You Know What I'm Saying
(only released as 'b-side' on very rare 2 track US promo-only cd


...and as the B-Side of the UK seven-inch vinyl of Thirteen Steps Lead Down...
johnfoyle
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by johnfoyle »

Wendy talks about 'Now...' etc

http://billy-news.blogspot.com/2008/02/ ... james.html


Feb. 26, 2008

(etc)

Later, after disbanding, you immediately decide that you’re gonna follow a solo career and in the end of the same year (1993) you released “Now Ain’t The Time For Your Tears”, with brilliant songs but very softly and differently from what you’ve done before. Maybe that’s why the general ‘music media’ didn’t pay special attention?

Wendy- So exciting, but so complicated…
Moving from a band that represented by young teenage and great fame – into singing solo songs written by another artist…
I learned a lot, I worked with some great musicians… but deep down, I knew it was a transitional moment, and not 100% me… there are moments when I shine through… but also it was me in transition from TVV to WENDY JAMES. The record did well in AMERICA… and it provided me, as life always does, with the path to the next adventure.


It’s difficult to hear a song that is more sweet and touchin’ than “Basement Kiss”.
I know that is written by Elvis Costello and Cait O’ Riordian, but put some much of you in this song that makes me believe that’s 100% yours. Do you like the song or prefer another one in that album?


Wendy- Like I said in the previous answer… there are moments when I shine through… but also there are moments when it’s ELVIS talking through me… those are HIS words… and his feelings… and sometimes I could connect and other times I couldn’t – like a movie script and an actor… you inhabit the words as closely as you can… but ultimately – the words are someone else's… the performance was mine, and the vulnerability was mine, but the intention was Elvis’
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thepopeofpop
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by thepopeofpop »

johnfoyle wrote: The record did well in AMERICA… [/i]
I checked. It failed to make the Top 200 in the US. It also didn't make any other chart in the US. None of her solo works have. To put that into perspective, compared to an artist like Costello, even "For The Stars" actually made a US chart... (#4 on the "Classical Crossover Chart").

I guess being in denial is one way to deal with failure... :?
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pophead2k
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by pophead2k »

Maybe she meant 'did well' in relation to other places as opposed to an objective measure of success. In other words, it sold 11 copies in the U.S., 3 copies elsewhere. :lol:

I guess the laugh is on me, as I am the owner of one of those U.S. smash hits!
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thepopeofpop
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by thepopeofpop »

pophead2k wrote:Maybe she meant 'did well' in relation to other places as opposed to an objective measure of success. In other words, it sold 11 copies in the U.S., 3 copies elsewhere. :lol:

I guess the laugh is on me, as I am the owner of one of those U.S. smash hits!
I bought one too. I wonder the other two people were? :lol:

If I ever see her, I'll be sure to tell her:

ME: Ms James! Ms James! I bought your CD!

Wendy James: Oh. So it was YOU!
--Paul--
Now put on your ironic dancing shoes
And dig my brand new rhythm and hues:
https://www.paulinglis.org
johnfoyle
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by johnfoyle »

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sexysadie7
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by sexysadie7 »

thepopeofpop wrote:
pophead2k wrote:Maybe she meant 'did well' in relation to other places as opposed to an objective measure of success. In other words, it sold 11 copies in the U.S., 3 copies elsewhere. :lol:

I guess the laugh is on me, as I am the owner of one of those U.S. smash hits!
I bought one too. I wonder the other two people were? :lol:

If I ever see her, I'll be sure to tell her:

ME: Ms James! Ms James! I bought your CD!

Wendy James: Oh. So it was YOU!
i have an original as well! :D
you lack lust...
you're so lacklustre...
is that all the strength
you can muster?
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Man out of Time
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by Man out of Time »

On Chris Hawkins' show on BBC Radio 6Music this afternoon he interviewed Wendy James, who is currently touring the UK with a new album.

You can listen again here (for the next 30 days).

BBC Sounds

Wendy appears in the last half hour of the programme. Circa 2hrs 45 mins into the 3 hour show, Chris asked her about "Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears" and how it came about.

She mentioned appearing on the same bill as Elvis at the Feile Festival in Thurles in Ireland in 1991. She notes that Elvis was a very passionate songwriter. Subsequently she found herself in LA where (in order to get off the touring/recording/touring treadmill) she decided to break up the band (Transvision Vamp). She then bumped into Pete Thomas in the bar of the Sunset Marquee hotel and asked him if he thought Elvis would write her some songs to record as a solo artist. "Write him a letter" said Pete.

Wendy wrote and said "Hey Elvis, be really great if you could write me a song or two and help me find my legs [as a solo artist]" . She didn't hear back from him, but starting have conversations with his publishers who said "Elvis is going to write you an album". And Wendy was "like Wow! OK". So she finished her tour with Tranvision Vamp in San Francisco, split up the band and on her return to Ladbroke Grove, there was a cassette from Elvis on her doormat with the Gwendolyn Letters demos.

Wendy went on to record the songs in the South of France and released them as "Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears" and "the album bombed" and she was fired from her label. As she tells it, this prompted her to stop recording other people's songs and to write some of her own.

MOOT
cwr
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by cwr »

I still can't believe that there has never been a proper release of all of EC's Wendy James demos. I thought for sure we would get them during the Rhino campaign but now I wonder if we ever will.

I've always thought it would make a perfect limited edition vinyl release-- it's too obscure and raw to make much of a splash as a full-on release, but if they pressed up a thousand copies they would sell out instantly.
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verbal gymnastics
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by verbal gymnastics »

Man out of Time wrote:Wendy went on to record the songs in the South of France and released them as "Now Ain't The Time For Your Tears" and "the album bombed" and she was fired from her label. As she tells it, this prompted her to stop recording other people's songs and to write some of her own.
So it was Elvis’s fault for writing her rubbish songs :lol:
Who’s this kid with his mumbo jumbo?
Hawksmoor
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by Hawksmoor »

cwr wrote:I still can't believe that there has never been a proper release of all of EC's Wendy James demos. I thought for sure we would get them during the Rhino campaign but now I wonder if we ever will.

I've always thought it would make a perfect limited edition vinyl release-- it's too obscure and raw to make much of a splash as a full-on release, but if they pressed up a thousand copies they would sell out instantly.
Maybe next Record Store Day if he's got no foreign-language versions on the shelf!
chickendinna
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by chickendinna »

The torrent on TD is long dead. Would anyone please point me in the right direction so I can DL these? Thanks in advance.
sweetest punch
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by sweetest punch »

https://superdeluxeedition.com/feature/ ... view-2023/

In the comment section someone posted this:

“There is a Bruce Springsteen Tracks 2 ready to go so I understand, perhaps we will see that this year. Looking forward to more info on the Wham singles box set. A rumour also reached me that Wendy James is trying to get a deluxe of her debut off the ground including all the original Costello demos…
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
cwr
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by cwr »

I really hope that this is true and WJ is finally, finally, able to get all 10 Costello demos released officially. A very small number of fans have been waiting nearly 3 full decades to hear them!
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Top balcony
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by Top balcony »

I number myself amongst those very few who would be very keen on an official release of the GL. However I always presumed that as the songs were co-written and that as the two writers having parted somewhat accrimoniously (rumour) the sticking point was that an agreement by both parties was required. And no such agreement was ever going to be struck. Pure guesswork but explains why the obvious (modest) commercial benefits of this release have never been realised.
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And No Coffee Table
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by And No Coffee Table »

Top balcony wrote:I number myself amongst those very few who would be very keen on an official release of the GL. However I always presumed that as the songs were co-written and that as the two writers having parted somewhat accrimoniously (rumour) the sticking point was that an agreement by both parties was required. And no such agreement was ever going to be struck. Pure guesswork but explains why the obvious (modest) commercial benefits of this release have never been realised.
EC included one of the Wendy James songs co-written with Cait ("Earthbound") on the Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook DVD, and he put another Cait co-write ("The Judgement") on both The Delivery Man and Club Date not long after they split, so I'm skeptical that that's a significant issue.

I also hope an official release of the demos finally happens.
WindUpWorld
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Re: A girl named Wendy

Post by WindUpWorld »

Respect for some of Wendy’s performances - her Fill in the Blanks and Do You Know What I’m Saying are simply superb and brilliantly inhabited. Oddly Elvis always did Puppet Girl better, thinking mostly of late Attractions live performances.
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