WAIST HIGH: August 2005

8/31/2005

Representing. Vol. 6.

Happy Belated Birthday To All My Peeps.

Peter Burns
Aug. 5

Ali Score
Aug. 8

Jon Farriss
Aug. 10

Joe Jackson
Aug. 11

Photo courtesy: J. Scott Wynn

Buck Owens
Aug. 12

Budgie
Aug. 21

Joe Strummer
Aug. 21

RIP.

8/30/2005

Happy Birthday Glenn Tilbrook.

Born in 1957, Tilbrook answered an advertisement Chris Difford placed in a store window in 1974 and thus began "one of the most fruitful partnerships in the history of pop songwriting," (squeezefan.com) with now more than 1,000 songs to their credit.

The duo soon recruited pianist Jools Holland and drummer Paul Gunn, and named themselves Squeeze after the disowned Velvet Underground album that featured none of the group's original members.

Squeeze released their debut EP Packet of Three on Deptford Fun City Records in the summer of 1977 and soon arranged an international contract with A&M Records, becoming the label's first new wave act since their disastrous signing of the Sex Pistols.

Material quoted directly from: mp3.com

8/27/2005

Jed: Just What You Have Always Wanted. To Be A Star!

Seems that my stalker Jed. Wait, scratch that. Seems that Sam, recently voted "The Ugliest Dog In The World," has become a canine celebrity.

Have A Good Weekend.

8/26/2005

"Trying To Find Me Something Better..."

Happy first birthday to this post:

It's like Geek in the City could be describing Bakersfield when he talks about the town of his childhood: "Finally, the strange and personally frightening ability that Susanville has over it's previous residents. You see, like the fictional Hellmouth, Susanville doesn't like to let anyone get out alive. Those few that do are often drawn back to it's vile hick embrace. Every time I go home to visit I know I am tempting fate."

Photo courtesy of: The Waist High Collection

8/25/2005

Living In The Eighties News.

TONY HADLEY, former Spandau Ballet frontman, has announced that his forthcoming album of swing songs will be called Passing Strangers and is tentatively scheduled for release in Spring 2006.

A-HA have announced that their forthcoming studio album will be titled Analogues.

SIOBHAN FAHEY will release a new single "Bad Blood" on her own SF label at the beginning of October. A solo album from the former BANANARAMA and SHAKESPEAR'S SISTER singer is due in January.

ABC are scheduled to release a three disc boxset Look Of Love - The Very Best of ABC on September 26th, although it looks likely that the release might slip a couple of weeks into October. The release features the band's singles across two CD's alongside an impressive array of remixes, alternative versions and bonus tracks, plus a DVD featuring all the band's videos.

EURYTHMICS mainman DAVE STEWART has signed a new publishing deal which will cover forthcoming new music from Eurythmics. Stewart is currently working with ANNIE LENNOX on new Eurythmics material for possible release towards the end of this year.

FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD have continued to add dates to their forthcoming UK tour in November. The recently reformed band, with Ryan Malloy stepping into the footsteps of original frontman HOLLY JOHNSON who chose not to take part in the reunion, will now play twenty five shows across the UK.

Former THOMPSON TWINS frontman TOM BAILEY has released a second album as International Observer. The dub orientated album All Played Out is initially released on the New Zealand label Round Trip To Mars but is expected to get international releases in the near future.

All material courtesy of: remembertheeighties.com

8/22/2005

Happy Birthday Roland Orzabal.

Of the 1970s ska revival band Graduate and Tears For Fears.

Tears For Fears landed a record contract with Polygram in 1982. The following year, the band released it's debut, The Hurting, which became a major hit in Britain, generating no less than three Top Five hit singles. Two years later, the group released Songs From The Big Chair, which demonstrated a more streamlined and soul influenced sound. Songs From The Big Chair became a huge hit in America, rocketing to the top of the charts on the strength of the singles "Everybody Wants To Rule the World," and "Shout," which both hit number one, and the number three "Head Over Heels."

Songs From The Big Chair was followed by The Seeds of Love in 1989. In and around 1992, Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal began to quarrel heavily, and Smith left the group. Orzabal went on to release, without Smith, Elemental, and Raoul And The Kings Of Spain.

Smith and Orzabal reunited in 2004.

Material: icebergradio.com
Photo courtesy of: kink.fm

8/19/2005

How Does It Feel? To Treat Me Like You Do?

LOVELY TEENAGED DAUGHTER: "You know. You don't know what the hell you are talking about. Interpol doesn't sound like whoever you said? Joy Division? They sound like New Order numnuts."
WAIST HIGH: "What is a numnuts?"

And my favorite this week:

LOVELY TEENAGED DAUGHTER: "Lemme have these glasses. You don't need them. I need to look hot, not you!"

Photo of the soon to be 17 year old courtesy of: The Waist High Collection

8/18/2005

Living In The Eighties News.

MORRISSEY has announced that he will start work on his new album in September. The former SMITHS frontman will begin work on the album, the follow up to his million selling 2004 album You Are The Quarry, in Rome.

BERLIN have released a new album 4 Play, which features new versions of tracks the band have covered live over the years, including songs by DEPECHE MODE, PRINCE, DAVID BOWIE and PETER GABRIEL, alongside two new Berlin songs "Scream," and "Down And Dirty."

DEPECHE MODE will release their new album Playing The Angel on October 17th, preceded by a single "Precious" on October 3rd.

A-HA will release a new single "Celice" on October 4th and will follow that with their new studio album, currently untitled, on November 7th.

DEAD OR ALIVE fans have organized an online petition to try to persuade Sony Japan to proceed with their planned compilation of Dead Or Alive's original 12" mixes. The release of the much anticipated album has been put on hold for unknown reasons.

THE HUMAN LEAGUE have released the tracklisting of their forthcoming Original Remixes album which will be released on September 26th. The fourteen track album will feature mixes taken from the band's original 12" singles, many of them on CD for the first time. The band will also see their albums Crash and Hysteria reissued over the next couple of months in remastered and expanded form on the U.S. Blue Plate label. Hysteria will be released in September and Crash follows in October.

All material quoted directly from: remembertheeighties.com

8/17/2005

For You Bake Town.

(I'll get you my pretty...)

A day old female Red Faced Black Spider monkey whose mother died after giving birth, is shown at the Estoril Zoo in Sao Bernardo do Campo, 20 miles south of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2005. A contest will be held to name her.

Photo courtesy: AP/Alexandre Meneghin via news.yahoo.com

"I've Never Had A Dog This Much In Love With Me."

Waist High would like to say thank you to full time reader Anita who captured this photograph of Jed, the young man who started a blog devoted exclusively to HOW MUCH HE HATES WAIST HIGH, and who recently had this to say:

"Chrissy Fessler, the cheap broad who grunts and blogs under the name of Waist High. Even denouncing such harpie-like vermin is beneath (insert the name of his lame blog here) time, but suffice it to say, the bitch thinks there's something really profound in 80's pop music ala Duran Duran, and apart from that, she seems to write about her attempts to quit smoking or finding some suitable dirtbag to copulate with."

Thanks Anita, I've been wondering what he looks like!

Photo of Sam, recently voted "The Ugliest Dog In The World" courtesy of: latimes.com

8/13/2005

If My Stalker And #1 Fan Jed Could Only Comment On This, I Am Sure He Would Be Outraged!

Photo, taken in the living room of Waist High Aug. 2, 2005, of a West High School weight belt issued to Waist High Special Correspondent "Tri-Tip" in 1984, courtesy of: The Waist High Collection.

Wouldn't this officially make me the "keeper of all things West High School"?

And to think that somehow I got overlooked when the West High School Class of 1986 reunion committee was formed last month.

8/10/2005

I'll Take "Obsessed" For A Thousand Alex.

Note to self: Never forget that there is nothing sweeter than coming back from a vacation to find that an evil full time reader, who is obsessed with you, has started his own website DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY to his love and admiration for you.

Sweeter than that? Maybe, just maybe, removing my comments so that my obsessed reader can not comment on my site.

Photo courtesy of: The Laverne DeFazio Collection

CAST OF CHARACTERS

THE KERN COUNTY DRUNKARD
Everything at Waist High is a long story, and the story of The KCD is no exception. After this individual told Waist High in December of 2003 that she was going to kill her, "Waist High" the blog was born. Please do not tell Waist High the person that you are going to kill her or she will create "Waist High" the blog and write nasty things about you! Including the time you stunk up the bathroom at The Alley Cat. The "Kern County Drunkard Watch" detailed the drunken comings and goings of the live-in love interest of one of Waist High's most cherished male friends. Never has Waist High met anyone who drank as much as or as often as The KCD. The KCD, because she was an insecure drunk, hated Waist High for most of her decade long relationship with Waist High's most cherished male friend. She hated Waist High for the obvious reason: Waist High is hot. A one time source of much of the material for Waist High the blog, The "Kern County Drunkard Watch" was permanently retired in March 2005 when Waist High's most cherished male friend finally came to his senses and kicked her ass to the curb.

RAMPART
Rampart is the first ex-husband of Waist High. She refers to him as her first ex-husband because she knows there will eventually be a second. Rampart grew up on the mean streets of Bakersfield and claims to have been the co-discoverer of the well known 1980s dirt field party spot known as "The Place." Rampart's 1987 directive to Waist High, "Drink this six pack before I get back!" made both Waist High and Rampart parents at age 20. Rampart currently resides 4.5 miles from Waist High in the wilds of Oregon and is an enduring fixture at their local Cigs For Less shop. Once a Bakersfield Del Taco associate, Sail Thru Hamburgers drive up dude, and Wible Road AM/PM graveyard worker, Rampart claims to now net $49,000 per month. But only to impress people, not when required.

(THE FORMER) LOVELY TEENAGED DAUGHTER
Not your average 37 year old. Born to Waist High as a "Miracle on 34th Street" in Bakersfield Memorial Hospital on 34th Street, LTD is on the board of MAC cosmetics. Not really, but she swears allegiance only to them. When LTD's mother once purchased LTD some eye shadow from Target, LTD threatened to call the police. Sweeter than Tupelo Honey, with the attitude of a feral cat, LTD is disgusted with most things. Including being forced to live with Waist High from 1988-2005. The child at one time even had her own blog, "Living With Waist High," which detailed her misery. A graduate of the oldest institution in the Oregon University System, LTD kept her promise of not getting knocked up at age 20 like Waist High did.

THE STRANGER
Oh God bless The Stranger. The Stranger was one of Waist High's most loyal confidants during some of the darker periods of the blog. Although his fierce allegiance to really bad music was a great source of aggravation for Waist High, The Stranger gave her a much needed look at life. Through the eyes of someone not yet bitter. The Stranger was almost pushed out of a moving vehicle when he revealed to Waist High that not only did he not know who Barry Manilow, Captain & Tenille, or Spandau Ballet were, but that he literally had no clue what Trail Mix was.

"TRI-TIP"
Special Correspondent to Waist High, and one of Waist High's most cherished friends. Used to live with The Kern County Drunkard. Was a Special Correspondent to Waist High for 9 months before knowing it. Long story. This individual coined the ultimate mid '80s Bakersfield drinking phrase, "Lock hubs. Party!"

DESI
Waist High's former work spouse. Cares about Waist High so much that he once took Waist High with him on a smoke break the very next day after she spent $250 for hypnotherapy TO QUIT SMOKING. Was the first person in conversation to introduce Waist High to concepts like "The Dirty Sanchez," "Dog In A Bathtub," "Tea Bagging," and "The Shocker." Reminds Waist High as often as possible that if women "neglect the balls," their men will leave them.