Z-100 INTERVIEW
Broadcast: July 31, 1996
Transcribed by: Shmuel Ross
[Transcriber's Notes: This was the first and last time I've ever listened
to the "Elvis and Eliott" show. As a result, I'm not awfully certain as to
who is whom on the show, and there are almost certainly a few incorrectly
attributed quotations.
[I'd like to thank the DGIF Hotline for letting us fans know about this
interview in advance, and Myra and Kazuto for posting the information from
the hotline, thus tipping me off.
[Just before the announced time of the interview, my alarm went off.
I hit the power button on my stereo, which had been prepared the night
before, rolled over, and went back to sleep again, trusting in my tape
deck to take care of the rest. The interview lasted longer than I
expected, though, so I didn't get the end of it. I'm understand that
somebody else got the whole thing, though. If so, I'd love to find out
what happened next, or, at least, how much more there was.
[One last thing; the participants in this interview interrupted and
talked over each other countless times. I tried to deal with simultaneous
talking, sentence fragments, repeated words, etc. in various ways in the
course of this transcription, and I wasn't even remotely consistent about
it. Sorry. As it stands, this was a lot more work than I anticipated when
I first promised to do it. My respect for the many people who've transcribed
interviews before me has certainly increased. In fact, if not for them,
I probebly never would've done this to begin with. Thanks, guys!]
NOTE: Deborah Gibson's dialogue is preceded by "Deb:"
in the course of this transcription. Towards the end of the interview,
someone named "Deborah" calls in. Try not to confuse the two. :-)
Elvis: It's 8:24, it's Elvis and Elliot, oh, Debbie Gibson's here. Ladies
and Gentlemen, Debbie Gibson.
Elliot: All right!
Deb: Hello, good morning!
Elliot: Give it up for Debbie!
Deb: Franties [unintelligible]
Elvis: All right... hey, they're not supposed to be in the hand.
Deb: I know that; I'm not puttin' them on, I'll save 'em for later.
Elvis: And Mom, Diane Gibson is here as well--
Elliot: Hi, Mom!
Elvis: --good morning, mom.
Diane: Good morning!
Elvis: Thanks for coming in.
Deb: She brought you bagels...
Elvis: I lived here back in the '80s, and I lost my mind, and I moved to
Austin for a year?
Elliot: Yes, you did.
Elvis: Austin, Texas's a great place; Diane said, "You know what? I bet
you're missing bagels down there." So she sent me the most unbelieveable
bagels. I never had a prop-- I never thanked you properly... so, on the
floor, baby, let's make love! [Laughter from Diane and/or Deb] No, I'm
kidding. Now, Debbie, thank you for coming in. I know you have a lot
of things going on these days.
Deb: Yes.
Elvis: Uh, we haven't heard from you in a while, and I was telling Elliot
earlier that you're down in some bunker somewhere below an airfield
working on some projects [Deb laughs] around the clock with scientists
and things like that, engineers--
Deb: Something like that, something like that.
Elvis: So what-- you have a big announcement; now, you made the big
announcement already, we were hoping you would make it on OUR show, and you
didn't do it.
Deb: Ohhhh. Well, that's-- talk to my publicist. He happens to be here. He,
uh...
Elliot: Oh, come on!
Elvis: For those of you who didn't see it, Debbie Gibson is now married to
Denzel Washington.
Deb: [Laughs]
Elliot: Absolutely. That was the big announcement.
Elvis: Beautiful babies! Beautiful babies, out of those two.
Deb: And we're naming our first child "Franties."
Elvis: Oh, Franties! It's catchy... Okay, we had the Franties people in
earlier, we're talking about the scented panties, Franties, which I think
is just a delicious idea--
Elliot: Oh, it's a beautiful-- uh, it's Scent-sational!
Elvis: It is! Now, I was thinking, what if Debbie Gibson did the campaign
for them? I mean, who knows--
Deb: Well, I already have an idea for the campaign, because the big
announcement is-- you want the big announcement?
Elliot: Hit me, baby.
Deb: I'm gonna be, um, playing Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl."
Elvis: You know what? How about Frantie--
Elliot: Frantie!
Elvis: --Frantie Brice? [Diane laughs]
Deb: Well, that's what I said on the way over, but also we could do,
[To the tune of "People"] Franties... people who wear Franties... are
the smelliest people in the world!
Elvis: I was thinking something like:
Sound Clip With Debbie Impersonator: [To the tune
of "Only in My Dreams"] Oh... only in my Franties... sniff them and you will
see... splendid fragrance goes on me!
Elvis: I don't know... you know what? There are as many possibilities for
the Frantie corporation--
Deb: You, you got me there.
Elvis: --we worked out some budgets, we're gonna pay you millions of dollars
for the Frantie, uh, okay.
[General laughter.]
Elvis: So-- let's move forward. It's 8:26, we're talking to Debbie Gibson,
let's talk about, uh, Fannie Brice, let's talk about "Funny Girl."
Deb: Mmm-hmmm.
Elvis: Now, this is, uh, this is huge. I mean this is bigger than huge,
it's HUGE-huge.
Deb: [Titters.] This is-- this is my dream role. This is kind of, um...
I mean, for someone my age, I would say the biggest undertaking in the
theatre world that I could possibly... be undertaking, I mean it's, um,
it's like, in a way, it's like doing a one-woman show every night, so it's--
Elliot: Right.
Deb: --it's, um, and of course, um, you know, the music is--
[Slight feedback. Elvis says something in a low voice which I can't quite
make out.]
Deb: [Laughs]
Elvis: Go ahead, sorry.
Deb: Oh, no, I was gonna say, of course the music is, um, a big challenge.
I've been working with coaches -- acting coaches, vocal coaches -- every
day...
Elliot: Vocal co-- you don't need vocal coaches!
Deb: Yes, you do-- and, oh, there's also dialect.
Elvis: Oh, of course!
Deb: I should've brought the dialect tape.
Elvis: Well, can't we--
Deb: There's like this guy on there going [Heavy Brooklyn accent]
"SubstiTUtional CHANges," you know, they're trying to get this, like,
Brooklyn thing.
[General laughter.]
Elvis: Oh, come here, Danielle, come here. I'd like you to meet Danielle
[Something] from the Pelham Parkway area of the Bronx--
Elliot: Pelham Paaaarrrrkwaaaay...
Elvis: Here's my favorite Danielleism. "Uh! Just! PUSH! Thuh! BUH!-in!" Buh-in.
["button"]
Deb: Buh-in.
Elvis: Danielle, where's the paperwork? "It's in the draw." The draw.
Danielle (?): Come on!
Deb: That's it! Drop the r's, that's part of the dialect tape.
[Next three lines spoken simultaneously]
Elvis: The draw. I don't get that.
Deb: You hear the future there.
Elliot: There's nothing wrong with--
Elvis: Okay, may I rewind for just a moment with Debbie? You were talking
about a vocal coach. Now, why do YOU need a vocal coach? You have the
most unbelievable voice in this galaxy!
Deb: It's like, basically, every time you undertake something new, there's
just, there are new things to be learned about, um, like, for instance,
my voice can be, sometimes, a little edgier, a little deeper... um, this
role is a little more nasally, um, a little more harsh in a different kind
of way, so it's just about learning new things about your voice.
Elvis: I think you're over-thinking it. I really think that you are over-
thinking it.
Deb: [Laughs]
Christine: She's finding her character. So, you're going on the road with
this, and then do you ultimately hope to get to Broadway with this show?
Deb: Yeah. Well, I mean, they are promoting it as the pre-Broadway tour.
Christine: Mm-hmm?
Deb: But, um, you know, nothing gets there until it gets there; I'm kind of,
at the moment, focused on the nine months on the road. [Laughs]
Elvis: Nine months on the road!
Deb: Nine months, everywhere! Everywhere!
Elvis: Good God, you can have a baby in nine months! [Laughter] We'll get to
that next! Okay, well--
Deb: Especially if I wear my Franties! They'll work for ya!
Elvis: I mean but you-- you're no stranger to the theatre, I mean you, we saw
you in "Grease," right?
Deb: Mm-hmm!
Elvis: We've seen you, and--
Elliot, Deb, and Christine: And "Les Mis."
Christine: Eponine, that's a dream role, right there.
Deb: That is, yes.
Christine: "On My Own," that song makes me cry every time. Oh, sing it,
Debbie.
[Laughter]
Elvis: Oh, Christine.
Deb: Oh, I couldn't possibly.
Elvis: Christine [Something] plays Tina in "Tony and Tina's Wedding," so,
when it comes to the theatre-- are you having technical problems over there?
Deb: Yeah, technical difficulties.
Elvis: What's the problem? [Jumble of voices] Oh, Debbie's searching for the
proper hole to make that thing work.
Elliot: Christine, get over there and help her.
Elvis: Oh, you know what?
Deb: Yeah, that's better.
Elvis: Oh, I feel horrible about this.
Deb: Yeah, that-- that's better. It's just a...
Elvis: Horribly.
Christine: She's back.
Deb: I'm back.
Christine: Just a glitch.
Deb: It's better.
Christine: We're all here.
Elvis: Oh, okay. So vo-- hello?
Deb: Hello!
Elvis: Oh, okay. Okay, we got the vocal coach thing out of the way, acting
is fine-- acting classes, we could all use a few acting classes.
Deb: Mmmmm.
Elvis: I gotta be honest with you. Uh, that's cool. But the dialect thing.
Now, okay, give me a line uh, from the show that Debbie would say, how
Debbie would say it, and then give me a line how-- in the manner that
Fannie would say it.
Deb: Well, some of them are even hard to say how I would say it, because
they're written so specifically for the character, like when she goes,
[Brooklyn Jewish accent] "So nobody argues with the landlord?" You know,
it's that kind of, it's like a Jewish Brooklyn accent.
Elvis: All right.
Elliot: Awww... my mom could've been in this show.
[Laughter]
Elliot: She could've! She could've, she would've...
Elvis: Awww... This is very cool! We're very proud of you!
Deb: I'm very excited. Very excited. You guys are gonna have to take a
little road trip!
Elvis: No, okay, well, nine months on the road, give us some cities. I mean,
are they all big, glamorous cities? Are there--
Deb: Oh boy, um, we're opening in Pittsburg. [laughs]
Elvis: Pittsburg is a great place, don't laugh!
Deb: No, no, no, I'm not laughing. Pittsburg, Richmond; we start out on
the East Coast.
Elvis: Now, Richmond I have a problem with.
Deb: Why's that?
Elliot: Yeah, hopefully, that's just a short stay.
Elvis: Yeah.
Deb: We actually have tech rehearsals in Richmond, too.
Elliot: Uh-oh. Oh, you know what? It's a good place to iron out the old--
Elvis: It'll allow you time to focus on the show.
Elliot: --problems.
Deb: Okay, okay.
Elvis: Okay, we have Pittsburg and Richmond, Debbie Gibson doing Fanny Brice
in Pittsburg, Richmond, tell me more.
Deb: We're gonna be in Chicago, Denver, San Francisco for a month, umm,
Pasadena, Vegas,
Elvis: These are beautiful places!
Christine: Oo, Las Vegas.
Elvis: Vegas!
Deb: That might be the road trip you guys all--
Christine: That's where I'll be-- I'll come meet you out there, Debbie.
Deb: All right.
Elvis: We'll see-- so, nine months on the road, now, mom, are you gonna miss
Debbie when she's on the road, or are you gonna be on the road with her?
Diane: No, no, I don't go on the road with her, but I'm going in and out.
I go to visit.
Elvis: Now, come on, come over here, honey; come over here, doll.
Deb: (laughs) "Doll." Dolink.
Elvis: Now, ever since you really started out in the business, that I know
of; we used to interview you years ago--
Deb: Uh-huh.
Elvis: --and, and, mom was always on the road with you, Diane was always
there, and at some point, uh, I remember Diane wasn't there with you a
couple times, the independance kind of set in, now she's on the road for
nine months, are we a little nervous?
Diane: No, not at all.
Elvis: There's wolves out there!
Deb: Actually-- I actually went to Lon-- I lived in London for a year,
doing Grease over there.
Elvis: Uh-uh-uh-uh! It's "Fundon"
Elvis & Elliot: Fundon!
Elvis: Fundon!
Elliot: Fundon!
Elvis: We love it so much, we call it "Fundon."
Deb: Fundon! Okay...
Elvis: You have no problem with her on the road-- There's scary people,
Richmond; oh, god, mom!
Deb: (laughs)
Diane: There are scary people in Richmond?!
Elliot: It's all military! It's a military town. It's right near Norfolk.
Elvis: Oh, yeah. Lotta seamen there; lots of seamen.
(Next two lines spoken simultaneously)
Diane: Cancel that part of the tour.
Deb: Cancel that city, right, right.
(laughter)
Deb: Get the producers on the phone.
Elvis: We're all very proud of you, Debbie. Deborah. Do we call you Deborah
now?
Deb: You know what? Friends and family have always called me Deborah, so
I've always introduced myself as Deborah. So, you know what? I consider
you friends and family.
Elvis: Oh, don't start that.
Deb: (Laughs)
Elvis: Hi, Amy, how are you?
Amy: HEY! How you doin'?!
Elvis: Oh, Amy, you know, if you could turn your [drowned out by Deb] just
a little bit.
Deb: Whoo! My earphones just--
Elvis: How are you Amy? You're on with Deborah.
Amy: I'm all right! I wanted to know, Deborah--
Deb: Yes!
Amy: --um, I've been following you around for a long time, and I'm a huge
fan; I love you.
Deb: Thank you.
Amy: Um, I wanted to know... um, what's the closest place to New York that
I can catch you; um, I followed you in Grease, I loved Les Mis... um,
Deb: Oh, thanks!
Amy: I just-- I just wanted to know where I could pick up some tickets!
Deb: Probably-- probably Pittsburg, Richmond, or Hershey, I think.
Elvis & Elliot: Oh, Hershey!
Christine: That's not bad!
Deb: The closest places. I think, um... God, I think at the very end of
the tour we're in Schnectady, which is pretty far, but that's one of the
closer places,
Amy: Hey, that's great. I'm in the Bronx. (laughs)
Deb: Hop on Amtrak to Pittsburg or something. Pittsboig.
Elvis: Listen, Amy, thanks for calling in, all right?
Amy: Thanks a lot!
Deb: Thanks you, Amy. Bye-Bye!
Elvis: We're gonna do some "E on the Z" after a quick song, Deborah Gibson's
here... can we have you just for a few minutes? You're not going anywhere
quickly, are you?
Deb: Oh, no!
Elvis: Oh, traffic is a mess, you don't want to get out there in that.
Deb: We were in it! We were in it!
Elvis: Did you hear the new Pearl Jam song?
Deb: No, I haven't.
Elvis: You wanna hear the new Pearl Jam song?
Deb: Sure.
Elvis: The new Pearl Jam song, with Elvis and Elliot. Z-100, 8:32!
[They play the new Pearl Jam song.]
Elvis: Z-100, brand new Pearl Jam, it's Elvis and Elliot, 8:36.
Elliot: Oh.
Elvis: What's wrong?
Elliot: Oh, I love the new Pearl Jam.
Deb: Yeah.
Elvis: Oh, okay, just checking. Uh, Deborah Gibson's with us. Hi, Deborah!
Deb: Hey, and what about that Butthole Surfers concert?
Elvis: You liked that?
Deb: That was kickin'!
Elvis: Did you like it?
Deb: Not as good as their other ones... you know, critically speaking.
[laughter]
Christine (?): Sounds a little familiar.
Deb: You know, the mosh pit, they didn't quite-- you know, I didn't glide,
as--
Elvis: No, not like you used to.
Deb: Not like I usually do.
Elliot: You know what? We get older, we don't glide.
Deb: I did stage dive once, though. Did you know this? I sang backup with
the Circle Jerks--
Elliot: At CBGB's.
Elvis: THAT'S who it was! The Circle Jerks, yes--
Deb: --at CBGB's and I stage dove.
Elliot: I tracked you down in Florida, and we talked on the radio about that; I
don't know if you remember it.
Deb: Riiight!
Elvis: Uh, yeah, things happen. Deborah Gibson stage diving at CBGB's.
Hello!
Deb: Momentary lapse of reason.
Elliot: No!
Deb: Mom was out of town, that week.
Elvis: Mom, did you have a problem with her stage diving at CBGB's?
Diane: Well, I wasn't there.
Deb: I told her to stay home that night.
Elliot: When you got back, did you check the liquor cabinet, to see if the
liquor was below the black lines that you draw on the bottles?
Deb: [laughs]
Elvis: Debbie Gibson, she's gone straight to hell... All right, we have to
talk about "Funny Girl" some more,
Deb: Mm-hmm.
Elvis: and when she started belting out "People?" Did I get-- were those
goosebumps?
Elliot: I looked very closely, and yes, they were!
Elvis: All right, let's do some E on the Z... feel free to chim in at any
point,
Deb: "Chim in?"
Elvis: Uh, you can say "chim" or "chime"; I looked it up, it's very true.
Deb: Oh, okay, hi.
Elvis: No, it's true! Isn't it true? Chim in!
Christine: I'm not... I've never heard that.
Deb: [reflectively] Chim in.
Elvis: 1-800-242-0100, please, English majors call now.
[laughter]
[Entertainment news items which I'm not gonna bother transcribing.]
Christine: I'm just wondering, what does Deborah Gibson feel about videos?
Did you like doin' 'em?
Deb: Yeah, I love doing videos!
Christine: Yeah?
Elvis: Really!
Christine: 'Cause, we spoke with Hootie and the Blowfish yesterday, and they
were-- the guys were kind of complaining that they hate it.
Elliot: Yeah! They thought it was weird, kind of lip-synching to one of
their own tracks...
Deb: Well, that-- that is a little weird, I mean, the lip-synching part,
but it's fun 'cause, I mean, I'm a theatrical kind of person, so you can
get creative and...
Elvis: Oh, that's true.
Christine: She can get into the acting side of it, right?
Deb: Yeah, I guess, I mean, they're more of a band, that... you know,
started out playing live, I mean I started out, like, making my own demos
by myself, so it's fun to-- I see that as branching out, as opposed to,
like, they might see it as... you know, saying, it's not as good as playing
out live, or whatever.
Elvis: Will there be a soundtrack, or some kind of CD with your music from,
uh, from "Funny Girl?"
Deb: Well, actually, I'm gonna be doing my own album this summer--
Elliot: Ah!
Elvis: Oh!
Deb: --and I'm gonna be doing "People" and "Don't Rain on My Parade"
on my album.
Elvis: There you go!
Deb: And they might be doing a new soundtrack also.
Elvis: Since this is 1996, I mean, and "Funny Girl" is a very, is, it's an
old, old musical--
Deb: Mm-hmm.
Elvis: --I mean, how do you mix uh, modern-day technology and trends, with...
Elliot: To duet with Coolio!
[laughter]
Elvis: I mean--
Deb: [In the same tone of voice one might use to say "Yo mama!"] Yo,
People! People who meet people!
Elliot: [Heavy Brooklyn accent] Are the luckiest people in the woild!
[laughter]
Elvis: So, tell me, I mean, is it, do you guys stick to the script? I mean,
to the original?
Deb: Yeah, In fact, they're trying to even stick more to the time period
that it took place, which was the early 1900's, in this one, that they even
did in the production that they did in the '60s. 'Cause, apparently, the
production in the '60s, was so tailored around Barbra Streisand, and, and
her style, and making her a star, that occasionally they did stray from
sticking true to the early 1900's. So, I think the best way to do a
traditional musical is to stay true to the time period.
Elvis: Have you have the conversation with Barbra?
Deb: No, Babs hasn't called yet to congratulate me, I'm afraid!
[Laughter]
Elvis: Well, guess what, here she is on line 12.
Deb: Oh, yeah.
Elvis: All right, what else is going on, Christine?
[More entertainment news which I'm still not bothering with, 'till...]
Christine: ...meanwhile, when the [Sex] Pistols play L.A.'s Universal
Ampitheater on August 22nd, the talk is that Heidi Fless is going to bring
them out onstage.
Elvis: Oh, isn't that nice?
Elliot: Oh, that's great.
Christine: Class, class, class.
Elvis: Oh, you know, there's an idea for "Funny Girl!" I'm telling you,
[???] "Funny Call Girl"... People Who Rip People...
[laughter]
Elvis: One of the things I'm really proud about, is that you, you haven't
moved to Los Angeles; you don't have a place there, do you?
General Mish-Mash: Well, um... aww... no, no... wait--
Deb: Well, what happened was, I was supposed to do a TV show out there,
with Warner Brothers?
Elvis: Right.
Deb: So, um, I'd reached a-- rent -- start leasing a place out there. In
fact, you know anyone who wants to sub-let, because...
Elvis: It's just sitting there by itself?
Deb: ...now, here I am, I mean, it's sitting there by itself; I've had it
for, um, like three months? I, uh...
Elvis: Is it really expensive?
Deb: ...I got furniture, I did the whole move, it was the first time in my
life I ever waited for the cable guy, the phone guy...
Elliot: Wow.
Deb: ...I had them, like, hoisting furniture over a terrace, 'cause they
couldn't get in, blah blah blah, anyway, it's just sitting there, and I'm
not going back!
Elvis: I might have a taker for you!
Elliot: You know what? We may be losing our jobs soon, and, you know what?
We may need that.
Deb: [laughs] Fully furnished!
Elvis: Oh, beautiful. You know, she was in Ikea all day, shopping to fill it
up... so, uh, you know what? That teaches you; don't try the West Coast.
Deb: I know, I've learned.
Elvis: Make it East Coast.
Christine: Mmm-hmm.
Deb: I'm an East Coaster.
Elvis: That-- thank you.
Deb: I own my place here.
Elvis: Thank you.
Elliot: Right.
Elvis: Well, you know.
Christine or Deb: Just stick with us.
Elvis: Is there more? Is that it?
Christine: That's your E on the Z.
Elvis: Oh, that was beautiful, Christine. And do you like how we, like,
wrap you around the E on the Z, to become a part of it?
Deb: I do like it!
Christine: She's our correspondent.
Deb: [Belts out] 'Cause I wanna be a part of it...
Elliot: Oh, God.
Deb: Everyone!!
Everyone: New York, New York!
Elvis: It's 8;42, Hi, Pete! Pete!
Pete: Hi. [Pete speaks in a calm, well-modulated deep voice; the sort which
says "Now Playing at a Theatre Near You" at the end of a commercial.]
Elvis: Pete, we're hanging out with Deborah Gibson.
[pause]
Deb: Hello?
Pete: Hi!
Elvis: Pete-- Pete grew up listening to you.
Pete: Hi, Deborah.
Deb: Oh, this is-- this is a setup if I ever heard one. Hi, Pete!
Elliot: No, no.
Pete: No, absolutely not.
Elvis: Pete, you're very, very low-key!
Elliot: Yeah, why're you so down, Pete?
Pete: Well, you just kinda caught me off-guard here, that's all.
Elvis: Pete--
Elliot: The Quaaludes kicked in, didn't they?
[General laughter]
Elvis: All right, Pete; we have many people that want to talk to Deborah on
the phone, we gotta get this traffic outta the way; let me know what's
going on.
Pete: Kick me aside, that's okay... [gives traffic report]
[Commercial break, then a song ("Watch the World Die" ?)]
Elvis: There you go, one of the songs Deborah Gibson will be singing on the
road as Fanny Brice. [laughter] Oh, it's Everclear on Z-100, 8;49,
uh... Christine, still with us; she and Debbie having a great spirited
conversation over there. Uh, we're talking about the theater, is that what
we're talking about?
Christine: [With an accent] We're talking theatuh. And accents. And all
that stuff.
Elvis: Tawking theatuh.
Christine: Yeah.
Deb: A guy who directed me in a production of Cinderella, when I was nine,
for the Town of Hempstead repertory theatre, is in the show.
Christine and
Deb: He's in Tony and Tina's Wedding, Tom Carlia (?)
Elvis: Really!
Christine and
Deb: Yes.
Christine: Tom Carlia's still in it.
[Diane and Christine talk simultaneously with everyone else, and I can't
make all of it out. General three-second mish-mash of chit-chat... ending
with:]
Elvis: Tom's career pretty much bottomed out there.
[Laughter]
Christine: Deborah's mother's more than welcome; Diane's coming...
Elvis: All right, the phone-- the phone is just a'ringin'. May I push the
button?
Deb: Sure! ["Shoah!"]
Elvis: Oh, Deborah, do you have a problem? Deborah Gibson. I mean,
Deborah-- I'm calling Diane-- Diane--
Deb and Diane: Diane!
Elvis: I mean Diane; oh, I get them mixed up. Can I look at your hands?
Which one looks older?
Deb: Oh, see, you'd be hard-pressed to tell. She has better nails, I'll tell
you that.
Christine: She has great nails.
Deb: Thinner (?) nails. They're not mine; click-click. (?) [laughs]
Elvis: Jennifer, are you there?
Jennifer: Hi, how are you?
Elvis: Oh, pretty good, thanks. How are you doing?
Jennifer: Good! I wanted to ask Debbie a question. Debbie, I went to high
school with you; I graduated Calhoun with you. And, um, we just had-- just
a whole bunch of us were up; someone just got married, and we were talking
about our ten-year reunion?
Deb: Yeah?
Elliot: Uh-oh.
Jennifer: So we wanted to know if you're coming, (a); and (b), are you gonna
bring Brian Bloom again?
Deb: Oh, God!
Elliot: Oh, yeah. She's still seeing Brian Bloom!
Deb: Come on now, yeah, that was ten years ago, now.
[laughter]
Deb: First of all, wait, what's your last name? Who is this?
Jennifer: My maiden name is Blumgrend.
Deb: Oh, I know you!
Jennifer: Sure!
Deb: Of course! You went to Camp Avenue, too.
Jennifer: Yeah, I did.
Deb: Yes!
Jennifer: And Brookside.
Deb: Oh, how funny.
Jennifer: What?
Deb: How funny. So when's the reunion?
Jennifer: I don't know! We were just talking about it...
Deb: I would go; I've always said that I'd wanna go-- want to go if there
was one.
Elvis: Which year did you graduate?
Jennifer and Deb: '88!
Elliot: Oh.
Elvis: See, I went to my ten-year reunion... and I regretted it. I gotta be
honest with you; it was a horrible experience.
Elliot: Aww.
Deb: Really?
Elliot: Listen, mine's next summer, and I'm kinda panicked about whether I'm
gonna go.
Deb: This-- I-- I spoke to a cousin of mine, who just-- Lisa, mom, went to
her-- um, I don't know if it was her twenty-year reunion? Or whatever...
She said, basically, all the guys you ignored and thought were geeks were
now all successful and cute, and the other guys were all losers.
Elvis: Right. It's true.
Elliot: Hey, you know what?
Deb: She said-- she said the other thing was, people only wanted to know if
the women were married, and had kids, and whatever, and all the guys got
asked about their careers.
Elvis: That's just how it goes?
Deb: That was definitely a going... trend.
Elvis: Well, Jennifer, what have you done now, since high school?
Elliot: Well, she got married.
Jennifer: Well, instead of making records, I decided to go to Med school.
So I just graduated Stony Brook in the, uh, last spring.
Deb: Oh, wow!
Elliot: Oh, congratulations!
Jennifer: Thank you. And, uh, I don't know...
Elliot: All right, that's good enough.
Elvis: Well, I mean, obviously you're married.
Jennifer: I'm married, yeah.
Elvis: Any kids?
Jennifer: No.
Elvis: Oh, good. Practicing to have them?
Jennifer: What?
Deb: [Titters]
Elvis: Okay, Jennifer, I'm gonna try to talk her into that ten-year reunion.
Jennifer: I know, Debbie, you gotta come!
Deb: All right, well--
Jennifer: But, you know what, no Brian Bloom, please.
Deb: No, he's not coming. I haven't spoken to him in a very, very long time.
Jennifer: Good. And can we keep the security guards down?
Deb: Yes. Yes.
Elvis: Oh, you know what? I think I'm hearing more than I need to hear,
Jennifer. [Deb laughs] You're painting a very negative picture about my
friend Deborah.
Jennifer: No, no, no, no.
Elvis: All right, thanks for calling.
Deb: Bye!
Elliot: Bye.
Deb: She's probably referring to the prom and graduation, which were... a
bit crazy. [laughs]
Elliot: I bet they were!
Deb: They were a little crazy. I mean, that was at a time that...
Elliot: Do you feel that a piece of your childhood kinda disappeared?
Deb: [Tearfully] Yes! In fact, I've been dying to talk about it; I'm so glad
you brought it up.
Elliot: Oh, you come talk to Daddy!
Elvis: All right, hi Darren!
Darren: Hey.
Elvis: How's Samantha? [pause] [Deb laughs] All right, do you have a
question for, uh, for, uh, Deborah?
Darren: Yeah, Debbie, how's it goin'?
Deb: Hi, how are ya?
Darren: We were at the convention, um...
Elvis: Oh, oh, the, uh, wait, hold on, the Debbie Gibson fan club convention?
Darren: Yeah.
Elliot: Oh...
Deb: It was, like, two weeks ago. Where were you guys?
Darren: Yeah, and me and a bunch of my friends went, and we remember,
"Shake Your Booty" with "Shake Your Love," the remix you did?
Deb: Right, I did a little medley of "Shake Your Booty," "Shake Your
Groove Thing," and "Shake Your Love."
Darren: And we were, like, blown away. And, I have a lot of friends who
go to the clubs, and what I was wondering was, um, "One Step Ahead" and
"Free Me" were like, pretty big singles for you, and they were, like,
club songs. You should, I mean, I am begging you, go back to the club-land.
[Deb laughs.]
Elliot: Oh, oh, you know, Darren, you're speaking over our heads--
Darren: We're waiting for you!
Elliot: Darren is waiting for you in club-land.
Deb: Well, maybe I-- maybe I should do a little, uh--
Darren: You could [something] with Junior, or David Moralez? I mean--
Elliot: All right.
Elvis: Darren--
Deb: You see, this is my thing with, um, club music for me right now, is
that, it's like, when I was doing club music, um, you know, it was, it was
a different kind of club music; club music now has gotten... heavier, and
not so much melody-oriented.
Elliot: Yeah.
Deb: And so, it's kind of like, in the clubs, they would consider my-- what
I consider club music, to be too light, I bet.
Elliot: I dunno, I think it's coming back... I don't know.
Darren: Well, I don't know, there's a lot of people like Mariah Carey?
Deb: Right.
Darren: She's-- I mean, you wouldn't believe the vocals on her club mixes.
Elliot: Oh, yeah, you're right, Darren.
Deb: Right. Well, that kind of thing, that kind of thing, on the next album
I'd like to do some more like, pop-R&B stuff that could lend itself to
being remixed for the clubs.
Elvis: All right, Darren, thanks for calling.
Deb: Thanks, Darren!
Elvis: Thanks very much, uh... hello, Chris!
Chris: Hello!
Elvis: Uh, Chris also went to Deborah's fan-club convention.
Chris: That's right.
Deb: Hi!
Elvis: Hey, did you meet Darren there? [Deb laughs]
Chris: Uh... probably.
Elvis: He was the one dancing. [General laughter]
Chris: Everybody was dancin'.
Elliot: What's your question, Chris?
Chris: Well, I just wanted to tell Deborah that uh, you know, the convention
was great...
Deb: Thanks.
Chris: You know, how'd you learn how to tap-dance?
Deb: Oh, yeah, see, you guys missed the show of a lifetime! I did a two-
and-a-half hour concert at the end of the night, and, um,
Elvis: And tap-danced?
Deb: I did everything from club music, to ballads at the piano, to theatre
music, and I did this little tap break, 'cause I tapped as a kid, but what
happened was, I did an "America Online" interview, um, and my typist happened
to be a tap-dancer! He said, "I'm a hoofer, I do, like, a street-style kind
of tap." So I started taking lessons with him in L.A.; it just so happened
he was gonna be in New York, and so we decided to do this little tap number.
So, I actually learned, though, um, on Long Island originally from Greg
Birge (?), out in Merrick, how to tap-dance.
Chris: Oh.
Elvis: Well, have you been to see "Stomp?"
Deb: Yeah.
Elvis: So is that sort of a street type of... I mean they do a little tap.
Deb: Yeah.
Elliot: Oh, they're hoofers! They're ALL hoofers!
Deb: Yeab, they're really like, hoofers, they're drummers, you know...
Elvis: Oh, I could be-- I'm so wrong, I'm so wrong. Hey, Chris, thanks for
calling.
Chris: All right, thanks a lot.
Deb: Thanks.
Elvis: Thank you for listening. More importantly, thanks for listening.
Elliot: When is the-- when's the next convention? 'Cause I feel badly that I
haven't met Darren or Chris.
Deb: Next year. We'll send you your invite.
Elvis: Well, how about Deborah? She, too, was at the convention!
Deborah: Hello? [Heavy crowd noise in background]
Elvis: Hey, Deborah?
Deborah: Hello?
Deb: Hi!
Deborah: Hi!
Elvis: Are you calling from Penn Station?
Deborah: Umm, no, Grand Central.
[Laughter]
Elvis: Oh, by the way, our own Greg T. the Frat Boy (?) is on the way to
Grand Central; he's wearing Franties, will you sniff them live on the radio
later on?
Deborah: Uh, I'll try...
Elvis: Ohh.
Deborah: ...I'm supposed to be in class right now.
Elvis: Oh, you know what? Who needs class?
Deborah: I know.
Elvis: All right. Go ahead.
Deborah: I just wanted to tell you; your convention? It rocked; it was
great.
Deb: Thank you!
Deborah: And I wanted to thank you; you gave me, uh, your voice teacher's
number?
Deb: Right!
Deborah: I called her up, and, uh, once I get a job I'm gonna actually go
to her.
Deb: Excellent.
Deborah: Thank you.
Deb: Definitely go; she's great.
Elvis: Thanks, Deborah!
Deborah: Thank you.
Elvis: So, Deborah had a nice, nice, uh...
Deb: Excellent!
Elvis: No... not all of 'em are questions; some of 'em are comments.
Elliot: Where was the convention?
Deb: Um, actually, out here in New Jersey, at the Meadowlands, um, Sheraton.
Elliot: Oh.
Elvis: Oh, yeah, right over in the-- in the Meadowlands.
[Laughter]
Deb: In the Meadowlands; that would be the--
Elliot: It's the Sheraton, I think.
Deb: --that's the Sheraton, there.
Elvis: Hi, Laurie! Laurie has a very burning question; what might that be?
Laurie: Are you really married to Denzel Washington?
[Laughter]
Deb: Do you believe everything these guys say?!
Elliot: Deborah! If you didn't -- if you missed it earlier, she's married to
Denzel. [More laughter]
Elvis: Well ac-- they felt like it was time to get married; I mean, Debbie is
now six months along...
Deb: You know; we've kept it a secret long enough, and--
Elliot: And so, yeah, but, yeah, if you missed earlier, that was the big
announcement; she's married to Denzel.
Elvis: That's it, Laurie.
Laurie: Is that true? Really true?
Elliot: Absolutely!
Elvis: Will you call the "Weekly World News" and let 'em know?
Laurie: Absolutely? Oh, I didn't know!
Deb: Um, I'll tell you what--
Elvis: Tell her congratulations!
Deb: --there are some gullible people in this world! [Suppressed laugh]
Laurie: Congratulations!
Elvis: Well, Denzel's a nice guy.
Elliot: There you go!
[More laughter in the studio]
Elvis: All right, thank you Laurie!
Laurie: No, wait, wait! I also wanted to wish her a Happy Birthday, 'cause
it's next month, isn't it?
Deb: Yes, it is.
Laurie: August 31st?
Deb: It is.
Elvis: Are you a Leo as well?
Deb: No, I'm a Virgo.
Elliot: Oh, I'm a Leo.
Elvis: Oh, that means you and I hate each other; did you know that?
[Laughter] I like you; I don't understand... All right; thank you, Laurie.
Laurie: All right; thank you! Bye!
Elliot: Bye! Tell all her friends she married Denzel!
Deb: Do you know who her voice sounds like?
Elvis: Uh--
Deb: And I know, 'cause I just did "Grease" with her; Sally Struthers!
Elvis: That was Sally?
Deb: Her voice sounded so much like Sally's.
Elvis: Sally did "Grease"?
Christine: Sally Struthers is in that?
Deb: Sally played Miss Lynch, and she's playing it on Broadway right now,
and she was a riot!
Elvis: Really? Really?
Deb: She is a riot... but she has that voice!
Elvis: I mean, the only time I see her, she's crying! When...
Deb: I know, I know.
Elvis: ...trying to raise money, which is a good thing.
Deb: Well, now she'll-- now she'll make you laugh.
Elvis: Now, and Deborah is very, very involved with lots of charities,
Deb: Yes.
Elvis: you do some charity work,
Deb: Yes.
Elvis: because it's very important to give back. What is-- what are the--
some of the organizations you're involved with?
Deb: Well, the organization I'm closest with -- I mean, there're-- I've
worked over the years with Pediatric AIDS, and with Make a Wish and
Starlight Foundation, um, they grant wishes to terminally ill children,
and-- but the, the charity that I'm closest to is St. Mary's, um, it's
a children's--
AT THIS POINT MY TAPE RAN OUT.
(I've finally gotten a copy of the whole thing, and hope to
finish this one of these days...)
Go back to the
interview page!
Return to my Deborah Gibson
page!