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===============
THE SUNDAYS FAQ
===============
Frequently Asked Questions For...
...The SUNDAYS
V1.7.2 8/5/97
By Bruce Overby
deucer@well.com
1. Who are they?
-------------
The Sundays are:
- Harriet Wheeler, Vocals
- David Gavurin, Guitars
- Paul Brindley, Bass
- Patrick Hannan, Drums
2. Are they still together as a band?
----------------------------------
- Absolutely, unequivocally, decidedly, and without question...
...YES!
3. Where are they from?
--------------------
- According to a 1992 article in "Details," the band members met in
Bristol, England. Wheeler and Gavurin were students at the
University of Bristol at the time. That same year, they were
reported to reside in north London.
(A 1992 article in "Melody Maker," in fact,
described the group as "a north London four piece based around a
north London couple"--the latter, of course, referring to Wheeler
and Gavurin.)
4. Where can I get more information?
---------------------------------
- Sundays Web sites:
- "Welcome to the world of ARITHMETIC," Maintained in Berkeley, CA,
USA, by the moderator of arithmetic, the Sundays listserv:
http://www.csua.berkeley.edu/~ccytsao/arithmetic/arithmetic.html
- "Here's Where the Story Ends" Maintained in the U.K. by an
arithmetic subscriber and "friend-of-friends-of" Sundays members:
http://www.wintermute.co.uk/users/pingu/sunhome.htm
- A very cool site that includes downloadable video clips
- maintained by Huan Nghiem: http://www.huan.com/sundays
- The Sundays mailing list, arithmetic:
- To subscribe, send mail to: majordomo@lanminds.com with
"subscribe arithmetic " in the BODY of the
message.
- If you need help, mail: ccytsao@uclink.berkeley.edu (list owner)
- To post to the list, send to arithmetic@hamaki.lanminds.com
5. Is there a discography?
-----------------------
- The latest version of the discography is posted to the Berkeley
Web site.
6. Are there picture and lyric files?
----------------------------------
- Indeed. (Videos too!) See the web sites.
7. How many albums are there?
--------------------------
- There are exactly (and sadly) two full album releases. They are:
- "reading, writing and arithmetic" (1989)
- "blind" (1993)
(See the discography for special, promo, and demo releases.)
The Billboard (U.S.) chart positions of the two full album releases
were as follows:
Blind:
- entered & peaked at #103 on 11/7/92
- weeks on the chart: 25
Reading, Writing & Arithmetic:
- entered at #163 on 5/26/90
- peaked at #39 on 8/11/90
- weeks on the chart: 23
(certified gold)
8. What Sundays songs have been made into videos?
----------------------------------------------
- The following songs from "reading, writing and aritmetic":
- Joy
- Here's Where the Story Ends
- Can't Be Sure
- The following songs from "blind":
- Love
- Wild Horses
- Goodbye (rarely seen)
9. When is their next album due out?
---------------------------------
- A recent posting by the former owner of the arithmetic mailing list
reported the following:
From: Cynthia Cy Tsao
Subject: Hip hip hurray!
To: arithmetic@hamaki.lanminds.com
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 1997 17:09:50 -0700 (PDT)
Ni hao, my fellow Arithmetics!
Well it seems that when I went on vacation, the list decided
(on its own) that it should go on vacation as well.
After a three week hiatus (the longest ever since
Arithmetic started in 1993), I think it fitting for
me to pass on to you guys some *official* comments
on the release of the new album.
One of our contacts at Geffen has informed me (via e-mail) that:
1. The new album will be released September 23rd, 1997.
2. The Sundays will definitely tour in support of their new album.
[...]
- The website at www.huan.com/sundays/ reported the following:
Latest News
July 15, 1997 - As reported on by Damian Lunny
Parlophone records has confirmed a Sundays release date. A
single is due SEPT. 8 followed by the album SEPT. 28. Cynthia
Tsao reports that Geffen has confirmed a SEPT. 23rd release
date for the album. The band will apparently tour to support the
new release.
This album release date is not unlike the Roswell UFO sighting.
Lot's of sightings but no scientific proof :)...
- Another (more) recent arithmetic posting reported:
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 17:08:34 +0500
To: arithmetic@hamaki.lanminds.com
From: willb26@earthlink.net (Perfect Sound Forever)
Subject: "Static & Silence" Info In New NME
NME has a short blurb about "Static & Silence" in the July 26, 1997
issue. In addition to reiterating the Sept. 8 release date for the
"Summertime" single, it mentions the Parlophone release date for the album in
the
UK is Sept. 22. There are a few quotes from the band and what I assume is
a recent photo. If the photo is current, not only is Harriet as
babe-a-licious as ever, but she hasn't changed her haircut!!
The blurb mentions a few other song titles from the album including
"Homeward," "When I'm Thinking About You," "Monochrome," "Folk
Song," "I Can't Wait," and "Another Flavour."
10. Are David Gavurin and Harriet Wheeler married?
----------------------------------------------
- No, not to anyone's knowledge (save their own). They do, however,
have a daughter, Billie, who was born in late 1995, and a son,
Frank, who was born in early 1999.
11. Are any of the band members involved in any other projects?
------------------------------------------------------------
- One arithmetic poster has chased down a short discography from a
band called Jim Jiminee, which includes as a member the brother of
Sundays drummer Patrick Hannan. There was also a report or rumor
that Harriet Wheeler had worked with this band at some point.
- In September 1996, according to the web site at:
http://www.foresight.co.uk/homer/
Patrick Hannan was touring England with a band called Homer. They're
apparently the opening band for Robyn Hitchcock.
- Patrick is also reported to have been a member of Star 69, though
Star 69 was touring the U.S. at the time Patrick was touring England
with Homer. So it appears Patrick is not part of the current
incarnation of Star 69.
- The following is taken from the Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides
Ltd. First edition published Aug 96 / Nov 96 (USA) (acquired from
http://www.roughguides.com/RG_WWW/rock/final_rock_entries/
FAITH_OVER_REASON.html):
When Pavement played at the Forum in March 1993 the support band,
Faith Over Reason, won over the rowdy crowd simply by letting the
vocals of their lead singer Moira Lambert work their spell. Using
the barest instrumentation, Lambert strummed an acoustic guitar and
sang her heart out, one minute a whisper, the next a full-throttle
throaty voice that rivalled Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays. Some
punters were hungry for more....
... She has employed the talents of ex-Sundays drummer Patch, a
neat move, and has been asked to sing on a project with Paul
Oakenfold and Steve Osbourne. The new sound is rumoured to have a
more jazzy feel, but time will tell.
12. What are some good Sundays songs?
---------------------------------
- Polls conducted in 1995 and 1996 on the arithmetic list produced the
following ratings of favorite Sundays songs among Sundays fans.
The following are the results of the 1995 poll:
Song Votes
--------------------------- -----
My Finest Hour 10
Goodbye 8
Here's Where the Story Ends 7
Joy 4
Blood on My Hands 4
Medicine 4
I Kicked a Boy 3
You're Not the Only One I Know 3
A Certain Someone 3
Wild Horses 2
24 Hours 2
Don't Tell Your Mother 2
Turkish 2
More 2
On Earth 2
I Won 1
What Do You Think? 1
Noise 1
I Feel 1
The following are the results of a December 1996 poll asking,
"what is your favorite combination of two consecutive songs
from a Sundays CD?":
Song Votes
------------------------------------------------ -----
My Finest Hour / Joy (RWA) 3
Here's Where the Story Ends / Can't Be Sure (RWA) 2
Skin & Bones / Here's Where the Story Ends (RWA) 1
On Earth / God Made Me (Blind) 1
24 Hours / Blood on My Hands (Blind) 1
I Feel / Goodbye (Blind) 1
More / On Earth (Blind) 1
Blood on My Hands / Medicine (RWA) 1
Wild Horses / Noise (Goodbye CD Single) 1
13. How do they come up with those crazy lyrics?
- The following quote by David Gavurin from the NY Times (courtesy of
an arithmetic posting from Craig Cosentino) sums up the Sundays
lyric-writing method:
"The mood of the music determines the diction of the lyrics. We
don't tell structured stories or have specific matter that can be
unlocked with a magic key. Our lyrics are more a jumble of personal
impressions. In the confusion, important feelings get mixed up with
competely meaningless garbage."
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