Newsletter - October 7, 2002

And the winner is.... (drum roll........)

Hi Folks,

Before I announce the winner of the 'Treehouse Contest', I thought I'd
quickly review the answers to the extremely difficult questions that
made up the quiz:

Question 1.Where was Dean struttin by a hootchie bar? / Oxford St. / Broadway / Jane St./ Soho / 72nd St /

Answer: Jane St. Right in the heart of Greenwhich Village, NY. As depicted in the wholesome track, S&M off the second album.

Question 2.What was the name of the mystery lady that sang with Dean on the original recorded version of the hit single, Lucky Stars? Kiki Dee / Gaby Roslin / Lenny Beige / Lydia / Denise Marsa /

Answer: The lovely and talented Denise Marsa. I've actually sung 'Lucky Stars' which each of the other people on the list, except for Lydia. The duet with Lenny Beige, the lounge singer, was a particular favorite.

Question 3.What is the name of Dean's critically acclaimed double CD, released in 1998? Songs for Grownups / Songs for Adults / Rumpled Romeo / Well, Well, Said the Rocking Chair / The Lakelands /
Answer: Songs for Grownups. Often mistakenly refer to it as the 'Songs for Adults' album.

Question 4.How long is the shoe lace on Dean's Sneaker Car? 32 inches / 54 inches / 72 inches / 4 feet / 20 feet

Answer: An incredible 20 feet! Alison actually sewed this 20 foot long shoelace from a folded up strip of canvas. I used plastic jump rope handles for the ends.

Question 5.What cult horror film did Dean produce the soundtrack to? Killer Gerbils From Outer Space / I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle / American Werewolf in Leicester / The Crawling Eye / Flesh Eating Zombies From Planet X .

Answer: I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle. An underground horror cinema classic about a possessed demon motorcycle that 'runs on blood, not gasoline' (featured track), produced by my buddy Mycal Miller and
starring Neal Morrisey and that wonderful actor, the late Michael Elphic. [Very saddened to hear of his recent passing.] Next time it's playing on late night TV, don't miss it!

Question 6.Who played the role of Mike on Dean's 3rd album Rumpled Romeo? Dean's next door neighbour / Dean's brother / Dean's dog, Barker / Dean's dentist / Dean

Answer: My dog, Barker. A good dog who could bark on cue, and who once chewed right through a wooden door to get to the nextdoor neighbor's bitch in heat. Barker was also the only dog I know who had his own
credit card. Seriously. He had better credit than me. Much better. In fact, because, unlike me, he always paid his bills on time (CD clubs, magazine subscriptions...) he was once offered an automatically approved, million dollar life insurance policy which I seriously considered filling out for him. (his handwriting was pretty sloppy. O.K. his paw-writing was pretty sloppy.)

Question 7.How many horns does a Honkblatt have? none / 1 / 2 / 3 / a dozen

Answer: A full grown 'Honkblatt' - one of the Music Atrium instruments I designed originally for the Eureka! Children's Museum in Halifax, UK - has 3 (three) 9 foot, golden horns (made of fiberglass). There are also
three spring-loaded, pneumatic stools which force air through a marine fog-horn when you sit on them. It's still being exhibited at Eureka! ten years after it was installed. (Take a visit - it's a cool museum) Over
the years, about 8 other Honkblatts have been shipped to Children's Museums and Theme Parks around the world.

Question 8.Which of these trees would be considered the best candidate in which to build a treehouse? Dogwood / Silver Birch / Oak / Poplar / Shoe Tree

Answer: Shoe Tree.. NOPE just kiddin'. The actual answer is Oak, the reason being that hardwood trees, with deep roots, like Oak and Hickory provide the best structural support for a treehouse.

Question 9.Where can one of England's oldest treehouses be found? Fletcher Park near Grimsby / Pitchford Hall near Shrewsbury / Willow Mall near Kew Gardens / Saddle River near Ipswich / Paramus Park, Bergen
Mall

Answer: Pitchford Hall near Shrewsbury (see history of treehouse in the Peartreehouse.com website) built in the mid-18th century replacing an original constructed almost a hundred years earlier.

Question 10.Which one of these groups has NOT recorded a cover version of Dean's song, 'I Am In Love With The McDonald's Girl'? The Blenders / The Partially Clad Lads / The Barenaked Ladies / Gimble in the Wabe /
Answer: As far as I know, The Partially Clad Lads, have never recorded their version of McDonalds Girl. Actually, as far as I know, The Partially Clad Lads don't exist. But it might make a good name for my
next backup band. What do you think? Give Barenaked Ladies a run for their money?

O.K. I guess, I've kept you all in suspense long enough.

And so, the winner of the Treehouse Contest, drawn randomly from among hundreds of correct entries is...

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Paul & Jean B. from Flitwick.

Congratulations, Paul & Jean. You have won a roundtrip flight from London to New York, two nights in a New York City hotel and lunch in the Treehouse! Don't forget your toothbrush (or your passport)

I still haven't decided what to serve for lunch. Unless you're vegetarians, it might be corned beef on wry with some coleslaw on the side.

Anyway, good job to everybody for answering those tough questions, some of which were so obscure, even I had to look them up on my own website.

Oh, one last thing before I wrap up this email:

I'll be playing a solo gig at a really nice venue called...

The Turning Point, in Piermont, NY on
Saturday, Dec. 7th at 7:00pm

ORDER TICKETS NOW!!!

(It's just a few miles north of the New Jersey border and just south of the Tappanzee Bridge (west side of river).

That's about all for now, but stay tuned 'cause I've got a few other things cookin'.

Have a great week everybody.