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Country hits charts in 4 86
By Connie Williams
Staff Writer
For those fans in a “country
state of mind”, as Hank Williams
Jr. puts it in his latest country hit
song, here are some recent tidbits
that may appeal to the Southern
student’s tastes.
Most college students on the
West Georgia College campus are
so into pop tunes, hard rock,
mellow classical music or soul
music that country music has not
been given a fair chance. Country
artists like Kenny Rogers, Ronnie
Milsap, Alabama and Lee Green
wood also have big rankings in the
100 Top Pop hits. Alabama has in
fact cut 18 singles in their singing
career and each one has hit #1 in
the country charts. Their most re
cent hit “Deep River Woman”,
sung with the help of singer Lionel
Richie, has climbed to the top
spots in Country, Pop and Soul
ratings.
SJisney auditions performers for entertainment positions
Now hosting well over 21 million
visitors a year, Walt Disney World
is sending its talent scouts on an
eleven-city tour Jan. 24-Mar. 8 in
search of entertainers for the
1987-88 season.
As the Vacation Kingdom con
tinues to grow-major new attrac
tions opening in 1988 include the
MGM-Disney Studio Tour, Norway
Showcase, 900-Room Grand Flori
dian Resort and Pleasure Island
the need for dancers, singers,
musical-theater performers and
college musicians is greater now
Bermuda lures students for “break”
Bermuda, continuing a 54-year
tradition, expects to welcome as
many as 12,000 students during
College Weeks 1987, from March 1
through April 4.
During College Weeks the Ber
muda Government sponsors an ex
tensive week-long program of
complimentary parties, lunches,
contests, cruises, dances and spor
ting activities. Swimming,
volleyball, running contests, tug
of-war matches, a sand sculpture
competition and calypso festival
are among the free activities of
fered to holders of College Week
courtesy cards which are
available to college students at no
charge upon presentation of a
valid college identification card.
According to Garth Pedro, pro
motional services manager of Ber
muda’s Department of Tourism,
all of Bermuda’s 110 hotels and
other properties participate in the
College Weeks activity program.
“So far, 28 hotels have confirmed
that they will accept group student
bookings in 1987, and this number
is growing,” he added.
The tradition of Bermuda Col
lege Weeks dates back to 1933,
when students from Princeton and
other Ivy League colleges
challenged Bermuda’s rugby
team.
Annual spring visits to Bermuda
became a student ritual, and in
1948 the Bermuda Government
began promoting free student ac
tivity programs as a kick-off to the
Island’s tourism season.
“Bermuda College Weeks in 1987
should be bigger, brighter and
more fun than ever, as we
welcome anew generation of
students to our Island with a full
program of events,” said Pedro.
On Sunday, a day to get settled,
soak up some sun and get ac
quainted. Here is an opportunity
to meet old friends and make some
new ones. Try one of Bermuda’s
many Night Spots and get ready
for the week of your life.
On Monday, there is the
“College Bash” at Elbow Beach, a
beach party like none other. Two
bands will perform and a Free
Barbeque Lunch will be served. A
“Miss College Queen” contest,
volleyball, swimming and much
more are on the itinerary as well.
You may also pick up your free
“Party Cruise” ticket for Wednes
day’s event. On arrival at Elbow
Beach, present your college ID
card to receive your personal
“Courtesy Card”.
Tuesday you will start your day
with an invigorating 2-k Fun Run
leaving and returning to
Horseshoe Bay. When you return
there will be a “Bermuda Calypso
and Limbo Festival”. Once again
you will be provided with a com
plimentary luncheon and enter
tainment featuring Glass Bottle
Dancing, Limbo and Bamboo Dan
cing. A local band will also per
form and students can participate
in all activities from Sand
Sculpture Contests to Tug of War.
You won’t want to miss the
Highlight Event on Wednesday,
Bermuda’s famous “Party Cruise
and Private Island Extravagan
za”, with free fried chicken and
rice and entertainment by one of
The latest country singer who
has made his way up the ladder is
Randy Travis. He had the #1 coun
try song for 1986. The songs,
“1982” and “On the Other Hand”,
were both in the top ten for the last
year. His recent album “Storms of
Life” is now the #1 country seller.
Other songs among the top ten
country hits for 1986, according to
WUSY 101, a country station out of
Chattanooga, Tennessee, were
“Happy Birthday”, by Ronnie
Milsap, “Granpa”, by the Judds,
“A Memory Like You”, by ac
tor/singer John Schneider, “Bop”,
by Dan Seals, “Friends and
Lovers”, by Eddie Rabbit and
Juice Newton, “Stranger in my
House”, by Ronnie Milsap, “Blue
Moon”, by Earl Thomas Conley
and “The Chair”, by George
Strait.
Country artists appeal to dif
ferent types of listeners. For ex
ample, Sawyer Brown sings coun
try, yet dresses very neatly, oppos
ed to the customary cowboy hat,
boots and jeans. Dwight Yoakam,
than ever before. Asa result,
Disney is casting positions in eight
fully staged productions from old
time vaudeville, contemporary
Broadway, country and western,
mainstream pop and jazz in addi
tion to resort entertainment, con
vention shows and special events.
Performers, 18-years-old by
June 1, 1987, are welcome to audi
tion for a variety of positions in
three major entertainment
categories including (one-year
contract) professional singers,
dancers and musical-theater per
Bermuda’s best bands. Every stu
dent is entitled to one complimen
tary ticket provided at Monday s
and Tuesday’s events. First you’ll
party on our cruise then we will
drop you off on a Private Island for
lunch and dancing along with some
surprise activities.
Thursday’s the day to shop and
do some sightseeing...or if you
missed Wednesday’s Cruises,
there will be another today. On
your free day, enjoy the great buys
of international merchandise for
yourself and your folks back home.
Bermuda is steeped in history and
breathtaking scenes, so take this
Please see BERMUDA, pg. 1 -
You Can Now Use
Your Meal Ticket
ITZAPIZZA
i Located in the Student Center Just below
i the Snack Shop.
Hours: Monday-Thru-Thursday
3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Friday
3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
|
West Georgia
College
ARA
services
CAMPUS DINING SERVICES
who sings “Guitars and Cadillacs"
and “Honky Tonk Man”, appeals
to New Wave music fans.
Kerry Gilbert, a juinior mass
comm major with an electronic
emphasis at WGC, has a wide
background in music. Gilbert
works at Starship Records and
Tapes and says, “Country isn’t as
big as rock and soul around here,
but some artists and songs are
gradually tying in to the top pop
favorites."
Country music singers can be
very expressive. Barbara Man
drell and Crystal Gayle say that
most of the songs they record are
sung with such feeling because
'each has experienced what the
song is saying, at one time or
another, in their lives. One can
learn a lot more about the country
stars by tuning in to channel 20 on
the television dial, a country net
work, out of Nashville, Tennessee.
The channel provides live inter
views with old and new favorites,
along with country videos 24 hours
a day.
formers; the eleven-week (June-
August) All American College
Band and Orchestra Program, or a
new nine-month (Sept.-June) Walt
Disney World EPCOT Institute of
Entertainment Arts internship
program seeking dancers, singers
and instrumentalists.
Those auditioning should bring a
current resume, photograph and
letters of recommendation if
available.
Dancers and singers should br
ing dance attire and will be taught
at least one dance/movement
P|Py I
"
The Home and Community class at West Georgia
College raised $l3O through special projects this
quarter to provide toys for children housed in the
Carrollton Emergency Shelter. The class, taught
by Dr. Joanne Sanders and offered by the Early
combination. Singers should
memorize short vocal selections
(ballad and up-tempo) and bring
vocal sheet music in their best key.
An accompanist is provided.
“Graceland” is landmark record
Paul Simon’s “Graceland,” his
best album ever, has caused a
knee-jerk liberal backlash. Some
of the most influential rock critics
around are intent on dismissing
the album’s great virtues, mythic
proportions and disarming
musical intelligence because
Simon, alas, was just not political
ly “correct” enough in these
fervently anti-apartheid times.
To write “Graceland,” of
course, Simon trekked off to South
Africa as a student to learn of
regional rhythms and cultures. He
returned to mix what he learned
with his own heritage.
But soon after Simon appeared
on “The David Letterman Show”
with some of the South African
musicians from whom he learned
and with whom he played (at triple
union pay scales), the criticism
began.
“Village Voice” critic Robert
Christgau blasted the record as
naive and wrong-headed Critic
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Store Hours
Sunday'l-jf 834'9429
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1987, THE WEST GEORGIAN-
Childhood Education Department, raises money
each year for the shelter. “We buy toys for the
children and they remain at the shelter for those
who will stay there in the future,” according to
Linda Whorton, project coordinator.
Musicians should bring their
own instrument and three styles of
music for a five minute presenta
tion. Sight reading material, a
piano, set, timpani and xylophone
will be provided at audition sites.
Dave Marsh concurred in his
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Confidential.” “For
Simon,” Marsh wrote, “the idea
seems to be that in a time and
place where communication is dif
ficult, the attempt to create public
meaning should be abandoned.”
Although both of these critics
compliment Simon’s writing and
integration of diverse musical
cultures, neither takes Simon at
his lyrical word. Their interpreta
tions of this landmark record
make Simon seem like a grad
school English preppie with little
or no understanding of the power
of prejudice. And just the opposite
is true.
The Everly Brothers join Simon
to sing the title track, an homage
to Elvis Presley’s mansion in
Memphis, Tennessee. Presley
broke the color ban back in 1956 by
making black rhythms accessible
to a huge white audience, and his
legend symbolizes the debt
American music has to its black
detailed audition brochure is
.(able by writing Disney Audi
tion Tour ‘B7, P.O. Box 10,000, Lake
Buena Vista,FT. 32830-1000 or by
calling weekdays, 10 a m to 4 p.m.
(FIST) 305-828-1576.
roots.
The opening words of the song
neatly establish the record’s
mythical dimensions:
The Mississippi Delta was
shining like a national guitar
I am following the river down
the highway
Through the cradle of the civil
war
For all the personal lyrics here,
the album is really about racial in
tegration in America and
throughout the world. The musical
symbolism couldn't be more
incisive.
Every song on Graceland,
moreover, is danceable. In fact,
the new (to us) South African
rhythms are downright ebullient.
This is because Simon’s guitarist
Ray Phiri, bassist Baghiti Kumalo
and drummer Isaac Mtshali are
all South African, and the music is
a direct borrowing from Johan
-I’leane nee SIMON, pg. 12
7