dnews - Special Edition - IT'S OK #2
does it rock? yea baby, yea!

**** Contents ****
It’s OK - finally!
Thatch’s Facts
Ceefax Interview
Single Summary
HMV Review
Forthcoming Media
d:end?

**** It’s OK - finally! ****
After 129 days, the much anticipated "It’s OK" single finally hit the shop
shelves today. CD One contained the slightly edited "It’s OK" - apparently
there’s a pause missing in there somewhere - along with the moodily
excellent video on CD ROM, and the Swinging Sixties rip-off "Pursuit Of
Happiness" (Austin Powers, anyone?) and the re-worked version of "Come Like
You Promise" that US fans will already be familiar with from the
Listen:Louder compilation album. CD Two again contains "It’s OK" - it has
to, otherwise it wouldn’t count as an It’s OK single! - as well as the US
misfit Mezzamorphis track "Jesus’ Blood" and the track worth buying the CD
for, the side-splittingly hilarious "Pursuit Of Happiness" video. Is it
Austin Powers? Yeah baby yeah! A cassette was also included in the release
set-up and contained the radio edit of "It’s OK" and both "Pursuit of
Happiness" and "Jesus Blood" but, obviously, no videos.

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**** Thatch’s Facts ****
Continuing our strange trawl through the mind of Jon Thatcher, we move into
uncharted territory as we ask a very geeky question indeed. More
trainspotting to come in later issues (joy!).

S?: If Jon's brother Ben replaced Jon in the Pursuit Of Happiness video
chase sequence, who replaced Stu G?
JT: It wasn’t my brother but a friend by the same name, to set the record
straight. A replacement for Stu G … how could Stu G ever be replaced?

S?: What did Radio 1 say about 'It's OK'?
JT: Some very positive feed back but they weren't sure were to place it and
if it fitted at the minute…

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**** Ceefax Interview ****
The following appeared on BBC Ceefax over the past week on page 538, and may
still be there. Interview by Chris Charles.

Delirious? are one of Britain's most unlikely pop success stories. The
Littlehampton five-piece are bidding for their fourth consecutive Top 20
hit, yet still have not been on Top Of The Pops, while radio play is
limited. The band's Christian beliefs are said to be holding them back, but
drummer Stewart Smith remains optimistic, "I don't think there's a boycott.
All we can do is keep knocking on the door and see what happens."

Delirious? dummer Stewart Smith wants people to enjoy the Christian rockers
for their music, not their beliefs. The band, who release new single It's OK
on Monday, have a solid fan base, but are keen to attract more followers.
"We're just concentrating on making good music, songs people can enjoy
whatever they believe," Stewart said, "Everyone sings about things they
believe in, but the last thing we want is to push our beliefs onto people."

Delirious? may be billed as a Christian rock band, but they're not as
squeaky clean as people might thing. Drummer Stewart Smith confessed: "We do
fall out from time to time and confront one another, but we've known each
other a long time and manage to difuse the situation before it gets to
fisticuffs." But do they go to wild rock parties? "We've just got back from
America and had a few good times, but nothing I could mention," he laughed.

The new single by Delirious? - It's OK - looks set to go Top 20 - but
drummer Stewart Smith is aiming higher. The compelling heart-felt ballad,
released on Monday, is possibly their best song to date and Stewart is
hoping for their first Top 10, "It would be great to have a top 10, a top 5,
get on Jools Holland and TFI Friday and become a household name." Nothing
like setting your sights high!

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**** Single Summary ****
The over-riding impression I get from delirious? with this single release is
diversity, and creativity in such diversity. The mellow, harmonic "It's
OK" - complete with slightly altered Stu G chords (so "Shine on me" comes
before the goose-bump solo) - clashes with the Swinging Sixties "Pursuit Of
Happiness" which is more up-tempo than the relaxed "Jesus Blood" but pales
in comparison to the energetically up-tempo re-working of "Come Like You
Promise." Even the videos are diverse; from the blatant and intentional
Austin Powers rip-off "Pursuit Of Happiness" to the moodily disturbing but
eventually happy "It's OK," the singles reek of unbridled creativity and
experimentation that can only bode well for the next album.

"It's OK" is almost identical to the album version (and yes, includes "that"
word) while "Jesus Blood" is taken from the US Mezzamorphis. Echoey and
spaced-out, the guitar-less track has a relaxed and spooky vibe to it,
something that is - in my opinion - marred horrifically by the rude and
unwelcome intrusion of a full piece choir echoing Smith's tones. While some
think the choir adds to the song and provides a focal point, I think a
ringing Stu G solo would do just as well - but at least it shows d:'s
diversity! "Pursuit Of Happiness" manages to combine spoof-style riffs with
serious lyrics, creating a modern-day Christian classic dressed up in
Sixties secular-style clothes, while the chorus demands accompaniment and it
is difficult to keep from chanting along with the song (as I found out on
the bus today, much to my embarressment). The video is the same as the one
used on the Mezzamorphis tour, and is every bit as funny and unexpected -
great fun to watch, and made even more novel as Stu G sings the entire song!
The reworked "Come Like You Promise" employs the most energetic Stew Smith
drumming I've ever heard and is more like a remix than a reworking. However,
the new cut brings a greater sonic experience to the song: where Martin's
tones were flat, they soar; where Stu G's riffs were recalcitrant, they
blend, but perhaps the best part is Jon's bass which is brought "forward"
and provides an intensely catchy experience. Overall; excellent.

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**** HMV Review ****
Stewart Smith, Tim Jupp, Stuart Garrard, Jon Thatcher & Martin Smith, have
really put modern day Christianity on the map since they decided to form
the religious supergroup Delirious. Last year they even managed to break
their work in the United States Of America. They were extremely well
received & this particular single was chosen as the title song for a
national series on Fox TV named "Get Real". This show was such a success
that it is now scheduled for a worldwide release, thus enabling their
message to reach an even greater audience. "It's Ok" is a sweeping ballad
that combines a big brass section with an addictive lead melody. Martin
Smith's vocals sit perfectly within the arrangement to generate an almost
Travis like vibe. It's this type of familiar crossover sound that the band
use in order to reach audiences with a serious religious message. As a
bonus the release features two new tracks "In Pursuit Of Happiness" &
"Jesus Blood".

~ Spurious? says: thanks to David J Freeland for this.

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**** Forthcoming Media ****
Delirious? will be appearing on the following shows in the coming week:
~ The Big Breakfast, Channel 4, Tuesday 22nd February.
Interview + video @ 7:15 am and generally "in the house"
~ Videotech, ITV, Thursday 24th February
~ London Tonight, ITV, Thursday 24th February
Interview and performance
~ VH1, Thursday 24th February
Special interview and acoustic tracks

Delirious? also appeared at Virgin Megastore in Manchester last night at
11pm to sign copies of "It’s OK" and play a few tracks. They appeared at
Southampton HMV just a few hours ago and also rocked the ickle shop.

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**** d:end? ****
It’s been a long 129 day wait. Was it worth it? The hauntingly melodic "It’s
OK" reaches anthemic, goose-bumpy levels of awe with the moodily emphatic
video while "Pursuit Of Happiness" reaches the parts that no other
(sensible) song can reach. But February 21st is more than a date, much more:
in a coincidence to shock the d: net nerd community, it’s also Scooby’s 20th
Birthday.

Happy Birthday, Scooby!

[signed]

Adam, Adrian, Mike, Scooby

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