The Savage Gardener #112

Well, I'm a jealous little person. Ok, you know how Sarah, our webmistress,
is here in the States (she goes home Sunday :(  ). Well, I spent the weekend
with her in Hollywood and we went down to the FOX studios, but everything was
closed up because it was Sunday (and the Superbowl, no less). So Sarah was
going to call FOX on Monday to see if they still give tours around the
studios. Well...she spent the afternoon watching "The X-Files" being filmed
and she MET Gillian Anderson (Agent Scully)!!! How cool is that?! She was so
excited when she called me that night, and I'm so happy for her because just
the day before she told me all she wanted was to meet Gillian! Anyway,
Sarah's with me for 3 more days, then she goes back to Brisbane :(  Note
here: Just got off the phone with her and she saw Leonardo DiCaprio last
night at the premiere of "The Beach"! Talk about 2 big stars!! Anyhoo, we
have some good news about the Hit Records case against Savage Garden, so
let's get started!

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                                             SaVaGe NeWs

**"I Knew I Loved You" is #1 on Billboard for its 3rd consecutive week! I
just pumped my fist in the air and cheered when I saw it - I'm so proud of
these guys!

**"Affirmation" the album falls back to #20 this week on Billboard. Fret not
- we WILL see it go to #1! I can feeeeeeel it!

**Wow, wow!!! Even though "Affirmation" is out, the guys' debut album has
been certified 6x platinum!! Congratulations, Darren and Daniel!! Looks like
"Truly" is still with America!

**Even more news! "I Knew I Loved You" has been certified GOLD here in the
U.S.!!!!

**So I just visited Leonie Messer's latest update on www.savagegarden.com
and interestingly enough, she herself made a comment about Savage Garden fans
not getting excited when they heard that "I Knew" went to #1 here in America.
How sad that the place where she views fans (and I won't name it
specifically) were more concerned with Darren looking like a "train wreck" on
"Leno" and Daniel's sleeveless shirt on the AMAs than the fact that the guys
hit #1 in America. And you wonder why the whole deal with this "place" upsets
me so much!

**There was a feature story on Darren and his divorce in this past issue of Pe
ople magazine. Unfortunately, the magazine is weekly and the new issue is out
on Thursday, so it's most likely gone already, but you may have some luck, so
check supermarkets and book stores because sometimes they have previous
issues! Anyway, I was surprised to see it and even more surprised to see what
it was about! I typed it up for those who missed it, so here it is! Oh, they
made a few mistakes (one - they put in a picture of Darren and Ben Carey
performing and mistakenly identified Ben as Daniel!), so see if you can catch
them!

EARTHLY DELITES
After a painful breakup, Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes recovers in verse

Taking in the view of San Francisco Bay from the terrace of his new bachelor
condo, Aussie rocker Darren Hayes looks like a newly minted king of pop. But
the singing half of the Australian duo Savage Garden doesn't sound it as he
talks about the dissolution of his six-year marriage to his college
sweetheart. "It's sad," he says of the split, which occurred as Savage Garden,
 his 1997 debut album with partner Daniel Jones, came out of nowhere to sell
12 million copies. "I was sad for a really long time." To mend, Hayes moved
to New York City, where he poured his feelings into a series of new tunes.
"I've written the necessary sad songs," he says. "They were very hard to
sing, actually, and I'd get a lump in my throat. I think that's part of the
process of grieving."

He's less weepy about what happened next. In tilling his sorrow, Hayes struck
a mother lode of lushly romantic music that has sent Savage Garden's
sophomore effort, Affirmation, bounding up the charts. With 4 million CDs
sold worldwide since November, the album has landed its first single, "I Knew
I Loved You", at No.1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and scotched fears that vocalist
and lyricist Hayes, 27, and guitarist-arranger Jones, 26, might fall victim
to the one-hit-wonder bug. "I admire his courage for digging deep inside
himself and then spitting it out publicly," Jones says of the lyrics, which
Hayes e-mailed to him in Brisbane, Australia, where he composed the music in
his home studio. "It definitely has spawned an inner peace in Darren," adds
Jones, who allows the more outgoing Hayes to act as Savage Garden's public
face. "He hit a low, and it taught him something. He has become a better
person."

Hayes, who moved to the Bay Area last summer after being struck by
"California fever" when he and Jones recorded Affirmation there in April, has
grown philisophical about his pending divorce from Colby Taylor, the Brisbane
schoolteacher he married in 1994. "No one cheated on anyone," says Hayes, who
remains close to his ex. "We were really young when we got married. We hadn't
finished growing. We lead very different lives now."

The son of a merchant seaman, Robert, 55, and a nurse, Judy, 55, Hayes grew
up in a tough, blue-collar section of Brisbane. His parents struggled to make
ends meet while raising Darren, his sister Tracey, now 32, and his brother
Peter, 30. The first of his family to attend college, Hayes disappointed his
folks by dropping out of the University of Queensland after one semester.
They were disappointed again in 1992 when Hayes, at the urging of Taylor, his
then girlfriend, answered a newspaper ad placed by Jones, a veteran of the
local music scene, seeking a singer for his bar band. Although his only
experience was in school musicals and performing Michael Jackson
impersonations for friends - "He does a great Whitney Houston, in her voice,"
says Jones - Hayes later abandoned plans to become a teacher. "Dad," he
assured his father, "I'm going to be a superstar."

His cheeky prediction soon came to pass, thanks in part to Rosie O'Donnell,
who played an Australian copy of Savage Garden's first single, "I Want You"
on her TV show before it was released in the U.S. "She gave us incredible
exposure," Hayes says. As much as he has enjoyed his success, however, Hayes
(who is dating but declines to identify his current romantic interest)
envisions a future out of the limelight. "I'll be ready for a slower life in
five years," he says. Until then, his Garden needs tending. "People thought
we were a one-hit wonder. Now, maybe we've proved them wrong. I just hope we
can be a three-hit wonder."

**The Hit Records case brought against Savage Garden has been indefinitely
postponed because the judge thought it was flimsy at best. Way to go, I knew
we'd beat them! Although I'm sure Darren and Daniel didn't spend much time
worrying about it! Just another case of someone trying to hone in on
another's fame and fortune. Get a life, Hit Records! And thanks to
[email protected]   for the great info!

**"I Knew I Loved You" is #1 on the Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 for the 3rd week
in a row!
 

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                            SaVaGe CoMmEnTs

Hey Lauren, I just wanted to share the fact that my greatest dream has come
true.  I have met Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones.  I met Darren after the Jay
Leno show, at the Politically incorrect show and along with Daniel at the
star lounge in LA.  I LOVE LA.  I went to the star lounge (star 98.7) with my
friends to meet Darren and Daniel not thinking that it would turn out like it
did.  I also would like to mention that I met my fellow savage addict
Victoria there as well and that we have a new web site up about our
adventures.   <A HREF="http://www.angelfire.com/band/SavageCaliAddicts">Savage
 Garden Californian Addicts</A>   Please be gentle viewing it, it is a new
site and still under construction.  Anyways, to start off, the minute Darren
and Daniel came out I took a picture with my new camra.  Then I heard the
most horrible sound in the world...the camra
winding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I had my friend Trin give Leonie her
camra so I could get a pic taken with my idol, one Darren Hayes.  To make a
long story short, we have the time of our lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Sadly, after
developing our pictures, most didn't come out.  The best one, featureing me
and Darren, did not come out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  After spending lots of
money and eating Krispy Cream donuts, I felt a little less depressed.  Then I
get on the internet to read my mail.  Well, you guys probably already know
this but for those of you that don't, Darren and Daniel have someone
videotape them meeting fans a lot of the time so that they have something to
remember the experience by.  I remember being filmed but I was so nervous it
didn't really go throught my head.  Anyways, one of my fellow savage addicts
had written an email saying that somehow the tape of us meeting savage garden
had gotton to Australia and was on the
news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!  I freaked out, called Victoria and tried to figure out if we
could get a copy of the tape!!!!!!!!!!!!  We are geting a copy sent over from
the coolest person in the world, her name is Leah and I will always be
indebted to her!!!!!!!  As you can imagine, my depression at not getting any
photos of me and Darren together has gone away and I am now basking in the
fact that I was on the news and met my idols in front of who knows how many
people!!!!!!!!  Please put this in the savage gardener as I know fellow
savage garden fans will be the ones who will appreciate this the most.  A
couple of weeks ago I hadn't even met savage garden yet!  SO, if you haven't
met them, don't despair, you will!

[email protected]

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*******************
SAVAGE GARDEN WERE AT SHAH ALAM JANUARY 29TH!

AND I WAS THERE WITH THEM!

They were there for a private showcase...I was one of the lucky ones who won
tickets! The tickets were pretty interesting...they were actually badges with
the Affirmation cover on them. Cool! As we were waiting, I saw this 2 crew
members sorting out passports...I think those passports belonged to SG...woo!
I saw the Savage Passports! :)

We had to wait for a while before the showcase...we saw this one guy who
looked like an older version of Daniel...in fact I actually thought it WAS
Daniel! :) Later we found out that his name was Lindsay (spelling?) and he's
the sound engineer. I think we saw Leonie (Leonie Messer, not Leonie
Lauren!)...does she have long dark hair? If she does, then HI LEONIE! WE SAW
YOU! :)

The lights were off at that time, and we saw 2 people peering from the
curtains behind the stage. We initially thought it was D&D so we yelled...but
it turned out to be some backstage crew...we spooked them out! :) After a
while the backup band ran on stage, more yellings continued, and then Savage
Garden appeared! They started off the show with The Animal Song, and this
5-some of us (me + 4 other fans I made friends with) were singing and clapping
along...when the song ended Karl was still banging on the drums, and Darren
looked kinda annoyed, as if to say "Oi Karl, the song's over, what's with the
drums?" *lol* Then Darren greeted us (we greeted back), said a few things, and
then said "The next song...it's something you should know". It was I Want You!
We were all singing along with him, and at one point he let us sing for
ourselves...wow! I blew a kiss at Darren and he smiled...poor guy, he was
blushing...I think I scared him *shudders*

After IWY, Darren told us to wait for a while coz he wanted something to
drink...the drinks were where Jennifer & Karl were...as he walked towards the
drinks, the mike stand fell! Darren bent down (pretending something fell on
him) so we saw his bum...no bare skin tho'! Lindsay came and fixed the mike,
and Darren said "It's just an experiment...usually Lindsay here fixes stuff up
during concerts, but as because this is TV, I think they can cut that bit
out!" We all laughed for a while, and as Darren replaced the mike, he
continued "I'm a funny guy!" (More laughter *lol*)

He then introduced the next song, Crash And Burn (which he said was the next
single) and not many people sang the song 100%, probably becoz they haven't
heard it yet. Everyone sang the chorus though! The live version sounds
slightly different...heck, the live version of every song was different! :)
Then Darren said that the next song was dedicated to us...it was Truly Madly
Deeply! Everyone was excited...he got us to sing some of the lines...instead
of "velvet sky" he sang "Malaysian sky", and everyone was excited! You could
almost hear everyone singing! We caught the attention of Jennifer (who said Hi
and laughed) and also Ben (who was as excited as we were...probably excited at
our enthusiam!) who wore this cool cowboy ensemble...Daniel looked at us once
in a while, and he had the sweetest smile! Better in real life than in photos!
Anna-Maria also saw us for a while. As for the other band members...well, I'm
not too sure...

Darren then introduced The Lover After Me, and like Crash & Burn, not many
people were singing along...to tell the truth, I didn't like the album version
at first but the live version was FANTASTIC! Halfway through the song Darren
turned to our direction and told us to get louder...I blew him another kiss,
and DARREN WINKED AT ME! I'm positive it was ME! God, that made my day...I
think he looked at me coz I had a teddy bear with me :)

Darren said something about the mike and dropped it again, on purpose (someone
yelled out "just another experiment"), he then bent down and thumped his
heart...they then did I Knew I Loved You - more excitement! This version was
slightly longer. It sounds like the version Darren did in the AMAs. After
IKILY, Darren looked sad and said they only had one song left, which was
Affirmation! We all sang, and Darren looked like a cool cat :) Everyone was
snapping and clapping, including Anna-Maria and Angie. After that he removed
that hearing-aid thing from his ear, smiled, gave us the Peace sign and walked
off with everyone else. We all yelled "Encore!" and "We Want Savage Garden!"
but they never came out again...darn TV3 people! :) Darren did say they were
coming back later this year, so I'm looking forward to it!

Overall : FANTASTIC. Savage Garden were real friendly, and the live songs
sound even better than the album versions. Just too bad it ended so soon. Ah
well...I can always watch it on TV...
Best Part : When Darren winked at me *lol*
Worst Part : The security guards won't let us have their autographs! Arrgh!

[email protected]

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*******************
As you most likely know the affirmation single went from #20 to #17 this week
on the aria's but i really think it needs a helping hand.So if you could put
in your next news letter this url...........  http://musicworld.com.au   (
it's a very reliable online aussie store that actually stocks the affirmation
single, some i noticed haven't got it listed and the sanity stores sales
don't count on the aria charts!) The single is so worth buying with "I don't
care" and the 2 remixes.

[email protected]

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*******************
Hey Lauren-

Here's that Savage Garden poem I wrote. It's long, but any traffic to my
site and/or as many people I can get to read this would be better than none
at all. I take pride in all my poetry. Enjoy!

You've got the beautiful eyes and awesome hair
That just makes us wanna stare
you've got the perfect smile
that would keep us running a thousand miles
you've got the beautiful hands
that compose the music that takes you to foreign lands
but sometimes it's like no one understands
and all you have to do is believe
that you can still be free

you say you're not in it for the money
we all know you're as sweet as honey
no, i don't mean that literally
i meant your personality
your smile could make any rainy day sunny
and you've got one hell of a PA named Leonie!
but even sometimes this fantasy can turn into cruel reality
don't let it get you down, you can still be free
don't have to be chained down
please don't turn that smile into a frown

you're doing the thing you love most
at least, that's what you said last night during your toast
you just consider it your job
and you're surprised at your ability to make girls sob
this job takes up your time completely
but you know you can still be free
don't have to be chained down by reality
don't have to abide by the rules of your record comany

we heard you're one heck of a cook
and you swear the recipes didn't come from Betty Crocker's Book
You're always cracking a joke, always being funny
and you swear you don't spend all your time in the dunny
you love your new found stardom
but you miss your freedom
don't worry if your fantasy suddenly turns into cruel reality
because you can still be free

we all know you love what you're doing
this amazing dream you're pursuing
well i hope you liked this poem
it was supposed to be a letter
but i figured it'd cheer you up on your way home
and make you realize that you're not alone
even when it seems your last hope has flown

some of us call you music man
some of us clal you names only our hormones would understand
but you're still important to every fan
even those of us whose language you don't understand

but because of you we are united as one
even during the songs that are less that 'fun'
your music is pure and serene
out parents approve because your lyrics are clean
some people say your music should be forbidden
but who cares?!
just look at your fans and in their hearts
you will find that we have written
'we love you savage garden'
 

Well there ya have it! e-mail me w/ comments and stuff, or visit my page.
Thanx Lauren!

[email protected]

******************************************************************************
*******************
Hey Lauren,

This was in Entertainment Teen (The Feb. 2000 Issue)

Savage Garen : the heart behind "I Knew I Loved You"

"I knew I Loved You" is the perfect love song - it totally captures the way
you feel about your crush.  Wanna know more about the soulful guys behind the
hit?  Entertainment Teen cught up with the Australian Duo and got the inside
scoop on their personal lives and musical influences.

Singer/songwriter Darren Hayes and tunesmith/instrumentalist Daniel Jones
make up the duo that is Savage Garden.  Their self-titled debut album sold 11
million copies worldwide and their second Affirmation, looks like an even
bigger hit.  The guys' songs have a very real quality, probably because
Darren drew on his own life experiences when composing the album.

          After moving to New York City from his native Australia, Darren
felt energized and lonely at the same time.  "I was intent on making a record
that could be a soundtrack not just to my life, but to everybody's lives.  I
experienced very real things, where I had to make new friends, to miss my
family... just the normal day -to - day struggle of being in a new place,"
says Darren.

"Affirmation is beautifully sad, " Darren continues.  "It is about
relationships.  It is very personal.  It's an album about accepting that life
presents you with struggles.  Sometimes we fall down, but we get back up
again and we're stronger for it."

Modest Performer:  Fans go wild and throw all sorts of stuff on stage at
Savage Garden concerts, but  Darren has a special request.  "If you want to
make me happy, donate [stuffed animals]  to hospitals or throw a note on the
stage telling me you have donated $1 to charity.  That would make me happier
than any gift you could give me."  Darren enjoys "simple things" in his spare
time.  "I love going to restaurants, just relaxing.  I really enjoy fitness,
so I go to the gym a lot and I'm completely aware I don't look like Brad
Pitt.  Recently I've taken up hiking, " he reveals.

Darren on Daniel:  It may seam that Darren soaks up more of the spotlight
than Daniel but Darren insists that's not the case.  "I'm an absolute, zany
nutcase most of the time, " Darren admits.  "I am always impersonating
people, things, sometimes plants and Daniel chooses to take a step
backwards...I'm more comfortable being a public figure.  The two of us want
to make music for you and this is our way of doing that."

          Despite rumors, the two get along great.  "Daniel and I have
tension [sometimes], but we adore each other," says Darren.  "He's seriously
like my brother, I love him more than you all do.  He's the most calming,
insightful, intelligent person you'll ever meet."

"I Knew I Loved You" : Definitley the hottest song on the album, Darren and
Daniel have a special place in their hearts for the tune as well.  "This love
song is very simple," says Darren.  "Nothing else on the record is as pure as
this song, and I think it was really essential to include... It actually puts
a lump in my throat."  Daniel adds, "This song is beatiful... It has a lot of
innocence.  It was important that we find that place on this album again."

With lyrics like "I knew I loved you before I met you / I think I dreamed you
into life..." fans' hearts go aflutter as well.

Well, there it is.  I love what Darren said about Daniel, those two are so
nice to each other!  It`s so cute.  Just like their Thank Yous in
Afiirmation.  See ya!

[email protected]

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                            Savage Classifieds

Are you looking for a tape of a performance, a CD, posters, or anything else
Savage-related? If so, put an ad in the new section - Savage Classifieds.
This is for any kind of merchandise for Savage Garden that you're looking for
or selling. You can put an ad in if you're looking for something, selling
something, or looking to trade something.

Remember, if you want to respond to an ad, email the person who placed it
(their email address will always be included), not me.

ibelieveyoucantcontrolorchooseyoursexualityibelieveyoucantcontrolorchoseyourse
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**Visit this site to vote for which of Savage Garden's affirmations you
believe in the most:

http://www.freevote.com/booth/sgaff

**And visit this one too!

http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/balcony/7735

**If you'd like to join a girly newsletter that has all the girl stuff (of
course!), email Kandy at [email protected]!

**Check this out, an official letter from MTV to us dear Savage Garden fans.
Details about how voting for TRL works AND I was very pleased to see how MTV
views our guys. Thanks to [email protected] for getting these details and
sharing them with me! If you have AOL, I "highlighted" the parts in the
letter that really made me think "so there!" to the teenybopper MTV public!

Dear Cindy:

If you have a little time in your hands (count me on that too) I will be more
than glad to show you how the site and the requests work.

Take a look at the AC Billboard Charts. Most of the artists that appear there
are exclusive artists of Vh1. MTV is dedicated to a younger public. Savage
Garden's music and fans are a more mature audience. I also understand that
most of their fans are teenagers. The group is great and being on MTV's
Wannabe's is a step. What do I mean with that? It means that Savage Garden is
a group that adults and teenagers like. Not everyone can get the chance to
explore both fields. I understand your enthusiasm. Wanting them on MTV's TRL
is a very ambitious goal but not impossible. Currently Savage Garden is #1 on
Billboard and they are very close to a #10 spot on the countdown. Also
remember that is the music what makes the video, but is the video what makes
it here. Imported "Product" or not, the duo proved that they can conquer
America. On the other hand, making a voting spree and then stop it because
it's apparently not working, will lead you to a dead end. YESTERDAY VOTES ARE
AS IMPORTANT AS TODAY'S.

There are other boards that are as well organized as yours, but Savage
Garden's BBS board has something that they don't and that is, you can be
called a true community, and as every community, there are disagreements. It
is the will to succeed and the strength to start all over again what makes
the difference. I know you are doing a great job and the band should be very
proud of the fantastic sites that fans built up in order to promote their
music.

Now, about the voting process, the IP address is very complicated. I'll put
it on simple words, MTV can only accept one vote per IP address or main
computer with internet access. Once per internet address or internet company
through the same, main computer. It'll be impossible for us to supervise the
voting process if we don't have this rules. You can start voting through
email right after the show is over; BUT the main computer will start sending
out the percents and counting the votes throughout this hours: 9:00am to
10:30 (testing but counts) and from 10:30 to 2:30 pm EST. As for calls, one
call is definitely more important than any email. Calls can also start after
the show is over, but as emails, they will only count as votes at a specific
hour. From 2:30 to 3:00PM EST. In order to get a line, you can start dialing
before this hour. Phone calls or emails count as votes during this period of
time.The rest of your emails and calls will go to TRL Wannabe's, The ZONE,
and statistics for the channel.

Remember,"When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when
you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes
from knowing you are working to make things better and something is better
than doing nothing at all."

Good Luck!
 

**So I just got off the phone with Sarah, and she let me know that she had
talked to her friend back in Australia and that the music video for
"Affirmation" there is just a bunch of clips from the past century. No Savage
Garden. This is an official video! We both agree that that was pretty bad and
they shouldn't slack off to the Australian fans ESPECIALLY. I'm disappointed
in that - I didn't think they'd fink out on fans like this. Any of you
Aussies out there have details on this?

Alrighty, that's it for this week. Congratulations again to the guys for
hanging on to #1 on Billboard - I'm oozing pride right now!!! Anyhoo, I'll
catch ya next week!!

Peace, love, and Savage Garden!
Lauren ( <A HREF="mailto: [email protected]">[email protected]</A> )

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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Darren Hayes and/or Daniel Jones. I wish I did, but
since slavery isn't legal in the U.S. anymore, I'm outta luck. I make no
money for the "publication" of this newsletter, so if you're a nasty big
company like that dumb Hit Records, don't waste your time suing me
(especially since you're probably trying to get a chunk of Savage's earnings,
anyway). My family gets a  big laugh everytime my bank statement arrives.
Besides, my life savings consist of $2.54. The program you have just watched
contains real-life stories. The names have been changed to protect the
innocent. Is that your final answer?

~*~Visit the Savage Gardener on the web~*~
http://fly.to/savage_gardener