European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 13, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a All wrapped up in its 40th  by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau he performers in this year s tops in Blue show Are All wrapped up in nostalgia and for Good Iii reason. He the 1993 edition of tops in Blue Marks the pkg air Force organization s 40th anniversary. H since singing and dancing have been the h group s quintessential offering for 40 years 19 it s Only fitting that this year s tour comes gift wrapped in a Box with paper and ribbons. Quot there Are no tricks or gimmicks Quot said tech. Sgt. Don Lane Mccray a vocalist from Anchorage Alaska. Quot it s just a Good  and putting on an entertaining show is the Best gift that Mccray and his fellow performers could possibly give. While last year s set featured an elaborate Library scene that promoted the value of Reading this time show organizers went easy on set designs. Aside from the huge ribbon bound Box that swings open to reveal the performers a and then closes Between sets a there Are no props on stage. Quot one song a one voice Quot is the theme for the anniversary showcase. Through its 40-year run tops in Blue has featured More than 60 different casts. The latest cast which is composed entirely of air Force personnel includes three people currently assigned to the air Force in Europe. They Are Mccray of Pitburg a Germany senior airman Tracy l. Pratt of Ramstein a Germany and airman 1 St class Gary l. Funderburk of san Vito air station Italy. \ senior airman Nanbu k. Fullman recently transferred from Raf upper Heyford England to Kelly fab Texas. The tops in Blue cast selected in november following base regional command and worldwide Talent competitions includes eight musicians and 13 singers and dancers. Staff sgt. Antoine b. Wilson of Osan a Korea a comedian entertains the audience Between sets and six backstage Crew members provide audio lighting technical and transportation assistance. In May the cast gathered to plan and rehearse for the tour which started on june 13 at Lackland fab Texas. The base is the Home for tops in Blue and it s where the cast will conclude its nine month run on feb. 12. For the first time in its 40-year history tops in Blue will tour Eastern Europe. Specific dates and locations have yet to be finalized but the cast is scheduled to tour the Region from sept. 19 to oct. 14. Among the countries they expect to visit Are Russia Ukraine Poland Hungary Romania the czech Republic and Slovakia. _ Quot it s a great Opportunity to bring part of the american culture to those parts of the world Quot said staff sgt. Mark from loft airman first class Kerry c. Reynolds senior airman Vincenia Harbert and senior airman Laura j. Coyle swing through a country number. Fletcher of Tyndall fab fla., the tour director. It s a great Opportunity not Only for us but also for american relations Quot in Eastern Europe. Tops in Blue will adjust the show s format to make it More relevant and familiar to the audience. Wilson s a comedy routine will change from jokes to mime while contemporary songs will replace some of the older songs that Are not As Well known. Though he is looking Forward to seeing Eastern Europe,1 Mccray has some reservations. Quot i Don t think it will be As glamorous As a lot of folks think it will be Quot he said. To Bridge the language Gap the . Embassies Are expected to provide translators. Quot otherwise Quot Mccray said Quot there will be a lot of smiling and  there were Many smiles and appreciative nods at a recent tops in Blue performance at Neu Briecke a Germany. About 800 people attended the 90-minute show. Roughly half of the audience were germans from nearby communities. After a Brief opening set the show swings into a big band routine that includes Glenn Miller s in the mood. The swing set is Fullman s favorite. You have to try to put yourself Back in that time Frame Quot said Fullman a vocalist from Newark Del. After the big band series comes the longest set of the show. And it should come As no suprise that the set includes Cowboy hats and several Heartfelt ballads. The country Western songs include hello Dartin crazy and stand by your Man. Funderburk the airman from san Vito is a saxophonist and guitarist from Greenwood . He s been playing the sax for nine years and said performing for tops in Blue. Gives him an Opportunity to travel the world. During the Western set Funderburk sits with his guitar1 atop a platform behind the vocalists. His legs Dangle As if he were sitting on the end of a pier skipping stones on a hot August night. Quot it gives me that relaxed country feel Quot he said. The show s pop music set is next the list of songs ranges from i love music to Peppermint twist to an excellent rendition of end of the Road. In customary fashion the performance closes on a patriotic theme. Also True to tradition is the class and style that has come to symbolize tops in Blue through the years. Members of the cast closely guard the integrity of the group. The travel and daily grind Quot is difficult but we make it fun Quot said Pratt who hails from Chicago Iii. Quot we work together and we get things done. We Are doing this for the people so we Don t want to be sloughing  for tops in blues schedule see on stage on pages 20-21. Clockwise from above tops in Blue packs a lot of Energy in its show vocalist and choreographer Don Lane Mccray is in the fourth year with the troupe Tracy Pratt does an Impromptu dance with husband Daron after spotting him in the audience. A amps photos by John Bohmer 7 pop a singles 1. Can to help falling in love ub40 2. We oomph thera it Stag team 3. Week Sov 4. In a Gonna be 500 mile the proclaimers 5. Slam Onyx 6. Lately Jodeci 7. If i had no loot Tony Tonii to line 8. Runaway train soul Asylum 9.1 done to Wanna fight Tina Turner 10. If Janet Jackson top a albums 1. Black sunday Cypress Hill 2. Soundtrack to a a sleepless in Seattle a a various artists 3. Zoo Ropa u2 4. Anet Janet Jackson 5. Core Stone Temple pilots 6. Back to Broadway barbra Streisand 7. Promises and lies ub40 8. Soundtrack to Quot the bodyguard Quot various artists 9.  seated Rod Stewart 10. Siamese dream smashing pumpkins country a singles 1. It sure is monday Mark Chesnutt 2. Chattahoochee Alan Jackson 3. Every Little thing Carlene Carter 4. Can to break it to my heart Tracy Lawrence 5. Well Burn that Bridge Brooks amp Dunn 6. Why did no to i think of that Doug Stone 7. What might have been Little Texas 8. Reno Doug Supernaw 9. Thank god for you Sawyer Brown 10. In the heart of a woman Billy Ray Cyrus country a albums 1. A lot about of Van and a Tutte bout love Alan Jackson 2. It won t be the last Billy Ray Cyrus 3. No Tima to kill Clint Black 4. Soundtrack to Quot pure country a George Strait 5. Tell me Why Wynonna 6. Life a a dance John Miphael Montgomery 7. Some gave All Billy Ray Cyrus 8. Hard Worklin Man Brooks amp Dunn 9. Its your Call Reba Mcentire 10. This time Dwight Yoakam ramp a singles 1. Lately Jodeci 2. Reg there human nature downtown Sov 3. Check to self ice cube featuring Das eff 4. Lose control girl u for me silk 5. Something a Golno on . I 6. We oomph there it Stag team v. Another sad love song Toni Braxton 8. Cry no More ii d extreme 9. If i had no loot Tony Toni tone 10. If Janet Jackson adult contemporary jazz a albums 1.1 done to Wanna fight Tina Turner 2. Fields of Gold sting 3. The River of dreams Billy Joel 4. Done to take away my heaven Aaron Neville 5. In a free Jon Secada 6. Ill never get Over you getting Over meexpos6 7. It s alright Huey Lewis amp the news 8. By the time this night is Over Kenny go Perabo Bryson 9. Have i told you lately Rod Stewart 10. Run to you Whitney Houston 1. Take a look Natalie Cole 2. Homage to Duke Dave Grusin 3. Invitation Joe Sample 4. Its got to be Funky Horace Silver 5. Rendezvous Michel Camilo 6. Uve at the five spot Joey Defrancesco 7. Love songs Diane Schuur 8. Bye Bye Blackbird Keith Jarrett Trio 9. Uve in concert jazz futures 10. Of Kindred souls Roy Hargrove a compiled by billboard disc notes Black sunday Cypress Hill Ruff House Columbia looking for a Nice socially conscious rap album then done to look to Cypress Hill. It Isnit just the polysyllabic profanities sprinkled throughout Black sunday so much As the album s obsession with drugs and violence. Not that these Guys see anything wrong if anything they openly celebrate their subjects happily chanting i Wanna get High on hits from the Gong while reminding listeners to cock the Hammer when keeping a hand on the Glock. So Why listen because the album s sound is As irresistible As its Content is irresponsible thanks to a real a hypnotic sing song cadences and the Lazy Bass heavy loops behind tracks like insane in the brain. A . Cons done the Baltimore Sun. J a. A rumble doll 1 Patti Scialfa Columbia Oke if you must about her being the Bossy a wife but the fact of the matter is that Patti Scialfa is very much her own woman on rumble doll. Even though husband Bruce Springsteen does provide guitar and Quot additional production Quot on two tracks the writing is All hers and so is the sensibility. That does t always work to her advantage since Scialfa s melodic imagination is neither As Strong nor As consistent As her singing and the arrangements often Lack the drama of Springsteen a Best work. But Scialfa does have a wonderful sense of How to Scialfa reconcile Rock s past and present and the albums strongest songs like the dreamy in my imagination or the arching melancholy Charm Light Are blessed with. An almost timeless Appeal. A . Cons done the Baltimore Sun out of body the hoofers Mca v 73 Philadelphia a Shook Happy Hooters have moved from Columbia records to Mca and enhanced their bouncy sound by adding violinist vocalist Mindy Jostyn to the lineup. This is music to dance or drive to not to Ponder a a perfect summer soundtrack. Such titles As great big american car dancing on the Edge and Drifting away practically command you to quit fretting and have some fun. The go goes like boys will be boys with guest vocal by Hooters chum Cyndi Lauper is almost too poppy to Bear but its balanced by Shadow of Jesus a jarringly dark number about a couple breaking up Over one partners conversion to Christian fundamentalism. The song is the Only heavy element in the albums Load of Light radio ready pop. A David Dishneau the associated press i a almost goodbye Mark Chesnutt Mca Arth Brooks Sang about unanswered prayers and its hard not to think of Mark Chesnutte a third album As unfulfilled Promise. The texans pliant nimble voice just skims Over material that ranges from predictable at Best a my heart s too broke to pay attention a to downright maudlin the  Randy Lewis los Angeles times 18 the stars and stripes Friday August 13, 1993 the stars and stripes