Wiggle Diskette/Press
This page contains various press materials created in promotion of They Might Be Giants' first official release, the Wiggle Diskette. Although not directly promoted, the Wiggle Diskette would frequently appear in press kits shared throughout the year on which it was released.
Press Release, 1985[edit]
This press release was featured in press kits released by the band throughout 1985. A copy of this press release is housed in the Dawn Eden Papers at the Fales Library in NYU.
F͟O͟R͟ I͟M͟M͟E͟D͟I͟A͟T͟E͟ R͟E͟L͟E͟A͟S͟E͟
Will the real T͟h͟e͟y͟ M͟i͟g͟h͟t͟ B͟e͟ G͟i͟a͟n͟t͟s͟ stand up?
It's an odd way of putting it, considering how often T͟h͟e͟y͟ M͟i͟g͟h͟t͟ B͟e͟ G͟i͟a͟n͟t͟s͟ has been standing up to packed houses for over two fabulous years in show business. And, of course, their artistry has stood up to the test of time in recordings, radio, live shows and phone songs... you name it
All that T͟h͟e͟y͟ M͟i͟g͟h͟t͟ B͟e͟ G͟i͟a͟n͟t͟s͟ was, they is. For their enormous appeal to the so called "pop" and "rock" music fans combined is predicted by insiders of the music world to far outlive the vast majority of the "fad" talents, the overnight sensations who shoot toward the moon like a tiny space capsule, but whose orbit is pitifully brief.
We cordially extend an invitation to you to join us in exploring still more deeply the musical wonderland of T͟h͟e͟y͟ M͟i͟g͟h͟t͟ B͟e͟ G͟i͟a͟n͟t͟s͟ and treat yourself to yet another rich adventure in tonal enjoyment — the T͟h͟e͟y͟ M͟i͟g͟h͟t͟ B͟e͟ G͟i͟a͟n͟t͟s͟ Sound!
T͟h͟e͟y͟ M͟i͟g͟h͟t͟ B͟e͟ G͟i͟a͟n͟t͟s͟ has performed at Danceteria, Maxwells, Pyramid, 8BC, Limbo Lounge, CBGB, Darinka and NYU Loeb Auditorium.
The Dial-A-Song service features a different song daily and can be reached 24 hours a day at (718) 387-6962.
Robert Christgau called T͟h͟e͟y͟ M͟i͟g͟h͟t͟ B͟e͟ G͟i͟a͟n͟t͟s͟ a "first-rate opening act" and called their song, "Youth Culture Killed My Dog," "stirring," in the Village Voice, Sept. 25, 1984.
Press Kits, 1985[edit]
A press kit listed on an eBay auction in 1999 contained several different early materials related to the band[1], as well as a brown folder stamped with lyrics from "They Might Be Giants". Press kit materials from this listing included:
- Copies of the Wiggle Diskette
- 1985 Promotional Demo Tape #5
- 1985 Promotional Demo Tape #10
- A coloured Dial-A-Song spinner
There have also been other instances of material from 1985 press kits that have appeared or have been mentioned over the years.
- Vito Pomeroy of the Northampton publication Oh No! Noho! received a press kit with a Dial-A-Song spinner, several cassettes and the Wiggle Diskette. He also implied the presence of "Mr. Me" on one of these tapes in his writeup of the band that appeared in the September 1985 issue.
- John Peel was given the Wiggle Diskette alongside a press kit and some cassettes. In 1990, he also read a letter he received by the band that came with the press kit which mentioned scrapped plans to perform in London in September 1985[2].
- A reprint from a spotlight article published in the January 1985 edition of "The Bob" is housed in the Dawn Eden Papers at the Fales Library in NYU.
- A promotional flat containing a photo of the band from 1982 by Julie Kantner of the Turtlenecks was reprinted as a part of They Might Be Giants' Christmas 2012 Show Posters pack.
- A 1983 promotional photo from a press kit was shared to @tmbgofficial on Instagram in 2020.
