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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 15 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: The Rise And Fall Of James Ray
From: Mick Patrick
2. Bobby Lee Trammell
From: Andres
3. Re: Robin Clark - "Daddy Daddy" and Babs Cooper
From: Mike Carter
4. Ellie G. song out on CD for the first time !
From: Peter Andreasen
5. Re: Tallyrand
From: Mike Rashkow
6. Re: Soda Pop Babies CD
From: Paul Balser
7. Re: Sultan St. 9
From: Phil Milstein
8. More things to do on a rainy day
From: Mike Rashkow
9. Re: Bobby Lee Trammell
From: Austin Powell
10. Warren Zevon RIP
From: Artie Wayne
11. Beverley Jones
From: David Bell
12. Re: Diana Dawn
From: Stephen M.H. Braitman
13. Re: Artie Schroek
From: Stuart Miller
14. The Actionettes - 20th September
From: Mick Patrick
15. Phil Spector on CNN
From: Mike Rashkow
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 10:11:27 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: The Rise And Fall Of James Ray
I was called upon to write a few paragraphs about James Ray a
couple of years back. My tappings never did get published and
were cast aside for possible future use. I just came upon them
lurking on my old laptop........
----------------------------------------------------------------
Life was grim for James Ray (real name James Ray Raymond) until
a talented new songwriter and a dynamic A & R man entered his
world and changed it around.
Having already enjoyed Top 30 hits under his own name and as the
éminence grise behind both the Fireflies and Dicky Doo & the
Don'ts, by 1961 Gerry Granahan had founded the Caprice label
and immediately charted again with his discoveries the Angels
and Janie Grant.
Delivering demos to the Caprice office on a regular basis was
Rudy Clark who, in addition to being the local mail carrier, was
an enthusiastic songwriter in his spare time. Clark would
frequently sit at the piano and play his latest compositions
for Granahan who advised him that his songs were good but his
voice was not and to bring in someone who could really sing.
Clark took Granahan at his word and brought in James Ray whom
he had discovered performing in a club. The singer was destitute
at the time and living rough on the rooftop of an apartment block.
Granahan saw in the five-foot-tall Washington DC-born 20-year-
old a talent of Ray Charles-like proportions and immediately
signed him to Caprice, bought him a new wardrobe of clothes and
found him somewhere to live.
Before the year was over singer Ray and composer Clark were
basking in the glory of "If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody"
riding high on the pop charts and in the R & B Top 10. Subsequent
James Ray releases included the hit "Itty Bitty Pieces", "Got My
Mind Set On You" (a huge hit for George Harrison many years
later) and the original version of Ben E. King & Dee Dee Sharp's
"We Got A Thing Going On".
Rudy Clark went on to sign with Bobby Darin's T.M. Music
publishing company and write such great songs as "It's In His
Kiss" and "Good Lovin'". "If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody"
was successfully revived by Brit-popsters Freddie & the Dreamers
in 1963 and three years later in soulful style by Maxine Brown.
James Ray Raymond died in the '60s from an overdose of drugs.
What a waste.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 11:18:11 -0000
From: Andres
Subject: Bobby Lee Trammell
Hi people!
Does anybody know if there is any connection between the Beatles
invasion and the composition 'New Dance In France' by BOBBY LEE
TRAMMELL (1964)? One guy said that this composition is actually about
the Beatle-dance craze. Is that true?
Thank you,
Andres
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Message: 3
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 11:39:28 -0000
From: Mike Carter
Subject: Re: Robin Clark - "Daddy Daddy" and Babs Cooper
To Nancy and Mike:
Robin Clark's "Daddy Daddy" is currently available on Classic Records
cd "Soda Pop Babies--Various Chicks Having A Teenage Ball!" And what
a bottle of pop it is. It certainly hasn't been half opened and left
sitting on the table, gone to waste. There are some FANTASTIC tunes
of the "28 refreshing tracks" here that haven't lost their fizz.
Diane Ray, April Byron, Tina Robin (!!), Robin Clark.
One, that I have to know about and hope someone here can shed some
light, is "How Am I Gonna Leave You" written and performed by BABS
COOPER. This is just like a coca-cola. One is not enough. A
Fabulous track. The intro is to die for. Where can I find the flip
side and more????
Mike C.
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Message: 4
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 11:41:42 -0000
From: Peter Andreasen
Subject: Ellie G. song out on CD for the first time !
The Ellie Greenwich/Doc Pomus song "Who you gonna love this winter,
Mr. Sweetheart" by the danish artist Sys Gregers is out on a CD
called "Pigetråd" from Frost Records Cat. Nr. 0203.
ps: It includes versions of "Da do ron ron" by "Eva and Inge"
"River deep, mountain high" by "Anisette" and lots of others...
See you.
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Message: 5
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 09:18:44 EDT
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: Tallyrand
This thread came from the question of whether Shadow Morton helped
them run Tallyrand. I said I didn't think so. The "fact" that Jeff
and Ellie might have owned a piece of Tallyrand means nothing more
than the possibility that they were given it as a quid pro quo when
whatever production deal was stuctured between the three of them and
Bang got done.
As far as JB & EG helping Diamond start Tallyrand, what does that
mean? What help would he need. That they sent him to one of their
lawyers to set up the corporation?
Tallyrand was a holding company for Neil Diamond's songs, and it was
likely administered by a "real" publishing company. It didn't have
offices and it didn't have a phone.
Neil Diamond had been around the business for a meaningful period of
time before he worked with Jeff and Ellie--it wasn't his first rodeo
and he wasn't without his own resources.
Further on the point, I started working with Ellie during the last
period when J&E were producing Neil. I believe they did Red Red
Wine last and then he jumped ship from them and Bang to Chip Taylor
and Uni where, for openers, they made what was arguably Neil's best
song and record--Brooklyn Roads .
As I remember it, Neil wanted Jeff and Ellie to produce him for Uni.
For legal, loyalty to Bert Berns, and whatever other reasons, it did
not come to pass. From that point the entire relationship degenerated
into an extensive and very expensive legal battle. It ultimately
resulted in a settlement that likely encompassed an exchange of money
and a termination of all claims.
If J&E had shares in Tallyrand, that is when they "let" him buy out
their shares.
I was there; in person. I was reasonably close to the situation and
it was a major. I stand on my original statement, which was that to my
knowledge Jeff and Ellie had little or nothing to do with Tallyrand
--it was Neil Diamond's company.
Anyway, what is it they would have "done"? Filed for copyrights? Made
lead sheets? Issued licenses?
Give me a personal break here. Ellie and Jeff didn't even own their
own publishing during this period. They had left Trio and were signed
at Unart.
I'm done. It makes no difference anyway...."that was in another
country and besides, the wench is dead"
I don't remember where that quote comes from but it often seems to be
useful and I when the muse strikes me I use it.
The End.
Di da,
Rashkovsky
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Message: 6
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 10:31:32 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
From: Paul Balser
Subject: Re: Soda Pop Babies CD
Mike Carter:
> Robin Clark's "Daddy Daddy" is currently available on Classic Records
> cd "Soda Pop Babies--Various Chicks Having A Teenage Ball!" And what
> a bottle of pop it is. It certainly hasn't been half opened and left
> sitting on the table, gone to waste. There are some FANTASTIC tunes
> of the "28 refreshing tracks" here that haven't lost their fizz.
> Diane Ray, April Byron, Tina Robin (!!), Robin Clark.
Where can I Find the cd you are talking about? "Soda Pop Babies --
Various Chicks Having A Ball". Please let me know.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Admin Note:
A Google search for "Soda Pop Babies" reveals the CD is for sale here:
http://www.vdp-records.com/various%20highschool%20soda%20pop%20babies.htm
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Message: 7
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 10:49:42 -0400
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Sultan St. 9
"A. Zweig" wrote:
> The Sultan Street Nine. I don't even know if they actually
> existed but a lot of the songs were written by Greg Hambleton who
> was in a band called The Passing Fancy (and he's the brother of
> Fergus, a minor star in his own right.) Anyway this is one of the
> coolest records I own. There are tunes here that sound like the
> Velvet Underground playing Bacharach.
That's about all it takes to pique MY interest ... any chance you could
post a representative sample to musica?
--Phil M.
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Message: 8
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 11:07:36 EDT
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: More things to do on a rainy day
My own recent post mentioning Neil Diamond's "Brooklyn Roads", Arr:
Artie Schroek, drove me to get out the vinyl and listen to it again
--it's been a while.
What a sensitive, well designed and wonderful chart Schroek wrote.
If you have it go back and listen to the brass choir and the strings.
I'm sure it was this record that lead me to choose Shroek to arrange
the Fuzzy Bunnies "Heaven Is In Your Mind".
I vaguely remembered that Artie Schroek had left the music biz to
pursue something else--possibly sacred music, so I did a google
search and stumbled acroos this:
http://lostjukebox.tripod.com/lj101-110.html
Maybe I'm late to the party, and everyone already knows, but I think
S'Poppers will find this very, very interesting.
At first blush it appears to be a site selling 30 different CD's,
(likely bootlegged) and ostensibly chosen for being among the best
records never to have charted--or something along those lines. Well,
I don't know--I know it has at least 6 of my records on it. It's
printing out now so I can make a count and call my lawyer :)
Also noted on Vol. 1 a recording by one of our fave members: Artie
Wayne "Listen To The Flowers Growing" ( A. Wayne) Smash S 2077 1967
--Produced by Sherman & Kahan, Arr: Gary Sherman.
As for Schroek--I got stuck here, but i am interested in hearing
from anyone who knows anything that he arranged.
Check out this site--it is exciting just to see what they listed.
Among the strange things I found was that my former writing partner,
Johnny Cymbal, lifted a line from something La Greenwich and I wrote,
"Those Country Girls", for the title to something he wrote with Mike
Curb, "Stone Country Girl". And here I am working my fingers to the
bone trying to resurrect him. Tch, tch.
Di da,
Rashkovsky
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Message: 9
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 16:35:31 +0100
From: Austin Powell
Subject: Re: Bobby Lee Trammell
Andres wrote:
> Does anybody know if there is any connection between the Beatles
> invasion and the composition 'New Dance In France' by BOBBY LEE
> TRAMMELL (1964)? One guy said that this composition is actually
> about the Beatle-dance craze. Is that true?
Andres......This single has graced my colection for nearly forty
years, after it was released in the UK on the legendary Sue Records
label (W1.326) with "Carolyn" on the flip.....The label showed no
American source and to this day I haven't a clue which label
originally issued it in the US...Mr. Trammell is credited with
writing both sides - but no publisher is credited.
There's no real Beatles connection.....other than.....the record
starts off with dubbed on applause and an announcer's voice saying
..."And now ladies and gentlemen, here's what you've been waiting
waiting for...I give to you the very first American Beatle, Bobby
Lee Trammell"....
The song is about another new dance craze, apparently one "they do
in France"....It's a very non-British sounding recording, so no
attempt was made to make it some Beatle-ish !
It's fun though.....Yeah, yeah, yeah ..
Austin Powell
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Message: 10
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 08:41:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: Warren Zevon RIP
In the early 70s, when I ran the professional dept. at Warner
Brothers Music, part of my responsibility was to get cover records
for David Geffen's songwriter/artists. I just had a top ten record
in the UK with Michael Jackson on Jackson Browne's "Doctor my Eyes"
.........and Browne was excited for me to hear his freind Geffen
just signed.
One night after some Troubador show, Jackson to me over to the old
Tropicana hotel on Santa Monica B'lvd, and introduced me to Warren
Zevon.
For the rest of the night, with his Pignose amp blasting, Warren
mesmerized me with song after great song!! Although I tried for a
couple of years, unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any of his
songs covered....probably because they were so ahead of their time.
I always admired him because he never gave up. I was thrilled when
Linda Rondstat recorded, "Poor Pitiful Me" and his career as an
artist took off!! I was sad to hear of his passing.........but I
was glad that he was recognized within his lifetime for being the
genius that he was.
regards, Artie Wayne
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Message: 11
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 11:39:28 EDT
From: David Bell
Subject: Beverley Jones
Re The Beverley Jones Story:
http://www.spectropop.com/BeverleyJones/index.htm
Knowing Beverley's son, Darren, and his partner, I've been looking
forward to this latest webisode from Spectropop with great interest
and anticipation. Having heard Beverley's recordings on a CDR last
year, I was impressed with her talent and very English take on
Brenda Lee. For me, her best song is now playing on musica, Hear You
Talking, with a backing track by the Prestons, is just fab.
Congratulations must go to the Team and Mick, in particular, for the
wonderful interview he did with Beverley early in the New Year. I
loved the fact that her story is presented in interview form. She has
a great story to tell.
I know that Darren has been looking for the magazine article about
his mother, where her career is featured in comic strip form. So just
where did it turn up? Now I long to see her perform live. Coventry
Gaumont here we come, Mick!!
Congratulations once again on another fine piece of very English 6Ts
history.
Any chance of the songs being issued on a real cd?
Best wishes,
David
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Message: 12
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 09:32:23 -0700
From: Stephen M.H. Braitman
Subject: Re: Diana Dawn
Hi, Mick:
Well, ironically, I received images of both Diana Dawn's picture
sleeves from Alec Palao who's a good friend of mine. I want to
feature the records in an upcoming "Picture Sleeve Archive" column
for Discoveries magazine. But he doesn't have much information
either.
All the best,
Stephen
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Message: 13
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 18:22:07 +0100
From: Stuart Miller
Subject: Re: Artie Schroek
Mike Raskow wrote:
> I vaguely remembered that Artie Schroek had left the music biz to
> pursue something else--possibly sacred music,
Artie is a Jehovah's Witness and left the business for a while to
concentrate on his religion. I think he now lives in Vegas and I
believe is married to Linda November.
Stuart
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Message: 14
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 19:00:51 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: The Actionettes - 20th September
See below a message I just received from my pal Sue of the
Actionettes.
> Hello, hello!
> Our next club night is on Saturday 20th September.
> At the Water Rats, Kings Cross (328 Gray's Inn Rd, just 5 mins
> from the tube).
> It's just £4 to get in. Doors open at 9pm.
> http://www.actionettes.com/actionette_dates.html
> Should be lots of fun … we've got some great new dances, and
> the debut of the *Action Men*...a spin-off we couldn't resist!
> Hope to see you there,
> Sue xx
Alas, I'm unable to attend so I won't get to cop the Action Men.
Shame, the ladies' last event was great. Anyhow, I'm sure some
other S'poppers will show their faces and give me a report. Our
very own Elisabeth K will be one of the guest performers. It
looks like she'll be adding a tasty Karen Verros number to her
repertoire. Oh well, another time.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 15
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 14:14:58 EDT
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Phil Spector on CNN
Just a reminder for them what cares.
His Majesty Phil Spector is the lead guest on the Paula Zahn show,
Saturday, CNN. 8:00PM EDT.
Di da,
Rashkovsky
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