________________________________________________________________________
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
________________________________________________________________________
There are 22 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Playboy Records
From: Phil Chapman
2. Re: Mark II (and IV); northeast US label discographies
From: Mac Joseph
3. Re: "refusing to perform a chart topper"; musica requests
From: Phil Milstein
4. Re: [Jimmy Page and] THEM and Baby Please Don't Go
From: Scott Swanson
5. Re: THAT Alan Gordon...
From: Alphonse
6. Re: Tim Gilbert 45
From: Clark Besch
7. Re: Instrumental hits
From: Phil Milstein
8. Earl Jean
From: Kingsley Abbott
9. Re: Jim Fairs/Cryan Shames
From: Matthew David
10. Poodle Skirts & Poni-Tails CDs
From: Ian Slater
11. 60s Instrumentals
From: Austin Powell
12. Re: Brill Building Trivia; Earl Jean McCrea
From: Justin McDevitt
13. Re: THEM and Baby Please Don't Go [Martin Scorcese's "Blues"]
From: James Botticelli
14. Re: Instrumental hits
From: Ron Sauer
15. Re: Jimmy Page
From: Richard Havers
16. Instrumental Toons, Monkees, Beatles
From: Alan Gordon
17. Randy Newman; Alan Gordon(s)
From: Country Paul
18. Re: Refusing to perform a chart topper
From: David Coyle
19. Re: The Blues (British Style)
From: David Coyle
20. Re: Earl Jean McCrea of the Cookies
From: Mac Joseph
21. Lulu, Gettin' a little Randy
From: Alan Gordon
22. Re: Instrumental hits
From: TD
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 10:21:30 +0100
From: Phil Chapman
Subject: Re: Playboy Records
Andrew Jones:
> I hope if anyone does assemble a Playboy Records comp, they'll
> at least consider "Please Tell Him That I Said Hello" by Debbie
> Campbell - it got a lot of airplay in my local area, but did
> nothing nationally.
Could that be the same song that was a UK hit for 1970 Eurovision-
winner Dana (Rosemary Scallon), recently scoring her second Euro win
as MEP for Connacht-Ulster? "Please Tell Him..." was written by two
affable chaps called Mike Shepstone & Pete Dibbens. And I think I
recorded the demo.
Phil
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 07:52:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mac Joseph
Subject: Re: Mark II (and IV); northeast US label discographies
Dear Paul,
you seem like you are really in tune with these small indie labels.
Maybe you can help me. Last week I wrote Spectropop about a song I
am trying to find. The only lyrics I can remember are "When I was
with you girl, I made the grade, but since youv'e gone, I've had
it made". This has got to be a one-hit wonder song sometime around
1966-67 (I am guessing), Do any of these lyrics sound even vaguely
familiar? I have been searching for this song for years. I first
heard this song when I was living in Chicago, but it doesn't belong
to the Buckinghams, Cryan Shames, New Colony 6 or the Shadows of
Knight. If you have ANY ideas that I could explore, I would appreciate
it, I even tried the Lyric websites, with no luck so far. thanks much
in advance Paul
sincerely,
Mac Joseph
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 11:06:56 +0000
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: "refusing to perform a chart topper"; musica requests
Artie Wayne wrote:
> Stunned and disappointed I went backstage for my meeting.
> I played them the songs I brought......but I couldn't leave
> without saying how I felt. In a half humorous tirade I made
> the group feel guilty enough to perform my favorite song in
> their dressing room......which I'll never forget.
Great story, Artie -- as usual! Wish I coulda been there. I've
always thought that it can be something of a curse to get a hit
record - almost invariably you'll find yourself having to replicate
it every working night for the rest of your career, pretending
that you're loving it all the while. How can that not breed
resentment at the very thing that got you much of what you have?
A showbusiness mantra is that the stage life "beats working for
a living", but, as someone who does work for a living, I'm not
so sure that's true. Sure, if you're a Bob Dylan you're granted
a lot of leeway to either play or avoid whichever of your hits
that you wish, as well as the ability to remake them in ways that
are nearly unrecognizable from the originals, but for every Bob
Dylan there are a couple dozen Gary Lewises, Gary Pucketts and
Gary U.S. Bondses. That is not meant to put them down, only to
suggest that the career of a midlevel oldies act can be a very
tough one indeed. To wrap up this dour message on a more upbeat
note, I'll add that the awareness of this dynamic gives me that
much greater appreciation for those oldies acts who really do
seem to be enjoying themselves up there, especially when they're
revisiting their biggest hits.
Matthew David wrote:
> Don't suppose anyone would be willing to play either side to
> musica? Have wanted to hear it for a long time but have never
> come across a copy.
While we're issuing musica requests, I'd love to hear Eric Burdon's
version of Mama Told Me Not To Come. I cut my teeth on 3 Dog Night's
great version.
--Phil M.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 08:16:58 -0700
From: Scott Swanson
Subject: Re: [Jimmy Page and] THEM and Baby Please Don't Go
John Berg writes:
>For years supposed experts (i.e. music journalists)
>have unquestionally circulated the myth that Jimmy
>Page played lead on Them's Baby Please Don't Go.
>The same controversy has gone around and around
>about Page playing on early Kinks hits,
For the record, Page has NEVER claimed to have played lead guitar
with either Them or The Kinks. Actually it was Van Morrison who
unintentionally fuelled the rumor mill when he mentioned several
years ago that Page played a "bass-like part on lead guitar" on
"Baby Please Don't Go". Morrison also confirms that Page played
rhythm guitar on "Here Comes The Night".
Page is known to have played rhythm guitar on 3-5 Kinks songs from
1964 (confirmed by virtually everyone involved), but he's never
taken credit for any of the guitar solos.
Nick Archer adds:
>But Jimmy Page did play the guitar solo on
>"It's Not Unusual", right?
Nope. For years that solo had been credited to Big Jim Sullivan
(with Page on rhythm), but I had the opportunity to ask Sullivan
about it a couple years back, and he thinks it was actually Joe
Moretti on lead, with himself on rhythm.
Best regards,
Scott
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 07:20:56 -0700 (MST)
From: Alphonse
Subject: Re: THAT Alan Gordon...
I confess!! I'm Alan Gordon, but If I could ever be another
Alan Gordon,I would be honoured to be the Alan Gordon who
introduced me to this wonderful group. You folks know more
about my songs than I do. But we all love the songs from back then.
Oh yes, regarding Julius La Rosa: He first appeared on Godfrey's
Talent Scouts in uniform. He won and was invited to be regular
on Godfrey's morning show, which was simulcast on radio as well.
Godfrey was a big big deal in those days.
Alphonse
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 15:56:04 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Tim Gilbert 45
JJ wrote:
> Tim Gilbert, the main songwriter, also released a solo 45
> "Early October"/"If We Stick Together" (UNI 55045) 1967-
Clark Besch:
> A great song! Love this (If We Stick Together) song that did
> chart on Denver's KIMN. Kinda "Dylan takes 'Eve of Destruction'
> and puts opposing twist on it"????
Matthew David:
> Don't suppose anyone would be willing to play either side to
> musica? Have wanted to hear it for a long time but have never
> come across a copy.
Matthew. I played "If We Stick Together" to Musica. After listening
to it again, I still love it! Been in my faves since I taped it off
KIMN Denver when it was out. Finally found a copy 10 years later.
Not sure now about the PF Sloan reference I made above, but certainly
a Dylan-like lyric. Very odd stuff. I know I can't singalong with
it too easy! Actually, as a lover of "Excerpt from a Teenage Opera",
I would think Mark Wirtz might like this song. Some strange lyrics
and light orchestration in both songs, within a year of each other.
Mark? Anyway, enjoy! "Someone passed the fat around and we began to
chew". Sounds like us at Spectropop!
Clark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 11:58:49 +0000
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Instrumental hits
Thanks to everyone who's submitted lists of instrumental hits;
I'm getting lots of excellent ideas.
Working on this project has caused me to recall how I first came
by my affection for instrumentals -- and for certain ones in
particular.* If you'll allow me to indulge in a touch of nostalgia,
back in the late '60s and early '70s, when I and my musical tastes
were coming of age, the NYC Top 40 station-of-record WABC would
regularly play out to the news with an instrumental, which they
would then fade out when the time came for the news to take over
(which, for some reason, would occur at 5 minutes before the hour),
no matter where in the record that would be. At the time I thought
every music station did this, but in hindsight I can see that it
was simply the lazy DJ's way of time-syncing. Still, it was an
effective technique, and there's a few instrumentals from that era
that I still haven't heard all the way through to the end!
Keep 'em coming,
--Phil M.
P.S. Any thoughts on which is the definitive instrumental version of
"Night Train"?
*i.e., Soul Finger; The Horse; Soulful Strut
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 17:06:30 +0100
From: Kingsley Abbott
Subject: Earl Jean
I agree about 'Randy' being a great topside, but don't
overlook the flip. 'They're Jealous Of Me' has a lovely
warm, sexy and sultry vocal which made me curl up when I
first heard it...in a shop in Hanway Street in London's
Soho...didn't know where to put myself!
A simple fab double-sider!
Kingsley
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 12:22:44 EDT
From: Matthew David
Subject: Re: Jim Fairs/Cryan Shames
Hi Clark,
Just want to let you know that I've really enjoyed your
recent posts about Jim Fairs and The Shames. Great stuff
.....very informative.
Matthew
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 18:35:35 +0100
From: Ian Slater
Subject: Poodle Skirts & Poni-Tails CDs
Paul Balser asked (8 Oct 2003 - Digest Number 1053):
"Where can we find the CD.. Poodle Skirts & Pony Tails."
There are 3 volumes and I'm pretty sure they are "grey" issues,
unfortunately. I've checked with one of my regular suppliers of
CDs, Bob Thomas of Bim-Bam records and he can get copies. He's
based in southern England but ships anywhere abroad. His web-site
is: http://www.bim-bam.com/ Connie & the Cones are on Volumes
1 & 2. All the tracks on all three CDs are girl-groups - most
late 50s / early 60s, mostly obscure & hard to get and I think
Volume 1 is the best of the three. I'll try and play my favourite
of the group's tracks "I See the Image of You" onto Musica over
the weekend - so far as I'm aware it's never been reissued in
any form. Thanks to Country Paul for his recollection of "Take
All the Kisses" which is on "Poodle... vol. 1" with "Lonely Girl's
Prayer. All Doo-Wop ballads.
Ian Slater
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 18:55:37 +0100
From: Austin Powell
Subject: 60s Instrumentals
How 'bout:
In The Midnight Hour - Little Mack & The Boss Sounds
Sock It To 'Em JB - Rex Garvin
and I lurve.....Wiggle Wobble - Les Cooper
Sad that Ace has discontinued its "Teen Beat" series....
Austin
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 11:59:59 -0500
From: Justin McDevitt
Subject: Re: Brill Building Trivia; Earl Jean McCrea
Hello Spectropop,
In a message dated 10/06, Mac Joseph asked: "whatever happened
to Earl Jean McCrea?" In response, John Clemente set the record
straight by correcting some of the mis-information regarding
the original Cookies, the re-formed Cookies, Cookies members who
were in the Raelettes, etc.
However, in my opinion, Mac's original question was never really
answered, which is in fact, the same question that I posted to
Spectropop in December of 2001, (my first post to the group).
As I recall, John responded to my question by referencing the
Girl Groups book that he has written and encouraged me to purchase
it. I did go so far as to find a copy in a local library in order
to review it, and then purchase a copy which I could then have
recorded on tape (or possibly into Braille), though I have yet
to do this. It would also appear that Mac also needs to purchase
the book in order to find out Earl Jean's current status which I
break down into two questions:
1. Is EarlJean still "in the business"; doing any singing,
other than in her own home, in the shower etc
2. In what geographic location, state, city, town in the
US is she residing?
Has she returned to the state of North Carolina, her birthplace?
Mac, am I on target here?
Yours in the eternal quest,
Justin McDevitt
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 15:26:52 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: THEM and Baby Please Don't Go [Martin Scorcese's "Blues"]
Nick Archer wrote:
> But Jimmy Page did play the guitar solo on "It's Not Unusual",
> right?
that MIGHT have been session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan who
also did some studio stuff with Page (see the RPM CD) and
went on the road with Jones in '69..Might..
JB
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 20:03:59 -0000
From: Ron Sauer
Subject: Re: Instrumental hits
Not all of these were hits but here are a few of my favorites:
Baja - The Astronauts
Dartell Stomp - The Dartells
Banzai Pipeline - Henry Mancini
Slaughter on 10th Avenue - The Ventures
Pipeline - The Chantays
Bust Out - The Busters
Don't Make My Baby Blue - Lonnie Mack
Soul Twist - King Curtis
The Jam - Bobby Gregg
Workout - Rick Dee and the Embers (Has some shouting)
Hungry for Love - Sam Remo Golden Strings
Torquay Two - The Fireballs
Let There Be Drums - Sandy Nelson
No Matter What Shape - T-Bones
Ron
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 15
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 21:19:52 +0100
From: Richard Havers
Subject: Re: Jimmy Page
Nick Archer:
> But Jimmy Page did play the guitar solo on "It's Not Unusual",
> right?
Scott Swanson:
> Nope. For years that solo had been credited to Big Jim Sullivan
> (with Page on rhythm), but I had the opportunity to ask Sullivan
> about it a couple years back, and he thinks it was actually Joe
> Moretti on lead, with himself on rhythm.
As always Scott on all things Pagey absolutely on the money!
I think Big Jim played lead on Green Green Grass of Home though!
Best
Richard
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 16
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 13:22:24 -0700
From: Alan Gordon
Subject: Instrumental Toons, Monkees, Beatles
Phil Milstein:
> In an effort to create a personal reference guide to the great '60s
> instrumental hits, I've decided to whip up a compilation CD of them.
> Here is where y'all come in: I could use some help compiling a list
Phil:
I'm not sure if they all apply, but here's a few of my favorites from
that period and into the '70's. Would you be so kind to post the entire
list that you compile, once you feel you've reached the "sorta" end.
Sleepwalk - Santo and Johnny: sigh...
Summer Samba, Happy Organ, and So Nice: These three songs are the same
melody except that "So Nice" is usually the title of the lyrical version
... but not always. From what I've heard, the instrumental versions
where done by a few different artists, depending on what part of the USA
you lived in, and I'm not sure which ones charted.
Moonglow and Theme From "Picnic" - Morris Stoloff / Colombia Pictures
Studio Orchestra: I still get chills when I hear this one.
Our Winter Love - Bill Purcell: Another one of my absolute favorites.
Summer Place - Henry Mancini: This song, like a few of these, was one
of those songs that I turned off when it came on the car radio, because
I thought it was "uncool" to like it... and my parents loved it... say
no more.
Cast your Fate To The Wind," and "Linus and Lucy" - Vince Giaraldi:
Both of these songs really spur memories for me of more innocent times.
Last Date - Floyde Cramer; Sexy-as-heck piano licks.
Albatros - Fleetwood Mac: For me, this is the quintessential
"breathlessly watching the soft moon-light reflect on the gurgling
waters of your local summer-lake, as you get snugly with a cute
significant other" song.
And Your Dream Come True - The Beach Boys: I love this tune. Great vibes.
Love So Fine - The Tiajuana Brass: This was the flip of a hit. All I
know is, it was cool.
Soul Serenade - King Curtis: Great tune!
The rest of these are probably up for interpretation, depending on your
criteria of course:
The Great Kahuna - The Buffalo Springfield; This was never even
released. It appears on the Springfield's box set. Great imitation of a
sorta-surf-tune crossed with a Tiki flavored song. Neato.
Sleepwalk - Larry Carlton: This was played on the FM dial, a lot, here
in the San Francisco area when it first came out in the 70's(?). I have
no idea if it was a single. Nice version.
Are You Going With Me - Pat Methaney: I assume this doesn't quite
qualify, as it is sorta lite-jazz-pop... but then "Summer samba" was
lite-jazz-pop for it's time...and this was more of an FM "hit." But I
love it.
City, Country, City - War: Another beautiful FM song that was played
endlessly in the SF area.
Follow Your Bliss - The B 52's: If you haven't heard this... do yourself
a favor.
One a few unrelated notes:
The Monkees (TV episodes), Season 2 is coming out on November 11 in the
U.S. The regurgitation of the innocence of this time, makes life in
these present weird days, just a taste more palatable for me.
and... The Beatles: "Let It Be... Naked" (without Phil's intrusive [I
can hear the arguments already] orchestration) is solicited for November
18 here in the colonies. This is not the same as the boot of George
Martin or Glyn John's version that has been floating around for the last
30 years. It's basically the album that was released, but without Phil's
stuff, and with a few extra things added.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 17
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 16:37:59 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Randy Newman; Alan Gordon(s)
Steve Harvey:
> Randy's song will always take on a different meaning or feel when
> he sings it as opposed to other artists. "Short People" really took
> this to the mat on the middle-eight where the Eagles are "all men are
> brothers" and Randy replies, "It's a wonderful world". Just the way
> he sings it is full of bile. His "Debutantes' Ball" gets a new
> meaning when sung by the Harper's Bizarre compared to Randy's outsider
> observation.
Mark Frumento:
> Just saw Randy live a little over a week ago and nothing's changed.
> In fact the sarcasm is more pronounced than ever, I think. Though it's
> very hard to tell when he's in character or when he's being himself.
Those of you who have seen him in the past years know that he does
his song "I Want You to Hurt Like I Do" as if it were a follow up
to "We Are the World". The routine is very funny but I found myself
wanting to yell out... "everybody stop laughing and listen to this
song. It's one of the saddest songs ever written".
> Mr Newman is a true modern master even if we don't always realize it.
100% agreement here, Steve and Mark. For example, in all the times I've
heard "Marie" on record, there hasn't been one where my eyes have been
dry at the end. And that's not the only one. Newman is indeed one our
most cynical writers - and one of our best.
And that misting up feeling also comes to me in Garry Bonner's exquisite
version of "Me About You," which I mention as a welcome to "that" Alan
Gordon. I'm sure we'll have millions of questions for you, starting with
this one, asked here previously: why in God's name was that wonderful
song - and especially this version - never a hit?
(Nice introduction by "this" Alan Gordon, by the way!)
Country Paul
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 18
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 13:37:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Coyle
Subject: Re: Refusing to perform a chart topper
People I've talked to about local rock in the '60s all tell me that
when the Nightcrawlers played here in 1967, they did not perform
"Little Black Egg," the hit that put them on the charts, pretty much
starting right here in Ohio.
When Big Beat's essential, must-have, definitive Nightcrawlers
compilation came out a couple years back, I got a clue as to why the
song was not performed. By 1967, when the Nightcrawlers made it up
north to tour, a number of the band members who had been on the
original recording, including writer and lead singer Chuck Conlon, were
no longer with the group. The batch of "live" covers on the Big Beat
disc represent the kind of stuff the group were doing, and apparently
they didn't bother with the song that was their reason for even touring...
David
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 19
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 13:47:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Coyle
Subject: Re: The Blues (British Style)
My girlfriend showed some real intuition the other night when she
taped off the British Blues segment of the PBS series "The Blues"
the other night.
It was great to see so many relatively obscure British artists on
US TV, and I couldn't believe Joe Meek got so much discussion on a
program here in the States, simply on the merits of having produced
"Bad Penny Blues." Nobody seemed to mince words about him, either.
My personal favorite "soundbyte" was Ramblin' Jack Elliott's diatribe
against skiffle, followed by Lonnie Donegan's deadpan dismissal of
Ramblin' Jack Elliott.
And I was amazed at the clip of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Damn, she could
play guitar!
I was really impressed by the inclusion of a veritable supergroup of
British bluesers in the show. I mean, Van Morrison, Tom Jones and Lulu,
backed by Jeff Beck? Dang, that was good. Can't wait for the DVD
version...
David
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 20
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 13:49:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mac Joseph
Subject: Re: Earl Jean McCrea of the Cookies
Justin enquired about:
> Earl Jean's current status which I break down into two questions:
> 1. Is EarlJean still "in the business"; doing any singing, other
> than in her own home, in the shower etc
> 2. In what geographic location, state, city, town in the US is she
> residing?
> Has she returned to the state of North Carolina, her birthplace?
Exactly, Justin;
you hit it right on the head. That's what i was originally asking. I
had also asked what happened to Charley Macey, who Carole King used a
lot in the studio back in her Dimension Record days.
Thanks much, Justin;
Mac Joseph
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 21
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 14:10:18 -0700
From: Alan Gordon
Subject: Lulu, Gettin' a little Randy
Subject: Lulu
TD wrote:
> ...and a better idea of how Lulu is out of her element when she
> tackles "Drown In My Own Tears".
Tom Taber wrote:
> And here I am, having seen the same show last night, thinking how
> wonderful I thought she was!
I was only a very peripheral fan of Lulu until a friend of mine let
me watch a few of her appearances on "Ready, Steady, Go!" that were
recorded before she had a pop hit in the U.S. I remember actually
getting quite frisky, watching and listening to her, as her whiskey,
gravel-soaked, powerfully sultry voice pealed the veneer off my heart.
(Is their some drugs or somethin' I can take to stop this purple side
of me from getting outta hand???) She belts the blues as well, or
better than most supposed "blues" artists. What friggin'pipes! (Can
I say "friggin'?")
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Judy Sings Newman
> Check out my early 80s piece in Goldmine (if you can find it) on
> Randy Newman's early days. Randy's song will always take on a
> different meaning or feel when he sings it as opposed to other
> artists.
I'd love to read that, Steve. Is it posted anywhere?
But I have a question: Did the other acts/groups that you mentioned
that covered Randy's sarcasm, change the lyrics at all? That's the
difference to me. One is implied in Randy's wonderful sarcastic and
innocent voice, and also by just sorta knowing what Randy is about
from listening to him for so many years... and the other is indicated
precisely in the lyrics.
Have you listened to Randy's Faust? Amazing lyrics... great music too.
peace,
~albabe
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 22
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 17:13:52 -0400
From: TD
Subject: Re: Instrumental hits
Phil Milstein:
> Any thoughts on which is the definitive instrumental version of
> "Night Train"?
My favorite version of "Night Train" is by Buddy Morrow and Orchestra
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
End
