________________________________________________________________________
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
________________________________________________________________________
There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Metropolitan Soul Show - playlist 12th October 2003
From: Simon White
2. that Alan Gordon
From: Artie Wayne
3. Re: THAT Alan Gordon, Preston Ritter, Playboy Records, "You Can Count on Me"
From: Scott Charbonneau
4. Re: Instrumentals with lyrics
From: Kurt Benbenek
5. Re: Yet another query for That Alan Gordon
From: That Alan Gordon
6. "Hold On, Baby" from the River Deep - Mountain High LP
From: Don Charles
7. Re: Melancholy Music Man
From: That Alan Gordon
8. Re: What is this song? (SOLVED!)
From: Orion
9. Re: The Hudson Brothers
From: Andrew Hickey
10. Re: Multiples
From: James Botticelli
11. Re: Randy Newman / Alan Gordon
From: Orion
12. Re: Whatever Happened To Happy
From: Michel Gignac
13. Re: THAT Alan Gordon, Preston Ritter, Playboy Records, "You Can Count on Me"
From: That Alan Gordon
14. Re: "You Can Count on Me"
From: Guy Lawrence
15. Hudson Bros
From: Kingsley Abbott
16. Re: "Hold On, Baby" from the River Deep - Mountain High LP
From: Phil Chapman
17. Re: ORPHEUS for Tom
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
18. Re: Instrumentals with lyrics
From: TD
19. Birthdays; deadrolls; more
From: Country Paul
20. Re: Yet another query for That Alan Gordon
From: James Botticelli
21. Re: Words or music
From: That Alan Gordon
22. Let's Call It A Day Girl
From: Mike Andersen
23. Re: Orpheus
From: Art Longmire
24. Re: Orpheus
From: James Botticelli
25. Re: That Alan Gordon
From: That Alan Gordon
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 00:52:22 +0100
From: Simon White
Subject: Metropolitan Soul Show - playlist 12th October 2003
Metropolitan Soul Show - playlist 12th October 2003
The Silhouettes Not Me Baby
Johnny Bragg They're Talking About Me
Herb Ward Strange Change
The Servicemen I'll Stop Loving You
The Olympics Looking For A Love
The Ivories Please Stay
The Cooperettes Shing A Ling
The Harvey Averne Dozen Shake Your Money Maker
Mongo Santamaria The Now Generation
Little Richard You Better Stop
Robert Parker Happy Feet
Errol Dixon The Hoop
Eddie Floyd Things Get Better
George Freeman Why Are You Doing This To Me
Jewel Akens I've Arrived
Henry Strogin Misery Hank
George Jackson That Lonely Night
Doug Banks I Just Kept On Dancing
Lenny Welch My Fool Of A Heart
Temptations Aint To Proud To Beg
Marvellos Why Do You Want To Hurt The One Who Loves You
Olympics Girl You're My Kind Of People
New Sound Don't Take Your Love From Me
Dells All About The Paper
Toby King We're In Love With Each Other
Diane Ducane Better Late Than Never
Archie Bell You're Such A Beautiful Child
Bobby Joy You Sweet Devil You
21st Century Your Smallest Wish
Tavares Being With You
Jean Wells With My Love And What You've Got
Baby Jean If You Wanna
Ad Libs Johnny My Boy
Timi Yuro Insult To Injury
Pookie Hudson Jealous Heart
Thornton Sisters Big City Boy
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 06:24:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: that Alan Gordon
Alan........How ya' doin'? I'd like to join the legion of
Spectropoppers in welcoming you to the site. Although we
were "neighbors", on the same floor for a couple of years
at 1650 B'way, somehow we never met.
I'm not surprised that many of the great songs that you and
Gary wrote have withstood the test of time. You must be proud
to have been such a positive force in music during one of the
most difficult times in American History.
This morning I woke up with "Happy Together" running through
my head........not by the Turtles.....but a yet-to-be recorded
version by the country group Rascal Flatts. Then I heard Faith
Hill and Tim McGraw do their unrecorded duet.......followed by
the unrecorded version of the song by pop group Fountains of
Wayne. I think that "Happy Together" is more relevant now than
it was when you wrote it........and should be number one again!!
Regards,
Artie Wayne
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 17:13:56 -0000
From: Scott Charbonneau
Subject: Re: THAT Alan Gordon, Preston Ritter, Playboy Records, "You Can Count on Me"
> Welcome to Alan Gordon! I have only heard "Invitation to Cry"
> (through its inclusion on the original "Nuggets" double LP),
> but it's quite a tune and I'd like to hear more Magicians tracks!
Check out Sundazed's Magicians collection. Invitation To Cry is but
one of many great tracks to be found on it. Even better, in my humble
opinion, is Lady Fingers with its trippy guitar work and lovely
harmonies. Also good is I'll Tell The World About You and the two
David Blue covers, About My Love and I'd Like To Know. Should be
available via their web site.
Scott
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 10:29:23 -0700
From: Kurt Benbenek
Subject: Re: Instrumentals with lyrics
> Walk, don't you run, better walk don't you run now;
> Walk, don't you run - Better walk, don't you run now.
> Walk and don't run - better walk, don't run, don't run, don't
> ru-u-u-n!"
Tom,
RE: your lyrics...
so far so good...but what about the middle part of the song?
We need lyrics to the whole song.
Get to it, I know you'll come up with something good.
Speaking of instrumentals...
I'd struggled for years trying to come up with a list of my favorite
songs
...without including instrumentals.
I finally realised that my top three favorite pop songs ARE
instrumentals.
1) Green Onions - BT and the MGs
2) Pipeline - Chantays
3) Last Night - Mar-Keys
I find that instrumentals tend not to burn out so quickly
or become tiresome after repeated listenings. As we know,
a perfectly good song can be ruined with poor lyrics or singing that
doesn't quite fit.
In my opinion, the only song with lyrics that even comes
close to the 3 songs above is "Proud Mary" by CCR.
It has near-perfect lyrics, spot-on rhythm, tasteful guitar solo, etc
Kurt
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 10:25:27 -0700 (MST)
From: That Alan Gordon
Subject: Re: Yet another query for That Alan Gordon
DC wanted my take on the village scene in the 60s. Well, it was
fantastic. The Magicians played at the Night Owl, before that I
was in Tex and the Chex, we played at the Cinderella club, and
Trudy Heller's 8th Wonder [complete with go-go girls in cages].
We hung out with the Strangers, Blues Magoos [I wrote with Ritchie
Adams "Gotta Get Away" on their single]. David Blue brought Dylan
in to see us perform one of David's songs we did "I'd Like to Know"
by the way. They both left after that song!!! We hung out at Googies,
the Kettle of Fish and oh yes Jimi Hendrix played around the corner
at the cafe wha.You get the idea, it was HEAVEN.
Best
That Alan Gordon
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 17:59:00 -0000
From: Don Charles
Subject: "Hold On, Baby" from the River Deep - Mountain High LP
Can the authorship of this song be verified? On my copy of
this album, the credits go to Spector, Greenwich and Barry,
but the song isn't credited to any of these writers in the
BMI database. Are you there, Mick Patrick? Your knowledge
and expertise is needed here.
Don "Stuffed Animal" Charles
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 10:46:28 -0700 (MST)
From: That Alan Gordon
Subject: Re: Melancholy Music Man
James, that is the same Magicians.
Best
That Alan Gordon
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 14:54:10 -0400
From: Orion
Subject: Re: What is this song? (SOLVED!)
Tom:
> It certainly is a snazzy little pop tune. I wonder
> if it ever charted.
That song [As They Fall] didn't chart at all, Orpheus
(a group from the Boston area) did chart with a song
entitled "Brown Arms From Houston". I think they also
had another minor hit but I can't think of the name of
it. I have their double CD and I have all of the LPs.
Orion
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 21:04:10 +0100
From: Andrew Hickey
Subject: Re: The Hudson Brothers
Rat Pfink wrote:
> "So You Are A Star" was definitely Beatles/Badfinger style pop,
> however "Rendezvous" was more of a Beach Boys pastiche.
Not surprising, as it was co-written (and produced?) by Bruce
Johnston during his time away from the BBs in the mid-70s.
Bruce did a horrible version of the same song on his appalingly
bad solo album Goin' Public around the same time. So You Are A Star
is a wonderful McCartney-esque ballad, the kind of thing Badfinger
used to do well. Anyone who likes that song should check out the
Wondermints' cover version on Wonderful World Of The Wondermints.
--
http://stealthmunchkin.com
Stealth Munchkin play the Cavern, Liverpool, Wednesday 15th October
As part of International Pop Overthrow.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 15:24:02 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Multiples
Me:
> I heard the two Alans are taking on the four Arties at a party.
Mark Frumento:
> That's good because Mark Wirtz, me and a bunch of the other
> Marks aren't up for it.
Mark my werdz...it will happen. "And in this corner, clocking
in at a collective 700 lbs....."
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 15:02:59 -0400
From: Orion
Subject: Re: Randy Newman / Alan Gordon
That Alan Gordon :) Just a quick question that I have wondered
about. Were you the "Wordman" to the music or the "notes" or both?
Any idea of a percentage of songs are totally done by the same
person? Just a thought and probably only means something to me.
Peace
Orion
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 19:28:06 -0000
From: Michel Gignac
Subject: Re: Whatever Happened To Happy
Ken Silverwood wrote:
> Didn't the Mojo Men also do "Me About You" as well?
> Ken On The West Coast.
Ken,
"Me About You" indeed charted in 1967 by The Mojo Men. I hope
Alan will pardon my indiscretion, but here are excerpts of
messages that we exchanged:
Alan:
> Michel. Thank you for those nice words. Did You like the
> Mojo's version of "Me About You"?
Me:
What an honor for me to communicate with such a great writer
as you! Incidentally, here in Canadian province of Quebec,
there were French covers of songs like Happy Together (Heureux
tous les deux), She'd Rather Be With Me (Les Filles)and surely
others.
I first heard Me About You on a Turtles' re-issue single, in
early seventies. What a song ! The first time I heard Mojo's
version was in 1993. It's striking how arrangements of songs
can be so different and also so marvelous ! There is also
Gary Lewis' version, which is a slow one.
I see many of your songs on Gary's masterpiece album Listen
(New Day, Small Talk, Jill, She'd Rather Be With Me). Many
songs also on New Direction LP. What about "Girls In Love"!
So many of my favorite songs are composed by you !
Did and do you prefer to write words or music ?
Alan:
> Dear Michel, Your kind words mean so much to me. being a
> songwriter can be a lonely occupation. I have been very
> Blessed having my songs played all over the world, and when
> I hear from such wonderful people who take the time to tell
> me they appreciate my work well Michel You can understand
> how special that make`s me feel. Now regarding your question.
> I love writing BOTH lyric`s and music.a writer is always
> rewriting, always trying to make it better and better. By the
> way are you familiar with the songs I've written for Barbra
> Streisand."My Heart Belongs To Me" was a big hit, hope you get
> to hear it. Once again thank YOU so much for the kind words.
> All My Best
> Alan
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 10:40:49 -0700 (MST)
From: That Alan Gordon
Subject: Re: THAT Alan Gordon, Preston Ritter, Playboy Records, "You Can Count on Me"
Mark wanted to know where he could hear more Magician tracks.
You might check out the Sundazed CD.
A get-well prayer goes out to Mike Smith from all of us.
And Mark, I wish you a full recovery as well!
That Alan Gordon
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 21:34:57 +0100
From: Guy Lawrence
Subject: Re: "You Can Count on Me"
Mark sent me here:
> I don't remember who wanted to hear "You Can Count on Me" by
> Sammy Davis Jr., but there is an RA of it (and countless other
> Northern soul tracks) on this site: http://the.soulclub.org
Wonderful site! I got so involved in listening to other things
I forgot all about Sammy! The most interesting thing I found
there was Chubby Checker's version of Mann & Weil's "Looking At
Tomorrow". This gorgeous song was also recorded by Barry Mann
himself and the Standells, whose version remained unreleased until
the nineties. For me, this is quintessential Mann/Weil - anyone
know of any other versions?
The more I delve into Chubby Checker's later singles the more
good stuff I find. I recently came across "Karate Monkey" which
is a real gem. Obviously, I wouldn't be the first one here to
bemoan the current status of the Cameo Parkway back catalogue.
Anyway, like I say it's a great site but as the internet so often
does, it sent me off on a tangent!
Guy
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TweedleeDumsDrive-In/
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 15
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 19:39:16 +0100
From: Kingsley Abbott
Subject: Hudson Bros
Rat Pfink wrote -
> "So You Are A Star" was definitely Beatles/Badfinger style
> pop, however "Rendezvous" was more of a Beach Boys pastiche.
Quite right indeed about 'Rendezvous', which of course Bruce
Johnston did nicely on his solo album. It got a fair bit of
radio play in the UK to trail the album.
Kingsley
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 16
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 22:05:46 +0100
From: Phil Chapman
Subject: Re: "Hold On, Baby" from the River Deep - Mountain High LP
> Can the authorship of this song [Hold On, Baby] be verified?
> On my copy of this album, the credits go to Spector, Greenwich
> and Barry, but the song isn't credited to any of these writers
> in the BMI database.
Don, if you go to http://repertoire.bmi.com/startpage.asp and
search "Hold On Baby" (without the comma), the first result
will be the song credited to Jeff & Ellie, as indeed it is on
the original 1966 UK release of the RDMH album. Phil's name was
added to the '69 US release, and "You're So Fine" was superseded
by the utterly fantastic "I'll Never Need More Than This".
Phil
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 17
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 17:08:12 EDT
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
Subject: Re: ORPHEUS for Tom
Hi,
I just checked my threadbare copy of Joel Whitburn's 1955-1972
charted record sbook... Orpheus had two items that charted:
Brown Arms In Houston, MGM 14022, May 1969; hit #91...
and Can't Find the Time, MGM 13882, August 1969; hit #80.
Jimmy
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 18
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 17:26:20 -0400
From: TD
Subject: Re: Instrumentals with lyrics
When Nelson Riddle plays "The Theme to the Untouchables", my
brother and I sing the esoteric lyrics:
Happy! I'm so happy/ Oh so very happy/ I'm happy all day long!
Happy! I'm so happy/ Oh so very happy/ And sing this happy song!
My merry friends and I we laugh
We love to sing and laugh and laugh
We almost laugh ourselves in half and why-y-y?
It's because we are happy, oh so happy....
-- TD
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 19
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 17:38:23 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Birthdays; deadrolls; more
Happy Birthday, Anita Kerr (b. October 13, 1927) and Paul
Simon and Pamela Tiffin (both b. October 13, 1942) - not to
mention Marie Osmond (b. October 13, 1959), so I won't!
On 1963, the term "Beatlemania" was coined after the Beatles
appear at the Palladium; my source does not give credit or
blame to those responsible for it. And in 1974, Ed Sullivan
(Ed Sullivan Show) died at 73.
Been away for the weekend, so here's more catch-up:
Phil M:
> 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.
My bid goes for the same artist's version of "I Think It's Going
To Rain Today." And I stand corrected: Judy Collins' version
came out in November 1966.
Welcome, "Alphonse!" It's great to have another first-person
resource aboard. Repeating and adding to my comment about Garry
Bonner's gorgeous version of "Me About You," were there more songs
at that session/those sessions which didn't come out and might
have yielded an album?
Phil M:
> ..back in the late '60s and early '70s...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.
"News live at :55" was the handle; ABC for a time ran different
newscasts oriented to different demographics in their delivery and
content; "Contemporary" ran at :55, the mainstream on the hour.
WABC starting the record was indeed the lazy way of doing it, but
it guaranteed an overlap to the news. Typically, the technique
was "dead-rolling," where you'd start, for example, a 2:30 record
at exactly 57:30 with the volume down (thus the term, dead roll),
talk out of your vocal and fade the instrumental up under your
rant. Records with great endings were often favored; timing a
slam-bang closer against the news was considered to be high art.
Of course, sometimes the news was late - or we mis-timed the deadroll!
To the folks who cited Les Cooper's "Wiggle Wobble" and King Curtis'
"Soul Twist," thank you! I also forgot to mention the Fireballs'
hook-laden "Quite A Party" on Warwick.
More soon,
Country Paul
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 20
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 17:35:43 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Yet another query for That Alan Gordon
That Alan Gordon wrote:
> I wrote with Ritchie
> Adams "Gotta Get Away" on their single
One of the bestest flipsides. "Gotta get away, gotta get away,
gotta get away, I wanna be free HEY hey HEY hey HEY hey...
We lip-synched it as kidz in my friend's basement!
JB
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 21
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 14:45:40 -0700 (MST)
From: That Alan Gordon
Subject: Re: Words or music
Orion wondered if I wrote words or music....
I would most often come up with an inspiration for a song,
sit down with Garry or by myself and off we'd go. I do write
both. I have composed about 300 songs, mostly alone, but
when collaborating with Garry Bonner, we would spend hours and
hours working on a song. I have no idea what % of writers do
when they write.
Best,
That Alan
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 22
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 17:48:29 EDT
From: Mike Andersen
Subject: Let's Call It A Day Girl
I'd be interested to know if anyone has any information about
this song by the Razor's Edge. It was minor hit that got some
airplay where I was in 1966. I don't think I've heard it since
then, but as I recall it could pass for a Four Seasons song to
the casual listener. I've been searching around to see if it's
ever been released on CD, but have come up empty, so far.
Would appreciate any information that anyone can pass along.
Mike Anderson
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 23
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 21:53:14 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Re: Orpheus
Jimmy Crescitelli wrote:
> I just checked my threadbare copy of Joel Whitburn's 1955-1972
> charted records book... Orpheus had two items that charted:
> Brown Arms In Houston, MGM 14022, May 1969; hit #91...
> and Can't Find the Time, MGM 13882, August 1969; hit #80.
I'd love to hear the commercial with Orpheus. I haven't heard much
from them other than my 45 of "Can't Find The Time" (purchased in
1984) which is of course gorgeous. I also like their song "Lesley's
World" but didn't see it on the greatest hits CD.
Art
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 24
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 17:37:15 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Orpheus
Orion wrote:
> Orpheus (a group from the Boston area) did chart with a song
> entitled "Brown Arms From Houston". I think they also had
> another minor hit but I can't think of the name of it.
"Can't Find The Time To Tell You" - but the flip, "Lesley's World"
epitomizes them for me.
JB/wore the 'S', spread the sound
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 25
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 14:57:47 -0700 (MST)
From: That Alan Gordon
Subject: Re: That Alan Gordon
Artie Wayne wrote:
> Alan........How ya' doin'? I'd like to join the legion of
> Spectropoppers in welcoming you to the site. Although we
> were "neighbors", on the same floor for a couple of years
> at 1650 B'way, somehow we never met.........
Artie, as I reply to your nice message, I'm wearing a big smile.
I have a pretty good feeling we could share a LOT of war stories.
We were both in the trenches and I also like the songs you've
given us all. Only the names have been changed to protect the
GUILTY. Take care,
Best,
That Alan
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
End
