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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 22 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Words can't begin to describe
From: Kory
2. Re: St. Patrick
From: Martin Roberts
3. Re: Instrumentals
From: Mike Rashkow
4. Speaking of Lulu...
From: Scott Swanson
5. Re: Words & music
From: Ken Bell
6. Lesley Miller, Mel Torme's "Cast Your Fate"
From: Art Longmire
7. The Ronstadt Law
From: Art Longmire
8. "She Knows" and Jerome Brothers
From: Martin Roberts
9. Re: Lisa Miller
From: Bill Brown
10. Cuddle Up With Claudine Longet
From: Terrie Neilson
11. Re: Words can't begin to describe
From: Phil Milstein
12. Re: Jack Nitzsche
From: Mick Patrick
13. Re: Mel Torme's "Cast Your Fate"
From: Mike Rashkow
14. Have mersey!
From: Steve Harvey
15. Re: 7 legs
From: Mike Rashkow
16. Re: The Ronstadt Law
From: Steve Harvey
17. Speaking of Lulu
From: Phil Chapman
18. Re: Jack Nitzsche
From: Martin Roberts
19. Jake Holmes
From: Phil Chapman
20. Rashkovsky/that alan/Country Paul
From: Artie Wayne
21. Re: Mel Torme's "Cast Your Fate"
From: Art Longmire
22. Re: Words can't begin to describe
From: Phil Chapman
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 19:00:33 -0000
From: Kory
Subject: Words can't begin to describe
Words? Well... kinda. I have this odd LP called "New Sounds -
Old Goodies" by The Wild Voices of the Marty Cooper Clan on RCA.
I quote from the liner notes: "The idea itself is simple:
substitute voices for the lead instruments and record twelve
of the most popular instrumental hits of the past few years."
Raunchy, The Lonely Bull, Honky Tonk, Happy Organ, Walk Don't Run,
Rebel Rouser, Sleepwalk, Tequila, Last Date, Stranger On the Shore,
40 Miles Of Bad Road, and Rumble rise to new heights with these
flattering versions.
...almost gets pulled off.
Kory
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 20:32:21 +0100
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: Re: St. Patrick
Rashkovsky praised:
> Kudos and huzzahs to our own Mick Patrick, "Master of The
> Masters" for the masterful job he did on the liner notes
> for "Phil's Spectre". Is this guy good or what?
The sleeve notes are okay :-) but what about the music?
Not many CDs I can play all the way through without getting
itchy fingers, but this one has not been far from my player
since I got it. A splendid collection!
Most of the tracks I have on 45 but one I have waited over
thirty years for is Mike Lendell - aka S'pops Rashkovsky -
and the Attack's "Please Phil Spector". It is silly, the
vocal could have done with a lot more echo, but it is a lot
of fun and the only song I know that mentions Jack 'Specs'
Nitzsche in the lyrics!
Martin
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 15:41:20 EDT
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: Instrumentals
Did anyone mention "In Crowd" by Ramsey Lewis - pretty sure
it was after the Dobie Gray version, but very good. I think
it was a pretty big hit on its own - and didn't the bass player
and drummer go off on their own afterwards as The Young Holt
Trio and do "Wack Wack"?
Brunswick if mem'ry serves.
Rashkovsky.
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 13:12:21 -0700
From: Scott Swanson
Subject: Speaking of Lulu...
Does anyone out there have a copy of her rare 1965 B-side
"Stop Foolin' Around"? And if so......could you please,
please, PLEASE post it to musica? :) As far as I know it
has never been released on CD _or_ LP.
Maybe the song was too much ahead of its time.....considering
that Kerphunk would later sample it for their recent hit
"Phunk Phoolin'."
-Scott-
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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 16:02:25 -0400
From: Ken Bell
Subject: Re: Words & music
Although purely fictional, in the movie "Eddie & The Cruisers",
the piano player was the "Word Man" while the singer apparently
wrote the music. Now that I think about what I typed, it really
should have been the other way, maybe.
Orion
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 20:49:25 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Lesley Miller, Mel Torme's "Cast Your Fate"
Thanks to Tom for posting the links to the Lesley Miller label
scans - while looking at them I realized I have the Lesley
Miller 45 "Teach Me To Love You". I had forgotten all about it,
although it's pretty good - I remember that the first verse goes
"Teach me to love you, I'm not very good at this". It's a slow
love ballad, sung in a nice soprano, but a bit syrupy I thought
when I last listened to it. I would love to hear her version of
"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere".
I mentioned finding a Mel Torme 45 of "Cast Your Fate To the Wind"
while rifling through a box of records the other night - on further
research this appears to be from 1963 and is probably one of the
earliest vocal versions.
Art
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Message: 7
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 20:58:41 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: The Ronstadt Law
I have to say that Linda Ronstadt's remakes have been a pet
peeve of mine for years, especially the remakes of Smokey
Robinson's tunes - they just don't make it, musically or vocally,
compared with the originals.
I do like Linda's earlier recordings with the Stone Poneys and
some of her early solo material - "Long Long Time" was one of
the first 45s I ever purchased by a female vocalist, and I'm still
crazy about it today. But I hear Linda doesn't like the albums
she recorded at that stage of her career.
Art
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 22:22:33 +0100
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: "She Knows" and Jerome Brothers
Thanks to Harvey and Country Paul for mentioning Bobby Darin's
"She Knows" and an even bigger thank you to Alan Gordon for
telling us that his were the inspired instructions to add those
extra "hey hey heys"! For those who might have missed it, Alan
has written a lovely piece on "The Jack I Knew" page,
http://www.spectropop.com/JackNitzsche/friends.htm
In my acknowledgement of his piece I mention his and Jack's work
with artists such as Jackie DeShannon, The Turtles and Gary Lewis,
with a special nod to this song by Bobby. A big favourite of mine,
one of the 'top ten' most important reasons to update Ken Barnes'
discography from Bomp!
A much darker feel to a Bonner and Gordon song than usual. Played
in a darkened room with just this song as company can still cause
the hair to rise on the back of my neck.
Will I be playing it as a Nitzsche Record of the Week? No, it is
on a few Bobby Darin CDs.
Martin
PS Alan asked about the Jerome Brothers. On this site they are
mainly known (or talked about) for Reparata and the Delrons and
the mid-to-late sixties harmony pop of the Blades Of Grass and
others. As much as I love these, some of their earlier doo-wop
type material can send me into raptures of delight!
Martin
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Message: 9
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 14:23:34 -0700 (PDT)
From: Bill Brown
Subject: Re: Lisa Miller
Jeffrey Glenn wrote:
> This is a great Christmas single! I've got a stone mint copy
> of this; remind me to play "Loneliest Christmas Tree" to musica
> in December. While she does sound girlish in a Diana Ross sort
> of way (though more soulful), I would never have guessed that
> she was only 11 at the time!
Hi Jeff,
I would like to know if you have ever seen any of the promotional
material issued by GAC for Lisa Miller's Christmas single "Love Is".
>From an ad in Billboard, it mentioned an in-store display and
television advertisement and possibly other items. Do you know if
either of these still exist and if anyone might have them for sale?
Thank you,
Bill
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Message: 10
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 14:29:37 -0700 (PDT)
From: Terrie Neilson
Subject: Cuddle Up With Claudine Longet
Think anyone can help me with this?
http://home.earthlink.net/~elbroome/longet/mail.html
There is a mention here of some release material pertaining to
Mason Williams and the Smothers Brothers, but everything I have
to work with comes up empty. Any help would be appreciated.
Terrie
Here is the archive post that has my attention:
From: Misty
Hi. I am enjoying your Claudine Longet site. I have a
7-inch white label Warner Bros. promo which is called
"Mason Williams Spots."
Side 1 lists:
1. :50 spot (Glen Campbell)
2. :50 spot (Claudine Longet)
3. :50 spot (Dick Smothers)
4. :50 spot (Tom Smothers)
Side 2:
1. :50 spot (Noel Harrison)
2. :50 spot (Pat Paulsen)
3. :50 spot (Nancy Sinatra)
4. :50 spot (Nelson Riddle)
It's the above mentioned giving a plug to The Mason
Williams Album -- Claudine remarks that she recorded
one of his songs "Wanderlove" which went "all the way
to #1 -- in Singapore." It's rather campy -- you might
want to keep an eye out for it, if you don't already
have it. The background music for each of the speakers
is that melodramatic chestnut "Classical Gas."
One more thing if this interests you: It's a true
radio station-only 45 with locked grooves after each
spot. Its record label and catalogue number are Warner
Bros-Seven Arts Records PRO 283. I bought it at flea
market for a dollar after sifting though a bunch of
45s. It's in pretty good shape. Glad now I picked it
up.
[I asked Misty to submit the text of the plug, and she
replied...]
Well, here goes:
"This is Claudine Longet and I want to tell you about
a new album on Warner Brothers by Mason Williams,
called The Mason Williams Phonograph Record. He's a
writer on 'The Smothers Brothers Show,' and he's an
extraordinary composer and lyricist. I recorded a song
of his called "Wanderlove" on my first album in 1967.
It skyrocketed all the way up to number one on the
charts -- in Singapore. I've heard The Mason Williams
Phonograph Record, and let me just say this:
Singapore, watch out!" ("Classical Gas" plays in the
background. She has that great accent as well, of
course, while speaking her bit.)
So there you have it. I managed to pick up a copy of
that very album, and found it to be sort of dull,
actually. Plus he sings on it, which isn't good...Oh
well, thought you'd like the "transcript" of this.
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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 17:42:06 -0400
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Words can't begin to describe
Kory wrote:
> Words? Well... kinda. I have this odd LP called "New Sounds -
> Old Goodies" by The Wild Voices of the Marty Cooper Clan on RCA.
> I quote from the liner notes: "The idea itself is simple:
> substitute voices for the lead instruments and record twelve
> of the most popular instrumental hits of the past few years."
I've long wished to hear this album -- any chance you could play a
sample song to musica?
--Phil M.
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Message: 12
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 23:02:05 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: Jack Nitzsche
Martin wrote:
> Most of the tracks I have on 45 but one I have waited over
> thirty years for is Mike Lendell - aka S'pops Rashkovsky -
> and the Attack's "Please Phil Spector". It is silly, the
> vocal could have done with a lot more echo, but it is a lot
> of fun and the only song I know that mentions Jack 'Specs'
> Nitzsche in the lyrics!
Do pay attention, Martin. :-) Have you not heard "Hot Pastrami"
by the Crystals..........."Phil Spector, yeah. Jack Nitzsche,
yeah". Although a Crystals LP track, Ronnie Ronette is the lead
vocalist. But you knew that.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 13
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 18:36:05 EDT
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: Mel Torme's "Cast Your Fate"
Art Longmire wrote:
> I mentioned finding a Mel Torme 45.......
I know that he had a serious stroke a couple of years ago.
Has he passed? Great musician....and writer.
Rashkovsky
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 15:53:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Have mersey!
David Coyle wrote:
> I always thought "Don't Say Nothing Bad About My Baby"
> would have been a good followup for the Fabs, if not some
> other British Invasion group. Perfect for John, right up
> there with his performance of "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby"
> on the BBC, in attitude and lyrical content.
I vote for the Shirelles' "Foolish Little Girl" as the
Beatle cover the Fabs forgot to record.
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Message: 15
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 18:53:35 EDT
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: 7 legs
sevenleggedelvis.....
SCREEN NAME OF THE YEAR AWARD
Rashkovsky
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Message: 16
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 15:57:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Re: The Ronstadt Law
Art Longmire wrote:
> I have to say that Linda Ronstadt's remakes have
> been a pet peeve of mine for years, especially the
> remakes of Smokey Robinson's tunes - they just don't
> make it, musically or vocally, compared with the originals.
Ronstadt's covers always appealed to me if I had never
heard the original ("Someone To Lay Down Beside Me",
"How Do I Make You?", "Different Drum"), but if I knew
the original hers were kinda dull ("Alison", "Tumblin'
Dice").
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 00:12:01 +0100
From: Phil Chapman
Subject: Speaking of Lulu
Scott Swanson:
> Does anyone out there have a copy of her rare 1965 B-side
> "Stop Foolin' Around"? And if so......could you please,
> please, PLEASE post it to musica? :)
Yes, it's the flip of the equally rare "Tell Me Like It Is":-)
Hear it in musica while you can.
Bill George:
> I really like Lulu's Atco work. "To Sir With Love", regardless how
> pretty it is, just isn't very representative of what Lulu was
> capable of. It's too bad she never really "made it" over here. Her
> Bowie covers are great too!
Kurt Benbenek:
> Especially her version of Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World"!
As I recall, Bowie wrote and produced "The Man....." for Lulu.
And that's him singing harmony, isn't it?
Phil C.
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Message: 18
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 00:10:05 +0100
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: Re: Jack Nitzsche
I blabbered:
> the only song I know that mentions Jack 'Specs' Nitzsche
> in the lyrics!
Mick corrected:
> Do pay attention, Martin. :-) Have you not heard "Hot Pastrami"
> by the Crystals?
Oops. I will and I have!
Martin
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Message: 19
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 00:30:20 +0100
From: Phil Chapman
Subject: Jake Holmes
Country Paul:
> Interestingly, I was just listening to Jake Holmes' first single,
> "Saturday Night" (Tower, late 60s). Excellent arrangement and
> performance; the lyrics "may protest too much", but it was the
> times, man....
Hi Paul, I know nothing of Jake Holmes, other than an album
I found lying around in the early 70s. I fell in love with
the title track "So Close, So Very Far To Go", and never
really played the rest of the LP. Was this a hit?
Phil C
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Message: 20
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 16:50:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: Rashkovsky/that alan/Country Paul
Mike.......that alan.....country Paul....How ya' doin'?
Thanks for your kind words......I guess I'll always be a
publisher at heart.
regards,
Artie Wayne
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Message: 21
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 23:22:45 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Re: Mel Torme's "Cast Your Fate"
Art Longmire wrote:
> I mentioned finding a Mel Torme 45.......
Mike Rashkow:
> I know that he had a serious stroke a couple of years ago.
> Has he passed? Great musician....and writer.
Unfortunately Mel passed away not to long ago...I remember
seeing all the TV retrospectives on him and was amazed at
his talent as a vocalist and songwriter. I remember first
hearing about him at the age of ten or so when my mom told
me that he had written Nat King Cole's signature "The Christmas
Song". Also love his version of "I'm Comin' Home Baby", although
I heard he didn't care for the song when he recorded it. What
is it with singers not liking songs that I consider to be some
of their best stuff?!
Art
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Message: 22
Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 00:55:43 +0100
From: Phil Chapman
Subject: Re: Words can't begin to describe
Kory:
> Words? Well... kinda. I have this odd LP called "New Sounds -
> Old Goodies" by The Wild Voices of the Marty Cooper Clan on RCA.
> I quote from the liner notes: "The idea itself is simple:
> substitute voices for the lead instruments and record twelve
> of the most popular instrumental hits of the past few years."
Phil M.
> I've long wished to hear this album -- any chance you could
> play a sample song to musica?
Well, they must have thought something of this recording as it
was released in the UK (in stereo!). It kind of reminds me of
the things we used to hear as kids waiting for the start of the
Saturday afternoon matinee.
Intrigued by the fab front cover, Duane Eddy sleeve-notes,
as well as having seen Marty Cooper's name on a few 45s,
I bought this from a Charity Shop (a 'thrift store'?). I was
quite pleased to hear a castanet on most tracks, being not
long after the success of "Be My Baby". And now I'm noticing
a Wurlitzer electric piano in there too, which must have been
fairly new for '63.
One of the most interesting things to me is the couple of
studio shots of some of 'The Clan' on the back cover. Our
utterly marvellous Northern expert has identified two of
the guys as BOBby Day AND EARL Nelson. I'm wondering who
the gals are.
Anyway, if you like one track, you'll like them all - and, of
course, the converse applies. Perhaps I should do a 'Roberts'
and play one track a week?
Phil C
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