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Spectropop - Digest Number 1143
- From: Spectropop Group
- Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003
________________________________________________________________________
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
________________________________________________________________________
There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: The Wild Ones / Chip Taylor
From: Phil Milstein
2. Re: Teddy Randazzo R.I.P. / Derek Martin
From: David A. Young
3. Re: Teddy Randazzo R.I.P. / Derek Martin
From: James Botticelli
4. Re: Gay Davies
From: Orion
5. The Ronettes on Shindig!
From: Sean
6. Carthage
From: Scott
7. Glen Campbell mugshot
From: Phil Milstein
8. Re: USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
From: Tony Leong
9. Re: White Soul
From: Bill George
10. Please Help! Xmas Songs needed!
From: Michael
11. Re: Shortest Track of all time/Short elpees
From: Clark Besch
12. Re: Japanese Bubblegum CDs
From: Clark Besch
13. Gazette Records
From: Frank
14. Re: Saturday's Father
From: Stewart Mason
15. The Onyx
From: Richard Prest
16. Re: USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
From: Bob Rashkow
17. Bah humbug!
From: Ken Silverwood
18. Hannukah is My Time of Year
From: Lapka Larry
19. Re: Liz Damon and the Orient Express
From: Art Longmire
20. Chip Taylor in UK Esquire
From: Michael Fishberg
21. Re: House Of The Rising Sun
From: Clark Besch
22. Re: Japanese Bubblegum CDs
From: Mark
23. My Girl The Month Of May
From: Dave Heasman
24. Re: born too early
From: Clark Besch
25. Re: USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
From: Mike Edwards
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003 20:27:44 -0500
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: The Wild Ones / Chip Taylor
Guy Lawrence wrote:
> Hi Phil, aren't you thinking of the later 60s group called Wild
> Thing, a bar band whose album was a rare lapse of taste for the
> Elektra label?
Um, probably. And here I was afraid I was mixing them up with Wild
Cherry!
Chastened,
--Phil M.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 01:13:52 -0000
From: David A. Young
Subject: Re: Teddy Randazzo R.I.P. / Derek Martin
Mick Patrick:
> Agreed, "You Better Go" is a magnificent record, readily available
> on CD, for those who might be interested. It was not only co-written
> by Randazzo, but arranged and produced by him as well. In a quest to
> make musica a Randazzo-only zone, I've posted Martin's "Your Daddy
> Wants His Baby Back (Roulette 4647, 1965), another Randazzo song/
> arrangement/production:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
Thanks for playing "Your Daddy Wants His Baby Back" to musica, Mick.
Since The Top Notes were recently under discussion here (in
connection with their Spector-produced original version of "Twist and
Shout"), I thought I'd mention, for the benefit of those who don't
know, that Derek's the lead singer of that group (as Derek Ray). A
complete Derekography can be found here:
http://members.tripod.com/SoulfulKindaMusic/topnotes.htm
David
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003 16:55:18 -0500
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Teddy Randazzo R.I.P. / Derek Martin
Mick Patrick wrote:
> (Derek Martin's) "You Better Go" is a magnificent record, readily
> available on CD, for those who might be interested. It was not only
> co-written by (Teddy) Randazzo, but arranged and produced by him as
> well.
I DJ'd a Class Reunion in Lexington, MA last night and unbeknownst
to anyone I ended the evening with that very song. Having started it
with Dee Dee Warwick's "You're No Good". A great night of floorpackin'
fun.
JB
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Message: 4
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003 10:33:16 -0600
From: Orion
Subject: Re: Gay Davies
Steve Harvey:
> Bisexuality has been part of the Brother Davies' history. David
> Watts was a promoter who wanted Dave Davies and was immortalized
> by Brother Ray.
Maybe that is why they came up with the name the "Kinks"?
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 05:51:53 -0000
From: Sean
Subject: The Ronettes on Shindig!
I was watching a tape from the show "Shindig!" and it was an episode
that had the Ronettes on it. And I loved it! In the beginning they
sang a little bit of "All Shook Up" and I was surprised to hear
Estelle and Nedra sing their own line. Estelle sounds a lot like
Ronnie and Nedra is great! Then they lip-synched to "Born to be
Together" on the spiral stair case(the camera guy must've liked
Estelle on this song!) Then came "Be My Baby" and I was wondering is
Estelle and Nedra singing on the pre-recorded track on this song? It
sounds like them but as if their voices are overdubbed. Mary and Flo
overdubbed their voices when they sang "Come see about me" on the
show so I figured Estelle and Nedra did too. Anyone have answers?
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003 20:57:33 EST
From: Scott
Subject: Carthage
Steve Harvey:
> Folk-rock of a different sort, Brit folkies like Sandy Denny, Richard
> Thompson, the future Mrs. Thompson - Linda Peters, etc. Some great
> covers of early 60s and 50s tunes.
I bought a copy of the Carthage reissue a couple of years ago. Given
the lineup I guess I was expecting something in the Fairport Convention
realm. It was different, but in a nice way. I was impressed by the
energy and affection they showed in the covers. Wish I had the extended
CD lineup ...
Scott
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003 20:41:19 -0500
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Glen Campbell mugshot
Glen Campbell fans will not appreciate the excruciating mugshot taken
during his recent arrest in Phoenix, but, in the name of the truth,
should probably take a look at it anyway. I'm sure there are many
versions of it already on the Internet, but the one link I have (from
a newspaper in New Zealand) is at:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2739470a1860,00.html
I saw Glen perform this past August. Apart from opening his (polyester)
shirt and twirling his (right) nipple in time to his (quite excellent)
impression of Elvis doing Don't Be Cruel -- which left co-star Andy
Williams, with whom he'd been bantering, utterly speechless -- he seemed
in fine form, and in fact I loved the show. Were it not for the caption
underneath, I would not have recognized him from the aforementioned
mugshot.
See it and weep.
--Phil M.
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Message: 8
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 09:13:36 -0000
From: Tony Leong
Subject: Re: USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
Paul Bryant wrote:
> Dear all, I have a list of these is anyone's interested - they all
> made No 1 in the US but didn't chart at all in the UK. It's a
> weird list as you may imagine, & contains such surprising songs as:
> Please Mr Postman - Marvelettes
> This Diamond Ring - Gary Lewis & the Playboys
> The Sound of Silence - Simon & Grafunkel
> Cherish - The Association
> Kind of a Drag - The Buckinghams
> Windy - The Association
> Crimson and Clover - Tommy James
The biggest US #1 that was a UK flop that I know of was Lulu's "To
Sir With Love"!! Even the movie was a flop in the UK!!!!!! Tony
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003 23:25:46 EST
From: Bill George
Subject: Re: White Soul
"Put A Little Love In Your Heart" is most often heard in black gospel
arrangments. Take the latest Gap ad for evidence. Practically all of
the cover versions of this song recorded in the last ten years have
been by R&B or gospel artists.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 14:37:05 -0000
From: Michael
Subject: Please Help! Xmas Songs needed!
Does anyone have any of these songs that they could please let me
hear? I need these tracks ASAP.
* "I Want A Beatle For Christmas" by Patty Surby and the Canadian
V.I.P.'s (and/or the versions by Jackie & Jill or Becky Lee Beck
versions)
* "Bring Me A Beatle For Christmas" by Cindy Rella
* "Christmas With The Beatles" by Judy & The Duets
* "Santa Bring Me Ringo" by Christine Hunter
* "Ringo Bells" by Three Blonde Mice
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated, and I'd be happy to
recipricate through trade.
THANKS VERY MUCH!!!!
-Michael
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Message: 11
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 17:38:43 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Shortest Track of all time/Short elpees
Steven Prazak wrote:
> I seem to recall a "tune" by '70s band Mason Prophet called, if
> memory serves, Apple Tart that lasted for one mighty solitary
> second. Another short album was Capitol's Beatles Story,
> inexplicably a double album set, with side 4 clocking in at an
> anemic 9 minutes. Amusingly enough, the Japanese CD re-ish from
> the '80s is also a 2-CD set.
Altho not by any means in comparison with all the tracks mentioned,
I'll list 3 shorties. First, the great "Sarah Silvia Stout Would No
take the Garbage Out" by Shel Silversteen on Columbia. I think it's
about :26 and a great song to sing when just goofing around with a
friend! Then the terrific Mamas & Papas B-side "Once Was A Time I
Thought". At around :32, it was the first REALLY short song I heard
on the radio. I have WLS' Ron Riley playing the B side of "Look Thru
My Window" taped from when it was released. Lastly, Sundazed
reissued on Cd an Lp by JK and Company a couple of years ago. Altho
I helped with the booklet, I've never heard that one. It had a :32
song called "Break of Dawn" which describes a man's life from birth
to death! Hmm, how long did he live??
I believe the great Duane Eddy tune "Some Kind-a Earthquake" running
at 1:17 is the shortest song to ever hit the Billboard Top 40. I
would guess that feat will never be broken!! Hey, those DC5 Lps
mighta been short, but there was so much better music in those Lps
than many of their counterparts at the time that I'm sure not
complainin'!
Clark
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Message: 12
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 17:24:40 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Japanese Bubblegum CDs
Orion wrote:
> One thing for sure, these CDs are harder than ever to get ahold of.
> There is someone on ebay selling them again. Oddly, enough this
> person and supposedly this person's friend are the only people I
> have ever seen sell them. If anyone has any place to get them other
> than from Hairlessspider on ebay please let me know. Indeed there
> are some great songs on these CDs. Because of them I have purchased
> several LPs "Main Attraction", "Silver", "Good N Plenty" and many
> others because of one song. I have not been disappointed by the LPs.
Hi Orion, Those bubblegum Cds that are selling constatntly on Ebay are
indeed bootlegs. Awhile back, I was in contact with Lyang Martine,
Jr's son (Lyang Jr. Jr.??) talking about his dad's writings (best
known for "Rub It in" and "Greatest Man I Never Knew"), mainly a
personal fave, "Love Comes & Goes" from 1960's Date Records. Anyway,
when I told him of these Cds of which both Date sides were on, he
immediately got them to remove those songs or be sued, which they
apparently did remove. So, they are boots, albeit good songs! FYI,
there is a Robbs boot on Ebay going for high prices even tho off
vinyl too! I'd like to have the 2 WRIT tracks on them, but I got
everything else, so why spend all that money?
Clark
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Message: 13
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 13:50:26 -0000
From: Frank
Subject: Gazette Records
Stuart;
> I had no idea there had been a Gazette label. Can you tell me
> when it was set up and who distributed it? Also, any ideas
> about how many records it issued?
Stuart, I have no answers to your questions about when "Gazette
Records" was set up and who distributed it. There is nothing on
the Internet that I could locate. Perhaps some information could
be found in a truly comprehensive discography book. Maybe you
could take that up as a task and report back.
Frank
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Message: 14
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 08:23:00 -0800 (PST)
From: Stewart Mason
Subject: Re: Saturday's Father
Steve Harvey writes:
> "Saturday's Father" was the first example of Men's Lib that I know
> of in rock and roll. The first (and maybe only until Sting's "I'm
> So Happy I'm Crying") tune to deal with fathers' rights.
Although one could make an argument for Chuck Berry's "Memphis"...
It's an underexplored topic, it's true, but Clive Gregson (former
leader of the UK pub-rockers Any Trouble) wrote a terrific song called
"Summer Rain" about mens' rights in child custody cases, on his album
STRANGE PERSUASIONS (Demon 1985), and more recently, the hip-hop duo
Outkast had a hit with "Ms. Jackson" (on STANKONIA, Arista 2000), a
song directed to the mother of R&B singer Erykah Badu, with whom
Outkast's Andre Benjamin had split up, asserting Andre's right to
remain a part of their son's life against his grandmother's wishes.
I'm sure at least one member of the sensitive-young-man-with-a-guitar
'70s singer-songwriter brigade wrote a song or two on the topic as well.
S
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Message: 15
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 17:41:10 -0000
From: Richard Prest
Subject: The Onyx
I'm trying to complete my collection of all the singles by The Onyx.
Having had no success in tracking down the original vinyl I'm
wondering if anyone can help with any of these tracks;
1] The Onyx - The Next Stop Is Mine (1971)
2] The Onyx - What's That You Say (1971)
3] Salamander - Crystal Ball (1970)
4] Salamander - Billy (1970)
Can anyone help??? Happy to reciprocate!
Rich
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Message: 16
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 12:49:01 EST
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
That "Sound of Silence" didn't chart at all in the UK DOES surprise
me! How did Simon and Garfunkel do overall in the Kingdom? Were
any of their recordings widely popular? Much of the American folk-
rock such as the Byrds and the Mamas & Papas was successful in
Britain at least to a certain extent, wasn't it? Records such as
"Windy" and "Crimson and Clover" probably bored the English DJs out
of their gourds with their Oh-So-American-Teeny-Bopper sounds and
lyrics. At the same time, Gary Lewis had some Brit Invasion
influence, methinks--those wonderful minor chords on "This Diamond
Ring", for example, call to mind music by The Searchers, The Zombies,
The Animals.....
Bobster
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 17
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 13:21:01 -0000
From: Ken Silverwood
Subject: Bah humbug!
About this time of year everyone dusts off their copy of "Phil
Spector's Christmas Album", be it on CD, re-issue or original LP.
I seem to remember queries about a tape named "Christmas Wall Of
Sound - A Tribute To Phil Spector" last year. Anyway, I have found
mine buried in a pile of cassettes no one listens to anymore, so
if you want a listen contact me off group.
Ken On The West Coast
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 18
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 05:32:56 -0800 (PST)
From: Lapka Larry
Subject: Hannukah is My Time of Year
Dear All:
I run a couple of Yahoo Groups myself, but I figured I would get a
better response if I posted this question here:
Why is there a dearth of Hannukah songs in popular music--whether
it be rock and roll, pop, or any other manifestation of the two?
I have been contemplating this question for years, and never
really received a good answer from anyone. I posed this to a
program director, who was not playing any Hannukah themed records
around holiday time (yes, obviously, there are Hannukah songs out
there), and he basically said that Jews do not look a their holiday
as non-Jews look at Christmas; it wasn' thought to be a major
holiday on the Jewish calendar, thus, there are few songs of this
genre to play.
Now, of course, in the United States, that's really a bunch of
nonsense. It is the major holiday of the year, especially for kids,
and if it has become something of a "jewish" (yes, I did lowercase
that j) Christmas, that's the way it is.
And by the way, when the station did play a "Hannukah" song, it was
Adam Sandler's song, but it was announced by the DJ as "another
Christmas song." I kid you not.
More to my point: with all the major talents in the recording
industry who are Jewish, why do Jews release Christmas albums? Why
do Jewish performers not acknowledge that their holiday is as
special as Christmas.
Jews have written some of the most wonderful Christmas songs of all
that we hear every year (Mel Torme, Irving Berling among those
writers). However, as a Jew with children, it is getting harder and
harder every year to be virtually the outsider looking in, so to
speak.
What gives? I ask this not to knock Christmas music, which I happen
to love too, but where is my holiday when it comes to popular music?
Sorry to be long winded.
Larry Lapka
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 19
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 20:07:44 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Re: Liz Damon and the Orient Express
Mary S. in Ohio:
> Hi, Art! Oh, I just love Liz Damon's Orient Express and have two
> of their albums. Both are on the White Whale label, which also put
> out great records by Nino Tempo and April Stevens and the Turtles,
> among others. It's wonderful to know that others have enjoyed the
> easy listening and gentle music by Liz Damon and her group. Hawaii
> can be proud of that group. Of course, I also like Don Ho, who is
> practically a symbol of Hawaiian popular/native music. He has a
> very soft voice, but it has a lovely quality. Unfortunately, on some
> of his albums, he mixed in a lot of patter with the audience, which I
> thought distracted from his music.
Hello, Mary! Glad to hear of other fans of Liz Damon's Orient Express,
I too have the group's two albums on White Whale, as well as their
first album on the Anthem label. I don't know if they did any other
LP's. By the way, you can get "1900 Yesterday" on a White Whale
compilation CD-I highly recommend this CD since it has a great many
excellent tracks from the label, which has always been one of my
favorites. Hopefully another White Whale comp. will be issued-I would
LOVE to get "Superman" by the Clique on a CD.
I heard that Liz Damon has been living in Las Vegas for the last few
years. I don't know if she still records or performs.
Art
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 20
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 12:24:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Fishberg
Subject: Chip Taylor in UK Esquire
Chip Taylor has feature in UK December Esquire magazine and talks
about Wild Thing...
Michael Fishberg
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 21
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 18:29:43 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: House Of The Rising Sun
Previously:
> "House Of The Rising Sun" - I always liked the Jody Miller version.
> The Supremes version of "House Of The Rising Sun" from the 1964
> Motown LP "A Bit Of Liverpool" is my nomination for the most
> unnecessary version to be sung to date.
One of my fave versions is Oscar & the Majestics' "House of the
Rising Sun '69". Very bizarre!
Clark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 22
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 21:05:49 -0000
From: Mark
Subject: Re: Japanese Bubblegum CDs
Clark Besch:
> Hi Orion, Those bubblegum Cds that are selling constatntly on Ebay are
> indeed bootlegs. Awhile back, I was in contact with Lyang Martine,
> Jr's son (Lyang Jr. Jr.??) talking about his dad's writings (best
> known for "Rub It in" and "Greatest Man I Never Knew"), mainly a
> personal fave, "Love Comes & Goes" from 1960's Date Records. Anyway,
> when I told him of these Cds of which both Date sides were on, he
> immediately got them to remove those songs or be sued, which they
> apparently did remove. So, they are boots, albeit good songs! FYI,
> there is a Robbs boot on Ebay going for high prices even tho off
> vinyl too! I'd like to have the 2 WRIT tracks on them, but I got
> everything else, so why spend all that money?
What are these 2 WRIT tracks you speak of? I compiled my own Robbs CDR
with all of the singles plus the album. Is WRIT a label they recorded
a single on? Or a radio station?
Regarding something like the above with Layng Martine's son
threatening to sue, I really don't get the mentality. Does he think
that by selling the bootleg it is taking money out of his dad's or his
pocket? These are recordings that are over 30 years old. They have
zero commercial value. They will never be repressed on vinyl nor will
they ever see the light of day on a legitimate CD. Same goes for a
million other non-hit recordings. The only people who stand to lose
any income are the old record dealers who might have copies to sell at
a convention, a store or in discoveries. I thought the whole idea of
music was to try to be heard by as many people as possible. Those fans
buying the bootleg might never have heard of Martine or some of the
other artists and they might like the stuff enough to pursue further
work by them. That's exactly how I collect - I hear something I like
and then I track down what else they may have recorded. So if you
speak to your friend again, just ask him exactly what he thinks he
accomplished. I'd love to know how he thinks its beneficial to have
even fewer people hear his dad.
I happen to think that bootlegs serve a legitimate purpose. How many
recordings are there that are being held hostage in major labels
vaults? So many things are just not commercially viable for them to
reissue. That leaves scouring the world for the vinyl or if you're
lucky enough, picking up a bootleg. That guy from Marginal did a great
job of issuing stuff. I don't care if they were legit or not. If the
record companies don't like it, let them put these things out. Now
that we have "legitimate, pay downloading" services, will the record
companies put all of their one-off, non-hit product on there for us to
pay for? Or will it be the same junk you can buy in a store?
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 23
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 19:12:03 -0000
From: Dave Heasman
Subject: My Girl The Month Of May
Steve Harvey:
> The standouts are "My Girl The Merry Month Of May" by the Belmonts
> (sans Dion, I think)
"My Girl The Month Of May" was the b-side of "Berimbau" and also on
"Dion & The Belmonts Together Again" from 1967. It's a brilliant and
very clever song, just made for Dion, his cracked agonised voice..
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 24
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 18:26:22 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: born too early
Alan Zweig wrote:
> ...I tried to tell him that if he'd been born in the forties,
> there's no guarantee he would have gotten into doowop. Especially
> given the fact that in the late sixties, he got into doowop and
> ignored all the "psychedelic" stuff of the day. He didn't seem to
> understand what I was saying. But then he made my point for me by
> informing me that he'd gone to Woodstock but ONLY to see Sha-na-na.
Alan, Your point is well taken, however, I have to say that it was
fantastic to be there if you had a story similar to mine. As a kid,
I got exposed to top 40 radio thru my brothers at an early age and
with my dad having a great receiver and us living in Dodge City,
Kansas, it was perfect for hearing ALL the big city (as well as small
market) stations from east coast to west! I got a taste of all the
great Djs and varieties of local hits of the time. I certainly have
heard more 60's non-hits since the 60's than I heard IN the 60's, but
I sure heard a lot of them back then! Add to it that I got Dj 45s
starting in 67, and thus was singing "This Will be Our Year" by the
Zombies as well as many more that never got airplay then, that added
to the "being there" appeal. Sure, many didn't get these experiences,
but many did, and those wouldn't trade the memories for the world.
Also, in the case of those who didn't live the radio or obscurities
life at the time, would you wanna be the one who heard "Let It Be"
before hearing "I Want to Hold Your Hand"?? One thing I didn't get
that much into back then, was what the artist was all about. I got
into that after my friend, Doug Richard, asked me one day "Don't you
want to know these guy's story?" At the time, I said "Naw." As he
enlightened me on our radio show and I began delving myself into all
these songs I loved as a kid, it was quite interesting. Yet, "being
there" was great also, because I didn't know the Beatles were into
drugs so early. I didn't know Brian Wilson had problems or that Mike
Love was a total jerk. Now, I still love the Beach Boys' music, but
I often think these things when I hear a song I know the story on.
I'd just have soon stayed in the "being there" period in these cases.
Anyway, nothing compared to that first hearing of a new Beatles track
on the radio for me!
Clark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 25
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 19:43:10 -0000
From: Mike Edwards
Subject: Re: USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
Paul Bryant writes:
> I have a list of these is anyone's interested - they all made No
> 1 in the US but didn't chart at all in the UK. It's a weird list
> as you may imagine, & contains such surprising songs as:
> Please Mr Postman - Marvelettes
> This Diamond Ring - Gary Lewis & the Playboys
> The Sound of Silence - Simon & Grafunkel
> Cherish - The Association
> Kind of a Drag - The Buckinghams
> Windy - The Association
> Crimson and Clover - Tommy James
Yes, bring it on; I'd love to see the list. When I saw the above list
I reached for my "Guinness Book of British Hit Singles" and you're
right, "Sounds Of Silence" wasn't there!
But then you can extend your argument and wonder why the above
consistent US hit makers made so little impact on the UK charts.
Their total haul of UK hits were: Marvelettes (1), Gary Lewis & The
Playboys (1 in 1975), Association (1), Buckinghams (0), Tommy James &
The Shondells (2). Add to that: Paul Revere & The Raiders (0), Jay &
The Americans (0), Tokens (1), American Breed (1) and the Young
Rascals (2).
Then what about US balladeers/soul men who had loads of hits in the
US but not the UK: Bobby Vinton (3, 01 of which was in 1990), Ronnie
Dove (0), Joe Tex (1), Lou Rawls (1). I mean, how long do I spend on
this.
I would offer three arguments:
1) A limited number of chart positions to compete for; the US has
always had 100, the UK had, at most, 50.
2) Competition from home grown product with TV and radio exposure.
Jay Black told me that he came over, but I don't remember it and I
know the American Breed didn't.
3) Very little radio time available for "pop" music. It got better
toward the end of the 60s but prior to this you had to hunt your
stations down to find the music.
4) A general Moms and Dads feel to the UK charts, so guys such as
Des O'Connor took up valuable space. Having said that, someone will
probably advise me that Des has a northern soul single and that he
really was hot. (Des vs Ronnie Dove? Go back to the homegrown point.)
So there you have it, PB, it's not that we were musically illiterate
or anything.
Mike
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