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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: White Soul / Joss Stone
From: Mick Patrick
2. Re: Crooners
From: Chris
3. Re: Genuine Imitation Life Gazette
From: David Coyle
4. Re: Hannukah is My Time of Year
From: Glenn
5. Re: Harumi
From: Stewart Mason
6. Re: USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
From: Glenn
7. Re: My Girl The Month Of May
From: Andrew Sandoval
8. Re: Lyang Martine
From: Paul Urbahns
9. Me About Gordon & Bonner
From: Phil Milstein
10. Re: Bootlegs
From: Steve Harvey
11. Re: USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
From: Mike McKay
12. Re: Cincinnati
From: John Fox
13. Re: Tom Wilson
From: Andrew Hickey
14. Re: Bootlegs
From: Clark Besch
15. Re: Simon & Garfunkle to Musica / USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
From: Clark Besch
16. Re: Kathy McCord
From: JJ
17. Re: Andy Kim / Baron Longfellow
From: Mike McKay
18. Re: Shortest Track of all time / Short elpees
From: Clark Besch
19. Streaming radio; Sam Cooke; "Me About You"; me about me
From: Country Paul
20. Re: Sonny Curtis
From: Michael Fishberg
21. Re: Cincinnati
From: Marty
22. Sounds of Silence/Tom Wilson
From: Artie Wayne
23. Re: Tom Wilson
From: Alan V Karr
24. Re: UK hitmakers, US flops
From: Mike McKay
25. Re: Hannukah is My Time of Year
From: Michael Fishberg
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2003 22:57:20 -0000
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: White Soul / Joss Stone
Bill George:
> "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" is most often heard in black
> gospel arrangements. 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.
One's favourites change all the time, but if you'd asked me last
week I'd have said that the best white soul album ever was Jackie
DeShannon's wonderful eponymous Atlantic LP of 1972. Heck, her
version of Alice Stuart's "Full Time Woman" is almost as good as
Irma Thomas's.
But that was last week. I have a new favourite now and her name
is Joss Stone, a 16-year-old from Devon with the voice of an
angel. I kid you not, her debut CD is a contender for the best
blue-eyed soul album of all time. Produced, in the main, by Betty
Wright at Criteria Studios in Miami and The Hit Factory in New
York, "The Soul Sessions" is just out on Relentless (CDREL 2).
Sweet baby Jesus, you should hear her version of Carla Thomas's
"I've Fallen In Love With You", complete with full string section.
Musicians include Little Beaver, Latimore and Timmy Thomas. Real
soul music is alive and well. Thank god. I hear Joss is no mean
songwriter either and is already at work on her follow-up, set to
comprise all original songs. Can't wait.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2003 17:16:54 -0800 (GMT-08:00)
From: Chris
Subject: Re: Crooners
Paul Bryant wrote:
> Makes me wonder if all the crooners died, or if it was their audience
> which all died, because I can't remember the same phenomenon in the
> 80s or 90s.
Oh, I don't know. What about Chris Isaak or Rufus Wainwright or Thom
Yorke of Radiohead? Would you care to hear any of 'em attempt a Robin
& Rainger song like "Here Lies Love"? Or perhaps Burke & Van Heusen's
"It's Always You"?
Chris
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2003 16:22:11 -0800 (PST)
From: David Coyle
Subject: Re: Genuine Imitation Life Gazette
I've had this album for years, although I don't know
how, because I was never a Four Seasons fan until
relatively recently. I was, however, always intrigued
by the packaging, particularly the newspaper insert
(and specifically the spoof supermarket ad). But I was
never able to listen to it, because the hole in the
record was too small! I finally found a stereo that
the record fit on, and, well, it wasn't particularly
worth the wait. Still an interesting album, though.
Nice bookend for the mid-period stuff I still prefer
over the early doowoppish stuff.
David
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 01:27:10 -0000
From: Glenn
Subject: Re: Hannukah is My Time of Year
Larry Lapka:
> This would make a good trivia question ... how many Jewish
> performers have released Christmas recordings? Along with Barbra
> Streisand, Neil Diamond and Phil Spector, there's Barry Manilow
> and even Neil Sedaka, who recorded "Deck the Halls" for a Christmas
> compilation a few years back. Who else?
Carly Simon just released a Christmas album this year. Kenny G also
has a Christmas album. And hey, even Elvis Presley, whose maternal
great grandmother was Jewish, making him, by the laws of the Jewish
religion, Jewish, had a Christmas album!
Glenn
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2003 17:57:47 -0800 (PST)
From: Stewart Mason
Subject: Re: Harumi
Art Longmire says:
> I have a double LP by the Japanese artist Harumi (he just went
> by one name) that was produced by Tom Wilson on the Verve label
> in 1968. I'd definitely be interested in hearing from anyone
> else who has this LP and what you think of it.
I have this album as well. I haven't listened in some time, but I
recall it as being a perfectly credible early example of jazz-rock
fusion. It seems like most of the early jazz-rock records are by
people who don't really know one side of the equation very well, so
they're either jazz records covered with tired rock cliches or rock
records with tired jazz cliches. I'd have to sit back down with it
for a while to be sure, but I don't remember Harumi's album having
that problem.
S
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 01:50:04 -0000
From: Glenn
Subject: Re: USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
Shawn wrote:
> Good point about the chart differences, but it also amazes me that
> many well known US artists never made a dent in the British charts.
> Example: BJ Thomas is a one-hit wonder over there!
Another example - The Grass Roots, who had 20 charting hits in the
U.S., and finished out the 20th century as one of the Top 200 Artists
of the rock era according to Billboard's charts, NEVER had a hit on
the British charts. In fact, they never even MADE the British charts,
altho almost all of their U.S. singles were released in the U.K.
Interestingly, they even released a single there, "Back to Dreamin'
Again", written by Kenny Nolan, which was not released as a single
here in the U.S. But still no hits.
Not so throughout the rest of Europe, where the Roots did pretty well
in Germany, France, Italy and other countries.
It's really interesting when a British artist scores a hit in the
U.S. that's a flop in England, like Lulu's "To Sir With Love".
Another example, while not a #1 here, but still a Top 20 hit, was the
Fortunes' "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again", which was a
total flop in the U.K., not even charting in the lower rungs of the
chart. And the Fortunes were much more popular in the U.K. than they
were in America. Ironically, their follow-up single, "Storm in a
Teacup", was a huge hit in the U.K. and totally missed the charts in
the U.S.!
Glenn
Golden Grass - The Grass Roots Fan Page
http://home.att.net/~souldeep69/index.html
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2003 21:41:17 EST
From: Andrew Sandoval
Subject: Re: My Girl The Month Of May
Paul:
> The song was included on Dion's 4-CD box set "King of the New York
> Streets" in 2000. It was a B-side in 1967, but British radio DJ's
> gave it a lot of airplay at the time, though sales were minimal.
My Girl The Month Of May is actually the melding of two Dion song's
from 1965 (My Love and You Move Me Babe). The single version is
actually longer than the original album (which is edited). The
original master for the single no longer exists. "You Move Me Babe"
has never been on CD.
Andrew Sandoval
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Message: 8
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2003 21:07:18 EST
From: Paul Urbahns
Subject: Re: Lyang Martine
Clark wrote:
> As for Lyang's son, if you were the artist and not getting any
> legit writers royalties or performer royalties, you might feel
> differently about bootlegs. It is certainly a possiblity that
> those Date sides could show up on a legit comp someday, thus
> garnering a small royalty, so it is likely a little bit of money
> and more likely, the point that someone else is making money and
> the actual artist isn't.
It is also possible that Lyang Martine was ashamed of the songs
and his son was aware of that.
Paul Urbahns
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Message: 9
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2003 21:44:25 -0500
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Me About Gordon & Bonner
Now playing at musica is the final installment of the Gordon-Bonner
rarities project, a 1990s rendition of their great "Me About You"
recorded by 3/4 of the original Magicians: Garry Bonner, Alan Gordon
and Allan "Jake" Jacobs.
Dig,
--Phil M.
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Message: 10
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2003 20:00:27 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Re: Bootlegs
I remember Terry Adams of NRBQ telling me about trying to get CBS to
let him have access to their vaults in Iron Mountain. He kept telling
them of these Thelonius Monk sessions (he did a double compilation of
Monk for CBS) and they kept denying they had these things. Leave it
to the fans to know what is out there. Only Bear Family seems to have
enough brains to ask the fans when there is a compilation to be done.
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Message: 11
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2003 23:59:42 EST
From: Mike McKay
Subject: Re: USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
Mikey wrote:
> "I'm Henry The Eighth" is such a swinging record it's unbelievable.
> And it doesn't hurt that Jimmy Page's Guitar solo really smokes,
> along with Clem Cattini's great drumming.
I know that Page and others played on a LOT of Herman's Hermits tracks,
but I've always understood that "Henry" was among the few on which The
Hermits actually played their own instruments ("I'm Into Something Good"
was another). It certainly sounds like Lek Lekenby's guitar style.
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Message: 12
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 00:14:59 EST
From: John Fox
Subject: Re: Cincinnati
Previously:
> ...how many musicians grew up in Cincy. I know of Bobby Bare and
> Roy Rogers (the first one); seems to me I've heard of others but
> they don't come to mind. Help? Off the top of my head (and in no
> particular order), the following at least lived in the greater
> Cincinnati area for some time while growing up:
The Casinos, Lonnie Mack, Doris Day, Ruby Wright, The Isely Brothers,
Andy Williams, Otis Williams & The Charms, The Dolphins, The Two of
Clubs, Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods, Marty Balin & David Freiberg of
the Jefferson Airplane/Starship, Carl Dobkins, Jr., Bob Braun, Bootsie
Collins, The Lemon Pipers, The Teardrops...
And I'm sure I've forgotten plenty others!
John Fox
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Message: 13
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 06:40:16 +0100
From: Andrew Hickey
Subject: Re: Tom Wilson
Previously;
> As for Zappa, Wilson based his signing them on hearing their
> folkrock epic, Trouble Coming Everyday, which was about the Watts
> riot and race relations. Heard them play live at some club. Of
> course, little did he know what he was really getting into. None of
> their other stuff came close to that tune. Surprise! Surprise!! as
> Gomer would say.
That's Zappa's somewhat exaggerated story of Wilson's signing of the
Mothers (would you really call Trouble Coming Everyday 'folk-rock' BTW?
I'd call it more of a blues track myself), but given Wilson's past
history of working with people like John Coltrane and Cecil Taylor and
other 'difficult' musicians, it seems likely this was one of the times
that Zappa bowed to his penchant for bending the truth to tell a good
story.
Remember as well that Zappa once said he almost considered giving up
music after hearing Like A Rolling Stone (produced by Wilson) because
there was no need for him in a world where stuff that good was getting
radio play (can you imagine anyone thinking that after hearing anything
on today's radio? ;) ) . If there's anyone who would totally understand
where Zappa was coming from, at least on the first few Mothers albums,
it was someone who had produced both that track and John Coltrane.
And whatever the resaosns behind the signing, Wilson definitely *did*
act as an intermediary between Zappa and Verve, fighting Zappa's corner
and getting a far bigger budget than Zappa's 'commercial potential'
merited.
It seems, really, that Wilson was the best kind of producer - when he
had a great singer/songwriter with no clear idea of how the record
should sound, he could create the sound to show off the song best (eg
his work with Dylan and S&G), and when he was with people who had very
clear ideas about the sound of their recordings (eg Zappa, VU) he'd let
them do their stuff with the minimum of interference and try to keep
the record company out of their hair...
Perhaps Carol Kaya (if she's still on the list) can shed a little more
light on Tom Wilson's working relationship with Zappa - I know she
played on the first two Mothers albums (again, despite Zappa's later
claim that 'the Mothers played their own instruments, using session
players only for orchestral colouring', there are several session
guitarists credited on Freak Out! - but at the same time that's
practically the only 60s album I know of where the session players
were credited *at all*)
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 07:45:51 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Bootlegs
Previously:
> What a shame, as Sony owns some really great hard to find
> stuff, like the entire Mainstream Catalog, which they bought
> in the 70s. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that most of the
> execs at Sony in the catalogue dept DONT EVEN KNOW what they
> really own....and dont really care because what they do know
> are the top sellers like The Byrds and Springsteen and Paul
> Simon and Billy Joel.
>
> This is why bootlegs are the only way we will ever hear this
> stuff. The labels won't bother going after anyone because A)
> They don't even know what they own anyway and B) It's not
> costing them anything as they would never issue the material
> anyway so why waste any money on legal costs. What I don't
> understand are companies like Warners and Universal which
> charge a ridiculous licensing fee, making it impossible for
> them to do.
Guys, I agree it's tough to get the labels to put out the stuff
we often want. If any of you are so inclined, Sony Legacy has a
"voice your choice" website that you can suggest things you'd
like to see released. Here's the URL:
http://legacyrecordings.com/contactus/
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Message: 15
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 07:42:53 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Simon & Garfunkle to Musica / USA No 1s which were UK chart failures
Bob Rashkow wrote:
> 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 and all, I have played to Musica a small part of an
unreleased Simon & Garfunkle interview from early in 1966, when they
had had but one true hit, "Sounds of Silence"! Obviously, at this
early stage of success, they took themselves much less seriously than
their record buyers at the time. Paul at this stage was amazed at
the success of the song. I played it since he brings up how the hit
came about. The innocence (despite being together for 10 years
already) of their new found success really comes out in the full
interview, but I cut it so I could get it on Musica. Tony Randazzo
is currently getting his just dues on there. I'd forgotten
about "Buttercup Days". Good one!
Anyway, The S&G interview has a real down to earth appeal to it.
Since we've been talking about Sonny Bono, they describe Sonny & Cher
as one of the leaders of the folk music scene at the time!
As for the Brit/US chart discrepancies, every once in awhile, it
can be attributed to a Brit artist covering an American group's hit,
such as Amen Corner's "Bend Me Shape Me" being top 5 in UK, thus
causing the US version by the American Breed to flop (actually they
reached #24 in UK!). On the other hand (even tho it wasn't a hit for
them), the Searchers covered the US 5 Americans' "Western Union"
which would likely have been the hit in UK if it had made it. And
then, oddly enough, the Outsiders and Animals both had US hits
with "Help Me Girl" but neither were hits in the UK! And speaking of
the Animals, THEIR version of "House of the Rising Sun" hit the UK
top 30 in the 60's, 70's and 80's!! Ok, that's enough of this. I'm
sure you can all pont out more, and mine weren't #1's anyway so I'll
stop.
Clark
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Message: 16
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 08:00:01 -0000
From: JJ
Subject: Re: Kathy McCord
Francesc:
> Oh, that question made me step out from my long lurkerdom. A couple
> of months ago I found an Lp by Kathy McCord, self-titled, CTI Records,
> actually a Spanish pressing. From 1970. The two songs you mention are
> not included in the Lp (I would love to hear them!). It's one of the
> most rewarding finds for me in recent times.
**I simply LUV her version of "She´s leaving home", i.e. "I´m leaving.."
JJ
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Message: 17
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 00:07:46 EST
From: Mike McKay
Subject: Re: Andy Kim / Baron Longfellow
Laura Pinto wrote:
> I recently won auctions on two Baron Longfellow albums from
> eBay. Baron Longfellow, for the uninitiated, is actually
> Andy Kim, a rose by another name smelling just as sweet.
> The first album, from 1981, is self-titled, the second, from
> 1984, is called "Prisoner By Design."
>
> These LPs are awesome! I feel as if I've uncovered a treasure
> trove. The tracks from both albums showcase Andy's immense
> songwriting talents.
Perhaps this is a very well-known story, but it's one bit of trivia
that somehow escaped me until just the other night. It turns out that
Kim's songwriting talents did not extend to the composition of his
biggest hit, "Rock Me Gently." Though he claimed credit for it, the
song is apparently a direct steal from something done by Rod McKuen,
of all people. Rod says on his website that Kim added "me" to a prior
work of his, "Rock Gently," and took full credit.
It also turns out that Terry Jacks claims credit for writing "Seasons
in the Sun" these days, and a VH-1 special not long ago perpetuated
the falsehood -- actually stating that Jacks was the composer all the
while they were showing a photo of the single's label with the Brel-
McKuen writing credit clearly visible!
Again, sorry if this is old news to everyone here...it was a new one
on me, though!
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Message: 18
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 07:51:13 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Shortest Track of all time / Short elpees
Mike McKay:
> Duane Eddy's "Some Kind of Earthquake" has already been mentioned
> as the shortest song to make the Billboard Top 40. For the sake of
> completeness, the shortest song to make the Billboard Hot 100 is
> "Little Boxes" by The Womenfolk (1:05), which reached #83 in 1964.
Mike, Thanks so much for correcting me on the M&P track. Just
humming it as I wrote, I shoulda realized it was longer than :32!! :)
Clark
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Message: 19
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 02:21:22 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Streaming radio; Sam Cooke; "Me About You"; me about me
Superoldies:
> http://www.superoldies.com
Yes, indeed! They're playing some obscurities I haven't for years:
The Bikinis, "Bikini" - sounds like Hugo & Luigi or The Pets, both
of whom did "Chi Hua Hia." Are these either set of the same
musicians?
Neil Sedaka & The Tokens, "While I Dream" - superb early doo-wop
Buddy Holly, "Look At Me" - I don't remember this version with the
piano so prominent in the track!
...but despite the interest in completeness, couldn't we do without
Tommy Leonetti's saccharine "Kumbaya"?
Billy Spradlin:
> http://listen.to/jangleradio
Went to the 60's channel, heard some cool tracks (like The Moon's
"Someday Girl" and The Who's "Heatwave") but the real commercials
and pop-ups are sorta stressful, IMO. (But once you get the station
up, you can turn your pop-up filter back on.)
Clark Besch:
> [I]f these changing times are upon us, Bob Seger's "Old Time [Rock
> & Roll]" should be retired too, correct? Well....unless......um
> ....they replace it with.....um.....
"Rosalie," his early 70's ode to CKLW Music Director Rosalie Trombley,
and the song that "bought me into" Seger for a while.
Justin McDevitt:
> Speaking of Sam Cooke, in the almost two years that I have been a
> member of this distinguished gathering of music mavens, I can not
> recall seeing any postings to the list regarding this great vocal
> artist whose body of work encompasses both Gospel music (re The
> Soul Stirrers) and his later secular pop/R&B recordings.
Let me venture a comment that many of Cooke's masterpieces came early,
on Keen: the under-known "Win Your Love For Me" (the duet version, not
the single melody line which sneaked onto the RCA "best of"
compilation), "Love You Most of All," and the exquisite Gospel song
"Steal Away"; of course, the equally exquisite "Good Times" was on RCA.
I also like many of his productions, particularly Johnny Morisette's
"Me Me At The Twistin' Place" (Cooke did a version called "Meet Me At
Mary's Place") and the original "It's All Over Now" by the Valentinos.
Interesting note: in The SAR Records Story box set booklet, Cooke is
noted for requiring clear enunciation from all his vocalists.
Me:
> I've had the privilege of hearing the Top Notes original "Twist and
> Shout," and I confess to having a new favorite version.
And now I learn that, according to the late Alan Betrock, Bert Berns
hated this version and thought Spector had completely misfired. True,
it isn't the hit sound that the Isleys or Beatles were, but I think it
makes for a great cult classic.
Bonner & Gordon & Jacobs' "Me About You" on musica is a delicious
treat! Reminds me of Jake [Jacobs] and the Family Jewels version of
"Maybe" - same reggae feel. But my favorite version of this remains
Garry Bonner's solo on Columbia. Anyone capable of playing it to
musica?
Finally (for now), Paul Bryant, on "Morse Code of Love":
> Aha! What other modern doo wop records are there? (What's modern?
> I suppose anything from the last 20 years...)
Blowing my own horn, if I may: my group, The Fabulous Dudes, released
two 45's of contemporary compositions in classic styles. "Davilee"/
"Go On," Presence 4502 (1989) - the "A" side is a ballad written by a
high-school friend (more below) which haunted me for years; the full
story is at http://www.presenceproductions.com, where you'll also find
ordering info - or contact me off-list. "Bette Blue Moon"/"Ding Dong
Darling," Presence 4503 (1994), is a double A-side uptempo event (with
a large nod to Stu Phillips on "Bette"). Targeted at the same market
as the Capris, several "doo wop" authorities have pronounced the songs
to be highly authentic. Several list members have also heard the
records and liked 'em, and they got some airplay on various stations
around the country including WCBS-FM in New York. Sadly, no samples
are posted - you'll have to take it on faith for now.
Now the "more" part: "Davilee" was written Pete Skolnik, now a lawyer
in nearby (to me) Westfield, New Jersey. If you saw the HBO movie on
the kids of super rich produced by Jamie Johnson (of Johnson & Johnson
lineage), it starts with Jamie being advised by a lawyer not to make
it. The lawyer is Pete.
Looking for an echo,
Country Paul
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Message: 20
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 01:07:18 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Fishberg
Subject: Re: Sonny Curtis
Michael Gessner wrote:
> One of my favorite Sonny Curtis compositions is
> "My Way of Livin'".....Does anyone have or know
> where to get or hear Sonny's own version.
Try http://www.musicstack.com or http://www.gemm.com
Michael Fishberg
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Message: 21
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 14:08:11 -0000
From: Marty
Subject: Re: Cincinnati
> John's note about Rusty York, in which he spoke of a Cincinnati
> studio, made me wonder how many musicians grew up in Cincy. I
> know of Bobby Bare and Roy Rogers (the first one); seems to me
> I've heard of others but they don't come to mind. Help?
> Bobby Helms, Mel Carter, Andy Williams went to school in Cincy
> for a while.
My favorite Christian artist, Rich Mullins, graduated from
Cincinnati Bible College. He was (died much too soon) a real
pop/rock/Beatles influenced songwriter & recording artist.
1st LP released in Cincy with a group named "Zion".
Best,
Marty
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Message: 22
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 06:14:44 -0800 (PST)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: Sounds of Silence/Tom Wilson
In 1964, a year after the success of "Meet Me At Midnight Mary",
the British invasion had taken hold. I was dropped from Liberty
records as an artist and was getting fewer covers in the U.S.
as a songwriter.
Paul Simon, who was helping me break into the folk music scene
in New York's Greenwich village, suggested that I go to the UK
with him (where I just had a hit, "Queen for Tonight" [Raleigh/
Wayne] by Helen Shapiro) and he would introduce me to the folk
circuit there.
Paul, who was unhappily working as a song-plugger for E.B.Marks
music, had just finished an acoustic album with his longtime
friend Artie Garfunkel produced by Tom Wilson which wasn't well
received by the company.
Unfortunately, when Paul left for the UK, I wasn't able to go
with him 'cause I contracted the measles!!! In the meantime,
Tom Wilson [who also produced Dylans' first electric albums]
had the brilliant idea of overdubbing a rhythm section over
the acoustic tracks including "Sounds of Silence" and rush-
released that side as a single in the U.S.
By the time I was able to go to London.......Paul had left a
note for me with his UK sub-publisher saying that he had to
rush back to the states to promote "Sounds of Silence" which
was becoming a hit!!
regards,
Artie Wayne
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Message: 23
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 14:20:07 -0000
From: Alan V Karr
Subject: Re: Tom Wilson
Question for all: Are the VU the electric backing on
"The Sound of Silence" and possibly other "Sounds of Silence"
LP era tracks?
Regards, Alan V. Karr
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Message: 24
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 09:37:57 EST
From: Mike McKay
Subject: Re: UK hitmakers, US flops
Peter McDonnell wrote:
> A casual glance at singles chart lists of big British hitmakers who did
> nada Stateside shows Cliff Richard as the all time leader, with nearly
> 65 top 20 singles in Britain between 1958 and 1983,( four of which made
> top 20 in the US)
It's true that Cliff's success in the US is nothing compared
to how he did in his native land. However, he is one of a handful
of answers to an interesting trivia question for US chart watchers:
What artists had Billboard Top 40 hits in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s?
> I think I heard that the first single to be number one in both
> countries simultaneously was "Get Off Of My Cloud". I have no way
> of knowing if that's erroneous. Anybody?
I don't have a reference work at hand, but that hardly seems
possible. Without looking, my candidate would be "Can't Buy Me
Love". Prior to this, there was a lag in the opening months of
1964 as the U.S. "caught up" with older Beatles releases ("I Want
To Hold Your Hand" had come out in late fall of 1963 in the UK).
"Can't Buy Me Love" would have been the first instance of the UK
and US waiting as one for a truly "new" Beatles release to come
out and shoot to the top of both charts.
If no one else beats me to it, I'll try to verify this hypothesis
later today. (I do know that for a long time, "Can't Buy Me Love"
held the record for advance orders for a single from record
distributors.)
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Message: 25
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2003 00:51:14 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Fishberg
Subject: Re: Hannukah is My Time of Year
Simon White:
> Bit off topic really, but this mornings re-run of "Bewitched"
> (I can't do anything in the morning before three cups of coffee
> and half an hour with Samantha Stevens) was a Christmas edition.
Larry:
> Peggy Lee did a good rendition of the Bewitched theme song
> years ago. I have it, and it is worth looking for.
The song's writers were Jewish...
Michael Fishberg
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