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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 20 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Ronnie Spector in Toronto on Thursday, Dec 11
From: Vlaovic B
2. Re: Tom Wilson
From: Phil Milstein
3. Re: "Kumbaya"
From: Tom Taber
4. Re: Seasons In The Sun
From: Tom Taber
5. Bert Berns and Bruce Channel: Baby Songs
From: Don Charles
6. Re: Tom Wilson / Sound Of Silence
From: Paul Bryant
7. Beatles Christmas messages
From: Justin McDevitt
8. Re: Andy Kim / Baron Longfellow
From: Paul Underwood
9. Re: Tom Wilson / Sound Of Silence
From: Art Longmire
10. Being Bootlegged
From: Orion
11. Re: The first song to use a synthesizer / Jean Shepherd
From: Mike Rashkow
12. Re: The first song to use a synthesizer
From: Mike Rashkow
13. Re: The first song to use a synthesizer
From: James Botticelli
14. Zager and Evans - One Hit Wonders?
From: Art Longmire
15. Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
From: Harry Jay
16. Re: The first song to use a synthesizer
From: Michael Bennett
17. Re: The first song to use a synthesizer
From: Aidan Clark
18. Re: Britsh Invasion redux
From: Art Longmire
19. Re: Andy Kim / Baron Longfellow
From: Laura Pinto
20. Re: Cincinnati
From: Rat Pfink
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 13:13:17 -0500
From: Vlaovic B
Subject: Ronnie Spector in Toronto on Thursday, Dec 11
Anyone on the list planning to see Ronnie Spector at the Phoenix
Theatre in Toronto next week? I don't have my tickets yet, but
will have them in hand for the concert.
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 13:09:06 +0000
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Tom Wilson
Alan V Karr wrote:
> Question for all: Are the VU the electric backing on "The Sound of
> Silence" and possibly other "Sounds of Silence" LP era tracks?
No way. I don't know who it is, but it's definitely not the VU. They
were too busy backing The Animals on House Of The Rising Sun.
Kidding, of course. There's another good piece on Wilson, which offers a
lot of new info and insights (although at least a few factual errors),
at http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/10/23/154347.php.
The article is written by Eric Olsen, who is co-author of Billboard's
Encyclopedia Of Record Producers book (from which the article is perhaps
drawn). I've never seen that -- anyone know if it's any good?
An item that ties the Tom Wilson thread to one we ran with a few
months back is that he was the connecting thread bringing The Blues
Project and Sun Ra & Arkestra together for the "Sensational Guitars Of
Dan & Dale"'s Batman album. Wilson had been hired to produce the
session, and in turn hired one group with whom he was currently (more or
less) working and one he'd last worked with some years previous.
Although most of the tracks were recorded by one of the combos or the
other, a few of them featured both, although I assume overdubbed rather
than simultaneously.
--Phil M.
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 10:50:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Tom Taber
Subject: Re: "Kumbaya"
Shawn wrote:
> ...but despite the interest in completeness, couldn't we do without
> Tommy Leonetti's saccharine "Kumbaya"?
I believe there is a NY State historic marker within 5 miles of my
home that claims somebody on that spot (alright, probably just near
there) wrote that song. Can anyone prove or disprove it for me? (It's
also rumored that the writer of the folk song on which "Love Me Tender"
is based was from Albion.) I do know for a fact that my brother-in-
law's noisy wedding night party was interrupted by police summoned by
Michael Bolton, and he grew up in Albion (my brother-in-law, not
Michael Bolton).
Tom Taber
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 10:58:56 -0800 (PST)
From: Tom Taber
Subject: Re: Seasons In The Sun
My understanding is Terry Jacks was at a Beach Boys session where
they recorded that (and other stuff deemed unchartworthy by the
"suits") and he soon went off and did a similiar version. The
Poppy Family's "Where Evil Grows" is one of my all-time favorites,
sitar and all, while "Which Way ...Billy" is one of my instant
station changers.
Tom Taber
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 19:08:59 -0000
From: Don Charles
Subject: Bert Berns and Bruce Channel: Baby Songs
If anyone has heard the lyrics to Bruce Channel's single "Come On,
Baby," could they please post an excerpt of them to Spectropop? I
would appreciate it. Also, the song catalog of the late Bert Berns
includes a title called "Hold On, Baby." Does anyone know if this
was ever recorded?
Don "Stuffed Animal" Charles
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 11:28:15 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul Bryant
Subject: Re: Tom Wilson / Sound Of Silence
Alan V Karr wrote:
> Question for all: Are the VU the electric backing on "The Sound
> of Silence" and possibly other "Sounds of Silence" LP era tracks?
from http://www.songfta.com
While Paul was in England in 1965, producers Tom Wilson and Bob
Johnston happened upon an idea: why not take Bob Dylan's new, in-
studio backing band and create a more "upbeat" Simon & Garfunkel
tune? This formula had worked for Dylan, so it was reasoned that
the other New York folk singers could follow suit. "The Sound Of
Silence" was picked, and this "new" version charted very well.
pb
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 13:54:19 -0600
From: Justin McDevitt
Subject: Beatles Christmas messages
Hello Spectropop,
Are the Beatles Christmas messages, (1963-1969) available on a Cd
compilation?
Justin Mcdevitt
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 20:52:03 +0100
From: Paul Underwood
Subject: Re: Andy Kim / Baron Longfellow
Mike McKay wrote:
> 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.
All credit to Andy Kim on this. He might have borrowed the title and
part of the chorus from McKuen, but the song was hardly one of McKuen's
best and was certainly not worth writing home about. I noticed the
resemblance year ago but put it down to coincidence.
>
> 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!
>
I assume Brel's heirs and McKuen get all the royalties so they won't be
complaining. Terry Jacks should also say thanks to the Beach Boys whose
(unreleased at te time) version he copied.
Paul
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 19:38:53 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Re: Tom Wilson / Sound Of Silence
Alan V. Karr wrote:
> Question for all: Are the VU the electric backing on "The Sound
> of Silence" and possibly other "Sounds of Silence" LP era tracks?
Mike McKay:
> No...if this were so, it certainly would have been documented. The
> story I've heard most frequently is that the electric backing was
> added to "The Sounds of Silence" at the same session and by the
> same musicians who had just backed Bob Dylan on "Like a Rolling
> Stone.
Do you mean Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, etc. who backed Dylan
on "Like a Rolling Stone" did the backing for "Sounds of Silence"? I
think you should question your sources...That Dylan session is one of
the best documented in history and I've never heard anyone involved
in it mention a Simon and Garfunkle connection.
Art
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 15:12:01 -0500
From: Orion
Subject: Being Bootlegged
Mike Rashkow:
> I don't necessarily disagree with your view in concept, but to
> see where it leads, click on this: http://lostjukebox.tripod.com/
>
> After lending this fellow all of my old stuff on the expressed
> offer of putting it together on a CD for his personal use and
> sending me copies - which he did - I then stumbled across this
> site and found about 20 of my things on various CDs being offered
> for sale.
>
> Now, his position is that he is only doing it as a service to
> the musical community and that he barely covers his costs, nobody
> in their right mind would take the time and put in the effort
> needed to set this huge project up for no gain.
>
> Personally, I didn't care. I found it amusing and altogether
> positive. Others may not feel the same - and the fact that he
> never told me about what he was up to in the first place, plus
> the fact that it took me a year and some very strong threats to
> get back my originals, made the experience less than wonderful.
>
> In fact, I was pissed royal about being misled.
>
> I'm glad he was not able to handle the reel-to-reel tapes - some
> of those have never been released and just maybe will have a use
> someday.
Mike - I can understand how you feel, however I am a buyer of
some of those CDs ($10 ea. and no shipping costs) and truly I have
been able to enjoy some music that I would never have gotten to
experience. I do believe I would be hacked off, however if I had
not been told the truth as to what was being done. ... Hmmmm. About
those tapes.....
Orion
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 17:57:09 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: The first song to use a synthesizer / Jean Shepherd
Phil Milstein:
> Curious what the Decca suits might've made of that. Were they scared
> of the "new thing"?
Don't know--we didn't deal with them too much--that was Mr. Sid
Bernstein's area of responsibility. Other factors were that it was a
"B" side and that people probably thought it was a Hammond B3 with a
VFO. The "A" side has a really nice chart by Artie Schroek--funky
strings, neato.
> Also, have any good Jean Shepherd stories?
Not really. I met him before. I met him after. I was given a bunch of
tapes and I manufactured an LP. I had never in my life heard of Jean
Shepherd before being offered the production job by Charlie Fach at
Mercury, who was very kind to me.
I went to see Jean live at Brooklyn College and "didn't get it" at all.
But I needed the work so I did it. It was very difficult taking his
extremely long stories and trying to make them work as "bits" on an LP.
In some cases I would take parts from different stories and cut them up
to make one story.
Some of the music used was from an unreleased session that Mercury
owned. They just gave it to me and said make it work. I got very lucky
in one case and the music matched up almost perfectly with one part of
a story--it sounded like it was scored. They made a single from that.
It went direct to the cut out bins.
The most fun and the best parts were the live "man on the street
interviews" I created by wandering around NYC with a Nagra asking
people " what do you think about Jean Shepherd". We used them as
breaks between segments. Many of them were quite funny--some of the
out-takes were unuseable but wild beyond belief. My kids used to
listen to those over and over again and could do them word for word.
A couple of years later when he had a TV show Shepherd copped that
idea and used it as a regular bit. Imitation? I'm flattered.
I do note that Ms. Ellie Greenwich's website credits her with the
Jean Shepherd work because it says "A Pineywood Production". I do
recall that she kept me company in the studio and brought in dinner
a couple of times; and that's what she contributed. I have brought
that point to the attention of her webmaster. At last look he had
not made the correction. What can I tell you?
Di la,
Rashkkovsky
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Message: 12
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 15:32:22 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: The first song to use a synthesizer
Jimmy Botticelli:
> Is that the same rekkid done by the Wildweeds and then Jimmy James
> & The Vagabonds? Great rekkid.
Don't know. It was written by Al Anderson who I think was at one
time NRBQ maybe and has become a major Nashville writer.
Richard Havers:
> The Fuzzy Bunnies was 1969 I think.
Sounds right.
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 14:51:25 -0500
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: The first song to use a synthesizer
Richard Havers:
> Not sure what the 'first' pop or rock record was to use a moog, but
> the first model was built in 1964. Early synthesiser users were Paul
> Beaver and Bernie Krause. They had a record out on Nonsuch in 1967
> (The Nonsuch guide to electronic music). They had bought a moog in
> 1966 and set up a stall at the Monterey Pop Festival to try and excite
> some potential customers
It may have been Jean Jacques Perry's "In Sound From Way Out" which I
believe (how scientific, eh?) dates back to 1966.
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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 20:14:01 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Zager and Evans - One Hit Wonders?
Country Paul mentioned several several acts that had number one hits
and no further chart activity. Another one that falls into that
category (I think!) is "In the Year 2525" by Zager and Evans. Anyone
who was around in 1969 will probably recall this dirge-like little
ditty. I have a German copy of this record and wonder how well it did
in other countries -was it a hit in the U.K.?
Another song that may qualify is "The Third Man Theme" by Anton Karas,
although this pre-dates the rock and roll era.
Art
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 13:02:58 -0700 (Mountain Standard Time)
From: Harry Jay
Subject: Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
This one is for Country Paul: Have you heard of a 1946 cover of
"Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" by a girls group, they sounded like the
Andrews , but I don't think it was them. I've been looking for
years, I had it on 78, maybe you know someone that may have it.
Thanks.
Harry Jay
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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 13:06:49 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Bennett
Subject: Re: The first song to use a synthesizer
The Monkees' "Star Collector" has a synthesizer -- that came out
in 1967 -- allegedly, Mickey Dolenz was among the first four or
five musicians to have a Moog.
Mike Bennett
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 21:20:26 -0000
From: Aidan Clark
Subject: Re: The first song to use a synthesizer
How about the Mellotron--a British tape-strip replay keyboard, based
on the American instrument the Chamberlin? Mellotrons appeared in
1963, as home organs for the very rich, and (unexpectedly) went on
to become the ultimate progressive rock keyboard.
I think the Fuzzy Bunnies' record was 1968. The Mellotron had been
used on pop and rock for some years before this (the Moody Blues,
Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, etc.). They are really tape players,
so I am not sure whether they are technically synthesisers, though.
AC
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Message: 18
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 21:21:30 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Re: Britsh Invasion redux
Bill Craig wrote:
> Did anyone catch the latest PBS fundraising special that featured
> Gerry Marsden and a version of Manfred Mann called The Manfreds
> that included 3 out of 5 of the original members (no Manfred Mann
> or Mike Vickers)? ...Check it out if you have the chance.
I saw this show several days ago over the Thanksgiving weekend-
excellent program! I really did a double-take seeing Paul Jones
fronting the Manfred Mann band. Hopefully the local PBS station will
broadcast this again. Great seeing Gerry Marsden-"Ferry Across the
Mersey" and "Don't Let the Sun" were two of the very first songs I
remember liking as a kid.
This broadcast also featured Lesley Gore, Brian Hyland and Gary
Puckett, among others, as well as a clip of host Jerry Butler and
Betty Everett singing a duet on "Let It Be Me".
Art
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Message: 19
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 21:47:13 -0000
From: Laura Pinto
Subject: Re: Andy Kim / Baron Longfellow
Me:
> 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."
Mark wrote:
> Just curious but does he do any good bubblegum on the LPs or
> is it all singer-songwriter mush?
Hi, It's neither bubblegum nor mush ... if I had to classify it,
I'd call it adult contemporary. Although recorded twenty years
ago, most of the material still stands up today. Excellent stuff!
Laura
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Message: 20
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 19:10:19 -0500
From: Rat Pfink
Subject: Re: Cincinnati
Ruby wrote:
> Bootsy Collins' older brother is Catfish (what did they do to
> their mother to deserve these names).
Those aren't their *real* names. Bootsy's real name is William
and Catfish's is Phelps...
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