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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: Hey la, di la
From: Mike Rashkow
2. Re: Telstar / He Hit Me (etc.)
From: Max Weiner
3. Re: Viva
From: Dan Hughes
4. Re: Telstar
From: Stewart Mason
5. Re: Steve Tudanger
From: John Clemente
6. Re: Steve Tudanger
From: Mike Rashkow
7. Beatles chronology
From: Mike McKay
8. Jack Nitzsche
From: Paul Bryant
9. Crooners / Castle Pulse
From: Country Paul
10. Re: Best line in a song
From: John Fox
11. Re: Best line in a song
From: Wes Smith
12. Re: Jeff Barry / Frankie Miller
From: Eddy
13. Re: Teddy Randazzo & the Duprees
From: George Robertson
14. Re: Mellotrons
From: George Robertson
15. Re: Worst Rhyme In a Song?
From: superoldies
16. Re: format lengths / He Hit Me / master licensing plan / Run 4 Your Life / downloading etc.
From: Phil Milstein
17. Re: Sid Bernstein
From: Austin Powell
18. Re: Jim Doval and The Gauchos
From: Andres
19. Re: Viva
From: Austin Powell
20. Re: Rashkow's liver
From: Mike Rashkow
21. A Christmas Gift to You: A Tribute to Phil Spector
From: David A. Young
22. Casey Kasem
From: Dan Hughes
23. Mark Wirtz
From: Rosemarie
24. Hanukkah and Christmas music
From: Mike Edwards
25. From Bootleg to Legitimate
From: Rex Strother
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 23:00:21 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: Hey la, di la
> OK, what was the song that went la di da, oh boy, let's go, cha
> cha cha?
C'mon In My Kitchen, by Robert Johnson?
I hope to God if I heard the above line I would have thrown a boulder
at the radio.
Happens to be Lucky Ladybug I think, but that's not cause I ever
listened to it.
> Art and Dottie Todd
Weren't they "Chanson D'Amour" yah da da dada?
Di la,
The Gentleman Rashkovsky
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 19:32:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Max Weiner
Subject: Re: Telstar / He Hit Me (etc.)
Albabe Gordon wrote:
> Actually I think the sound in "Telstar" is just a funky organ
> that's been filtered or compressed. And this and none of the
> above qualify as a synth.
Phil Milstein:
> Now that we've nailed down the source of the keyboard sound in
> "Telstar", who can tell us the source of the outer space sounds
> at the beginning of the thing?
Actually; believe it or not, some of the sounds actually were Joe
Meek flushing the toilet; then running the tape backwards, that's
what you heard at the beginning and at the very end of the song.
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 22:09:35 -0600
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Re: Viva
A couple of other Viva album releases--Themes Like Old Times and Themes
Like Old Times II. Both had 50 or 75 opening themes of old-time radio
shows. And when you listened to them all at once, many of them sounded
very much alike: "Tom COR-bett, SPACE ca-DET!" "Nick CAR-ter, MAS-ter
de-TEC-tive!" "Yours TRU-ly, Johnny DOL-lar!" et al.
---Dan
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 18:58:30 -0800 (PST)
From: Stewart Mason
Subject: Re: Telstar
Phil M. asks:
> Now that we've nailed down the source of the keyboard sound in
> "Telstar", who can tell us the source of the outer space sounds
> at the beginning of the thing?
I believe that's courtesy of our friends at the BBC Radiophonic
Workshop. Joe Meek used the exact same opening on Glenda Collins'
"It's Hard To Believe It" in 1964.
S
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 23:38:29 -0500
From: John Clemente
Subject: Re: Steve Tudanger
Hello All,
After reading the interesting notes on Steve Tudanger, I thought I
would add that his first group, The Vocal Lords, was the subject of
an Off-Broadway play called "The Vocal Lords" by Eric Winick.
Steve and fellow groupmate Marty Joltin provided the info on which
the play was based. The Vocal Lords evolved into The Four Evers on
Columbia and Smash (Be My Girl). Steve left the group in '65 to
concentrate on songwriting and producing. He is the co-producer of
Ellie Greenwich's "Let It Be Written-Let It Be Sung" LP on which he
also sings back-up. This is all documented in an article by Deborah
Young in Echoes of The Past magazine #56, Summer 2001.
Regards,
John Clemente
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Message: 6
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 23:39:33 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: Steve Tudanger
Mark on Steve Tudanger:
> Who is this guy? I have 2 singles of his, one on Big Tree and
> I don't remember the other label. Both songs are GREAT. Wasn't
> he involved with Definitive Rock Chorale and Other Voices? If so,
> this guy made some great music. The DRC was really good, especially
> their singles on Bell (of course). Anybody know all of his groups/
> recordings they can post a listing of? From what I've found I don't
> see any bad records.
I need a few days to answer this intelligently. I'm working for a
change. Start here: Tudanger and Steve Feldman produced Ellie's Let
It Be Written Let It Be Sung LP -- if you read the liner notes it
appears vague, but I know that they were the major movers and creators
of that entire project.
Mike Rashkow
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Message: 7
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 00:17:37 EST
From: Mike McKay
Subject: Beatles chronology
Clark wrote:
> Also, that is where we first heard and recorded the Beatles "Get
> Back" LP played in its entirety with an occasional "KEYN exclusive"
> spoken over the top of songs. The DJ said it would be released in
> Jan '69.
Something's wrong with this chronology. The Beatles had just begun
recording the tracks that were to appear on "Get Back" (and
ultimately did appear on "Let It Be") in January of 1969. So there's
no way anyone could have even played them prior to that, and certainly
no way a January 1969 release could be promised.
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 05:01:03 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul Bryant
Subject: Jack Nitzsche
Question - is there a list of the musicians featured on Jack
Nitzsche's solo album anywhere?
pb
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Message: 9
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 23:23:24 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Crooners / Castle Pulse
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.
I have a couple of 45's from the late 50's by UK "crooners" - or are
they? Both were released in the US: Monty Babson, "I Wish It Were You"
(RCA Victor) is a pretty minor key ballad. Frankie Vaughan, "Judy,
Judy" (Epic, I think) is a nice mminor key folkish song with overdone
chorus and orchestra, if memory serves. Am I right that Vaugn was a
major UK artist? Was Babson?
Interesting discussion of current crooners; many mainstream pop-rock
artists (not the fake white soul guys trying to be a male Mariah Carey)
seem to be singing in their range rather than the screaming high-
pitched types of a dozen to 20 or so years ago. So what constitutes a
contemporary "crooner"?
One Kathy McCord I contacted wrote back that she is not "the" Kathy
McCord. One e-mail address was bad. Still trying on the third one - why
the heck not?!
Earlier - me:
> ...but despite the interest in completeness, couldn't we do without
> Tommy Leonetti's saccharine "Kumbaya"?
Shawn:
> I can't stand it either, but the fact that it charted is a feather in
> the cap for Leonetti. For every song you don't like, there's going to
> be someone out there that does, and how it charted...I don't know. If
> being too complete is a downfall, we'll gladly take it!
I could suggest Leonetti's "Soul Dance" (RCA, early 60's), which I
believe also charted in the low ranges of the Top 100. Not real soulful,
but a pretty waltz.
Admin team:
> Budget conscious S'poppers might already be aware of the great value
> for money offered by the Castle Pulse logo's themed 3 CD sets. Their
> latest release, subtitled "Teen Angst Classics From The Rock 'n' Roll
> Era", is the latest addition to the S'pop Recommends section. Mike
> Edwards is your reviewer:
> http://www.spectropop.com/recommends/index2003.htm#MidnightCryinTime
I had been totally unaware, actually. What is a good source for us Yanks
to check out, please?
Country Paul
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Message: 10
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 23:59:02 EST
From: John Fox
Subject: Re: Best line in a song
Bill Brown wrote:
> What does everyone consider the best line in a song?
Elvis' "Too Much": "Love to hear you sighing even though I know
you're lying..."
John Fox
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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 05:41:04 -0000
From: Wes Smith
Subject: Re: Best line in a song
As a huge PIXIES THREE fan, after purchasing their "FORTY YEARS AND
COUNTING" C.D.(2003), upon hearing the cut, "80'S LADIES", where at
the end of the song, Bonnie, Kaye and Midge tell of their future
plans in life, Bonnie (Long) Walker exclaims: "ME, MY NAME IS BONNIE,
I'M GONNA MARRY WALKER, HE FELL IN LOVE WITH ME CAUSE I'M SUCH A
TALKER". I just thought it to be one of the most brilliant lines I've
ever heard! One more thing, the PIXIES THREE can still sing just as
good as ever!
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Message: 12
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 08:00:40 +0100
From: Eddy
Subject: Re: Jeff Barry / Frankie Miller
Me:
> I just bought the Frankie Miller CD "Dancing in the rain".
> It has 6 out of 10 songs co-written by Jeff Barry. Unfortunately
> it does not include any details on the musicians. Maybe the
> original (vinyl) release has some more info. Anybody got the
> scoop on this?
Roger Kaye:
> Eddy, Hard to believe this is on CD. Is it a reissue or the original
> 1986 pressing? Worth picking up for the often covered "I'd Lie To
> You For Your Love", which Frankie even put out a video for that got
> a few (very few) spins on Empty-Vee back in the day. Anyway, I pulled
> my copy of the lp........
Thanks for the info Roger. It's a German cd that even credits a re-issue
producer. So apparently they did put some effort into this. In any case
an impressive line-up ! Btw, the vinyl is from 1985 and the cd from 1993.
Eddy
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Message: 13
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 04:06:50 EST
From: George Robertson
Subject: Re: Teddy Randazzo & the Duprees
Jon:
> Speaking of the late, great Teddy Randazzo, is there someone
> out there who has a copy of the Duprees' "Around the Corner"
> (Columbia 43336, from 7/65) co-written by Teddy? It was a great
> single, very Jay & the Americans-like, which I haven't heard since
> its release in '65. I'm sure every Spectropop person would dig
> hearing it. If no one can play it to musica, I will start making
> some serious inquiries and phone calls. Thanks.
Though I no longer have a copy of Around The Corner, I was fortunate
enough to be the guitar player in a group in Newport News, Va. when
I was 19 and backed the Duprees in a concert there when the record
was first released, so we learned it and their hits as well. It was
a fun concert.
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 02:24:03 EST
From: George Robertson
Subject: Re: Mellotrons
Proteus (EMU) has a mellotron synth.
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Message: 15
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 08:26:38 -0000
From: superoldies
Subject: Re: Worst Rhyme In a Song?
Bobby Fuller ran out of ideas in "Guess We'll Fall In Love":
"Kiss a-me baby - I'll take your heart
squeeze a-me baby - I like your SART" (mumbled)
At least that's an interview story I read, he was very insistant on
rhyming things no matter what he had to make up...
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Message: 16
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 22:35:36 -0500
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: format lengths / He Hit Me / master licensing plan / Run 4 Your Life / downloading etc.
Mark Wirtz wrote:
> You make some darn good and intelligent points there, Paul, but don't
> you think that, ultimately, the "length and duration" of any piece of
> entertainment should be determined by how long it captivates the
> audience's interest, rather than by "standard" and contrived measures??
I wonder much the same thing: did the 40-minute standard of LPs seem
right simply because the music evolved to fill the time allotment (since
artists, like nature itself, abhors a vacuum), or is there something
inherently "right" about that time length for a full-length, in-home
listening experience? Does the 70-minute standard of CDs seem TOO long
simply because LPs had ruled the roost for so long, or at least we vinyl
lovers retain a preference for it? I tend to think of these format
lengths as arbitrary factors that came to seem suitable over time.
On the other hand, I'm inclined to view the three-minute length of a pop
song (and of course these times are very approximate) as more of a
natural thing. While the cylinder and early record technologies
apparently capped side lengths at three minutes, I wonder what the
average length of songs was prior to the advent of recording technology.
My guess is that it wasn't very different. In fact, I wonder if Edison,
Berliner and the other early inventors of sound recording didn't start
out AIMING to get three minutes onto a side because that was roughly the
standard, rather than three minutes just happened to be the most they
could fit on there at the time. The point I'm trying to get to is that
somehow three minutes seems to satisfy an innate human standard for a
singular piece of music-as-entertainment; whereas album lengths are
simply more arbitrary than that.
> Like, a 600 page book may keep us turning the pages, while we may never
> make it through a 120 page "shortie," simply bored by the latter.
> Similar with movies. Certainly so with today's "albums."
Books are the only artform that are not meant to be consumed in one
sitting. I have a friend who reviles them for that very reason, but then
he doesn't have to commute to his job every day.
Another He Hit Me type song: Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean, by Ruth
Brown.
Rex Strother wrote:
> The artist would be paid a contractual portion of any Master Use or
> Synchronization License fee the label receives (today, usually 50% of
> received fees), if the artist was wise enough include such a provision
> in their contract.
That sounds logical. As long as we're fantasizing aloud, however, I'd
like to suggest one friendly amendment to this part of the plan: rather
than entrusting the labels with dispersing the 50% cut to artists, how
'bout having some sort of nonprofit clearing agency, whose job it would
be to send the labels their cut, and the artists their's. I just have my
doubts that all of the artists would be receiving their shares otherwise.
Scott wrote:
> I'd argue that many 60-70 minute CDs have little more than 30 minutes
> of listenable material on them.
True enough for many albums of original music. But I find that
anthologies tend to more consistently fill the time with quality music.
Reissues of original albums, what with their bonus cuts and all, often
do as well.
Simon White wrote:
> I've never been remotely interested in The Beatles and there's a
> lot of stuff I don't know by them as a result. But is "Run For
> Your Life" the song recorded by Nancy Sinatra then?
Same song.
In light of our thread re: how downloading and CD burning will impact
future music formats, the new issue of Rolling Stone (Justin
Timberschmuck cover) has an interesting interview with Steve Jobs, CEO
of Apple Computers about many of the same facets of the issue. Sample
quote, referring to the issue of copy-protection: "We have Ph.D.s here
who know the stuff cold, and we don't believe it's possible to protect
digital content." The chat starts on pg. 31, for those who prefer to
skim it at a newsstand (before the vendor snaps "This ain't a library,
ya know!").
By the way the same issue, in its News column (pg. 26), reports that
"It's a first: during the second week of November, a digital [i.e.
online] version of OutKast's 'Hey Ya! (Radio Mix)' outsold the top
single available in stores, MercyMe's 'I Can Only Imagine'." And the
tide continues to turn ...
--Phil M.
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Message: 17
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 09:46:08 -0000
From: Austin Powell
Subject: Re: Sid Bernstein
Phil Milstein:
> I don't really know much about him, other than that anecdote
> and some of the background info on the Beatles' tours. Ruth's
> story makes him sound like one of the good guys. Can Mike, or
> anyone else, offer a word or two about Sid Bernstein?
In the mid-eighties, a friend of mine who had a recording studio
discovered a girl singer (Rozalla).....One day he told me he was
getting a lot of unpaid help from a "big wheel" in America....
That wheel was Sid Bernstein......My friend, Chris Sargeant had
nothing but good to say about the man......apparently SB's door
was pretty much always open .....
Austin
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Message: 18
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 12:53:34 +0300
From: Andres
Subject: Re: Jim Doval and The Gauchos
John Fox:
> The Gauchos: The only thing I remember about them was that they had
> TWO drummers--not a drummer and a percussionist, but two drummers
> playing full drum sets.
Jim Doval and The Gauchos also had two Beatles related records in 1964,
BEATTLE RULE (instrumental) and STRANDED IN THE POOL on Diplomacy X-6
label.
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Message: 19
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 09:26:44 -0000
From: Austin Powell
Subject: Re: Viva
Mikey wrote:
> The VIVA label....."Questions and Answers"!! By The In Crowd, who
> were The Eliglbles in disguise.
And what a GREAT logo and label design eh? The UK Fontana label
issued a few Viva records....The (California) In Crowd as they were
re-named for the UK and The Shindogs for sure had a UK release each
and I think Fontana issued a couple of the Midnight String Quartet
albums too.
Austin
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Message: 20
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 23:24:00 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: Rashkow's liver
Phil Milstein:
> "Sound produced, edited, assembled and mixed by Mike Rashkow (P.S. I
> also make very good chopped liver)". Care to share your recipe, Mr. R.?
I have regretted asking for that line ever since I saw it in print.
Whatever was I thinking--yes the record was all chopped up pieces, but
saying that just was stupid.
I actually do have a good recipe for sauteed calves liver. Even those
people that hate liver love it:
Di la,
Emeril Rashkovsky
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Message: 21
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 08:30:35 -0000
From: David A. Young
Subject: A Christmas Gift to You: A Tribute to Phil Spector
Hi, gang,
The subject line above is the title of a CD released on the Hallmark
label in England (and possibly elsewhere) in the last couple of years
and credited to The Delta Wall of Sound. I require the catalogue
number, please, and if anyone can provide me with a label scan and/or
a lead about where I can find a copy for myself, I'd greatly
appreciate it. Please contact me privately if you can help.
Thanks,
David
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Message: 22
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 10:39:15 -0600
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Casey Kasem
>From the New York Post:
Casey Kasem is about to be dethroned as radio's countdown king.
Kasem, 71, whose name has been synonymous with the weekly "American Top
40" radio show since he launched it on July 4, 1970, will be replaced
next month by red-hot DJ Ryan Seacrest, 29, host of Fox's "American
Idol," according to radio industry sources.
The story spread like wildfire yesterday throughout the radio industry,
although the syndicator of "American Top 40," Premiere Radio Networks,
would not confirm or deny that a bombshell announcement was imminent.
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Message: 23
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 05:57:54 -0800 (PST)
From: Rosemarie
Subject: Mark Wirtz
Just coming out of lurkdom to say how much I enjoyed looking
at Mark Wirtz's website http://www.markwirtz.com ....interesting
website, well done (Michael).
Lots of Love and Merry Christmas to you all
Rosemarie
proud to be an Eddie Rambeau Fan!
http://www.edrambeau.com
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Message: 24
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 15:56:14 -0000
From: Mike Edwards
Subject: Hanukkah and Christmas music
There have been a number of postings on this issue and Larry Lapka
has attempted to summarize them or, at least, have the last word.
Don't be bitter about the entertainment industry, Larry. Lighten up;
there's something there for everyone. I am not going to dwell on the
reasons why the industry puts out more Christmas music, films and TV
shows than they do Hanukkah ones as it should be obvious. Let me
comment on some of your points, though:
> When I hear Barry Manilow say that the Christmas songs he sings are
> simply "holiday" songs, my question to him would be, "And what
> holiday are you talking about?" These have nothing to do with his
> faith and certainly nothing to do with Hanukkah.
Barry probably regards the "holidays" as comprising those events that
fall between October 31 and end on January 31. Look what you've got
in there: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, the
College Bowls, New Years and the Super Bowl. There's enough there to
cover everyone's needs (religious, ethnic or otherwise) throughout
the "holiday" season.
> And again, Streisand could make a gold record out of a piece of
> wood if she really wanted to.
No argument there; every album she has made except for "Stoney End"
falls into this category.
> Of course, this is why such writers as Irving Berlin and Mel Torme
> only had the perspective of the outsider looking in
This is just too presumptuous on your part, Larry.
> Why more modern and younger Jewish performers have not embraced
> the "modern" Hanukkah that they grew up with is a mystery that only
> they know the answer to.
Do we know whether or not such performers have or have not embraced
the modern (or traditional) Hanukkah? Now as to why they have not
made Hanukkah CDs or films (and I don't know), like all performers,
they are presumably faced with the music/film companies desire to
have a saleable product on its completion.
> I think you'll see that the modern Hanukkah can be celebrated, and
> enjoyed in popular music as much as any other holiday.
It sure can, but as with Easter, the 4th of July and Halloween, sales
of CDs relating to it may have too limited a market to ever come
close to those of Christmas CDs, although Bobby Boris Picket did make
it to #1 for Halloween in 1962 with "Monster Mash".
> When I get Christmas cards from Jewish relatives, I know that
> something is amiss.
I suggest you address this with them. It's another example of folks
celebrating the holiday season rather than (specifically) the birth
of Christ. Their motives shouldn't be questioned. Long may all of us
continue to celebrate whatever parts of the holiday season we want to
and in a way that we want to. For example, if the industry thinks I'm
going to buy Celine Dion's Christmas CD, it is very much mistaken.
I'm sure if I downloaded some of those Hanukkah tunes that you have
posted to other sites, Larry, I would find them infinitely preferable.
Mike
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Message: 25
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 08:56:31 -0700
From: Rex Strother
Subject: From Bootleg to Legitimate
Dan Hughes wrote:
> Seems to me there must be cases (help me folks) where bootleg
> releases brought forgotten artists back into the limelight and
> gave them a second career?
I can think of at least one instance where the popularity of
a bootleg recording caused a legitimate release - the 11/17/70
radio broadcast concert by Elton John. The tape copies were
getting around so well, they released it as an album (cleverly
titled "11-17-70").
And I believe the Grateful Dead used fan-made bootleg tape
popularity as an indicator which concert tapes to release
commercially.
These are - of course - established artists. What you need today,
for renewed popularity, is a Gap commercial (Can you say "Jump
Jive and Wail"?)
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