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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: A-side Records
From: Mark T
2. Re: Peter Gallway
From: Dave Heasman
3. Re: Beatle covers / All This and WW II
From: Rob Stride
4. Japan and soft rock
From: Mark T
5. Re. Good and bad lyrics/ "uptight" / "Walk Away Renee"
From: Mike Anderson
6. Re: Jerry Lordan / The Shadows
From: Austin Roberts
7. Re: "uptight"
From: Bill Craig
8. Re: Michael Brown
From: Dave Heasman
9. Re: Michael Brown
From: Mike McKay
10. Soundalikes
From: Mark T
11. Re: Michael Brown
From: Kevin
12. Re: Left Banke, Michael Brown
From: Austin Roberts
13. Re: Michael Brown
From: Mike McKay bigstar303@aol.com
14. Early 45s
From: Bill Craig
15. Christmas; musica; crooner defined; lyrics; a Spoonful or less; ; ?s for Austin Roberts; more
From: Country Paul
16. Re: Santa Baby
From: Austin Roberts
17. Ruby & the Romantics
From: costaricansoul
18. Bettye Swann - Make Me Yours
From: Mick Patrick
19. Re: Cashman and West
From: Austin Roberts
20. Re: All This & World War II/War Of The Worlds
From: Peter Kearns
21. Grass Roots on Musica
From: Mark T
22. Re: "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye"
From: Chris
23. The Orlons as Backup Singers
From: Stuffed Animal
24. Re: "uptight"
From: Dave Heasman
25. Re: All This & World War II/War Of The Worlds
From: Steve Harvey
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 00:07:08 -0000
From: Mark T
Subject: Re: A-side Records
Phil Hall:
> A-Side records out of Japan had some great stuff. Does anyone
> know if any of that stuff is still around anywhere?
As far as I know, no. I would love to find some of their CDs.
They are the only ones that I know of that released all of
Nancy Sinatra's pre-chart singles, A's and B's. But just like
M&M, the other great Japanese label, they are next to impossible
to find.
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 00:34:07 -0000
From: Dave Heasman
Subject: Re: Peter Gallway
C. Ponti
> And you know that Gary Bonner got his start playing at the
> Night Owl as part of The Magicians? They used to open for the
> Spoonful, as did the Strangers with Kenny Altman and Peter Galway.
Ah, Peter Gallway. Made 3 good records as "Fifth Avenue Band",
"Ohio Knox" and himself.
Had big teeth. What happened to him I wonder.
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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 01:31:47 -0000
From: Rob Stride
Subject: Re: Beatle covers / All This and WW II
I must admit I like the 4 Seasons contribution [on the album
"All This And WWII] as I loved Frankie's version of "A Day In
The Life". But besides these two tracks this is the most awful
Beatle tribute I have ever heard. When I read that Jeff Lynne
was performing Nowhere Man, I was expecting lush harmonies and
cool guitars. But all that I heard was a average vocal performance,
no harmonies (which was one of the songs main attractions) over a
thin backing. Lovely Rita by Roy Wood was even worse! If you are
a Beatles fan AVOID like the plague. Sun King by the Bee Gees was
pretty cool but the rest of the album sounded liked a rushed,
poorly produced tribute album. I must admit that some of the
orch arrangements were OK. But I felt totally let down by the
promise of much MORE!
Rob Stride
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 00:10:58 -0000
From: Mark T
Subject: Japan and soft rock
Just curious but does anyone know how and why the Japanese
are so much more into this genre than we are? Its frustrating
because they put out great books and magazines and they are
really the best for info on this kind of music but unfortunately
it's all in Japanese. I even picked up one of their books just
for the label pictures. I just wish there was somewhere one could
go for information on this genre that was in English. And yes, I
know about the Borderline Books site. That's great for reverse
information. If something is considered bad there, it's probably good.
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2003 20:48:31 EST
From: Mike Anderson
Subject: Re. Good and bad lyrics/ "uptight" / "Walk Away Renee"
Richard Williams writes:
> I'm absolutely sure (from personal recollection) that
> "uptight" enjoyed a brief usage, circa '66, as a synonym
> for "groovy", "happening", "far-out", etc, before being
> redefined to mean "small-minded", repressed", "bent out
> of shape by society's pliers", etc. Can anyone else produce
> a similar example of a vernacular term changing its meaning
> so completely?
How about funky?
> "Walk Away Renee" is one of the few great songs, I think,
> to exist in three outstandingly and completely different
> versions -- by the Left Banke, Four Tops and Rickie Lee Jones.
> Not just covers, complete revisions of equal artistic merit.
> Any more?
While not as great as Walk Away Renee, Never Can Say Goodbye
had 3 pretty good versions that also charted well.
Mike Anderson
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2003 23:47:26 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Jerry Lordan / The Shadows
Hi Mikey,
Thanx for the info; I always liked Mr. Moto; loved to play it
way back when. Hal played on a lot of sessions that I was
involved in, as did Joe Osborn, so I'm fairly sure that he
played on one if not both of my Chelsea albums (the second of
which sunk like a brick).
I haven't been in touch with Hal in years,but I do stay in
touch with Joe, who now lives in Louisiana.
Best to you,
Austin
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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 02:34:55 -0000
From: Bill Craig
Subject: Re: "uptight"
Richard Williams:
> I'm absolutely sure (from personal recollection) that "uptight"
> enjoyed a brief usage, circa '66, as a synonym for "groovy",
> "happening", "far-out", etc, before being redefined to mean
> "small-minded", repressed", "bent out of shape by society's
> pliers", etc...
TD:
> From personal recollection, back in the 1950s, "uptight" meant
> "ill-at-ease, frightened, worried"--it was a veiled reference to
> the involuntary natural withdraw of the testicles when the male
> is threatened...
The Byrds tune from early '65 "You Won't Have To Cry" by McGuinn
and Clark contains the lines:
"Oh you know it isn't right to put yourself uptight
By thinkin about the things he's done before"
Obviously used in the negative sense.
Bill Craig
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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 01:09:39 -0000
From: Dave Heasman
Subject: Re: Michael Brown
Jon Cook:
> Could you tell us a little about the interview from last year?
> I'd be very interested to hear what he's up to, why he's dropped
> out of sight, etc. I was surprised to hear that he had done an
> interview so recently.
As luck would have it, it's an archived playlist from WFMU:
http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/6334
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2003 23:04:17 EST
From: Mike McKay
Subject: Re: Michael Brown
Joe Cook wrote:
> I'd be very interested to hear what he's up to, why he's
> dropped out of sight, etc. I was surprised to hear that he
> had done an interview so recently.
There's an excellent article on The Left Banke, both yesterday
and today, in Issue #52 of The Big Takeover. I got mine a month
or more ago, so I'm not sure if it would still be on the newsstands
or not.
No interview with Michael Brown (the author says Brown was
contacted and "politely declined") or Steve Martin, but all
other Left Banke members are heard from (as well as Tom Feher,
who now goes by Tom Fair). It turns out that in the last few
years, there have been attempts to get the at least some of the
band back together for various recording projects, though nothing
concrete has come out of any of them.
You really should locate the entire article, as it has many
insights into the heyday of the original band. But the brief
answer to members' recent activities:
1) Tom Finn, Jimmy McAllister (one of The Beckies), Steve Martin and Michael
Brown recorded five tracks in the summer of 2001 with Brown's wife Yvonne
Vitale adding background vocals. They're in Brown's possession and have not been
released.
2) In this general time frame, Left Banke guitarist Rick Brand was invited to
participate in some rehearsals with Steve and Michael. But the difficulties
of working with Brown soon caused Brand to drop out of the project, and he
hasn't spoken to Brown since then.
3) More recently, Brown, Finn and McAllister have been working with my friend
Shane Faubert (ex-Cheapskates and solo recording artist). Haven't talked to
Shane lately...obviously, I need to get in touch with him!
4) I also know from other sources that at some indeterminate time in the
past, power pop superstar Richard X. Heyman was involved for a short time in an
attempted Left Banke reunion...which like several others ended in acrimony
between Brown and Martin.
One other insight from the article I hadn't known previously: the sublime
"Two By Two" and "Love Songs in the Night" -- while credited to Steve Martin on
the single release and to Martin and Brown on the "Hot Parts" movie soundtrack
-- are in fact Left Banke recordings, with Tom Finn and drummer George Cameron
participating (Rick Brand didn't actually play on very many LB recordings
anyway). But the thought was that the name was "over" by that time, so it wasn't
used.
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Message: 10
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 00:21:26 -0000
From: Mark T
Subject: Soundalikes
A rule of thumb I've found is that for any act that hits it
big on the charts, there will be an imitator. I happen to love
finding these and some of them are really great, especially if
you happen to like the sound of the original. Here are a few of
the acts I've found, followed by who they are copying:
Jerry Tawney (Gary Puckett)
Jimmy Walker (also Gary Puckett)
Joey Gregorash (CCR)
Wishbone (Grass Roots)
Monitors (4 Tops)
Debbie Campbell (Olivia Newton-John)
Frankie Stevens (Tom Jones)
There are many, many others. I'd love to hear from anyone else
familiar with copycat acts.
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2003 18:27:22 -0800 (PST)
From: Kevin
Subject: Re: Michael Brown
Steve Harvey stated:
> The Stories were forgettable, but the stuff Brown
> did (with) the Beckies and Montage is great! Rhino
> needs to do a compilation of all his stuff.
A Montage CD is available from Sundazed (SC 6172) that
contains 14 glorious tracks, and this might be the
entirety of their recorded history.
The Left Banke CD I have from Mercury ("There's Gonna
Be A Storm": 848 095-2) may be out of print, but is a
terrific anthology with a comprehensive, heartfelt
essay by Andrew Sandoval (look for his CDs on
Eggbert!) and tracks from Michael Brown's career,
1966-69. If it's not currently available, it's worth
checking for on Gemm.com or elsewhere.
Would love to see a Beckies reissue on Rhino
Handmade--wouldn't you?
kjm in la
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Message: 12
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 00:03:30 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Left Banke, Michael Brown
Martin:
> Harry Lookofsky is (as I'm sure Austin knows) aka Hash Brown
> who is credited on almost all the Jerome Brothers recordings
> as "Hash Brown & his Orchestra" or as conductor. I've been
> told that, "Harry had a piece of the action. He also wrote
> with them as H. Lookofsky or H. Brown which leads me to assume
> that the M. Lookofsky writing credit belongs to Michael Brown.
Hi Martin,
I either didn't know that or had forgotten it (which is more
likely, knowing me). Bill and Steve Jerome were my first producers
(on Phillips, 1968,69) and they were terrific to work with,
especially being the novice that I was. I appreciate your mentioning
them; that's what I love about Spectropop,all the great info that
comes in from so many knowledgeable folks.
Was Mike Brown involved with the Cherry People?
Thanks again,
Austin
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 25 Dec 2003 22:31:43 EST
From: Mike McKay bigstar303@aol.com
Subject: Re: Michael Brown
Dave Heasman wrote:
> (Michael Brown's) later group, Stories, was average at best,
> and since then next to nothing.
Steve:
> The Stories were forgettable, but the stuff Brown did the
> Beckies and Montage is great!
I disagree with your first statement. While Ian Lloyd was not
nearly the vocalist Steve Martin was, there are nevertheless
some top-notch songs on the first two Stories albums. As it's
never, to my knowledge, been reissued on CD in the U.S., the
first, self-titled album is not often talked about. But it
yielded the catchy almost-radio hit "I'm Coming Home" and some
other fine songs with Brown's typical baroque stylings and
harmonies. My favorite cut is "Take Cover". The second stories
album "About Us" is also highly rated by power pop aficionados.
While there are some decent songs on The Beckies album, the lead
vocals are down yet another notch even from Stories, and a bit
more of the mid-70s production influence is starting to seep in,
to bad effect.
I also love the Montage album, though again it's the songs rather
than the group's vocalists that have the most to recommend it.
> Rhino needs to do a compilation of all his stuff.
On this point we are agreed! Though I would have everything on it,
I'd buy it just to get both sides of the Michael Brown/Steve Martin
single (the exquisite "Two By Two" and "Love Songs in the Night")
in one place on CD.
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Message: 14
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 02:10:59 -0000
From: Bill Craig
Subject: Early 45s
Here's a few recollections and questions about 45 releases in
the late '50s and early '60s. What were the contributing factors
to whether a record was released with a picture sleeve or without
one? Was it all a function of the budget alloted for the paticular
record? Did all 45's put out by major labels have a picture sleeve
put together for it and some retail outlets got these while other
stores were shipped the records in plain paper sleeves? Were there
some small labels that never put out picture sleeves because they
just couldn't afford them?
Also I remember a time when some supermarket chains sold 45s (I'm
not sure about LPs). Was this rare or fairly widespread? I remember
the first non-childrens record I bought was "I'll Wait For You" by
Frankie Avalon.(No picture sleeve) I was 7 years old and I bought
it in an Acme market on a highway somewhere near the Jersey shore.
I'm not even sure I'd ever heard the song I was just anxious as
Marshall Crenshaw says "To be a part of that Rock and Roll thing".
I knew it would be the start of a magical journey. (Does Frankie
even qualify as R&R?)
Happy Holidays to all,
Bill Craig
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Message: 15
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 01:58:59 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Christmas; musica; crooner defined; lyrics; a Spoonful or less; ; ?s for Austin Roberts; more
Merry Christmas, Happy 7th light of Hanukkah,
Happy Day before Kwanzaa, etc.
For Christmas, I dug out Frankie Avalon's "The Puppet Song"
(Chancellor, C 1065) and played it. It had the same effect
on me as always - damp eyes. For some reason this corny but
gorgeous record always gets me. Not really a Christmas song,
it has a "miracle" of the "Scarlet Ribbons' type, and moves
me way too much for an otherwise sane adult.
Bette (my wife) and I also went to Radio City Music Hall in
NYC for the annual Christmas Spectacular. In addition to an
amazing 3D animated opening, one high point was a "Good
Vibrations"-style arrangement (like the intro - treble organ
chords and a bass countermelody) to the verse of the holiday
classic "Silver Bells"! I would have liked to have heard the
whole song in a fleshed-out arrangement of this sort, not just
as a part of a medley; it was genuinely good.
Hope your holiday was a good one - or more, whichever (or
"evers") you celebrate.
Congratulations to David A. Young, who earns his "Spector
Collector" crown with "Please Phil Spector," presented at
the S'pop home page. (Not to diminish the obvious contributions
of Phil C. and Mick P.) Nice work!
Re: musica, thanks for the Jarmolettes' "Baby Monkey Song."
However, I'm afraid I started a thread based on misinformation;
the song I wanted to know about wasn't this one, and listening
to the radio I must have mismatched this title with whatever
that song was. Sad to say, I can hear why this wasn't a hit -
but I'm glad for the opportunity to hear it!
But, thanks to Ratpfink, I now remember how cool - and how
loose - "Snowblind" by Henske and Yester was - and still is.
Nice Christmas present! Someone could do a nice - and tighter
- remake of this.
Very upsetting: I can listen to two songs on musica, then
Yahoo cuts me off. This has happened several times before.
What gives here?
Back to catching up....
Ken Silverwood and Simon White, thank you for the additional
info on Frankie Vaughan. Can't imagine him doing "Loop De Loop".
Re: Ken's comment, "My understanding of a 'crooner' is someone
who sleepwalks through the material, devoid of any emotion
whatsoever," The term came to fore with the advent of miked
singers, who could now employ mellow voices that needed
amplification, as opposed to "belters," singers who belted out
the song over the band without using amplification. A mellow
singer would never be heard in a ballroom over a live big band.
(See Phil Milstein's definition back about 10 days ago.) Bing
Crosby was one of the first crooners who was a superstar (I
believe Rudy Vallee was the first to be called a crooner). It
wasn't about whether crooners "cared," but about their style
and technique. Only later has the term seemed to acquire
pejorative meaning. Ken, It's also nice to see you cite Don
Cherry's "Band of Gold," which has always been a guilty pleasure
of mine. (I believe its intro was also excerpted in Buchanan and
Goodman's original "Flying Saucer.")
Jeff Lemlich:
> My vote for worst rhymes: "Endless Love", which (if I remember
> correctly) manages to rhyme "life" with "bright", and "deny"
> with "hide". That song isn't good bad, and I'd say it's evil.
Certainly in the Top Ten on the Jukebox From Hell. Which could
start another interesting thread: which songs are on your Jukebox
>From Hell (records you NEVER want to hear again, but no doubt
will be subjected to)? I'll let others go first, but offer Dionne
Warwick's treacly "That's What Friends Are For" as a starting point.
More on lyrics: I too am loving the good lyrics/bad lyrics debate.
(Personally, I think Laura Nyro was too pretentious for words -
pun intended - but....) Some of my favorite lyrics involve records
where the good and the bad are almost adjacent. Both tend to be
unintentional, and the artists are seemingly so innocent as to be
oblivious. But the records "work". Three examples, all "on the fringe":
(1) Twilettes, "Where's My Baby" - my latest new fave, thanks to
this group, this gorgeous low-budget Spectorian girl-group song of
broad general longing is carried by brilliant gospel-style group
singing. The first bridge is Zen simple; the lead, yearning for
her missing boyfriend, sings: "My heart is still broken / waiting
for the door to open." But 30 seconds later, the lyric descends
into the most concrete banality: "Is he in Kansas City.../ Is he
in New Orleans... / Did he go overseas / Did he join the Navy or
the Marines?" Ouch!
(2) Granger Hunt & The Believers, "Love Wasn't Real" (Josie, c.
1963) - From the deep south, one side is a rockabilly novelty,
"Motor Mouth," which is earnest, amateur and fun. "Love..." is
1:40 of aching naive beauty bemoaning lost love. The second verse
(starting with the third line) includes:
"The stars above hear my love callin',
They tell me I'm to blame;
They tell me I'm too much of a fool
Not to pack my things and go
Back to the world from which I came,
The world of reality."
The two "they tell me" lines turn exquisitely on the to/too
wordplay; the "reality" line doesn't even rhyme with anything.
But the performance is haunting; it owns me. Find it if you can.
(Sad note: a serious car crash killed several members of this
group not long after this record, including, if I remember
correctly, their manager who also managed J. Frank Wilson
["Last Kiss"]. Eerie coincidence?)
(3) Country G-J's, "Go Girl Go" (Valley Records) - a ginmill
rockabilly band from Chicago in the late '50's, they are, to
be polite, "rhythmically challenged." But check these lyrics:
"Up pulled a Cadillac in a no-parking zone
Out stepped a chick about six foot long
Alabama figure and a Tennessee smile
Louisiana walk that'll drive a man wild"
What do the state references mean? Darned if I know, but I
sure see her in my mind's eye.
Mark, on the Spoonful:
> According to an article some time ago in Disc-Coveries,
> both Steve Boone and Joe Butler are still members of the
> Spoonful. I don't remember any info about the other three
> people currently serving in the group....
If it doesn't have Sebastian and Zal, the two prime movers,
it isn't THE Spoonful. Some legends are best left as legends,
IMO.
Related, from Kevin:
> Jerry [Yester] actually joined the LS wa-a-ay back in, like,
> 1967, to replace Zally....[He] on the LS tune "Six O'Clock"
> and the LP REVELATION/REVOLUTION 69.
He also produced the delightful first album by Aztec Two-Step
on Elektra (1971).
Austin Roberts, welcome.
(1) I didn't know Johnny Cymbal died. When, please? Also, if
appropriate, how? I always had the feeling that the bright
personality he projected on "Mr. Bassman" was really who he was.
True?
(2) I Have a 45 you did on Laurie, "On One Finger of Your Hand".
Haven't heard it in eons, but I remember it as a nice ballad.
Any background you could share, please?
Other notes:
Don Charles, from the newswires:
> Germany’s Bertelsmann AG and Sony of Japan on Friday
> finalised terms of an agreement to merge their
> music businesses....
Wow, the "unthinkable": although a long way from their
competitive roots, the ghosts of RCA and Columbia are
merging. Who'd have thunk it?
Phil Milstein references www.hoyhoy.com. Highly recommended
in this corner, too; one view - and a good one, IMO - of the
history and formation of rock and roll. Just spent 3/4 of an
hour there. Check out the musical examples on this site: there's
some 1928 gospel testifyin' which is pure rock 'n' roll, and some
early Bill Haley tracks which show he was doing what he did really
well long before most of us knew about it. The cat could rock -
really. Thanks, Mr. M!
S.J. Dibai, thanks for the "At The Drive-In" review. Uneven as
it seems, I'd still like to have seen it, just for the history
value. Gee, I'd always liked Bobby Vee....
Roger Smith:
> Perry Botkin...said: "Sorry. . . Not Harry [Nilsson].
> There was a real Jimmie Cross.
I also have heard a record by Cross, a fairly decent straight
song, called - or with the line - "Hey, little girl, would you
like to get married?" Thanks yet again, Phil Milstein, for the
brief bio.
"Baby, I dig you the most!"
Country Paul
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Message: 16
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 01:21:34 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Santa Baby
Hey Mike,
The Five Keys were from my home town, Newport News,Va..
They are considered by many to be the first of the Doo Wop Groups.
AR
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Message: 17
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 07:00:29 -0000
From: costaricansoul
Subject: Ruby & the Romantics
Mick Patrick:
> Ruby & the Romantics' version of "Hurting Each Other" (A & M 1042,
> 1969) was preceded by Jimmy Clanton's rendition (Mala 500, 1965).
> Can anyone tell me if Ruby and her boys' recording is available on CD?
Ruby & The Romantics version of "Hurting Each Other" was issued
on the CD "Struttin' & Flirtin'- R&B at A&M 1969-1981", it was
issued in the UK several years back but is now out of print.
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Message: 18
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 09:33:47 -0000
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Bettye Swann - Make Me Yours
> In February of 1958, John Dolphin was shot dead by a
> songwriter named Percy Ivy.
> His widow re-started the Money label in the early sixties
> and had some success. Firstly with the Larks but more
> importantly with Bettye Swann. Employing that mega genius
> Arthur G Wright who arranged "Make Me Yours" one of the most
> dreamy soul songs ever to come out of the USA.
"Make Me Yours"? What an utterly delicious record! Cut at Gold Star,
of course. The UK's Ace/Kent Records now own the Money mastertapes
and are mid-way through a reissue programme. Bettye's complete output
for the label, including several bonus alternate versions, is included
on CDKEND 197, Bettye Swann "The Money Recordings". Track list here:
http://66.232.131.72/cgi-bin/SearchCatNo.asp?intSite=1&strProdID=CDKEND197
And more info here: http://66.232.131.72/MoreInfo/CDKEND197.html
Included on the CD is the previously unreleased "The Dance Is Over",
a splendid girl group-style track recorded c. 1965. The multitalented
Bettye not only wrote most of her own songs but also made her own
outfits.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 19
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 00:18:55 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Cashman and West
Dan,
I'm not sure I've heard their version of Mama Don't Let etc.,
but I know that Tommy ran MTM Records in Nashville for several
years in the 1980's ,so it could well have been his version that
you heard,though Dennis could surprise you sometimes,as could
their original partnership with gene Pistilli (a terrific country
and pop songwriter) when they were Cashman, Pistilli and West,
though this was before the song was written.
I will certainly let Tommy know of his fan (probably quite a few)
in Spectropop) and tell him he should join, as he is a wealth of
knowledge. I'm not sure how to reach Terry M., but Tommy will.
Best,
Austin
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Message: 20
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 08:25:30 -0000
From: Peter Kearns
Subject: Re: All This & World War II/War Of The Worlds
Steven Prazak wrote:
> By the way, has anyone actually seen the All This & World War II
> film that this music is supposed to accompany? Apparently, it went
> into release and hibernation the same day.
You mean there was actually a movie to go with it? Fascinating.
Hmmm. Might need to do some research on this.
And speaking of 70s excesses; Surely Jeff Wayne's 'War Of The
Worlds' (which kinda fits in the same category for me somehow)
has the largest successful/surviving ratio of semi-pretentious
progressive meets outstanding arrangements/production, whilst
still sounding like a million bucks today!?
I 'think' it was the first 48-track production when it was begun
in 1975 (maybe in England?).
But nevertheless, still an absolute stunner and horribly unsung;
especially in America.
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Message: 21
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 00:15:31 -0000
From: Mark T
Subject: Grass Roots on Musica
Not the best song on the LP IMO. Optical Illusion sounds
more like a Roots song. This one sounds more like Hamilton,
Joe Frank and Reynolds.
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Message: 22
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 10:02:20 -0800 (PST)
From: Chris
Subject: Re: "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye"
Mike Rashkow asks:
> ["...there's no love song finer]
> [but how strange the change from major to minor]
> [every time we say goodbye."]
> Not being a musician, I've never been certain if they
> actually go from a major key to a minor key at the
> appropriate juncture, but I surely hope they do.
For what it's worth, here's the evidence of the three versions
I have within grabbing range:
Ella Fitzgerald -- "Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter
Song Book" (arranger: Buddy Bregman)
kept it major
June Christy -- "Duet" (Stan Kenton on piano)
minor
Annie Lennox -- "Red, Hot + Cole" (Lennox herself on piano)
minor
Chris
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Message: 23
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 19:00:50 +0000
From: Stuffed Animal
Subject: The Orlons as Backup Singers
I was fortunate to interview Kal Mann a few years before he
died. He told me that, during the time he produced artists
there, the Cameo-Parkway artists often sang background on
each other's recording sessions. Chubby Checker and Bobby
Rydell sang background for each other long before releasing
their hit album of duets, and The Orlons were definitely in
the background on Chubby's single "Dancin' Party", along with
Dee Dee Sharp and The Dreamlovers. This is according to Kal;
he said it was "like one big, happy family".
Don "Stuffed Animal" Charles
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Message: 24
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 18:37:17 -0000
From: Dave Heasman
Subject: Re: "uptight"
Bill Craig: "Oh you know it isn't right to put yourself uptight
> By thinkin about the things he's done before"
> Obviously used in the negative sense.
Likewise "I'm not lookin' to uptighten you"
from "All I really Want to Do" 1964.
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Message: 25
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2003 10:32:16 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Re: All This & World War II/War Of The Worlds
It was supposed to be WWII footage with Beatles tunes
set to it. Further proof that your parents were right
about "those damn hippies and their drugs!" Look at
the illustrations that accompany the lyric sheets.
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