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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 5 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Melodies Rule - The Words Just "Go On"
From: Phil Milstein
2. Re: The Buchanan Brothers
From: Clark Besch
3. Re: answering Napoleon XIV
From: Phil Milstein
4. Re: Medicine Man / Buchanan bros
From: Clark Besch
5. Re: Melodies Rule - The Words Just "Go On"
From: Glenn
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2004 00:13:47 -0500
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Melodies Rule - The Words Just "Go On"
Rodney Rawlings wrote:
> I should make it clear what I mean by good and bad.
> The lyric to TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE
> is absolutely masterful (so is the tune) and I would not
> be surprised if it were penned by someone famous. On the
> other hand, many so-called "significant" or "important"
> lyrics seem to deliberately court or embrace obscurity --
> thus they frustrate judgment, which is in part the purpose.
> I classify them as bad.
How about Van Dyke Parks' lyrics to "Surf's Up"?
--Phil M.
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2004 07:01:58 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: The Buchanan Brothers
Mark:
> Austin, I'm curious--did you do any other work with Cashman
> and West? I love another song of theirs done for Event as the
> Morning Mist, "California on My Mind" (which barely dented the
> Hot 100), and was wondering if you had a hand in that or any
> other projects of theirs.
Mark, I figured someone would get around to this great song.
It was a commercial on TV too. Not sure, but was thinking it
was not correct 45 version on the Cashman & West Best CD.
Anyone confirm this? I have the CD, but not handy at moment.
When I was receiving DJ copies in the 60's, I really liked
their Capitol 45, "Goodbye Joe". "American City Suite" is a
classic. Like with label cohort, "MacArthur Park", length
isn't a big thing if it keeps you interested! I liked "King of
Rock n Roll" pretty well on Dunhill. However, never really dug
the "Talkin Baseball" Terry Cashman song -- all 24 versions or
whatever there was.
Clark
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2004 00:10:51 -0500
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: answering Napoleon XIV
Austin Roberts wrote:
> For that matter They're Coming To Take Me Away (Napoleon the
> XIV, I think). OK Rashkow, my friend (which he is), there are
> always various opinions on the same subject. I would love to
> hear what the Spectropop people think.
It was popular enough to have inspired a spate of answer records,
including:
Josephine XV: I'm Happy They Took You Away, Ha-Haa!
Henry The IX: Don't Take Me Back, Oh-Nooo!
The Emperor: I'm Normal
Josephine XIII: Down On The Funny Farm (Oy Vey)
Teddy & Darryl: They Took You Away, I'm Glad I'm Glad!
All of these, along with cover versions, follow-ups, etc.,
are found in the bootleg CD "Napoleon Complex."
--Phil M.
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2004 07:37:47 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Medicine Man / Buchanan bros
Austin Roberts wrote:
> Gene did a fantastic lead on Medicine Man
> and it was COME ACROSS.
Austin, funny, but I thought it was "Come-a Close"!
Clark
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 2004 08:35:34 -0000
From: Glenn
Subject: Re: Melodies Rule - The Words Just "Go On"
Rodney Rawlings wrote:
> Those who dispute the dominance of melody often say words
> and music are equally important, and in a sense this is true.
> Bad lyrics can kill the appeal and worth of a good tune ...
Case(s) in point - melodies that NEVER should have had words
written to them:
"Love Is Blue"
"Exodus"
"Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet"
All three started life, and had immense success, as instrumentals.
Perfectly gorgeous pieces of music that needed no words.
All three had offensively schlocky lyrics added to them after-the -
fact, lyrics that simply destroyed the songs when they were sung.
I mean,
"Blue blue
My love is blue
Blue is my love
'Cause I'm without you" ???????
I think we all know first-graders who could have done a
better job.
But my point is, these are jobs that never should have been
done. Words were simply not needed.
> I should make it clear what I mean by good and bad. The lyric to
> TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE is absolutely masterful
> (so is the tune) and I would not be surprised if it were penned by
> someone famous.
Well, if not famous, they SHOULD have been. The late Irwin Levine,
and his partner L. Russell Brown, were one of my favorite songwriting
teams, and they wrote this one, as well as 90% of Tony Orlando &
Dawn's hits, including early ones like "Knock Three Times" (another
mini-masterpiece story song) and my personal favorite, tho not as
well-known, "Summer Sand". I also loved their "Steppin' Out (Gonna
Boogie Tonight)". Levine & Brown wrote for a lot of other people,
too, including the Partridge Family (their "rockin-est" single, "I
Woke Up In Love This Morning"). I rarely heard a Levine/Brown song
that wasn't extremely well-written, with words and music of equal
importance and very well-matched.
Glenn
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
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