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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: Spine shiverers
From: John Fox
2. To Introduce myself
From: Eddie Rambeau
3. Todd Rundgren
From: Eddy
4. Female Record Collectors
From: Lapka Larry
5. The Outsiders and "Time Won't Let Me"
From: Maac Joseph
6. Re: Mark Wirtz
From: Mad Mark
7. Collectors
From: Ian Slater
8. Record Shops in London...
From: Martin Jensen
9. Re: "You Gave Me Somebody to Love"
From: Superoldies
10. Re: Austin Roberts' "One Word" by the Grass Roots
From: Austin Roberts
11. Rudy Clark: A King Among Men! ("The Shoop Shoop Song")
From: C Ponti
12. Recently discovered knockouts
From: Ruby
13. Re: Spine-shiver moments
From: Sean Anglum
14. Re: Big ol' record-collecting gals
From: John Berg
15. Re: ELO
From: Austin Roberts
16. Re: Inept / Mistakes
From: Austin Roberts
17. Re: Lloyd Thaxton
From: Clark Besch
18. Re: "Like To Get to Know You"
From: ACJ
19. Stupid songs
From: Phil Hall
20. Felice Taylor
From: Jackie
21. Re: Lorna Dune
From: Phil Milstein
22. Chuck Chuck, Bo Buck
From: Phil Milstein
23. Re: benefit for Paul Atkinson
From: Austin Roberts
24. Thanks Austin; Spine-tingling; Answers
From: Bob Rashkow
25. Re: the (un)original hits by the original artists!
From: C Ponti
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 08:16:17 EST
From: John Fox
Subject: Re: Spine shiverers
Alan Haber wrote:
> I'm curious about other S'poppers' spine-shiver moments.
Since we're all using S-pop to share our innermost trivial
pursuits and fantasies for Mary Weiss and others, I'll go to
the couch and admit the 2 parts of songs that give me the
chills every time I hear them: when Dion sings "Has anybody
here seen my old friend Bobby" in Abraham, Martin and John
(BTW, happy birthday, Martin), and the very last line with
the title sung in the Darlene Love Christmas classic, "(winter
it's a) Marshmallow World". There, I said it.
Now if I can only keep from asking Artie Wayne if Lorna Dune
was ever in The Cookies.
John Fox
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 05:09:06 -0000
From: Eddie Rambeau
Subject: To Introduce myself
Hi folks, this is Eddie Rambeau and I've heard a great deal
about this group from my web designer, Rosemarie Edwards, in
England. She told me it's a must join, so I'd like to take
this opportunity to invite all members to visit my JUKEBOX
RAMBEAU group. Just go to http://www.edrambeau.com and click
on the JOIN THE FAN CLUB LINK. At the bottom of that page
you'll see how to join JUKEBOX RAMBEAU. At the Jukebox, 05 songs are always available to listen to and/or download at no
cost. One of the 5 songs is replaced daily with a new song.
Keep in mind that it's a private group so you'll have to be
approved, but this will be no problem for anyone who is a
member of Spectropop.
For those of you who do not remember me....my hit in 1965
was "Concrete and Clay" and I also wrote Diane Renay's
"NAVY BLUE" and "KISS ME, SAILOR" along with many other
top 100 songs.
Hope this find all the members of this group well and let me
also take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year.
Ed Rambeau
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 14:34:14 +0100
From: Eddy
Subject: Todd Rundgren
The influences on Todd Rundgren were mentioned a little while ago,
including his admiration for Laura Nyro. Here's what Moogy Klingman
wrote on the subject:
Laura Nyro was a tremendous influence on TR and I. We both started
writing piano songs after listening to her album, "Eli and the
Thirteenth Confession". Laura Nyro inspired both of us to become
songwriters. After Eli came out, TR began to play piano endlessly,
and taking Laura's chords to other worlds. In fact, in TR's piano
based songs, (which are most of his songs), there is no greater
influence than Laura Nyro. I, likewise, was blown away by hearing
the "Eli" album. It was a completely obscure record, and bonded us
together after first meeting each other (we found the record
independent of each other)...Our immediate bond was how much we
loved Laura Nyro. TR even wrote a song about her on his first album,
based on how poorly she performed at the troubadour (an LA club),
and the fact that TR had dinner with her, later! <> Todd would
honestly, almost never listen to rock music when I was around. He
hated for anyone to think of him as a fan of anyone. Mostly, he
loved to condemn other rock music. But, I can tell you his earliest
influences were the Beatles and the Who. In the early days of the
first "Runt", all his guitar moves were based on Peter Townsend. His
singing was based on many Philly soul black acts, and his Utopia
band concept had as much to do with the Mahavishnu Orchestra as with
Yes. Moogy.
Eddy
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 05:44:10 -0800 (PST)
From: Lapka Larry
Subject: Female Record Collectors
Dear All:
I know of two female record collectors: my wife and my
daughter (my wife is not my daughter's mother, so
there is no record bloodline there; my daughter is
from my first marriage).
My wife collects Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland, and
she loves disco and some of the current dance related
pap you hear on the radio today. My daughter is into
whatever current teen crazes there are.
I think most men try not to give up their childhood
passions, and I still have my comic book collection as
well as my record collection. Women tend to move onto
other things, while men usually do too, but manage to
stay close to the stuff that they enjoyed when they
were kids.
Women also have a disease called throwawayitis. If it
isn't properly place, it is in the garbage. I can
absolutely remember the first time I ever talked back
to my mom (by the way, she also collects records, come
to think of it). She threw out a whole load of may
comic books in about 1963. I took them out of the
garbage, and in my six year old vernacular told her in
no uncertain terms not to touch my things. I still
have each and every one of those comic books today.
On another subject, I will join in on the chorus--
Please, Mr. Thaxton, please release some DVDs of the
material you have. And also, what was your connection
to the teen magazine scene in the 1960s? Wasn't your
name on Tiger Beat (I think it was that one) for quite
a while?
Larry Lapka
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 05:46:10 -0800 (PST)
From: Maac Joseph
Subject: The Outsiders and "Time Won't Let Me"
Good Morning Fellow Spectroppers;
Got a question for you good folks. From what I have been told, Al
Austin, the guitarist that did that beautiful guitar work on
"Time won't let Me" was something of a Cleveland local guitar
legend. I was wondering if any of you could expand on that, like
who else did he play with, and where he might be today.
Thanks in advance folks!
Mac Joseph
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 18:52:42 -0500
From: Mad Mark
Subject: Re: Mark Wirtz
Alan Gordon:
> Congratulations Mark and good luck with this wonderful project
Well, well, well -- thank you, Alan, that is high praise coming
from you. Please don't be offended by me doing the following,
namely to give the precise, up-to-date info on the two related
projects. Both are entitled "Love Is Eggshaped". The book is out
now, available on Amazon & major book stores. The same titled,
separately sold, soundtrack album is by 'The Mark Wirtz Ear Theater',
featuring guest performances by the fabulous Spyderbaby, and the
original 'Mood Mosaic" Ladybirds Maggie Stredder and Kay Garner,
both of whom are still kicking ass! The album release is projected
for late February. I shall keep a promise I made on Spectropop a
few weeks ago, by soon either posting the Spyderbaby featured single,
"Learning 2 Live With Love", right here, or give a non-public access
URL where S'Poppers that are interested can preview the thing as a
"taste" of the album.
Thank you again, Alan... And keep writing those bloody nice
songs you are currently coming up with. Your two contributions
to Spyderbaby's own album shine like gold!
Warm best,
"Mad" Mark Wirtz :)
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 14:37:38 -0000
From: Ian Slater
Subject: Collectors
Regarding the lack of female record collectors, I think this
is true of ALL collecting. There aren't many female stamp
collectors, train spotters, book collectors, art collectors
etc either.
Women at record fairs etc. are most likely looking for bargains
or specific items to listen to rather than hoard. Kleptomania
is a male preserve. Goes back to the hunting instinct, I expect...
Yours philosophically,
Ian Slater
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 16:49:08 -0000
From: Martin Jensen
Subject: Record Shops in London...
Hi
I'm going to London next month in order to see Brian Wilson
perform Smile, and since I've never been there, I wondered
if someone here could recommend any good records shops with
CDs of Spectropopper interest?
I'm thinking Girl group stuff, 50s & 60s pop & soul, sunshine
pop, Japanese imports, reissues and collections by the likes
of Sundazed, Rhino, Rev-ola, Collectibles and such.
As I don't know my way around London, you'd better tell me
which subway station lies closest to the shops you might
recommend.
Thanks in advance
With regards
Martin, Denmark :-)
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 17:09:07 -0000
From: Superoldies
Subject: Re: "You Gave Me Somebody to Love"
Manfred Mann did a version, as well as The Sidekicks
as a B-side of one of their 45s.
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 12:59:33 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Austin Roberts' "One Word" by the Grass Roots
Glen:
> Written by Austin Roberts and John Hill
> Actually I wrote it with Chris Welch. They must've made
> an error in the credits.
Hi Glen,
That was a fun one with the Roots. Steve let me play acoustic
guitar with the Wrecking Crew to get the writer's feel. What a
thrill. Best pop musicians (not me) in the world, I think.
Appreciate the kind words.
Best,
Austin
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 16:40:41 -0000
From: C Ponti
Subject: Rudy Clark: A King Among Men! ("The Shoop Shoop Song")
Consider this a tip of the Ponti hat to Rudy Clark, composer
of "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)", "Good Lovin'",
"If You Got To Make A Fool Of Somebody" and "I Got My Mind
Set On You". Remember the tuba on "If You Got..."? I loved that.
I was lucky enough to speak with him once. He struck a major
blow for the rights of songwriters everywhere in a litigation
against some very unattractive publishers. I told him at the
time how I loved the production of "The Shoop Shoop Song" and
mentioned the marvelous, silly innocence of the xylophone solo.
It had one very noticeable wrong note and was slightly out of
tune with the track, but worked. Rudy rules in my book...
C Ponti
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Message: 12
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 18:30:11 -0000
From: Ruby
Subject: Recently discovered knockouts
John Sellards wrote:
> What is the one vintage song you've recently discovered
> that completely knocked you out?
"Leaning On You" by the Yo-Yos. Sound quality - sucks.
Song - gorgeous to the point that you don't care if it
sounds like it was recorded with a Fisher Price tape recorder.
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 09:25:57 -0700
From: Sean Anglum
Subject: Re: Spine-shiver moments
Alan Haber said
> I'm curious about other S'poppers' spine-shiver moments.
There are so many, and most are lurking at the edge of memory,
bursting forth only when you're re-listening to something.
That's one of the things that keeps drawing me back to my music
collection, to relive those spine-shiver moments again and again.
I'll take a stab at a few:
- When the jangle of the guitar starts 8 or 12 measures into
"Go Back" by Crabby Appleton.
- When Allan Clarke sings "Been so bad, baby" on "I Can't Let Go"
- Last notes on "She Loves You" and "I'm Alive"
- Bobby Hatfield's high note "please" in "Lost that Lovin' Feelin'"
- George Martin's piano break in "In My Life"
- Piccolo trumpet in "Penny Lane"
- The 7 note rest in "Good Lovin'"
- The intro to "California Girls"
- The B-3 on "Like a Rolling Stone"
- John's voice in "Day in the Life"
- Dino's drummming through the second half of "Lonely Too Long"
- When they switch to the muted radio-like voice on "Overnight
Sensation (Hit Record)"
- The Byrd's first time singing "Eight Miles High"
- The hypnotic outro to "Isn't It a Pity"
- bgv on "You Didn't Have to be so Nice"
- The Sparklettes bottle intro to "Caroline, No"...wait, ALL of
"Caroline, No"
Like I said, TOO MANY! How 'bout other S'poppers?
-Sean
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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 10:23:29 EST
From: John Berg
Subject: Re: Big ol' record-collecting gals
While I don't currently know any "women who collect", I raised
the question yesterday with my friend Neal, whose global trading
connections are far broader and more frequent than mine. He
immediately thought of at least 10 women he trades items with
(he prefers not to ever let cash be part of these transactions)
and named several of them, including a "Christine" on in the
northeast and a woman in the Bay area. He noted that they do
tend to me more into a particular band -- say Paul Revere & The
Raiders -- than most of his male trade-mates, but they are as
knowledgeable and passionate about the hobby as he and any of
our male fanatic-friends. I used to trade with a woman who
was very, very "into" the "pub-rock" scene in the UK (e.g. Bees
Makes Honey, Eggs Over Easy, Brinsley Schwarz, Chilli Willi,
Ace and many many other bands of the mid-'70s onward who played
their music in UK pubs rather than huge halls and auditoriums,
a sort of "back-to-the-roots movement) and even self-published
a book on the subject. She helped me discover tons of minutia
-- and exposed me to some great music I would have otherwise
missed -- until she got married. That was it, she dropped off
the scene totally and I've not heard from her again. Maybe
there is some kind of hint or message there? Women have other
scenes in which to focus their energies, like survival, raising
a family, keeping a home, being social in a face to face setting
with other humans (and I suppose pets!) while males are often
content to place their affections into things and abstract
"connections". "Venus and Mars"?
John Berg
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 13:20:49 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: ELO
Bibi LaRed wrote:
> Sure, the sounds were sappy love songs (most of them at
> least), but it was the unique mixture of Lynne's rugged
> voice, Bevan's Slingerlands and Tandy's melodic riffs
> (not to mention the string section) that made Lynne a
> legend in our own time. At this time, I was also listening
> extensively to Annie Haslam & Renaissance. These were called
> classical rock bands, which I feel Renaissance was much more
> classical than rock! :)
Hey Bibi,
I think Annie Haslam's clear, beautiful, 'olde English'
voice is one of the best ever.
Austin Roberts
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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 13:11:38 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Inept / Mistakes
The thing about some of the oldies stations is that they
seem to be forced to play remakes of great original singles.
I'll bet that drives more than just me nuts. There are a
lot of us who can hear the slightest change in the vocals.
Austin Poberts
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 16:20:27 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Lloyd Thaxton
Lou wrote:
> We are just a microcosmic group of die hard knuckleheads who are
> dying to see your stuff on DVD but keep in mind that there are
> thousands upon thousands who have purchased copies of "Hulabaloo",
> "Ed Sullivan Show" DVDs as well as questionably legitimate [but
> groovy] VHS tapes of "The Big T.N.T. Show", "The T.A.M.I. Show",
> etc from places on line like The Video Beat just so we can get a
> generous dose of true historic Rock n' Roll greatness.
Lou, I would like to see a DVD of Lloyd's shows too. As I mentioned
previously, he had the best acts around. I remember he really liked
to flirt with the female acts on the show a lot--who could blame
him? He also tried harder to get the kids on the show enthused with
special interactive events on the show. You also sometimes felt like
people just "dropped in", making it seem less formal than the bigger
shows. I have on audio when Lloyd interviews Chad & Jeremy in which
they supposedly were seen crossing the street and he just pulled them
in and they lipsynched "Before & After" I believe. Of course, the
Yardbirds' performance has been booted on "Golden Eggs" with Lloyd's
interview. I believe they quote a member of the group (on Lp notes)
as saying it was live drums and vocals over the record for their
performance. Lloyd?? I'm for the DVD's!
Clark
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Message: 18
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 10:07:41 -0500 (EST)
From: ACJ
Subject: Re: "Like To Get to Know You"
Stewart Mason, I have an original copy of the
"Like To Get To Know You" single, and the version
we've heard is all there on one side, coda and all.
ACJ
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Message: 19
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 20:53:18 -0000
From: Phil Hall
Subject: Stupid songs
What's the most nonsensical song you've ever heard, other than
something like "Ne Ne Na Na Na Na Nu Nu"? I'll start it off by
nominating "Toom Toom (Is A Little Boy)" by Marie Applebee.
Phil Hall
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Message: 20
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 14:08:37 -0500
From: Jackie
Subject: Felice Taylor
Does anyone know where Felice Taylor is now?
Thanks
Jackie
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Message: 21
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 14:39:46 +0000
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Lorna Dune
Artie Wayne wrote:
> Lorna Dune was Lorna Wright. Gary Wright ["Dreamweaver"]
> was her brother.
Interesting! So she was a British woman who lived in the
NYC area and did regular session work in the studios there?
--Phil M.
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Message: 22
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 16:54:58 +0000
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Chuck Chuck, Bo Buck
My two favorite well-known Chuck Berry songs are "Back In
The USA" and "Little Queenie." Take a look at some sample
lines from each ...
Back In The USA:
Looking for a drive-in, searching for a corner cafe
Hear hamburgers sizzle on an open griddle night and day
Yeah, and a juke-box jumping with records like in the USA ...
Anything you want, we got right here in the USA
No offense to you fawrners, but this song makes me so proud
to be American -- the land of cheeseburgers and jukeboxes!
(Alas, no more drive-ins). Chuck romanticizes the ol' juke
again in ...
Little Queenie:
Who's the queen standin' over by the record machine?
Well she looks like a model on the cover of a magazine
But she's too cute to be a minute over seventeen
I said go, go, go, little queenie
Meanwhile, I'm still thinkin'
If it's a slow one, we'll omit it
If it's a rocker, then we'll git it
If it's a good one, she'll admit it
C'mon queenie, let's get with it
Chuck and band, of course, give great performances on the
original renderings of both of these. My favorite obscure
C.B. song is the utterly haunting "Downbound Train",
uncharacteristic of Chuck's style in a number of ways,
but an incredible piece of work nonetheless.
All of these are Berry, Berry good!
--Phil M.
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Message: 23
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 13:17:23 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: benefit for Paul Atkinson
The Zombies were one of the most interesting and straight to
the ear groups I've ever heard! I'm very sorry to hear about
Paul Atkinson. I know he'll be in a lot of people's prayers.
Austin Roberts
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Message: 24
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 16:39:55 EST
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Thanks Austin; Spine-tingling; Answers
Austin Roberts, thanks AGAIN for your prompt (and twice!!)
responses. My younger sister and I both fell in love with
"Something's Wrong With Me" in the late fall of '72 when
there seemed to be a shortage of really good melodic stuff
on the Top 40--I was tired of "I Can See Clearly Now",
"Your Mama Don't Dance" and "Baby, Don't Get Hooked On Me".
Love the organ thing in the background particularly after
the phrase "the tears of a clown". Lots of 6Ts records keep
giving me moments of both mind and body being turned on.
Chord change on Fontella Bass' "Rescue Me" (I need your tender
charms....)--Chuck Jackson's voice throughout "Any Day Now"
(! ! !) & Dusty Springfield on "Brand New Me" each time she
breaks into "Just because of you, boy".
Three much more obscure examples of records that send shivers
up my spine either at one point of the song or throughout are
"I Can" by the Truth (Cadet, 1968) "Falling Sugar" by The
Palace Guard (Orange-Empire, 1966) and "My Friend the Wizard"
(The Others, Jubilee, 1967, possibly unreleased).
I bought Skeeter Davis' answer to Hank Locklin's "Please Help
Me, I'm Falling" (I Can't Help You--I'm Falling Too) in Sarasota,
Florida.
I collect answer records even if they're not among my favorites.
I'd pay premium for a good 45 of "I'm The Girl From Wolverton
Mountain" or Artie Wayne's own answer to his own "Midnight Mary"!
Speaking of Artie Wayne! Gary Geld and Peter Udell are the
greatest!! Were they themselves "The Banned" on Fontana?
Absolute song-penning brilliance!
And I haven't welcomed Ron Dante to Spectropop yet...what's
there to say??!! Except what would 6Ts pop have been without
him? Welcome to the "Leader of the Laundromat". Ron, did
you publish for "Frost Music" on Roulette later on or am I
mixing you up with someone different?
Bobster
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Message: 25
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 18:53:24 -0000
From: C Ponti
Subject: Re: the (un)original hits by the original artists!
Mike McKay wrote:
> "A further consequence: the classic songs heard on
> Oldies radio stations are often wildly different from
> the way they sounded when they were contemporary
> hits...and yet all but the most avid listeners don't
> even realize this and come to accept what they hear
> today as the real McCoy."
Stewart Mason:
> The most egregious example I know of this is Spanky
> and Our Gang's "Like To Get To Know You," which I knew
> and loved first as an oldies radio hit and then on a
> used vinyl copy of the compilation SPANKY'S GREATEST
> HIT(S). I always marveled at how deeply weird this
> song was structurally, with a coda that's nearly as
> long as the body of the song itself. So imagine my
> disappointment when I laid hands on the original album
> and discovered that this was because said coda was
> actually a reprise from the end of side two that was
> edited onto the song for the compilation, which then
> became the standard form of the song!
> I've never seen the original single: does it have this
> coda edited onto it as well?
I worship Spanky & Our Gang! That record and "Sunday Will
Never Be The Same" are incredible. I have the "Best Of.."
and I wear it out. The guys in that band were in a college
choir together and were really good technical singers.
McFarlane is as good as it gets and was much more than a
Cass Elliot imitator, though many saddled her with that.
My other fave is "Give A Damn", which started out as a
public service announcement and became a full song....
C Ponti
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
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