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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Patricia Ann Michaels - Tar And Cement - Michael-Ann
From: Martin Roberts
2. Re: brain shiverers
From: John Sellards
3. Re: Top 40 radio / ELO / times a changin'
From: Clark Besch
4. Re: Richard Hawley / Late Night Final
From: Austin Roberts
5. Re: Biggest record label blunders
From: Joe Nelson
6. Re: Concrete & Clay
From: Mac Joseph
7. talking of Tar And Cement
From: Martin Roberts
8. Re: Variable Speed Oscilator/Hastening the track...
From: Mike Mckay
9. Re: Bubblegum
From: Mike Mckay
10. Re: Brenda's BG singer
From: Mike Mckay
11. Re: Lead Vocal on This Diamond Ring
From: Al Kopper
12. Re: spine-shiver songs
From: John Sellards
13. Re: Indianapolis sixties groups
From: Jess
14. Re: US music in 1963
From: Paul Bryant
15. Re: Album stories
From: Art Longmire
16. What happened to the Brill Building?
From: Paul Bryant
17. Re: Mary Hopkin
From: Phil Milstein
18. Fuzzy Bunnies...heard of them?
From: superoldies
19. Re: life in Tulsa al la '70s
From: Mike Rashkow
20. Re: The Zombies Live On
From: Jake Arriaga
21. Re: Label Blunders
From: Paul Urbahns
22. "Porpoise Song" in stereo
From: Stewart Mason
23. Re: Caroline No
From: Steveo
24. Re: Elvis Sun Records master tapes
From: Steveo
25. Phil Spector's "Well, I Mean" demo
From: JD Doyle
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 18:40:35 -0000
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: Patricia Ann Michaels - Tar And Cement - Michael-Ann
Phil M. posted a super version of "Tar And Cement" and pondered on
the identity of the singer:
> The jury is still out on whether Patricia Ann Michaels is the same
> singer as Patty Michaels...
Not sure if she's Patty Michaels, I'll give my 45s another spin. But
I'm in no doubt that she is Michael-Ann: "Teenage Cleopatra" / "Nine
Out Of Ten" on Kip 0067 from '63. Both sides are girl-group heaven
but it's the side with the Ellie Greenwich twang on the vocals that
confirms it to these ears.
I've just posted the track to musica, so you don't have to take my
word for it.
Martin
PS Don't forget Mel Carter's groovy, "Tar And Cement" that Mike posted
to musica eons ago.
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 16:53:56 -0000
From: John Sellards
Subject: Re: brain shiverers
Mike Rashkow wrote:
> I'd like to hang a left on this thread and move it to,
> BRAIN SHIVERERS.
And the the very strange way the beat turns around for a split second
in the chorus of "I Was Made To Love Her" by Stevie Wonder.
John Sellards
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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 18:59:52 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Top 40 radio / ELO / times a changin'
Country Paul wrote:
> My 2 cents on the ELO debate: I saw them live early on. Excellent.
> I don't agree that there was much competition for ELO on Top 40
> radio. But, as is stated at the end of Paul's message, aren't there a
> lot of musical acts who obscured radio over the years? Haven't the
> Beatles been accused of preventing better quality music from getting
> into the Top 40 or even on the radio?
Paul, I saw the spaceship concert ELO tour thing in the '70s,
and it was mesmerizing. Loved their music from day 1. Mostly I
think I loved hearing a Beatles energy and sound in the '70s that
actually DID get played. There was more, but music like that wasn't
necessarily displaced by ELO, but more by the BGs, Manilow and the
New Kids on the Block, so to speak. I loved the '60s sound, but it
was more displaced by a glitzier '70s sound than ELO, who were in
itself a glitzier '60s that was acceptable because they were at
least glitzy. The sound quality on their records was so polished,
it was amazing.
As I wrote, "Navy Blue" had stiff competition from the Beatles, but
it did well anyway. The Beatles should never be accused of
preventing better quality music from getting into the top 40. It's
more the changing of the guard. Time moved ahead, and unfortunately,
younger people liked a new sound. Happens decade after decade. The
Beatles just managed to transcend the eras like Elvis, the Stones,
Dylan and others. We write a lot about '60s songs, but there are
those out there who will make that Beatles comment just because,
unlike me, they grew up with Elvis, Haley and the early rockers. I
don't blame Elvis for ending "Your Hit Parade". I don't blame the
Beatles for ending or lowering the status of the girl groups and teen
idols of early '60s. I don't blame ELO for keeping Three Dog Night
or the Grass Roots from continued success. It's just the times that
were a changin' and we want to hold those old artists up and wish
their hits would continue. Or we hear someone after the fact, P.F.
Sloan for instance, who was so great and I didn't know who he was
for a decade after his best songs had come and gone. Does this make
any sense?
Clark
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 01:57:43 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Richard Hawley / Late Night Final
previously:
> Another tip re an utterly amazing album with not one note out of place: try
> Richard Hawley's "Late Night Final" -- specifically that one (he has an
> alnost-but-not-quite as good second album too). "LNF" is loaded with
> the most beautiful melodies, dream lyrics, and the most effortless
> singing voice you've ever heard.
Appreciate it. I'll try to get a copy.
AR
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Message: 5
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 13:26:52 -0500
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: Biggest record label blunders
Bob Radil wrote:
> I have two copies of "Runaway Child Running Wild" by The Temptations,
> 4:30 and 3:17. They're both labeled 3:17.
In a similar manner, all copies of "Beach Baby" by First Class show
the running time as 4:59, but some copies faded out abruptly at 3:06.
I wasn't aware there were two different versions untill Tim Neeley at
Goldmine told me he'd never heard of the shorter one. The short
version can be identified by the addition of the characters EV to the
matrix number as it appears in the dead wax.
Joe Nelson
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Message: 6
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 05:28:46 -0800 (PST)
From: Mac Joseph
Subject: Re: Concrete & Clay
Ed,
Got a quick question for you. Until I joined Spectropop, I did not even know
that there was an original version of "Concrete and Clay", as Unit 4+2 was
the only version I was familiar with. I remember that song very well. Tell
me, Ed, did you record that as a solo venture, or were you in a group at the
time? I would be very interested in hearing your version of this song. It
would make for some interesting research. And, also, did you continue
in the recording industry. Please forgive me for not recognizing your
name if you did, everyday I learn something new here at Spectropop,
that's what I love about this sight.
Take care,
Mac Joseph
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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 19:02:29 -0000
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: talking of Tar And Cement
Keiron Tyler, (who I think is a lurker on the site) has a great 6 page article
and review of Mark Wirtz (who is a very active participant!) in this
month's MOJO.
Thanks to Mick Patrick for pointing it out to me, I'm behind on everything at
present and hadn't got round to reading it, anyway. Super article based
around Mark's unfinished (soon to be completed?), "Teenage Opera". Included
are interviews with the great man and Keith West, great pictures and an excellent
setting of time and place in which the work was begun.
And Mark, I still think your production of "Tar And Cement", with vocal by
Caroline Munro, is the best!
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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 14:15:43 EST
From: Mike Mckay
Subject: Re: Variable Speed Oscilator/Hastening the track...
C. Ponti wrote:
> One would be
> hard pressed to find a single in the 60's where VSO wasn't used. It
> was ubiquitous. I hear it indelibly on Beatles, Spoonful, Hollies,Four
> Seasons, Mamas & Papas tracks.
In the case of The Beatles, they also went the other way, slowing down tracks
recorded at normal speed. The most notable example is "Rain," and this
definitely had an effect on the sound of the instruments.
Then of course, there's "Strawberry Fields Forever," with one section speeded
up and another slowed down in such a way that two disparate takes recorded in
different keys magically "matched."
Mike
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Message: 9
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 14:18:43 EST
From: Mike Mckay
Subject: Re: Bubblegum
David Coyle wrote:
> The Ohio Express used to play
> heavy psych on stage to avoid those sticky sticky
> hits, but now, as I said, it's bubblegum music all the
> way.
Sounds like the case of The Lemon Pipers, who fancied
themselves a heavy psych band and were reportedly not too
thrilled at the material they were made to record.
However, these guys could actually deliver the psych goods
when permitted. "Through with You" from their first album
is a psych classic...though most of you guys would probably
hate it -- all eight minutes plus of it!
Mike
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Message: 10
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 14:25:13 EST
From: Mike Mckay
Subject: Re: Brenda's BG singer
Alan Gordon wrote:
> ...The amazing soprano background
> singer in Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry," who, during Brenda's
> heart-felt recitation, echoes that gorgeous melody from a palm-
> tree-swaying, soft-breezed beach in the balmy just-out-of-reach,
> sun-setting distance ...
I don't know this for a fact, but this is almost certainly Millie
Kirkham, whose soprano graced hundreds, if not thousands, of
records cut in Nashville from the 50s through at least the 80s.
Mike
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Message: 11
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 15:11:22 EST
From: Al Kopper
Subject: Re: Lead Vocal on This Diamond Ring
Mikey wrote:
> Gary sang most of the vocals, altho if you listen VERY
> closely to some of the stereo mixes, youll hear Ron Hinclins
> voice coming thru as the "guide" track for Gary.
BTW thats Ron Hicklin - a famous LA vocal contractor who helped me
tremendously when I lived in LA He got all the backup singers for
all my LA solo albums and The Tubes first album that I produced.
I'm VERY impressed that you know that it's him singing lead on This
Diamond Ring as well as others
al kooper
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Message: 12
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 20:38:22 -0000
From: John Sellards
Subject: Re: spine-shiver songs
David Coyle wrote:
> "The End" by Earl Grant
> "Pledging My Love" by Johnny Ace
Since you've brought up R&B and pop from that era, I'd like to vote
for (I think) the greatest male vocalist of all time, and a man who
you can hear in Elvis, and whose mid 40s band stylings possibly
influenced many of the great R&B bands of the 50s...Billy Eckstine,
with his recording of "Body And Soul".
John Sellards
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Message: 13
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 20:44:53 -0000
From: Jess
Subject: Re: Indianapolis sixties groups
Dan Hughes wrote:
> the Dawn Five, who had a great folk-rock song called
> "A Necessary Evil," and who were in a bad traffic accident just as
> they were becoming very popular. I believe some of the group
> members were killed.
If anyone has this one ("A Necessary Evil"), could they please play
it to musica?
Thanks,
Jess
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Message: 14
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 13:27:31 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul Bryant
Subject: Re: US music in 1963
Mike Edwards wrote (in reply to a comment about
Frankies and Bobbys by me):
> There was a lot more to American pop music in 1963
> than you imply. It was a top quality year.
Yes, it was, I totally agree, and here's a few of my
reasons why
Up on the Roof : The Drifters
Little Town Flirt : Del Shannon
The Night has 1000 Eyes : Bobby Vee
Rhythm of the Rain : The Cascades
Green Onions : Booker T & the MGs
Hey Paula : Paul and Paula
It Might as well rain until September : Carole King
Walk Right In : Rooftop Singers
Walk Like a Man : The Four Seasons
>From a Jack to a King : Ned Miller
Our day will Come : Ruby and the Romantics
Tell Him : Exciters
Brown Eyed Handsome Man : Buddy Holly
Hello Stranger : Barbara Lewis
One Fine day : The Chiffons
The Folk Singer : Tommy Roe
The End of the World : Skeeter Davis
I Will follow Him : Little Peggy March
Can't Get Used to Losing You : Andy Williams
I Wonder : Brenda Lee
On Broadway : Drifters
Two Kinds of Teardrops : Del Shannon
The Martian Hop : The Ran-Dells
Denise : Randy and the Rainbows
Memphis Tennessee : Chuck Berry
In Dreams : Roy Orbison
Losing You : Brenda Lee
It's my Party : Lesley Gore
He's so Fine : The Chiffons
If you Wanna be Happy : Jimmy Soul
Wipe Out : The Surfaris
Abilene : George Hamilton IV
So Much in Love : The Thymes
Bobby Tomorrow : Bobby Vee
Sweets for my Sweet : Searchers
Devil in Disguise : Elvis Presley
Surf City : Jan and Dean
Easier said than Done : The Essex
Bo Diddley : Buddy Holly
Don't make me Over : Dionne Warwick
Da Doo Ron Ron : Crystals
The Grass is Greener : Brenda Lee
I'll Take you Home : Drifters
Falling : Roy Orbison
Candy Girl : The Four Seasons
Just One Look : Doris Troy
Then He Kissed Me : The Crystals
Blue Bayou : Roy Orbison
I Wonder : The Ronettes
Pipeline : The Chantays
Blue Velvet : Bobby Vinton
Sally Go round the Roses : The Jaynettes
I Want to stay here : Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme
Everybody : Tommy Roe
My Boyfriend's Back : The Angels
Mockingbird : Inez and Charlie Foxx
I Can't Stay Mad at You : Skeeter Davis
Deep Purple : Nino Tempo and April Stevens
Heatwave : Martha and the Vandellas
Be my baby : The Ronettes
Pretty Paper : Roy Orbison
so I didn't mean to imply any disrespect to 1963!
pb
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Message: 15
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 21:56:29 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Re: Album stories
Dan Hughes wrote:
> Got any stories about albums that surprised you?
I love hearing about the first records people bought...a first record
can bring back as many pleasant memories as a first girlfriend! I was
much more oriented towards 45s than LPs early on, and the very first
45 I ever spent my allowance money on was "Domino" by Van Morrison.
The date for this momentous occasion was November 2, 1970...amazing
that I can still recall it after all these years. I actually
wanted "Sex Machine" by James Brown, "Ooh Child" by the Five
Stairsteps, and "Joanne" by Michael Nesmith, but they had all fallen
off the charts by then and were no longer in the record bins.
After several months of buying 45s I decided to make the jump to LPs
and my first three purchases were "Ecology" by Rare Earth, the Harlem
Globetrotters LP (from the television show) and "Astral Weeks" by Van
Morrison. I remember the Globetrotters LP was really a great soul/r&B
album, and my two younger brothers and I really got into it.
Unfortunately I don't have it anymore-it would be a great candidate
for a CD reissue.
As for "Astral Weeks", I purchased it in March, 1971 and it's been a
huge favorite ever since.
Some other records (45s) I got around that time included "Ride a
White Swan" by Tyrannosaurus Rex, "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath, "Super
Bad" by James Brown, and "Engine No. 9" by Wilson Pickett.
And one that got away-one song I heard and tried to get and still
haven't gotten was called "You're the One" by Little Sister (Sly
Stone's sister and her group).
Art Longmire
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Message: 16
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 14:04:08 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul Bryant
Subject: What happened to the Brill Building?
Dear Poppers
Thinking about what the Beatles killed off and what
they put in its place got me wondering what happened
to the Brill school of songwriting. The Fabs were big
fans of the Brillos and played many live covers of
Brill songs, but maybe they helped do them in
inadvertently by making it de rigeur for groups to
write their own stuff, so that jobbing songwriters
could no longer place their songs easily - I dunno
about that. What do you all think? We know what
happened to the Brillos individually (Carole, Ellie,
Barry, Neil, etc etc) but we also know that by - say -
1966/7 there wasn't a Brill School of Hits any more.
Something had happened.
pb
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Message: 17
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 16:48:00 -0500
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Mary Hopkin
Eddy wrote:
> Apparently things weren't quite clear on which cd's were actually
> re-issued by Apple on cd in the mid 90's. Here's the list (with
> UK ref #'s) :
> Mary Hopkin - Postcard - Sapcor 05
Thanks for the list, Eddy -- sure wish I'd been on this at the time!
Does anyone know what Mary Hopkin does these days? I always found Those
Were The Days awfully annoying -- was never a big one for the faux
vaudeville/music hall/stein-lifters fad -- but she sounded terrific on
Goodbye, and with that winsome face it's a wonder she wasn't a bigger
star. Or was she, in UK/Europe/elsewhere?
--Phil M.
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Message: 18
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 22:14:49 -0000
From: superoldies
Subject: Fuzzy Bunnies...heard of them?
They had a low charter in 1968 on Decca with "The Sun Ain't Gonna
Shine Anymore". Typical '68 psych-rock. Haven't been able to find
anything on the web about them...anyone know?
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Message: 19
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 18:08:30 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: life in Tulsa al la '70s
Phil Milstein wrote:
> Any sign of Denny Cordell at that time and place?
Denny Cordell was living on Tulsa time?
Rashkovsky
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Message: 20
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 23:09:25 -0000
From: Jake Arriaga
Subject: Re: The Zombies Live On
Neb Rodgers wrote:
> The Zombies live on. Well, two of 'em, anyway. And they're touring
> the US in Feb.
Argent/Blunstone have been touring for about 3 years now. Although
they fought the appellation of the "Zombies", it would appear that
they've tossed in the towel, and are now often booked as the same.
The Zombies presently consist of Colin Blunstone, Rod Argent, Jim
Rodford (Kinks/Animals II/Argent), Keith Airey (Tom Jones/Nik
Kershaw), and Steve Rodford (Jim's son – great drummer). If you
haven't had a chance to hear them, then I heartily recommend you seek
out a performance near you. Or maybe not so near. Colin's voice is
even more sublime than in the early days. He can still hit the high
part in "I Love You" and absolutely owns Tim Hardin's "Misty
Roses". "A Rose for Emily" generally brings the house to its feet,
as does Russ Ballard's song, "I Don't Believe In Miracles."
Blunstone usually does "Old And Wise", from the Alan Parsons LP "Eye
In The Sky". In fact, Alan was a special guest at the band's gig in
Santa Barbara last year. Rod keeps things moving apace, with
commentary and keyboard wizardry. Chris White's songs (the older
material) are amazing. It is easy to see that these veterans really
love making music. And what great and wonderful music it is.
Jake
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Message: 21
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 18:20:28 EST
From: Paul Urbahns
Subject: Re: Label Blunders
Previously:
> Anyone else have any other [label] blunders to add?
> Let's hear from ya!
I must mention what I think is the biggest blunder of all.
At least the biggest one I have seen. When MCA (you remember
the Music Cemetery Of America) Records decided to issue a
series of movie soundtracks licensed from MGM one of
the Lps they issued was "2001 A Space Odyssey, Vol 2".
Naturally you would assume it was aditional classical themes
not issued on the original MGM soundtrack album. Nope. It was
a track for track reissue of the 2001 A Space Odysssey MGM
album. So there you have the original album, and Volume 2
exactly alike (except for the cover ..and title). Yes I have
both.
Paul Urbahns
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Message: 22
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 15:23:48 -0800 (PST)
From: Stewart Mason
Subject: "Porpoise Song" in stereo
Country Paul asks:
> My favorite Monkees 45 was "Porpoise Song,"
> the full-length version. I've only found this
> long version on the original 45, and only in
> mono. I know there's a stereo mix of the
> "short version" - up to the pause at the II
> minor 7 chord dominated by the organ, but I've
> never found that long Beatle-ish fade riff
> (for the not-yet-informed, think "She's So
> Heavy" is a major key). Question: does it
> exist? If so, anyone know where?
Rhino's vinyl reissue of HEAD in 1986 included the
long version of "Porpoise Song" in place of the short
version that originally appeard on the LP, and while I
cannot confirm this because I unfortunately no longer
have this LP, I'm about 95% certain that this was a
stereo mix.
S
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Message: 23
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 20:00:19 -0800 (PST)
From: Steveo
Subject: Re: Caroline No
Richard,
I remember when that record (Caroline, No) came out originally.
I thought it was fresh and different. I loved it very much.
The other side is a take-off on "Theme from a Summer Place",
but given that homage.. the backround orchestration and mixing
is really fantastic!
Steveo
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Message: 24
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 20:02:14 -0800 (PST)
From: Steveo
Subject: Re: Elvis Sun Records master tapes
Mikey wrote:
> The reverb/echo chamber on the Elvis Sun stuff was NOT added
> at the time of recording. There was a small amount of "slapback"
> echo added during the original recording. The echo you hear on
> the Elvis Sun stuff was done in the late 50s, when RCA dubbed
> all the Sun tapes to new masters. They added the echo at that
> point. Sadly, many of the original "clean" Sun tapes were lost
> so that all the now remains are these "dubbed with extra echo"
> tapes. The only way to hear what Elvis really sounded like on
> Sun is to get some clean Sun 78s or 45s. They do exist.
Mikey,
Yeah, I forgot about that RCA release in 1956. You're right about
that stuff. I do remember the original Sun 45, I had several of them.
Steveo
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Message: 25
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 21:06:52 -0000
From: JD Doyle
Subject: Phil Spector's "Well, I Mean" demo
I've gotten so much enjoyment out of this group that I
wanted to say thanks, so I played a rare Phil Spector
demo to musica. He did it in 1961, supposedly to interest
Elvis in recording it.
JD Doyle
http://www.queermusicheritage.com
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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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