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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: Cilla vs Dionne vs Connie vs Dee Dee vs Joanie
From: Frank Wright
2. Little Paul
From: albabe Gordon
3. Sharon Tandy
From: Mick Patrick
4. Re: Buddy Holly after 45 years
From: Ron Bowdery
5. Re: Open Up Your Heart - Same A/B side in various cover versions
From: Al Kooper
6. D. W. Washburn / Head / 33 1/3
From: albabe Gordon
7. Re: The Big Hurt
From: James Botticelli
8. Re: Jimmie Cross and other Demented Novelties
From: Bob Rashkow
9. Re: Weirdly grooved records
From: Nick Archer
10. Re: group names / songs not in the movie
From: Bob Rashkow
11. Re: weird grooves / my mistakes / unichord / DJ pronun. / M v. S / group names
From: Phil Milstein
12. Re: Songwriter credits
From: Andrew Hickey
13. David Clayton-Thomas
From: Scott
14. Re: Sunshine Days: Pop Classics of the '60s.
From: Justin McDevitt
15. Re: Uni-chord songs
From: Mike McKay
16. Backstage Passes
From: Greg
17. James Guercio
From: Rich
18. Alzo (Fred Affronti), sad passing.....
From: Damion
19. February Lance Monthly
From: Mike Dugo
20. Hal Shaper, R.I.P.
From: Dan Hughes
21. Forgotten 45's "Sandy", "Barefoot"
From: Jim Shannon
22. "Midnight Special"
From: Paul Evans
23. Re: "Midnight Special"
From: Paul Evans
24. Anoraks; Inquisitors & Legends; another Beatle; Bill & Doree Post
From: Country Paul
25. Re: Hits You Missed
From: Art Longmire
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 03 Feb 2004 00:05:17 -0000
From: Frank Wright
Subject: Re: Cilla vs Dionne vs Connie vs Dee Dee vs Joanie
Paul Bryant:
> Cilla's version of "Alfie" is loads better than Dionne Warwick.
> It's because she's a worse singer.
Phil Chapman:
> IMHO the worst version of "Alfie" is by Cher...
> And wasn't that the version used on the U.S. release of the film?
Jeffery Kennedy:
> Talk about liking the "wrong" things: My favorite "Alfie" is by
> Connie Francis...
David Bell:
> At last I find somebody else in the world who loves Connie's
> Bacharach & David album as much as I do. I really thought that
> I was the only person who even had a copy of it. "Alfie" I prefer
> by Dee Dee Warwick, if I'm honest, but I do love the intimate
> supper club feel of Connie's album too.
And let's not forget Joanie Sommers, who also had a fantastic
version of "Alfie" out in 1966 on Columbia 43731. Some consider
it the ultimate version of "Alfie". It didn't make the Hot 100,
but it did well on the Easy Listening stations and charts. Joanie
also gave Cilla some competition in 1968 by releasing a nice version
of "Step Inside Love" (Happy Tiger 521).
Frank Wright
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Joanie_Sommers/
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 21:29:46 -0000
From: albabe Gordon
Subject: Little Paul
Phil Milstein said of "Little Paul"
> Of course, Sir Paul had a bit of help with that one --
> lessons in "how to do Little Richard" from Little Richard
> himself! Which is not to say that you or I could've done
> half so well had we had the same training..."
I completely agree with the last part of that statement, Phil...
But if Paul didn't have the natural balls, it wouldn't matter how
much "help" he got from Richard, or anyone. IMHO, screaming in
key from the end of your toes all the way up and out through your
lips is something that isn't teachable. You may hit the notes,
but if the viscera ain't there...
~albabe
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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 23:49:12 -0000
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Sharon Tandy
Any Sharon Tandy fans out there?
My colleague Alec Palao has masterminded a CD on Big Beat
comprising the bulk of her '60s output. From their website:
"Blue-eyed soul, freakbeat and state-of-the-art girl pop,
Sharon was one of the best voices of the time. This first-
ever career retrospective features virtually all of her
1960s singles and several cuts from Sharon's legendary 1966
session at Stax in Memphis."
Find a full tracklist and more info here:
http://www.acerecords.co.uk/gotrt/jan04/cdwikd233.html
Sharon is staging a comeback gig in London on Feb 19th to
mark the release of the CD. Respond to this message for
further details.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 12:57:18 +0000 (GMT)
From: Ron Bowdery
Subject: Re: Buddy Holly after 45 years
David Coyle wrote:
> While Brylcreem Bobbies made pop music respectable for
> adults by taking it back to the days of the big band
> crooners, groups like the Beatles and the Hollies and
> the Searchers remained in the Buddy Holly "cult" and
> gave rock and roll the kickstart it needed. Buddy
> Holly remained an influence even on the pop crooners
> and both schools of pop were able to learn from
> Buddy's example.
Jeffrey Mlinscek:
> And let's not forget the Bobby Fuller Four as part of that
> so-called Buddy Holly cult.
I write as one of a few people who saw Buddy Holly
perform. In those days most rock 'n' roll singers held a guitar,
but it was really there for effect. Imagine my surprise when Buddy
and the Crickets started off with "That'll be the day" with Buddy
playing that lead and guitar solo, that must rank asone of the best
ever. He went on to sing standards such as "Reddy Teddy". A very
memorable evening.
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 20:30:00 EST
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Re: Open Up Your Heart - Same A/B side in various cover versions
Charles G. Hill:
> Go hunt down "Sunshine Days: Pop Classics of the '60s, Volume 2" on
> Varese Sarabande (last seen as Varese Vintage VSD-5802, 1997).
> "Open Up Your Heart" by Thomas and Richard Frost
Mark Hill:
> This could open dialog on a curiosity I've followed over several
> decades of record collecting...
> Is this the same song that was first(?) recorded by:
> THE COWBOY CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL (01/55 - Decca 29367)
> "Open Up Your Heart (And Let The Sunshine In)/
> b-side: "The Lord Is Counting On You"
> A new recording of "Open Up Your Heart" was later used in a FLINTSTONES
> episode (c.1965) where Pebble And Bamm-Bamm start singing and become
> recording stars. (And wasn't their topically named manager, "Brian
> Eppy-STONE"?)
> This "Heart" was released as a 45 on HBR Records with a picture sleeve.
> (Same recording used on the show.) ... it has the SAME B-SIDE as the
> original... "The Lord Is Counting On You."
> Then, about 5 years ago, I picked up ANOTHER version of "Open Up Your
> Heart" on a Columbia 78rpm by ROSEMARY CLOONEY and her sister. (c.50s)
> I'll assume it came shortly after the COWBOY CHURCH version. *And*...
> it has THE SAME B-SIDE, "The Lord Is Counting On You."
> I just wonder what it is with that song..?
I have a version by Bobby Lee Trammell of that title
Think its the same song???
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Message: 6
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 21:33:28 -0000
From: albabe Gordon
Subject: D. W. Washburn / Head / 33 1/3
Larry Lapka says he likes D.W. Washburn
My two bits worth: I think it's a great song. At the time,
I was judging everything The Monkees were putting out, by their
previous successes, which is not the way to advance your musical
tastes. In retrospect, D. W. is an awesome song. I also agree
that if the series was still in full gear, that it might've been
a huge hit. I believe what Nes (supposedly) said at the time to
Kirshner... something like: they could've sung the phonebook and
it would have been a hit because of the TV show. It's a good thing
they didn't have to worry about that, since almost all of their
material, including Mike's seminal efforts, were so good.
And like you, I also LOVE the movie. Even in retrospect it is
a mighty achievement. Thoughtful, funny, introspective and just
very late '60's. Hopefully there will be a DVD version with
commentaries by all involved, soon. I'm one of those guys that
really believed we were at the dawning of the age of Aquarius.
All you have to do is look around at all the ignorance and arrogance,
to see that I was certainly wrong about that.
33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee was just released in very good shape
(finally) on the Monkees DVD Box Set for the second season of the
series. It had been released with the video tape collection a few
years back, and this version is much cleaner. It's also very cool
and in some ways it's Head Part Deux.
best fishes,
~albabe
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Message: 7
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 18:28:58 -0500
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: The Big Hurt
Ed Rambeau:
> a disco version of the old TONI FISHER hit "THE BIG HURT"
> and is somewhat of a collectors' item.
a great song to begin with. Born again in '66 by Susan Rafey
produced brilliantly by Alan Lorber. Now, what year was yours
Eddie? If you don't mind?
James Botticelli
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Message: 8
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 18:03:37 EST
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: Jimmie Cross and other Demented Novelties
Clark Besch wrote:
> as for James Bong, I'll stick with Want My Baby Back!
Absolutely. I love them both, but "Bong" isn't nearly as clever
as IWMBB, which Dr. Demento once cited as being one of the most
tasteless "demented" records of the 20th century. Depending on
your "taste", I dare add to that list Bent Bolt's "Mechanical Man",
produced, arranged, and possibly even recorded by the late, great
Teddy Randazzo in 1967; and Weird Al Yankovic's "Mr. Frump and His
Iron Lung." Even so neither of those is really all that "funny"
IMHO. Somehow Cross managed to sidestep the maudlin/ill-fatedness
of his subject; he makes you appreciate his talent, but beware of
"Ring Rang Roo" by the Unbelievables (I think) if you're trying to
avoid "unbelievably" bad taste and maudlin attempts to be "novel"
in the 6Ts. "Transfusion" by Nervous Norvus is probably the
forerunner of all this and the most interesting, least maudlin
example.
BTW Clark, I loved all the Super CFL deejays but Barney Pip, as
kooky as he was, was always my hands-down favorite! ! !
Bobster
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Message: 9
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 17:21:05 -0600
From: Nick Archer
Subject: Re: Weirdly grooved records
Dan Hughes writes:
> Wait a minute here! "Never plays the same song twice" isn't right!
> I assume there are 128 different tracks and it's totally random as
> to which track you get when the needle drops. The odds of getting
> all 128 tracks in 128 tries are miniscule! You'd get tons of
> repeats! Do we have a statistician in the group? How many needle
> drops would it take to get all 128? You'd go nuts!
I think I have a copy of this album. If I recall, there were 4 grooves
with 32 jokes each. I'll check and let you know tomorrow.
Nick Archer
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Message: 10
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 19:01:45 EST
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: group names / songs not in the movie
My favorite group names of the 6Ts include Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky,
Mick and Tich; the Unrelated Segments; Fifty Foot Hose; The
Sensational Epics; and of course, Peanut Butter Conspiracy. One
of my favorite group names of the last decade (though I've not
heard their music) is The Not Quite.
Detroit progressive/country-rockers Savage Grace's 1st album
includes two songs decidedly NOT in the film(s) of the same name:
"Night of the Hunter" and "1984"--and there are, of course, about
6 other songs with this latter title, including The holy Mackerel
(Paul Williams and friends) and Spirit.
Whew! I can't believe I read the whole thing.....4 days worth of
Spectropop posts....405 of 'em! ! ! Excuse me, I've gotta catch
m'breath......!!!
Boom chuckaluckalucka Boom chuckaluckalucka,
Bobster (Your Friendly Neighborhood Trivia Fanatic)
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Message: 11
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 20:31:33 -0500
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: weird grooves / my mistakes / unichord / DJ pronun. / M v. S / group names
jerophonic wrote:
> Around 1980, Rhino put out "Henny Youngman's 128 Greatest Jokes",
> a live LP. The sticker on the shrinkwrap said "Special Multi-track
> (Trick Track) Mastering - The first comedy LP that never plays the
> same twice". According to which groove you hit, you heard a
> different show. (Different jokes for different folks.)
I believe they also put out a Rodney Dangerfield 7", with a handful of
one-liners each in its own groove.
Al Kooper wrote::
> I dont know how Dante, Austin or Rambeau feels, but when I hear
> my old records, all I hear are the mistakes !!!! Weird, huh ?
I think this is common to virtually all artists -- filmmakers, painters,
authors, etc. all report much the same phenomenon. In light of that it
seems to me that it's a very human response to viewing one's own past
work. It reflects the different perspective a piece of work takes on
when it's viewed freshly, out of the heat of battle, and with all of the
personal growth that's taken place in the interim. Still, it seems
unfortunate that it's so rare for artists to be able to view their
triumphs triumphantly.
jerophonic wrote:
> James Brown's great two-sided single "There Was a Time" b/w "I Can't
> Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)" -- both one chord songs.
Same chord as each other?
John Fox wrote:
> Kinda like when stations would announce "We have the biggest
> hits of all time!"
And how is it that RCA (or whoever) never got around to naming a Dolly
Parton collection "Dolly's Biggest Hits"?
Denny Pine wrote about:
> Rare mono albums from "The Great Mono Phase-Out of 1968!"
I don't quite understand why records needed to be released in both mono
and stereo mixes. If one played a stereo record on a mono system,
wouldn't the two tracks just compress into one? I realize the "mix"
would be somewhat different than a true mono mix, but enough so to cause
labels to bother with the expense and difficulties of dual releases? For
that matter, what was the harm of playing a mono record on a stereo
system? Wouldn't that just produce identical tracks in both channels --
thus, the same mix as if played through a mono system, yet perhaps a
fuller-sounding version of it.
I'm obviously missing something here, since if labels could've justified
a cheaper edition they doubtlessly would have done it that way, but
where is the flaw(s) in my understanding?
Re: Awesome group names:
Everybody needs a gimmick, and George Hamilton IV's gimmick was that
"IV." Not only did it help provide him with his preppy image, it also
was the source of the "IV" crests on his and his band members' uniforms
(etc., etc.) as well as the idea behind his band name of George Hamilton
IV & The Numbers. (I might've gone with The Roman Numerals instead, but
that's why restaurants have menus.)
--Phil M.
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Message: 12
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 00:03:38 +0100
From: Andrew Hickey
Subject: Re: Songwriter credits
Al Kooper wrote:
> So the deal is, the parts you're refering to above are arrangement
> embellishments. When they are absolutely incredible and are composed
> by the actual songwritrs they should be part of the copyright. The
> only one that comes to mind is the intro that is in the song Whiter
> Shade of Pale 3x. That needed copyrighting. Fortunatly is was "written"
> by the composers (or lifted from public domain classical music). If an
> arranger had come up with it, he would NOT have been a songwriter.
Actually, Al, you're wrong about who came up with the intro, but right
that the arranger wouldn't be credited -- that wasn't either of the
credited writers (Gary Brooker and Keith Reid), but was by Procol Harum's
keyboard player Matthew Fisher. Info about this can be found at
http://www.procolharum.com/awsopcomp.htm (a very biased fan page
with Inappropriate Capitalisation in RANDOM PLACES, which coincidentally
mentions the name of one A. Kooper in two separate places).
The other point you mention (it being lifted from public domain music) is
dealt with at http://www.bachfaq.org/awsopafg.html , whic has a long
analysis of AWSOP in relation to the two most commonly cited Bach
pieces it's compared to (and also to the Beatles' For No One), and whose
conclusion is :
"The profound structural similarities and allusions notwithstanding,
Fisher's work is not Bach's, nor an arrangement of Bach's: it is a new
composition not so much in the style of Bach as in the style of his famous
Aria in particular. While not the same work at all, it is clearly
motivated and informed by, and alluding to, Bach's. The opening
notwithstanding, the overall harmonic structure is not the same, and the
ornamentation of the solo is quite different -- in fact, Fisher's
ornamentation openly alludes to that of BWV 645 (Wachet, auf). Here are
the relevant six measures of that work, presented in the same terms
(transposed, ornaments written out, etc.). The transposition is to F to
cause critical parallel measures to appear in the same key:"
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Message: 13
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 23:08:08 EST
From: Scott
Subject: David Clayton-Thomas
Mike McKay wrote:
> I've never liked big beefy-voiced singers like DCT ...
Anyone know what Mr. Clayton-Thomas is up to these days? Does he
still perform?
Scott
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Message: 14
Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 22:54:39 -0700
From: Justin McDevitt
Subject: Re: Sunshine Days: Pop Classics of the '60s.
Hello Spectropop,
Over the past few days, some mention has been made of the Varese
Sarabande series; Sunshine Days: Pop Classics of the '60s.
I queried The Sarabande website and V4 was the only Cd in the series
that was cited, and out of print at that.
Any recommendations for alternative sites, other than Ebay?
Re the Pebbles and Bam-Bam version of Open Up Your Heart, I remember
seeing this episode in 1965 and on 3-4 other occasions in rerun over
the last number of years.
The 1965 season of this great show, (its last) also featured an
episode with Fred appearing on Shindig, presenting a new dance
sensation. The show was hosted by Jimmy Oneilstone), and also
featured the Bo Brummelstones, singing Laugh Laugh.
Justin McDevitt
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Message: 15
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 00:12:14 EST
From: Mike McKay
Subject: Re: Uni-chord songs
Mark Hill wrote:
> Here are some One Chord Songs listed [from a fake book he owns]:
> Dance To The Music SLY & THE FAMILY STONE
The body of the song, yes. But the horn figure that precedes "Cynthia
and Jerry have a message..." jumps out of the song's home key.
> Do It Again- STEELY [basic structure]
Not sure what they mean here. Even if there's only one chord change in
a song, it's no longer a one-chord song. There's a chord change on "Go
BACK, Jack...."
> Jim Dandy- LAVERNE BAKER
Huh??? This is a basic I-IV-V progression. No way this should be on the
list!
> Soulfinger- BAR-KAYS
Even if you don't count the chord changes in the "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
riff (and you should), there's still a change from the root chord when the "Soul Finger" chorus is sung.
> Bad Blood- NEIL SEDAKA
Very definite chord changes on the chorus. Don't know what key it's in,
but if it were in E, it would be E-G-A.
> Marie's The Name (keeps coming back to same chord), Viva Las Vegas -
> ELVIS
No. Let's say it's in C. The verses alternate between C and Am. The
title phrase would then go to F and G.
No criticism implied here. The rest of the entries on the list are
valid, and it's a most interesting gathering.
Mike
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Message: 16
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 00:16:02 -0500 (EST)
From: Greg
Subject: Backstage Passes
A day or two after Koop signed on to Spectropop, I ran across his
"Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards" book, and spent an
entire Sunday reading it -- couldn't put it down! I'm glad to have
the "Rolling Stone" session story in print, because every time I
tell the story to younger musicians, they don't believe it. It's
always been fun for me to listen to Al find his way through the song.
Greg,
who has some Vox amps that were also blessed with "Pat's Kiss"
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Message: 17
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 03:00:29 EST
From: Rich
Subject: James Guercio
Does anyone know what James Guercio does these days. Is he still
around?
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Message: 18
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 08:14:56 -0000
From: Damion
Subject: Alzo (Fred Affronti), sad passing.....
Just a quick note -- my uncle, Fred Affronti (Alzo) from
Port Jefferson, New York just passed away this Sunday
from a massive heart attack. He had just spent 30 years
getting his work re-released on a Japanese label. He had
some releases on the Bell label and the Apple label.
He was a great artist and will be sorely sorely missed.
Damion
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Message: 19
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 07:38:30 -0600
From: Mike Dugo
Subject: February Lance Monthly
Please visit http://www.lancerecords.com to review the newly updated
Lance Monthly:
IN THIS ISSUE:
Up Close with Clyde Hankins (A gifted guitarist from the swing-band era
with a key Buddy Holly connection)
Comments on January 2004’s Interviews (Jerry Naylor, Larry Knechtel,
and Robert Stevenson)
An Interview with Austin Roberts (The voice behind "Scooby Doo, Where
Are You?")
Paterson’s "Jump, Jive, and Harmonize" (Reviews of releases by The Modes,
Various Artists, Count Five, New England, and Morgan)
Corvette Sandy’s Garage (Covering Southern California surf, garage, and
indie events)
MuzikMan’s Lance Monthly Album Pick of the Month ("Breaking Rocks" Randy
Fuller Drive)
As always, comments are appreciated. Thanks.
Mike Dugo
60sgaragebands.com
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Message: 20
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 08:30:59 -0600
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Hal Shaper, R.I.P.
>From the London Independent:
"The lyricist Hal Shaper's most famous composition was "Softly as I
Leave You" and in 1962 it was a Top Ten single in the UK for Matt
Monro. It did reasonably well in America, was covered by Doris Day,
Andy Williams and Brenda Lee, and became a standard when Frank Sinatra
recorded it in 1964. Then, said Shaper,
Elvis Presley had gone to Las Vegas and heard Jerry Vale singing
"Softly as I Leave You". Jerry told Elvis that the songwriter had
scribbled down this note on his deathbed. Elvis believed this to be
true, and the song became a great favourite of his. When Elvis did it
on stage for a live album, he said that I wrote the song on my
deathbed. I never wanted to correct him as he might have stopped
singing it.
"Softly as I Leave You" is a beautiful tale of love lost but it is
easy to see how Presley was confused: "Softly, I will leave you
softly, For my heart would break, If you should wake and see me go."
Shaper was born in 1931 to an immigrant family of an English father
and Polish mother in Muizenberg, a suburb of Cape Town. In 1989 he
said,
I loved being in South Africa and I grew up with the national anthem,
"Nkosi Sikelel'i Africa", which is so evocative and beautiful. It is
very easy to understand both the potency of music and the needs of the
people when you hear that.
Shaper gave himself the task of identifying the composer of the anthem
and, through his diligence, it is known to be Enoch Sontonga.
In 1955 Shaper qualified as a lawyer, but his interest was in music.
He came to the UK and worked for Robbins Music for seven years,
promoting the songs in their catalogue and writing his own songs. At
first, he wrote both words and music, but he realised that his
strength was as a lyricist. Years later, he recalled how he came to
write the lyrics for "Softly as I Leave You".
I was in Italy in 1961 and Tony de Vita was playing me a symphony in
three movements that he had written. I loved the melody in the second
movement and I brought it back to England.
Shaper knew the singer Matt Monro, whose records were produced by
George Martin, so he made a piano demo and gave it to Monro.
About three months later, he said, "I've been playing that tune
endlessly. We're going to record it. Can you let George Martin have
the lyrics by 10.30 tomorrow morning?" I said, "Fine", and I went home
and tried to remember the tune. Luckily, I came up with a lyric and
Matt recorded it. The lyric wasn't all that wonderful on paper, but
Johnnie Spence's arrangement rolled down, Matt did one take, and we
all looked at one another and said, "Well, that's it."
In 1964 Shaper began working for Jeffrey Kruger as managing director
of Sparta Music, part of the multi-media Kruger Organisation. Shaper
would often find songs for the artists on Kruger's Ember Records, and
encouraged young writers including the 15-year-old Gary Osborne, who
was later to write with Elton John. Osborne, of his own initiative,
had written an English lyric to a French song and submitted it to a
publisher. He says,
They had had a lyric done by Hal Shaper and the publisher said that
they had paid him and that was that. The next thing was, Hal Shaper
rang up and said my lyric was better than his. He gave me a French
tune and I ended up writing the lyric to "Harley-Davidson", which was
recorded by Brigitte Bardot.
The following year Shaper wrote the winning songs in an ITV song
contest in Brighton, their response to Eurovision - "I'll Stay by You"
for Kenny Lynch and "Here in Your Arms" for Helen Shapiro. He
occasionally submitted songs to Eurovision - notably "I'm Going to
Fall in Love Again" for Mary Hopkin in 1970.
Sparta Music published many hit songs including "The Israelites"
(Desmond Dekker) and "The Tide is High" (Blondie), but, although
Shaper was a sharp businessman, he preferred writing, often
collaborating with the composer Michel Legrand. Shaper contributed
lyrics to Legrand's music for Barbra Streisand's album Je M'Appelle
Barbra (1966), which included "Martina". He wrote "I Will Wait for
Love" from Legrand's enchanting score for Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
(1964), and the love theme for The Go-Between (1971).
Five artists, including Shirley Bassey, were interested in the song
from The Go-Between, but Shaper gave it to Scott Walker, considering
him one of the best voices of his generation. In 1967 Walker had
recorded Shaper's "The Rope and the Colt" for the French western
Cemetery Without Crosses, but this was a very different experience:
He was drunk and the producer, Johnny Franz, had no control over him.
I had written "I see the fields, So green and fair, The silent ghosts
are everywhere", and he sang, "I see the fields in still green air,
The sunlit ghosts to dance their hair." Can you tell me what that
means? If I ever hear the record on the radio, I hope that the disc
jockey isn't going to say it is one of my lyrics.
Shaper often worked with well-known composers on film themes including
Jerry Goldsmith ("Free as the Wind" from Papillon, 1973), Ron Grainer
("Life is a Precious Thing" from The Assassination Bureau, 1969) and
Francis Lai ("The Ballad of Frenchie King" from the Bardot film of the
same name, 1971). His best-crafted film song is the theme for the 1968
film Interlude, which starred Oskar Werner and Barbara Ferris. "I am
very proud of that song," he said. "The idea was to encapsulate the
entire story of the movie in three minutes." This little-known song
was revived as a duet between Morrissey and Siouxsie Sioux in 1994.
In 1971 Shaper wrote his first musical, Jane Eyre, with Monty Stevens.
Then he and the orchestra leader Cyril Ornadel collaborated on West
End musicals based on the novels Treasure Island and Great
Expectations. The score of Great Expectations (1975) was particularly
good and Sir John Mills took the part of Joe Gargery, a role he
reprised in America. Norman Wisdom starred in a short-lived musical,
Jingle Jangle (1982), which Shaper had written with Geoff Morrow.
Around 1980, Kruger and Shaper argued over the ownership of publishing
copyrights, and Kruger accused Shaper of leaking details of his
business dealings to Private Eye. In court, Mr Justice Harman asked
Kruger to explain a colourful letter he had written to Shaper that was
addressed "Dear Asshole". The matter was complicated when Shaper sold
his publishing interests and the division of copyrights is not
clarified to this day. Kruger and Shaper never made it up, with Kruger
commenting, "I felt betrayed, but that's life."
After Shaper's first marriage ended in divorce, in 1990 he remarried,
and then returned to South Africa. He wrote an all-black version of La
Bohème, called La Bohème: Noir, which he set in present-day Soweto. A
book of poems, A Prince of Liars, was published in 1992."
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Message: 21
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 17:21:42 -0000
From: Jim Shannon
Subject: Forgotten 45's "Sandy", "Barefoot"
All:
Anyone recall the minor hit from Strawberry Alarmclock 'Barefoot
in Baltimore" on the Uni label. Released in Summer of '68. Think
it charted into the top 30 in some markets.
Also, a georgeous pop ballad called "Sandy' that you never hear
on the so called "oldies" stations. It was released in '65 or '66 by
Ronnie and Daytonas. Is it available on CD?
I'm also looking for the Ousiders "Girl in Love" (Tom King/Chet
Kelley) and "Respectable"
Jim Shannon
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Message: 22
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 17:59:03 -0000
From: Paul Evans
Subject: "Midnight Special"
RD:
> Midnight Special. Ditto... and could you tell us how you learned
> the song?... I saw you singing "Happy Go Lucky Me" on the Dick
> Clark Show (the Saturday one from NY--not the one from Philly).
> Were you lip-synching?
TD,
"Midnight Special" is a folk song and I was into FOLK. What you
heard on my record was my version of the folk classic. By the way,
you might like to know that during a radio interview, John Fogerty
said that my version inspired his recording. Nice compliment to me! :-)
All performances on Dick's shows were lip-synched.
Thanks for writing. Hope I've ansered all your questions,
Paul Evans http://www.paulevans.com/odds'n'ends.htm
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Message: 23
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 18:11:09 -0000
From: Paul Evans
Subject: Re: "Midnight Special"
Al Cooper:
> Now that you mention it, I can hear the drums being Buddy Salzman
> and the guitar being Everett. Correct me if I'm wrong - Everett
> was a black man and Charlie Macey was a white man. What a rare
> moment for Everett- the ad lib free tempo of the intro. It caused
> him to play with a fire that was usually doused by arrangement
> reading. You were a lucky man, Paul - Everett on fire AND 7 little
> girls in the back seat!!!
Al,
Racially speaking - you're correct. :-)
---------------------------------------------------
I've always been aware that I've been lucky in our biz. Right time -
right place. Great back-up singers and studio pickers to record
with. I'm afraid that I got a bit boring during my studio singing
career. I kept walking around muttering, "My God, I'm getting a
chance to sing and THEY'RE PAYING ME, TOO!"
I recently got a great compliment from a studio picker I ran into
who said, "You know why we always liked working with you, Paul? You
always had a lot of fun and it was contageous".
Paul
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Message: 24
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 14:11:34 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Anoraks; Inquisitors & Legends; another Beatle; Bill & Doree Post
Paul Bryant, re: "anoraks":
> The garment you describe was much beloved in Britain by...TRAINSPOTTERS
> [who]...go out in all weather to SPOT TRAINS. Which means, they would
> write down the trains' numbers in their trainspotter books. By extension,
> music geeks who like to record matrix numbers and know the different
> versions...are called anoraks, rather unkindly. And people who know what
> the fourth note of an arpeggio should be, or how many diminished sevenths
> appear in the works of Lennon/McCartney, they too could be called anoraks.
No, we could be called "music majors" in college, or "music directors" at
some radio stations, or "producers" at some record companies, or "musicians"
in some bands or orchestras. It's nice to know this kind of stuff, and be
able to talk about it - and then its also nice to shut it off and enjoy the
music for itself. I consider myself lucky to be able to do both. (For
example, some of Brian Wilson's "Pet Sounds" voice-leading is an affront to
baroque theory, but a delight to my ears. Which leads to an awful pun: "It
ain't baroque, so I don't fix it." And the Jamies' "Summertime, Summertime"
is pretty much in true baroque harmony, which doesn't hinder its ability to
rock.)
By the way, I also like trains, but am not a trainspotter (never understood
the charm of the "I've seen more than you have" mentality), and don't own an
anorak - which, incidentally, doesn't carry the same stigma in the US.
Also, to Paul and the Admin team, yes, 'twas me who recommended Little
Isidore & The Inquisitors - still do. Great original feeling in lovingly
recreating the spirit of the era, both in new compositions and remakes that
add to the originals. Also a note: I saw The Florida Legends (Jimmy
Gallagher, lead of the Passions; Tony Passalacqua, lead of the Fascinators;
Frank Mancuso, lead of the Inaginations ["Hey You," a super NYC doowop hit]
and the incredible bass singer [whose name I forget] from the Five Sharks)
on Saturday night at UGHA. For my money, this is the best doo-wop group
singing these day - funny and spontaneous on stage, dead serious about the
music, and having a wonderful time singing it!
steveo:
> Yes, there were at least 7 Beatles, perhaps 9? Brian Epstein, George
> Martin, and Murray the K were all 5th Beatles. Pete Best was in a way,
> as well.
Also Jimmy Nicol, who sat in on drums when Ringo was out of commission for a
while. Somewhere in my collection is a ska record by him, released (I think)
on a small label distributed by Chess in the US. Anyone remember it?
Bill George mentions "Valley High," by Bill and Doree Post. I have the
original record, Crest 45-1060; flip is "Close To Me," and both sides show
the writers as Doree Post and Bill Post (pub. American Music, BMI, Crest's
house publisher). If indeed "Doree" is Jackie DeShannon, then who was "Bill
Post"? By the way, the record is not doo-wop, but more like an Anita Kerr
Singers take on the Four Lads' classic "Moments to Remember." (Obviously not
the same song, but the same lyrical idea.)
Short takes:
Bob Radil, as I'm still catching up, I just say thanks for your radio reply
of Jan. 27th.
Ken Silverwood:
> Wasn't there a vocal version of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five"? But I don't
> think anyone would have tried putting words to "Unsquare Dance"
I vaguely remember one of the former - possibly Lambert Hendricks & Ross.
Peter Richmond, thank you for the extensive background on Roy Hamilton. I
confess to knowing only "Don't Let Go," and "You Can Have Him," the former
being my favorite of his.
Artie Wayne, great note on songwriting credits re: Ringo and Marvin Gaye.
Thank you.
And welcome to Trevoy Ley and Jim Shannon, two more of the Connecticut radio
crew who know and love music from both the soul and the intellect.
Eternally catching up (it's still last Wednesday for me),
Country Paul
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Message: 25
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2004 21:49:43 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Re: Hits You Missed
Hey, Dan!
I used to get those record packs when I was in high school in the
early 70's, at Woolworths. In my day, they only came three in a pack,
for about a dollar. I picked up a lot of good records that way, and I
still have many of them...I remember getting a mono copy of Led
Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", most of Sly Stone's singles, many of
Donovan's singles, and so on...back in 1971 these "missed hits" were
like a godsend to me because at fifteen I wasn't exactly rolling in
dough!
Another bargain item I found from this era was a boxed selection of
12 (late 60s)45s that I found at a thrift store about ten years ago.
This record box was some kind of premium givaway from a retail
company, and really had some terrific stuff, notably "Trip On Me" by
the Forum, "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" by the Byrds, and "Be Young Be
Foolish Be Happy" by the Tams.
You are certainly right about thrift stores being a prime source of
good records. I'd roughly estimate that I have about 10 thousand
records and about two-thirds of them I found in thrift stores over
the last 25 years.
Too bad about your comic books, I really sympathise...my mom was
a "thrower-outer" too!
Art Longmire
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
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