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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's cool records
From: Art Longmire
2. Pseudo-Italian Originals.
From: Julio Niño
3. Re: Are you sitting comfortably?
From: Orion
4. Re: Cilla's cool records
From: Eddy
5. Re: The Wonderful Home Transmitter
From: Clark Besch
6. Re: Concert for George
From: Richard Hattersley
7. Re Forgotten 45s
From: Justin McDevitt
8. Re: Cilla Black
From: Peter Riley
9. Funk Brothers
From: Frank Murphy
10. Re: Cilla Black
From: Clark Besch
11. Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham
From: James Cassidy
12. Re: Late Monkees
From: Mikey
13. Nick Drake
From: Jim Shannon
14. Re: band names
From: Sean Anglum
15. Re: Cilla Black
From: Paul Bryant
16. D.W. Washburn
From: Lapka Larry
17. Re: Hal Shaper, R.I.P.
From: Chris
18. Unusual group names
From: Phil Hall
19. The Outsiders
From: Jim Shannon
20. Re: Bo Gentry & Richie Cordell
From: Glenn
21. Casinos' Gene Hughes dies
From: Ed Salamon
22. Royalties of the Rising Sun
From: Rex Strother
23. Leiber & Stoller
From: Glenn
24. Re: Apollas and the Flirtations
From: Phil Hall
25. Re: Buddy Hollies Songs
From: Steve Harvey
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 23:38:39 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Re: Cilla's cool records
Art Longmire wrote:
> I only have a few tunes by Cilla Black, one that I kind of like
> is her version of "Across the Universe". Does anybody know if
> this was a hit in the U.K.? And did she have a song called
> "You're My World"?
Paul Bryant:
> You're my World was a No 1 in summer 1964 in the UK. Across the
> Universe!?? Didn't know she'd recorded that! What next, Cilla sings
> I Am the Walrus?
> Note on solo singers : sometimes it's the song, not the singer. A
> 24 carat guaranteed hit song can land in the lap of a good-but-not-
> great singer and wham! they become a one-hit wonder. Little Peggy
> March was one such, there are many more. Cilla's chart career seems
> to be a continual parade of very good songs sung fairly badly (except
> Alfie of course) which should have been hits for somebody else - like
> Lulu for instance, who actually has a great voice and who had awful
> songs to sing, hence relatively few hits. I guess it was all down to
> good and bad management and who got their hands on which songs.
Hello Paul,
I remember being a little surprised finding Cilla's "Across The
Universe" myself-mainly because the song, to my knowledge, isn't
covered all that often. But her version is pretty good, in my
opinion. I did a little digging and found a link for the album it's
from, called Sweet Inspiration (I have the song on a 45 on DJM records)
http://tinyurl.com/2f52s
One thing I had forgotten, this was produced by George Martin. I
wouldn't mind hearing her version of "Sweet Inspiration", which I
remember my parents had a copy of back in the 60s (by Cissy Houston
and the Sweet Inspirations).
Art Longmire
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 22:45:07 -0000
From: Julio Niño
Subject: Pseudo-Italian Originals.
Hola everybody.
Steve cited in his list of songs in English based on Italian
originals:
> La Novia - Tony Dallara (wr Joaquin Prieto)
> The Wedding - Julie Rogers
> Cuando Caliente El Sol - Los Hermanos Rigual (Spanish actually)
> Love Me With All Your Heart - Ray Charles Singers
> El Amor - ???? (wr Joaquin Prieto)
> In My Room - Verdelle Smith / Julie Rogers / Walker Bros.
Steve, "El Amor" and "La Novia" were composed by the Chilean
Joaquin Prieto. The archetypal version of "La Novia", (and I
think the original one), with lyrics in Spanish, was recorded by
his brother Antonio Prieto. This version was a massive hit in
Spain in 1961. It was also a hit in Italy , although I think that
the version by Tony Dallara was even a bigger hit there. The melody
of "In My Room" sounds very familiar to me, but at this moment I
can't remember the lyrics in Spanish or identify the original song.
"Cuando calienta el sol" original version is by the Cuban Combo
Los Hermanos Rigual. The song was a big hit in Spain and also
in Italy in 1962. I think the first recording of the song is
from the late fifties.
Changing completely the subject. Yesterday, in an 1965 EP by
The Spanish instrumental group " Los Sonor" (members of which
will later be part of Los Bravos), I found a song titled "Do
The Bluebeat", it's a very dynamic instrumental, a sort of mutant
ska: half bluebeat, half space age instro. Attending to the credits
the song was composed by Barkan/Raleigh (I love this tandem).
Could anybody tell me who did the original version of the song?.
Thank you very much.
PS. : by the way, another example of Skapop for the collection.
Julio Niño.
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 18:12:07 -0500
From: Orion
Subject: Re: Are you sitting comfortably?
The Flowerpot Men were great. For someone that never released
an LP here in the US, there are several CDs out from their work
in the late 60s. "Let's Go To San Francisco" was and is one of
my favorite all time songs, especially the long 7min+ version.
Orion
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 03 Feb 2004 11:59:48 +0100
From: Eddy
Subject: Re: Cilla's cool records
Good to see Cilla Black get some attention. Art, Across the universe
was not a hit for Cilla, but You're my world sure was ! It got
released on Parlophone R 5133 in April 1964 and hit the # 1 spot the
following month, her second single to do so. Unfortunately also her
last, in spite of the fact that she kept on charting all through the
60's.
Eddy
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 03 Feb 2004 06:41:42 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: The Wonderful Home Transmitter
John Sellards wrote:
> This is somewhat left of center, but I get so much out of
> it (I use it every day) I thought I should pass it along...
> it's an $18 kids toy called the Wild Planet Radio DJ, and
> it's a decently powered legal home AM transmitter that
> broadcasts on 1610 (which can be convereted to another
> frequency with a different crystal). Coupled with Winamp
> and the various crossfader and limiter plug-ins, you can
> really feel like you have your own station in your house,
> which, especially considering the state of radio, is nice.
> But only in America, I think. And sorry Al, no stereophonic
> sound.
John, I had a little transmitter thing my dad got me in 69 or so.
It was cool to walk to the end of the block and be able to hear it.
Problem was, I couldn't hook up a mic to it and I had to play an Lp
in order to go outside and listen to it. The excitement wore off
fast, yet at the beginning, it was like I was Marconi....Clark
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 11:48:03 +0000
From: Richard Hattersley
Subject: Re: Concert for George
> I would like to highly recommend to all S'poppers The DVD of The
> Concert For George, the tribute held at The Albert Hall in Nov. 2002
> for George Harrison. It's pricey to buy but a friend of mine loaned
> me his copy and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I aggree it s a great set, highlight for me was Jeff Lynne singing the
Inner Light.
It is a bit expensive but the best price i have seen it at is £21.99 at
CDWow: http://www2.cd-wow.com/index.php
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Message: 7
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 10:44:25 -0500
From: Justin McDevitt
Subject: Re Forgotten 45s
Hello Jim and Spectropop,
In reference to 2 of the 3 songs that you mentioned in your post, I
have a 45 reissue with Time Won't Let me on the A-side with Girl in
Love as the B-side. Barefoot In Baltimore is a song that I remember
hearing on the radio in August of 1968; great percussion and Trippy-
Dippy lyrics. I do not have the 45, though this track is included on
the Strawberry alarm Clock Comp which I do have in my Cd collection.
Justin McDevitt
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 16:58:37 -0000
From: Peter Riley
Subject: Re: Cilla Black
> Also, is "It's For You" available on CD?
It can be heard on BBC2's Sound of the Sixties. Go to
http://www.bbc/co.uk/radio2/sounds60s/playlist.
Peter
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Message: 9
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 17:44:33 +0000
From: Frank Murphy
Subject: Funk Brothers
Albabe:
> ...some of (the Funk Brothers') instrumental performances have
> been released before? I'm confused... as per usual.
They were released under the name of Earl van Dyke and the Soul
Brothers usually and I have a feeling that The San Remo Strings
were also The Funk Brothers, the name they eventually called
themselves in the studio. The Choker Campbell band were an early
edition of the Motown House band and they released a rare Motown
album. Any Jr. Walker album s basically Junior fronting the Funk
Brothers.
FrankM
reflections on northern soul Saturdays at 14:30 or listen now
http://www.radiomagnetic.com/archive/rnb.php
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Message: 10
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 18:46:22 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Cilla Black
Jerophonic, I don't know what Cd "It's For You" is on, but I'm
thinking Collectables might have a Cilla Cd. Otherwise, you may have
to resort to imports on EMI. As for spoken intros, I think you were
hearing them from special Capitol Records 45s. In 63 and 64, Capitol
sent compact 33 speed 45s to radio stations to promote current 45s
and Lps on Capitol. Seems like they did it for the Beatles too.
Very likely, there was one of these for Cilla's 45's. I have the
Kingston Trio's 45 sitting right here used to promote "Greenback
Dollar". It says "Open-Interview: The Kingston Trio including
Greenback Dollar". 6 minutes total with interview and song
introduction and the song itself. I have Peter & Gordon's one
somewhere for "Nobody I Know" also. So, that's how you likely heard
those intros. Clark
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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 14:34:37 -0500
From: James Cassidy
Subject: Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham
I had the good fortune of attending a two-man show that Dan Penn and
Spooner Oldham put on in a small theater in Boston a few years back.
It was a relaxed and informal affair, with just Dan and his guitar and
Spooner and his portable organ. They took requests and Dan was an
entertaining host (not to mention excellent singer). For his part,
"Spoon"'s non-musical contributions consisted mostly of nodding and
smiling every time Dan recalled something and said, "Id'n that right,
Spoon?" Spooner finally got his moment in the spotlight towards the
end of the gig, singing a country hit he wrote with Freddy Weller,
"Lonely Women Make Good Lovers."
Jim Cassidy
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Message: 12
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 14:52:44 -0500
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: Late Monkees
LOL...Mark, what a GREAT Post.
As you say, The Monkees just never "got it". The reality is
this. They has resources at their disposal that NO GROUP EVER
HAD......the best writers, the best musicians, the best
producers and the best ear for Hit Material in Don Kirshner.
With this in place, The Monkees should have had a 10 year
chart careers. The Monkees missed the Bubblegum/Pop phase of
the 70s, which would have been perfect for them. THEY should
have made records like "My Baby Loves Loving".
Why did they miss it? Because due to Nesmiths (and a lessor
Tork) urging, The Monkees were convinced that they were far
better individual talents than they really were. Thus, they
insisted on total control over the music end, which was their
downfall. "Headquarters" may have reached number one for a
short while (that is until Sgt Pepper came out and creamed
it), but it was NOT a high quality effort. Mickey's drumming
on headquarters is embarrasing at best (and I'm a drummer,
guys....I knew this even then).
The Monkees fan base wanted the Pop stuff, pure and simple.
The Monkees had other ideas, the wrong ideas, as it tuned
out. Boyce and Hart could have given many more songs to The
Monkees that would have become Pop classics, but after a
certain time, Nesmith and his cohorts werent interested.
Wouldnt "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" have been a GREAT
Monkees disk? Wouldnt "Sugar Sugar" have been a SMASH for
The Monkees with Mickey on lead vocal?
In the end, The Monkees made a handful of truly great pop
classics, and a houseful of forgettable tunes. It should have
been the other way around.
mikey
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Message: 13
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 20:00:40 -0000
From: Jim Shannon
Subject: Nick Drake
All:
Until his recent media exposure on the VW commercials "Pink
Moon" and "May Fair" on Met Life TV spots, Nick Drake had
remained in relative obscurity. Some of his late sixties LP's
on Island records are now being re-evaluated by critics. Some
are describing them as minor masterpieces. Drake's ethereal
voice and folk/jazz/pop sound is truly a singular experience.
"Bryter Layter" was supposed to be a "breakout release" in '68.
The LP was commerical failure and Island decided to scrap the
idea of releasing "Poor Boy" as his first single. For those English
Rock enthusiasts in our group, there is a book out on the late
Nick Drake by Patrick Humphries (a must read) taking the
reader from his days at Cambridge to his brief career recording
career and illness.
Jim Shannon
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 13:36:22 -0700
From: Sean Anglum
Subject: Re: band names
Names, names, names
I've always loved:
Dickie Do and the Don'ts
Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys
Moby Grape
Procul Harum
Badfinger
Led Zeppelin
Flying Burrito Brothers
Derek and the Dominos
The 4 Nikators
some a bit eccentric perhaps, but great names....
When I think of a great name, a current band seems to rise to
the surface. I keep seeing their CDs in shops, but I have no
idea what their sound is about.
"Me First and the Gimme Gimmes"
Love that!
A few of the bands I've been in have had a slight tilt to them,
as well:
The Knaves
The Clones of the Pioneers
The Phantom Hooters
Del Buffalo and the Dream Teens
The Fabulous Aribas
The Range Rockets
and there are more, but I won't bore you more.
-Sean
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Message: 15
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 13:10:33 -0800 (PST)
From: Paul Bryant
Subject: Re: Cilla Black
jerophonic wrote:
> Also, is "It's For You" available on CD? And did
> anyone ever cover it besides Three Dog Night?
It's For You is on any number of Best of Cilla cd
compilations, and on this list of Beatle covers
http://www2.wmin.ac.uk/clemenr/covers/coversfull.html#part3
we learn that it only had one other contemporary cover
by an unknown band, but also, I just learned that
another Beatle giveaway song, I'm in Love, given to
the Fourmost, was covered by none other than Wilson
Pickett. A more unlikely Beatle cover by Mr Pickett is
hard to imagine, apart from Happiness is a Warm Gum
maybe.
pb
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Message: 16
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 05:39:18 -0800 (PST)
From: Lapka Larry
Subject: D.W. Washburn
Dear albabe:
Thanks for seconding my thumb's up for D.W. Washburn.
I think it truly is a great song, but one that could
have used the TV show for some extra oomph.
And as for Head, what an experience! Every time I see
it, I see and/or hear something else. I remember it
took me a time or two to realize that in the bathroom
scene, Peter is whistling Strawberry Fields Forever.
Not that I don't know the tune, but there is so much
going on around the scene, you can't take it in all in
one sitting.
And yes, Head needs a complete DVD treatment. I have
so many questions that only the principles can answer
that I find such a "director's cut" release at or near
the top of my ultimate wishlist (along with
Cameo/Parkway and the DC5, of course).
Larry Lapka
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Message: 17
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 13:35:50 -0800 (GMT-08:00)
From: Chris
Subject: Re: Hal Shaper, R.I.P.
the London Independent:
> "The lyricist Hal Shaper's most famous composition
> was "Softly As I Leave You" (etc.)"
My main question is: What is it that distinguished Shaper's work
from, say, Marilyn & Alan Bergman (who also wrote with Michel
Legrand) or Norman Gimbel (who also adapted movie themes). Not
a strong sense in the Independent article of what constituted
Shaper's artistic personality.
Then, too, there's always the question of whether my time wouldn't
be better spent with the works of Fran Landesman or Johnny Mercer ...
"If I can find the right sock
"By eleven o'clock,
"You can tell 'em I'll be there ...",
Chris
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Message: 18
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 22:42:02 -0000
From: Phil Hall
Subject: Unusual group names
Best one I ever heard of is a little risque. Our vocalist at the
time (in the late 60's) was originally from New York City, and he
said there was a group there named "Buster Hymen & The Cherries".
This is a true story; I'm not making it up.
Phil Hall
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Message: 19
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 17:33:57 -0000
From: Jim Shannon
Subject: The Outsiders
> I'm also looking for the Ousiders "Girl in Love" (Tom King/Chet
> Kelley) and "Respectable"
> I have the two Outsider songs you are looking for also I may
> have Sandy I'll have to check. Let me know how to get them to you.
Thanks for your help. Send info to Jim Shannon c/o Metro Group
11 Talcott Notch Road, Farmington,Ct 06032. Tel: 860-676-1001
X10.
Someone mentioned one chord wonders, how 'bout ? and the
Mysterians.
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Message: 20
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 22:44:49 -0000
From: Glenn
Subject: Re: Bo Gentry & Richie Cordell
Hi Clark,
I'm not Alan Gordon or Al Kooper, but I can at least partially answer
a couple of your questions.
Sadly, Bo Gentry (real name Robert Alan Ackoff) passed away in 1983.
He was only 40 or 41. I don't know much of his career past the early
70's.
Ritchie Cordell (real name Richard Joel Rosenblatt) successfully co-
produced several albums for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (so it's no
coincidence that they covered "Make Believe" and "Crimson and
Clover"). Cordell has also continued to work on and off with Tommy
James over the years, including writing or co-writing songs for his
late 70's albums "In Touch" and "Midnight Rider". One of these songs,
called "Candy", co-written by Cordell and James, remained unreleased
until 2000 when a compilation of songs from these two albums was
released on CD, called "Tighter Tighter". "Candy" was a deliberate
tip of the hat to their bubblegum days, and is fun to hear.
You may or not know the fun trivia (but not so trivial) fact that in
1987, Tiffany's cover of Cordell's "I Think We're Alone Now" went to
#1 and stayed there for two weeks. When it fell out of the #1 spot,
the next record to enter the #1 spot was Billy Idol's cover of "Mony
Mony", another Shondells songs, written by Cordell with Gentry, James
and Bobby Bloom. So Cordell had back-to-back #1 hits in the 80's!
Pretty cool.
Glenn
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Message: 21
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 15:52:04 -0000
From: Ed Salamon
Subject: Casinos' Gene Hughes dies
Sorry to report that Gene Hughes died last night at about 9:30 pm.
His benefit scheduled at The Trap in Nashville next Tuesday will go
on as scheduled, according to bandleader Steve Jarrell.
Ed Salamon
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Message: 22
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 16:15:53 -0700
From: Rex Strother
Subject: Royalties of the Rising Sun
Paul Bryant wrote:
> It just occurred to me that the Animals' global hit House of the
> Rising Sun was copyrighted as Trad arr. Price, so I think - can
> someone confirm? - that Alan Price got big fat royalty cheques
> for his arrangement of the traditional material (causing
> resentment within the band). Now - he probably deserved it
> because it was probably entirely his arrangement. However, if I'm
> right and he DID get royalties for his arrangement - note, not
> composition - then should not Matthew Fisher get royalties for his
> organ arrangement of A Whiter Shade of Pale? Or any arranger for
> his arrangements? Having agreed with Al Kooper originally about
> who should be getting song royalties, this has now confused me
> again.
I believe you can copyright a new arrangement of a public domain song,
but in doing so you receive only a partial royalty - reduced by the
contribution of the original material. 50%? Can anyone confirm?
Rex
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Message: 23
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 23:40:38 -0000
From: Glenn
Subject: Leiber & Stoller
The other night I was watching "What's My Line?" on GSN's Black &
White Overnight. They are re-running the series in order.
If you don't remember the show, it was a panel show where the
panelists had to guess the occupation of the guests. It was kind of
like a rotating 20 Questions game. When the guests entered they
signed their names in chalk on a blackboard, and their occupations
were revealed to the studio audience and the television audience at
home.
So on a show from January 1958, a couple of well-dressed young guys
walked in and signed their names on the blackboard:
Mike Stoller
Jerry Leiber
They sat down with the host John Daly, and the panel went at trying
to guess their occupations. Nobody on the panel recognized the names,
but they were able to narrow down and precisely guess their
occupations within about 8 or 9 questions.
I'll give you the same clues they were given to start:
They are self-employed, and deal in a service...
Have at it! And good luck.
Seriously, tho, it was great fun watching this, and seeing the
attitudes at the time about "rock 'n roll music", as they spelled it.
Daly said that it was "a fad in our country", but commented that "the
effect, or popularity, of the music is fascinating", noting
that "Hound Dog" had sold 5 million copies.
To which panelist Dorothy Kilgallen responded, "That's no excuse!!"
Everyone laughed, including Leiber and Stoller, but they definitely
looked a little indignant, especially Stoller.
Bennett Cerf asked them, "What were you thinking of when you wrote a
song called 'Hound Dog'?"
Leiber responded, "Well, nothing, really." It was about the longest
sentence either Leiber or Stoller spoke during the show.
Shortly after this Cerf whispered to Kilgallen, "They must be so rich
they can hardly talk!"
Glenn
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Message: 24
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 22:59:07 -0000
From: Phil Hall
Subject: Re: Apollas and the Flirtations
James:
> Hi, I have been searching for a chart peak and/or information
> regarding the Appolas' "Mr. Creator". I know it charted, but
> not where.
James,
According to http://www.gramble.com/music/60speak2.html, "Mr.
Creator" by The Apollas didn't chart at all. But you can download
it from Walmart for 88 cents.
Phil Hall
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Message: 25
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 17:14:36 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Re: Buddy Hollies Songs
I vote for the Hollies' version of "Wishing" that came
out on their tribute lp back in the 80s. Still waiting
for it to come out on CD.
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