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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 20 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. What a fun group!
From: Dave O'Gara
2. Re: Connie Francis
From: Jeffery Kennedy
3. Re: Connie Francis
From: steveo
4. Sharon Tandy
From: Phil Hall
5. Peggy March
From: Ian Chapman
6. Patty Lace & the Petticoats / Feldman, Goldstein, Gottehrer
From: Martin Roberts
7. Front Runners; Eddie Rambeau
From: Mike Edwards
8. Last Poni Tails Single
From: Tom
9. Re: Songwriter credits
From: Al Kooper
10. David Clayton-Thomas / B S & T
From: Al Kooper
11. The Kitchen Cinq
From: Al Kooper
12. Burt Bacharach
From: Al Kooper
13. Re: Peggy March
From: Mikey
14. Re: Big Endings
From: Austin Roberts
15. Re: Commercial music
From: Doug Richard
16. Re: Pet Sounds
From: Mark Wirtz
17. Preservation of master tapes
From: Mike Stachurski
18. Re: David Clayton-Thomas
From: Orion
19. Mony Mony / Pet Sounds
From: Phil Milstein
20. Re: Sharon Tandy
From: Mick Patrick
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 01:27:57 -0000
From: Dave O'Gara
Subject: What a fun group!
Howdy All,
Just joined this site and I can't believe all the good stuff I'm
reading, especially from some of you music biz insiders..I come at
this from a slightly different angle. I grew up in Worcester, MA
listening to WORC-AM. Many east coast promo guys knew this station
well as a reliable Gavin and Billboard reporting source with a track
record of breaking a lot of hits. In fact, my Boss was a wonderful
fellow named Dick Smith, who is credited in several publications as
being the sole radio person responsible for the success of the
international best seller Lions Sleeps Tonight by the Tokens. I first
went on-air there in 1969, and lasted 25 years, and was blessed to be
able to take advantage of one of the biggest and best record
libraries in radio. They had everything that ever charted there from
the beginning of their Top Forty days in '55. Songs that only hit
there were showcased right along with the likes of Elvis, Fats, Ricky
and later the Beatles, etc. Laurie records artists in particular
seemed to go over well here. Kenny Chandlers "Heart", for instance,
was huge. I loved looking at and playing these classic 45's and in
many cases the albums that came along with them. Still remember the
big old Blue Moon on the cover of the Marcels Lp as a standout. I
remember seeing, but not actually having the opportunity to hear, the
records by some of the artists you folks talk about now. Back in my
early radio days it wasn't easy to find out much about them. (Boy,
the internet has changed all that!)..In addition to breaking hits,
the station never hesitated to play LP cuts of various artists,
something that was quite rare in those Top Forty days. I clearly
remember playing "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" by Al's B.S.
& T group. (and who doesn't love that LP cover!?)..The reason I bring
this all up is just my long-winded way of saying thanks for the
memories. This site supplies terrific nuggets of info. Today, I'm
still on-air in my hometown at WORC-FM but we play just the usual
generic blend of oldies. I wish today's corporate mentality would let
us give air time to songs that are deserving to be heard. (An aside
to the gentleman who posted earlier about the Five Man Electrical
Band: We had pretty good response in the 70's for not only Absolutely
Right, but also Werewolf). Finally, if anybody's still with me, doing
show prep for Thursday, 02 /5 I see that Al Kooper will celebrate a
milestone birthday. In my copy it identifies Al as a member of the
Royal Teens, writer of This Diamond Ring, a founding member of B.S. &
T. and legendary session musician who can be heard playing the organ
on Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone. Just a drop in the credits bucket
but well worth mentioning.
Happy Birthday Al..and thanks to all of you for making this site my
absolute "Must" visit everyday.
PS. It saddens me to say this, but that fabulous record library I
mentioned was literally thrown out by a new owner of the station in
the 80's.
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 00:50:11 -0000
From: Jeffery Kennedy
Subject: Re: Connie Francis
David Bell writes (re: Connie Francis):
> Her late 60s work is so undervalued and yet Connie was at the
> height of her vocal powers at that time. She'd left the silly
> hits behind...
Mike Edwards:
> David, would you list out some examples of Connie's silly hits?
I'll take a stab. Here are three:
"Stupid Cupid"
"V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N"
"I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter"
Very good novelty records, but novelty records nonetheless.
Francis was always an excellent musician with an expressive,
beautiful voice. But like David says, she developed into an
incomparable stylist during the latter half of the '60s, and most
people aren't familiar with this material. Francis's Broadway,
Bacharach & David and Les Reed albums, for example, are a long,
long way from "Lipstick on Your Collar."
Jeffery
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 19:06:10 -0800 (PST)
From: steveo
Subject: Re: Connie Francis
David, I'm sorry to say Connie needs to embrace her
past, and sing the songs that made her famous!
Steveo
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 18:49:59 -0000
From: Phil Hall
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.
The trouble with Ace Records is you can't actually buy anything
from them. They listed this CD as being on their Big Beat label,
but when you search Big Beat, they say they have no CD's by an
artist named Sharon Tandy. You not only can't buy it; you can't
even get a price. Like a lot of European record sites, they are
less than user-friendly. Anyone know the trick here?
Phil Hall
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 01:40:39 -0000
From: Ian Chapman
Subject: Peggy March
Paul Bryant wrote:
> 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.
Actually, I was just listening to some Peggy March tracks the other
day and thinking what a damn fine singer she was/is. Strong,
confident voice, always hit the notes on target. "Johnny
Cool," "Heaven For Lovers," "This Heart Wasn't Made To Kick
Around," "He's Back Again" and "Watch What You Do With My Baby," to
name a few - all records I wouldn't like to be without. Apart from
cutting a whole truckload of quality girl-group material, she was
also one of the few artists that could pull off singing in a foreign
language (mostly German) without missing a beat or betraying her
English-speaking origins. No wonder she had a parallel (and more
successful) career in Deutschland. Quite an accomplished all-
rounder, was Peggy, if you ask me......
Ian
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 18:33:44 -0000
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: Patty Lace & the Petticoats / Feldman, Goldstein, Gottehrer
Jimmy Bee wrote, referring to Patty Lace and the Petticoats:
> Over the top and underappreciated. ... Who were they? Where from?
> Sneaky Sue wanna know!
Who they were is fairly easy; the label lists them as (Patty Lace!)
Paula, Peppi and Pixie, as for the other questions...I'm sure Mick
Patrick has used Patty Lace tracks on various CD and LP compilations.
I bet if pushed he may be able to provide further info, such as age,
bra size, town of birth....
Martin
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 02:41:04 -0000
From: Mike Edwards
Subject: Front Runners; Eddie Rambeau
Ed writes (in response to a question from James Botticelli):
> So let it roll, Mike. What year was "The Big Hurt" by the Front
> Runners?
1976 - this was a disco version along the lines of Gloria Gaynor's
"Never Can Say Goodbye".
Ed - were you out of the music business from 1970 ("Solitary Man")
to 1976 ?
Mike
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 07:35:53 -0000
From: Tom
Subject: Last Poni Tails Single
Hi,
I've been able to find all the recordings by the Poni-Tails over
the years except for their last single. It was "Who, When and
Why" b/w "Oh My, You". Does anyone have an idea of where I could
find these two recordings to complete my collection? You can mail
me off-list if you like. Thanks!
Tom
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 05:04:31 EST
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Re: Songwriter credits
Paul Bryant:
> 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.
WSOP is NOT a traditional, unpublished folk song
Become unconfused again.
al kooper
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 05:01:24 EST
From: Al Kooper
Subject: David Clayton-Thomas / B S & T
Michael Godin:
> David Clayton Thomas and Blood, Sweat & Tears perform on a regular
> basis. My friend, Darcy Hepner, is the sax player in the band. He
> is out with them usually once a week and a lot more in the summer.
What you neglected to mention is DCT has to get permission from Bobby
Colomby to use the name BS&T and has to pay him a cut of the profits
everytime he performs under that name.
al kooper (horrified by his "legacy")
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 05:07:20 EST
From: Al Kooper
Subject: The Kitchen Cinq
> I always thought The Kitchen Cinq was a great name. But after they
> called their first album "Everything But....", where could they go
> next?
> Actually, I think I have that album. They were on Lee Hazlewood's
> label (LHI), weren't they?
I actually wrote a song on that album that I believe was their only
single. It was called The Street Song.
al kooper
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Message: 12
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 05:15:30 EST
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Burt Bacharach
Mick Patrick:
> Did you ever cross paths with Burt, Al? I guess that must have been
> kinda inevitable, given that you were both supplying material for
> Gene Pitney.
No.
They never let us actually meet. I worshipped Burt at the time.
There's a chord change in Don't Make Me Over (it's the chord in the
clear just before now that I can't live without you. From the top it
goes C Em, and the next chord Bm, had never been used in a popsong
before in the key of C - I loved that) that really stroked me
intellectually and since then, his composing has always had my full
attention.
The Stones' Ron Wood told me they dined together about 10 years ago
and that Burt said: "Ya know the average age of someone that comes to
my concerts is...............deceased!!"
I stole that too -
Al Kooper
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 14:54:00 -0500
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: Peggy March
Agreed, Peggy March was/is a great singer. Looks pretty good,
too.
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 20:10:12 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Big Endings
How about the Capris ending to There's A Moon Out Tonight?
AR
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 00:04:08 -0000
From: Doug Richard
Subject: Re: Commercial music
> I'm looking for an original jingle from a New York based product
> called "Cool Shakes." The lyrics were...
That sure sounds like the Yardbirds "Great Shakes" commercial to me.
Doug
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Message: 16
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 17:48:44 -0800 (PST)
From: Mark Wirtz
Subject: Re: Pet Sounds
Richard Havers wrote:
> I was looking at the July 1 1966 issue of New Musical Express
> and came across an advert. Its headline was "The most
> progressive pop album ever - PET SOUNDS". I guess that means
> that the Beach Boys were the first progressive band!
Not quite sure if this is a tongue in cheek comment, or for real.
Weahl, personally, I believe that, in genre and epoche appropriate
context (thus discounting Mozart et al as progressive), yes they
certainly were. Just as Spector was, but he wasn't a band. My
hunch is that even McCartney would agree. Now, y'all start arguing
while I take cover...
Warm best,
Mark Wirtz
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 14:35:05 +1300
From: Mike Stachurski
Subject: Preservation of master tapes
Ruby,
And I thought "I" was the only MLS person on-list... lol
Good luck...
Mike Stachurski,
Librarian-in-training
DUNEDIN, NZ
"Learn everything, a narrow education displeases." Hugh of St. Victor
(c.1090-1141)
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Message: 18
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 19:54:18 -0600
From: Orion
Subject: Re: David Clayton-Thomas
David Clayton-Thomas and his new backup group (still called BST) was
here in Omaha 2 months ago. He was great. His voice dynamics have
eroded but not so much that you don't enjoy his performance. I think
everyone that went was quite pleased. He stated at that time he was
releasing a new CD sometime the 1st Qtr of 2004. He sang a couple songs
from it and if it is all as good as those two were, it will be worth
purchasing.
Orion
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Message: 19
Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 20:51:28 -0500
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Mony Mony / Pet Sounds
Alan Gordon wrote:
> Speaking of Tommy James, Garry and I were at his apartment in NYC,
> he told us he got the idea for Mony Mony by looking out his window
> where there was a big neon sign atop an office building MONY.
... which stood for Mutual of New York -- the name obviously chosen
to subtly invoke images of greenback dollars.
Richard Havers wrote:
> I was looking at the July 1 1966 issue of New Musical Express and
> came across an advert. Its headline was "The most progressive pop
> album ever - PET SOUNDS". I guess that means that the Beach Boys
> were the first progressive band!
Perhaps in the pop sphere, but the word had been used in jazz circles
for some time by then. I believe it was a post-bop development.
--Phil M.
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Message: 20
Date: Thu, 05 Feb 2004 20:15:51 -0000
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: 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
Phil Hall:
> The trouble with Ace Records is you can't actually buy anything
> from them. They listed this CD as being on their Big Beat label,
> but when you search Big Beat, they say they have no CD's by an
> artist named Sharon Tandy. You not only can't buy it; you can't
> even get a price. Like a lot of European record sites, they are
> less than user-friendly. Anyone know the trick here?
Strange....the Ace website is one of the easiest to navigate I have
ever encountered. But remember that they are a record company, not
a retail outlet. However, I see on their homepage that they have a
mail order department. You've tried that, obviously. In case not:
http://www.acerecords.co.uk/mailorder/mailorder.html
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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