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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. "Respectable"
From: Country Paul
2. Re: friends/John Beland
From: Clark Besch
3. Johnny Tillotson and Dick Clark
From: Dan Hughes
4. Freddy Cannon; Ron Dante
From: Michael Edwards
5. Fake Zombies
From: Steve Harvey
6. record arrangements vs. live arrangements
From: Steveo
7. Fake Groups?
From: Paul Urbahns
8. Motown girls with male backing vocals
From: Country Paul
9. Re: Kitchen Cinq
From: Al Kooper
10. Re: "Girl On A Swing"
From: Bill Craig
11. On musica; Kleen-Kuts; DeShannon>Nicks?; bogus groups; Wish You Could Be Here; Bob Lee [Trammell]; end notes
From: Country Paul
12. Impostor Bands
From: Skip Woolwine
13. Re: Austin Roberts on Bandstand
From: Austin Roberts
14. "Baila Ye Ye" in musica.
From: Julio Niño
15. Re: Paul Evans / Mann & Weil off-Broadway / Glizards
From: Paul Evans
16. Re: Gene Hughes memorial and benefit
From: Austin Roberts
17. Gene Hughes Tribute Show report
From: Skip Woolwine
18. New on the list
From: Frank J
19. "Son Rumores"
From: Julio Niño
20. "The Boys from New York City"
From: Dave O'Gara
21. Archies; Tony Passalacqua
From: Michael Edwards
22. "Comin' On Too Strong"
From: Country Paul
23. Ron Dante; Archies
From: Michael Edwards
24. Re: Shirley Spector
From: Bob Hanes
25. Michael Konstan! Michael WHO?
From: JJ
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 13:29:14 -0000
From: Country Paul
Subject: "Respectable"
Fred Clemens:
> The Chants' "Respectable" was the same song as the Outsiders, but
> they weren't the original....The Chants recorded 2 or 3 different
> versions of the tune. At least they had at least three separate
> label issues (UWR?, M-G-M, and Twentieth Century)....
The Chants' original release was on Tru-Eko out of Brooklyn, NY;
the flip is a beautiful doo-wop ballad, "Please Kiss Me Goodbye".
Country Paul
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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 12:03:58 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: friends/John Beland
Al Kooper:
> ...I worked with John Beland on a Rick Nelson album I produced for
> Epic that remains unreleased. He played great guitar. Somewhere I
> have a photo of Rick, John & myself.
Al, that is cool to get that pic of Giorgio. Looks like those
Yardbirds and such mid 60's records fed him well too! As for John
Beland, I was truly amazed at all the stuff he's done. Check his
website http://members.chello.at/thomas.aubrunner/beland.htm
I was keeping a lookout for a record he did in early 68 on ebay,
when I saw someone bid on something of his. I emailed the person
and it turned out to be HIM! We struck up a conversation and I
visited his website and was amazed! It was like meeting Artie Wayne
--guys behind the scenes that have done SO much!
Funny thing about the John Beland story was when he told me the
record I was looking for did not exist! I had taped it off Bandstand's
Rate-a-Record, but John said Dick Clark was sent an acetate of the
song and it never got released!! Way to go, Dick!
Clark Besch
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Message: 3
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 09:37:53 -0000
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Johnny Tillotson and Dick Clark
Clark Besch:
> Here's an incomplete list of Bandstand appearances
> by our Spectropoppers or their songs........
> Note that most of these Johnny T dates are when
> Bandstand was a daily show.
> If any of our S'Poppers have remembrances of their
> shows, please illuminate us!
Since Johnny and Nancy have been so great in answering our
questions, I have expressed honorary thanks on the group's behalf.
Their reply:
Thanks for the honours!. We don't have a complete list of the
Bandstand appearances. Johnny thinks there were a few more which
were the Saturday Night Shows. The shows were great fun to do and
Johnny always enjoyed working with Dick Clark and learned a lot
from him. Nice man, lovely wife. All the best, Johnny and Nancy
---Dan
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Message: 4
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 03:51:54 -0000
From: Michael Edwards
Subject: Freddy Cannon; Ron Dante
It appears that our "industry" members have a common link
through none other than Freddy Cannon. Eddie Rambeau knew
him when they both recorded for Swan Records of Philadelphia
in the early 60s. Al Kooper wrote Freddy's "Old Rag Man",
the b-side of "Let Me Show You Where It's At" (WB, 1965).
And then along comes Ron Dante with an unreleased gem,
"Ride, Roller Coaster, Ride" that he wrote and produced with
Gene Allen and Bob Feldman. This track came out on the
recent Varese CD "The Very Best Of Freddy Cannon, 1964-81".
You kept quiet about that one, didn't you Ron? Don't be so
modest; it's "Palisades Park" with a great mid-60s feel. The
Beach Boys and/or Jan & Dean should have done something so good!
Mike
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Message: 5
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 17:51:57 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Fake Zombies
David wrote:
> P.S. I heard that in one instance where the "fake"
> Zombies were on tour, one fan said that the lead
> singer didn't look anything like they remembered
> from the album cover or the magazines, and was told
> that the original lead singer had died in a car crash.
> So who's that bloke touring with Rod Argent now?"
I think you're confusing Zombie stories. The fake Zombies
were imposters that some booker concocted to cash in on
the success of "Time of the Season". We're talking about
the late 60s, not nowadays. There was a piece I read in
Rolling Stone (back when it was worthwhile purchasing).
The current Zombie lineup is Rod and Colin, both original
cats. Nice guy as well. I listen to my tape of their show
every so often and it still holds up. They even came out
afterwards to sign autographs and shake hands.
Great blokes, as they say.
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Message: 6
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 11:27:53 -0800 (PST)
From: Steveo
Subject: record arrangements vs. live arrangements
Howdee y'all,
Like to ask if some of you have been disappointed by live
string and horn arrangements compared to record arrangements ...
Singers who doctor up or down their "live" charts, sometimes
even by other arrangers hacking on the original arranger's ideas.
Sometimes this is good, and sometimes this is bad, such as
Dionne Warwick's live double album...or Dionne Live In Paris
"yeeks!"
Steveo
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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 08:29:42 EST
From: Paul Urbahns
Subject: Fake Groups?
David Coyle wrote:
> To their credit, these "Vogues" did the old songs pretty
> much like the originals. Their performances of "Turn Around
> Look At Me" and "My Special Angel" were nearly as breathtaking
> as the "legit hits". And yes, they did do a lot of "bar band"
> oldies, but what oldies group doesn't do covers against their
> character?
David has run into something that we oldies fans are going to
have to get used to. The rock bands that we grew up on the the
50s and 60s are retiring or dying. You may find a late 60s group
with most of the original members but that even would be remote.
The simple fact is, it is hard work singing every night. Most
groups are on a constant touring schedule and work 3 or 4 nights
a week (or more) and on nights they are not actually singing they
are rehearsing with a back up band someplace or maybe a community
orchestra.
Original members vs fake or contract groups: Recently I saw
the Lettermen with one original member. The show was good, but
they did very few Lettermen songs and only a few group vocals,
it was mostly solos. Not what I was expecting. It was a good show,
but not worth the ticket price I paid.
However I saw the Diamonds, which is the nationally licensed
group with no original members, at a local Dinner theater a
couple of weeks ago and they currently make CDs inder the name
and have the Diamonds website. the CDs are a collection of oldies
with a couple Diamonds hits, all stuff used in the show. A new
Diamonds song called, Radio Heroes, is well worth the price of
the CD. They did a fantastic show including the old hits you
expect including so not so common ones like "She Say". They did
not refer to themselves in any way to make you thnk they were the
originals, in fact they mentioned when various members joined
"the Diamonds Show" as opposed to joined the Diamonds.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra is touring today as a ghost band,
I have seen them twice and they do a great job with the original
arrangements. The band is not even owned by the Miller estate anymore.
So I guess my bottom line is as long as they are the licensed
group authorized to appear under that name and sing the hit
songs of the group it's fine by me. Having an original member
doesn't count for much to me anymore, it's nice because they
may say something about the original group, but its the show
I am concerned with.
As for the Vogues. The original Vogues have a website and can
perform using their name in a certain area of Pennsylvania,
but that is all. You can email them to get the particulars
but apparently the group dissolved and signed the name to an
entertainment company who uses it today. Remember there were
Vogues touring in the 70s and 80s that recorded for Plantation
Records. I saw them once and they did a very good show.
That's my two cents worth.
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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 01:55:35 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Motown girls with male backing vocals
Phil Milstein:
> In listening to "Phil's Spectre" again the other night, it
> finally struck me what's so odd about The Supreme's "Run
> Run Run": male backing vocals! Am I correct in believing
> that was a real rarity for Motown's girl groups, at least
> during the company's early days?
Mary Wells' wonderfully raucous "Bye Bye Baby" has a male
chorus, if I remember correctly. (Be sure the version you
get has it - the original 45 does; one mix sneaked out with
the group erased - and half the excitement of the record went
with them, in my opinion.)
Bye bye, baby,
Country Paul
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 22:55:15 EST
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Re: Kitchen Cinq
Me:
> I actually wrote a song on that album that I believe was
> their only single. It was called The Street Song.
Country Paul:
> I have it; not their only single, but a damn fine record,
> too, and a song you also did on Aurora as "New York's My
> Home Razz-Ma-Tazz." Pray tell, sir, what relevance does
> that title have to the song?
Uhhhhh.....its a song about living in New York (firsthand)...
the Razzamatazz was just a little silver sparkles
Al Kooper
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Message: 10
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 02:32:40 -0000
From: Bill Craig
Subject: Re: "Girl On A Swing"
Re: the recently closed "Girl On A Swing" thread; might I
bring up the fact that it was originally done by NJ's The
Happenings and written by members of that group...(Bobby
Miranda, Bernie La Porta?, I can't remember)
Bill Craig
Bring me the head of Simon Cowell et al.
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 20:17:33 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: On musica; Kleen-Kuts; DeShannon>Nicks?; bogus groups; Wish You Could Be Here; Bob Lee [Trammell]; end notes
Nice tour through musica (Yahoo gave me an extended run!):
Donna Marie "Sunshine Mind" is a sweet treat - and Paul,
right about the internal rhymes. Also, The #1, "The Collector" -
how could I have missed this, living in CT for over two decades?
Maybe not a huge hit potential, but very listenable. Grantley Dee
has a nice voice, but the arrangement sounds like a church organist
on a tight budget! :-) I forgot how potent the Kai Winding "Time
Is On My Side" is; I hadn't heard it since it was new, and it
was the first version of the song I heard. I got a kick out of
the Goffin-King "western" track also - once. And sorry about
the Frankie Laine song; sadly, I can hear why it didn't resurrect
his career!
Info search for a "phantom" record: The Kleen-Kuts, "(You're My)
Summer Love"/"I've Found A New Love," Vitality 701 (prod. "Seven
Ways, Pensacola, Florida"; wr. F. White/J. White-C. White-F. White).
Distributed by Sound of Nashville, this 1966 45 has an A-side a bit
like the Beach Boys; don't remember the flip. The promotion that
came with this low-budget affair was something like "everyone else
has long hair and is scruffy, but the Kleen-Kuts are clean." Despite
this, it's a good track. Jeff Lemlich, any ideas? Anyone?
Paul Levinson:
> "Wall of Soundalikes". I love it, and especially
> Jackie DeShannon's "When You Walk In The Room"....
> I always loved The Searchers' version, but Jackie's
> is pure heaven!
I too have been relistening to the CD (and Mick, it holds together well
listening in sequence, too) and had a thought: steal or re-record the Jackie
DeShannon instrumental track in 21st-century-fi, and have Stevie Nicks sing
it. Could be her new hit. (Listen to Jackie's voice and note the stylistic
similarity.)
Phil Hall:
> Who are some of the other bogus groups and how can they
> get away with this? Isn't it fraud?
Mike McKay:
> To answer your last question first, it's moral fraud but
> not necessarily legal fraud. Through various legal
> machinations, managers and others have sometimes succeeded
> in securing rights to use of the name of a well-known group,
> leaving the actual original membersof the group out in the
> cold.
I'm seeing "The Charlie Thomas Drifters" on Sunday night - one of the
original lead singers and a bunch of non-original back-ups, to my knowledge.
Will report anything worthwhile. Credit goes to Ronnie I of UGHA (whose show
this is NOT): when he brings in a group, it's usually the original lead
singer (if alive) or else the bulk of the back-up group. So an artist like
this would be credited "Charlie Thomas and a Drifters group," identifying
the key figure and acknowledging someone else will be "filling in the gaps."
"The Charlie Thomas Drifters" is honest enough, and I'm told they do a good
show.
Mike again:
> Meanwhile, I've also seen "The Shangri-las" in the last few
> years. I knew going in they were bogus, of course, but went
> anyway just to see how they'd do...."What can you say about
> a group that calls itself The Shangri-las and does exactly
> TWO Shangri-las songs in the course of their entire show?"
> They had a (very) long-haired blonde lead singer, and the two
> brunettes were mother and daughter, the latter obviously not even
> born when The Shangs had their hits. Their singing and harmonies
> were OK....I'm sure 99 percent of the audience was blissfully
> unaware that they'd been had.
> And that's called...sad.
I saw the same crew to the same walk-through. It was like Bad Las Vegas, and
my friend who invited me was bummed, too. And that's called...lame.
Jim Shannon:
> ..."I wish you could be here" from Cyrkle.
Mike McKay:
> I've gotten into a LOT of trouble over the years with Paul
> Simon fans when I've stated, in no uncertain terms, that this
> is the finest song Paul Simon has EVER written in his entire
> career (co-wrote, actually, with Bruce Woodley of The Seekers).
If not the finest, certainly in the top handful; I've heard Simon's solo
demo (exquisite) and the Cyrkle's performance is as close to perfect as they
come. To my ears, a masterpiece, on the level of "Dangling Conversation" and
"Only Living Boy In New York." By the way, Don Dannemann of the Cyrkle has
sold his New York recording studio, Mega Music, and moved into a joyous
retirement in the Poconos.
Mark Hill:
> Bobby Lee Trammel had no Billboard pop hits, but there's a track by
> him, "You Mostest Girl", on That'll Flat Git It: Rockabilly from the
> Vaults of Decca, Vol. 3. So that would be country and connect back
> to the first "Open Up Your Heart" -- in that they are *both* on Decca.
"You Mostest Girl" was originally issued as by Bob Lee (same guy) on Skyla
1117, from either '59 or '60, I believe. Didn't know Decca picked it up.
I've got it; decent record.
End notes:
Previously:
> I've been trying to find out who Carol & Gerri were, so far with
> no luck. The backing band is the D-Men, who later became the Fifth
> Estate....
Ask Wayne Wadhams; you can find his e-mail address at
http://www.bostonskylinerecords.com.
Last Beatle post, really. Paul Bryant noted:
> I must repeat the hopefully true tale of the American
> teenager overheard in a record shop in 1974 - "Hey,
> look, Paul McCartney was in a group before Wings!"
It actually happened to me with a 14-year-old female listener calling in to
WDRC-FM in 1978. Boy Scouts' honor! (Consider that she was 6 years old when
they group broke up.)
Phil Milstein:
> I tell ya, it's a marvellous world when you can privately
> distribute a 35-year-old song by an obscure performer one
> day, and the very next dayreceive a thank you note from that
> artist.
Paul Levinson:
> If I put the magic of Spectropop into a short story, people
> would say it was unbelievable.
Seconded by...
Country Paul
(not to be confused with the Country Store)
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Message: 12
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 13:58:18 -0600
From: Skip Woolwine
Subject: Impostor Bands
http://www.fameartists.com/
FAME stands for Friends Against Musical Exploitation.
This is the group founded by Gene Hughes, Pat Benti,
Mary Wilson, Dennis Yost, Bill Pinkney, and others to
push for legislation to keep "Truth in Rock", i.e., full
disclosure that a particular brand-name band does not have
any of its original members. And I thought we had a big
enough problem with hit song compilation CDs potentially
not being original recordings.
Many years ago, I remember being hoodwinked by K-TEL. From
a TV spot, I bought an oldies compilation Double LP… and it
was just the songs, rerecorded by studio session players.
Had I paid closer attention to how the TV spot was worded,
I would have saved my money.
Ironically, years later, I learned that my best friend from
high school worked for the production company that did these
songs, and it was his voice on some of them… from right here
in Nashville. I love this town!
Skip Woolwine
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 17:22:14 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Austin Roberts on Bandstand
Dr Mark:
> From DJ JJs Rock Almanac:
> Feb 10, 1973:
> Performing on 'American Bandstand:'
> Austin Roberts, performing "Something's Wrong With Me".
Hey Dr. Mark,
I remember doing the show (I think another one) and
watching the Dolphins beat the Redskins (their unbeaten
season) in the Superbowl with Dick Clark in his office.
Wish I had a picture of that.
Best,
AR
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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 22:41:37 -0000
From: Julio Niño
Subject: "Baila Ye Ye" in musica.
Hola Everybody.
I've just played in musica "Baila Ye ye" (Areta / Baratas)
by Las Hermanas Benitez, a trio of Cuban sisters. The track
was included in the Spanish EP Discophon 27368 / 1964.
A little piece of Spanish yeye.
I hope you enjoy it.
Chao.
Julio Niño.
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 23:07:28 -0000
From: Paul Evans
Subject: Re: Paul Evans / Mann & Weil off-Broadway / Glizards
Artie,
I'll post a review of "They Wrote That?" on Spectropop after
I see the show. I understand that the New York Times didn't
like it - but what do they know? :-(
Not having seen the show yet - I can't comment on it. But I
can say that it'll be fun to see and hear Barry and Cynthia
again. Betcha can't name two more talented pop writers.
Did you catch this story on my "Recollections" page?
==========
> I remember stopping a breathless Barry Mann (of the fabulous
> Mann/Weil married writing team and, of course, of "Who Put
> the Bomp?" fame) as he ran down the street on the way to a
> demo session for some of his new songs.
> "Congratulations", I offered him.
> "What for?", he asked.
> It seemed pretty obvious to me. "For having three songs in
> the Top Ten."
> "Thanks," said an obviously concerned Barry as he ran off,
> "but I'm in a big hurry. Those three songs are all on the
> way down the charts."
> ------------
> We were always in a big rush, weren't we?
============
Artie, If you're still in touch with Toni, send her my best.
I used to love running into her at Associated Studios. :-)
Paul
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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 17:35:31 EST
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Gene Hughes memorial and benefit
Ed,
It felt great to be back on stage,especially for someone as
special as Gene Hughes!
Yeah, it looks like I've got the bug again to perform (all
I've done is write and produce for the past 25 years).
Dickie Lee has been telling me about some great shows that
he's been part of lately, and telling me to hook up with the
people putting them together, so I guess I will. It gets in
your blood it seems.
Take care,
Austin
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 13:32:04 -0600
From: Skip Woolwine
Subject: Gene Hughes Tribute Show report
Ed:
> The night opened with a great film produced by Spectropopper
> Skip Woolwine, which combined photos of Gene and Gene's live
> performance that Skip shot last year at a benefit for Ray Peterson.
Hi Ed, good to finally meet you at the show!
Here's a bit of background info on that video tribute:
Last May 31 at the Ray Peterson Benefit in Springfield TN I
videotaped Gene Hughes on a handheld Digital 8 camera. Although
nobody knew at the time, this was to be Gene Hughes' final
performance of "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye". I was fortunate
enough to have an unobstructed view and was able to capture this
performance in its entirety.
Thru Buzz Cason's office, I arranged for his wife Lynnette to
loan me publicity shots and candids of Gene with famous people.
I mixed them with my video to cover the bad camera shots, and
my 'video obit' was broadcast on Fox 17.
> Gene will be honored in Guy Gilcrest's comic strip,
> Nancy, on February 27. The original art was presented
> to Gene's wife at the benefit.
At this recent tribute/benefit show, I videotaped everything in
its entirety (with a tripod this time) and recorded the audio
directly from the board. Here's what you missed:
Buzz Cason (2 weeks after triple-bypass surgery):
(aka Gary Miles, Alvin of the Chipmunks (2nd run))
"Look for a Star", "Everlasting Love"
T. Graham Brown: "With This Ring", "Dock of the Bay",
"634-5789"
Freddy Weller: "Promised Land", "Dizzy", "Games People Play"
James Griffin of Bread: "Everything I Own", "It Don't Matter
To Me" and "For All We Know" (he wrote it, David Gates passed
on it, so they pitched it to the Carpenters)
Dickey Lee: "I Saw Linda Yesterday", "Patches",
"9,999,999 Tears" (and I thought 96 tears were enough!)
Larry Henley (Newbeats): "Bread and Butter", "Hang On Sloopy",
"Wind Beneath My Wings" (he wrote that BTW)
Bruce Channel: "Hey Baby", "Friends", "Stand Up", and he sounds
just as good as he did 40 years ago when he recorded it
Spectropopper Austin Roberts: "Rocky", "Something's Wrong With Me"
and a rousing short version of the Scooby Doo theme, (that's him
singing on the original TV cartoon, as you S'poppers already know).
Good to finally meet you, too, Austin!
Gary Talley of the Box Tops did "The Letter" and "Cry Like a Baby",
which sounded just like the original, complete with electric sitar
lead, note for note.
Ray Peterson: "Corinna, Corinna", "Tell Laura I Love Her",
"The Wonder of You". God bless Ray, too. He is not too well,
yet insisted on performing, and he still can hit those high notes.
Beach Music Hall of Fame member Clifford Curry did his originals:
"She Shot A Hole In My Soul", "We're Gonna Hate Ourselves in the
Morning", and "Shag with Me"
Pat Benti from Boston's Sha-Booms, close friend of Gene's, did
"Oh Pretty Woman".
The show ended with the original members of the Casinos doing
"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye", with Gene Hughes' brother Glen
singing the lead vocal. He sounded just like Gene. And again
everyone started to tear up.
Cincinnati WSAI's Dangerous Dan Allen just called. He came to
Nashville for the show. WSAI is having a Gene Hughes tribute/
benefit show on Feb. 21 in Cincinnati ... and they want to use
my video tribute. I'm flattered and humbled.
Here's to you, Gene.
Skip Woolwine
Emmons Hicks Woolwine and Associates
708 Tern Court
Nashville, TN 37221
(615) 376-6462 Fax: (615) 463-7935
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Message: 18
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 14:13:08 -0000
From: Frank J
Subject: New on the list
Hello Spectropoppers,
I'm joining the group for a few weeks now and I'm totally
overwhelmed with its output (Geez, how do you guys read all
those mails when you leave the house for a few days?) and with
its exquisite members. (Where else do you have the chance to
speak with so many first hand "sources" if not on spectropop?)
But now its time to introduce myself. My name is Frank
Jastfelder. I live in Munich, Germany and I'm deep into the
60s in general (that means films, fashion, etc.) and of course
especially deep into the music of that time.
Out of this passion I did some CD compilations for German
majors over the years and released a book about the cover art
of soundtracks from the 60s and 70s. A future project will
hopefully be a filmed documentary about the so called "Wrecking
Crew" in L.A which I'm currently trying to put together. Be warned
that I will ask all of you one or two things concerning this in
a later posting. However I hope that I can help out with my
knowledge by some means or other too.
BTW the first official Burt Bacharach Production (together with
Bob Hilliard) was for Dick van Dyke's "Three Wheels On My Wagon"
released in January 1961 on Jamie.
Cheers
Frank
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Message: 19
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 18:34:19 -0000
From: Julio Niño
Subject: "Son Rumores"
Hola everybody.
Country Paul wrote:
> ... When I was in Puerto Rico in 1960, Antonio Prieto had
> a big hit 45 called "Rumores," a sort of semi-doo-wop
> track that still gets me with its call-and-response chorus.
> I have never been able to find out anything about him until
> I read your post! Was "Rumores" a big hit elsewhere? (It was
> all over Puerto Rican radio, Spanish and English stations.)
> What was his real musical style - rock, pop, doo-wop, etc.?..."
Paul, "Son Rumores" is a song composed by Joaquin Prieto
(Antonio's brother). The song was a big hit in Spain at the
beginning of the sixties in the version by David Soto, I
haven't heard Antonio Prieto's version. I think I have
David Soto's record somewhere, if you are interested I can
play for you.
Joaquin and Antonio Prieto's style of music is a kind of soft
Pop, very popular in Spain and Latin-America in the early sixties,
highly influenced by Bolero (a kind of pop ballad originated in
Latin-America). I think that Bolero was an essential influence
in the development of Spanish and also Italian Pop. For nowadays
standards many boleros lyrics are so exaggerated that they seem
completely psychotic, which of course I like.
Chao.
Julio Niño.
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Message: 20
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 01:15:09 -0000
From: Dave O'Gara
Subject: "The Boys from New York City"
Does anyone have any information on the group known as
The Boys from New York City. Their single, "These are the
Things" was quite a popular ballad in the central Massachusetts
area in the late sixties.
The song has an intro that is quite similar to the JS Bach song
JOY. I've heard, but can't confirm, that the group either was
before or later became known as "The Energy Package". Both of
these acts recorded for Laurie..Thanks for any help you folks
can come up with.
Dave 0'
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Message: 21
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 02:57:34 -0000
From: Michael Edwards
Subject: Archies; Tony Passalacqua
Ron Dante writes (re: Tony Passalacqua and the Archies) -
> Tony was never on any of the Archie sessions as I remember.
> Most of the singing was done by Toni Wine and myself. There
> were other studio singers who came in once in a while but I
> never saw this guy Tony.
Thanks for the response, Ron. I don't know where I picked up
this information. Seems to me like it gets alluded to when the
guys (The Legends Of Doo-Wop) do a live performance. I'll ask
them next time they're here on Long Island.
Incidentally, I checked the Spectropop archives for information
on Tony Passalacqua and found this from Don Charles:
> Must have singles by Tony Passalacqua:
> "Shout My Name" on Colpix as Tony Richards;
> "Caravan Of Lonely Men"/"Wind-Up Toy" on Carlton
> as Tony Richards;
> "A Million Drums"/"Candle In The Wind" and "Write Me A
> Letter" on Canadian-American as Tony Mitchell; and
> "Spring Fever"/"True, True Love" as Tony Pass on Atco.
> Jeff Barry involvement on all of these as writer and/or
> producer. Tony was one hell of a singer!"
With Tony's Jeff Barry connection, I wonder if the jury's
still out on his possible Archies' involvement.
Mike
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Message: 22
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 13:29:15 -0000
From: Country Paul
Subject: "Comin' On Too Strong"
Mark Hill:
> Wayne Newton and The Beach Boys??? I have
> never heard about this one. Can you elaborate???
Wayne Newton, Capitol 5338, 1965 - Comin' On Too Strong
(wr. Gary Usher-Raul Abeyto; pr. T. M. Productions; arr.
Terry Melcher)
- The World Through A Tear (wr. Bobby Scott-Artie Resnick;
pr. T. M. Productions; arr./cond. Tommy Oliver)
Actually, I may have "overspoken" myself, and I apologize
for any confusion I may have caused. Rumor had it (when new)
that it was the Beach Boys backing him, and it sure sounds
like it could have been. However, as it was produced by Bobby
Darin's production company, T. M., and considering the writers
and arranger, it may be more of a "Brian Wilson's disciples"
affair and that real Beach Boys. Knowing the membership of this
list, someone has already probably posted an authoritative answer
(I'm still about a week behind). I'm far from a fan of most of
Newton's work, but this track - and his very early and very
credible rockabilly work with his brother Jerry - holds up,
despite Wayne saying he hated it, according to Mikey. And
according to another Mike, Mike Edwards, the track appears
on a Capitol Collectors CD that's "still out there".
Country Paul
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Message: 23
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 03:18:06 -0000
From: Michael Edwards
Subject: Ron Dante; Archies
Let me keep the Archies' thread running by nominating two
of my favorite 45s:
"Strangers In The Morning" – From 1972 and didn't even bubble
under. Produced by Ron, written by Ron and Howard Greenfield
with an arrangement by Jimmy Wisner, I don't see any Jeff Barry
and/or Andy Kim involvement. The song doesn't have that dominant
keyboard as on "Sugar Sugar" but stands on the strength of the
harmonies and the great melody. A lesser-known gem from the Archies.
"Feelin' So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y-D.O.)" – The one before "Sugar Sugar":
produced by Jeff Barry and written by Jeff and Andy Kim with that
irresistible line - "Sunday after mass, picnic in the grass, diggin'
Mama Cass with Skooby Doo"
There was enough of an r&b flavor to this one for it to be covered
in the UK by Geno Washington And The Ram Jam Band.
Mike
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Message: 24
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 14:28:12 -0800 (PST)
From: Bob Hanes
Subject: Re: Shirley Spector
Mick:
> Phil Spector's older sister Shirley once managed a band
> called Kip Tyler and the Flips.
Are you sure it's not Skip and the Flips? Then the name
Skip Battin would fit better. Bruce always says that Sandy
and Phil were in HIS band when they were at Hollywood Professional
High School. We recently lost Skip Battin, I had the extreme
pleasure of sending Van Dyke Parks a couple of singles that
he had arranged and written one song on (High Coin) by Sikp
Battyn (nee-Battin) on the Record, record label and another
little label whose name excapes me and I'm far to lazy to go
look in my msic room for the label name. One side is Dylan's
Love Minus Zero No Limit, though. My, can I ramble on!
The Right Reverend Bob, dumb angel chapel,
Church of the Harmonic Overdub
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Message: 25
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 00:36:46 -0000
From: JJ
Subject: Michael Konstan! Michael WHO?
Would be great if anyone could supply any info on this
unsung hero!
I've got an amazing US MGM 45, fr ´66, "My lovely one" b/w
"This time", and especially the b-side is fantastic, i.e.
The most impressive track I've heard in years!
A Don Costa Production, Prod by Larry Kusik & Ritchie Adams.
I´ve also got a US RCA ´73 LP by MK, called simply "Michael
Konstan", and it includes some gorgeous trax Magic Orch Pop,
and MK has a very nice voice!
Pleez, I need some meat on this bone(!), i.e. if MK has released
more records + his whereabouts etc
Thanx in advance!
JJ/Sweden
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