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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 16 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Doris Troy; SGC; Mr. Bassmen; 1650 Broadway; Ann-Margret
From: Country aul
2. Clusters; Plymouth Rockers and Addrisi Bros.; thanks; short stuff
From: Country Paul
3. Burt Bacharach & Hal David's first production
From: Mick Patrick
4. Just One Look
From: Phil C
5. Re: The Diplomats, Van McCoy and a Psychiatrist
From: Mark
6. Re: "I Wonder What She's Doin..."
From: Paul Levinson
7. Re: AK, producer
From: Al Kooper
8. Astors and More For Art
From: Mark
9. Re: Children - Robert John
From: Al Kooper
10. Re: The Diplomats
From: James Botticelli
11. Re: The Del Vikings/Ali Baba /Bonzo Dog Band
From: Chris
12. Re: Chad & Jeremy reissues
From: S.J. Dibai
13. Re: Alzo Fronte Radio Spotlight Show
From: Jim Shannon
14. Re: BlueBeats / Movies
From: Jim Shannon
15. Re: Valiant
From: Frank J
16. Re: Bobby Freeman
From: Eddy
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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 01:16:19 -0500
From: Country aul
Subject: Doris Troy; SGC; Mr. Bassmen; 1650 Broadway; Ann-Margret
John Clemente and Mick Patrick, thank you for the posts
regarding Doris Troy's passing. Ady Croasdell's and David
Nathan's tributes are both touching and informative; I had
been unaware of the depth of her contributions and the lack
of commensurate awareness by most of the public.
ACJ:
> There was, in the mid- to late-Sixties, a label called SGC
> Records, which is best remembered today for singles by Todd
> Rundgren's early group, the Nazz. Did SGC, perchance, stand
> for Screen Gems-Columbia?
Yes.
Me, earlier::
> I was impressed at how Johnny Cymbal did bass-like parts
> in his tenor range; I thought that kind of counterpoint
> was going to show up in more hit records after that,
> but it never did.
Mike Rashkow:
> CP, surely you jest. That was Ronnie Bright I think. But, I
> have heard John do the song solo several times and he does a
> reasonable job of jumping octaves.
Al Kooper:
> I think I mentiooned b4 that the bass part on the Johnny Cymbal
> record AND the Greg Howard record was Ronnie Bright, who sang
> with The Cadillacs at the time and was well known as a profundo
> basso around 1650 B'way, the REAL Brill Building...
My reference was to where they sing together, *two* bassmen
riffing together being somewhat unique. There was also a great
instance of a double falsetto: "Bong Bong" by Vince Castro (Apt,
1959, I think - check the fade).
And Al, 1650 was indeed a magic place. When I was first music
directing (for WBRU), I used to ramble through the hallways,
knocking on doors of the indies and bringing back the latest
releases from so many indie labels who names I both remember
- Lido, Gametime, Double L, early Dimension (I believe), and
later Casablanca - and so many more I now forget. You could
program an entire oldies station out of 1650 without ever
going across the street to 1619.
Laura Pinto:
> ....Ann-Margret's "Lost Love" on the A-M box set....an audio
> sample of that particular track[:]... http://tinyurl.com/36q8y
Thanks, Laura; very interesting, although the vocal part sounds
like a bit of a forced overlay on a great instrumental - not
A-M's fault, as she handles the awkwardness quite credibly.
Hmmm - talented, smart and beautiful - a lethal combination!
Country Paul
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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 02:11:18 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Clusters; Plymouth Rockers and Addrisi Bros.; thanks; short stuff
Al Kooper:
> So Mick, ANYONE - any chance of a copy of any magnitude of
> "A Tear For Tommy"
Phil Chapman:
> We'll get there, eventually... latest info is that it is by
> Linda Lawrence & The Cluster.... I'm curious about '& The
> Cluster': there are some slightly suspect male backing-vocals
> with a falsetto in Theremin style....
That would properly be The Clusters, who did "Darling Can't
You Tell" (Tee Gee, 1958) that Al and I were raving over a
few months ago. (It's my all-time favorite uptempo doo-wop -
Arlene Smith of the Chantels does a duet lead.) I hadn't
realized they'd done backups later.
Jules Normington, re: Valiant Records:
> a couple of killers by the Plymouth Rockers ("Don't Say
> Why" 's a fuzz-laden folkrock winner written by Don & Dick
> ...ummm.. the Addrissi Brothers that is...who I'm pretty sure
> started their OWN recording career on Valiant...correct me...
I have the Plymouth Rockers' "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man" - a
credible job for white guys! :-) The Addrissis started on Del-Fi
- I don't know if "Cherrystone"/"Lilies Grow High" is their first,
but it's a good'un. Jules, you mention girl groups> One of the
finest one-shots is on Valiant, "I Still Love Him," by the Joys
(and the instrumental track ont he flip); wonderfully Spectorian.
Thanks to:
- Eddy for the Bobby Freeman on King info. Has that work ever
been collected on LP or CD?
- Austin Powell for the Larry Hall info; I believe the songs
you mentioned are collected on the CD I mentioned earlier
available at Collectibles (no bio of any note there, though).
- Jan Kristensen for the Larry Hall album listing.
Short stuff:
John Sellars:
> Am I the only person who thinks [Clarence Palmer] sounds like
> Louis Prima?
Now that you mention it...I agree.
Austin Roberts, Mars Bonfire is a neat name - but not a real one.
John Kay told me what it really was once, but I've since forgotten.
Wow - I've caught up! (Break out the champagne!!)
Country Paul
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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 12:57:09 -0000
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Burt Bacharach & Hal David's first production
I asked:
> ... what was the first disc to bear the legend "Produced
> by Bacharach and David"?
Mike Rashkow:
> Phil, I'll pass this easy slam-dunk to you. Show 'em what
> you got, son.
Phil Milstein:
> I'm guessing Moondog's legendary microtonal rendition of
> "Walk On By."
For the record, the disc concerned is:
The Rangoons "Moon Guitar" / "My Heart Is A Ball Of String"
(Laurie 3096, June 1961). Both written by Burt Bacharach &
Hal David, and produced by Bacharach & David. The two songs
are instrumentals, which, given that Hal David was a lyricist,
renders me a little curious about the songwriting credits.
Maybe vocal versions exist?
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 4
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 12:30:42 -0000
From: Phil C
Subject: Just One Look
Artie Wayne:
> Artie [Ripp], barely able to contain himself, then invites
> us in to listen to Doris Troy put the last harmony part on
> "Just One Look".....an experience I'll never forget!!
Rashkovsky:
> When working at Sounds On Broadway, I did a demo session for
> Doris Troy. I'm pretty sure it was the first time I had ever
> seen Chuck Rainey, Cornell Dupree or Richard Tee in a studio.
I loved the style of her first three Atlantic releases. Really
distinctive keyboad and guitar work. "Just One Look" itself
always stood out to me as sounding different from the others
in that the drums are right up front and played with brushes,
giving it a chunky, seductive feel. The line-up sounds the same,
but as it appears that JOL was originally presented as a demo,
I wonder if they used the same team to record the rest?
Phil C
PS - I did countless sessions with Doris (and Jimmy Helms) in
the 70s, mainly Kelloggs' jingles ("Pour Out The Sunshine" series).
She had a big voice, big heart, very professional and loved to
tell a good story.
R.I.P.
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Message: 5
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 05:17:43 GMT
From: Mark
Subject: Re: The Diplomats, Van McCoy and a Psychiatrist
Hi Julio!
There's absolutely nothing wrong with you--Van probably had
a hand in that great unreleased Diplomats track. He certainly
was familiar with the group--he'd arranged their previous
singles for the Arock label and also wrote a couple of those songs.
If you haven't heard the Arock singles, you're in for a real
treat. "Here's a Heart" is just incredible, a super sublime
soul ballad that grows on you with repeated listens. Another
of their Arock records, "Cards on the Table", is now selling
for silly money (triple figures) in the UK.
I was just listening to the UK Kent CD "Living the Night Life",
with their great song "Love Ain't What It Used to Be"--
unfortunately, I can't tell you off-hand whether Van had a hand
in this one or not. I think he did, and maybe was involved with
their later sides as well.
Mick--the Kent LP in question was "Soul Serenade" (Kent 41) and
the song is definitely titled "Can't Get You Off My Mind". I had
this LP on a tape (thanks to a contact I was trading tapes with),
but unfortunately it unraveled. Nice to know that Kent is putting
out a Diplomats CD--will it have their great side "My Sweet Baby"
(which they recorded as the Four Puzzles)?
Best,
Mark
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Message: 6
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 21:38:00 -0000
From: Paul Levinson
Subject: Re: "I Wonder What She's Doin..."
Bob Rashkow wrote:
> Barry DeVorzon and Bodie Chandler's glorious "I Wonder What She's
> Doing Tonight"--a spine-tingler of a tune. A true 1963 relic which
> climbed the charts at the time of JFK's assassination......& not to
> dredge up an ancient fossil, but I'm still "wondering" if anyone
> knows of Boyce & Hart trying to obliterate Barry's triumph by
> writing and performing another successful song with the same name,
> or can we pretty much say that it was just another strange 6Ts pop
> coincidence!!!
Agree completely that the Tamerlanes' record is a haunting gem,
and the Boyce and Hart different song with the same name is an
irritation, whatever its motivations, and whatever its merits.
The problem stems from a blindspot in the copyright laws, which
say that a title cannot be protected. This has caused aggravation
in just about every creative field, ranging from music to novels
to movies.
All best,
(City) Paul
http://www.sff.net/people/paullevinson
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Message: 7
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 14:57:42 EST
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Re: AK, producer
Alan Gordon:
> Al Kooper, I know you are jesting when refering to BMI
> performances etc. I am not jesting when I tell you that
> if my old group the Magicians were lucky enough to have
> you as a producer we would not have disappeared. You have
> been a real guidepost to all of us in the rough and tumble
> world of rock n roll, and someone who I really respect.
Aw.....shucks I'm blushing.
I remember those Magicians, Jake singing lead, correct?
Are you still writing?
AK
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Message: 8
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 05:08:58 GMT
From: Mark
Subject: Astors and More For Art
Hi Art!
If you really like the Astors' music, you need to get your
hands on the 9 CD Complete Stax/Volt Singles box set. This
box contains four Astors songs off their singles, plus
their first single recorded for Satellite (the forerunner
of Stax) as the Chips.
They started out as backing singers for Jerry Lee Lewis at Sun,
as the Dontinos. The members were lead singer Curtis Johnson,
Sam Byrnes, Richard Griffin and Eddie Stanbeck. They moved to
Buffalo for a short time, but found themselves at Stax thanks
to Sam Byrnes dating Stax star Carla Thomas.
Chips Moman changed their name to the Chips for the Satellite
recording, but since there was another Chips at that time, they
became the Astors (after the famous New York hotel) for their
second single, "Just Enough to Hurt Me"/"What Can It Be", two
years later. Johnson had been drafted, accounting for the delay.
That first single is the hardest of their records to find, but
it exemplifies their sound more than anything. They were more
of a doo-wop sounding act than a Memphis sounding act.
"Candy" followed in May 1965 for their only pop chart hit (#63),
and that was followed by one of the oddest records ever issued
by Stax/Volt, "In the Twilight Zone", with its weird sound
effects and unintelligible vocals. It still became a favorite
on the Northern soul scene, as did "Candy".
A couple of more years passed before their final Stax single in
September of 1967, "Daddy Didn't Tell Me"/"More Power to You",
which Curtis Johnson felt that Estelle Axton had to lobby to
have released.
The Stax box has "What Can It Be", "Candy", "Twilight Zone" and
"Daddy Didn't Tell Me" plus the Chips tune. I think that there
are some unissued Astors on the British CDs on UK Stax/Ace (1000
Volts of Stax and the subsequent followup discs being the UK CDs
in question). Needless to say, the Stax box also contains a good
sampling of Mad Lads as well.
And while I have your attention, I need to ask a favor of you.
You mentioned a single on Amy a while back by the Innervision
or Innersection or something like that entitled "Your Time is
Gonna Come". It was written or produced by Ellie Greenwich, so
I guess it's good (never heard it). Anyhow, if you have the 45
handy, could you possibly give me the matrix numbers from the
label for my A/M/B database (the four digit number, probably
beginning with a 6 or 7--needed for both sides)--off-list please?
Thanks in advance.
Best,
Mark
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Message: 9
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 14:54:23 EST
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Re: Children - Robert John
previously:
> Children - Robert John (Columbia 44639) Produced by Al Kooper!
> Like the cool phasing (?) at end.
Would that be "Children In The Making"? I did not produce that.
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Message: 10
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 11:19:03 -0500
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: The Diplomats
Mick Patrick wrote:
> The Diplomats will be performing in the UK in a few months
> time. By then they'll have their own CD out on Kent/Ace, I hear.
There is a Diplomats' anthology out on Collectables (sic).
I have it. Not a terrible remastering job, but certainly
not Ace-Kent material. Feeble liners too.
James Botticelli
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Message: 11
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 08:19:46 -0800 (PST)
From: Chris
Subject: Re: The Del Vikings/Ali Baba /Bonzo Dog Band
Country Paul on The Del Vikings:
> some nice instrumental support, good lead work by
> Kripp Johnson, and some neat bass singing
> ("Ali Baba-nooski, Ali Baba-noo...")
Yes, but did you ever hear Bonzo Dog's version of "Ali Baba's
Camel" (on "Tadpoles")? *Very* '60s, especially the into in
which Stanshall (I believe) sings:
"You've heard of Ali Baba?
"Forty thieves had he;
"After what we all want,
"Lots of LSD ..."
Somehow I don't think that the original author of "Me and
My Girl", Noel Gay, had quite the same thing in mind ...
"Oh, How The Camel Loved Ali Baba [SLURP!]",
Chris
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Message: 12
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 16:21:26 -0000
From: S.J. Dibai
Subject: Re: Chad & Jeremy reissues
Hola, Spectropoppers.
Jim: The Sundazed reissue of C&J's "Before and After" album is
excellent. You can read my Amazon.com review of it if you'd like:
http://tinyurl.com/2nec9
Click on my name and you'll see other C&J reviews I've written,
should you be on the hunt for more reissues.
Jim and Clark: My e-friend Frank Jason Rhoden has been working
with Chad & Jeremy and all the appropriate parties to release
a whole truckload of stuff on CD, including that Rocshire album.
They've been working on that reissue for some time now. You can
read about it by trawling through the archives of our Chad and
Jeremy Yahoo! Group: chadandjeremy-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
(The volume of messages in that group is low, so it won't take
too much of your time.)
Also, you might like to check out C&J's official site, also done
with help from Jason:
http://www.chadandjeremy.net
Happy reading and listening,
S.J. Dibai
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Message: 13
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 15:56:53 -0000
From: Jim Shannon
Subject: Re: Alzo Fronte Radio Spotlight Show
Patrick Rands wrote:
> I think those of you who dig the jazzier side of things
> (like the Bob Dorough productions) would really like Alzo's
> music. It was a sad day earler this month when Alzo passed
> away, so it's all the more important now to get his music
> heard in his honor. I'm really hoping a domestic release of
> his music could happen, maybe even a tribute cd with modern
> day artists recording his music (I think his song So Glad
> would be perfect for a band like Saint Etienne) could happen.
> His music and talent was that good I think.
Amen. Alzo was a great lost to the music industry. I had
communication with some of his family recently, and they are
looking forward to releasing a new CD called "Been so Long".
The CD had been delayed for some time. At the time of his
death, Alzo was gaining in popularity in Japan and middle east.
Jim Shannon
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Message: 14
Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 16:01:13 -0000
From: Jim Shannon
Subject: Re: BlueBeats / Movies
Jim Shannon wrote:
> ...Not ready to give up his beloved band, Griffen once
> again changed the name of the group in early '69 to The
> Movies and released another single but it failed to chart
> in major markets. The Movies disbanded by mid '69 and
> faded into obscurity.
Bill Craig:
> I'm assuming these Movies were not the band from the '70s
> who had a tune called "Dancing On Ice"? I think they were
> an east coast band.
Actually the correct spelling is the Moovies. Their single
release was a song called "Cinnamon Square". Lead singer
Lance Drake (Blue Beats, The #1) left the group and became
a DJ.
Bob Rashkow:
> My DJ copy of Cinnamon Square on Roulette is shown as by
> "The Moovees" penned by group member Christopher Covell.
> I suspect the '69 band "The Movies" unless they changed
> the spelling after they were The Blue Beats is a different
> group altogether. Cinnamon Square, going by the serial #,
> looks to be from about the summer of 1968. BTW, it's a
> terrific record, as is the flip, "Little Boy Blue (Little
> Girl's Green)".
Bob: It is the Moovees formerly The #1 and before that
BlueBeats.
Jim Shannon
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Message: 15
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 14:20:07 +0100
From: Frank J
Subject: Re: Valiant
Here's one that doesn't make a lot of money for the label
I'm afraid. I recently purchased it. It's actor Charles Boyer
at the tender age of 66 rapping his words of wisdom about love
and where it goes. Hence the title "Where Does Love Go" (Valiant
V-719). But to make it a true Spectropop item the song is written
by Don and Dick Addrisi and arranged by Perry Botkin Jr.
The b-side is called "Theme from Where Does Love Go" and is just
the backing track. I checked on the imdb and there's no film of
such title so I guess it's a kind of opener for the whole album
of Boyer's bonmots which he did for Valiant but I haven't seen yet.
Au revoir
Frank
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Message: 16
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 14:27:50 +0100
From: Eddy
Subject: Re: Bobby Freeman
Country Paul:
> ...Eddy for the Bobby Freeman on King info. Has that work
> ever been collected on LP or CD?
I only know of a King label LP (King 930) called Lovable style
of Bobby Freeman. It's a 1965 LP, but I don't even have a track
listing.
Eddy
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
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