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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Silver
From: Bill George
2. The Six Teens
From: Phil Hall
3. Re: Gary Le Mel
From: C. Ponti
4. Re: Bob Crewe at Musica
From: Frank
5. Re: Larry Knechtal
From: Mike Rashkow
6. New Neil Sedaka Yahoo Group
From: Dan White
7. Copyrighting riffs
From: Gary Myers
8. Thanks
From: Gary Myers
9. Re: On Any Sunday - Soundtrack?
From: Frank
10. Secret Schwartz
From: Al Kooper
11. Plagiarism
From: Al Kooper
12. Jan Berry R.I.P.
From: Laura Pinto
13. Jan Berry Dies at 62
From: Neb Rodgers
14. Monkees / Aretha
From: Bob Rashkow
15. Re; "Take A Girl Like You" Soundtrack
From: Ray
16. Jan Berry R.I.P.
From: S.J. Dibai
17. Re: Cameo-Parkway subsidiary labels
From: S.J. Dibai
18. Re: Cameo-Parkway and ABKCO
From: S.J. Dibai
19. Re: Cameo-Parkway / Chubby Checker
From: S.J. Dibai
20. California Dreamin' TV Special
From: Mark Hill
21. Jan Berry R.I.P.
From: Country Paul
22. Re: Mary Ann Fisher & Margie Hendricks
From: Mike Rashkow
23. Re: Jan Berry R.I.P.
From: Joe Nelson
24. Jan Berry R.I.P.
From: Steve Harvey
25. Best Wishes
From: Mike Rashkow
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 00:57:29 EST
From: Bill George
Subject: Silver
I have an album for the 70s by a group called Silver. I had it
on a cassette (transferred it) so there wasn't any information
included. The only thing I know is that Brent Mydland (of the
Grateful Dead) was in the band. Does anyone have any more
information? Who was in the band, etc? And does anyone have
their second LP? I really like them. Soft harmony pop somewhere
in between America and The Eagles. Thanks for any help.
Bill
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 15:38:19 -0000
From: Phil Hall
Subject: The Six Teens
Al Kooper wrote:
> Are The Six-Teens still alive??????????
Al,
According to allmusic.com "They have since regrouped (whatever that
means) and performed on the doo wop circuit, releasing a CD of new
recordings on Lacoriha Records, The Six Teens Greatest Hits". And
Ace Records has released a CD of their recordings entitled "A Casual
Look: The Flip Recordings", which is still available.
Phil H.
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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 03:44:08 -0000
From: C. Ponti
Subject: Re: Gary Le Mel
Simon White:
> Can anyone give any info on Gary Le Mel...
Ray:
> Gary LeMel, president of Worldwide Music, Warner Bros. Pictures
> Gary LeMel has overseen some of Warner Bros.'s most successful
> soundtracks including Singles, The Matrix and The Bodyguard...
Ray Babes....and if you listen to any of "Lost In Your Arms" you'll
understand why it was a really good idea on Gary's part years ago to
go into the business side of the industry....
C Pont
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 11:41:22 +0100
From: Frank
Subject: Re: Bob Crewe at Musica
Tom Taber:
> "Bob Crewe Part 2" is now available at Musica. Do you think it's
> too late to enter the contest?
Tom, thanks for posting this gem. I think the contest is still
running. Or has anybody seen the LP with a picture and a biography
of the winner on its back cover?
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Message: 5
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 20:22:51 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: Larry Knechtal
Previously:
> I'll always remember (Larry Knechtal) for "the best ever rock
> n roll piano solo" (tm) on Duane Eddy's "You Are My Sunshine"
> back in '59.
How about Bridge Over Troubled Water?
Rashkovsky
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Message: 6
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 04:32:38 -0000
From: Dan White
Subject: New Neil Sedaka Yahoo Group
We Invite everyone here to join our great Decade site called
Neil Sedaka and the 60s, 70s, 1980-85. We are a free group to
join: http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/NEILSEDAKA/
Thanks,
Dan White
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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 21:54:34 -0800
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Copyrighting riffs
Previously:
> ... Billy Ocean's "Carribean Queen", itself a "Billie Jean" rewrite.
> If Michael Jackson needs cash he could easily sue Billy Ocean
Not really. It's the melody that is copyrighted, not the arrangement,
bass line, intro, etc.
The closest thing I ever heard to a lawsuit on something like that was
when the writers of "Speedy Gonzalez" tried to sue for the "la la"
stuff on "Crocodile Rock." I never heard the outcome, but I doubt that
they had a real case, for the same reason I mention above.
gem
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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 22:09:24 -0800
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Thanks
Previously:
> By the way, welcome to S'pop. That's a nice "Over The Rainbow"
> you have on musica
Thanks very much, for both the welcome and the comment.
gem
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Message: 9
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 14:51:11 +0100
From: Frank
Subject: Re: On Any Sunday - Soundtrack?
Sean:
> I saw the 1971 documetrary film all about motorcycle racing late
> last night, and was wondering if this was ever released as a
> soundtrack? And if yes, where can I find it on CD? LP? It's very
> groovy and very reminisent of our Mark Wirtz Mood Mosaic stuff! :)
Sean, you´ll find it only on vinyl. It was released on Bell Records
(Bell 1206). BMG should own the rights to it but I I once requested
a track from it for a soundtrack compilation and they couldn´t find
any contracts. It´s as funky as the Wrecking Crew ever got. We have
surprisingly Larry Bunker on drums (who does a great job) but the rest
is in the usual position: Tommy Tedesco and Dennis Budimir on guitar,
Carol Kaye on bass, Mike Melvoin on organ and Emil Richards on
percussion to name a few. Lyrics for the title song were written by
Sally Stevens. She sings and also does some vocalising with a chorus
featuring John Bahler among others.
BTW the music is written by Dominic Frontiere. A great record but hard
to find at bargain prices nowadays.
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Message: 10
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 09:10:10 EST
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Secret Schwartz
Previously:
> [Goldmine] issue #264, 09 /7/90, about the Tide/Edit labels (for
> which I also recorded). Thanks for your interest.
>
> You're welcome. With The Portraits? By the way, welcome to S'pop.
> That's a nice "Over The Rainbow" you have on musica - very "seasonal!"
>
> Re: Mary Ann Fisher, she had a 45 on Seg-Way (same label as The Echoes,
> of "Baby Blue" fame). Anyone remember the title?
There may be a secret Schwartz thing goin' on 'cause Melvin Schwartz
wrote Baby Blue & also Baby Talk (this may be a senior moment. I KNOW he
wrote Baby Talk but I think he wrote Baby Blue).
Al "THESE aint the faboulous sixties" Kooper
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Message: 11
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 09:13:41 EST
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Plagiarism
> there's Billy Ocean's "Carribean Queen", itself a "Billie Jean"
> rewrite. If Michael Jackson needs cash he could easily sue Billy
> Ocean, like the Isleys succesfully sued Michael Bolton or when Huey
> Lewis took Ray Parker, Jr. to court over "Ghostbusters" sounding too
> much like "I Want a New Drug"! So much for originality......
I don't think it went down, but whoever wrote Lulu's Back In Town could
EASILY sue David Clayton Thomas for Spinning Wheel AND Randy Newman for
Bet No One Ever Hurt This Bad....check it out y'all !!!
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Message: 12
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 18:43:47 -0000
From: Laura Pinto
Subject: Jan Berry R.I.P.
Hi S'poppers,
Sad news about Jan Berry from Jan and Dean, who has passed away a
week shy of his 63rd birthday of an apparent stroke.
http://www.jananddean-janberry.com/
Laura
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Message: 13
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 13:04:30 -0800 (PST)
From: Neb Rodgers
Subject: Jan Berry Dies at 62
Subject: Yahoo! News Story - Jan & Dean Singer Berry Dies at 62:
http://tinyurl.com/ypvw8
Entertainment - AP Music
Jan & Dean Singer Berry Dies at 62
By ROBERT JABLON, Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES - Jan Berry, a member of the duo Jan & Dean that had the
1960s surf-music hits "Deadman's Curve" and "Little Old Lady from
Pasadena," has died. He was 62.
Berry had a seizure and stopped breathing Friday at his home. He was
pronounced dead that evening at a hospital, said his wife, Gertie
Berry.
He had been in poor health recently from the lingering effects of
brain damage from a 1966 car crash.
Jan & Dean had a string of hits and 10 gold records in the 1960s with
their tales of Southern California. Among them were 1964's "The Little
Old Lady from Pasadena," about a hotrod racing grandma, and "Surf
City," with its lines about taking the station wagon to a place where
there are "two girls for every boy."
With Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, William Jan Berry co-wrote the
lyrics for "Surf City" and "Deadman's Curve," which featured the
driving guitar icks andfalsetto crooning of the wildly popular surf
music.
Berry's hit-making career with high school friend Dean Torrence was cut
short in 1966 when Berry's speeding Corvette hit a parked truck and he
suffered severe brain damage that left him partially paralyzed and
unable to talk.
His recovery was slow, but eventually he was able to resume singing and
writing songs.
In addition to his wife, Berry is survived by his parents, William and
ClaraBerry of Camarillo; three brothers and three sisters.
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Message: 14
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 16:18:22 EST
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Monkees / Aretha
Phil, I'll tackle 2 of your queries and welcome similar or differing
opinions:
My take on a Monkees' "Sugar, Sugar" is that they would have either
a) switched the lyric to "You're gonna make (me feel? my life?) so
sweet" (and, no doubt, have Davy croon it) or b) got Ellie Greenwich,
Toni Wine, Diane Hildebrand, Carole Bayer, Cynthia Weil or Carole King
(or fill in the blank!) to sing the line. I don't actually recall any
Monkee tunes in which women joined in or sang back-up--were there any?
I never heard their last 2 or 3 Colgems LPs (only certain cuts from
them) after "The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees" in their entirety.
I don't know the whole story about how Aretha Franklin broke onto the
R&B scene from first gospel and then pop, but most likely Ahmed Ertegun
or whoever was in charge at Atlantic around '65 or so picked up on her
amazing voice and offered her the recording contract with them. At a
certain point if I'm not mistaken Aretha left her native Detroit and
settled, as many top recording artists eventually do, in Los Angeles
(or NYC--or both!!??) I do agree with Phil that it was just as well if
not better that Motown didn't reach her first. Her style is very
distinctive and much of her soul from the late 6Ts and early 7Ts is
influenced by jazz, rock, blues, gospel, pop......and please pitch in
if I left any influences out!
Bobster
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Message: 15
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 21:45:20 -0000
From: Ray
Subject: Re; "Take A Girl Like You" Soundtrack
Sean:
> Does any know where I can find a copy of the 1970 Soundtrack LP to
> the film "Take A Girl Like You"?
http://tinyurl.com/2y5pw
Ray
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Message: 16
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 22:54:27 -0000
From: S.J. Dibai
Subject: Jan Berry R.I.P.
Hello, Spectropoppers. I just read the sad news that Jan Berry died
on Friday night at the age of 62. You can see the full story here:
http://tinyurl.com/3fjfd
I always admired this guy's determination. He fought long and hard
to overcome the effects of his accident the best he could. Since Jan
& Dean's appearance on "At The Drive-In" was billed as part of their
farewell tour, at least Jan got to say a formal goodbye before this
life's end.
Rest in peace, Jan.
S.J. Dibai
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Message: 17
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 23:02:18 -0000
From: S.J. Dibai
Subject: Re: Cameo-Parkway subsidiary labels
Previously:
> A topic that should be discussed for the box set, since they did
> have some of the most colorful and creative labels. So far, I have
> found the following C/P subs: Wyncote (their budget label), Lucky
> Eleven, Sentar, Windy C, Vando, Fairmount, Winchester, Key-Loc, and
> Cheltenham.
Hmmm........I know Wyncote (an amusing budget label--no Sunset,
that's for sure!), Lucky Eleven (guilty of giving Terry Knight an
outlet), Sentar (New Colony Six territory!), Windy C (Curtis
Mayfield's frist label, right?), and Winchester (which released The
Tymes' Philly soul classic "This Time It's Love"--groovy baby!). But
please.......enlighten me about the others, especially Cheltenham.
This would seem to be another label that was named after something
in the Philly area. Like Wyncote was named after a Philly suburb.
What was Cheltenham named after? Cheltenham Avenue? Cheltenham
Township?? Cheltenham Turnpike??? (Did I make that last one up? I'm
from Philly but I don't drive!)
S.J. Dibai
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Message: 18
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 23:11:44 -0000
From: S.J. Dibai
Subject: Re: Cameo-Parkway and ABKCO
Clark Besch:
> Watched Bob Seger get inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame
> last week on VH1. Sad to say that due to Allan Klein, his true
> rock n roll best is still unavailable. You think that Capitol
> stuff was good? You ain't heard Bob Seger rock for real until you
> hear the Cameo (Hideout originally) stuff!! That's what I want to
> hear first from these vaults.
Funny you should mention that. I was listening to the Spencer Davis
Group last night, and it occurred to me just how much "Heavy Music"
resembles "Gimme Some Lovin'"--repetitive bass line, shouting soul-
rock vocals, incessant maracas, bouyant cowbell.....and Seger even
screams "Stevie Winwood got nothin' on me!" at the end of "Heavy
Music Part Two." At any rate, Seger's Cameo material is awesome! It
is in the proud and true tradition of Michigan garage rock, and "East
Side Story" is one of the most gloriously gritty pieces of lyrical
wizardry I've ever heard. Not to deviate too much from the "pop"
focus of this group, but I must reference The Caretakers' rather
lackluster cover from the same era, apparently produced by Seger's
buddy Doug Brown, in which the lead singer totally eschews any
mention of "Johnny" from the lyrics! How dare they, that's part of
the melodrama!!!!
If anyone can verify Seger's claim that The Underdogs recorded "East
Side Story" originally and that their version sucked, please contact
me off-list. Thanks.
S.J. Dibai
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Message: 19
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 23:19:02 -0000
From: S.J. Dibai
Subject: Re: Cameo-Parkway / Chubby Checker
Larry Lapka:
> By the way, my son loves Chubby Checker. My son is eight years
> old. If that isn't reason enough to put out a legitimate CD of
> Chubby's hits, I don't know what is.
Well, Larry, I won't hold that against your son. Just kidding!
Despite his mediocre singing, I enjoy many of Chubby's records,
especially "The Class" and "Loddy Lo." However, someone ought to
keep his ego in check......here is a link to a two-year-old story
from the Philadelphia Weekly (one of those free weeklies) which
shows just what I mean:
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/archives/article.asp?ArtID=2022
No, this article is NOT an April Fool's joke.
S.J. Dibai
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Message: 20
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 21:11:18 -0500
From: Mark Hill
Subject: California Dreamin' TV Special
I just ran across this special while I was channel surfing:
Saturday 8pm, Midnight and Sunday at 4pm on the OVATION channel.
(More possible showings. Check your listings.)
"CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'"- Covering the branches of the "Rock Family Tree."
The California rock scene. THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS and THE LOVIN
SPOONFUL, BARRY McGUIRE, THE BLUES PROJECT, BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS. They
even interview AL KOOPER!
This features an array of music clips that I don't recall seeing before
and interviews with band members. Has a British narrator, John Peel, so
I assume it's from the BBC. They cut it off before the end of the
credits. So I don't know how recent it is.
Dr. Mark
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Message: 21
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 23:22:14 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Jan Berry R.I.P.
I'm very sad. I met him on his first tour after his accident. It was
difficult for him, but he was game, and it was a good show. Both he
and Dean were very unassuming and just really nice people. My
sympathy to all.
Country Paul
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Message: 22
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 19:37:25 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: Mary Ann Fisher & Margie Hendricks
Previously:
> Don't recall a female counter lead on Tell The Truth; just the
> Raelettes ensemble.....
As usual, I have it half right. Thought I clarified it in my own
correction. Tell The Truth has a female lead until Ray comes in.
What Kind Of Man Are You which has single voice answers to the
title question.
Di la,
Rashkovsky
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Message: 23
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 07:28:49 -0500
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: Jan Berry R.I.P.
S.J. Dibai:
> I always admired this guy's determination. He fought long and hard
> to overcome the effects of his accident the best he could. Since Jan
> & Dean's appearance on "At The Drive-In" was billed as part of their
> farewell tour, at least Jan got to say a formal goodbye before this
> life's end.
The guy partying with with Jan at the end of the show is a friend of
mine, Dr. Robert Rush from the Rip Chords. I'm sure he has the news
already, but he's got to be devastated.
Joe Nelson
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Message: 24
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 15:45:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Jan Berry R.I.P.
Just met a friend to exchange some CDs and DVDs. This
guy is in his forties now, but I knew him as a kid in
high school that was really into Jan and Dean. Not
exactly the type of act you'd think an 80s kid would
be into.
Within an hour of saying goodbye I heard that Jan
Berry has died. I saw him twice with Dean. He was
always friendly, unlike Dean who was arrogant both
times I've tried talking to him, and seemed to
genuinely appreciate his fans. Yet again the local
oldies station has barely mentioned his passing. He
was the "Brian" of the band up until his accident.
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Message: 25
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 09:54:34 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Best Wishes
To everyone who attended the big party in London this weekend, I
hope that it was a great affair and that a good time was had by
all. Sure sorry I could not be there.
Di la,
Rashkovsky
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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