________________________________________________________________________
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
________________________________________________________________________
There are 14 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Lorber & Spector
From: Bonnie B.
2. Billy Maxwell
From: Al Kooper
3. Max Crook
From: Al Kooper
4. Tommy Boyce's Book
From: Lapka Larry
5. Re: Accuracy of Top 40 Playlists
From: Clark Besch
6. Re: "Roses Are Red (My Love)"
From: Paul Evans
7. Re: Crime Story / The Ventures
From: Mikey
8. Re: Girls With Guitars - The 2 Of Clubs
From: Clark Besch
9. Re: track layering in reverse order
From: Kurt
10. John Rhys in concert (w/ Scott Richardson)
From: Howard
11. Re: December's Children / Grass Roots
From: Austin Roberts
12. Re: The Big Hurt
From: David Ponak
13. Re: Girls With Guitars - The Charmaines
From: Gary Myers
14. Re: Girls With Guitars - The Charmaines
From: Phil X. Milstein
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 10:46:16 -0000
From: Bonnie B.
Subject: Lorber & Spector
"Son of Wall of Sound"...I once read in Goldmine that it was Alan
Lorber's arrangement for Gene Pitney's Every Breath I Take which
was its producer Phil Spector's first experience with a Wall Of
Sound. Is this true? If you listen to the record and date it, sure
makes sense.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 07:07:49 EDT
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Billy Maxwell
Joe Nelson:
> ...contemporary Christian legend Keith Green. After Green was killed
> in the summer of 1983, his producer, Bill Maxwell, created two new
> albums out of piano/vocal demos and live recordings. This obviously
> presented the same difficulties as SOS, yet the timing is flawless.
> (It should be noted that Maxwell was also the drummer on Keith's
> albums, Keith preferring to tour solo with just his own piano for
> accompaniment.)
Maxwell, IMHO is also the hero behind Andrae Crouch. His arranging and
producing certainly didn't hurt Andrae's work - in fact, it made him
initially unique in the gospel world. I bow to Maxwell as I am a huge
Andrae fan.
Al Kooper
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 07:30:03 EDT
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Max Crook
I wrote:
> I never had the pleasure of working with DS but I sure was a
> fan - and I was always charmed/mystified by that solo instrument
> in "Runaway".
Phil Milstein:
> Lots of Musitron info, and some new CDs for sale, at
> http://www.maxcrook.com
Thanx Phil and in deference to prior discussions, I just wanna point
out that Max Crook, the keyboardist on all the Del Shannon hits,
invented the keyboard that played that amazing solo on Runaway and
many Shannon hits which Max also co-authored, had to BUY tix to attend
Shannon's induction to the R&R Hall of Shame. That really pissed me
off at the time.
Al "I'm Not Worthy" Kooper
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 05:49:37 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lapka Larry
Subject: Tommy Boyce's Book
Dear All:
Tommy Boyce's book, even for a musical illiterate (as far as being able
to play anything) was an enriching experience. If for nothing else, the
photographs are something special. He talks extensively about creating
pop songs and country songs, and it is quite an interesting tome about
where he had been and where he was at the time (late 1970s?).
A must not only for Monkee fans, but also for those who are interested
in any form of pop music.
Larry Lapka
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 14:01:18 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Accuracy of Top 40 Playlists
Dan, I have noticed many stations had a pick Lp on the bottom of
their charts. It was most often a pop LP, so that I guess gave them
a reason to play Anita Kerr, John Davidson and others that normally
were "too pop" for top 40 and thus cut into the easy listening
stations' audience. So often, outside the big cities, there was
usually one or 2 top 40 stations, 01 easy listening, 01 country, 01 soul
station (maybe) and 1 FM station back in the mid-60's, so top 40
usually tried getting a little of all the competitors' music to put
them at the top of the ratings. Clark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 13:40:37 -0000
From: Paul Evans
Subject: Re: "Roses Are Red (My Love)"
John Fox:
> Is Floyd Cramer playing piano on "Roses Are Red"? The style is
> unmistakable. Would that mean that the song was recorded in
> Nashville? In my opinion, Floyd Cramer is the unsung hero of the
> country crossover era of 1961-1963. He seems to be on every record
> of that genre from that era, plus country-flavored records from
> pop singers that crossed over the other way (Johnny Tillotson,
> Brenda Lee, even Walter Brennan!).
John,
"Roses Are Red (My Love)" was recorded in New York. I used a Cramer
"clone" on my original demo (recorded at Associated Studios in the
Big Apple) as did Bob Morgan, B. Vinton's Epic Records A&R Man.
Floyd was definitely an original, but originality is quickly
appropriated in the music business.
Paul Evans
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 10:08:15 -0400
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: Crime Story / The Ventures
LOL....Al...thanks so much for that story about The Ventures.
Can't win them all!!
Mikey
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 14:20:04 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Girls With Guitars - The 2 Of Clubs
Joe, Never was too excited about the "other" 2 of Clubs 45's, but I
love "Walk Tall". The song is on legit Cd now. Bob Stroud's "Rock n
Roll Roots Vol. 3". Bob's a great guy who has done Chicago rock
roots radio shows for over 20 years and can be heard Sunday 10AM-noon
doing his show at WDRV's website. As I have mentioned before, he is
also current lead vocalist for the Cryan Shames. Check em out if
you're in Chicago. They do all their local 45's still! Anyway,
here's a chance for more new Cd possiblitites you all might want to
take advantage of. He is currently taking requests for Vol 6 on the
website. He DOES listen to the fans and really tries hard to get a
couple of Chicago area songs on each time. Of note on his first 5
releases are the relatively obscure Cd sightings of: "Cottage Cheese"-
Crow, "White Bird"-Beautiful Day, "Lake Shore Drive"-Aliotta, Haynes
& Jeremiah, "Summer Sun"-Jamestown Massacre, "Hold on" & "Soul
Drippin"-Mauds, "Walk Tall", "King of Rock & Roll"-Long John
Baldry, "Little Green Bag"-George Baker Sel., "Little Miss Sad"-5
Emprees (their greatest hits available very soon from Arf Arf!),
and "Race with the Wind"-Robbs. The 5 Cds lists are impressive.
Voice your choice!! Listen to his show! Clark
OOPS, forgot to give the Bob Stroud website:
http://www.wdrv.com/rockroots.php
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 01:18:10 -0700
From: Kurt
Subject: Re: track layering in reverse order
Joe Nelson wrote:
> Maxwell quickly figured out what was wrong with Keith's earlier work
> -- you couldn't record him the normal way, cutting basic tracks and
> overdubbing vocals. He was a very emotional performer who played
> according to the moment, and, chained to the feeling on the tape, he
> couldn't give you the performance. So Maxwell took a gamble -- he cut
> Keith singing and playing live, laid down the drums himself, and had
> the session players follow him following Keith's lead. So when the
> usual suspects went to create fresh recordings after the fact, they
> were already used to playing that way.
Producer Alan Douglas conducted this same sort of "posthumous
overdubbing" in the years immediately following Jimi Hendrix's death,
and the results were horrendous. I believe the Hendrix Estate is still
trying to sort out the fine mess that Douglas made of Hendrix's last
recordings.
I would reckon that "posthumous overdubbing" is always done to some
degree following the untimely deaths of substantial (and profitable)
musicians... provided there are recordings left to embellish.
Deceased artists such as Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, John Lennon (see
'Milk and Honey' and the Beatles single 'Free As a Bird') and more have
all had their unfinished music brought to completionby, um ... well-
meaning producers, with generally mixed results.
Although Warren Zevon's passing was heartbreaking, it was wonderful that
he was able to finish his last album while still an alert and creative
musician.
Kurt
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 07:04:44 -0400
From: Howard
Subject: John Rhys in concert (w/ Scott Richardson)
I got this message today, and thought it might be of interest to some
of you on the list.
"The legendary producer/musician from Detroit, John Rhys of Impact/
Inferno Records, The Volumes, Shades Of Blue, Kenny Gamble & The
Romeos, Golden World/Ric Tic Records, etc., fame, is set to appear at
Kulak's Woodshed, 5230-1/2 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood,
CA 91607, this coming Sunday, May 2.
"The show will be broadcast live at
http://www.kulakswoodshed.com/webcast.shtml
between 8.00 pm and 10.00 pm PST (4.00 am-6.00am GMT). If you want
to e-mail John live with a request, write him at kulakswebcast@yahoo.com
For further information, e-mail paulkulak@earthlink.net or phone
818-766-9913."
In John's own words:
"We have already gained quite a few fans and amazingly enough they're
young people who are into the reality of what we're doing. They hate the
perfection of what the record companies are producing. It's all accoustic
and the leader this time is Scott Richardson, formerly of a band called
SRC, who I produced for Capitol in the late '60s."
So if you're arriving home from a soul night and still up for some real
good old fashioned "Blues" with some Soul thrown in, then check out a
master at work.
All the best,
Howard
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 10:36:16 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: December's Children / Grass Roots
Billy G. Spradlin:
> I prefer the Maramade's excellent version, it has a different last
> verse than the Grass Roots and should have been a hit in the USA. I
> think its interesting while the Roots had a wealth of great material
> from Sloan/Barri (and the band-written LP originals) they were always
> on the lookout for overseas and non-hits they could cover.
Price and Walsh (in Arkade) wrote several of the Roots hits (Temptation
Eyes, Heaven Knows etc.) as did several American (mostly LA) writing
teams. I don't know of any foreign songs that they cut. I was in the
Arkade on Dunhill at the same time as the Roots and produced by Steve
Barri, but most of the hits came from LA writers.
Austin Roberts
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 09:18:35 -0700
From: David Ponak
Subject: Re: The Big Hurt
The Susan Rafey version is incredible. I used to play it on my radio show
quite a bit.
I'm also quite fond of the Scott Walker version.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 09:50:10 -0700
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Re: Girls With Guitars - The Charmaines
Mick Patrick:
> 17. Lonnie Mack and the Charmaines
Me:
> Apparently this is not the "Memphis" Lonnie Mack?
Mick:
> Yes it IS him. The Charmaines and Lonnie were on the same Cincinnati
> label, Fraternity. He played on some of the their records, and they
> sang on some of his ...
Ah. I wondered why he would be on "Girls With Guitars".
I guess it was probably the Charmaines singing bg on his "Wherever
There's A Will", a great blues side.
gem
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 13:09:45 +0000
From: Phil X. Milstein
Subject: Re: Girls With Guitars - The Charmaines
Mick Patrick wrote:
> I hear the Charmaines' previously unissued version of Ike & Tina
> Turner's "I Idolize You" has become a bit of a London rave. It got
> played at the last Actionettes club night. 'Tis wild!
What was the engine of its coming out? Included on a reissue/comp,
yanked from oblivion via a bootlegged acetate, or what-have-you? In
other words, how do the rest of us go about hearing it?
--Phil M.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
End
