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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: copyright law
From: C. Ponti
2. Re: copyright law
From: Lex Cody
3. Re: The Magicians reunited
From: Phil X. Milstein
4. December's Children song
From: Rich
5. Re: Ronnie's interview
From: Paul Evans
6. Re: The Big Hurt
From: Ed Rambeau
7. Al's Big Deal
From: Paul
8. Hank's stamp
From: Phil X. Milstein
9. Re: revitalized Remains
From: James Botticelli
10. Re: Blues Magoos' flips
From: Dave O'Gara
11. Re: Kit Kats / New Hope
From: S.J. Dibai
12. Re: Murray The K Brings You The "Hits"
From: C. Ponti
13. Re: Miss Toni Fisher
From: Michael Stroggoff
14. Re: December's Children / Grass Roots
From: Clark Besch
15. Re: 1910 Fruitgum Company
From: Austin Roberts
16. Brian Wilson's case for mono
From: Joe Nelson
17. Petula Clark
From: Dave Heasman
18. Re: Max Crook
From: Michael Fishberg
19. Copyright
From: Rex Strother
20. Re: Tommy Boyce's Book
From: Mikey
21. Scram #19 all-star issue now available
From: Kim Cooper
22. Donna Marie, Man Killer.
From: Martin Roberts
23. Everpresent Fullness Rev-ola review and RPM Zigzag question
From: Patrick Rands
24. Re: 1910 Fruitgum Company
From: Bob Rashkow
25. Re: Three In The Attic / Cellar
From: Ray
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 02:49:33 -0000
From: C. Ponti
Subject: Re: copyright law
Stephen Zartman wrote:
> The whole idea of copyright infringement and how it relates to a
> product that I buy and own is really hard for me to understand. How
> can some mega-bucks company tell me that I am not allowed to do with
> my own property what I want? If I want to make a few copies and give
> them to friends and relatives, why the heck not? I paid for it, I'll
> do with it as I feel.
Stephen,
As one who makes his living from royalties resultant from a copyright,
I assure you that you are stealing from someone when you download or
copy CDs. But let's forget me for a moment. Many of my friends and
contemporaries wrote some of the standards of the '60s. Their kids
are my godchildren. The kids struggle to make ends meet and pay for
college. They are not McCartney's kids, their dad may've written ONE
number one song which is his means of paying the bills. Their parents
were already ripped off once by the captains of the record business in
the '60s. Their publishing rights were usurped, radio-play monitoring
was spotty, and accounting was terribly unjust. Be a hero -- don't steal
from them again.
C Ponti
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 18:19:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lex Cody
Subject: Re: copyright law
I'm not really one to wade into this sorta pool, but I guess being a
musician myself, and having recorded, etc., I can understand the pros
and cons.
The sad thing is the musos get ripped everytime. Here in Australia
there is one of those TV current affairs shows doing research on promo
CDs. You see, there's a great scam that goes on where the rec company
writes off thousands of CDs from artists' accounts as Promo. The artist
doesn't get paid for these, as they're supposedly given away to radio,
journos for review, etc. This is all good, and has been going on for years,
but what also happens is a lot of CDs also get given to record stores and
traded off for TVs, gym memberships, etc. The show is investigating it
as we speak, and may even broadcast the story shortly. (I read about it
in a trade mag here.)
Currently in Australia there is no limit to how many can be written off
as promo (although in South Africa I think they have a limit of something
like 1200 CDs for promo), and all of this is where the artist loses out. I had
a couple of second-hand CD stores I used to frequent because it was obvious
to me a rep sold all their promo CDs there, and I'd get new releases for a
third of the price. This doesn't just happen here in Australia, I'm sure it's
a common practice. Now, who's the pirate costing the artist money?
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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004 17:23:14 -0400
From: Phil X. Milstein
Subject: Re: The Magicians reunited
Christian Gordon wrote:
> Being at a restaurant, they didn't exactly let it rip, but they
> couldn't help but sing a little bit. I asked if they remembered an
> AG favorite (Once Upon A Time by Rochelle and The Candles) and
> without skipping a beat they just went right into it. Nothing much --
> just a few verses. Trust me on this -- Garry can still bring it.
Thanks for the account, Christian -- sounds like a real sweet time. I'm
sure we all would've enjoyed being a fly in the soup at that dinner!
--Phil M.
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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 21:37:50 -0000
From: Rich
Subject: December's Children song
If anyone is interested, I have posted the song "Backwards and Forwards"
at Tweedlee Dum's Drive-In.
Rich
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 13:46:11 -0000
From: Paul Evans
Subject: Re: Ronnie's interview
Ronnie Allen wrote:
> As for Paul, I'd like to add here that he was an extremely interesting
> interview subject (our allotted hour just FLEW by!) and anyone who
> ONLY knows Paul through "Seven Little Girls (Sitting In The Back Seat)"
> and/or "Roses Are Red" is missing a lot!
Hey Ronnie,
Thanks for your posting. If, as you say, I really do make an interesting guest,
it's because I LOVE radio and miss the Hell out of it. I always appreciated a
chance to speak to "live" audiences, and certainly still do.
And -- to return your compliment -- friends of mine who listened in to
our interview on the Internet told me that they thought that your questions
and your spirit were the reasons that the interview worked so well.
Paul
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Message: 6
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 13:34:55 EDT
From: Ed Rambeau
Subject: Re: The Big Hurt
Peter Lerner wrote:
> Miss Toni's version of The Big Hurt an all time classic, but Del Shannon's
> Liberty version is also sensational.
Speaking of "The Big Hurt", I did a disco version of it back in the late '70s
with a group I called The Front Runners. If anyone would like a copy, contact
me and I'd be more than happy to e-mail you an MP3.
Ed Rambeau
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 13:45:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: Paul
Subject: Al's Big Deal
Joined a few weeks ago, very knowledgeable group here!
Picked up a copy of Al Kooper's double LP, this one is a promo with a
big sticker covering up his visage on the front cover.
Had me wondering how many promos are made up of this sort of thing?
I assume most of them would have gone to radio stations. Seems they
would be worth slightly more than the commercial release. Just curious.
I recall Al saying on his site that this anthology is somewhat rare.
Paul
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Message: 8
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 17:06:57 +0000
From: Phil X. Milstein
Subject: Hank's stamp
Just came back from the post office, where by chance I was given some
of the new (?) Henry Mancini 37-cent (standard First Class) stamps.
The main body of it is fairly nice-looking, with a list of his scoring
credits behind a nice image of Mancini, in a fetching maroon turtleneck,
conducting; I could, however, have lived without the image of a smirking
Pink Panther in the corner of the stamp, pointing at his mentor.
I've posted a scan (stolen off the USPS website) of the stamp to the
Photos section; it's the last item in the Miscellaneous sub-folder.
I'll leave you with the text from the back of the stamp. Frankly I
hadn't even known that Mancini had died, let alone so long ago.
"Henry Mancini (1924-2004) was one of the most successful composers
in the history of television and film and also a popular pianist and
conductor. He won 20 Grammys and 4 Oscars; his albums have sold
more than 30 million copies."
--Phil M.
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Message: 9
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 18:31:57 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: revitalized Remains
Dave O'Gara wrote:
> Glad to hear someone mention Barry and the Remains. I believe they
> opened for the Beatles in Boston back in '66. They had a super
> rock/pop sound especially on "Why Do I Cry" and "Diddy Wah Diddy".
> They should have been bigger. Last I heard, Barry Tashian had moved
> into the country music field singing with his wife......
That's true, but there's also a resurrected traveling version of The Remains
featuring all four original members. Playing hard and tuff and sound just
like they did on the Epic LP plus a few well-chosen covers. Saw them at an
inaugural concert last year for the yet to be brick-and-mortarized "Boston
Rock 'n' Roll Museum" -- http://www.dirtywater.com/
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Message: 10
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 23:07:16 -0000
From: Dave O'Gara
Subject: Re: Blues Magoos' flips
Mike wrote:
> "Pipe Dream" was in fact a subsequent single release for The Blues
> Magoos. If memory serves me, which it may not, the flip of "We
> Ain't Got Nothin' Yet" was "Gotta Get Away."
You're right, Mike. Nice catch. I misread the Whitburn book entry. It was
"Pipe Dream" that had a flip that briefly charted, called "There's A Chance
We Can Make It." Another interesting title for the band, don't you think?
Dave O'
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Message: 11
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 23:39:19 -0000
From: S.J. Dibai
Subject: Re: Kit Kats / New Hope
previously:
> There's a New Hope single on MGM, around 1972 or 1973. Just
> wondering if this is the same group. I know they had a record on
> Paramount but I've never heard if this is them on MGM.
I think that's a different group. I've never seen an MGM record in any Kit
Kats discography. There was also an LP by The New Hope on the Light
label, if memory serves -- not the same group, for sure.
S.J. Dibai
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Message: 12
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 02:23:22 -0000
From: C. Ponti
Subject: Re: Murray The K Brings You The "Hits"
Fred Clements wrote:
> Just about anyone familiar with Murray knows about the record he did
> for Atlantic in the early 1960's called "The Lone Twister", as by the
> Lone Twister. But few know of a record he did on Fraternity Records
> in 1955, as by "Murray Kaufman". When I contacted Peter about it, he
> was completely unaware of it.
Fred,
OK, this is kind of spooky. Today I was walking down Cornelia St. here in NY.
Discarded at the curb were some wet, muddy old LPs. The top one was a
Murray The K repackage of hits, named something like "Murray The K Brings
You The Hits". It was on some teeny fringe label, and had a couple of hits I
recognized plus some hit songs by bands other than the ones that cut the
original. It was discarded close to Subterranean CDs, so I thought it might
be a sell pile they'd refused. It was wet, in awful shape, and I already have
lots of vinyl I never play, so I didn't pick it up.
I wonder what it was. Some of the cuts were doo-wop, -- maybe the Del
Satins?
C Ponti
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Message: 13
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 23:13:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Stroggoff
Subject: Re: Miss Toni Fisher
British label Harkit Records are shortly to officially release an album of all
Toni's recordings. Fascinating liner notes from Wayne Shanklin's son are
to be included. Their site is at www.harkitrecords.com
Michael
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 15:04:58 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: December's Children / Grass Roots
Billy G. Spradlin wrote:
> Never heard the Decembers Children's version of "Lovin Things",
> please post it if you can. The Roots version has a excellent
> backing track but it sounds like Grill and company were half
> alseep or not "into it" when recording the vocals. A bit too much
> "California Cool".
Billy, I agree that the Grass Roots' "Lovin Things" lacked much
enthusiasm, especially after knowing the December's Children version
before and how great it was. Initial search did not turn the 45 up
in the usual place, but when i find it and there is room on Musica,
i'll post it! Clark
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Message: 15
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 12:56:21 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: 1910 Fruitgum Company
LEN FAGAN, Booking Director, Coconut Teaszer, Hollywood:
> As a touring member of the Fruitgum Co. in 1971, it has long been
> a source of annoyance to be mistakenly held responsible for
> putting to wax such a trite, disposable, insignificant number when,
> in fact, the group was responsible for such historical, important
> compositions as "Simon Says", "Indian Giver", "1, 02 , 03 , Red Light"
> and other esoteric hits filled with dark symbolism and hidden
> meanings.
You're right! Hilarious and ludicrous at the same time. Both groups
had great bubblegum records though.
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Message: 16
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 13:07:39 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Brian Wilson's case for mono
A couple of weeks back I noted an old Goldmine article ("Brian Wilson:
Unknown For A Very Long Time", Vol 14, No. 24, November 18, 1988) in
which Brian Wilson was quoted in a statement that suggested that his
avoidance of stereo wasn't just about his partial deafness. I finally
got the chance to go over the article with a fine toothed comb and
locate the quote.
The context was a note about Brian's work habits around the time of
Smile - recording every snatch of song that came to his head, then
assembling them into finished songs later. It was a move being
compared to the dada artists, but Neal Umphred noted that unlike the
dadas Brian wasn't a fan of letting things happen by chance.
Everything was carefully considered in how the "collages" were put
together:
> Brian: "I look at sound like a painting... the balance is concieved
> in (the artist's) mind. You finish the sound, you dub it down, and
> you've stamped out a picture of your balance with that mono dubdown,
> But in stereo - you leave the dubdown to the listener, to his
> speaker balance and placement. It just doesn't seem complete to me."
>
> Umphred: That may be his belief, but in fact the wide stereo common
> in 60's mixes invites (italicized) the participation of the listener's
> mind... Contemporary stereo mixes are too polished, too perfect; many
> of today's finest recordings are, in the long run, boring. They do not
> invite your mind into the process; they ask nothing in return. Hence
> the continued attractiveness of older, imperfect recordings...
Huh???????
Is it my imagination, or did Umphred miss something? From what I've
always gathered, Brian wanted you to see his art, and that the way he
saw it. If you could or would change anything, you weren't getting his
vision. Mono was what it was, that mix was set in stone. In Brian's
monaural world, stereo was just another way to hear mono. It's like my
mother's old stereo console system - from my vantage point of some
corner of the room I neither knew nor cared that different sounds came
out of the two speakers. Perhaps this is why Phil Spector preferred
mono - he didn't spend ages perfecting the balance on "You've Lost That
Lovin' Feeling" just to have some nerd with a stereo phonograph and a
copy of the stereo LP decide to can the string buildup with a twist of
the balance knob during the bridge.
Thoughts?
Joe Nelson
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Message: 17
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 16:29:50 +0100
From: Dave Heasman
Subject: Petula Clark
Mick Patrick:
> Pet Clark's version of "Heart" is the rockingest thing she ever did,
> especially the French tongue original, "Le Coeur Qui Bat".
She also did a good version of Barbara Lynn Ozen's "Second Fiddle Girl"
in French, "Je Veux que ton Coeur Sera Fidele" pardon spelling..
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Message: 18
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 11:41:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Fishberg
Subject: Re: Max Crook
A curious anomoly occurred with the release of "Runaway" in the UK.
UK Decca's catch-all license label, London released "Runaway" by
Del Shannon (London HLX 9317). The flip, although stated as "Jody"
played Maximillian's sensational "The Snake". This error was
corrected after the first 5,000 or so copies. "The Snake" (also
licensed from Big Top) came out here a couple of weeks later (London
HLX 9356 b/w "The Wanderer"). This is where the fun begins. The
mis-pressed copy already starting changing hands even then at a
premium. Today, the mis-pressed Del Shannon routinely makes about
50 pounds (about $85.00). The Maximillian single is seldom seen,
and often commands double that. But wait! UK Decca sub-licensed it
to its French subsidiary. The French copy of "Runaway" by Del
Shannon also on London routinely had the Maximillian "The Snake"
pressed on the reverse, but stated "Jody"!
Finally, I found a copy of "The Breeze & I/Peter Gunn Theme" (played
as a terrific medley by Maximillian on Canadian Barry Records) in a
record store in Toronto last year at just $C1.00!
Michael Fishberg
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Message: 19
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 13:35:53 -0600
From: Rex Strother
Subject: Copyright
Stephen Zartman wrote:
> The whole idea of Copyright infringement and how it relates to a
> product that I buy and own is really hard for me to understand. How
> can some mega-bucks company tell me that I am not allowed to do with
> my own property what I want. If I want to make a few copies and give
> them to friends and relatives, why the heck not? I paid for it, I'll
> do with it as I feel. I would claim this as "public domain" if that
> is the correct term. If I am not participating in the business to
> sustain myself but only to entertain myself and friends, why should I
> be treated as a common thief, or have to live in fear of that. But
> again common sense is not used and as Eddy said earlier, the little
> guy is a sitting duck and easy to clamp down on.
It's really easier to understand if you break it down to the actual word
"copyright" or the right to copy. Intellectual property can sometimes
easily be copied - unlike a lamp or a car. However, this ease of
copying often gives people a faulty feeling of "entitlement" to freely
copy.
You, of course, are free to re-sell your own property (the CD your
purchased), which is why there is no infringement in reselling your CD
to a used CD marketer or at a garage sale - you've exchanged its value
to you for cash; you no longer have the CD, you have dollars in your
pocket. It's making copies of the CD which is infringing.
In one sense, by giving away free CDs, you are entertaining your friends
or family with someone else's creativity; you're not picking up a kazoo
or a guitar and performing yourself. You're "using" the entertainer's
music, without compensation, and that's what the music business is
about.
You may not make money from it; if I buy a new CD, and make 1,000 copies
at a loss to me, and give them out on a street corner - I'm infringing.
I'm cutting into the retail sale of copies of that CD, which is how we
"repay" our performers for creating music, movies, media, whatever. I
may "love" that performer, but I'm not doing the performer any favors.
Basically, if you like the performer, buy a couple copies of the CD for
your friends and family and help them keep making the music you all
enjoy.
The argument that the CD manufacturer and label are also ripping off the
artist (quite possibly true) doesn't make my theft from the same artist
less egregious. It's up to the artist to protect themselves legally.
That's my take. [Set soapbox_off]
Rex Strother
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Message: 20
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 14:10:27 -0400
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: Tommy Boyce's Book
And not too many know today, that at that time, Tommy offered a service,
where you sent Tommy a song, and he called you personally to offer his
opinion and advice, 75$ per song. He may have been the first person to
do something like that.
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Message: 21
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 13:26:28 -0700
From: Kim Cooper
Subject: Scram #19 all-star issue now available
Hot off the presses (really, it was 110 degrees when I picked em up
yesterday!) is Scram's 19th issue. It features part 2 of the P.F. Sloan
interview that began in Garage & Beat mag, in which Sloan tells wild
tales about Jan & Dean, the Grassroots, Love, the Doors, Stephen Stills,
Bob Dylan, the Byrds and Jimmy Webb... the first-ever interview with
psychedelic songstress Linda Perhacs, whose "Parallelograms" was
recently named by Mojo as one of the 67 lost albums you gotta hear...
the Lee Hazlewood interview that was banned from Hustler... a chat with
Colin Blunstone of the Zombies with a special appearance by Paul
Atkinson, may he rest peacefully... an unbelievable true Wild Man
Fischer comic tale from Denny Eichhorn... and cranky summer camp
memories from John Trubee and his boyhood pal Bob Dubrow. All this, plus
a stunning oil painting cover by Bart Johnson, pinups, letters
responding to the controversial Emitt Rhodes interview (including one
indignant one from the Palace Guard's Terry Rae) and the usual scads of
reviews.
Scram is $6 postpaid in the states, $9 overseas, and we ask that you
please add $1 if using paypal. More info is at
http://www.scrammagazine.com including subscription offers which will
let you get a free Townes Van Zandt, Henry Jacobs or Strawberry
Shortcake CD along with four issues, which can start with #16, 17, 18 or
19.
yrs,
Kim Cooper
Editrix
--
Scram
PO Box 461626
Hollywood, CA 90046-1626
http://www.scrammagazine.com
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Message: 22
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 09:04:21 +0100
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: Donna Marie, Man Killer.
Now I've got your attention...
Apparently this isn't 'our' Donna but I've played Donna Marie "Man
Killer" (Coral) to musica. The Bob Crewe-style intro is worth the
price of admission and despite losing its way a bit further on is
well worth a listen. Funny but later for Columbia, the 'real' Donna
Marie had tracks produced and arranged by Bob Crewe’s arranger,
Charles Calello.
Martin
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Message: 23
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 20:28:36 -0000
From: Patrick Rands
Subject: Everpresent Fullness Rev-ola review and RPM Zigzag question
I've posted my review for the Everpresent Fullness "Fine and Dandy"
disc released on Rev-ola - take a look at it here:
http://www.gullbuy.com/buy/2004/4_27/everpresentfullness.cfm
Also, if anyone here happened to read my review of the RPM compilation
Zigzag: 20 Junkshop Soft Rock Singles which was published back in
March and you kept a copy of it please can you contact me and send me
a copy of the review? It was accidentally overwritten:
http://www.gullbuy.com/buy/2004/3_23/zigzag.cfm
And I didn't keep a backup copy, so please if you happened to save
yourself a copy (or you have it in your temporary internet files)
please let me know - I put a lot of time and effort into that review
and it'll be a shame if it just goes away - thanks!
Enjoy the Everpresent Fullness review!
:Patrick
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Message: 24
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 15:59:39 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: 1910 Fruitgum Company
Coconut Teaszer's tongue is planted firmly in cheek, but what
bothers ME is that we all know that "Yummy Yummy Yummy" was on
the charts in the late spring of 1968, not "the early 7Ts"!!!
I suspect a bad case of time warp here.
Bobster
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Message: 25
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 20:21:04 +0100
From: Ray
Subject: Re: Three In The Attic / Cellar
Previously:
> Info for trainspotters: There was also a Three In The Cellar.
> Can't remember which one was first. The latter has a nice title
> song sung by Hamilton Camp.
THREE IN THE ATTIC (1968)
Three in the Cellar (1970)
ray
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
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