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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. [HOLD FOR NOW PLS - mp] Barney Kessel R.I.P.
From: S'pop Team
2. Re: best nyc records stores anyone?
From: Phil Hall
3. Re: Pitney lookalikes
From: Al Kooper
4. Re: "Love Of The Common People"?
From: Austin Roberts
5. Re: Gene Pitney
From: Lyn
6. Robin McNamara
From: Laura Pinto
7. Re: Superbabs
From: (That) Alan Gordon
8. Re: Gene Pitney
From: Austin Roberts
9. Bobby & I
From: Phil X Milstein
10. Ronnie Allen, Love of the Common People
From: Bob Rashkow
11. Re: rex in NY / Joshie Jo / Teddy Bears / Godz / Relic Rack
From: Phil X Milstein
12. Favorite obscure Pitney track??
From: Al Kooper
13. NY record shops
From: Jim Allio
14. Re: Favorite obscure Pitney track??
From: Mikey
15. Re: Love Of The Common People
From: Mikey
16. Re: Favorite obscure Pitney track??
From: Jeffrey Mlinscek
17. Lee Hazlewood Promotional EP
From: Holly Cara Price
18. Re: Superbabs
From: Hal Muskat
19. Re: Joshie Jo Armstead
From: Chris Stovall Brown
20. "Celebrate" controversey in the making (paging Mr. Gordon, Alan Gordon...)
From: Joe Nelson
21. Re: Favorite obscure Pitney track??
From: Dave O'Gara
22. Re: Bobby & I -- correction
From: Phil X Milstein
23. Re: Favorite obscure Pitney track??
From: Phil X Milstein
24. Re: NY record shops
From: Richard Williams
25. Re: Songwriter Rudy Clark
From: Mick Patrick
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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 14:49:29 +0100
From: S'pop Team
Subject: Barney Kessel R.I.P.
Dear Members,
As reported earlier, legendary guitar virtuoso Barney Kessel
passed away on May 6. He was 80. A 7,000 word tribute, written
by his friend Harvey Kubernik, is the latest installation at
S'pop Remembers: http://www.spectropop.com/remembers/BKobit.htm
It's required reading.
R.I.P.
The S'pop Team
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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 29 May 2004 22:51:44 -0000
From: Phil Hall
Subject: Re: best nyc records stores anyone?
> Calling all your collective experience: what are best record stores
> in New York for 60s pop/pop-sike/psych 45s, boots, comps even cdrs?
Check out The House Of Oldies http://www.houseofoldies.com/home.html
or Bleecker Bob's http://www.bleeckerbobs.com/ in Greenwich Village.
Also, Mooncurser Records in The Bronx.
Phil H.
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Message: 3
Date: Sat, 29 May 2004 20:19:17 EDT
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Re: Pitney lookalikes
> P.S. I've never noticed this in photographs, but in old video clips
> from the '60s, Gene strikingly resembles Bishop Fulton J. Sheen of
> "Life Is Worth Living" fame, apart from the church finery...
Uhhhh - I gotta go with Pete Rose - current version.
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Message: 4
Date: Sat, 29 May 2004 21:49:29 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: "Love Of The Common People"?
> Also who did "Love Of The Common People" originally? This version
> is on the, unusual for the Chess Label, US only 1967 LP, called
> 'Petal Pushers' of all UK groups.
I think the Winstons (Color Him Father).
Austin R.
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Message: 5
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 02:23:35 -0000
From: Lyn
Subject: Re: Gene Pitney
For a start, I love Gene Pitney just for coming to our town, of all
places, since we're a bit off the international circuit. We've seen
him three times in recent years, and he gets better every time.
But speaking of newer works, last time he did a Robbie Williams
song, "Angels", which he'd first sung for a British TV project (I
don't have the details: something about younger artists being linked
with older ones). It worked beautifully, and fitted perfectly into
the Pitney repertoire. I can't see any evidence of it being
released, but someone else here might know better.
Lyn
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Message: 6
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 12:32:55 -0000
From: Laura Pinto
Subject: Robin McNamara
Hi, fellow S'poppers,
A few weeks ago (three, to be exact), I posted "Got to Believe in
Love: The Robin McNamara Interview" on my site, Oldies Connection.
Since the article went online, Robin and I have updated it, with a
page called "Hair Salon" on which Robin shares more memories of his
days with "Hair" (post-interview anecdotes), and a second page, "My
Convictions," on which the ol' hippie rhapsodizes about sex,
religion, drugs, the state of the world - in other words, hot topics
that most people shy away from discussing, at least on the World Wide
Web. But Robin, as you'll find out, isn't most people. Click on the
link below to visit the new pages:
http://lpintop.tripod.com/oldiesconnection/id53.html
If you want to post questions or comments for Robin, there's a link
to a message board at the bottom of the "My Convictions" page.
Enjoy,
Laura
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Message: 7
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 09:33:14 -0700
From: (That) Alan Gordon
Subject: Re: Superbabs
Gem, the Streisand home we all gathered at was the one in Beverly
Hills. After we rehearsed all the guys took turns playing a song.
It was really great.
Best, That Alan
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Message: 8
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 12:55:53 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Gene Pitney
> I WANNA LOVE MY LIFE AWAY? In fact (and this could of course be wrong,
> for I am so fallible), didn't he do it in his garage?
> Was cut as a demo in a NY studio...probably Allegro in 1650 B'way.
Was it his first hit under his name?
Austin R.
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Message: 9
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 16:02:07 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Bobby & I
The (somewhat) recent talk about Bobby & Laurie reminded me of another
'60s boy-girl duo who called themselves Bobby & I. Their self-titled
1968 Liberty album is a true California-pop delight. "Bobby" was
actually the woman, last name of Burch, and "I" was Ken Fishler, who
also their keyboardist and vocal arranger. The album was produced and
instrumentally arranged by Tommy Oliver, a name I'm not otherwise
familiar with. Other musicians are Rod Ellicott on bass, Jim Gordon on
drums and Dave Cohen on guitar.
The duo was discovered playing the bistros of S.F., to which I assume
they returned when their recording career failed to take flight. The
only reason for such failure I can detect is being a half-step out of
time, as, despite the mildly psychedelic tinge it lends their music,
1968 was hardly the ripest time for such sweet and happy sounds
to find a large audience.
Fishler wrote or co-wrote a batch of great originals, highlighted by the
lead-off track "Love Is For The Sharing," which I've played to musica.
It's followed on the album by his one writing collab with Bobby, "5:09,"
which I've got in wait should there be a call for it. Covers include
Joni Mitchell's "Michael From The Mountains" (which if I recall
correctly from my recent read of Al Kooper's memoir, is the song he'd
earlier pitched to Judy Collins by way of trying to introduce Miss
Mitchell to the general public, only to have her instead emphasize "Both
Sides Now" ... but I digress), "Everyone's Gone To The Moon," "Hurt So
Bad," "Mohair Sam," "Sweet Talkin' Guy," and, my favorite among the
covers, "Best Of Both Worlds."
Digging around on the 'Net, I find mention of two later singles by them,
both also on Imperial. Two album tracks, "Catching The Time In Your
Hand" / "Love Is For The Sharing" was released c.1969, and in 1970 came
two album tracks, "On Rose Walk" / (and here the story links up with a
more recent thread) "Be Young Be Foolish Be Happy." If anyone's got this
latter single, I'd love to hear it, especially that Tams cover.
Dig,
--Phil M.
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Message: 10
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 16:15:26 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Ronnie Allen, Love of the Common People
I believe among several different groups that covered Love of the
Common People were The Winstons, the R&B group on Metromedia that
had a pretty big hit with "Color Him Father." (Unless, of course,
that isn't the same song being discussed--I wouldn't be surprised!!!)
Ronnie, I remember hearing "Your Cat Can Do The Cube" on "Dr. Demento"
back in '82. The guy tries it on his own cat and gets VERY
frustrated. I seem to remember you saying "Oh! Here comes Abby! Hey,
Abby, I've got something pretty for you! Want to take a 'crack' at
it?"
If only I could, I would give Gloria Lynne the moon, the stars, and
$100K a year to live on. Kudos to you, Gloria, we love you and send
our best!
Bobster
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Message: 11
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 15:10:14 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: rex in NY / Joshie Jo / Teddy Bears / Godz / Relic Rack
> Calling all your collective experience: what are best record stores
> in New York for 60s pop/pop-sike/psych 45s, boots, comps even cdrs?
Other Music is worth any Spectropopper's time time. Not sure of the
exact location, but it's downtown somewhere, and will of course be in
the phone book. A visit to Tower Records usually pays some dividends,
as well. Keep your credit card handy.
James Botticelli wrote:
> The uptempo track is available on an anthology of her work on
> Collectables (sic). Her dead ballads are nicer. Chicago-based singer/
> writer I believe. You can see the Armstead writing credits on lottsa
> soul 45's of the sixties and early 70's once you start reading the
> writer's names. She seems to have disappeared after '72 unless someone
> has further info....
Robert Pruter wrote a thorough retrospective on the career of Joshie Jo
Armstead for the summer '86 issue of the wonderful Soul Survivor mag. My
abiding recollection of that piece was that she did a lot of behind-the-
scenes work for Motown, and that her own recording career was more
or less an afterthought, but it's been so long since I've read it that I could
be way off-base. I'll be happy to treat into my zines closet, dig it out and
scan the article, if anyone's innarested. I also seem to recall a shot of her
as an Ikette!
Edited by Richard Pack, Soul Survivor was a Canadian publication that
was too good to last very long. I have a lot of issues, but not all. I
would love to exchange photocopies with someone in order to finish out
each other's collections of them.
Joe Nelson, quoting from Dore catalogue at bsnpubs.com:
> Unfortunately, all stereo did for the Teddy Bears was
> to reveal in painful detail the lack of singing talent in the group ...
I never knew The Teddy Bears were thought to be such lousy singers. Am
I the only one who didn't know they were "bad"? (It wouldn't be the first
time, if so.) Does this mean I should think less of Annette/Carol's work
on "My Baby Looks But He Doesn't Touch" than I do? Or was it just the
two boys who were such crappy singers?
Leslie Fradkin wrote:
> Herb Abramson. Wow! A name from my past as well! I recorded dozens of
> singles and album stuff at Herb's studio. The Godz, The Left Banke ...
Les, this might be a tad off-topic for Spectropop, so I hope the other
members will forgive me for asking you for any anecdotes or
recollections of your work with The Godz. Their three ESP-Disks are
among the strangest and most fun of that era.
Mike Rashkow wrote:
> Years ago; Times Square Records and Colony. There also used to be a
> real good store in Hackensack or near Hackensack, but I can't remember
> the name.
Relic Rack, which, if I recall correctly, spawned the Relic line of doo-
wop reissues, although the two separated from one another after a
while. Relic Rack shut down a few months ago, a sad event which prompted
a brief thread in these parts.
--Phil M.
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Message: 12
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 15:47:47 EDT
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Favorite obscure Pitney track??
OK, come outa the basements, lads... Favorite obscure Pitney trax?
Mine is One Day. Also love Donna Means Heartbreak & Marianne. I
covered One Day on a Pitney tribute album about three years ago.
Wot fun!!!!!
Al Kooper
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Message: 13
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 20:03:40 EDT
From: Jim Allio
Subject: NY record shops
I'm planning another trip to NYC in September and appreciate the tips
on current oldies record outlets there. I remember well the afternoon
in fall 1975 when I wandered into (I think it was) House of Oldies or
Bleeker Oldies or something like that in search of Lesley Gore picture
sleeves from the 60s. The affable, long hair behind the counter turned
out to be one of my favorite music writers, Robert Christgau, and we had
a long chat about our mutual affection for Gore and other girl groups.
I came away with every picture sleeve I wanted and a wonderful memory.
I do have a burning off-topic question: where in Manhattan can I find
the absolute best either Meatball Pizza and/or Best Meatball/Italian
Sausage pizza? That will be a serious quest while I am there this time.
Please reply off-list.
Jim Allio
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Message: 14
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 08:02:21 -0400
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: Favorite obscure Pitney track??
Al Kooper:
> OK, come outa the basements, lads... Favorite obscure Pitney trax?
> Mine is One Day. Also love Donna Means Heartbreak & Marianne. I
> covered One Day on a Pitney tribute album about three years ago.
> Wot fun!!!!!
Favorite obscure Pitney? No challenge!! "Lips Were Redder on You".
Dig the crazy Joe Meek spring reverb on the guitar!!!
Mikey
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Message: 15
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 08:03:12 -0400
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: Love Of The Common People
Wayne Newton did a pretty nice job covering this song also, back in '66.
Mikey
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Message: 16
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 08:28:10 -0400
From: Jeffrey Mlinscek
Subject: Re: Favorite obscure Pitney track??
Al Kooper wrote:
> OK, come outa the basements, lads... Favorite obscure Pitney trax?
> Mine is One Day. Also love Donna Means Heartbreak & Marianne. I
> covered One Day on a Pitney tribute album about three years ago.
> Wot fun!!!!!
Mine is the Leiber/Stoller composed "Take it Like a Man". This was
the b-side to "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance".
Jeff M
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Message: 17
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 07:29:33 -0400
From: Holly Cara Price
Subject: Lee Hazlewood Promotional EP
I am looking for a promotional EP done by Lee Hazlewood on Mercury,
possibly a promo for his album "Trouble Is A Lonesome Town." The
tracks are:
1: Who Is Lee Hazlewood.
2: Moved >From Place Of Birth.
3: His Girl In High School.
4: In The Army.
5: Disc Jockey.
6: Record Biz.
Does anyone out there have this?
Holly
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Message: 18
Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 13:37:00 -0700
From: Hal Muskat
Subject: Re: Superbabs
That Alan Gordon:
> ... the Streisand home we all gathered at was the one in Beverly
> Hills. After we rehearsed all the guys took turns playing a song.
> It was really great.
What did you play? Sounds like a fine evening. Eat there too?
Hal
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Message: 19
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 13:09:16 -0000
From: Chris Stovall Brown
Subject: Re: Joshie Jo Armstead
Just resubscribed to this group and saw the queries about Jo/JOshie
Armstead. I've been in contact recently with Joshie and actually
forwarded Jimmy Botticelli's message to her. I've given her S'pop
contact info if she wants to chime in. Hope this helps.
Chris Stovall Brown
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Message: 20
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 09:26:57 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: "Celebrate" controversey in the making (paging Mr. Gordon, Alan Gordon...)
I saw something pop up in rec.music.rock+pop+rnb.1970s newsgroup which
triggered something. Here's my response, including a message imported
from this forum. So Danny Hutton and Chuck Negron took credit on the
Three Dog Night releases for writing "Celebrate", or is somebody
mistaken? Here's where this group, with it's insider roster, shows
it's superiority - and to think certain r.m.rprnb posters have
criticed us as "boring". You decide - Joe Nelson
--------------------------------snip----------------------------------
Irene Jackson wrote:
> Three Dog Night didn't wtheir own material.rite
> There are rarely any absolutes in rock & roll. Lead singer Chuck
> Negron and Danny Hutton did write "Celebrate," which was a #15 hit
> for Three Dog Night in 1970. But that's the one exception, as far
> as their hits go.
I replied:
> Interesting post. Clark Besch recently posted this to the Spectropop
> discussion group at Yahoogroups:
Clark's original post:
> The talk of the Feminine Complex got me thinking about some of the
> obscure female group sounds of 68/9. Posted to Musica was one that
> would just fit with the limited space, "Have You Tried Love" by
> Celebration. It was released on United Artists 50467 and for
> December, 1968, seemed to incorporate much of the pop sounds of the
> day. I hear the Happenings, Cowsills, Love Generation and the theme
> to Tv shows of the era, as well as other pop influences of the day.
> It was written and produced by Tony Michaels and Vinny Gormann for
> Mirage City Productions. I assume Tony and Vinny were group members
> of an obviously male/female configuration. I actually like the B
> side better, "Never Mind the Rain", if anyone would want to hear it
> too. Alan Gordon may well know about this group, as one of their
> followups would be his "Celebrity Ball" (aka "Celebrate") on UA 50626
> released in February, 1970. The timing was not good, as Three Dog
> Night's retitled version was released on 45 and buried Celebration's
> "Celebrity". Three Dog's version was itself a case of bad timing
> too. Being the third single from a 6 month old album that had
> already spawned two top 10 45's ("Easy to be Hard"/"Eli's Coming") ,
> had seen the group release a "live" album since then, it would seem
> it amazing that all the airplay for "Celebrate" was able to get it up
> to #15 on the Hot 100 eventually. Certainly the most played of the
> three hits, one wonders if it'd been released first if it had been
> the group's first #1 record. Even in 20/20 hindsight, Alan had a
> real feather in his cap there.
So who wrote the song really, Alan Gordon or Hutton and Negron?
Joe
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Message: 21
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 13:41:00 -0000
From: Dave O'Gara
Subject: Re: Favorite obscure Pitney track??
Al Kooper wrote:
> OK, come outa the basements, lads... Favorite obscure Pitney trax?
One of my favorite Pitney tracks is the last one he charted; She
Let's Her Hair Down (Early in the Morning). It was rleased in
December of 1969, a great pop tune IMHO, but it stalled at #89...
shoulda been bigger! By the way, Pitney fans, Gene has a string
of appearances scheduled at Mohegan Sun in CT, June 23 through June
27.
Dave 0'
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Message: 22
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 09:49:57 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Bobby & I -- correction
I wrote:
> ... and in 1970 came two album tracks, "On Rose Walk" / (and here
> the story links up with a more recent thread) "Be Young Be Foolish
> Be Happy." If anyone's got this latter single, I'd love to hear it,
> especially that Tams cover.
Ah, I meant "non-album tracks."
--Ph.M.
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Message: 23
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 09:47:41 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Favorite obscure Pitney track??
Al Kooper wrote:
> OK, come outa the basements, lads... Favorite obscure Pitney trax?
I go for "The Last Two People On Earth."
--Phil M.
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Message: 24
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 15:37:10 +0100
From: Richard Williams
Subject: Re: NY record shops
> Calling all your collective experience: what are best record stores
> in New York for 60s pop/pop-sike/psych 45s, boots, comps even cdrs?
Colony was still pretty good the last time I went. But Rockit Scientist in
the Village has everything you mention in abundance, plus clued-up staff.
Richard Williams
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Message: 25
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 13:08:31 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: Songwriter Rudy Clark
Someone was asking about the great songwriter Rudy Clark. One
of his compositions is currently playing @ musica: The Bracelets
"Waddle, Waddle" (Congress 104, 1962). Some of you might recall
this track from the movie Hairspray. It didn't make it to the
soundtrack album. If you like Claudine Clark or the Rocky Fellers,
you'll dig this too:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
Rudy (real name Rudolph) has cropped up in discussion here before,
usually in conjunction with vocalist James Ray. A quick search of
the S'pop archives throws up the following:
-------------------------------------------
Life was grim for James Ray (real name James Ray Raymond) until
a talented new songwriter and a dynamic A & R man entered his
world and changed it around.
Having already enjoyed Top 30 hits under his own name and as the
iminence grise behind both the Fireflies and Dicky Doo & the
Don'ts, by 1961 Gerry Granahan had founded the Caprice label
and immediately charted again with his discoveries the Angels
and Janie Grant.
Delivering demos to the Caprice office on a regular basis was
Rudy Clark who, in addition to being the local mail carrier, was
an enthusiastic songwriter in his spare time. Clark would
frequently sit at the piano and play his latest compositions
for Granahan who advised him that his songs were good but his
voice was not and to bring in someone who could really sing.
Clark took Granahan at his word and brought in James Ray whom
he had discovered performing in a club. The singer was destitute
at the time and living rough on the rooftop of an apartment block.
Granahan saw in the five-foot-tall Washington DC-born 20-year-
old a talent of Ray Charles-like proportions and immediately
signed him to Caprice, bought him a new wardrobe of clothes and
found him somewhere to live.
Before the year was over singer Ray and composer Clark were
basking in the glory of "If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody"
riding high on the pop charts and in the R & B Top 10. Subsequent
James Ray releases included the hit "Itty Bitty Pieces", "Got My
Mind Set On You" (a huge hit for George Harrison many years
later) and the original version of Ben E. King & Dee Dee Sharp's
"We Got A Thing Going On".
Rudy Clark went on to sign with Bobby Darin's T.M. Music
publishing company and write such great songs as "It's In His
Kiss" and "Good Lovin'". "If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody"
was successfully revived by Brit-popsters Freddie & the Dreamers
in 1963 and three years later in soulful style by Maxine Brown.
James Ray Raymond died in the '60s from an overdose of drugs.
What a waste.
-------------------------------------------
Rudy Clark composed a slew of excellent numbers, frequently with
songwriting partner Artie Resnick. Off the top of my head, in
addition to those mentioned above, here are just a few of my
personal favourites:
Beg Me - Chuck Jackson (Wand)
Spanish Boy - Merry Clayton (Capitol)
Fool Fool Fool - Barbara Acklin (Brunswick)
I Found My Place - Reparata & the Delrons (World Artists)
Deeper - The Rubies (VJ)
Blow Joe - The Angels (Caprice)
Baby I Dig Love - Rudy Lewis (Atlantic)
Am I Ever Gonna See My Baby Again - The Sweet Inspirations (Atlantic)
Other versions of most of these songs exist; I've listed my
favourites.
Before anyone corrects me, I should point out that James Ray's
recording debut was as Little Jimmy Ray in 1959. Details are:
"Make Her Mine" bw "You Need To Fall In Love" Galliant 1001
Memory tells me that more information about Rudy Clark is to be
found in Bobby Darin biographies, of which there are several.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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