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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 14 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Carole King's "So Goes Love"
From: Bob Celli
2. Barney Kessel's ten-second masterpiece
From: Phil X Milstein
3. Re: overplayed songs in commercials
From: Phil X Milstein
4. Re: Early Simon & Garfunkel / Tom & Jerry
From: Michael C.
5. Re: Carole King's "So Goes Love"
From: Rodney Rawlings
6. Re: Overplayed songs in commercials/Happy Together??Musica
From: Clark Besch
7. Rascals / S&G etc.
From: Al Kooper
8. Oldies radio
From: Doug Ohlemeier
9. Re: Carole King's "So Goes Love"
From: Mike Carter
10. Re: Words Of Love" versions / The Mamas and the Papas
From: Mike McKay
11. Re: Boy Trouble CD / Jackie DeShannon's "Daydreamin' Of You"
From: Mick Patrick
12. Re: Oldies radio
From: Joe Nelson
13. Re: Oldies radio
From: Shawn
14. Carole King & Bobby Vee to Musica
From: Bob Celli
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 20:44:43 -0000
From: Bob Celli
Subject: Re: Carole King's "So Goes Love"
Mick Patrick:
> Don't forget about me, says a voice from afar. Indeed, let's not
> overlook the most interesting version of "So Goes Love", Carole
> King's original demo. Now, a treat; that very track is playing
> @ musica: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
> Obviously, Shirley Abicair (sigh) followed Carole's demo quite
> closely - lovely song. Thanks to Mike Carter for supplying this
> rarity. Does anyone else have any Carole King acetates they'd
> care to share? Fat chance, but you gotta ask! Without such
> things, I'd be a man without a dream.
I have the following Carole King demos: A Forever Kind of Love, Go
Away Little Girl, Don't Ever Take Her For Granted, Sharing You and
Ferguson Road. I've managed to clean up "Sharing You". There's still
much work to be done on the others. I taped them from Bobby Vee's
acetates several years ago. While I was scouring through boxes of
the like I came across a demo done by Paul Anka for Vee called "Take
A Look Around Me", a couple of David Gates tunes, "Diary, and
"Passing of a Friend", the original demo for "Teenage Idol" (which I
didn't tape!) and a few interesting Sonny Curtis things. The
condition of these discs for the most part was very poor, but they
are still fun to listen to.
Bob Celli
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 17:38:00 +0000
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Barney Kessel's ten-second masterpiece
In his Spectropop obit of Barney Kessel, Harvey Kubernik wrote:
> After 'I'm Walkin'' peaked, the radio stations flipped it over and
> the B-side 'A Teenager's Romance' hit #2 on the charts. Kessel
> penned (along with Jack Marshall) 'You're My One And Only Love' for
> Ricky's next A-side release. He produced, arranged and played guitar,
> again. The song zoomed up the charts to hit #4. In an innovative move
> (and setting an example for protégé, Phil Spector), Kessel wrote the
> instrumental B-side 'Honey Rock' in ten seconds and recorded it in
> one take. It was Barney and the boys laying down a solid riff and
> jamming, with a chick cooing, "Oh, Honey"!
This 1957 release, on Verve, is a rare (for the times) example of a
split release, with Ricky Nelson taking the top side yet with the flip
crediting Kessel as the artist. Barney's ten-second masterpiece, "Honey
Rock," is now playing at musica.
Dig,
--Phil M.
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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 16:07:23 +0000
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: overplayed songs in commercials
David Coyle wrote:
> In my mind, the most overplayed song in TV commercials nowadays is
> "Lust For Life" by Iggy Pop. It has led to the satirical Onion
> headline "Citibank To Use Song About Heroin In New Ad Campaign."
That song as well as many of the other punk/new wave-era tracks used in
commercials (as well as in movies, on TV, etc.) are due to the
aggressive marketing of Bug Music, a publishing company owned by Del
Shannon's friend and manager Dan Bourgoise. Bug publishes a ton of that
stuff, and really gets out there and pushes its catalogue. The latest
surprising use (although I don't know for certain it's a Bug tune) is
the intro to Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge," which scores a current car
commercial.
> My favorite current use is the Disney cruise commercial that shows a
> girl playing the song on a boombox in her classroom as the soundtrack
> for showing her vacation video for show and tell. Wonder what the
> teacher thought when they got to the line about "beatin' my brain
> with liquor and drugs"...?
That is, "No more beatin' my brain ...," etc. -- he is disavowing them.
--Phil M.
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 23:23:21 -0000
From: Michael C.
Subject: Re: Early Simon & Garfunkel / Tom & Jerry
After years of searching, a friend finally provided me with a copy
of "Tijuana Blues" - credited to Tom and Jerry I believe (they used
so many pseudonyms it's hard to keep track). Does anyone have any
background on "Tijuana Blues"? It's a very sloppy blues instrumental
...in a burlesque mode. it was apparently written by P. Simon, but
he all but disowns it and says it's the worst thing he ever did. Can
a Spectropopper provide more info? Thanks.
Michael C.
PS - am going to see S and G and The Everlys
when they hit the Hollywood Bowl soon. Their
last swing thru town was incredible.
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Message: 5
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004 01:44:06 -0000
From: Rodney Rawlings
Subject: Re: Carole King's "So Goes Love"
Mick Patrick:
> Don't forget about me, says a voice from afar. Indeed, let's not
> overlook the most interesting version of "So Goes Love", Carole
> King's original demo. Now, a treat; that very track is playing
> @ musica: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
> Obviously, Shirley Abicair (sigh) followed Carole's demo quite
> closely - lovely song. Thanks to Mike Carter for supplying this
> rarity. Does anyone else have any Carole King acetates they'd
> care to share? Fat chance, but you gotta ask! Without such
> things, I'd be a man without a dream.
Bob Celli:
> I have the following Carole King demos: A Forever Kind of Love, Go
> Away Little Girl, Don't Ever Take Her For Granted, Sharing You and
> Ferguson Road. I've managed to clean up "Sharing You". There's still
> much work to be done on the others. I taped them from Bobby Vee's
> acetates several years ago...
Please, please, could you put up Carole King's demo for "Go Away
Little Girl" on musica? I love that song, especially Steve
Lawrence's version.
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Message: 6
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004 05:14:05 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Overplayed songs in commercials/Happy Together??Musica
At the risk of taking money out of my good friend Alan Gordon's mouth,
I am a little distressed about the recent usage of his classic. Hot
on the heels of the Applebee's debacle, now NBC or one of the big
networks is using the Turtles version to advertise their upcoming TV
show, "Wifeswap!". What is this world coming to? Don't answer that,
I already know the answer. I still hear Walmart's "Roll Back Man"
done to PF Sloan's "Danger Man" ("Secret Agent Man"-Johnny Rivers) and
it makes me sick. That record actually got ad-itis in the 60's when
Farmer's Agent Insurance used a similar style for it's ads. If PF
didn't get royalties for it or the Walmart ad, there's something wrong.
Oh, I guess I already said there was something wrong earlier, didn't I?
I guess you could say "Something's Wrong with me". Hey, there was a
lot of stealing going on in this message, so I thought I'd keep the
thread going. Sorry, Austin. Clark
PS. Oh yeah, "Farmer's Agent Man" is now playing in Musica.
PPS. Everytime I see the GREAT ad for Goldfish crackers, I picture
the two singers as Alan Gordon and Garry Bonner in the 60's with
guitars singing "till you bite their heads off. The sanck that
smiles back, Goldfish." Alan, you guys coulda done this commercial
great, couldn't you?
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Message: 7
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004 01:15:01 EDT
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Rascals / S&G etc.
Brent asked:
> Earlier you wrote that "The Old Rag Man" was recorded by The Rascals,
> but unreleased. Did you get to check it out and do you have any good
> Rascals stories?
The Rascals, who I actually scouted for Musicor, when they were playing
at The Barge on Long Island, became friends and loved my song. Felix
told me that it didnt make the final cut, but to this day I have never
heard it.
> Also, I read you played on S&G's "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme" LP,
> correct? If so, which songs?
Alas, time and many, many sessions, have dulled the memory a bit. I
cannot recall what S&G tracks I played on except Big Bright Green
Pleasure Machine. I heard "I Am A Rock" the other day and it sure SOUNDS
like me, but we all know that doesnt prove anything!
> I can't add anything new to what's been written about your achievements,
> but I will say that I can't listen to "No Time Like The Right Time" in
> the car because I'd probably get stopped for speeding.
Your comment on No Time was interesting because in later years The Motor
Vehicle Bureau banned my solo albums from being played on the radio in
case people fell asleep at the wheel.
This Al Kooper
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Message: 8
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004 05:48:16 -0000
From: Doug Ohlemeier
Subject: Oldies radio
Dave O'Gara wrote:
> Catching up on a few earlier posts..As a former AM radio DJ on an
> Oldies station, it used to kill me when people said they would only
> listen to the FM stations playing oldies so they could hear the songs
> in stereo. I always countered with the argument that in all
> probability they came to know and love the songs in mono on AM
> radio. Now that I play these songs on a great sounding FM station, I
> have to say that I also enjoy the stereo sound. But I do agree with
> many earlier posts that bad stereo mixes serve no good purpose...
Since you work in oldies radio, what do you think about the state of
it today? A lot of it stinks, considering the industry's general
abandonment of anything before 1964.
Now I hear the industry in a few short years plans to abandon the 60s
and move to 70s-80s oldies. What a crock.
Related post...
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/board.php?Post=200220&Board=oldies
On the demise of WCBS-FM...
http://www.radio-info.com/mods/posts.php?Cat=&Board=nyc
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Message: 9
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004 00:42:41 -0000
From: Mike Carter
Subject: Re: Carole King's "So Goes Love"
Mick Patrick Hey la-ed:
> Don't forget about me, says a voice from afar. Indeed, let's not
> overlook the most interesting version of "So Goes Love", Carole
> King's original demo. Now, a treat; that very track is playing
> @ musica: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
> Obviously, Shirley Abicair (sigh) followed Carole's demo quite
> closely - lovely song. Thanks to Mike Carter for supplying this
> rarity. Does anyone else have any Carole King acetates they'd
> care to share? Fat chance, but you gotta ask! Without such
> things, I'd be a man without a dream.
Ah, Mick P., my favorite special agent knows that somewhere his baby
waits for him! At the Club? Nah, surely the post office! It's what
you got!
I have always found it fascinating that the British cover versions of
Carole King and Gerry Goffin's tunes are so close to the original
demos that I have heard, like Shirley Abicair's "So Goes Love" and
another that comes to mind is The Action's version of "Just Once In
My Life", so un-Phil Spector like, yet straight from Carole King's
songbook. And Julie Grant singing "Up On The Roof", man she sounds
like she just listened to Little Eva Boyd and said...yeah I can do
that... (the way she breaks up those words!)
Which brings me to Barley-Bree singing "Sometime In The Morning".
This is a G/K song that the demo has not crossed my path BUT somehow
I can't help but think that this version is so close to what the demo
must sound like, what I WANT it to sound like. Surely it is one of
Carole King's finest, most beautiful tunes. Those climbing piano
figures. It almost sounds like King herself is playing.
Enjoy!!
Mike C.
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Message: 10
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004 00:43:43 EDT
From: Mike McKay
Subject: Re: Words Of Love" versions / The Mamas and the Papas
Rodney Rawlings wrote:
> When the Mamas and the Papas first came out with WORDS OF LOVE, I'm
> pretty sure there were horns prominent in the arrangement (i.e.,
> trumpets I think, not actual "horns"). However, when I later bought
> an album, it seemed like a different recording because I missed the
> horns. And ever since then, I have never heard that first version
> again. Was there an early version of the record that is no longer put
> on albums or played on the radio? I was living in Montreal when I
> first heard the song, if that's relevant.
While I can't answer to the specifics of this, I can say that there
were significant differences between the original 45 releases of many
Mamas and Papas songs and their stereo counterparts. Two of the most
prominent examples are "I Saw Here Again" and "Creeque Alley."
On the former, there is an entire instrumental section on the album
version that's not present on the single, while on the latter many horn
parts were added for the single that are not heard on the album version.
On both, there are also many differences in the vocal mixes, with voices
entering the mix and different places in the song, and different parts
being sung altogether in some spots. Come to think of it, there are also
different vocal parts at the very end of the mono and stereo versions
of "Dedicated to the One I Love."
I can recall "Creeque Alley" (the spare, hornless version) being played
on AM radio as an album cut before it was ever released as a single, so
this is a lone instance in which the single version -- the one with the
added horns -- still sounds "funny" to me. I never cared for it as much,
as I thought they schmaltzed the song up a bit...but this could be yet
another example of the "heard first" syndrome.
It's been awhile since I've heard "Creeque Alley" played on Oldies radio,
so I don't know if they routinely play the horn or hornless versions.
It's usually the case that radio now plays the stereo mix of a hit song,
regardless of whether this was the mix that was originally a hit. For
sure, they play the stereo album mix of "I Saw Her Again"...making this
another in a very long list of songs heard today on Oldies radio that
bear scant resemblance to the way these songs actually sounded when they
were contemporary.
Mike
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Message: 11
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004 09:21:36 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: Boy Trouble CD / Jackie DeShannon's "Daydreamin' Of You"
Julio:
> I've just received ACE's new incursion in the GG territory,
> this time with Alec Palao as Cicerone: "Boy Trouble", a
> compilation of tracks from the vaults of Gary S. Paxton, many
> of them previously unreleased. The collection is wonderful,
> full of surprises and effervescent sixties pop ... my absolute
> favourite is the very Northern Soulie "Losing Control" by The
> Fashionettes (according to Alec's interesting liner notes,
> they also released a version of Jackie DeShannon's "Day
> Dreaming of You", on GNP Crescendo, which I would love to
> listen to).
You know, I was sure I had "Daydreamin' Of You" by the
Fashionettes, but I can't find it. Ne'er mind, I seem to recall
that it wasn't too good - not nearly as nice as their stompy
"Losing Control". I do have an excellent recording of the song
by the Dreamers on Fairmount, the Cameo-Parkway subsidiary.
Better yet, I have the original demo version by fabulous Jackie
DeShannon herself. It's playing now @ musica, just for you:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
I totally agree about the "Boy Trouble" CD. It's fab. As you can
imagine, it makes a refreshing change for me to be able to
approach a new girl group CD as a normal punter. I was gagging
for my copy to arrive in the mail, especially as it contains so
many previously unissued tracks (18). My favourite cuts are Mary
Saenz's "Would She Do That For You" - love those Lesley Gore-
alike handclaps! "They Say Big Girls Don't Cry" by Beverly
Williams is excellent too - she's the girl who recorded "He's
Hurtin' Me", an S'pop holy grail. And Sandi Shore (no, not that
one!) sounds just like Joanie Sommers. Find an article about the
CD here: http://www.acerecords.co.uk/gotrt/may04/cdchd1005.html
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 12
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004 07:20:58 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: Oldies radio
Doug Ohlemeier:
> Since you work in oldies radio, what do you think about the state
> of it today? A lot of it stinks, considering the industry's general
> abandonment of anything before 1964. Now I hear the industry in a
> few short years plans to abandon the 60s and move to 70s-80s oldies.
> What a crock.
I'm probably going to alienate a few people here, but where is it
chiseled that oldies radio is 50's - 60's by definition? If the
purpose of the format is to celebrate the history of R&R, then it has
failed miserably.
When I was growing up in the seventies, oldies radio was very fifties
based. The eighties expanded this to the sixties: pretty much the
format we have today. That seemed to set the standard - turn the clock
back twenty years. Yet by the 90's, the format had become American Pie
Radio - oblivious to a world which existed before 1971. The stations
should be into the eighties by now, but it hasn't happened.
Hate to break the news to y'all, but (and I speak as one of the
younger members - 40 if you're interested) most of us have more years
to look back on than forward to. Most of the insiders on this list are
hitting their own sixties, if they're not already there. Where does
the format go when it's prinary demographic dies out? If oldies radio
is looking to Tom Diehl types to keep it alive (who likes his music to
be at least fifteen years older than he his) the format is doomed.
There aren't enough of him out there to sustain it profitably.
Obviously I'm not knocking Tom personally because I value him as a
friend, but I'm sure my point is made.
Now playing at Musica is a quick clip that sums up what I feel on the
issue as best as I can. I won't describe it here, but I think it's
self-explanitory. I will let that it's inspired by local Oldies 97
becoming Mix 97 a few years back, ratchetting up the playlist to 1979
and even some early 80's. This followed about six months later into a
primarily 80's format, and today they're mixing current Deline Dion
and Dido tracks in with the older stuff. Wrong, guys! I told the
insider who clued me into the changes that Mix doesn't mean "a mix of
the old and older". Maybe he believes me now... in any case I don't
question why he gave up radio to sell ice cream for a living - the
trucks are more lucrative and a lot less hassles.
When rock first hit the ground running, it had plenty of enemies who
said it wouldn' last. The music has outlived most of them, but now
it's endangering itself by splintering away from it's own diversity.
Why can't the format acknowledge the evolutionary process that brought
it where it is today? In my book speed metal started with the guitar
solo on "Rock Around The Clock", but the kids today would never know
that. Now, how do we fix that?
Joe Nelson
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Message: 13
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004 14:59:22 -0000
From: Shawn
Subject: Re: Oldies radio
Here's my rant about oldies radio...I think it has become a serious
joke: http://www.superoldies.com/insider.html
Shawn
www.superoldies.com
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Message: 14
Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2004 14:05:32 -0000
From: Bob Celli
Subject: Carole King & Bobby Vee to Musica
Due to multiple requests, I have happily placed the Carole King demo
of "Sharing You" on musica. This is probably one of the few songs
that Bobby Vee's arranger, Ernie Freeman, changed for the better with
his arrangement. I would guess that all eighteen songs written by GK
and recorded by Bobby Vee were arranged very much like the demos for
Vee's sessions, judging from the demos I have heard thus far. Two of
the eighteen songs remain unreleased. They are "Ferguson Road",
recorded for the "Nothin' Like A Sunny Day" album and "One More Time",
one of the first GK songs Bobby recorded. Another track, "I Can't Hear
You" only came out on an eight track tape and I will post it shortly.
Bob Celli
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
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