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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 11 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Catholic Girl Groups?
From: Phil X Milstein
2. Brooklyn Bridge; John Kerry's band; N&F pix; ubi-dubi
From: Country Paul
3. what's a 45?
From: David Bell
4. Carole King's guys
From: Don H
5. Re: Happenings & Brooklyn Bridge
From: Karen Andrew
6. Re: Happenings / Brooklyn Bridge / Carnaby Street (??)
From: Fred Clemens
7. 1963 demo playing @ musica
From: Al Kooper
8. Jack Nitzsche at Spectropop update
From: Martin Roberts
9. Re: Carnaby Street
From: Fred Clemens
10. Re: Brooklyn Bridge
From: Mikey
11. Re: Appaloosa
From: Al Kooper
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 21:46:14 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Catholic Girl Groups?
Margaret G. Still wrote:
> The Chantels, Reparata and the Delrons...who else would be Catholic
> School girl groups?
The Shangri-Las. Why do you ask?
--Phil M.
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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 02:06:25 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Brooklyn Bridge; John Kerry's band; N&F pix; ubi-dubi
Fred Clemens Re: Brooklyn Bridge:
> I was at the Brooklyn Bridge show July 4th. Their songs were totally
> "Amazing"! I was right up front, directly in front of the speakers
> on the left side....So where were you, Paul...?
Center of the field, but I walked up to the right side of the stage -
it was LOUD there! I thought they did a heroic try at "Good Vibrations,"
but of course Johnny's got a different kind of voice. Nonetheless, he
gets mucho brownie points for trying and almost succeeding. But
"Unchained Melody" was a big score; I love the Crests and loved how he
was still into the songs, but that UM was the peak moment forme.
Re: www.kerryrocks.com: His prep school band is actually quite
respectable for what they were. Credit where due for trying different
arrangements on the songs they covered. The album is actually available
again on CD at the website, and there's a seven-minute montage of
excerpts of all the tracks.
Mick Patrick;
> the demo in question is now playing @ musica. Don't ask me who's
> singing - the label credits no performer and I don't recognize
> the voices.
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
This is one very cool track - thanks for the post! Shoulda been a single
unto itself. Wish I could ID the group.
Ken on the West Coast:
> I hope some kind soul can post a picture to the site of Mikki & Griff
Never heard of them, but the pix of Nina & Frederik the various links
forwarded us to reveal a babe and a self-important weenie-lookin' guy.
However, the pix did nothing to upgrade my memory of their music! :-)
Phil M:
> Ubi dubium ibi libertas:
> "Where there is doubt there is freedom."
So that's what Roy Orbison's "ooby dooby" verses translate to!
Country Paul
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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 04:08:38 EDT
From: David Bell
Subject: what's a 45?
Mick Patrick:
> (wondering if there are S'poppers who don't know what a 45 is)
Well, Mick, since Martha Reeves was mentioned in your post about the
sad demise of Syreeta Wright, I have to say that she did a line or
two in the Dancing In The Street tour about 45s. Martha claimed that
young people in her audience thought that she meant a pistol when she
talked about 45s. Although I have a quite a lot of 45rpms in my
collection, I very rarely play them. My wife jokes when the postman
brings yet another parcel from a mad Ebay purchase and hands them
over that "Here's another one for the shelf." Well, I always have a
couple of listens and then transfer the songs immediately to cd.
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Message: 4
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 04:49:31 -0000
From: Don H
Subject: Carole King's guys
Phil X Milstein wrote:
> By the way, he doesn't mention whether the album, the title
> of which he identifies as "One Time Only," was ever properly released
> -- anyone know? Also, anyone know what became of the marriage of
> Myddle Class bassist Charlie Larkey and Carole King? They still at it?
Phil, I do not think that the album was properly released.
As for Carole King & Charlie Larkey. That was marriage #2. She has
since been married to Rick Evers and Rick Sorenson, the latter died
of an overdose. She is currently dating Phil Alden Robinson, the
director of "Field Of Dreams" and "The Sum Of All Fears" to name
two. Gerry Goffin remarked that she was on husband #5 a couple of
years ago, but there is no evidence that she and Phil are married.
Carole has 4 children. Louise and Sherry Goffin, Molly and Levi
Larkey.
As for Rick Sorenson, there was a character in the film "Grace Of My
Heart" played by Matt Dillon, that was likely a combination of Rick
S. and Brian Wilson. The song "Golden Man" by Carole King has been
rumored to be about Rick S.
While Carole co-wrote music with all of her husbands, Phil AR doesn't
write music, but does play back-up guitar in her band sometimes.
Don H.
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Message: 5
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 19:02:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: Karen Andrew
Subject: Re: Happenings & Brooklyn Bridge
Country Paul, I'm envious! To see and hear the Happenings and then
Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge - all in one weekend! Where
were you during these events (ie. town, state)? Thanks for the info.
on Johnny Maestro - I always thought he had a beautiful voice and
I'm glad he still has it!
Karen
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Message: 6
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 12:08:42 -0000
From: Fred Clemens
Subject: Re: Happenings / Brooklyn Bridge / Carnaby Street (??)
Karen Andrew wrote:
> Country Paul, I'm envious! To see and hear the Happenings and then
> Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge - all in one weekend! Where
> were you during these events (ie. town, state)? Thanks for the info.
> on Johnny Maestro - I always thought he had a beautiful voice and
> I'm glad he still has it!
Both were in neighboring towns in New Jersey and put on by the same
promoter (He was the guy who warned me about the sound). The
Happenings appeared Saturday Night in New Providence, while the
Brooklyn Bridge appeared Sunday night in Summit (where I live). Both
were part of a free concert in the park summer series put on in
neighboring towns during July and August one day a week, with a
different theme each week (Oldies, Country, Jazz, Swing Bands, Folk,
etc.)
In the past, I've only attended the Oldies themed concerts, usually
in Berkely Heights (where I work), the next town over from New
Providence. I've seen the likes of the Dubs, Lenny Coco and the
Chimes, Larry Chance and the Earls, and Nick Santo and the Capris.
There were also many Oldies covers bands that passed through. One
memorable one that stands out is Carnaby Street. I first saw them in
Berkeley Heights in 1998(?), being represented by a familiar face (or
should I say "hat"). I saw this guy with them who looked very
familiar, if only for his crumbled top hat. I decided to approach him
and find out for sure. "Aren't you Looney Skip Rooney from the Uncle
Floyd Show?" Indeed he was, known as Art Rooney on the air in north-
central New Jersey over WGHT(?) in Pompton Lakes(?). Carnaby Street
did versions of various bands of the Invasion era, including the
Beatles, Byrds, Turtles, etc, all done quite credibly without trying
to sound exactly like the originals, thus keeping the sound fresh. At
first they were a quartette, then a trio for a while, and in more
recent years, back to a quartette. The second time I saw them was a
Car Show (in Union). Art was still with them. Cousin Brucie was
SUPPOSED to appear there, as he had in past years (they even made up
themed T-shirts with his name featured). However, this year, he never
showed. Art Rooney was convinced to take over the MC'ing of events.
(Coincidently, Art had earlier worked at one of Brucie's stations.) I
saw Bruce the following weekend at WCBS (when I was going there to
help out Bob Shannon), with T-shirt in hand, and asked him about the
no-show. He said he was never told about the event in time, and in
fact was already scheduled to do a different car (Corvette) show that
weekend. He seemed troubled by the whole turn of events. Art has long
since departed being Carnaby Street's manager. I can't find any
evidence that the band is still together (their web site hasn't been
updated in quite awhile).
Fred Clemens
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Message: 7
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 09:10:34 EDT
From: Al Kooper
Subject: 1963 demo playing @ musica
1963 demo now playing @ musica:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
This is a true rarity. This is a Brass-Kooper-Levine song written &
demoed for Gene Pitney. Gene recorded about five of our songs over
the years, most notably "I Must Be Seeing Things". I thought this
was the best song we ever wrote for Gene but somehow it never got
picked. By the time we did this demo (in 1963) I had perfected my
Gene demo voice. We didn't fuss over final vocals back in those demo
days so some of the harmonies are crying for todays automatic pitch
shifters. I'm playing piano and organ, Vinny Bell is on guitar, Al
Rogers on drums and I can't recall the bassist. The concept was that
horns would play the organ parts on the real record, but in
retrospect, I have come to really enjoy my early B3 scampering on
this tune. From a box of acetates I found in the basement last week,
digitally transferred and de-clicked and de-popped and remastered in
my home studio.
Hope you all enjoy "(I'm Going) My Way" - not to be confused with
the later Sid Vicious track :-)
Al "I Coulda Been The Next Frank Gari" Kooper
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Message: 8
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 21:42:40 +0100
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: Jack Nitzsche at Spectropop update
There's been a fair bit of chatter recently on the Everly Brothers.
To show how topical the site is, our finger is never far from
the button, (What button?) - The Everly's "Mr. Soul" is playing on
the home page. "Oh no" I hear you say, "not another wonderful delight
that only three men and a dog know about." Well, yes, actually.
http://www.spectropop.com/JackNitzsche/index.htm
Another thing I've heard said: "Is the old boy losing it? Some scans
bunged on the Previous ROTWs and that's all that's been new for days,
weeks even." Firstly, I resent being called an 'old boy', but secondly
you would not believe all the treats and features that are waiting to
burst onto the site. Be prepared to have your flabber gasted.
Martin
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Message: 9
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 14:19:26 -0000
From: Fred Clemens
Subject: Re: Carnaby Street
I recently posted referencing Carnaby Street, a local NJ 60's garage
tribute band. I just found evidence of the continued existence:
http://members.aol.com/jgraz71418/index.html
The band is back down to a trio again, which I personally feel has
the best sound of all their incarnations. All are original members
(John, Tom, and Chris). They STILL haven't released a CD yet, though
I see Chris has released a solo effort. They did have a cassette for
sale a few years back (the original quartette), and kept promising a
CD was in the works. Personally, I feel they should release their
live stuff to CD, which I know was recorded.
According to their schedule, they'll be appearing in Millburn tonight
(7-11), and I would urge if you're in the area to go and check them
out (if you haven't already).
Fred Clemens
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Message: 10
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 10:11:34 -0400
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: Brooklyn Bridge
Around a month ago I caught The Brooklyn Bridge at asmall club in
Brooklyn. They were outstanding in that setting and you could see
that the guys really liked playing a small intimare club. Also,
all the guys in the band are from Brooklyn, so they enjoyed it even
more. I did have some issues with their song selections, like they
didn't do "Your Husband, My Wife", but then again, I usually do.
Mikey
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Message: 11
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 07:15:28 EDT
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Re: Appaloosa
Christian Steiner:
> Yesterday a friend of mine gave me the 1969 LP from APPALOOSA as
> a birthday present. I was blown away by hearing the record for
> the first time today, which is produced by Al Kooper. Since Al
> is a member of the list I hope he or someone else can shed some
> light on the group. As an avid singles collector especially I'm
> very interested if the band did release any 45s. Did they make a
> further album? Thanks for your help!
Almost yearly now I beg SONY to remaster and put that album out on
Legacy. I tell Bob Irwin at Sundazed what a coup it would be for him
to put out the Appaloosa album but ya know....Appaloosa didn't surf
....so I guess no chance there.
It's a great story though, Christian. When I worked as a staff
producer for Columbia Records ('68-'72) I was sitting in my orifice
one day and these kids just walked in. "Can we audition for you, Mr
Kooper?" they enquired. "You have to clear that with Mr. So & So
down the hall. guys....are you local?" "No...we drove up from
Massachusettes to play for you." This got to me "Well lemme see if I
can find a place we can do this now" I offered. "We can play right
here in your office! All we need is one outlet for our bassist. All
the rest of us are acoustic.." And so they did. Played for me right
in my office and blew my 25 year old mind. Acoustic guitar, viola,
cello & bass and a great singer-songwriter-acoustic guitarist, John
Compton. You bet I signed 'em. I did one album with them. I believe
it was six months ahead of its time and James Taylor got the
attention/success that these lads deserved at the time. Timimg is so
important. God evened me out four years later when I signed Lynyrd
Skynyrd at exactly the correct time. But that doesn't really aid us
in getting folks to hear that Appaloosa album. Maybe SONY in another
country will put it out. We can only hope. Thanks for enjoying it
Christian - about half that album is indeed, timeless.
Al "Palooser" Kooper
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