________________________________________________________________________ SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop! ________________________________________________________________________ There are 25 messages in this issue. Topics in this digest: 1. Re: what's a 45? From: Margaret G Still 2. Re: Arthur (Lee Harper) From: Scott Charbonneau 3. Re: swapfeet swapmeet From: Phil X Milstein 4. Re: Hi Ho Silver Throat! From: Phil X Milstein 5. Re: The Jamies From: AJ 6. Re: Beatles suitcase find From: Mark Hill 7. Mercy Mercy Mercy From: Phil X Milstein 8. Re: Animal variations From: Karl Baker 9. Ersel Hickey R. I. P. From: Country Paul 10. Re: Arthur (Lee Harper) From: Dan Hughes 11. Jerry Lee Lewis doing FGG's "I'm On Fire" From: Margaret G Still 12. Judy Dyble From: Kingsley Abbott 13. Re: Top Rank From: Joe Foster 14. Catching up on various messages! From: "hawkeyes95" 15. The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show From: Gary 16. Re: The Jamies From: Phil X Milstein 17. Ersel Hickey -- you're not gonna believe this. From: Andrew C Jones 18. Re: Bernard "Pretty" Purdie From: Gary Myers 19. Re: belated Hello From: James Holvay 20. Re: Frank Gari From: Gary Myers 21. Re: Carole King demos From: Tony Leong 22. Re: Top Rank From: Richard Havers 23. Hit Records 45s From: Mikey 24. Re: "Because people believe me" From: Austin Roberts 25. Re: Hi Ho Silver Throat! From: Gary Myers ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________ Message: 1 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 22:18:17 -0000 From: Margaret G Still Subject: Re: what's a 45? 45s feel good in the hand. And what you're holding is a song, which is pretty magical. Then there's the label art and credits and the whole way that looks -- layers and layers of info there. It is always a kick to see the names of the great ones, and also the names of the great unknowns who funneled everything into that record. M. G. Still -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 22:04:39 -0000 From: Scott Charbonneau Subject: Re: Arthur (Lee Harper) Rob asked: > Does anyone have any stories or recordings of Arthur (Lee Harper)? > His first album was produced by Lee Hazlewood. Where is he today? Arthur Lee Harper passed away some years back. There is an unofficial CD circulating that contains both of his albums, Dreams And Images (produced by Hazlewood) and Love Is The Revolution. The CD was issued on the Nocturne label, and has become highly sought-after. In addition, RD Records in Switzerland has released an album of previously unreleased material recorded much later in his career. Scott -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 15:02:21 +0000 From: Phil X Milstein Subject: Re: swapfeet swapmeet Frank Murphy wrote: > Surely you omitted the rejoinder that I hear: > "They're only worth anything if you sell them. And when was the last > time you sold a record without buying another two." Then there are those who trade records for women's shoes. --Phil M. -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 16:10:04 +0000 From: Phil X Milstein Subject: Re: Hi Ho Silver Throat! S.J.Dibai wrote: > In honor of Bill Cosby's birthday, I thought I'd bring up one of the > weirdest '60s albums in my collection, the Cos' 1967 LP "Bill Cosby > Sings/Silver Throat." This was the first of his, er, "singing" > albums, and interestingly it seems like those are the only albums of > his that haven't seen CD release! Funny you should bring up Cosby's recording career, S.J., because I've been waiting for the right moment to post an inquiry about it, and your's gives me just the opening I've been looking for (although, sorry to say, I can't address the album you bring to the floor). While in a record store last week, I took very quick note of a new reissue of the Cosby/Quincy Jones collaboration LP. The album centered on "Hikky Burr," the delightful, scat-sung theme song to the one TV show of Cosby's that I've liked, the short-lived early '70s sitcom "The Cosby Show" (I think was the title), in which our boy portrayed the kindly (and very single) high school gym teacher Chet Kincaid. Until seeing the reissue, I hadn't known there was ever an original issue of such an album (although I was aware of "Hikky Burr"'s release as a 45), and what I wonder is if anyone can offer any thoughts on whether the rest of the album is any good or not. Extras, by the way, seemed to be mostly limited to alternate takes or mixes of "Hikky Burr." Gon' get some rahzle, --Phil M. -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 16:31:38 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) From: AJ Subject: Re: The Jamies Austin Roberts asked: > Do any of you Spectro folks know anything about the Jamies of It's > Summertime fame? Loved that record. All I know is that they were from Dorchester Mass. They were Tom Jameson, his sister Serena Jameson, Jeanie Roy and Arthur Blair. That's all I could find on them. AJ -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 16:32:13 -0400 From: Mark Hill Subject: Re: Beatles suitcase find > I just read that a man in Australia found a suitcase full of unreleased > recordings and memorabilia. One wonders how this got sold without the suitcase's contents ever being looked at. And if they were, that a flea market seller would not have thought it out of the ordinary or of value. The story of how it got there and how it was sold would be as interesting as the find itself. Here's the whole story, as reported Tuesday by the Associated Press: Report: Battered suitcase yields possible Beatles trove All you need is luck. A vacationer who purchased a suitcase at an Australian flea market found a trove of Beatles memorabilia inside, including photos, concert programs and unreleased recordings, The Times newspaper reported Tuesday. While the materials have yet to be authenticated, some experts believe the collection is the lost "Mal Evans archive," originally belonging to the Beatles' roadie and recording engineer. Evans was killed by police in Los Angeles in 1976 after he had brandished a fake gun. His belongings were lost during the police investigation. Fraser Claughton, 41, from Tinkerton, England, bought the suitcase in a small town outside of Melbourne for about $36. "It's like finding the end of the rainbow in Australia," The Times quoted Claughton as saying. "I spotted one tatty old suitcase, which frankly I wouldn't have given house room, but when I picked it up there was something in it." The 4-1/2 hour reel-to-reel tape recording includes John Lennon and Paul McCartney experimenting with previously unrecorded tracks, plus new versions of "We Can Work It Out" and "Cry Baby Cry." The Times put an extract from another of the newly discovered recordings, "I'm in Love," on its Web site, www.timesonline.co.uk The Lennon-McCartney song was never released by The Beatles but was released by another Liverpool band, The Fourmost. The tapes, labeled "Abbey Road... not for release," will be evaluated by the Beatles' record label, Apple, and examined by experts to determine their origin and authenticity. A spokeswoman for Christie's said while the auction house has had no contact with the collection as of yet, there is "Beatles memorabilia in every pop memorabilia sale -- it's very popular." In 1998, a notebook compiled by Evans, containing draft lyrics for "Hey Jude" and "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," sold for $185,000 at a London auction. A year earlier, McCartney obtained an injunction to prevent Evans' widow from selling a scrap of paper with the original lyrics to "With a Little Help From My Friends." -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 16:47:06 +0000 From: Phil X Milstein Subject: Mercy Mercy Mercy Now playing at Photos, a full-page ad, from the close-of-the-Sixties (i.e., 12-69) issue of Guitar Player magazine, jointly promoting both Kustom amps (of Chanute, Kansas) and the group Mercy, of "Love Can Make You Happy" fame. As grotesque a period piece as I've ever seen. Behold, --Phil M. -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 14:50:32 -0400 From: Karl Baker Subject: Re: Animal variations previously: > I've asked before and I'll ask again -- has the U.S. single version of "We > Gotta Get Out of This Place" ever appeared on CD anywhere? The US version of "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" has been in the EMI vaults all along. It's been remastered and is scheduled to appear on Abkco's upcoming Animals Anthology. We all ought to give a big "thank you" to Teri Landi for this. Karl -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 18:17:23 -0400 From: Country Paul Subject: Ersel Hickey R. I. P. Ed Salamon wrote: > Ersel Hickey, a rockabilly singer best known for "Bluebirds > Over The Mountain," has died at age 70.... > "Bluebirds Over The Mountain" was a staple oldie on WHN in > New York when I programmed it....The record had been a huge > hit in NYC when it came out. Indeed it was -- it is one of *those* influential records in my life. (Even the Beach Boys' version couldn't touch it, in my opinion.) No particular story attached, but it was amazing how he could say it all so efficiently, compactly, eloquently and rocking-ly in a minute and 20 seconds. Ed, I hadn't realized you were a radio person too. When were you at WHN? (Probably when I was still living in Connecticut....) Country Paul -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 17:13:01 -0500 From: Dan Hughes Subject: Re: Arthur (Lee Harper) Rob asked: > Does anyone have any stories or recordings of Arthur (Lee Harper)? > His first album was produced by Lee Hazlewood. Where is he today? Somebody -- I think on this board, a year or so ago -- told me that he died a few years ago. I think his son's address and phone can be found easily with an Internet search. ---Dan -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 21:48:00 -0000 From: Margaret G Still Subject: Jerry Lee Lewis doing FGG's "I'm On Fire" Just cleaned some 45s and found this gem from Jerry Lee on a Smash 45 from 1964. I did some research and found that this Feldman-Goldstein- Gottehrer song was later (1965) recorded by The Strangeloves, but I don't have their version. Is either version available on CD? If not, it would be fun to play them to musica, if anyone else has the Strangeloves' version. M.G. Still -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12 Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 09:41:38 +0100 From: Kingsley Abbott Subject: Judy Dyble A little while back Judy Dyble, Fairport Convention's first lady singer and later member of Trader Horne, rated some mentions on S'pop. Members might like to know that, after several decades, she has a brand-new album due out very soon. Called 'Enchanted Garden', it should be out on Talking Elephant Records here in the UK. It has ten tracks that Jude has done with Astralasia (a modern semi-electronic set-up), and the blend of Jude's songs and their production works very well. Her voice is maturer, but retains that essential Englishness that so many folk loved her for. I suspect it will raise a great deal of interest. Kingsley -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13 Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 11:53:09 +0100 From: Joe Foster Subject: Re: Top Rank Michael Fishberg wrote: > Whatever happened to Top Rank Records? EMI own that catalogue now. The label didn't last long, though, and a lot of its output was licensed in, so there may not be much. Dick Rowe took a break from Decca to run the label for J. Arthur Rank, of innuendo infamy. Joe -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14 Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 06:12:25 -0000 From: "hawkeyes95" Subject: Catching up on various messages! Hi, I've been on vacation and have finally began getting caught up on SPop, so I apologize for some posting comments being old. Message 23008 >Simen wrote: >The Action of Englan released the single "Shadows & Reflections" in >-67. This is written by Larry Marks and Tandyn Almer. >This was also recorded by another artist but who??? Chicago's Byzantine Empire did a cool version on Mala in late 60's. Message 23009 >Re: American Film Institute top 100 movie songs, I wrote "name more off, folks" How 'bout "Skeet Surfin'" from "Top Secret!"? Message 23011 >Rob Stride wrote: I would like to start a new thread regarding one of my Heroes. Mr John Carter...Vocalist, Writer And Producer. A man Responsible for Responsible for The IVY LEGUE, The FLOWERPOTMEN, FIRT CLASS and many other absolutley brilliant bands. Rob, I totally agree that John Carter songs are great! Flowerpot Men songs lead the way for me, followed closely by Ivy League and White Plains. The Flowerpot Men Cd is great as is John's recent anthology Cd. I gotta say that Starbreaker's "Sound of Summer" shoulda been as big in 78 as First Class' "Beach Baby" was in 74 (5?). Sounds like the Moody Blues going surfin'!! I need to check out the Cds Frank Young mentioned also. Still wondering how I have Ivy League's "Runnin Round in Circles" with cold ending recorded off WCFL Chicago in 60's!! Anyone ever found this anywhere???? Message 23092 John Berg wrote: When (and by what label) will Gary Bonner's demos be released on CD? We need to hear these!!! Message 23148 Alan Gordon wrote: Al the "K" , funny you should mention old acetates. I`ve got about 40 myself. My son bought me a cd to cd sony deck for my birthday. So I`m gonna TRY to transfer the demos onto cds. Me: John, I agree. I think a Cd titled: "Happily Together: The songs of Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon" would be a great Cd ala Varese' "Boyce & Hart", only this time adding the original demos of some of their hits. It would help sell the Cd, I'm sure. Anyone agree? Message 23149 Artie Wayne wrote: I've tried to locate the half-dozen tunes she (Carole King) helped me with, [which were never recorded] but over the years they have disappeared. Me: Artie, as with Alan Gordon, do you have any demos you did of your songs?? "Midnight Mary"? "Flashback"? Let's hear some! How bout James Holvay?? I know Guercio has a few, but do you? Any other SPoppers too! Well, I got aways to go in comments, but gotta catch some sleep. I can see the light at the end of the SPop tunnel! I'm soooooo close to Kathy! Clark -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 15 Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 11:51:38 -0000 From: Gary Subject: The Saturday Morning Cartoon Show Does anybody remember, or have any info or pictures, of this group, who had a record out (in about 1968/69) called "Hayride" on Elf Records? Thanks! Gary -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 16 Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 13:06:22 +0000 From: Phil X Milstein Subject: Re: The Jamies Austin Roberts wrote: > Do any of you Spectro folks know anything about the Jamies of It's > Summertime fame? Loved that record. I don't know much about The Jamies, but I can tell you a bit about the songwriter. The late Sherm Feller was a Boston-area legend, a longtime radio raconteur and idiosyncratic Fenway Park (Red Sox) P.A. announcer. As far as I know "Summertime, Summertime" was his only success as a songwriter per se, but he did get a lot of play around here for a symphonic piece -- or, hell, maybe it was a march; I never did hear it myself -- he wrote about JFK. More about The Jamies and Feller, including a promo photo of Feller at the mic (while yakking on TWO telephones), can be found at http://www.dirtywater.com/a2z/j/jamies/ . A page of photos of performers visiting a Boston-area oldies station, including a fairly recent shot of former Jamie Jeannie Roy as well as ones of The Pixies 3 and Lewis Lymon (not together), can be found at http://www.rockinoldies.com/watdvisitors The deceptively complex "Summertime, Summertime" features prominently -- as much in the story (or, more accurately, in defining the protagonist's psyche) as on the soundtrack -- in the great, neglected Harvey Keitel vehicle "Fingers," a 1978 drama that finds Keitel conflicted between following in the footsteps of his concert pianist mom and of his hoodlum dad (and thus risking injury to his hands), the latter played by the unforgettable Michael Gazzo. --Phil M. -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 17 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 22:58:10 -0400 From: Andrew C Jones Subject: Ersel Hickey -- you're not gonna believe this. I have before me my old copy of "The Beatles On Record," J.P. Russell's 1982 compendium of every legitimate UK and US Beatles album released up to that time. At the end of his discussion of the anthology album "The Songs Lennon & McCartney Gave Away," Russell adds this: ------------ One further track that could be included here is the 1968 Beach Boys recording "Bluebirds Over the Mountain," which was written (supposedly) by one Ersel Hickey and published by Northern Songs. Of course, Northern Songs was set up in 1963 specifically to publish songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and whilst they also published some of George Harrison's earliest songs before he founded Harrisongs, they never published non-Beatles songs. So who is the mysterious Ersel Hickey, and why was his song published by Northern Songs? One theory is that Ersel Hickey is none other than Paul McCartney under a pseudonym. When Paul co-produced "Vegetables" with The Beach Boys for their 1967 album Smiley Smile, he gave them "Bluebirds Over The Mountain" to record at a later date. It is quite possible, and there seems to be a precedent. In 1966, two years before this recording was issued, Paul, using the subsequently admitted pseudonym Bernard Webb, wrote a song entitled "Woman" and gave it to Peter and Gordon to record. So did Paul McCartney as Ersel Hickey write "Bluebirds Over The Mountain" -- or did Ersel Hickey actually exist?" ------------ I sincerely hope someone eventually put Mr Russell right. -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 18 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 21:16:24 -0700 From: Gary Myers Subject: Re: Bernard "Pretty" Purdie previously: > ... not sure what he said, but the first chart record Purdie played > on was "Wiggle Wobble" by Les Cooper in 1962. That's what I thought he had said, but I wasn't sure. Then he went on to say he had played on "Please, Please, Please", which is from 1956. It seems to me that he said a couple of other strange things, too, but I don't remember what. gem -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 19 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 21:42:17 -0700 From: James Holvay Subject: Re: belated Hello Margaret G. Still wrote: > I just read the Spectropop guidelines and saw that I have just > jumped in here with no formal introduction. I am Margaret Still; > I love and collect the music discussed here. Margaret, Welcome. What genre of music do you collect (i.e. '60s pop, Motown, soul, etc.)? -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 20 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 21:53:01 -0700 From: Gary Myers Subject: Re: Frank Gari Al Kooper wrote: > Al "I Coulda Been The Next Frank Gari" Kooper Country Paul replied: > The artist who did "Utopia," right? Is there a story behind your > comment? I wondered that, too. There was a story (L.A. Times, I think) about Gari, probably 15 years ago. IIRC, he became successful in the ad business. gem -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 21 Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 01:15:23 -0000 From: Tony Leong Subject: Re: Carole King demos Brian Ferrari wrote: > I have the grey market Carole King Brill Building Legends CD that > includes, according to the packaging, her demo version of "Some > Of Your Lovin'." The actual track on the CD, though (which is on > there twice) is The Honey Bees' version. Does anyone know if > there is a surviving Carole King demo version of this song? That "Some Of Your Lovin'" demo by The Honey Bees was great. I can tell Dusty copied that style because she is so relaxed, much like The Honey Bees' leader (no, it wasn't any of The Cookies -- matter of fact, Margaret of The Cookies says they sang back-up, but did not know who the lead singer was!). I wonder if there is a Carole-sung demo out there of "I"ll Love You For A While". (Perhaps Dusty kept it?). Each time I hear Dusty's wonderful double-tracked mono version of that song, I hear her doing a Carole- phrasing! I'm sure Dusty's January 1965 recording of the song pre- dated Jill Jackson's version. But the way Dusty stretches those notes, I can swear that Carole and Little Eva were there in the studio with her. Anyone have any idea about who sang the demo for the song? Better yet, anybody heard it besides Carole, Gerry and Dusty? Tony Leong -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 22 Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 08:47:12 +0100 From: Richard Havers Subject: Re: Top Rank Michael Fishberg asked: > Whatever happened to Top Rank Records? Top Rank was started in 1958 by the J. Arthur Rank film company, in an attempt to mirror what US filmmakers were up to. It was run initially by Dick Rowe (he of later "turning the Beatles down but signing the Stones" fame) along with Tony Hatch. They continued as an independent until 1960, when the Rank organisation lost patience with their cash-draining ways. They did a deal with EMI to release records under the TR logo, which lasted until April 1962. Ironically Nut Rocker became No. 1 just after their last release. EMI replaced TR with their own Stateside label. The majority of TR's releases were US originals that included Glen Cambell's 'Turn Around Look At Me' and David Gates 'The Happiest Man Alive'. Amongst their homegrown talent were Andy 'A Scottish Soldier' Stewart and the wonderfully named (by Mr Larry Parnes shillings and pence) Vince Eager. Richard -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 23 Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:53:30 -0400 From: Mikey Subject: Hit Records 45s If any of my Spectropop buddies have any 45s on the Hit label (black label with silver printing), well, please keep in mind that I collect that label, and I'm in the middle of a huge project to transfer tons of them onto digital tape and CD-R. So if you have any, I will buy any and all that you wish to sell. Please e-mail me off-list for any info. Thanks! Mikey -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 24 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 19:22:19 EDT From: Austin Roberts Subject: Re: "Because people believe me" Jeff Lemlich wrote: > I once asked Morton "Doc" Downey why he claimed he was the man > behind the Downey label, and why he claimed he wrote the song > "Wipe Out". He looked at me and said, "because people believe me". This reminds me of a guy in Philly (I think) who claimed to be the Bill Deal of Rhondells fame. Since I grew up with Bill, played and sang in the band occasionally and was very close to him, it kinda pissed me off when the imposter kept claiming to be the genuine article. When Bill died, there were a lot of us who'd known him well that were shocked, saddened, and still miss him. Makes you wonder why some people can't be content with their own lives instead of claiming to be someone else. A true friend of the real Bill Deal, Austin Roberts -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 25 Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 21:36:57 -0700 From: Gary Myers Subject: Re: Hi Ho Silver Throat! S.J. Dibai wrote: > ... one of the weirdest '60s albums in my collection, the > Cos' 1967 LP "Bill Cosby Sings/Silver Throat." ... There > is a real gem tucked on side two, a groovy "Mojo Workout" > (not the Larry Bright hit from 1960)... There is story connected with this. You may notice that the LP jacket (I don't know about the CD) DOES credit the writer as J. Bright, even though, as you say, it is not his song. Apparently, this mistake resulted in Tide Records (= Cepha Publishing at that time) being paid for the song on that LP. Arc Publishing, who owned "I Got My Mojo Working", then sued Tide/Cepha (Ruth Stratchborneo). There is an interesting story of the case on the Web -- I don't recall the name of the site, but a search on Ruth's last name will probably find it. I was on Tide/Edit in '63, and I did two Goldmine stories on the label and on Larry Bright circa '90. gem -------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
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