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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: Nervous Breakdown
From: Mike McKay
2. How many fiddle-playing Japanese honky-tonkers could there be?
From: Gary Myers
3. Re: break-in parody now playing at musica
From: Phil X Milstein
4. History Repeats Itself
From: Steve Harvey
5. Re: Larry Bright
From: Gary Myers
6. Mauds / Trashmen
From: Don H.
7. Kiki Dee sings Goffin/King
From: Don H.
8. Re: Kyu Sakamoto
From: Margaret G. Still
9. "Fine, Fine, Fine"
From: Scott Shot
10. Re: using snippets
From: Shawn
11. "Magic Moments" TV schedule update
From: Paul Evans
12. Re: Peppermint Trolley
From: JB
13. Re: Ronnie Evans, R.I.P.
From: Matthew Kaplan
14. Re: Peppermint Trolley
From: Bob Rashkow
15. Whither Shel Talmy?
From: James Cassidy
16. Arthur Crier R.I.P.
From: John Clemente
17. Dickie Goodman etc
From: Bob Rashkow
18. Re: Brill Building questions / quick covers
From: Will Stos
19. Re: Hi Ho Silver Throat!
From: Bob Rashkow
20. Re: "A Summer Song"
From: Joe Nelson
21. Re: using snippets
From: Joe Nelson
22. Re: Songwriter royalties for medleys
From: Steve Harvey
23. Re: Tell Me What He Said / Brill Building
From: Brian Ferrari
24. Re: The Brigati Curse???
From: Fred Clemens
25. Re: Nervous Breakdown
From: Phil X Milstein
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 00:04:32 EDT
From: Mike McKay
Subject: Re: Nervous Breakdown
Phil M. wrote:
> Was listening to my Legendary Masters: Eddie Cochran album the other
> night when I noticed, for the first time, that the writing credit for
> "Nervous Breakdown" was not to E.C. but rather to one Mario Roccuzzo.
> I don't recall encountering this name before, and wonder if he had
> any other credits to his name. I did a Google search on the name and
> came up with a longtime Hollywood character actor, who I assume to be
> the same Mario Roccuzzo.
Don't know if Mario went on to screen fame or not. Here's the account
of the genesis of "Nervous Breakdown" as it appears in the book "Don't
Forget Me: The Eddie Cochran Story" by Julie Mundy and Darrel Highham:
Before the year [1958] was over, [Eddie] had time to go back into the
studio to record a song he'd written with a young would-be songwriter
named Mario Roccuzzo.
Roccuzzo was working at Wallich's Music City, a huge recrod store on
Sunset and Vine in Hollywood. Eddie used to go there a lot, as did Corey
Allen, a young actor who had become famous for playing the character
Buzz in "Rebel Without a Cause." Allen was also acquainted with Jerry
Capehart, so in no time at all Eddie and Mario Roccuzzo were introduced.
Jerry, Corey and Mario went back to Corey's apartment on Sunset Strip
and, while knocking back a few beers, Eddie and Mario wrote one of the
greatest songs destined never to a hit for Eddie Cochran -- "Nervous
Breakdown."
"Eddie had his big ol' electric guitar with him," Mario remembers. "I
sat down on the floor with him and I had the first beer of my life got
a real buzz from that, and on a scrap of paper I wrote 'Nervous
Breakdown.' I kept feeding the lines to Eddie. He'd say, 'Okay, give
me another line,' and that's how I wrote it. I'd hand the lines to
him: he'd sing 'em. Then he called me at Music City one day and said
'What are you doing in your lunch break?' I wasn't doing anything, so
he said, 'Come on down to Goldstar.'
"I went down there and he was recording 'Nervous Breakdown.' I was
thrilled. This was the first song I'd ever written and here it was
being recorded by Eddie Cochran -- who I thought was an absolutely
tremendous talent. A real gentleman was what he was. He was unique, he
was talented and he had his own sound, which was very, very good."
> The song's publishing credit was also of some interest. Along with
> Hill & Range, the song was co-published by Elvis Presley Music. My
> understanding is that that company amassed its catalogue for the
> primary function of being recorded by Elvis -- does that mean that
> "Nervous Breakdown" was originally slated to be cut by him, yet
> somehow "fell" to Cochran instead? Or did the administrator(s) of
> E.P. Music also promote its catalogue to other artists (apart from
> "sloppy seconds" of subsequent cuts after Elvis already had his way
> with the material)?
>From this account, it would seem that the first possibility is unlikely.
Mike
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 21:55:52 -0700
From: Gary Myers
Subject: How many fiddle-playing Japanese honky-tonkers could there be?
> ...how many fiddle-playing Japanese honky-tonkers could there be?
I knew a Japanese c&w singer named Eddie Fukano. I think he was on
Dot and I think he also appeared on that popular corny c&w TV show,
the name of which eludes me at the moment. (But no, Fukano did not
play fiddle and he was much more pop-country than honky tonk).
gem
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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 00:01:12 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: break-in parody now playing at musica
In light of our current discussion of break-in records, I have played to
musica "Party From Outer Space," a very amusing parody of the genre,
from Albert Brooks' "A Star Is Bought" LP. Music arranged by Andrew
Gold, and with vocal by Linda Ronstadt.
Dig,
--Phil M.
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 21:40:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: History Repeats Itself
Originally David Brigati was the lead singer for the
Starlighters. After a few flops they let Joey Dee sing
one and suddenly they have a new lead singer. A couple
of years later Eddie Brigati is singing and the
Rascals singles are doing too much. Felix sings one
and it's a hit. Now Felix is the lead. Must be the
Brigati curse.
In the Village Green Society book I'm reading they do
mention that Rasa Davies harmonized on some of the
Kinks stuff.
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 22:11:51 -0700
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Re: Larry Bright
Country Paul:
> I, too, am interested in knowing more ... Is everything he did in
> that deep blues groove?
Most of his stuff is blues-oriented, except for the ones written by
the Tide owners.
> What's the story behind the man, please?
Well, the story is the one I did for Goldmine around 1990.
Actually, I also reviewed all the L. Bright records that I had at the
time, but GM didn't use that adition to the story. I can probably
send that to you off-list, if you'd like it.
gem
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Message: 6
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 05:08:01 -0000
From: Don H.
Subject: Mauds / Trashmen
I have the Mauds "Man Without A Dream" from the album "Hold On". It
is not speeded up.
On another note, I have had a version of what I thought was the
Trashmen doing "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby". I recently got another,
this one being much more surflike, so I know this one is for real. I
don't remember where I got the other one from, so I'm thinking it may
be mis-labled. Does anyone know if there are 2 versions of this song?
Don H.
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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 05:12:49 -0000
From: Don H.
Subject: Kiki Dee sings Goffin/King
Tom K:
> While I'm here I thought I'd mention Kiki Dee ... I think it's a
> crime that almost none of this has officially been rereleased on
> CD, especially when we're talking about music of such quality as
> I Was Only Kidding (an early Goffin-King song -- who else recorded
> it?) ...
"I Was Only Kidding", was done by Kiki Dee; Ann-Margaret; Helen
Shapiro; and Molly Bee. I don't know of any others.
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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 05:14:34 -0000
From: Margaret G. Still
Subject: Re: Kyu Sakamoto
Lex:
> This link will answer what you want to know:
> http://www.japanorama.com/kyuchan.html
Lex - thanks for that very good site.
The album sounds kind of like a pop opera, though I can't say for
sure, since I have no way of knowing whether the songs are meant to
be related in the same way an opera's would be.
If it had been conceived as a pop opera with his lost love at its
center, that would be fabulous.
If the whistler in "Sukiyaki" were Dean Martin, that would be even
more fabulous.
> the group Danny Iida and Paradise King who had a hit with U.S.
> covers including Jimmy Jones' "Good Timin'" (on which KS sang).
So the cut "Good Timin'" on the "Sukiyaki" LP was Danny Iida and
Paradise King, with Kyu singing? This is a cover that deserves a
greater cult status. Kyu adds his special touch to the song by doing
a memorable vocal shiver of an "ooh" between every "ticka-ticka-ticka-
ticka" and "timing".
Margaret G. Still
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Message: 9
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 02:54:55 -0500
From: Scott Shot
Subject: "Fine, Fine, Fine"
I have a question I bet someone here will be able to answer. Did
anyone else record the Ikettes song "(He's Gonna Be) Fine Fine Fine"?
I found two listings for the title by other artists (The Atlantics on
Rampart and Judy Hughes on Vault) from the same year ('65). But I do
not have either one. If you do, please let me know.
Scott
in Houston
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Message: 10
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 06:41:04 -0000
From: Shawn
Subject: Re: using snippets
It's changed in the last 20 years but this is a major problem the
reissuing of the old Canadian SCTV shows ran into recently. In the
80s they used popular songs frequently in their skits & now to get
the clearance & licensing on even the smallest snippets would have
cost millions. I haven't seen the new DVD box to see how they
handled it but this was the major setback & what took so long for
its release.
Another case arose lately with a new song "Someone To Call My Lover"
from Janet Jackson, who sampled the lead riff from
America's "Ventura Highway" throughout the song for its hook. Just
having that quick lick raked in some good royalties for Dewey
Bunnell.
When I've filled out BMI forms I've noticed that if you are using a
commercial recording (even in the background of a movie), you have
to license the song & pay royalties on the timed length of the
recording used. (Example .085 cents on 1:20 of a song), then it gets
into rights for distribution...as in what countries you are
distributing the movie & it can get quite costly of course. That's
why you rarely hear a full song in a movie, but a matter of
seconds...much cheaper!
Overall, things were used rather freely a matter of 20 years ago
(they used snippets in movies, Saturday Night Live, sitcoms, etc.)
but now everyone wants their $$ for its use, and deservedly so.
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Message: 11
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 13:49:13 -0000
From: Paul Evans
Subject: "Magic Moments" TV schedule update
>From my site:
Paul and his vocal group, Group 5ive, back up the stars on PBS's
"MAGIC MOMENTS - THE BEST OF THE 50s POP".
Take a trip back in time with Pat Boone, the McGuire Sisters, the
Chordettes, Patti Page, The Four Lads, The Four Aces, The Four
Coins, Mel Carter, Don Cherry, and more.
----------------------------------------------------------
The show will be broadcast in most areas on August 7th, 8th and 9th.
Check your local PBS station's schedule for the exact date.
----------------------------------------------------------
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Message: 12
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 12:56:52 EDT
From: JB
Subject: Re: Peppermint Trolley
A Peppermint Trolley CD?? This sounds like the sort of project Joe
Foster at Rev-Ola would love to handle!
JB
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Message: 13
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 07:13:53 EDT
From: Matthew Kaplan
Subject: Re: Ronnie Evans, R.I.P.
Joe:
Was Anthony "Dutch" Sciuto there as well, the Starlighter drummer
and former superior court judge?
Matthew Kaplan
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Message: 14
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 15:36:26 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: Peppermint Trolley
Shawn (Superoldies): Thanks for the information, I had been asking
about the Peppermint Rainbow!
But I agree wholeheartedly with you about the Peppermint Trolley
Company. They did another side on Valiant that has to be great that
I've never heard & if I'm not mistaken several other Acta sides that
never even made it to their LP. I'll never forget the first time I
heard "Trust" on the radio, in early September '68. What a beautiful
Paul Williams-Roger Nichols tune, and so expertly performed by the
Faraghers, Tornquist, et al......another 1968 chart bomb that still
lives on in my heart and in the Spectropop annals of sunshine pop!
Bobster
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Message: 15
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 15:43:29 -0400
From: James Cassidy
Subject: Whither Shel Talmy?
Artie Wayne inquired after the whereabouts of Shel Talmy. Artie, you
can find him (including an email link) at http://www.sheltalmy.com
Jim Cassidy
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Message: 16
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2004 00:46:59 -0400
From: John Clemente
Subject: Arthur Crier R.I.P.
Sad News From the World of Rock & Roll
It is with the utmost regret that I report that veteran singer and
songwriter Arthur Crier passed away on Wednesday, July 21, 2004.
Arthur (born 4-1-33) started his career singing with his friends in
his neighborhood in The Bronx, NY. Arthur sang with a local group
called the Five Chimes before moving on to Lillian Leach and The
Mellows. Arthur's greatest success came when he sang as a member
of The Halos. Arthur's distinctive bass can be heard on the opening
of Curtis Lee's "Pretty Little Angel Eyes". Arthur, along with
partners Gary Morrison and Al Cleveland have written songs for his
own groups, as well as The Velours, Baby Jane & The Rockabyes, and
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts. He has also written for and managed
Barbara Jean English and his sister Shirley's group, The Darlettes.
During the later part of his career, he continued to sing with The
Mellows as well as The Morrisania Revue. Arthur was a nice
gentleman and a true legend of Rhythm & Blues and Rock & Roll. He
will be sorely missed.
John Clemente
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Message: 17
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 15:47:42 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Dickie Goodman etc
OK, Dickie Goodman, you are forgiven. Anybody who could come up with
something as hilarious as "Harry's Jockstrap" (even funnier than Allan
Sherman IMO) can't be ALL bad!
Caught lots of TV while on the road last week and a half. Saw the M&M
"Color My World" ad. Looks a lot better than it sounds, if you ask me.
Other contenders for Bobster's Utter Disgust a.k.a. Hope They're Making
A Ton Of Money Off It: Hollies' "Air That I Breathe" has been recently
convoluted into a 30-second spot, and Does It Really Matter Who has
remade Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" and turned it into a much
slower, much more orgasmic little "tune." (Those are 7Ts songs and a
little out of S'pop territory--Sorry).
Bobster
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Message: 18
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 19:50:25 -0000
From: Will Stos
Subject: Re: Brill Building questions / quick covers
Previously:
> I am wondering how someone like Helen Shapiro in England would have
> had access to songs by Jeff Barry and Bacharach. Would she have had
> to physically have visited the Brill building or would her agent
> have sussed out songwriters for her? Did the Brill songmakers
> specifically write for individuals or did the songs go to the highest
> bidder?
I'm not terribly sure, but it seems sometimes writers would seek out
such artists. Dusty Springfield was able to look through songs for
her albums. A lot of times it seems British artists recorded these
songs after a US act had recorded it first. Does anyone know what the
turnaround time for these covers was? I've often read on this list
that acts like Dionne Warwick were beaten to the British charts by
domestic remakes. Did UK labels have people "on the inside" scouting
out releases, or would they wait until a song became popular in the
US before cutting a competing version? If there were some artists who
had consist success, would they immediately cut a cover version?
Will : )
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Message: 19
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 15:50:29 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: Hi Ho Silver Throat!
Oh, here's what I forgot to reply about. (My brain is mush today,
I've still got one foot on the travel accelerator.) Shatner and
Nimoy's recordings of old standards and 6Ts folk-rock tunes are all
hysterically funny and should be framed in gold at the Novelties
Hall of Fame (if there isn't one already I'd be glad to make a
contribution to its development!)
Bobster
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Message: 20
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 15:58:56 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: "A Summer Song"
Andrew C. Jones wrote:
> The version of Chad & Jeremy's "A Summer Song" that I usually hear
> on the radio has both voices singing together all the way through.
> But I have a different version on an old vinyl album here at home;
Steve;
> This information comes directly from a Chad & Jeremy website:
>
> "The alternate take of "A Summer Song" was first issued in 1974 on
> Sire Records "History of British Rock Volume 2", and is discernable
> from the standard take in the first two lines, which are sung by
> Jeremy and Chad separately."
>
> I presume that the two different version were recorded at the same
> time, but, as usual when compilations are made, different versions
> of old favourites turn up. It makes collecting vinyl so much more
> interesting, don't you agree?
It's a four track recording. Apparently Shel Talmy recorded the song
both ways on parallel tracks, deciding it sounded better with both
together throughout.
Having *missed* the 60's (I'm 40), I was introduced to the song
through those Sire compilations, so for many years all I knew was the
overlapping version. Eventually I got a hold of the World Artists
single, but I never played it so I wasn't aware there was a difference.
The Sire LP was in better condition and in stereo to boot, so if I was
doing a comp tape I'd pull that and use it.
My father retired and moved away, forcing me into my own apartment. No
room for records, so I had to put them in storage. Something happened
and I lost everything. Not long after that I heard the "both together
throughout" version on WCBS-FM. It took me years to track down another
copy of that single so I could find out which was which.
Is this a case of difference between the mono and stereo mixes? AFAIK
the single version has always been mono, and the overlap was always
stereo. Add that to the fact that Shel Talmy tended to mix in mono
only to save money (he financed all this productions himself) and you
have... further confusion... chaos... pain... Obsession.... Calvin
Klein.... Allen Klein...
Joe Nelson
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Message: 21
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 16:08:39 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: using snippets
And yet, the Mr Jaws and Other Fables LP used a lot of re-recorded
samples. I believe the more recent DG's Greatest Fables CD was
remastered from discs. As someone pointed out to me a few years ago
the original masters were edited with a block and tape: Lord knows
what condition the tapes are in.
Joe Nelson
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Message: 22
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 15:18:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Re: Songwriter royalties for medleys
I remember reading in Rolling Stone in the early 70s
about how Little Richard's manager had been listening
to the Beatles' "Kansas City" and realized that they
had merged it with Richard's "Hey Hey Hey Hey". He
contacted Capitol and the Georgia Peach ended up with
a nice royalty check as a result.
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Message: 23
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 18:30:45 EDT
From: Brian Ferrari
Subject: Re: Tell Me What He Said / Brill Building
RE: Tell Me What He Said
Let's not forget the Ginny Arnell version.
What are the odds of her LP ever getting a CD release? Are there other
recordings to flesh out the package?
I just got the Paris Sisters Sing... Everything Under The Sun!! CD.
It's a shame there weren't bonus tracks. With only 10 tracks, it
should have been titled "The Paris Sisters Sing... for about 25
minutes."
In a related note, my work occasionally takes me to the Brill Building
- 9th floor. I was there the yesterday. It's the offices of Broadway
Video - very nicely done. As far as I know, only the bathrooms have not
changed.
If these stalls could talk....
Brian Ferrari
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Message: 24
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2004 02:18:54 -0000
From: Fred Clemens
Subject: Re: The Brigati Curse???
Steve Harvey wrote:
> Originally David Brigati was the lead singer for the Starlighters.
> After a few flops they let Joey Dee sing one and suddenly they have
> a new lead singer. A couple of years later Eddie Brigati is singing
> and the Rascals singles are doing too much. Felix sings one and
> it's a hit. Now Felix is the lead. Must be the Brigati curse.
Not a total curse. Dave Brigati was originally the lead singer of
the Hi-Fives, who had originally been known as the Shal-Vans before
recording for Decca. The group had three releases for the label, most
notably a song called "Dorothy". Though not an actual member (as far
as I know), it has been said that Joey Dee sang background on some
sides.
Fred Clemens
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Message: 25
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2004 22:25:29 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Nervous Breakdown
Mike McKay wrote:
> Don't know if Mario went on to screen fame or not. Here's the account
> of the genesis of "Nervous Breakdown" as it appears in the book "Don't
> Forget Me: The Eddie Cochran Story" by Julie Mundy and Darrel Highham:
Thanks for the response, Mike -- it hits the nail on the head. I'm a bit
embarrassed, though, as I own that book -- and recommend it highly, by
the way -- but didn't think to look up the answer there.
I found a page on Roccuzzo's acting career, with brief bio and several
photos, at http://tinyurl.com/5kxf8. The bio, by the way, also
references Corey Allen.
Dig,
--Phil M.
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