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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 17 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Bronx 'Doo-Wop' Veteran, Arthur Crier, Dies At 69
From: Bill Swanke
2. Re: "The Sun Is Gray"
From: Frank
3. Re: Tell Me What He Said / Brill Building
From: Austin Roberts
4. Re: Brill Building Revisionism
From: James Botticelli
5. Claes Johansen 's ZOMBIES book
From: M. G. Still
6. Re: licensing and just deserts
From: Michael Fishberg
7. Re: Brill Building era
From: Artie Butler
8. Re: more on Triune
From: Austin Roberts
9. Our Gang: Felix, Ed, Gene & Dino
From: Brent Cash
10. Re: UK covers
From: Robert
11. Re: Curses Brigati
From: Steve Harvey
12. Dylan at Newport '65
From: Dan Hughes
13. Re: Brill Building era
From: Phil Milstein
14. Re: Has anyone ever seen this movie?
From: Various
15. 15 Fab Hicks
From: Steve Harvey
16. Atlantics, Arch Music
From: Bob Rashkow
17. Nick Jones formerly of Melody Maker
From: Mark Frumento
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2004 09:13:34 -0500 (Central Standard Time)
From: Bill Swanke
Subject: Bronx 'Doo-Wop' Veteran, Arthur Crier, Dies At 69
Singer-songwriter-producer Arthur Crier, a bass-singing veteran
of the doo-wop era who sang on dozens of hit records for artists
including Gene Pitney, Curtis Lee, Barry Mann, Ben E. King, and
the Halos, died at his home in Warsaw, North Carolina on Thursday,
July 22 of an apparent heart attack. He was 69.
Full story at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files
Willie C.
See the Cafe at http://www.BeachMusicCafe.com
Listen to the Cafe at http://www.live365.com/stations/williecs
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 07:43:26 +0200
From: Frank
Subject: Re: "The Sun Is Gray"
Julio Niño:
> ........I don't know if she is Nathalie Wood or not but I love the
> stylish "The Sun Is Gray" played in Musica....
To be totally honest about this Natalie Wood song. Many other Wood
specialists I asked about it seem to believe it is indeed Natalie Wood
singing. So I must own up even if, personally, I'm not fully convinced.
Frank
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Message: 3
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2004 14:11:24 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Tell Me What He Said / Brill Building
I was lucky enough to catch part of the Brill Building and 1650
Broadway, by taking an allnight Greyhound to NYC from Newpot News,
Virginia when I was 15 or 16 ('61, 62 thru 66 right before I went
in the service). When I got out in 1968, some of the writers and
publishers I had met before remembered me and helped me tremendously
from then on (what a lucky dog I was). I came up in the streets, as
it was called, which, to me is the only way to truly experience the
songwriter's end of the business. There were still many 'giants'
from the 1950s and 1960s that went out of there way to help this
'green' southern boy who knew that writing songs was all he ever
wanted to do. I know that most older songwriters feel that 'burning'
as well. Just thought I'd comment.
Austin R.
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Message: 4
Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2004 17:13:00 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Brill Building Revisionism
Al Kooper wrote:
> I am obsessed with the fact that not much went on in the Brill Building
> in the 60s. King-Goffin, Mann-Weil, Sedaka-Greenfield, Tony Orlando and
> the entire Aldon crew, Scepter Records, Beltone Records, January & Arch
> Music, Teddy Vann, Feldman-Goldtein & Gottehrer, Brass, Kooper & Levine,
> were all at 1650 BROADWAY, a building without a name. The only things
> going on at The Brill Building were Leiber & Stoller, Greenwich & Barry
> and Bacharach & David. No slouches, they, but they were far outnumbered
> by the minions at 1650 B'way. It's revisionism to call King-Goffin music
> Brill Building songs, but because of the media, the truth will die with
> me and a few others. A shame......
Yeah, but.....? If a dynamic doesn't become apparent until after its
occurence does it not deserve a name or label? Girl groups weren't
so-named until the dynamic coagulated as a prexisting condition and
I don't remember Elvis-styled music being called Rockabilly until well
after the fact. The same for Italo-American Rock such as Dion & The
Belmonts and the Four Seasons. And who ever called Garage Rock by that
name while teens played Silvertones in Surburban Two-Cars? Sometimes
it takes a look back to see what it was. A lot of this labeling occured
during the Punk Rock and New Wave periods as rock journalists were a
dime a dozen then and categorized sounds and periods like a science.
Brill-Building pop may not have existed by name during its heyday,
but most pop aficionados know it when they hear it. Its OK to call
it something, isn't it? And where did Goffin-King work, in a basement
in Brooklyn?
Ciao for Niao,
James Botticelli
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 00:41:27 -0000
From: M. G. Still
Subject: Claes Johansen 's ZOMBIES book
Has anyone here read Claes Johansen's book on The Zombies?
I think it was called "Hung Up On A Dream".
M. G. Still
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Message: 6
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 14:14:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Fishberg
Subject: Re: licensing and just deserts
Alan Zweig:
> ...The budgets for music-oriented documentaries are just
> not that high. So you wonder why no one's making a film
> about this or that artist. It's because they deserve
> themselves out of the market.
When my label, Harkit Records, released the Alex Heffes score
for the recent docu-drama hit, "Touching The Void", we wanted
to include "Brown Girl In The Ring" by Boney M. But we were
told by BMG that they wanted to charge us about $4,000.00 to
include that one track! We left it out.
Michael Fishberg
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Message: 7
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 17:14:00 EDT
From: Artie Butler
Subject: Re: Brill Building era
Hi Al,
You are right, but add the following to those that resided in
the Brill Building: Bobby Darin & TM Music, Regent & ARC Music
publishers of most of the great Chess Record stuff, Hill & Range
Music (need we explain them) and I think Irving Berlin Music if
my memory serves me well.
Artie Butler ..
A big fan of the Brill Building, 1650 Broadway and yours.
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Message: 8
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 00:52:14 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: more on Triune
Peter lerner:
> I've looked at the 45s now - on the Triune label. One of them
> is dated 1972 and the label's address is Hendersonville, Tenn.
> Producer on both is Joe Melson and arranger is Ron Oates. One of
> the songs is published by Gary Paxton Music and what did I find
> next in my dusty 45s box? Another 45 by Lynda on the Gar-Pax label.
I know Lynda K. Lance and Ron Oates (Lynda sang Background and Ron
played keyboards on several shows I did in the 1970's). Buzz Cason
and I wrote one of the songs she recorded during the time you mentioned
and I was wondering if the song "Anything Close Is Close Enough" showed
up anywhere?
Austin Roberts
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Message: 9
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 01:46:11 -0000
From: Brent Cash
Subject: Our Gang: Felix, Ed, Gene & Dino
Hi all,
thanks to Steve and S.J. for chiming in with the info on
Rasa Davies and The Rascals.
S.J. wrote:
> And to be truthful about it,I feel that Felix
> was a better lead singer...
Well,what's great about Spectropop is that we can all
express opinions peacefully. I think Felix could
sing the phone book and make a church congregation
erupt like a volcano, but I've always found it hard
to pick between him & Eddie. They've both got killer
Afro-American sounding voices and yet are as different
as fingerprints in their timbre.
I think it would be courageous to tackle "Since I Fell
For You" from Lenny Welch, and Eddie "holds his own" I
feel. Also, dig his & Felix's interplay on the Knight
Brothers' "Temptation's 'Bout To Get Me".
S.J. wrote:
>I've read that Gene Cornish was a lousy lead singer.
Well, with those two aforementioned guys, nearly anyone
wishing to sing would be "dwarfed". But for me, Gene did
a good job singing. Nowhere near the other two, but I don't
recall him ever being sharp or flat. "Remember Me" from the
'See' LP is a mildly funny, uptempo number (with Chuck Rainey
earning his wages on bass, especially) and "I'm So Happy Now"
and "I Don't Love You Anymore" (soft-pop alert) from the
'Groovin'' LP are as good as many B-sides (and some A-sides)
by lots of '60s artists you can find. I think "I'm So Happy
Now" was covered by someone else.
So, anyway - that's my peaceful 'two cents' on the matter.
I recommended the album 'See' to anyone who has a greatest
hits and wants maybe just one more solid album by them.
Best wishes to all,
Brent Cash
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Message: 10
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 03:18:47 -0000
From: Robert
Subject: Re: UK covers
Frank Murphy:
> Dionne is still complaining on UK tours of Cilla Black beating her
> out with "Anyone Who Had A Heart". Dionne's ire would probably be
> better directed at Pye who issued Wand/Spectre material in the UK.
Dionne was also upset with Cher's ALFIE being the official
version used for the movie soundtrack. I can only imagine her
tender thoughts about Bobbie Gentry having the U.K. hit version
of "I'll Never Fall In Love Again"..........
Rob
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Message: 11
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 20:05:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Re: Curses Brigati
I thought there were a few more singles before they
hit paydirt with "Good Lovin'". Wasn't "Mustang Sally"
a pre-"Good Lovin'" single? That was the first tune I
remember by them.
Certainly "How Can I Be Sure" was a smash, but I don't
remember "It's Wonderful" being a big hit, though I
loved the tune along with "Silly Girl" (which I thought
was being groomed for single status, but never made it
out of the gate).
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Message: 12
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 22:37:07 -0500
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Dylan at Newport '65
Al Kooper gave us the I-was-on-stage-when-it-didn't-happen story
about Bob Dylan's legendary 1965 Newport Folk Festival appearance.
Here's another version that backs up Al and gives some pretty
precise detail:
http://buffaloreport.com/020826dylan.html
---Dan
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Message: 13
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 22:47:38 -0400
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Brill Building era
Al Kooper wrote:
> I am obsessed with the fact that not much went on in the Brill Building
> in the 60s. King-Goffin, Mann-Weil, Sedaka-Greenfield, Tony Orlando and
> the entire Aldon crew, Scepter Records, Beltone Records, January & Arch
> Music, Teddy Vann, Feldman-Goldstein & Gottehrer, Brass, Kooper & Levine,
> were all at 1650 BROADWAY, a building without a name. The only things
> going on at The Brill Building were Leiber & Stoller, Greenwich & Barry
> and Bacharach & David. No slouches, they, but they were far outnumbered
> by the minions at 1650 B'way. It's revisionism to call King-Goffin music
> Brill Building songs, but because of the media, the truth will die with
> me and a few others. A shame......
With all due respect to Mr. K., and to the facts of history, I
think the term "Brill Building" has come to refer to the offices
of the pop music personnel who worked in the GENERAL VICINITY of
the actual Brill Building, as opposed to just that one building
itself. I, for one, have no problem with that, however. Language
always develops via approximations, mistakes, and the like, and
there are many who came before us who could've issued similar
complaints about words and terms we today use with little or no
thought to what they originally meant. (I only wish I could think
of an example or two, but it's a gorgeous day here, and the memory
banks are a sun-drenched blank.)
Some might complain that such a deviation from the actual facts
shortchanges history, but there really is a genuine need for a
single, concise term that encapsulates all of the pop music offices
of thatregion. An obvious analogy is the term Tin Pan Alley, which
(of course) refers to the pop music offices of an earlier era. It
is just coincidence that the word "Alley" can refer to a number of
buildings, rather than just one, and if the term that stuck then
had been the name of one of the buildings of that area, those who
knew better might complain, but the rest of us would have little
reason to.
I agree with Al's general point (if I interpret it correctly) that
lazy writers and historians do an injustice to the truth, and that
once a corruption is published it becomes impossible to correct.
But I also think there are, in some cases, valid reasons to deviate
a bit from the cruelly objective tone of fact -- especially since
truth, in the fashion of Rashomon, is not always quite so objectively
possible to divine. In short, I think the charge of "revisionism" is
best reserved for cases of malicious misstatement, for instance the
Albert Goldmans of the world.
Respectfully,
--Phil M.
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Message: 14
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 21:07:53 +0100
From: Various
Subject: Re: Has anyone ever seen this movie?
Louis Wendruck wrote:
> Can anyone identify this movie? It has David McCallum, Petula Clark,
> Ray Charles, Ike and Tina Turner, Joan Baez, Bo Didley and the
> Modern Folk Quartet.
Phil M:
The line-up looks like that of "The Big TNT Show," Phil Spector's
response to "The TAMI Show". TNT had a great line-up, and some magical
moments here and there, but, in my view, did not achieve the overall
chemistry that TAMI did.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Roger Smith:
That's "The Big TNT Show" (1966):
http://www.petulaclark.net/films/bigtnt.html
I don't think it's on DVD or VHS.
-- Roger
http://www.harrynilsson.com/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
thirteen_eagle:
Gotta be "The Big T.N.T. Show"!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Steve Harvey:
Yes, I can name that movie with one guess! It's the
TNT movie with a foreign title attached to protect the
innocent. Don't forget the cameo by Sky Saxon as
Petula's handwarmer on the aisle.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Eddy:
I'd say that's "The Big TNT Show", the 1966 Larry Peerce documentary.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Don H:
The English title is "The Big T.N.T. Show". I don't think it's
available on VHS/DVD.
---
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Message: 15
Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2004 20:12:18 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: 15 Fab Hicks
S.J. Dibai wrote:
> The Repertoire CD has the first, and somewhat sloppy,
> take of it. There is a 'proper' take, but it was
> issued only on the extremely rare '5 + 10 = 15
> Fabulous Hits' LP in 1965.
I remember that LP only because the back cover had
shots of Chad and Jeremy except for one of Peter and
Gordon some joker snuck in. Kinda like the Fender
Hamburgalar on the Fotofinish basses.
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Message: 16
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 14:16:13 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Atlantics, Arch Music
Scott in Houston:
>....other recordings of The Ikettes' "(He's Gonna Be)
> Fine, Fine, Fine"......if anyone has these please let me know.
Scott, I've got a re-pressing on an EP of The Atlantics' version
which is super-groovy, but it's on vinyl. Find a specialty record
store in the Houston area--there must be one or two, I imagine--and
see if they have this EP of the Rampart output: Land of 1000 Dances
(Cannibal/Headhunters) which also includes "Fine, Fine, Fine" and
the instrumental "Beaver Shot" by The Atlantics (I can't recall what
the fourth track is, but I think it's a different Rampart group)
issued I think around 1999-2000. Good job converting them from the
master tapes. (If that's what they actually did.)
Al Kooper, or anybody, who was Arch Music? You mentioned them in
your partial list of the 1650 B'way roll call of pop penners. Who
ran it and who were the artists that benefited (or made an effort to)
from their repertoire?
Bobster
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Message: 17
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2004 02:02:22 -0000
From: Mark Frumento
Subject: Nick Jones formerly of Melody Maker
I'm working on a project on S'Pop's very own Mark Wirtz
and came across several lengthy articles written by Nick Jones
in Melody Maker. Nick, some will remember, was a very early
and very young (at the time) champion of The Who. He seemed to
have taken special interested in Mr Wirtz's "Teenage Opera."
If anyone has contact information (phone or email) please
contact me off-list. I'd appreciate any help contacting Mr.
Jones.
Mark Frumento
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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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