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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 20 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Robert John
From: James Botticelli
2. Sonny Curtis
From: Gary Myers
3. Re: D. Hess
From: Artie Wayne
4. Re: Beatles recordings abroad
From: Tom Taber
5. Re: more on Northern Soul
From: Tom K.
6. Re:The many facets of Northern 'Soul'
From: Howard Earnshaw
7. AlKoop's version of I Can't Keep From Crying
From: Bob W.
8. The Paris Sisters Sing Everything Under The Sun
From: S'pop Team
9. Re: David Hess
From: Norm D.
10. Re: Sonny Curtis
From: Joe Nelson
11. Re: Beatles recordings abroad
From: Joe Nelson
12. Re: Epic Splendor = Beach Music?
From: Joe Nelson
13. Re: Bob Gallo
From: Peter Lerner
14. Re: The Turtles, Grass Roots, etc.
From: David Coyle
15. Re: "4,003,221 Tears From Now"
From: Peter Lerner
16. Re: Beach Music
From: Phil X Milstein
17. Re: Bert Berns' British productions / Elaine and Derek
From: Peter Lerner
18. Re: Robert John
From: Austin Roberts
19. Re: Bert Berns' British productions
From: Scott Swanson
20. Re: Bert Berns' British productions
From: Neils Chr Junker-Poulsen
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 13:12:23 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Robert John
Frank Murphy wrote:
> "If You Don't Want My Love" scraped into the UK Top 40 on its original
> release. Writing credits are M. Gately, Bobby Pedrick and L. David,
> arranged by Charlie Calello, produced by David Rubinson.
And was reissued on the aforementioned Ripete record label and falls
within the slower side of the Beach Music scene...
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 10:21:58 -0700
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Sonny Curtis
Austin Roberts:
> Sonny Curtis is not only a great friend and co-writer (and, of course,
> a member of the Crickets), but also the writer of many great songs ...
His "Real Buddy Holly Story" (charted c&w in 1980) is great!
gem
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 10:34:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: Re: D. Hess
Austin ...how ya' doin'? Yes, David Hess a/k/a David Hill wrote a few
songs for Elvis. He was also was one of Elvis' favorite demo singers
along with Otis Blackwell and Malcom Dodds. David also had the
original record of "Livin' Doll", which Cliff Richard covered and
took to the top of the charts.
regards, Artie Wayne http://artiewayne.com/
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 10:09:42 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Taber
Subject: Re: Beatles recordings abroad
Eddy Smit wrote:
> I pulled out my Lewisohn to make sure this time. The session took
> place on January 29, 1964 at the EMI Studios in Paris, where the
> following was recorded: * Sie Liebt Dich -- 14 takes, German vocals
> + new rhythm track...
That being the date, how on earth did "Sie Liebt Dich" end up as a 45
release on Swan?
Tom Taber
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 17:03:19 -0000
From: Tom K.
Subject: Re: more on Northern Soul
Previously:
> ... would be regarded by most S'poppers as Soul. The rest, including
> tracks by Raymond Lefevere, Fathers' Angels, Jay & The Americans and
> Frankie Valli, were solely judged on their ability to fill a dance
> floor.
Hey hey! No ragging on Frankie please! He is a real blue eyed soul
artist, in my opinion anyway. He is also responsible for three of my
favourite Northern tunes, You're Gonna Hurt Youself (Smash), You're
Ready Now (Philips) and The Night (Mowest, with The Four Seasons...)
Tom K
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 13:41:12 EDT
From: Howard Earnshaw
Subject: Re:The many facets of Northern 'Soul'
It seems the northern soul debate is off and running again on Spectropop
in a big way!! Having been involved on the scene since it's humble
beginings and currently active on it now, frequenting all nighters and
editing a fanzine which is aimed at the rare soul scene, I dare venture
to add few more 'fascinating' facts about the music :-O
>From the very beginings not all records played in the Clubs were strictly
soul records, with the UK so far from the States, many of the original
records were copied by white bands here, I give you... The Alan Bown Set
(Gonna Fix You Good), Blue Chips (Tell Her), Guy Darrell (I've Been
Hurt), David Garrick (Let's Go Somewhere) etc etc..
Not only did these records find there way onto the northern scene, but
original white pop/soul? acts too, Wayne Gibson's (Jagger/Richard) Under
My Thumb, becoming an almost legendary collectors item after it had been
deleted from the (UK) Columbia catalogue.
DJ's were always looking for that elusive record which contained 'the
beat' which was popular with the northern 'soul' dance fraternity, so much
so that a major split occured with certain clubs refusing to play these
psuedo 'soul' dance items. (Sightly hypocritcal from my point of view as
these same DJ's had had no qualms about playing those same discs in the
past!!)
However when the northern scene imploded and only a few venues survived,
a hard core of fans continued and the scene developed into (dare I say it?)
a truer soul dance movement, with the emphisis on quality rare soul,
whether the beat was uptempo or not. (many people in the UK refer to this
as the Stafford era, as the major all nighter venue 'Top Of The World' was
situated in Stafford, England)
As more clubs reopened and the northern scene became more popular again
many people returned to the music they loved as teenagers into their
twenties and beyond.. now the age group of 'soulies in well past 40 years
old with many over 50!! Some only want to hear records they grew up with,
and to have a beer a laugh and a dance or two, there are many venues that
now cater for this group (which is commonly called the 'oldies venues')
Other venues are promoted as progressive/Up Front, these venues attempt to
play newly discovered 'obscure/rare' soul records from the 60's and
seventies', along with other semi known items which failed to gain much
airplay when first 'discovered by the northern dj's.
To compound the issue, many venues have more than one 'room' with each one
catering for the preferences of the punters, So. you might go to a venue
which has an oldies room, a 'modern room' (another anomoly of the rare
soul scene, as modern refers to records from the mid 70's onwards!) and an
R&B room which feature records from late 50's and early sixties!!
So you might be able to grasp the difficulties in abeling a ""Northern Soul
Record"", depending on what perspective you have, it could be a white
Jewish teenager (Lorraine Silver - Lost Summer Love), it could be a white
Italian American (Dean Parrish - Determination) or a Black Jamaican (Jimmy
Cliffe - Waterfall) or a Black American (Johnny Taylor - Friday Night)
with all shades in between.
Even the followers of northern soul argue what and what isn't acceptable,
from my point of view I consider it all part of the rich tapestry of music
history - and accept it ALL..
Northern Soul - A way of life!!
regards..
Howard
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 13:42:00 -0400
From: Bob W.
Subject: AlKoop's version of I Can't Keep From Crying
Received a 7 1/2 ips reel-to-reel tape of the Elektra "What's Shakin'"
album in reasonably good shape from eBay today and was really blown
away by Al's solo version of "(I)Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes" an
entirely different take on the tune from the Blues Project.
Al - what do you recall from this track, please? Where when and who?
Also, Al, I recently saw the Blues Project outtake from D. A.
Pennebaker's "Monterey Pop" and it looked like an amalgam of the Project
and Paul Butterfield's band was on stage - loved the spot when your
glasses flew off your face while you were working over the B-3. Recall
anything about that performance?
BW
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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2004 01:01:04 +0100
From: S'pop Team
Subject: The Paris Sisters Sing Everything Under The Sun
Eric Records' meticulous reissue of the Paris Sisters' "Sing
Everything Under The Sun" is the most recent CD to receive
the S'pop seal of approval.
David A. Young's review of this Jack Nitzsche-arranged and co-
produced masterpiece has just been added to the Recommends
section.
Access it via the S'pop home page: http://www.spectropop.com/ or
via the Recommends section: http://www.spectropop.com/recommends/
Those with click fatigue might prefer the more direct route:
http://www.spectropop.com/recommends/index2004.htm#ParisSisters
Enjoy,
The S'pop Team
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Message: 9
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2004 03:43:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: Norm D.
Subject: Re: David Hess
Artie Wayne wrote:
> David Hess also had the original record of "Livin' Doll",
> which Cliff Richard covered and took to the top of the charts.
Didn't Lionel Bart write "Livin' Doll"? If David recorded it
before Cliff, how did this happen? Chapter and verse, please.
Norm D.
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 15:09:19 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: Sonny Curtis
Austin Roberts:
> Sonny Curtis is not only a great friend and co-writer (and,
> of course, a member of the Crickets), but also the writer of
> many great songs (I Fought The Law, Mary Tyler Moore theme,
> and countless other familiar songs).
If any TV theme of the 70's deserved to be a hit, it was Sonny's
recording of the MTM theme ("Love Is All Around"). I'm not sure
this was ever even remixed for official release. Anybody know
otherwise (God willing)?
Joe Nelson
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 14:58:19 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: Beatles recordings abroad
Previously;
> I believe parts of "Can't Buy Me Love" and/or "You Can't Do That" were
> also recorded in France.
> I pulled out my Lewisohn to make sure this time. The session took
> place on January 29, 1964 at the EMI Studios in Paris, where the
> following was recorded:... * Can't Buy Me Love -- 4 takes and the song
> was actually finished right there and then! A second session booked
> for January 31 was cancelled.
As excelent as the Lewissohn book is it isn't without errors, and this
is one of the more obvious ones. EMI Paris was still limited to two
track recording at the time, yet the stereo version of CBML reveals it
is a four track recording. Lewissohn corrected the entry in the
Anthology I liner notes. In fact the basic track was cut in Paris on
January 29, 1964, but the two track tape was transfered to four track
at Abbey Road and finished off on February 25.
Joe Nelson
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Message: 12
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 15:01:50 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: Epic Splendor = Beach Music?
Brent Cash:
> Two current threads makes me think that the Epic Splendor's "A Little
> Rain Must Fall" would totally work as Beach Music. Try playing it next
> to "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy", "With This Ring" (Platters), or
> "Give Me Just A Little More Time" -- it fits like a glove.
Maybe a shade faster than most beach music, but you're absolutely right
- the shag rhythm is right there! Never noticed before: thanks for
pointing it out.
Steve Prezak (in a different thread):
> Two old SC friends of mine started a label (Ripete Records) back in
> the '80s just to license and compile popular Beach tunes. It's still
> going great guns, apparently.
Of course! Ripete Records! Okay, Steve, the ball's in your court.
Capitol's supposed to have the masters and nobody else wants 'em.
Pretty please????
Steve Jarrell wrote:
> No, Harry Deal was not related to Bill Deal. Harry, I think is from
> Carolina and Bill Deal was from Portsmouth, VA but lived most of his
> life in Virginia Beach. There is a guy in Philly that claims to be
> the Bill Deal that recorded those great beach classics, but, of
> course, he is a phoney!
Austin Roberts:
> Steve Jarrell knows more about Beach Music than anyone I know. He's
> absolutely right in his answers to your questions. Steve still plays
> in a great Beach band here in Nashville, known as the Sons Of The
> Beach -- great group!
Hope they won't be double-billing with the Sunny Beaches anytime
soon...
Joe Nelson
(try saying it with a Mexican inflection and you MIGHT get the joke)
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 21:11:35 +0100
From: Peter Lerner
Subject: Re: Bob Gallo
Niels wrote a few days ago:
> Browsing thru old messages on the list, I realise that Bob Gallo has
> been brought up before, and it seems like not much is known about him.
>
> He did own the TalentMasters studio in the sixties with his partner
> Bob Harvey (a manager). The address was at 126 West 42nd St. A lot of
> great records have been recorded in this studio. The Who and a lot of
> r'n'b stuff. Gallo and Harvey did sell the studio to Atlantic Records
> in 1966 or at the beginning of 1967 ... and I'd sure like to know more
> about any recollections about this studio.
One of the best double sided 45s in my collection is "I don't want to go
on without you" / "Take me for a little while" by Patti LaBelle and the
Bluebelles, released on Atlantic (in the UK) in 1966. Two absolutely
stunning productions. The A-side was produced by Bob Gallo and Tom Dowd,
and was arranged by Bob. The B-side incidentally is a Richard Finiz
production. Please believe me, both sides are absolutely stunning.
Peter
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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 14:25:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Coyle
Subject: Re: The Turtles, Grass Roots, etc.
Ended up getting off track going to the Ohio State
Fair, by taking an alternate route. With only five
minutes to spare to get parked, walk across the
grounds to the auditorium and get tickets, we decided
to forgo the Turtles/Grass Roots/New Rascals show.
Instead we did the usual fair thing, ate too much
food, and for compensation, I scoured the Antiques &
Collectibles hall for old records, and scored a good
copy of a Tim Hardin LP "Golden Archives Series."
Did manage to catch the last 10 minutes of the
Turtles' performance, just to say we did it. It was
more of the same I've come to expect of a Turtles
concert -- a little bit of singing and a bunch of
joking around. Mark Volman's Jim Morrison imitation
was okay, but it was a bit embarrassing to see Howard
Kaylan doing Eminem...
David
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 21:17:25 +0100
From: Peter Lerner
Subject: Re: "4,003,221 Tears From Now"
Tony wrote:
> I have a US red vinyl promo of "4,003,221" by Kerri Downs (Epic
> JZSP 76387), arranged by Ray Stevens. The flip, "Don't Cross
> Over (To My Side Of The Street)," is by another artist, Linda
> Brannon, and was written by D. Hess and C. Monte. Both sides
> shoulda been hits!
I have this, too, and endorse what Tony says. My 45 includes a sort
of rudimentary press pack with glossy b/w pics of both young ladies.
Kerri is well known to Jackie DeShannon aficionados as singer on a
good cover of "You won't forget me". But Linda, well now, she started
out as a rockabilly performer on the Louisiana Ram label in the 50s,
then turned out some great pop material in the 60s for Epic and
Philips - listen out especially for "Funny Face". If I was going to
give Jackie DeShannon the number one award for sexy female voice of
the pop era, Linda would make it to number 2 (with Little Eva at
number 3!)
Peter
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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 16:58:50 +0000
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Beach Music
Steve Prezak wrote:
> Two old SC friends of mine started a label (Ripete Records) back in the
> '80s just to license and compile popular Beach tunes. It's still going
> great guns, apparently.
Indeed it is, as I just bought another of their compilations, in fact
directly from them.
As much as I love the original source tunes Beach fans love to Shag to,
the problem I have with the scene is that as long as a record has a
Shag-able beat Beach fans don't discriminate between those '60s (give or
take a few years) originals, which were made in all ignorance of that
particular audience, and more recent records made specifically to fill
the Beach niche. The latter, filled as they are with references to
"beach," "sand," summer," "Carolina" and, especially, "Shag," are
entirely too self-conscious for my tastes, yet Beach compilations will
stack them side-by-side the '60s classics as if there is no difference
between the two types.
I wonder, given the other similarities between the scenes, whether this
same situation occurs in Northern Soul. One difference between Northern
and Beach that I have noticed is that the intense competition between
Northern Soul DJs leads them to be highly protective of their rare
finds, "covering up" their labels as they spin and offering false artist
and song names when pressed to mention anything about them at all (a
practice I understand they adopted from Jamaican DJs). As far as I can
see Beach Music has always been more cooperative than that, and its
relative obscurity is due more to indifference (i.e., contentment with
the audience base it already enjoys) than any deliberate effort to keep
a good thing to itself. (I imagine the loyalty of the Beach audience
that Steve Jarrell pointed out helps allow the scene to remain self-
contained, as it doesn't need to constantly regenerate its audience the
way other scenes do -- those that sustain at all, that is.)
For those interested in gaining a small, vicarious taste of the Beach
Music scene, I highly recommend the 1989 movie "Shag." While more a
coming-of-age story (feat. four foxy young ladies, woo-woo!) than music
flick per se, it is still a very sweet and fun movie from top to bottom,
and the music and dancing scenes it does include are stellar. Actress
Annabeth Gish learned to Shag so well, and love it so much, in fact,
that she attended Duke University in part because of its proximity to
the Beach Music scene. Definitely worth a rental when the time is right.
By the way, according to my readings on the subject the Beach scene, as
well as the Shag itself, stretches all the way back to the 1930s!
Dig,
--Phil M.
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 20:58:14 +0100
From: Peter Lerner
Subject: Re: Bert Berns' British productions / Elaine and Derek
Mick mentioned Elaine and Derek in the context of Bert Berns' UK
productions:
> ELAINE & DEREK - TEDDY BEARS AND HOBBY HORSES/JOSE HE SAY
> (US Parrot 9718)
> (Derek became a famous TV actor)
My recollection is slightly different. I remember E&D as being a
related young teenage duo (brother and sister I think, 12/13 years
old) from Northern Ireland. I believe that Derek is one Derek Bell,
who became a classical musician of some note, then joined the Irish
folk band The Chieftains as a harp (classical harp, not blues harp!)
player. Derek Bell sadly died a little while ago.
Peter
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Message: 18
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 20:42:27 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Robert John
Previously:
> For some reason or other it was widely rumoured that Robert John
> was a Mancunian and lived in the north of England.
Bobby Pedrick (p\k\a Robert John) is a New Jersey boy. He and Mike
Gately were a great writing team and sung background on Lobo's hits.
Robert John has had chart records since he was 13. His biggest was
his self-penned Sad Eyes produced by George Tobin; went to no. 1.
His nest biggest was The Lion Sleeps Tonight, produced by the Tokens
and went to number 2. I've know Bobby since 1970, when he and Mike
Gately had the office next to Chris Welch and me at Famous Music in
NYC. We wrote together in the 80's and early 90's.What a super voice.
I think he's living in LA.
Best, Austin Roberts
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Message: 19
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 09:35:14 -0700
From: Scott Swanson
Subject: Re: Bert Berns' British productions
Mick Patrick:
> Dulwich calling Denmark! I was unaware Bert Berns had ever produced
> P J Proby, the Movement or Dave Berry. You obviously know something
> I don't. Enquiring minds neeeeeeeeeeeeed to know. Do tell.
I think he's just referring to the notable Bert Berns songs that
were covered by U.K. artists (Proby's "Let The Water Run Down",
The Movement's "Tell Her", Berry's "I Don't Want To Go On".....
I'm assuming). I know at least the Proby track was actually
produced by Ron Richards.
Regards,
Scott
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Message: 20
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 22:31:35 +0200
From: Neils Chr Junker-Poulsen
Subject: Re: Bert Berns' British productions
Mick Patrick wrote:
> Actually, Bert Berns made three trips to the UK: in October 1963,
> October '64 and March '65. On his first visit he produced tracks
> by acts from the Larry Page stable, all from Coventry, including
> the Orchids.
I find it hard to believe, that Bert Berns can have been in London
in March 1965, as it is a fact that Jackie McAuley played his last
gig with Them April 14th (newspaper clippings from back then), and
Peter Bardens joined the following week. And I've spoken to Jackie
McAuley, and although he can't tell for sure it doesn't seem likely,
that he's on any of the Berns produced tracks in March/May. But then
again, I can't say for sure. Have you got proof that Berns was in UK
in March?
Best, Niels
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