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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 16 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Patty Duke to get her star
From: ModGirl
2. Re: Totally transformed oldies
From: Tom Taber
3. Re: Dick Clark Sells Old Footage
From: Bryan
4. Re: Goldmine
From: Robert Beason
5. Re: Jim Ford = Jimmy Forde?
From: Phil X Milstein
6. Ron Dante's birthday comin' up
From: Laura Pinto
7. Lenny Welch
From: Steve Harvey
8. Re: Totally transformed oldies
From: Gary Myers
9. Neil Merryweather
From: Dan Hughes
10. Re: Just Four Men/Wimple Winch
From: John Berg
11. Re: Jimmy Forde = Jim Ford?
From: David L Gordon
12. more transformed oldies
From: Gary Myers
13. more transformed oldies
From: Austin Roberts
14. Re: gold star for Gold Star
From: Austin Roberts
15. Re: Where Does A R&R Singer Go?
From: Frankie Bee
16. Hickory discog?
From: Danny D
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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 20:48:54 -0000
From: ModGirl
Subject: Re: Patty Duke to get her star
Louis Wendruck wrote:
> Patty Duke will finally be getting her star on Hollywood Walk of
> Fame on August 17, 2004 at 10:30 AM.
YAAAY! I have always been a fan and she deserves it all the more for
being "a famous person" who was brave and honest enough to talk
about her battle with manic-depression publicly. God bless her!
A hot dog makes her lose control,
ModGirl
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 05:41:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Taber
Subject: Re: Totally transformed oldies
Country Paul wrote:
> Which brings up another possible thread: rock classics totally
> transformed stylistically and given another meaning or thoroughly
> different spin in the process.
A favorite of mine is the Mojo [Men] version of "Don't Be Cruel," on
Reprise.
Tom Taber
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 06:59:56 -0700
From: Bryan
Subject: Re: Dick Clark Sells Old Footage
Mike wrote:
> I got an e-mail from another newsgroup where someone
> mentioned that Dick Clark has just sold all of his old clips.
> Does anyone know anything about this?
This happened back in 2002. Dick Clark Productions, Inc. was aquired
by an investment group for approximately $136 million. Dick Clark
serves as CEO and Chairman for the production company, who still
produce and license their clips of TV programs to major TV and cable
networks, in addition to licensing the rebroadcast rights to some of the
programs they own, and licensing short clips to third parties, etc.
Bryan
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 07:11:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: Robert Beason
Subject: Re: Goldmine
Country Paul wrote:
> I notice little or no mention of Goldmine or Discoveries,
> my two major resources before my knowledge of Spectropop.
> Do folks here (still) subscribe to them?
I no longer do. I was a faithful Goldmine reader for several years,
until the mid 90s when the publisher sacked editor Jeff Tamarkin
and replaced him with a new guy who promptly shifted the magazine's
focus from 50s/60s rock and R&B to 70s/80s and such genres as
heavy metal and hip-hop. Except for the occasional Elvis and Beatles
issues, anything recorded before the early 70s was totally ignored. I
haven't seen an issue in years -- has this sad situation changed any?
Bob Beason
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 11:57:26 +0000
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Jim Ford = Jimmy Forde?
Country Paul:
> Let's try one more from the thoroughly-obscure want list:
> Jimmy Ford[e], "Be Mine Forever," Stylo (possibly #2102,
> 1963 or so). I > think that's the number, and I don't remember
> if he spelled it with an "e" or not. It's a southern ballad with
> girl-group backing; it may be a B-side.
Norm D. asked:
> Is this the same Jim Forde of "Harlan County" fame, who
> wrote other songs later covered by Nick Lowe? Can't help
> you at all with your request, but just curious about the singer.
> I heard his great "Harlan County" on the radio last night –
> BBC Radio 3 of all places.
I can't answer Norm's question, but I can pass along some b.g. info on
the Jim Ford he refers to. The entire "Harlan County" album is great,
highlighted by the title cut and Alex Harvey's "To Make My Life
Beautiful." To my mind Ford belongs in the same category as Joe South,
Billy Joe Royal and Tony Joe White, whatever that might be called (as
the term "swamp pop" seems already taken by a slightly different brand
of music).
Bryan Thomas authored the following piece on Jim Ford for All Music
Guide. Until reading it I hadn't realized he'd been behind so many cool songs.
Dig,
--Phil M.
P.S. Speaking of Joe South, anyone know of any CDs (in print,
preferably) that include his version of his own "Leanin' On You"?
--------------------
Originally from New Orleans, Jim Ford lost interest in his academic
pursuits and, in 1966, drifted out to California. He was passing through
L.A., on his way to the Haight-Ashbury district in San Francisco, when
he met two session musicians, Pat and Lolly Vegas. The Native American
rockers -- who later formed the commercially successful Redbone -- had
worked on the Shindig television show at the time, and had already
recorded their Pat and Lolly Vegas at the Haunted House album for
Mercury. After hearing his songwriting talent first-hand, the Vegas
brothers brought Ford to the attention of Del-Fi Records' honcho Bob
Keane, known around the L.A. music scene for his "open door policy."
Keane released a couple of Ford's singles on Del-Fi's Mustang label,
both of which sank without a trace. Del-Fi/Bronco recording artist Viola
Wills also recorded one of his songs. Along with Pat and Lolly Vegas,
Ford wrote the P.J. Proby hit "Niki Hoeky" (it peaked at number 23 on
Billboard's pop charts in January 1967), which Ford's former girlfriend
Bobbie Gentry also sang on one of her later albums. In 1969, Ford got
the opportunity to record his debut album. Harlan County (released on
the Sundown label, a small subsidiary of White Whale) featured funky,
mid-tempo country, and R&B-flavored rockers with a driving Muscle
Shoals-style rhythm section, with backing and arrangements by the Vegas
brothers and Gene Page.
Most of Ford's original songs had a lyrical narrative recalling the
hardship of growing up in the coal-mining country of Harlan County, KY.
Among the various highlights are his fuzz-drenched cover version of
Willie Dixon's "Spoonful," his take on Delaney & Bonnie's hip-shake
boogie "Long Road Ahead," and a remake of the swampy classic "I'm Gonna
Make Her Love Me ('Til the Cows Come Home)." In 1971, Ford's manager, Si
Waronker (founder of Liberty Records), flew his artist to London, where
he was booked into Olympic Studios to record a follow-up album. This
time he was backed by pub rockers Brinsley Schwartz (they later recorded
"Niki Hoeky" and Ford's "Ju Ju Man"; Nick Lowe also recorded Ford's "36
Inches High" for his Jesus of Cool album). After three days of sessions,
the band failed to keep up to the challenge of backing Ford, so Waronker
brought in Joe Cocker's Grease Band, but they too didn't work out. As
the project never did quite meet up to everyone's expectations, it was
eventually aborted. The tapes for these sessions have reportedly disappeared.
Ford returned to the U.S. and his career never really took off as
expected. He wrote songs for Bobby Womack in 1972 (including the
wonderful "Harry Hippie"), and later worked with friend Sly Stone (he
even moved into Stone's Holmby Hills home for awhile), but since the
early '70s, Ford has slipped out of sight. Harlan County was reissued on
the British Edsel label in 1997.
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Message: 6
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 16:20:09 -0000
From: Laura Pinto
Subject: Ron Dante's birthday comin' up
Spectropop fave Ron Dante will be turning 39 years young (again)
this coming Sunday, August 22. Anyone who would like to post a
birthday greeting for him can do so by visiting this link:
http://tinyurl.com/4h5q4
This is a special guestbook that was set up just for Ron's birthday,
so that people can add their own messages. Feel free to write as
much as you'd like. Pplease add your greeting within the next couple
of days, because seeing as how Ron's birthday falls on a Sunday he'll
probably be a busy guy all weekend and I'd like to get this virtual birthday
card to him early Saturday if possible. I'd love to see Spectropop
members well-represented in this guestbook.
Thanks so much!
Laura
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 10:05:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Lenny Welch
Just got a used copy of Lenny Welch's CD Anthology on Taragon Records,
MCA. Besides the obvious inclusion of "Since I Fell" (which starts with a
little studio chatter) two other cuts stand out, "Father Sebastian" and
"Darling Take Me Back". The former has nothing to do with John B., but
is a clever "confessional" plea with a kind ofItalian feel to it. The latter
definitely sounds like it was written after listening closely to the Walker
Brothers' version of "Make It Easy On Yourself". Very bombastic.
Anyone know any inside stuff on these two tunes?
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Message: 8
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 10:24:33 -0700
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Re: Totally transformed oldies
Country Paul wrote:
> ... another possible thread: rock classics totally transformed
> stylistically and given another meaning or thoroughly different
> spin in the process.
Well, Paul, you previously mentioned Larry Bright's "I Saw Her Standing
There". I recall seeing Pet Clark do "I Want To Hold Your Hand" as a
ballad on some TV show, and I really dug the '80s Lakeside version.
Also, Dion's "Purple Haze".
gem
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Message: 9
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 05:49:38 -0500
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Neil Merryweather
An old friend of Neil Merryweather's is trying to reestablish contact, and
I thought somebody in this group might be able to help us locate him.
Neil was married to Lynn Carey, whose Mama Lion album, with that
unbelievable cover, I'm sure you remember ....
Buzz me privately at danhughes@juno.com.
Thanks!
---Dan
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Message: 10
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 14:13:46 EDT
From: John Berg
Subject: Re: Just Four Men/Wimple Winch
Compilations of all the Wimple Winch material were released on LP
and later CD by Bam Caruso and maybe another label in the 1990s.
Well worth searching out, as they included some of the Just Four Men
material and plenty of other cool music.
John Berg
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Message: 11
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 18:39:54 -0000
From: David L Gordon
Subject: Re: Jimmy Forde = Jim Ford?
Norm D. asked:
> Is this the same Jim Forde of "Harlan County" fame, who
> wrote other songs later covered by Nick Lowe? Can't help
> you at all with your request, but just curious about the singer.
> I heard his great "Harlan County" on the radio last night –
> BBC Radio 3 of all places.
I believe so -- the spelling seems to vary between Ford and Forde.
Very interesting guy. He went on to become co-writer of some of
Bobby Womack's biggest records, "Harry Hippie" for one. He
also did the original of Redbone's "Crazy Cajun Cakewalk Band".
I tried researching his career about two years ago – if I can find
my notes I'll post them (he said with fingers crossed)
Davie
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Message: 12
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 10:41:11 -0700
From: Gary Myers
Subject: more transformed oldies
Country Paul wrote:
> ... another possible thread: rock classics totally transformed
> stylistically and given another meaning or thoroughly different
> spin in the process.
* Todd Rundgren's "Cool Jerk" in 7/4
* Freddie Scott's "I Got A Woman", also done in a similar style a few
years later by Al Kooper (and, Al, I have that 45).
* Bobby Rydell's "Diana"
* Lenny Welch's "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do", which, of course, was
later done that way by Neil.
gem
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Message: 13
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 16:10:39 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: more transformed oldies
My favorite, I think, is the Arbors' version of The Letter.
Austin (former Arbors producer, but unfortunately not of their
hits) Roberts
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Message: 14
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 16:13:53 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: gold star for Gold Star
Peter Richmond wrote:
> As promised I have put the three scans of the Gold Star Recording
> Studio invoices sent to Philles Records relating to the recording
> sessions of "I Can't Make It Alone" that was intended for the
> Righteous Brothers. These are under the Righteous Brothers/Spector
> Collectors items
I think Gold Star's reverb was the best I've ever heard. I think Scott McKenzie
told me they had cut San Francisco there. Does anyone know for sure? (I've
lost track of Scott.)
Austin R.
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Message: 15
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 21:35:46 -0000
From: Frankie Bee
Subject: Re: Where Does A R&R Singer Go?
RP wrote:
> I believe that was Artie Wayne (who is a member of this list.)
Many thanks to RP, Mikey and Artie! You helped me a lot with your
info -- I've already ordered The Teenage Dreams CD.
But one thing is really scary: Artie Wayne posted a message about his
song just before my question about it, although I didn't know the singer's
name at the time. Oooh ... spooky!
Best wishes to the whole gang,
Frankie Bee
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Message: 16
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 19:37:19 +0100 (BST)
From: Danny D
Subject: Hickory discog?
Does anyone know where I could find a 45s discography for Hickory
Records? I know Dan Fogelberg wrote some songs for The Newbeats
on this label.
Thanks for any help,
>From yet another Dan (in Dublin)
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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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