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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 13 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: not the Four Just Men!
From: Simon Bridger
2. Re: The Sandpipers
From: Mick Patrick
3. Re: Marcie Blane in Goldmine
From: Eddy
4. Brian Wilson Interview
From: Jens Koch
5. Jackie DeShannon
From: Dave O'Gara
6. Re: The Hobbits
From: Scott Charbonneau
7. Re: Brian Wilson on Larry King tonight ... for real
From: Laura Pinto
8. Re: not the Four Just Men!
From: Scott Charbonneau
9. Re: Brian Wilson on Larry King
From: Mark Frumento
10. Sandpipers and anxiety
From: Julio Niño
11. Re: Brian Wilson on Larry King
From: Susan
12. Re: Scott McKenzie / Mamas & Papas / Rev-Ola
From: Kingsley Abbott
13. Happy Birthday Jackie DeShannon
From: Mick Patrick
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 09:21:01 +0100
From: Simon Bridger
Subject: Re: not the Four Just Men!
S.J. Dibai:
> At least the rockin' "Save My Soul" is available on Rhino's "Nuggets
> II" box set, which is not viciously rare.... I think some of their
> stuff might have been anthologized on those oddball freakbeat comps,
> but I don't know which ones for sure.
I've an album entitled 'The Psychedelic Snarl' @ Bam Caruso Records
features their tracks 'Atmospheres', 'Rumble on Mersey Square South'
& 'Save my soul'.
Simon
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 09:32:48 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: The Sandpipers
S'pop Projects wrote:
> All Over But The Crying: The Sandpipers Story
> by Jeff Lemlich
> http://www.spectropop.com/Sandpipers/index.htm
Phil Milstein:
> What a great story. Superb research, excellent writing, terrific
> illos, appealing layout ... and their story carries so much of
> its own built-in drama. Those ladies sound like they had a really
> great attitude, and their music speaks for itself -- when it can
> be found, that is.
For those who weren't paying attention previously, the Sandpipers'
"All Over But The Crying" is back in musica at present. Girl group
fans should give it a listen:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
Maybe if we ask Jeff very nicely he'll let us all hear the group's
version of the Young Rascals' "Love Is A Beautiful Thing".
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 3
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 10:55:26 +0200
From: Eddy
Subject: Re: Marcie Blane in Goldmine
Mick Patrick:
> Over the years I seem to have accumulated a pile of Discoveries
> and Goldmine magazines that is taller than I am. That's quite a
> few. A shrimp I ain't. Of course, they're filed in a rather random
> fashion. Truth be told, they whiff a bit too. I just went through
> the whole lot only to discover that I don't have the one I was
> searching for. I urgently need to read the Marcie Blane interview
> featured in the December 30, 1988 issue of Goldmine. Can anyone
> please assist with a xerox copy, or something? Who knows, maybe
> there are other Marcie Blane magazine articles out there too?
> Anyone? All together now . . . "You're not a kid anymore".
>From the days when Goldmine did those lengthy, in-depth interviews ;)
It probably would have taken longer to scan the silly little thing...
Eddy
MARCIE BLANE
Blane never intended to be a singing star in the first place. The way
she tells it, she had sung in high school, "songs for class presidents
elections" and such, when she was asked by a songwriting friend to
make a demo record of some tunes he had written. The friend took the
demo to Marv Holtzman at Seville Records, who didn't like the songs
but wanted the singer. He signed Blmane to a record contract.
"I was just doing someone a favor," recalls Blane, who now works as an
education director at an arts trheater in Westchester County, New
York. "It wasn't supposed to lead to anything. I was just supposed to
go in (and cut the demo) and leave. But the fellow at the record
company liked me and offered me a contract. How could I say no to that
? I don't think I ever gave it much thought. Then, the first song they
came up with was "Bobby's girl". That was the first recording session
and it was a smash."
While the record made its way to # 1, Blane was as far from the
spotlight as she could be. "I went away to camp that summer to be a
counselor. No one at school even knew I had recorded that."
Seville released seven Marcia Blane singles altogether, an no album.
By 1964 it was all over for her - voluntarily. Yet nearly 25 years
later, her only hit is still played on oldies stations and remembered
fondly by many. And that surprises Marcie Blane.
"I'm amazed to this day the reaction I get when people hear that I
sang that song," she says. "People are thrilled to connect with
someone who was a star, if only for a brief moment."
Bob Shannon and Jeff Tamarkin
Goldmine Issue 220, December 30, 1988
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 14:25:08 +0200
From: Jens Koch
Subject: Brian Wilson Interview
Rob:
> That was a pretty amazing hour, and I'm not even a huge fan, but I
> literally had goosebumps by the end. He's just so real and painfully
> honest, it's refreshing. Wonder if he's always that way?
This is sort of an answer to your question - but be warned before you
read, it may burst your bubble;
There was a lot of noise over this Dutch interview on all the BB/Brian
boards recently:
BW Interview
The spiritual father of the Beach Boys Brian Wilson is making music
again and even performs, later at the Hague. But he is still not doing
well. "I'm busy surviving during most part of the day".
In the suite is Brian Wilson (62), the spiritual father of the Beach
Boys and responsable for beautiful popmusic, having lunch at the table,
his eyes focussed at his plate with fruits. When his personal assistent
opens the door, he doesn't look up or down, it looks like he never
notices the entering of the reporter. All of a sudden he standsup, and
sits across to me on the cauch, still the same sort of staring
expression on his face. Does not react to the introduction.
"How long is this going to take? Twenty minutes?"
Jean Sievers kindly asks him to take it easy and just start the
interview. There is still no eye contact. He is sitting at the edge of
the couch, hands folded all dressed in black. The first questions about
how the album came about, he answeres in short, staccato sentences.
The songs are partly remakes of songs he did in the ninetees with "my
friend Andy Paley" for a record that never was released. One of them is
Soul Searchin on which his late brother Carl is heard. Carl sang the part
in 95. Brian did just now.
"It's the last what Carl and I did together, and it means a lot to me
emotionally." The version by Solomon Burke of "Don't give up on me",
Brian never heard. "I don't know why. I think maybe because it makes me
nervous. But I heard it is a nice version, that's enough".
For a minute it looks like there are tears in his eyes. He calls out to
Jean for hankies He has got to whipe his nose, he got a cold. "Just go
on" he says to the reporter making eye contact for the first time. Don't
you wanna whipe your nose first ? "I'm fine, I'm fine " Whiping the nose
and talking don't go together. He can only concentrate on one thing at a
time and the running nose can wait.
Ten minutes later he stand up in the middle of a sentence to go to the
bathroom. All his movements have something neurotic, just like the
words he is saying. His answers are polite, but seem studied. About
Paul McCartney who sings on the new record "We know each other since 67,
I met him in London at a show, we made an appointment. He came to LA
and sang his part in 20 minutes. No we're not good friends, just
friends". For the first time laughing "He lived through the sixties just
like me and survived. Ah you know, the Beatles released Rubber Soul and
I wanted to top that with Pet Sounds, then they came with Sgt Pepper and
I had no answer to that. You know what it is, he respects my feeling to
humor, like I respect his music. No, thats no joke."
I thought Paul McCartney is a great admirer of your work??
"Yes, maybe so. I was scared to death that he would be in my audience".
Later he told me he cried during "Don't talk". Can you imagine such
motions??
"Yes, people tell me that, But I never cried at a concert. There are
people who cry over music, people who don't care about music, people that
are not sensitive about it and people that can't life without it. I don't
need music as much as I used to. At the most one fourth or fifth part of
my time I can consume music"
Reporter: "This sounds strange from someone who stated in his
autobiography (1991) that the only thing that kept him from suicide was
his fear that he would have to do without his music after his death."
BW: "Yes, but all that has changed now. Surviving is what occupies me
the better part of the day now." Struggling for words: "I don't know.
It's all so., you know, it all is just giving me a real hard time. Life.
A real hard time. I am scared. I am scared all the time. Scared of
people, scared of death, scared of the unknown, scared that I fail to
understand things well. That I cant get a hold in it. I have these
fears and I don't know what to do about it."
R: "Doesn't it help when everyone is applauding you now that you make
music again?"
BW: "Yes, it's a consolation. But only a little. OK, enough about this."
R: "But what is giving you a hard time?"
BW: "I don't know how to live. How do I stand in life? I feel like a
kind of hermit, someone who doesn't participate in society, in another
age, and who can't cope. All these expectations from everybody. Time and
time again. It scares the # # # # out of me."
Fear not to live up to other people's expectations. It is a recurring
theme in Wilson's life. Just 24 years old after Pet Sounds he was hailed
as a genius, something that always deeple troubled him. "A have natural
inclination towards music", he writes in his autobiography, "I am a
hard working musician, but not a genius. Just no one believes me. They
wanted to see that genius in me, and I couldn't live up to that."
After 1966 Wilson lingered from depression to depression. The record
Smile, that ought to have been pop music's definitive masterpiece, was
never finished. He withdrew from the Beach Boys, grew fatter and fatter
and developed addictions to several d r u gs. Of all the efforts to
reanimate the more and more estranged Wilson, psychiatrist E. Landy's
seem to be the most succesful. But this gentleman has a disputable
reputation and is accused by others in the Beach Boys camp (brothers
Carl and Dennis, both dead now, and cousin Mike Love) of brainwashing
the patient.
After Landy lost his license because of a conflict with another patient
at the beginning of the 90's, Brian Wilson had to end his relationship
with the man whom he dedicated his first solo album to in 1988, as well
as his autobiography three years later.
BW: "In the sixties I tried to keep myself going in vain. I got totally
f** * ed up. D r u gs and all that. Medicines, h e rbs, you name it. It
feels like I have been sleeping for years. Nevertheless, I didn't sleep,
I constantly wondered if what I saw and lived through was for real. And
this is still bothering me. Is this real?" Wilson seizes the tape
recorder:''Is this real? Is it still running? Very well. Dr. Landy
saved me. Nine years I went through his program. Physical exercises,
mental training, psychological tests, and also friendship. He was
everything I had in my life, but in 1992 we had to part. I am not
allowed to talk to him anymore.'' Do you miss him? "I miss him a lot. I
still have to think about him a lot, he was the best friend I ever had.
He taught me how to function under pressure and he was the last one with
whom I could really laugh. Now I'm married to Melinda, have adopted three
kids but I'm depressed. I'm happy with Melinda and the children and try
to lead a family life but I'm not as close as I should be. I'm a loner
and depressive. Sometimes more sometimes less. I accepted it. It won't
become any better. The new record does not really help, I'm glad but not
euforish."
This is what he says. His enthusiasm is even more tempered when the
legendary Smile project is brought up. The reconstruction of that record
done by bootleg recordings lead to a Smile tour earlier this year. Wilson
came to Amsterdam with that too. A newly recorded version of Smile is in
the make. These days Brian has to do the vocals and he is "nervous as
....". Because now all the memories are coming back from the sixties.
"Sometime it takes me two hours to do one line"
Do you remember your original intention with Smile???
"No, at the most that Van Dyke Parks with whom I worked then and now
again, said that it had to have a feeling of early Americana. What that
is? A happy feeling I think. But honestly I couldn't remember much of
Smile, until I had to listen to it again"
The idea came from his management. Together with Van Dyke Parks and
artistic leader Darian Sahanaja of the Wondermints, the brilliant group
that is his band these days, he started listening to the by Sahanaja
collected bootlegs. An strange picture. The artist listening to bootlegs
of his own work?
"I thought what weird music, did I write that"
In your autobiography you say that there are only a few fragments in the
Capitol faults because it was bad music, how do you feel about that now?
"Not bad. Experimental yes. I would call it corny drug influenced music.
The year I worked on it was the heavyest in my life. I remember A whiter
shade of pale by Procol Harum was released. I was so sensative for the
dramatic organ sound, that I thought it was my funeral tune. When I hear
it now, I think I'm at my own funeral, Strange huh? Those where heavy
times. I was crazy and still am. Or, not crazy, more like insane. Ha"
But you sound very happy on GIOMH.
"Yes, the songs are well picked"
Didn't you do that youself?
"No, I can't make any decisions anymore. I also can't say no. I'm too
weak, really I am too weak. Everyting has to be done for me"
One of the new songs is called Make a wish. What is your wish?
"That I would be happier and would feel no pressure"
Doesn't a concert give you satisfaction?
"No I'm scared how to handle myself. During many shows I start laughing
hard and singing childrens songs and shout Thank you, while I would beg
to God to get me out of there. Pretending to be happy while I'm scared,
yeah that's it. When I had a say in it I wouldn't tour anymore. It's too
much. That show in Amsterdam was at the end of the tour, I was
completely worn out and thought I would die. I am looking up to the
summer tour like a mountain, but my manager tells me it's good for me
and I'm not strong enough to disagree."
Jean Sievers came to us again, Brian look at her asking "Did I do well"
Sievers puts him at ease. It's time for his medicine. He takes the
powder and flushes it down with cola light. Brian gets in the back of
the limo, on his way to his wife and children, which he, as he mentions,
don't want to be a burdon to. "It's hard with someone like me".
This interview prompted a response from Melinda Wilson:
"It has been brought to my attention, and rightfully so for those of you
who do not understand Brian's illness, based on the recent interview in
question, that many of you are worried about Brian's state of mind.
Brian, from his early twenties has suffered from depression. For many
years it went untreated. That's the primary reason Brian started doing
drugs and alcohol. He was trying to self medicate. In the late 70's Landy
was hired by Brian's ex-wife Marilyn. Then again in the early 80's the
Beach Boys hired Landy for the second go round. According to Brian's
current doctor, Landy did more harm to Brian by over medicating than
Brian ever did to himself with his use of drugs and alcohol. Landy had
him on every combination of drugs that one could imagine depending on how
he wanted to manipulate him on any particular day. Much of the time he
kept him so doped up that he couldn't even function.
So why does Brian defend Landy when asked about him in interviews? Brian
is scared that if Landy reads negative statements by him, that somehow he
will try to hurt him. Could that ever happen? Of course not, since there
is a lifetime restraining order against Landy, but as Brian sometime sees
it, Landy just may show up at the door someday. It has taken an expert
psychiatrist from UCLA to get Brian back in to society. It's a testament
of Brian's inner strength that he functions normally the majority of the
time. Like anyone who suffers from depression Brian has good days, and
occasionally a not so good day. Or even in the course of one day his mood
can change in a matter of hours. It's my observation, even if Brian didn't
suffer from depression his basic personality is up and down. His music is
an indication of the many moods of Brian. It is also no secret, from time
to time Brian suffers from auditory hallucinations caused by the
depression, which means that he hears voices in his head. In medical terms
an auditory hallucination is a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes
these voices. When he is suffering from an auditory hallucination most of
the time the voices are not saying nice things to him. That's why you
will often hear him say, he is scared. Even though he can intellectually
understand this it is only an auditory hallucination, while it's
happening, it's a very real experience for him. That's why I get so
frustrated when critics or reporters and even some fans start with that
"deer in the headlights" stuff. They don't understand how amazing it is
that he can still function and bring love and joy to this world even if
HIS world is not being kind to him at times. This man is to be applauded
for having the courage to combat a disease that had him bedridden for
years. He should be applauded for addressing his stage fright, his basic
shyness, and all of the other things that go along with this illness.
Brian wears his heart on his sleeve. The day that he did the interview,
he had done four others previously to that one where he was positive and
in an uplifting space. What happened that particular day is a perfect
example of how sometimes things can change rapidly with him. Why did
he make all those negative comments? When I asked him about it, he said
he got scared and the interview just started to turn negative. He wasn't
picking up good vibes from the guy. Who really knows for sure............
Brian is not on massive amounts of medication, as I have read on some of
your posts. He simply takes two combinations of medication each day and
sees his doctors as needed. Will he ever be completely cured? Probably
not, although science is making great progress in reducing the symptoms
caused by depression. He tours because he wants to. Does he get nervous
before a show? You bet he does. Does he have auditory hallucinations
during a show? Sometimes. Is he uncomfortable signing autographs after
a show? Most of the time no and sometimes yes, but he's out there doing
it. He's trying to overcome the demons that accompany his illness, and I
for one think he's doing one heck of a good job. Do we encourage him to
stay active?............Yes, yes and yes. The worst thing that could ever
happen to Brian is for him to do nothing. We who love him are proud,
respectful, and thankful that God has given Brian another chance at
happiness.
We look at the glass as being half full these days, and try to take one
day at a time, and that's what allows us to get through these ordeals.
The love that he receives from his family and friends keeps him in a
secure environment and gives him the emotional security that he's never
really experienced in the past Brian is facing life, that's a really good
thing, so please try not worry about him. Statistics tell us that over 20%
of our population suffers from some form of depression, so I would hope
that Brian's story will serve as an inspiration for those out there who
are suffering and going untreated. L&M Melinda Wilson"
> Makes you wish you had a tenth of his inspiration and talent. And SMILE
> is finally finished and being released. Hope it won't be too tinkered
> with in a modern way and will still sound "of the time" it's from.
The good news, then, is that it does. I was at two of the Smile concerts
at the RFH and the music and performance was so beautiful ... and here's
a link to a preview of the record:
http://humanoidboogie.8bit.co.uk/mp3/
Jens
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 12:06:15 -0000
From: Dave O'Gara
Subject: Jackie DeShannon
Happy birthday to the legendary Jackie DeShannon on the 21st. Any of
our members have any Jackie DeShannon stories to share on this special
day.
Dave 0'
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 11:58:32 -0000
From: Scott Charbonneau
Subject: Re: The Hobbits
Previously:
> ... a 3rd LP that is either extremely rare or only available on demo
> tapes.
The 3rd Hobbits LP, "Back From Middle Earth," for which they were billed
as the New Hobbits, has been reissued by Radioactive Records in the UK.
For more information, go here: http://www.radioactiverecords.com
Scott
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 12:30:42 -0000
From: Laura Pinto
Subject: Re: Brian Wilson on Larry King tonight ... for real
Phil X Milstein wrote:
> Brian Wilson, with his wife Melinda, is scheduled to appear on Larry
> King's talk show tonight, this time (hopefully) for real. It's on
> CNN at 9p eastern, and repeats three hours later....
Hi,
I missed the show because I forgot Brian was going to be on (grrrrr!).
For anyone else who failed to catch the interview ... well, Don't
Worry, Baby, there's a transcript of the entire show on the CNN site.
You can access it here: http://snipurl.com/8kdq
Enjoy,
Laura
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 11:48:53 -0000
From: Scott Charbonneau
Subject: Re: not the Four Just Men!
Three tracks: "Atmospheres" (only ever available as the mispressed B-
Side to "Rumble On Mersey Square South," the dreadful "Typical British
Workmanship" was the official flip though only God knows why that was),
"Rumble On Mersey Square South" and "Save My Soul" can all be found on
"The Psychedelic Snarl" which was the first Bam Caruso "freakbeat"
compilation, issued in 1984. This should be easily enough available as
it has been reissued several times.
Scott
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 13:32:46 -0000
From: Mark Frumento
Subject: Re: Brian Wilson on Larry King
Rob wrote:
> That was a pretty amazing hour, and I'm not even a huge fan,
> but I literally had goosebumps by the end. He's just so real and
> painfully honest, it's refreshing.
I had sort of the opposite feeling especially having read so much
about the man over the years. It's hard for me to decide if he's
either a very sick man who should not be paraded in public or if
he's a manipulator. The way Melinda tried to keep steering the
interview toward a seemingly medical discussion of depression and
mental disease just didn't sit right with me. And I found it
especially disturbing that they'd try to weave plugs for the CD in
between. It just seemed very wrong. The parading of Brian Wilson in
public is starting to seem circus-like to me.
Mark Frumento
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 14:02:45 -0000
From: Julio Niño
Subject: Sandpipers and anxiety
Hola Everybody.
S'pop Projects wrote:
> All Over But The Crying: The Sandpipers Story
> by Jeff Lemlich
> http://www.spectropop.com/Sandpipers/index.htm
Phil M:
> What a great story. Superb research, excellent writing,
> terrific illos, appealing layout ... and their story carries
> so much of its own built-in drama. Those ladies sound like
> they had a really great attitude, and their music speaks for
> itself -- when it can be found, that is.
Among the many fascinating songs I´ve discovered this year in
S'pop, one of my favorites is without a doubt "It's All Over But
The Crying" by the Sandpipers. The song is so gorgeous that you
almost would like to lose your lover to enjoy it more deeply. I
love teenager voices singing dramatic tunes.
Jeff Lemlich's wonderful article about The Sandpipers (first
published in Soul Up North magazine, but at home here in S'pop)
tells us everything about the girls' recording story, but some
of us are insatiable and always want more.
Jeff, any chance to ease our anxiety listening to the girls'
version of "Love Is A Beautiful Thing"?.
Thanks.
Julio Niño.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 08:32:35 EDT
From: Susan
Subject: Re: Brian Wilson on Larry King
Rob writes:
> He's just so real and painfully honest, it's refreshing. Wonder if
> he's always that way?
Yes, he pretty much is always that way. He seemed very rested and
relaxed throughout, tho, and he ISN'T always like THAT; Brian often
gets very antsy during interviews, and his answers are a lot less
lucid and complete.
Susan
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 14:38:25 +0100
From: Kingsley Abbott
Subject: Re: Scott McKenzie / Mamas & Papas / Rev-Ola
Alas, the M&P version of San Francisco, if indeed it still exists,
which I doubt, is not on the upcoming 4CD set, though a very nice
Denny Doherty version of The Millennium's To Claudia On Thursday
is, along with a very well chosen selection of group, live, b.vox
and solo tracks.
I seem to recall Scott Mc's What's The difference running to three
parts over various b-sides - I always liked that song a lot too.
Regarding Revola's Sunshine Company compilation - I did that
particular comp for them, and they certainly didn't use my vinyl
for them, though they did copy a cover or two. I'm pretty sure Joe
had access to masters. I'm quite happy with variable sound quality
if it means we continue to get some of the wonderfully obscure
aural treats that Revola has been unearthing of late - White Whale,
BT Puppy, Carnival, Blades Of Grass, Marc Eric, Bergen White etc
etc - Wow - keep 'em coming. Can't wait to hear the new Lisa
Mychols one...
Kingsley
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 16:33:04 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Happy Birthday Jackie DeShannon
Dave O:
> Happy birthday to the legendary Jackie DeShannon on the 21st. Any
> of our members have any Jackie DeShannon stories to share on this
> special day.
I have something to share. Not a story, better than that, a fabulous
unissued demo from c. 1963: "My Birthday Party", written by the
birthday girl with her old pal Sharon Sheeley. Find it @ musica now:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
Happy Birthday Jackie.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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