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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: Brian & Smile
From: Mark Wirtz
2. Re: Benny Gordon
From: Jeff Lemlich
3. Re: Smile and Smiley Smile
From: Andrew Hickey
4. Re: Cowsills' We Can Fly
From: Billy G. Spradlin
5. Ron Dante and the What Four
From: Mick Patrick
6. Benny "Coffee" McCain
From: John Berg
7. Re: Paul (Stefan) & the Pack
From: Gary Myers
8. Re: Benny Gordon / Bennie Cole
From: Gary Myers
9. Dionne Warwick
From: Eddy
10. Re: Dickie Lee
From: Clark Besch
11. Valerie Simpson demo @ musica
From: Mick Patrick
12. Re: Tom Dowd
From: Bill George
13. Honey and Wine
From: Steve Harvey
14. Re: Cowsills' We Can Fly
From: Clark Besch
15. Re: Duh! Sunshine Company distortion "meant to be there"!!!
From: Orion
16. Non-CD Ronettes
From: Frank 2
17. Re: Rocky
From: Ed Salamon
18. RE: Smile Brian Wilson
From: Richard Hattersley
19. Re: Goldmine etc
From: Peter Lerner
20. Re: PF Sloan to Musica
From: JD Doyle
21. Re: Cowsills' We Can Fly
From: Phil Hall
22. Jackie DeShannon's birthday
From: Frank Young
23. Re: "San Francisco" in Bel Air?
From: rbcsoup
24. Re: Gold Star
From: Phil X Milstein
25. A Glimpes of Smile
From: Steve Harvey
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 13:25:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mark Wirtz
Subject: Re: Brian & Smile
Richard Williams wrote:
> ... Rather than comparing Brian with Mozart or Bach, let's make
> a comparison with Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus. Their music
> -- which, like Brian's, is in a sense "orchestral" -- is still
> performed several decades after their deaths by ensembles bearing
> their names. It's always worth hearing in that form, but it's not
> the same.
That, actually, is the very point I tried to make, not comparing
Brian to dead composers and music inventors, nor suggesting that
other artists' "covers" of Brian's work, noble and faithful though
they may be, would be equal to the creator's own renditions. The
debate, after all, revolves around different productions and their
argued, varying merits, as rendered by Brian in his lifetime as the
original, creative source.
While it is obvious that in most instances, a creator's own
"performance" is the most authentic, I do not necessarily agree that
is always the most profound. While Beethoven, Mingus and Ellington
were superb musicians, many magnificent composers (including modern
day ones) do not necessarily share their "virtuoso" blessings and
are in fact reliant upon the skill or "magic" of other musicians and
artists to make their works truly come alive to touch and thrill a
magnitude of people.
But, I segue. The only point I tried to make was simply that we
should enjoy what CAN be, rather than bemoan what CAN'T.
In a perfect world, I bet that Brian would love nothing more than to
step onto a time machine, travel back to '67, re-write the entire
"Smile" segment of his life, gather every one of the original "Boys,"
and put Smile together the way he once envisioned.
But we are not living in a perfect world. And so, Brian is trying to
give us his opus the ONLY way he humanly can, aided and lovingly
assisted by musical friends and talent who may not be able to share
his original vision, but certainly share his dream.
Ultimately, Brian dreams that dream for us.
Peace.
Mark Wirtz
http://www.markwirtz.com
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 22:50:06 -0000
From: Jeff Lemlich
Subject: Re: Benny Gordon
Simon White was asking about Benny Gordon. I was told a while back
that he came from South Carolina, but I can't tell you too much
more. My interest in him came from discovering that he recut his
funk classic, "Give A Damn (About Your Fellow Man)", at Shadow
Recording Studios in Ft. Lauderdale back in 1971. It was also
issued on the Shadow label, which was operated by a former member of
the Illinois/Florida garage band The Mama's Boys.
Davie Gordon:
> The album, on Hot Biscuit (the only album on the label ?), is an
> elusive one, I've never seen a copy or even a scan of the cover.
Davie, I have the cover, but not the record. There is no photo of
Benny and the group, just a cartoon drawing of the six-man band.
The song titles and bare bones credits (produced by Bob Finez, a
product of Koppelman-Rubin) can be found on the back side of the
jacket, but there are no liner notes to speak of. There aren't
even any songwriter credits or publishers listed.
Jeff Lemlich
http://www.limestonerecords.com
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 23:55:44 +0100
From: Andrew Hickey
Subject: Re: Smile and Smiley Smile
Rob:
> ...but does anyone else find Smiley Smile an interesting listen,
> albeit somewhat frustrating?
I don't find it frustrating at all - in fact, I consider it head and
shoulders over both Pet Sounds and most of Smile. In every case where
there's a Smile song on there, the Smiley version is at least as good
as, if not better than, the Smile version. It's gentle, funny, warm
and human, and a beautiful, beautiful set of recordings. It's
infinitely better than the unfinished Smile sessions, and better than
two of the three movements of the completed Smile (nothing can beat
the second movement). For sheer astonishing beauty, the Smiley version
of Wind Chimes is up there with the two or three best Beach Boys
tracks.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 00:31:47 -0000
From: Billy G. Spradlin
Subject: Re: Cowsills' We Can Fly
If that's the two-fer I have it's a bootleg, so don't expect much with
packaging. The first album is copied right from the OOP Razor & Tie
CD reissue.
I agree the group made a huge jump in production and writing over the
first LP. How many groups of that nature get to write and produce
themselves? "We Can Fly" is a outstanding album and deserves a CD
reissue.
I remember reading somewhere (I believe it was an online interview
with Susan or Bob Cowsill in the late 90's) that their first albums
were recorded in New York with the same NYC session greats that
played on the 4 Seasons and Bacharach productions. The first MGM
Cowsills LP where they played everything was "II X II".
Billy
http://listen.to/jangleradio
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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 20:33:26 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Ron Dante and the What Four
When I like an old record, I find myself wanting to know as
much as I can about it. I can't help it; it's just the kind of
guy I am. Occasionally, it's possible to get a behind the
scenes story direct from those involved; the artists,
songwriters, producers, etc. I devour that stuff.
A platter that I've been returning to a lot recently is an
in-yer-face little girl group number by the What Four entitled
"I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy", released on Columbia 43843 in
1966.
The group was the subject of an article in Record Collector
magazine a few years back, so I know all about them, thank you
very much.
I just noticed that the song is written by Artie Resnick,
Kristin Resnick and Ronnie Dante. I'm hoping Mr Dante gets to
see this message (I'm sure Laura will see to it that he does)
and can remember the song.
How did the three scribes share their songwriting duties? Does
Ron like the song? What does he think of the record? Was he at
the session? Where was it recorded. What relation was Kristin
Resnick to Artie? These are some of the things I'd like to know,
plus whatever else Ron can remember and would like to share.
For those who maybe haven't heard the track, as it doesn't seem
to be available on CD, I've posted "I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy"
to musica for all to hear. The What Four were an all-girl band,
as opposed to a girl group. By that I mean they played their
own instruments. I'm telling you all this so that you know not
to expect some twee ditty:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 13:13:35 EDT
From: John Berg
Subject: Benny "Coffee" McCain
I don't know anything about Benny Gordon, but that raises another
question:
Does any Spectropoper know anything about Benny "Coffee" McCain?
He was another soul vocalist who sang on "She's My Heart's Desire"
by Robert Ward and the Ohio Untouchables (Lupine L-109, a Detroit
based label -- though Robert and the OUs were Dayton-based.) I
have asked Robert and he has no recollection of who Benny McCain
was (and since his stroke two years ago Robert probably remembers
even less from the '60s!)
John Berg
PS Last Saturday night I went to the release party in Seattle for
the new "Wheedle's Groove" compilation of mega-rare soul/funk/R&B
45s from Puget Sound in the '65-'75 era that was released on both
LP and CD by Light In The Attic last week. [Light in The Attic
began with a bang last year with reissues of the Free Design and
Last Poets albums -- worth checking out.] The party, held at the
Chop Suey club in Seattle's Capital Hill area, was a packed out
reunion that featured many of the bands heard on the CD, coming
back together for the first time in 25-30 years. I enjoyed a lot
of what I heard, though truth be told some of it definately veared
toward "black lounge music" rather than tight and funky R&B. As
my friend Dick Shurman commented, "this is the kind of music my
blues musician friends in Chicago tell me they were reduced to
playing to get gigs in the '70s".
The CD is most certainly worth picking up, for any of you Spectropop
people who are into soul music (and judging by posted comments, a
number of you are!) If you had to go out and find the actual vinyl,
it would cost you at upwards of $5000. (I've been scouring Seattle
shops and fleamarkets for some 20 years now and never ran across any
of the 45s on this comp, if that is any indication of their rarity.)
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 21:04:18 -0700
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Re: Paul (Stefan) & the Pack
Bob Rashkow:
> So Gary, you worked with Paul Stefan! How I wish I had some of the
> 45s he did. Wasn't he recording under numerous aliases all through
> the mid-6Ts? Fascinating career, fascinating person. Did you know
> him or work with him before the Tower sessions? <<
How do you know so much about Paul Stefan? :-)
OK, this is one those things that could lead me into stories lasting
for days, but I'll try not to get carried away.
I first met Paul around fall '62 (in Green Bay, I think) when Paul
Stefan & the Royal Lancers were touring with their regional hit "I
Fought The Law" (which I've always preferred way over the somewhat
later Bobby Fuller version) and our band was gigging in the Midwest
(I'm originally from Milwaukee, completed H.S. in Fla, wound up back
in Miltown when our Fla band went on the road through a Milwaukee
agency). Not long after that I joined a Milwaukee band and would see
Paul around town occasionally.
Paul moved to the L.A. area 6/64. Our band (by then known as the Mojo
Men - later the Portraits) also left for SoCal 8/65. One night Paul
happened to come into the club we were in playing (in Downey, only a
few miles from where I now live). I think he was working at a car wash
or something like that. A few months later our lead singer left to
join a show production. We first hired Billy Joe Burnette (more
stories there), but there were too many problems with him, so we hired
Paul. Paul got drafted around late '66. He rejoined the Portraits after
his discharge, but I was gone by that time. The last time I saw/heard
him sing was when I playing an afternoon c&w gig around '76 and he came
in. I got together with him (he was Long Beach, not far from me) a few
times in the 80's but he then moved to Yuma, AZ and I was unable to
find him after that.
Paul (with various spellings of his last name) had releases with:
Valiants (New Phoenix)
Paul Stefen & the Royal Lancers
Paul Steffen & the Apollos
Paul & the Pack
(I have a few of these)
More details in my book, "Do You Hear That Beat - Wisconsin Pop/Rock
in the 50's & 60's".
Gary Myers / MusicGem
http://home.earthlink.net/~gem777/
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Message: 8
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 21:14:12 -0700
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Re: Benny Gordon / Bennie Cole
Simon White:
> I'm appealing to Spectropoppers out there in the vain hope that one
> of you will have some information on a gentleman called Benny
> (sometimes Bennie and sometimes with "The Soul Brothers") Gordon.
Unrelated, but FWIW, I know something about Bennie Cole & the Soul
Brothers (Milwaukee). If, in your search, you run across this name
and have some confusion, I can probably help.
gem
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Message: 9
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 08:41:23 +0200
From: Eddy
Subject: Dionne Warwick
With the recent doubts about the condition of Dionne Warwick's vocal
chords... you'll be able to judge for yourselves soon:
Dionne Warwick has tapped Gladys Knight, BeBe Winans and Dave Koz as
guests on her first album of Christmas music. Due Oct. 26 via DMI
Records (distributed by Navare), "My Favorite Time of the Year" finds
the veteran vocalist taking on a slate of holiday classics.
Knight and Warwick duet on "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,"
while Koz adds saxophone to renditions of "White Christmas," "Joy to
the World" and "Winter Wonderland." Winans, on the other hand, joins
Warwick on "I Believe in Christmas," a song he composed specifically
for this project.
"This being my very first Christmas project, I am truly excited, and
I, like so many others wonder what took me so long," Warwick says.
"Well, the wait is over, and I am certain all will enjoy it as much
as I enjoyed doing it."
(From Billboard)
Eddy
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Message: 10
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 05:21:19 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Dickie Lee
Bobster, I guess I can understand your "sickies" comment regarding
"Laurie", "Patches" and "Rocky", but I never thought of them that
way. I really love "Laurie" still today. It's just a cool song
idea just like "Timothy" was for the Buoys. It makes you think as
you listen. It makes you develop pictures in your mind. Another
cool 45 I really like is Dickie Lee's later 60's atco single, "Red,
Green Yellow and Blue", a hit on KOMA in Oklahoma City. Speaking of
KOMA, they had a DJ reunion in April and the station is offering a 4
Cd set of hilites of the shows. Pretty cool stuff.
Since the topic is "sickies" in some ways, my wish for the soundtrack
to Don Knotts 1965 movie "Ghost and Mr. Chicken" has been answered!
It's been released from Vic Mizzy's safety tapes on Percepto records
(www.percepto.com). In a related story, Vic has just been signed to
do the music for the new Dickie Lee movie, "Strange Things Happen in
this World!". Not really, but the Don Knotts soundtrack is for real!
Also, for those who didn't know by now, Collector's Choice has issued
the Robbs' Mercury Lp on Cd. Cool idea, but it contains only the
original 10 songs in their mono form. Considering it had 5 singles,
that is good for original 45 sound, but I prefer stereo myself.
Thanks, Clark
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2004 20:33:45 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Valerie Simpson demo @ musica
Today, August 26th, is the birthday of Valerie Simpson.
I have a special interest in the material she wrote in the mid-
'60s when signed to Flo-Mar, the publishing arm of Scepter
Records in New York. You see the Ashford and Simpson (and
sometimes Armstead) credit on a slew of great Scepter and Wand
45s by Maxine Brown, Candy & the Kisses and many others.
At the same time, over on the West Coast, the team's songs were
being cut by acts like the Apollas and Mary Love.
To mark Valerie's special day, I've posted one of her unissued
demos to musica - "Baby I'll Come", written by Ashford/Simpson:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
Some of you might knnow the version by Mary Love, released on
Modern 1033 in 1966.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 01:21:26 EDT
From: Bill George
Subject: Re: Tom Dowd
Al Kooper writes:
> Some of (Tom Dowd's) most famous work is filled with distortion
> in places. Ergo, I thought the glorification of his engineering
> skills was misplaced.
Jackie DeShannon's Memphis LP has his "trademark" distortion on it,
as do the extra unreleased tracks that came out on Rhino last year.
The producer couldn't clean them up. But in my opinion, it really
gives the tracks that vintage sound, and what an amazing sound it
was. Pure magic (and soul) in the studio.
Bill
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 20:42:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Honey and Wine
Don H:
> I have posted "Honey And Wine" by the All Night Workers
> to musica. Didn't know there were two groups with that name.
Is that the Gleen Yarborough tune that the Hollies did
such a great job on?
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 05:23:45 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Cowsills' We Can Fly
Steven Prazak wrote:
> Just picked a two-fer of the first two Cowsills elpees on CD
> and was amazed at the quality of the tunes and production of
> the second album, We Can Fly. What a progression from their
> first one! The liners, though, are pretty chintzy with the
> details. I'm assuming relatively few Cowsills actually play on
> the thing, but I just don't know. Can any S'popper fill me in
> on the musicians at work here?
Steven, not sure if the Cowsills played on the LPs, but they DID
play instruments in concert and thus were models for the Partridge
Family TV show. I really like "We Can Fly" as well as "River Blue".
Clark
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Message: 15
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 18:50:23 -0500
From: Orion
Subject: Re: Duh! Sunshine Company distortion "meant to be there"!!!
Orion wrote:
> Speaking of Rev-Ola, I purchased a CD from then by the group The
> Sunshine Company. It sounds like it was made from LPs for sure,
> as track 11 has the sound of the needle picking up and about 6
> or 7 seconds of distortion...
Joe Foster wrote:
> This one was from master tapes as supplied by EMI/Capitol, and
> was mastered a number of years ago at Sound Mastering at Ace
> Records. I take a lot of care with the stuff I put out, and I'm
> sorry you were disappointed
Dee:
> "Track 11" is the song "I, To We, And Back Again." The "sound of
> the needle picking up" and subsequent distortion is *meant* to be
> there - it's on the original LP, and also on the Collectors' Choice
> Sunshine Company CD (they did their own comp, with a slightly
> different track listing). It's meant to mimic the "drop" of a
> record onto a turntable and the beginning of a song . . . it's PART
> OF THE RECORD . . . conceptual musical art from the 60's!
I thank you for the information presented. I had no idea that noise was
intentional, as is perfectly well known by my email. It was not
intended to create any feelings of disgruntlement. I enjoy the
information here way too much to create any animosity.
Thanks again for setting the errhmmm... record straight.
Orion
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Message: 16
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 08:34:08 +0200
From: Frank 2
Subject: Non-CD Ronettes
Martin Roberts:
> Non-obsessive collectors might think that Alan Klein's ABKCO
> compilation set, "Back To Mono", collated all the Phil Spector
> releases that are needed, but they'd be wrong. Among the many
> tracks that are the equal of any to be found on CD is, "Girls
> Can Tell".
Martin, could you expand on your quote. Could we have a list of
these not on CD tracks ? Thanks.
Keep up the great work.
Frank
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 17
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 15:30:15 -0000
From: Ed Salamon
Subject: Re: Rocky
Joe Nelson:
> What I do remember is my mother fawning over the Dickie Lee
> version whenever it was played on WHN in New York
Thanks for listening, Joe.
Ed Salamon
WHN Program Director
1975-81
PS: I now live in Nashville, where I get the chance to hang out
with Dickey and S'Popper Austin from time to time.
Do you remember "Hello This Is Joanie" by S'Popper Paul Evans?
Another WHN hit, that only cracked the national Country chart.
After its run on WHN, I told Dickey HE should record it, as it
was in the same vein as "Laurie", "Rocky", etc.. Dickey passed,
saying that he couldn't top Paul's version.
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Message: 18
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 13:49:23 +0000
From: Richard Hattersley
Subject: RE: Smile Brian Wilson
Lots have people are here are dissmissing the NEW Smile because
they are not putting out a set of the Old recordings. I agree
that capitol/BB's should definitely do that as well. I imagine
Mike Love may be the one who put a spanner in the works for that
idea. Around the time of the 'Pet Sounds' box, there was talk of a
'Smile' box Being On its way but of course it never came.
However I wouldn't let that get in the way of the new Smile. I saw
the live show in Birmingham in March and it sounds fantastic. I
was still worried that a new recorded version may suffer from that
slick production that tainted Brian's 'Imagination' album. But
having heard the sample of the new "Heroes and Villains" it sounds
great. I hope the rest of the album sounds as good. This was the
only way we could get to hear Smile In a complete form. The original
Capitol tapes have too many vocals missing.
Richard
http://www.wiz.to/richardsnow
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Message: 19
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 21:41:40 +0100
From: Peter Lerner
Subject: Re: Goldmine etc
Country Paul wrote about Goldmine:
> I don't dive for each issue when it comes in the door the way
> I used to. Its sister publication, Discoveries, seems to be
> aimed more toward the '50s/'60s, but not all that much.
The same can be said for the UK publication Record Collector,
methinks. Once a "must read", now an "oh yeah there's a pile of
4 RCs, must look at them sometime".
Peter
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Message: 20
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 21:44:54 -0000
From: JD Doyle
Subject: Re: PF Sloan to Musica
Okay, I'm a few days late in discovering (thanks to David Young)
the PF Sloan track, "He's Just That Kind of Guy".....Just Wonderful!
I'm a long time fan of Girl Group and related sounds and though now
I'm doing strictly "gay" radio, I squeeze in one of "our" oldies
whenever I can, and this one will surely pop up soon. On my August
Queer Music Heritage show, I was able to start it off with "Falling
In Love Again" by Polly Perkins...it was an all-UK show, capped with
an exclusive interview with Tom Robinson, you know the "Glad To Be Gay"
song guy. All my past shows are streamable.
Thanks again for PF Sloan,
JD Doyle
http://www.queermusicheritage.com
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Message: 21
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2004 00:53:58 -0000
From: Phil Hall
Subject: Re: Cowsills' We Can Fly
Billy G. Spradlin:
> I remember reading somewhere (I believe it was an online interview
> with Susan or Bob Cowsill in the late 90's) that their first albums
> were recorded in New York with the same NYC session greats that
> played on the 4 Seasons and Bacharach productions. The first MGM
> Cowsills LP where they played everything was "II X II".
They may not have played on the "We Can Fly" LP, but I saw them
perform in 1967 or '68 when the song had just come out, and they
definitely played all of their own instruments. My memories of
that concert are that their harmonies were fabulous, and their
instrumentation certainly adequate for what they were doing. I
actually thought at the time that they were better vocally than the
Beach Boys, who I had just seen the previous summer.
Phil H.
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Message: 22
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 18:07:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Frank Young
Subject: Jackie DeShannon's birthday
Hi all...
Just read, in the new MOJO magazine article about the Beatles'
'64 US tour, that on August 21, 1964, Jackie DeShannon's birthday,
some 14,000 concert attendees sang "Happy Birthday" to the singer/
songwriter. I wonder if she thought of the demo of her birthday
song that's on Musica right now...
As a Seattle member of the Spectropop faction, I can't help but
feel just a bit of local pride...
Best, Frank
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 23
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2004 02:04:35 -0000
From: rbcsoup
Subject: Re: "San Francisco" in Bel Air?
Austin Roberts wrote:
> 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.)
Steve Harvey wrote:
> The tune was cut as a Mamas and Papas tune. John wiped the
> vocal track and put on Scott's and he had the hit.
My friend Scott McKenzie is well and still interested in music.
We were together last year for the opening of Denny Doherty's
off-Broadway "Nearly True Story of The Mamas and The Papas -
Dream A Little Dream."
There is no evidence that The Mamas and The Papas ever cut "San
Francisco." It was clearly written during their heyday and while
John was writing primarily for those four voices (as is true of
his 1970 solo album, The Wolfking of LA") but they did not record
the song. The group was greatly fragmented in early 1967 and their
appearance at Monterey Pop when Scott's song was soaring up the
charts was the first time they had sung together in weeks and weeks.
Michelle Phillips does have a small part in the song though -- the
bells heard at the beginning of the song are her handiwork. I wish
they had done it, it would be absolutely beautiful with Doherty-
Elliot contrapuntal wonders. But Scott acquitted himself quite
nicely with it!
When "San Francisco" scaled the charts in Spring-Summer 1967, the
group was fragmented and when Scott sang the tune at Monterey Pop,
that June,The Ms and The Ps had reconvened for the first time in
weeks and weeks.
There are OTHER rarities coming up on the new Ms and Ps Anthology,
"Here In My Arms" and "Nowhere Man" have never been out. And Cass'
"The Costume Ball" is another never-before-released gem.
Please visit the Official Cass Elliot Website:
http://www.casselliot.com
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Message: 24
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2004 00:27:16 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Gold Star
M.G. Still asked:
> What exactly qualifies as a "GOLD STAR" session?
> Is it merely the fact that it was recorded there, whether or not the
> regular sessions musicians were involved?
That's always been my perception. However, if I'm not mistaken Gold Star
had two studios, one a very basic demo studio and the other THE Gold
Star. Someone who recorded in the former (which I believe was called
"Studio B") might technically say he'd recorded at Gold Star, but I
don't think it would truly qualify as such for our purposes. Thus, only
Studio A sessions were Gold Star sessions, no matter who played on them.
> Was Gold Star leased out to musicians not usually associated with
> Gold Star?
I believe it was, like virtually any other independent recording studio,
available to anyone willing to cough up the booking fee.
> With Sun Studios, there is a distinction between a "Sun Studio"
> recording session at 706 Union versus a later-era "Sun" record
> produced at Sam Phillips Recording Studio around the corner at
> Madison Avenue.
As well there should be. Despite the characteristics of the gear or
the talents and imaginations of the people running the boards, most
recording studios (at least in the analog era, although perhaps it's
still largely true today) were characterized as much by their room
acoustics as by anything else. Although, of course, the magic has to
also be in the sounds that're being laid down!
Dig,
--Phil M.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 25
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 22:13:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: A Glimpes of Smile
Ever read the science fiction novel Glimpses by Lewis Shiner?
The book is about a music fanatic that goes back in time to
all these recording sessions by famous rockers, Brian Wilson,
The Doors, Hendrix, The Beatles, and watches them finish these
legendary albums including Smile. Shiner is definitely into the
Beach Boys Smile sessions. Drops in things like "George Fell
Into His French Horn". Out of print, but definitely a good read
for any Spectropopper who wants to spend the time tracking it down.
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