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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Soul Up North #45
From: Howard Earnshaw
2. Re: Weighing in on Smile
From: Richard Havers
3. Re: Arrangers - Carole King
From: Robert Pingel
4. Re: "Hits"
From: Dave the Rave
5. Re: The Swanks
From: Dave the Rave
6. Re: Ravin' about (Genya) Ravan
From: Austin Roberts
7. Re: Claude Francois
From: Tom K White
8. Re: French EP's
From: Tom K White
9. Re: weighing in on Smile
From: Phil Milstein
10. Re: "Mr. Turnkey"
From: David Coyle
11. Re: weighing in on Smile
From: Bill Reed
12. Re: wrong speed
From: Michael B Kelly
13. Re: 4 Seasons' outside backgrounds; French EPs
From: Mike Miller
14. Re: Brent-Shad; Archie's; Isleys' "Knock"; Attic drowns
From: Country Paul
15. Re: Paul Evans - "Happy Birthday, America"
From: Fred Clemens
16. Re: Tom Austin
From: Claire Francis
17. When I worked at Polydor
From: Claire Francis
18. Re: Buddy Randell
From: Andrew C Jones
19. Re: Wrong speed!
From: Andrew C Jones
20. Re: "Every Step Of The Way"
From: Tom
21. Re: Tommy McLain; Distant Cousins; Blue Beats; MCA
From: Country Paul
22. Re: French EP's
From: Frank
23. Sheep come to musica
From: Phil X Milstein
24. Germz & Blossoms
From: Barry
25. Re: Privacy
From: Gary Myers
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 16:18:58 EDT
From: Howard Earnshaw
Subject: Soul Up North #45
Hope it's ok to give my latest issue a plug, hot from the printers
Soul Up North #45 includes articles on:
Benny Gordon (Simon White)
McKinley Jackson (Howard Priestley)
Manchester's Playboys (Colin Wood)
Bill Medley's Outside Productions (Peter Richmond)
plus loads of vinyl reviews - RnB, Chicago, Northern & Rare
part 2 of the US Brunwick listing & part 6 of the UK Red Atlantic
lowdown Tributes to Johnny Bragg & Oscar Perry and more!!
Sample issue costs..
UK £3.00 inclusive of P&P (4 issue subscription £10.00)
Europe == 6 Euro's inc. of P&P (4 issue subscription 20 Euros)
USA == $7.00 (or 3.50 sterling) inc.P&P (4 issue subscription 25 dollars)
Please contact me off list for mailing address & any other payment
queries :-)
all the best.. Howard
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 20:45:06 +0100
From: Richard Havers
Subject: Re: Weighing in on Smile
I like what Mark has written and concur with just about all of it.
As someone who has remained a BB fan, even when it was un-cool to be
so, since the very earliest days I feel I have to take issue with one
thing in particular you write Bill. Your prediction that Brian would
break way from the Beach Boys is utter rubbish. Brian broke away from
no one. For a long time he was not sufficiently with the programme to
break away from anyone. Your suggestion that Brian should stand above
the BBs is I think what gets to me most. The Beach Boys were/are the
sum of their parts. You do Carl, Dennis, Al, Mike and Bruce and
disservice with what you write. I still think Brian was a genius, but I
think like most geniuses he needed others around him to help him shape
what he did - and it's clear to me that is a situation that prevails
today.
For me this is not 'Smile', it is, to quote a friend of mine "all about
marketing and the bottom line these days." I admire much of the
musicianship, but it lacks the special quality that the BB vocals
brought to their work. And before anyone says anything I am perfectly
happy with the fact that this album has been made and released, I
totally accept that it is something that is reasonable to do. The
trouble is that revisionism is rife. In one review I read they are
calling it a rock opera!
.......and last of all, changing the lyrics to 'Good Vibrations' is
pointless and stupid.
Richard
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 12:43:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Robert Pingel
Subject: Re: Arrangers - Carole King
I wrote:
> As a meaningless mental exercise I decided to make a top 10 list of
> the best musical arrangers from the 60's. It turned out to be a lot
> more agonizing than I suspected.
Austin Roberts:
> I agree with most of your list. The one exception, or eleventh of the
> top 10 (huh?), would be Carole King, if only for her unbelievable
> string parts in Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.
Ms. King was on my initial first 10 list on the strength of her work
with Dimension and that unbelievably good string arrangement you
mentioned. She got replaced when the name Jimmy "Wiz" Wisner crossed
my mind. Fact of the matter is, those that didn't make the first 10
could easily be on it without anyone taking any exception. The 60's
were truly a Renaissance of talented arrangers, producers, and
songwriters.
Rob Pingel
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 19:49:42 -0000
From: Dave the Rave
Subject: Re: "Hits"
One of my favs which I would call a shoulda-been-a-hit, or bigger
hit, was Austin Roberts Philips 45, Ricky Ticky Ta Ta. I would
assume that all on this board know that song well. Right?
Dave the Rave
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 19:34:43 -0000
From: Dave the Rave
Subject: Re: The Swanks
Rob:
> ... Ghost Train by The Swanks ... Has anybody got any information ...
The Swanks were from Minnesota and the song does appear on a comp CD
featuring Minnesota bands. I will pass the CD name on to you as
soon as I locate my copy. Cool rocker with surf overtones.
Dave the Rave
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 16:16:54 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Ravin' about (Genya) Ravan
Tony Leong:
> Such a great evening with such interesting musicians! If Genya and
> her band come to your town, GO SEE THEM! And her book is a must-
> read for her fans!
Genya Ravan was also a terrific producer. She cut a song that John
Hill and I wrote about 30 years ago, it seems, that was well produced.
Consider me a fan.
Austin R.
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 20:45:37 -0000
From: Tom K White
Subject: Re: Claude Francois
Frank wrote:
> My God! I never thought I would see the day Claude François is mentioned
> or even worse played her at Spectropop. Of all the French singers who
> made their success out of covering US and British hits he was probably
> the most popular over here in France but certainly very far from being
> the best. I can't think of a single one of his covers which was not an
> almost outrageous poor parody of the original hit. His only and main
> talent was in being extremely fast in finding the biggest foreign hits
> and covering them. If you really have to listen to French "cover-singers"
> try Richard Anthony, at least he knew how to sing.
Sorry, but I have to disagree, Frank. Claude had an amazingly expressive
and intense voice. Eeven if it wasn't technically perfect, it was certainly less
grating than Johnny Hallyday (although it's probably sacrilege to say so). I
don't know where you get the information that he didn't write his own lyrics,
perhaps this doesn't count for much but along with the supremely talented
Vline Buggy he's credited as writer on virtually all of his adaptations. That said,
I'm quite a fan of Richard Anthony as well -- very soulful for a French guy! (And
I don't mean that personally!) Those English singles I mentioned of Claude's
are not on CD, so I should be posting them soon -- and they are darn fine,
I assure you!
Tom K
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 20:35:44 -0000
From: Tom K White
Subject: Re: French EP's
previously:
> I thought all single releases in France were EP's. In the early sixties
> French record companies only released Extended Play singles with four
> tracks and pic covers. I gather two sided singles were unknown. Could
> any French or other knowledgeable person confirm there was some sort
> of law regarding this. Amercian and UK artists had to release EP's rather
> than singles in France and if the company only had the two tracks another
> two from another artist were added. Instant collector's item. The French
> EP's were the first big import success I noted, as British fans could get
> reasonably priced records with unusual combinations of tracks and an
> attractive cover.
I believe that's true. Sorry, I should have explained myself better. I meant to
say it wasn't the track on the EP that was marked out to be the hit, if you know
what I mean. It wasn't the "plug side". Two track singles were often issued in
France for jukebox and other promotional use, but usually these came without
picture sleeves. Unlike most British releases all French singles and EPs had a
large American-style centre hole. I believe that the standard format became
two track 45s in about 1968 in France, although French artists continued to
issue EPs well into the 70s.
Tom K
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 15:48:30 +0000
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: weighing in on Smile
Mark Frumento wrote:
> The implication, if I read it correctly is that Brian's work stands
> alone, without the Beach Boys. Maybe true and maybe not. As far
> back as Pet Sounds his significant writing and arranging gifts were
> recognized by many people. That's nothing new. What more is there?
> Do you feel he fits in a category beyond that? His main accomplishments
> were as the composer for the Beach Boys. Not sure that is disputed.
> But that's no different than Lennon and McCartney being recognized
> outside of the Beatles. He was a great writer: fact. But it doesn't
> change the fact that there was also band behind him. Why do the two
> have to be so separate? I ask that question in all sincerity because
> it doesn't make sense to me.
I can suggest two reasons:
* Brian was also the Beach Boys' producer. Since the group's best
records were as much products of their productions as of their
underlying songs, he deserves that much bigger slice of the credit for
the greatness of their records.
* I think the extent to which the group played the instruments on their
records has been well-documented. I don't have the hard data on any
of that, but I'm pretty certain that while they were present much of the
time, a great deal of the playing on those records was done by session
musicians substituting for members of the Beach Boys, as well as at times
augmenting the group's own performances. (As far as I know the band
members did virtually all of the vocal work on the Beach Boys records.)
In other words, Carl, Dennis, Al (and perhaps even, on occasion, Mike)
were the band who played on those records ... and they weren't. That is
not to condemn the inclusion of session musicians playing under an
existing group's name, nor of the Beach Boy's musicianship, but simply a
statement of apparent fact meant to demonstrate why I believe that Brian
is indeed deserving of the lion's share of the credit for the Beach Boys'
records, at least those through Pet Sounds and, in its way, Smile.
Respectfully,
--Phil M.
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 14:41:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Coyle
Subject: Re: "Mr. Turnkey"
Never having heard "Mr. Turnkey," and assuming it's not explained in
the lyrics ... how does one go about nailing their own wrist to the wall
of a prison cell?
And is there some sort of hidden Jesus-complex meaning in the act itself?
David
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 22:57:58 -0000
From: Bill Reed
Subject: Re: weighing in on Smile
I wrote:
> I used up a lot of column inches circa 1965-75 predicting that
> someday Brian Wilson would break away from the Beach Boys and
> become established as one of the major (extra-categoric) composers
> of the century. Had to happen. I surely did endure derision for
> that "call." Dame history, of course, has long since absolved me.
Mark Frumento wrote:
> I'm not exactly sure I undertand your point.
After the first BBs phase, and beginning with, approximately, "The
Beach Boys Today," it seemed to me (and I'm not certain that I could
ever be convinced otherwise) that the contributions made by the other
BBs diminished markedly and what we were left with was essentially
The Brian Wilson Band, with the rest of the guys pretty much doing
his musical bidding. At the time, I felt that Brian was being reigned
in by his strong sense of filial obligation to the others. Plus, let's face
it, he probably was in no shape by this point to go out "on his own"
anyway.
I have always contended that Brian was in the exact same position with
the Beach Boys as Duke Ellington was with his orchestra. There were
a great many fine musicians in the latter organization -- though I'm not
sure that I would (hahaha) feel comfortable equating Mike Love with,
say, oh Johnny Hodges -- but who do we continue to remember today?
Ellington, of course. And yet, in most instances, he wrote the way he
did because of his sensitivity and understanding of the unique and
individual players in his band. Almost to the the point of complete
and total musical subjugation. In other words ... just like Brian writing
all those beautiful vocal harmonies tailored to the qualities of the
individual members of the Beach Boys.
And as with Brian Wilson, on those rare occasions when Ellington
stepped out on his own to record with, say, Mingus or Coltrane,
listeners were generally astounded by the results. Just like Brian a
few years ago when he finally stepped out on this own BIGTIME with
the "Pet Sounds" tour. Of course, Ellington would always go back
"home" to his band, but it's doubtful Brian will ever feel the need
to return to his musical roots.
Then and now, I hardly ever listened/listen to the early stuff created
when the Beach Boys were clearly a much more -- if you will -- democratic
operation. In other words, I'm far more interested in the seemingly slight
"You're Welcome" (my perception of a pure Brian Wilson track) than
I am in "California Girls."
Just as we continue to remember and venerate Duke Ellington over,
say, Paul Gonzalves, Ray Nance, and other Ellingtonians, I think that
a hundred years from now there is a very good reason why history will
probably still know the name of Brian Wilson long after Love, Jardine
et al have perhaps fallen through the cracks of history. And that reason –
as with Ellington -- is the very simple one of superior talent (forget that
dreaded word "genius"). An old-fashioned notion I know, but
SOMEONE'S gotta be best. T'ain't no sin.
Back in the 1960s when I was living on the Lower East Side in New York,
for a brief time I was phonograph-less. I used to depend on the kindness
of strangers to listen to "Smiley Smile" when it came out:
"Can I come in and use your record player?"
Word soon got around and soon the invariable answer was:
"As long as you don't wanna hear that stoopid Beach Boys record." And
so I began traipsing around carrying the damn thing in a plain brown
wrapper. I hid the fact that the music I was listening to the Beach Boys,
but a new group known as The Triffids, and everone was all "Wow!"
By the time "Smiley Smile" was released, the group – alas -- had about
as much remaining musical credibility as Liberace. I was always at pains
to explain that, for the most part, I was simply not interested in what
was already being perceived by the masses as retro music of the band
but the more experimental contributions of Brian Wilson. I felt that way
nearly forty years ago and still do.
No one could possibly convince me that 1. Instrumentally, "Smile" was
not created almost soley by Brian. and 2. It isn't everything that has
been attributed to it in the press these last few days.
As for another apparently unclear "point" in my previous post, I think
the LES anecdote amply demonstrates what I meant by "derision" if not
necessarily in the press, still on a more private and personal level.
I guess we all have our favorite Beach Boy. If someone's happens to be
Mike Love, all I can say is Chacon a son gout! And go with god. Finally,
I guess that's my point.
Bill Reed
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Message: 12
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 17:04:53 -0400
From: Michael B Kelly
Subject: Re: wrong speed
Play Debbie Reynolds 45 of "Tammy" at 33 and you get Mel Torme!
Doc
Michael "Doc Rock" Kelly
The Rock 'n' Roll PhD
www.DocRock.us
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 19:10:38 EDT
From: Mike Miller
Subject: Re: 4 Seasons' outside backgrounds; French EPs
Early backups by 4 Seasons:
As is the case in many of the early backups in which the 4 Seasons were
a part of, some of these appear to have at least one female voice also
joining in. When you listen to the Shirley Matthews tracks like "Big Town
Boy" and "Private Property," you can hear what sounds like the 4 Seasons
with a girl or two in the chorus. The backing vocals are pretty muffled anyway.
The song "Across The Street" by Lenny O'Henry, for instance, clearly has
the 4 Seasons in the background. You can also hear a female voice at times,
which almost sounds like Tracey Dey, but that is not known. Very little
information is available about these recordings, and no one seems to be
able to add much about any backup info. One thing is known though, and
that is that the Seasons continued to back up recordings into at least the
mid-1960s, for artists like Eddie Rambeau, Michael Allen, L.B. Wilson (aka
Lenny O'Henry) on Vivid records ("Don't"), and others.
I always loved those French EP's. They had some beautiful pictures of the
artists on them!
Mike Miller, doowopdaddy
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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 20:15:47 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Re: Brent-Shad; Archie's; Isleys' "Knock"; Attic drowns
Al Kooper wrote:
> ...Brent, which I recall was a Long Island, NY label.
A division of Time and Shad, later Mainstream -- all part of Bob Shad's
empire.
Fred Clemens wrote:
> ... I found four copies together (at one time) [of Kevin McQuinn]
> at a local junk shop (Archie's [Stiles] Resale Shop in Meyersville,
> NJ). Archie had just about anything you could think of for sale,
> including records (mostly junk quality, but I still bought 'em))....
> Archie passed on about 5 years ago, and...his collection of antique
> toys and stuff have been auctioned off....Archie was also a legend
> in the area for being Santa Claus.
Fred, I live two miles up Meyersville Road. (Are you here in my neighborhood?
Write me off-list.) The place is still there, but I don't know what's stocked.
Archie's records were in some of the worst shape I've ever seen for sale –
and many at mint-condition prices. Nonetheless, I do need to check the
place out again soon to see if the records survive -- and might be more
realistically priced!
Fred again:
> The original version of "I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door" was by the
> Isley Brothers during their RCA ("Shout", "Respectable") days. Ron
> Isley gave it a very different treatment from where Eddie took it.
Any chance of playing it to musica? (Or is it on a CD?)
Mark Hill wrote:
> The Death Of Vinyl/Attic Records: http://tinyurl.com/5mepa
> For background on the flood and its damage: http://tinyurl.com/4fj8u
They distributed my Fabulous Dudes 45s. Sad days for vinyl.
More to come,
Country Paul
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 23:19:27 -0000
From: Fred Clemens
Subject: Re: Paul Evans - "Happy Birthday, America"
Ed Salamon wrote:
> Paul Evan's "Happy Birthday America" was a #1 song for us at WHN.
> I have a copy, but do not have the ability to post it to musica. If
> there are any Nashville area S'Poppers who want to volunteer to do
> so, I will be happy to lend you my copy.
I've taken the liberty of playing a RealAudio version of the song from
my record copy to musica. Sorry, but I can't do MP3s on my home base.
Perhaps this will do for some of you until a better upgrade comes along.
Fred Clemens
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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 20:31:08 EDT
From: Claire Francis
Subject: Re: Tom Austin
Just wondering. In the early '70s I worked with a songwriter/singer named
Tom Austin. This was in Los Angeles. I have a tape of him which I think is a
demo I produced of him singing his own songs. I noticed in the message posted
"Re: The Knickerbockers" the name "Tom Austin" is mentioned. Is this the same
Tom Austin? I remember playing his tape for Clive Davis at the Bill Gavin
convention in San Francisco in the early '70s. I remember Tom as being a young
man with blonde hair. He was engaged to a young woman and they were both
going to go to, I think Oregon around that time. Please let me know.
Thanks,
Claire Francis
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 20:57:49 EDT
From: Claire Francis
Subject: When I worked at Polydor
It was really great working at Polydor in the '60s. My job was to help build
the label. If my memory serves me correctly, "Watch us happen" was our
motto.
Roland Rennie, who was managing director of the label at the time, told me
to "go find talent and take them into the studio and let's see if we can get a
hit". When word got out that we were soliciting new talent, stacks of audition
tapes came in. My desk was piled high with tapes all the time. One of the first
tapes that caught my attention was from a group called The John Bull Breed.
(I think they were from Birmingham. Does anyone out there know about
this group?)
Anyway, in 1966 I got them to come down into the studio to cut some demos.
They came out pretty good, and we finally cut a single called "Can't Chance A
Break-Up", which was an Ike & Tina song. (Thank you, Ian, for "ringing that
bell"). As pointed out to me by Ian, "it must be a collector's item amongst
the northern soul crowd because in '97 a 45 UK price guide had it listed as 125
pounds, and presumably the price has gone up since then". The thing I remember
most about this group was they had a real intensity about them. They were tough
kids who looked like they sacrificed alot to be a band and even to come down to
London to go into the studio. I could tell how badly they wanted to "make it".
They were good kids, and I really liked them and wanted to help them. I am
hoping that these guys had their dreams come true.
So two things I would love to find out:
1. What happened to them -- does any one know anything about them?
and
2. Will somebody pleeeezze play me their record's A & B sides so I can play
it through my computer?
Mucho love and light,
Claire Francis
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Message: 18
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 22:30:25 -0400
From: Andrew C Jones
Subject: Re: Buddy Randell
Last I heard, Buddy Randell died in 1999 or thereabouts.
ACJ
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Message: 19
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 23:16:59 -0400
From: Andrew C Jones
Subject: Re: Wrong speed!
Sadly, my major wrong-speed experience post-dates S'pop. I'd bought this
copy of the early Eighties 12" single "Blue Monday" by New Order. It was
12-inch, no speed was listed on the label, so I naturally assumed it
played at 33. And you know, it wasn't until nearly halfway through the
side -- when the singer FINALLY came on -- that I realized the thing was
supposed to be played at 45. Because all the instruments were
synthesizers, which sound like synthesizers at any speed, I honestly
couldn't tell the difference until the singer finally started.
Could've been worse -- it could've been a 10-inch LP that I would've
tried to play at 78 ...
ACJ
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Message: 20
Date: Fri, 01 Oct 2004 04:37:37 -0000
From: Tom
Subject: Re: "Every Step Of The Way"
Julio Niño wrote:
> I've liked very much "Every Step Of The Way" by Kevin McQuinn.
> The backing vocals by the 4 Seasons are rather surprising, they
> could sound rather girlish (I would have sworn that there were some
> girl voices in the chorus).
Could the highest voice be that of Frankie Valli? (Though, honestly, I
didn't think it sounded like the Four Seasons on backing vocals.) Maybe
someone can contact Charles Calello or Bob Crewe, to ask who played
on the session and if either of them still has session tapes for stereo
mixes to be created (which can be done even if they have only the
backing tracks).
Tom
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Message: 21
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2004 01:21:30 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Re: Tommy McLain; Distant Cousins; Blue Beats; MCA
Dave O'Gara wrote:
> Julio mentioned Tommy McLain in a recent post and it reminded me
> how much I liked Tommy's version of "Sweet Dreams"....[T]he
> mention of Tommy's name prompts me to ask S'pop folks what they
> know about him. Was he country, pop or a little of both.
His website is http://www.angelfire.com/la/tommymclain . It claims that his
Zen-simple, soulful and eloquent reading of "Sweet Dreams" sold 10 million
copies. (Some of them Southern boys sure do like to spin a tale -- but it
certainly was a major hit.) After his strong swamp-pop phase (a style I kinda
like), he had some country records, and now has turned to gospel – as well
as the heavier and long-bearded look that Duane Eddy and Buddy Knox
both took on in their older years. There's what sounds like a piece of a
demo under the home page that shows he still got the sound and the voice.
On his bio page he notes that he currently gigs sometimes with Dean Mathis
of The Newbeats and Dean & Marc. There's a "jukebox" page with 30-second
song samples from his new CD. Despite the lo-fi and the really low-budget
production, he's still sounding good. I think someone with some dollars
could help him do effective versions of several of these songs.
Al Quaglier wrotei:
> I've posted a few more Distant Cousins tracks....
> No More You, http://www.alcue.com/distant-3.mp3
In my opinion, their masterpiece. Thanks for the post!
Gary Myers wrote:
> Interesting to see your Blue Beats mention, as there is a
> Wisconsin conection to that band, so they will be mentioned
> in my 2nd Wisconsin book.
As previously discussed here, they were a mainstay for a moment of
Connecticut rock & roll; "Extra Girl" was a power pop monument built in
under two minutes. Top ten in New Haven and Hartford, virtually unknown
elsewhere -- except Wisconsin? Please explain.
Joe Nelson wrote, re: the Breakaways picture:
> I'm intrigued by the record company logo. MCA Records, but using
> a Decca (US) arrow/New World Of Sound logo. Obviously this isn't
> stateside, but where was it.
I seem to remember it as a UK label. I may have seen it on an import at
one of my radio stations. Anyone else with any info?
Again, "Smile": wow!
Country Paul
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Message: 22
Date: Fri, 01 Oct 2004 08:11:18 +0200
From: Frank
Subject: Re: French EP's
the other Frank (Murphy) wrote:
> I thought all single releases in France were EP's. In the early sixties French
> record companies only released Extended Play singles with four tracks and
> pic covers. I gather two sided singles were unknown. Could any French or
> other knowledgeable person confirm there was some sort of law regarding
> this.
This is absolutely true, although it wasn't a law, just a sort of French custom.
habit. The only exception were regular singles issued for jukeboxes, which we
would try and get from some friendly operators. And, as you mention also,
when there were only two tracks available for an artist they would be coupled
with another artist to make an EP. I have lots of French EPs where the couplings
were sometimes quite surprising. Offhand and without checking, I remember
that Paul & Paula's "Hey Paula" was released this way, same as The Lafayettes.
The funniest thing was that sometimes when the record companies had no
pictures of the artists and they wanted to release the record as fast as possible
they'd put almost anything on the cover. For instance the cover of Ray Charles'
"What'd I Say" has become a classic in France -- it's just a piano with a pair of
glasses on top. But the best one is Dionne Warwick's first record -- they put
a picture of a blonde model on the EP, who for several months everybody
thought was Dionne.
The EPs started to disappear later in the sixties when the regular price
increases almost forced the record companies to find a way to cut down
the retail price and CBS-France came first with the commercial single,
which was an instant success.
Frank
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Message: 23
Date: Fri, 01 Oct 2004 11:40:39 +0000
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Sheep come to musica
Now playing at musica is a hot piece of track titled "Twelve Months
Later," the flipside to The Sheep's "Hide And Seek" (and reminding me
of Dino, Desi & Billy's "I'm A Fool"). The record was Boom 60000, that
label's debut, and was written and produced by the team of Feldman-
Goldstein-Gottehrer, who I assume, especially given the sheepherding
references used in the promotion of The Strangeloves, WERE The Sheep.
Tom Adams, the Spectropopper who provided us with those great
Bob Feldman telephone responses not long ago, recently sent me
a Strangeloves-related link. I'll say no more other than to urge any
Strangeloves -- or, for that matter, Sheep -- fans to take a look:
http://www.theuncledevilshow.com/
Yeah,
--Phil M.
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Message: 24
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2004 09:58:19 -0500
From: Barry
Subject: Germz & Blossoms
I'm new to the group -- it's great.
Does anyone know about:
Vertigo 8001 - THE GERMZ-No Easy Way Down/Boy Girl Love
Vertigo 8002 - The RAVENETTES - Baby Pull My Heart Strings
Ode 101 - THE BLOSSOMS -Wonderful/Stony End
Ode 106 - THE BLOSSOMS -Cry Like A Baby/Wonderful
Ode 125 - THE BLOSSOMS -Stoney End/Wonderful
These are some of my all-time favorite Girl Group records. I know, of course,
that The Blossoms was the Darlene Love group, but these releases seem
to be so darn obscure.
I believe The Germz had Carole King in the one-off group. Who else?
The Ravenettes, one of the toughest girl group records I've ever heard, is
completely unknown.
Any info?
Barry in Minneapolis
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Message: 25
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 23:11:25 -0700
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Re: Privacy
Austin Roberts:
> ... I've always felt very lucky to have been able to stay in this
> business 37 years and still be able to support myself. Along with
> that, I truly appreciate the interest shown by many of my Spectropop
> friends in my career ...
Nicely put, Austin. And, even though I *haven't* had a hit (not yet,
anyway ), I feel blessed to have played music all my life, to still
be playing and learning, to have worked with many good (and some great)
players, and to have so many friends in music.
gem
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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