________________________________________________________________________
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
________________________________________________________________________
There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. MCA UK
From: Austin Powell
2. Re: Where The Girls Are #6
From: Paul Woods
3. Re: UK MCA
From: Howard Earnshaw
4. Scopitones
From: Eddy
5. Re: I can hear music
From: Richard Hattersley
6. Weedon/Shadows/Apache
From: Austin Powell
7. Re: Earl or Hal? / Scopitones
From: Bob Celli
8. Re: Earl or Hal?
From: Mikey
9. Re: The Beach Boys' "I Can Hear Music"
From: Mike McKay
10. Re: Zombies / Love concert at First Avenue
From: Barry
11. Re: days of Steam
From: Clark Besch
12. Re: Reparata & the Delrons "Look In My Diary"
From: Tony Leong
13. The Astronauts
From: Steve Harvey
14. Re: Sandy Selsie
From: Michael B Kelly
15. Searchers CDs
From: Steve Harvey
16. Paul Williams in Los Angeles this week
From: David Ponak
17. Arthur Lee & Love
From: Kingsley Abbott
18. Re: RIP Scott Muni
From: Clark Besch
19. Re: Beach Boys' 20 Golden Greats
From: Phil X Milstein
20. Re: days of Steam
From: Joe Nelson
21. Re: Lou Reizner
From: Barry
22. Re: Scopitones
From: Mikey
23. Re: Beg, Borrow & Steal
From: Bill Pitzonka
24. Re: Defining genius
From: Joe Nelson
25. Re: Scopitones
From: Matt Spero
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 02:26:09 +0100
From: Austin Powell
Subject: MCA UK
Phil C:
> Austin, or anyone - I remember an instrumental on the orange/yellow
> MCA label which was quite a hit (as I recall) and used for a Guinness
> commercial. It opened with a harpsichord figure that cropped up between
> each of the sung lines, (female 'dooh's). The title escapes me, as does
> the name of the artist, possibly just one word, although in actuality
> it was the "Sing Something Simple" Cliff Adams (my ex-boss) Singers.
Phil, I don't know the record as such, but choose from one of these maybe?
MK 5028 Cat's Eyes - The Loser / Circus
MK 5043 Cat's Eyes - Cirrus / Come Away Melinda
MK 5056 Cat's Eyes - Wizard / Hey (Open Your Eyes)
It wouldn't have been (?) MK 5014 The Cliff Adams Chorale "Take, Oh Take
Those Lips Away" - not a suitable title for a Guiness jingle !! Nothing
else in the 104 record series seems to fit the bill.
Austin P.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 09:06:43 +0100
From: Paul Woods
Subject: Re: Where The Girls Are #6
I too can't wait for Volume 6 - especially for the Little Eva track.
Mick, where do you get to find this stuff in the first place? And
are there many other tracks by Ms. Boyd yet to see the light of day?
Paul Woods
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 04:34:43 -0400
From: Howard Earnshaw
Subject: Re: UK MCA
Austin Powell:
> In 1969 MCA also launched a short-lived MK singles series which
> issued only UK artists. This label had the same logo in red against
> a background of "orange/yellow swirls".
MCA (UK) also had another 'mini' series titled MCA Soul Bag, the label
was similar in design to the above but was blue with 'swirls' records
released on this were of USA origin, and the matrix numbers were
prefixed BAG, artists included, Garland Green & Jackie Wilson. If
anyone's interested I'll dig them out and list them?
.. Howard
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 11:45:25 +0200
From: Eddy
Subject: Scopitones
Clark Besch:
> The version of "Night Has..." that is used on the Scopitone of the
> song is a different version and likely recorded 64 or 65, as I don't
> think there were Scopitones when the song was a hit.
I'm really not that familiar with the making of these Scopitone films,
but judging by the clips I see on that site, I get the impression they
were not specifically filmed for Scopitone use. To the best of my
knowledge at least some of these clips were filmed for TV originally
(Nancy Sinatra, Procol Harum,...). Any info on that?
Eddy
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 09:57:51 +0000
From: Richard Hattersley
Subject: Re: I can hear music
Was Brian really present at the session? I just assumed he wasn't
because Bruce Johnston says on the Endless Harmony Docu, "That was
the first record we made without Brian". I guess just because he
didn't play or sing on it, doesn't mean he wasn't there. My fave
part about that record is Mike Love's "Doh ray me fa so la te do"
bass line on the tag.
Richard
www.wiz.to/richardsnow
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 11:15:32 +0100
From: Austin Powell
Subject: Weedon/Shadows/Apache
Dusting off some files I found this from an article written for a Hank
Marvin fanzine by one George Geddes:
Qutoing composer Jerry Lordan:
I wanted (to write) something noble and dramatic, reflecting the courage
and savagery of the (American) Indian....
The piece continues:
Initially, Jerry was delighted when Bert Weedon agreed to record the
number - entitled "Apache" after a Burt Lancaster film - for a
forthcoming album. He was less than pleased when he actually heard the
recording. All the drama of the melody had done. The composer later
remarked, in an unpublished 1993 interview, * It's a dreadful version,
he hasn't even played the music that I wrote*.
The article goes on to say that Jerry was then booked on a package tour
with Cliff Richard & The Shadows. The Shads had by then released 3
singles, two with vocals and one instrumental byt they couldn't decide
on a future direction and their contract with EMI's Columbia label was
only a short-term one. It then suggests two scenarios in which The
Shadows heard *Apache*...the first that Lordan hummed it to Jet Harris
on a late night tube train journey in London - the other that the
humming took place in a dressing room at The Colston Hall in Bristol.
Lordan then recalls how the tune was originally intended to be a B side
on a session in Studio 2 at Abbey Road on June 17th 1960. Recorded on
two track it took only three or four takes after which the group, Lordan
and producer Norrie Paramor agreed it should be the A side, though the
latter had to be persuaded by his teenage daughters.
So, it would seem Weedon recorded it first and when news of The, so far
hitless, Shadows were to release the tune broke, Weedon, who'd already
had one Top 10 hit and two lesser ones and his label, Top Rank, perhaps
thought they had a better chance of chart honours and released their
version. The Shads, of course, made number one - Weedon made number 24.
Top Rank had earlier been involved in a similar situation. British
pianist Russ Conway's number one *Side Saddle* had been covered by a
young Tony Hatch in March 1959. Tony told me that his boss, Dick Rowe,
had persuaded him to record the tune as he thought EMI weren't pushing
their track very well. Tony's version is very different to Conway's and
never smelt the chart while the original spent 30 weeks in our charts.
Austin P.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 11:41:46 -0000
From: Bob Celli
Subject: Re: Earl or Hal? / Scopitones
Clark Besch:
> The version of "Night Has..." that is used on the Scopitone of the
> song is a different version and likely recorded 64 or 65, as I don't
> think there were Scopitones when the song was a hit. Maybe Hal
> played on this version.
I suppose it's entirely possible that Hal played on the Scopitone track.
I never did get around to asking Bob the circumstances around those
recordings. I should have, because out of the three Scopitones he did,
two were "new" recordings of songs that were already released, "Pretty
Girls Everywhere", and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes". The third,
"Baby Face" was not redone for the film. There is obviously some legal
factor involved here, but I'm not sure exactly what. Perhaps someone
could shed some light on this.
Bob Celli
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 07:49:16 -0400
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: Earl or Hal?
Bob Celli wrote:
> I was reading some old posts from a few years ago and came across a
> question that was never definitively answered in regards to who
> drummed on Bobby Vee's hit, "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes". The
> answer is Earl Palmer. Hal Blaine did session work on the "Live On
> Tour" LP, which included a version of "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes",
> but not the hit version. This may be where the confusion comes from.
Keep in mind that on many of those songs, Hal AND Earl played. They
used double drummers sometimes to get a larger drum sound. Most of
the Jan and Dean tracks feature two drummers.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 09:14:53 EDT
From: Mike McKay
Subject: Re: The Beach Boys' "I Can Hear Music"
The Right Reverend Bob wrote:
> Carl co-produced I Can Hear Music. I have tapes of the sessions,
> Brian was there helping and instructing and encouraging. But it
> is true Carl co-produced a number of songs and albums that he
> generally never really got credit for, save the "produced by the
> Beach Boys" moniker. Wild Honey anyone?
Indeed. Carl is all over that album...and a propos of a parallel Beach
Boys thread, it's certainly their most R&B-inflected work. No, their
cover of "I Was Made to Love Her" won't make anyone forget Stevie
Wonder, but I still enjoy it.
A story I often tell is indicative of the rise and fall of The Beach
Boys' hip cachet in the 60s. For my birthday in 1968, a friend of mine
-- who was not quite as "up" on the music scene as my other friends
and I imagined ourselves to be -- gave me the "Wild Honey" LP. At the
time, we all scoffed at such a choice. Of course, before too long I
came to really love the album, and still do. Not heavyweight, by any
means, but still great fun. And fun aside, "Let the Wind Blow," remains
one of my favorite Beach Boys songs.
Mike
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 09:04:46 -0500
From: Barry
Subject: Re: Zombies / Love concert at First Avenue
I saw them last night and both groups were really great.
I was more excited to see Love, since I saw the Argent/Blunstone "Out
Of The Shadows" mini tour two years ago.
Love were surprisingly good....they did about half of the "Forever
Changes" LP, and AMAZINGLY, one of the three guitarists was JOHN
ECHOLS, one of the original members of this classic LA band. He was
on the first three albums.
The Zombies were also amazing....they did a couple of songs that they
said they have not performed anywhere else (they have a special love
for Minneapolis, apparently!). They did "Brief Candles" segueing into
"I Want Her, She Wants Me" , which they said they have only performed
one other time on stage!
I was also lucky enough to get Rod and Colin to sign my Zombies Greg
Russo book too....I asked Colin if he could talk to the Ace/Big Beat
people about possibily putting out a CD containing the 6 Deram Neil
MacArthur tracks, as well as song of Colin's Epic B sides that have
never been on an album before.
He agreed that the tracks are worthy of release and he said he would
talk to them.
I don't know how much influence he has, but I believe that he and Rod
have a good relationship with Big Beat...even though most of the
material is controlled by Marquis.
We'll see.
All in all...one hellava night last night.
Barry in Minneapolis
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 14:39:25 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: days of Steam
I'm not sure what song you are thinking of, but no doubt if I heard
it, I'd probably start "na na-ing" along, ya know? Makes me think of
the "na-na" ending of "Centerfold" bu J. Geils Band. Say, remember
when "Na Na Hey Hey" got re-released witha title sleeve, because it
became the anthem for the Chicago White Sox? Didn't help them much
and lightning didn't strike twice on the charts, either. Altho I
cannot figure out the song you are thinking of, I have to admit that
I do think "Glen Glen-Glen-Glen, Glen-Glen-Glen" is catchy from the
new commercial in which Survivor (yes, the Jim Peterik group!)
follows guys around singing their name to the tune "Eye of the Tiger".
Wierd idea, but funny. Clark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 16:21:07 -0000
From: Tony Leong
Subject: Re: Reparata & the Delrons "Look In My Diary"
I agree that "Look In My Diary" would have made a great hit for the
Delrons (same with more than half of their 1966-8 output!!). When I
first heard it on the CD, I told Mary (Reparata) about it, but of
course she did not recall the song (the last time she heard it was at
the recording session in 1966!!!). But, I sent her a copy and she
vaguely recalled the song and did not think it was one of their
best. Nanette on the other hand was totally unfamiliar with the song
(probably because the backgrounds were handled by session singers).
Tony
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 09:23:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: The Astronauts
Austin Roberts wrote:
> I loved the Astronauts recording of Baja (or is it BaHa?). Surf
> music on either coast was different but both very cool.
And their rendition of "Know My Rider" kicks the krap outta the Byrds'
version. This is coming from a big fan of the Byrds, too!
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 12:24:54 -0400
From: Michael B Kelly
Subject: Re: Sandy Selsie
Someone asked:
> Does anyone know of a female 60's singer named Sandy Selsie? I
> would like to know where she was from? She recorded on the
> Columbia label around 1963. I am trying to ascertain if she had
> a Michigan connection or not?
Didn't Sandy do "Gonna Get Some Records?
Doc
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 15
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 09:31:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Searchers CDs
Just picked up two Searchers CDs. One is the live show
from the Star Klub (some of which came out on vinyl
years ago) and the other is the Iron Door demos (the
Searchers' version of the Cavern). Got the Star Klub
on Bear for $17 and the Iron Door was $12. While both
will prove interesting to diehard Searcher fans be
aware that the Iron Door CD is under 23 minutes! $12
is alot to pay for such a short amount of playing
time. They should have combined with the Star Klub
stuff which easily would have fit under 80 minutes.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 16
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 09:38:21 -0700
From: David Ponak
Subject: Paul Williams in Los Angeles this week
In case you you didn't know, I want to let Los Angeles Spectropoppers
that Paul Williams is in the middle of a 4 night stand at the Cinegrill
in Hollywood this week. (Wednesday through Saturday). I went to the
show last night, and it was an evening of wonderful, old school
entertainment from a living legend. The new Cinegrill on the lower
level of the Hotel is a wonderful room!
http://www.cinegrill.com/
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 17
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 17:58:59 +0100
From: Kingsley Abbott
Subject: Arthur Lee & Love
Have to join in this one: Anyone who has a chance to see Arthur Lee
and the current Love should cancel anything to go. I saw just Arthur
and the four piece (Baby Lemonade) Love band at the Norwich
Waterfront (holds about 600/700) and they were fabulous - quite one
of the best gigs I have even been to, and at my great age I have seen
a few goodies - Great tight playing, quite superb sound and Arthur as
cool as ever.
Kingsley
PS As for the track listing of the new Where The Girls Are -
Oooooooooo......Looks like the best yet!
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 18
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 16:24:11 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: RIP Scott Muni
Previously:
> ... as a big fan of 60's radio, it was shocking to hear of this.
> I was not able to hear Scott first hand in the 60's, but heard him
> on Ticket to Ride and airchecks from 60's. No doubt, Reel Radio
> http://www.reelradio.com/ will have a tribute soon. You can already
> hear an hour check of Scott on WNEW's 18th anniversary from the 80's
> there.
As suggested, Reel Radio has put up a STEREO Scott Muni aircheck from
April 8, 1967 (4 days after my 11th birthday!) at WOR-FM!! Dig!
-Clark Besch ("Revenge of the Huskers" coming in a year or so to a
football field near you!)
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 19
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 13:09:16 +0000
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Beach Boys' 20 Golden Greats
Michael Edwards wrote:
> Another point about Brian Wilson songs is that they have zero r&b
> appeal, which is why his work is not totally embraced by S'poppers.
Interesting that you say that. The Beach Boys, of course, were heavily
influenced by R&B, yet, in merging it with 4 Freshman-styled harmonies
and other ultrawhite modes, managed to blanch most of the "blackness"
out of it (which takes some doing!). Consequently, you can find very
little trace of Beach Boys influence trickling back into the R&B market.
Mike again:
> Another successful 20 Golden Greats' compilation was one by the Beach
> Boys from 1977, which, in spite of the number of Mike Love co-penned
> songs, was a very fine album.
I have a sentimental attachment to the Beach Boys' "20 Golden Greats,"
as it was the first album of their's that I heard. It might not qualify
as a true greatest hits album, but boy it sure did turn my head around,
and even though I now have hotter-sounding copies of all its songs
elsewhere, I still keep a copy around for old time's sake.
Fun fun fun,
--Phil M.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 20
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 14:26:04 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: days of Steam
Paul Leka also considered it an insult that Gary's Garrett Scott
singles were all duds, as they were clearly superior to NNHHKHG.
Whether he's performing any self-flagelation for giving consent to
Mercury to issue the Steam record on a subsidiary label under an
assumed group name I'm not able to tell.
Joe Nelson
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 21
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 13:58:58 -0500
From: Barry
Subject: Re: Lou Reizner
Artie Wayne wrote:
> I'm curious, did you have any dealings with my late partner Lou
> Reizner, who discovered and recorded Rod Stewart, The Singing Nun,
> and produced the A+M "Tommy" album.
He also produced the UK band, Wishful Thinking, second album (UK B&C,
US Ampex) called "Hiroshima", and I believe, he also produced the
"Tommy" movie soundtrack.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 22
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 16:09:08 -0400
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: Scopitones
Eddy:
> I'm really not that familiar with the making of these Scopitone
> films, but judging by the clips I see on that site, I get the
> impression they were not specifically filmed for Scopitone use.
Incorrect......95% of the things shown on Scopitone machines were
in fact, filmed FOR Scopitone by three different production companies.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 23
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 20:32:41 -0000
From: Bill Pitzonka
Subject: Re: Beg, Borrow & Steal
Time for me to venture out of lurker mode. I co-produced the
BUBBLEGUM CLASSICS series and wrote the liner notes. Jeff Katz
(who speaks for Kasenetz-Katz and insists all quotes be credited
to them jointly [!]) told me that the Rare Breed master was sold
lock, stock, and intact to Cameo and repackaged as the Ohio
Express — without changing it a whit. When we licensed "Beg
Borrow & Steal" from the Super K twins, the only version they gave
us was a safety of the original with really distracting
contemporary overdubs used to disguise the low-generation of the
source. We had to go into the PolyGram vaults and retrieve the
original master tape — fortuitously still there from the final
days of Cameo when the label was distributed by MGM — and pull it
from the Ohio Express BEG, BORROW AND STEAL album. And of course,
Jeff made me promise not to mention in the BUBBLEGUM CLASSICS
notes that it was the exact same version, so I used some literary
trickery to allude to it. Hope this finally clears this debate up.
Back to the background,
Bill Pitzonka
Bubblegum Avatar
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 24
Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2004 16:53:10 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: Defining genius
Personally I tend to apply the Ray Charles model that a significant
measure of humility is absolutely necessary. Thus Charles, who
rejected the tag, qualifies, whereas Prince, who embraces it, doesn't.
Joe Nelson
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 25
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 17:10:53 EDT
From: Matt Spero
Subject: Re: Scopitones
Previously:
> The version of "Night Has A Thousand Eyes..." that is used on the
> Scopitone of the song is a different version and likely recorded
> 64 or 65, as I don't think there were Scopitones when the song was
> a hit.
I hate to disapoint you but it is the hit recording except for a
music edit. I know as I have synced up the original HIT to it in
stereo. Matt Spero
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
End
