________________________________________________________________________
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
________________________________________________________________________
There are 19 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Spanky & Our Gang boxset
From: Clark Besch
2. Re: "Please Love Me" by Betty Everett
From: ACJ
3. Re: Smile special on Showtime
From: Paul Levinson
4. Flamin' Groovies / Magic Christian
From: Mike Griffiths
5. Mark Lindsay Solo
From: Bob Rashkow
6. Re: Mark Lindsay
From: Clark Besch
7. B.B.King Gig, around 1969
From: Claire Francis
8. Re: Hey Schoolgirl
From: Barry Margolis
9. Smile concert; flips; reverb; NRBQ-related
From: Country Paul
10. Re: dusty demos
From: Al Kooper
11. Re: Mark Lindsay & Kenny Young
From: Austin Roberts
12. Re: Mark Lindsay & Artie Butler
From: Frank Jastfelder
13. Re: Hey Schoolgirl
From: Joe Nelson
14. Re: Zal in Argentina
From: John DeAngelis
15. Re: Bobby Darin flick
From: Rodney Rawlings
16. Re: Spanky & Our Gang Q
From: Austin Roberts
17. Re: Dance with Claire Francis
From: Phil X Milstein
18. Re: solo you can't hear them
From: John Fox
19. steel cans to Musica
From: Clark Besch
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2004 17:48:30 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Spanky & Our Gang boxset
Indeed this sounds like a good thing. I would love to get the single
version of "And She's Mine" without the horn intro that appears all
the time. The single reached #4 here in Lincoln, Ne. and shoulda
been a hit nationally. "And Your Bird Can Sing" was their first
single a year ahead of "Sunday Will Never.." and appeared on the old
all black Mercury label. They were a Chicago band then as far as I
can tell. Bill Traut told me he was one day from signing them to
Dunwich when his partner George Badonsky nixed the deal. The next
day, Bill tried again and they had signed with Mercury. What I don't
get is why there was a year between their first and second 45 on
Mercury. The "Bird Can Sing" B side was a cover of "Sealed with a
Kiss". I have both the blcak label and DJ copies. Based on Spanky's
own Cd release last year of lost tapes, she covered a lot of styles
and these two were of the oddest, I thought. With all the cuss words
or "inappropriate" words that have filled the airwaves since
1969, "Give A Damn" was a breakthrough for both getting airplay for
such a "dastardly" word, and for the use of it in a title, which
meant it would be printed on playlists nationally and in Billboard,
etc. They took a chance with a great song. It turned out to hurt
sales from then on, possibly. The "Anything You Choose" Lp cover was
a masterpiece as much as the music itself! How cool is an Lp that is
created like a 45? So many of their hits seemed so simple and
melodic for all the other more meaning-filled songs that came along
too. Could it be the smae group that recorded "Lazy Day" that also
cut "Commercial"? What a hilarious track that I played on my 80's
radio show now and then. Like the Spanky and Our Gang Greatest Hit
(s) Lp version best--how bout that Lp cover? Just that "(s)"
signature is cool as you look at the pic of Spanky and her baby. So
many interesting things about the group. The staring drummer......
I'll stop here.
Clark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2004 22:28:51 -0400
From: ACJ
Subject: Re: "Please Love Me" by Betty Everett
Thanks, Ray and Sebastian! And Gary, while I've done a little research
on Betty Everett's career, I don't remember running across James
Bryant's name. But when I get time, I'll check my sources again.
ACJ
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 01:55:54 -0000
From: Paul Levinson
Subject: Re: Smile special on Showtime
Austin Roberts wrote:>
> I loved it, just because you can still see the past and present
> spark in Brian.
I loved it too, for the same reason.
My "media theorist" ears also picked up a little fact that I find
fascinating: part of the trouble that Brian had completing the album
in the '60s stemmed from the 'modular' productions, in which pieces
shorter than complete songs were recorded. Back in the '60s, the
prospect of putting these pieces of egg shell together was too much.
But once they were put on Darian's computer a few years, suddenly the
jigsaw became do-able.
There's a principle which a fellow by the name of Roger Burlingame
first mentioned (also in the 1960s). He called it "collateral
technology," and what he meant was that ideas are not enough for
invention. You also have to have technology which is advanced enough
to implement the ideas.
Just like Leonardo's blueprints for a helicopter had to wait for the
development of suitable alloys and engines, so Brian's acoustic
visions of Smile had to await the advent of the personal computer.
Best wishes,
Paul
www.sff.net/people/paullevinson
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 02:43:18 -0000
From: Mike Griffiths
Subject: Flamin' Groovies / Magic Christian
Mike Griffiths (me) wrote:
> early Bomp singles i.e. "You Tore Me Down" - the Flaming Groovies
I'm embarrassed to have made the mistake of putting the 'g' on
Flamin' as above and I don't want anyone to think I don't know the
difference. Whew!
By the way, here's some info on Cyril Jordan's new band Magic
Christian. I just found this out through FLAMIN' GROOVIES NEWS @
http://www11.brinkster.com/groovies1/News.html
I've just ordered the set from Repeat Records in San Francisco so
there are still some copies left!
*****
DEBUT CD NOW AVAILABLE (LIMITED EDITION):
Magic Christian's debut CD was officially released in a limited
edition format on September 11, 2004 at the Azkena Rock Festival in
Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain accompanied by a bonus disc of their first
live appearance at the Great American Music Hall on April 1, 2004.
This limited edition of 1000 copies is available from Repeat Records
at: http://www.repeatrecords.com/product.asp?itemid=560&catid=33
The major label debut of the Magic Christian CD will be sometime
in the near future. Check the Magic Christian website for further
information: http://www.magicchristian.net/
MAGIC CHRISTIAN - LIMITED EDITION (Tracklisting)
Disc 1 - STUDIO VERSION
1. Too Close To Zero (4:15)
2. Things She Said (Jordan, Kopf, Jaffe) (2:40)
3. Here She Comes (3:19)
4. Right Back Where I Started (3:37)
5. She's So Good (4:37)
6. No Time To Cry (2:51)
7. My Gal (Trad. Arr. - Jordan, Kopf, Palao, Prince) (2:57)
8. Some Day Soon (2:06)
9. Flash (2:52)
10. Ride The Light (2:34)
11. Till I Looked In Her Eyes (3:21)
12. Angel (3:17)
13. I Can See For Miles (Townsend) (4:38)
Disc 2 - LIVE VERSION
1. Made My Bed (Young) (2:38)
2. Till I Looked in Her Eyes (4:16)
3. Right Back Where I Started (4:13)
4. Flash (3:34)
5. Ride The Light (3:01)
6. Too Close to Zero (4:20)
7. No Time to Cry (3:08)
8. Things She Said (Jordan, Kopf, Jaffe) (3:31)
9. She's So Good (5:43)
10. My Gal (Trad. Arr. - Jordan, Kopf, Palao, Prince) (2:53)
11. Here She Comes (3:51)
Songs by Cyril Jordan (except as noted)
*****
Cheers,
Mike
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2004 23:29:10 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Mark Lindsay Solo
I had a 45 of "Arizona" back in '70--strangely enough it was the B
side "Man From Houston", a kind of saccharine tune about flying and
talking to this guy and later envying what appears to be his happy
marriage and family, that I liked even better. It's true that a lot
of Lindsay's solo stuff is hard to listen to nowadays, but it was
the same thing with "Miss America", which failed to chart in Chicago
at all. The B side, "Small Town Woman", impressed me somewhat better.
(Were these B sides on the LPs? I never actually heard the albums.)
Bobster
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 01:13:29 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: Mark Lindsay
Larry, I agree that Lindsay's solo material was shockingly different
from his Raiders, but since they co-existed, it was OK to me.
Considering "Indian Reservation" was to be a solo single until they
decided to make it a Raiders record, it seems all these could have
went either way, but aren't you happy the Raiders did "Powder Blue
Mercedes Queen" and Lindsay did "Miss America"? Worked better for
everyone, I think. Personally, I was not disappointed in his "solo"
records. The ones you mentioned were great as was previously
mentioned "First Hymn". I also loved "And the Grass Won't Pay No
Mind" (#1 here in Lincoln) and even moreso, the still non-cd (as far
as I know) "Been Too Long on the Road" (#4 in Lincoln). Great
production pieces, all.
Clark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2004 17:43:09 EDT
From: Claire Francis
Subject: B.B.King Gig, around 1969
Hi Groovy S'pop members,
As promised here is another experience I had in the music business. Here
is an edited excerpt from my book "A Song For Every Journey" ©1983 by
Claire Francis Brightwater. The following text cannot be reprinted or
copied without permission from the author, Claire Francis Brightwater.
All rights reserved.
Chapter Eleven
I was living up in Lake Arrowhead, California when I got the call from
an agent who asked me if I wanted to play a gig with B.B. King and open
for him. "Oh, I would love to. Where is the gig.?" "The gig is at Chino."
"Oh Chino, yes I know Chino." "Okay, be down in San Bernardino, and the
bus will pick B.B.'s bus will pick you up around 4." "Sounds great, I'll
be ready."
Lake Arrowhead is over 7,000 feet altitude in the San Bernardino
National Forest. So I drive down the steep winding mountain road and
then headed cross the valley over Orange Grove Avenue the place where
I'm supposed to meet BB's bus. Orange Grove Avenue was the most
incredible street ever because of the overwhelming heddy smelling
beautiful orange blossoms. A perfume like no other.
The bus was waiting when I got there. I was very excited to meet BB and
we chatted for a while as the bus took off. We talked about the music
business and life on the road. I told him some of my tales and he told
me some of his. The bus was moving along nicely.
BB asks "so are you ready for the gig? It might be a rough gig. You
sure are brave to take the gig though." "I sure am, and I am really
thrilled to be opening for you." "From what I have heard, you sing a
mean blues." BB tells me. "Blues is my what I love to sing, but I have
a hard time playing the guitar while I'm singing. I wish I could play
the guitar better." "You'll get there, just keep playin'."
As the bus came closer to our destination, I noticed huge barbed wire
all around the whole place. As we pulled up to the big security booth,
I said fairly loudly, "Wow I have never seen so much barbed wire around
a college." All the men looked at me and started to laugh. BB said,
"College??? This ain't no college girlie, this is Chino State Prison".
Love & Light,
Claire Francis
P.S. The gig went great even though I was scared out of my wits and I
have a picture of me on the stage singing my heart out. I wrote a song
about the experience. As with many of the songs that I have written
over the years, I have a tape, but never played them for anyone. I
think it's getting time to dig my songs out again.
P.P.S. Thanks for the opportunity to share my stories with you all. I
hope you like them!
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2004 20:40:30 -0500
From: Barry Margolis
Subject: Re: Hey Schoolgirl
Don Szymansky asked:
> I was going through some things the other day and came across a 45
> by Tom & Jerry called "Hey Schoolgirl". I think this was the first recording
> by Simon & Garfunkel. Any idea on its rarity?
Since it was something of a hit, it's the most popular, well-known and most
common of the Simon & Garfunkel-Tom & Jerry recordings.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 00:49:13 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Smile concert; flips; reverb; NRBQ-related
Catching up again ...
Gotta second Phil Milstein's beautifully-expressed comments re: the Smile
concert, which I saw at Carnegie Hall. A couple of points: in New York,
Brian actually did smile a couple of times (he even got up a danced around
for a few bars); he also played a few measures on the keyboard. And while
his voice is definitely a rougher instrument than it used to be, he was
indeed hitting the notes, and wasn't doubled by Jeff Foskett nearly as much
as I'd expected.
Regarding its fragmentary nature, I've had someone's concept of what the
album might be, made up of both released and bootlegged segments and
sequenced fairly closely to what was re-recorded. Yes, the voices are younger
and some of the mixing is a bit subtler on the early tracks, but the entire
new album truly stands as a unified entity, with phrases recurring throughout
and the three movements holding together well. (My favorite could be the
second movement, with "Wonderful" taking up long-term residence in
my brain.) And I do like Van Dyke Parks' stream-of-consciousness lyrics,
particularly the image of a "muted trumpeter swan." It was a privilege to
have been there, and I'll stop gushing now.
Phil Chapman:
> Just how many flips turned into hits?
Ritchie Valens' "Donna" was the A-side and the first hit, but the flip, "La
Bamba," eclipsed it in long-term popularity if not immediate sales. And the
Excellents' "You Baby You" (Blast), the A-side which saw some sales, was
overtaken by "Coney Island Baby." (This record was huge in New York –
can I assume it enjoyed some national status as well?)
Mikey, re: George's comment on Phil Spector's reverb:
> ...[T]he echo chamber was an unused room in the hotel
> [George: "a washroom with sink for janitors"], where
> they placed a speaker and a mic to get the echo, and
> returned it via cable to the master console.
It may have already been mentioned, but Columbia used a fire stairwell in
their building in New York, and built a concerete basement bunker under
their Quonset hut in Nashville and used both in the same way.
Mark Wirtz:
> ...[F]rom one of my all time song writer idols – Bob "Elusive Butterfly" Lind....
> "Hey Mark, I just heard the "Eggshaped" CD today for the first time. What
> an original you are! I find myself inexplicably happy after listening on the
> way in to work.
> Yer pal, Bob"
I've heard some of the tracks from Lind's new album at his website. The
compositions are still great, and his voice is still a very effective instrument,
but he needed your production touch.
> My name is Don Szmansky, from Louisville, KY. I found this
> group during a Google search for "merseybeats usa", a band
> I played in almost 40 years ago. I was shocked to actually
> find entries where folks knew about the band, other than a
> few die hard "Q"(NRBQ) fanatics. I sent a reply to a thread
> that is a couple years old, but hopefully someone is still
> interested.
Hot dawg! Welcome, Don. I got to "The Q" from the Wildweeds side, and
appreciate you filling us in on the "rest of the story." Thank you for naming
names and placing dates; glad you're aboard! Love to hear more of your
material on musica.
Eddy Smit:
> In 1961, M-G-M released an album called "We Wrote 'Em And
> We Sing 'Em" (MGM SE 3912), containing songs written and
> sung by six songwriters....one hit tune and one new song....
> Lincoln Chase: Jim Dandy//Hot Biscuits And Sweet Marie
Don't know if "Hot Biscuits ..." was ever a hit, but I know it's been covered
(very well) by NRBQ. And this album sounds fascinating; Eddie Cooley's
"Fever" (on musica) doesn't make me forget Little Willie John's version, but
it sure is neat -- Peggy Lee had to have heard it before she did her version.
More later,
Country Paul
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 07:20:49 EDT
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Re: dusty demos
Julio Niño asked:
> Which UK label is going to release the CD of your demos?
> This is great news, I loved the two you posted in musica
> some months ago.
We do not know this yet. We await their replies.
al kooper
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 04:17:22 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Mark Lindsay & Kenny Young
Larry Lapka wrote:
> There is some magic there, though. "Arizona" is a truly great
> song, and "Silver Bird" could still be picked up by a major
> airline for a promotional campaign. However, his other
> material from that time is really drippy, and his cover
> versions are even worse.
Both songs were written by Kenny Young, who was produced by the Jeromes
as the San Francisco Earthquake. Kenny came over from England (though he
was American) and sang some background with me on one of my singles,
Ricki Ticki Ta Ta Ta. He had two beautiful English "birds" with him, who seemed
very taken by Kenny. Great guy and writer; fine choice in women!
AR
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 11:31:45 +0200
From: Frank Jastfelder
Subject: Re: Mark Lindsay & Artie Butler
Paul Richards wrote:
> I agree Frank, 'Bookends' is a great track. I've just posted it to
> musica.
Thanks Paul, what a great song. Very Bacharachesque. I like the typical
Artie Butler flugelhorn. He used it a lot on the "Love Machine" soundtrack,
too. Although I'm not sure who introduced the flugelhorn to these adult
contemporary songs, Burt or Artie. Maybe Mr. Butler can shed some light
on this? And how was songwriting with Jerry Fuller?
IMHO Lindsay's hits were much too MOR. I find Arizona and Silver Bird
are not the best compositions compared to the rest of the material he
did on his LPs. But then again, I guess this is no real exception in the
music business.
Frank J.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 15:50:54 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: Hey Schoolgirl
Don Szymansky asked:
> I was going through some things the other day and came across a 45
> by Tom & Jerry called "Hey Schoolgirl". I think this was the first recording
> by Simon & Garfunkel. Any idea on its rarity?
It did chart, although not very high, and it's rarity is so-so. Check the writer
credits: if S & G are credited under their real names it's worth more than the
common "Graph-Landis" version. (The 78 credits them by their real names;
most though not all of the 45s reverted to their stage names.)
Joe Nelson (no prizes for guessing which version I own ...)
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 15:13:43 -0000
From: John DeAngelis
Subject: Re: Zal in Argentina
George Schowerer wrote:
> I don't recall who came in during Zal Yanovsky's "Back To
> Argentina" album sessions at Mira. Many folks stopped by.
> I don't think the album ever got out, but it was a contractual
> obligation for him. I have a 15ips safety of that bizarre album.
> I also did a lot of photography of artists at Columbia during
> Roy Halley's tenure (65-68)
I think you're talking about Zal's "Alive & Well In Argentina" LP, which was
actually issued twice on vinyl, but was far from a best-seller.
I'm sure I'm only one of many who would love to see your photos! Maybe
you can either set up a website for them, or have them on display here.
Take care,
John DeAngelis
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 15
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 20:21:44 -0000
From: Rodney Rawlings
Subject: Re: Bobby Darin flick
I have seen the Darin movie already. I attended the world premiere in
Toronto, where I live. I told the story and wrote the movie's first-ever
review on http://www.rottentomatoes.com.
My wife knew Sandra Dee slightly for a short time, and saw Bobby Darin
from a distance while he was filming Hell Is For Heroes.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 16
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 23:39:32 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Spanky & Our Gang Q
Clark Besch wrote:
> Like the Spanky and Our Gang Greatest Hit(s) LP version best.
Was there ever a song on any of their albums called Waiting For A Song
That Never Comes, by the same guys that wrote Sunday Will Never ...?
Austin R.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 17
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 16:56:13 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Dance with Claire Francis
Claire Francis wrote:
> That's what Philly Verso, my dancing best friend and I did every night
> when we could at Sybil (Richard's ex) Burton's disco in 1960. The line
> to get in went on and on around the corner but Philly and I never had
> to wait on line because Philly's brother, Eddie, was a famous dancer
> and everybody at Sybil's knew us.
Claire, do you recall where Sybil's was located? It can be tough getting
a sense of "old" New York without being able to match up locations from
then with those from now. Of course, as we recently learned here, not
all of the old buildings even still exist today, but such are the ways
of progress.
If you're able to divulge a description of, say, the size of the place, what
kinds of people hung out there, what the music was like (for instance, did
they ever have live music?), etc., so much the better!
--Phil M.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 18
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 11:38:00 EDT
From: John Fox
Subject: Re: solo you can't hear them
Larry Lapka asks:
> This begs a question: did anybody who was a main fixture
> of a band have solo material that just drove you off the
> deep end?
"Someone's knocking at the door, somebody's ringing a bell ..."
How about Paul McCartney?
John Fox
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 19
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 17:49:37 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: steel cans to Musica
After comments about liking the Lewis & Clarke single I posted, I thought
I'd throw more "filler" out there with the soft sounding Harper's Bizarre
sing about a hard subject: steel cans!
Enjoy!
Clark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
End
