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Spectropop - Digest Number 1703
- From: Spectropop Group
- Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004
________________________________________________________________________
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
________________________________________________________________________
There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Hey Schoolgirl
From: Claire Francis
2. Re: Bob Lind today
From: Mark Wirtz
3. Arthur [named after Ringo's hairstyle...]
From: Frank Murphy
4. Re: Smile concert
From: Jens Koch
5. John Peel - RIP
From: Kingsley Abbott
6. Re: Cass Elliot's solo career
From: Richard Campbell
7. Lou Christie to Musica/Greg Shaw comments
From: Clark Besch
8. Kane Triplets now playing in Musica
From: Clark Besch
9. Re: Smile concert
From: Lloyd Davis
10. Re: Dance with Claire Francis
From: David Feldman
11. Re: more on Mark
From: Clark Besch
12. Re: Mark Lindsay
From: Phil X Milstein
13. Re: Jerry Fuller & Artie Butler
From: Austin Roberts
14. Re: Dance with Claire Francis
From: James Botticelli
15. Re: A Song That Never Comes
From: Austin Roberts
16. Re: Borscht Belt Salsa con Cougar
From: Claire France
17. Re: Songwriters: In search of Tom Lane & Sharyn Pulley
From: Andy
18. Re: Reparata's outtakes
From: Ray
19. Re: solo you can't hear them
From: Robert Pingel
20. Re: Innovator in a Wool Hat
From: John Fox
21. Where's Bobby?
From: Al Kooper
22. Re: Charlie Drake; Lewis & Clarke; Andy Pratt; Scott English?
From: Country Paul
23. Re: Smile concert
From: Andrew Hickey
24. Re: Where's Bobby?
From: Artie Butler
25. Re: Mark Lindsay
From: Gary Myers
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 15:33:45 EDT
From: Claire Francis
Subject: Re: Hey Schoolgirl
I went to the same high school as Paul and Artie. They were Tom & Jerry
in Forest Hills High. I graduated in 1960 and they graduated in 1958 or
'59. So, it is possible that the record was recorded around that time.
Just a little info. I hope it helps.
Love & Light,
Claire (CRS) Francis
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 09:56:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mark Wirtz
Subject: Re: Bob Lind today
Country Paul wrote:
> 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.
I couldn't agree more with Country Paul -- Bob's current work is vital and
profound. His seasoning and maturity have added depth to his still poetic
yet unpretentious words, and his vocal stylings are as musical as they
are embracingly sensitive. To my ears, of the demo tracks posted on his
website, Bob's "I'll Be Home By Twilight" is a stand-out gem, and with his
permission I plan to produce a cover version of it, joining another song
that, in this case, Bob and I started writing together a long time ago, and
recently completed. (I was able to re-connect with Bob after 20 years,
thanks to Spectropop!)
Welcome back, Bob! It's a thrill to have REAL songwriters like you and
Alan Gordon back on stage!! I hope y'all inspire other "dormant" writers
to pump up the juices and come forth!
Best,
Mark
www.markwirtz.com
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 20:08:11 +0000
From: Frank Murphy
Subject: Arthur [named after Ringo's hairstyle...]
Here's a article about DJ'ing at Arthur and other clubs:
http://www.djhistory.com/djhistory/archiveInterviewDisplay.php?interview_id=35
Frank M.
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 22:09:14 +0200
From: Jens Koch
Subject: Re: Smile concert
From: "Phil X Milstein":
> the second song was Dennis' beautiful "Together" -- nice version, too.
That would probably be "Forever" (which does include phrasing around
"together").
Don't know which Carl song was sung in Boston, but at other shows it has
been "Soul Searching," the song in which Carl sings, posthumously, with
Brian (on Brian's previous record, "Gettin' in Over My Head.")
I hope that this record doesn't get ignored in the wake of "Smile." Well, it's
bound to be as "Smile" casts a long shadow both in front as well as behind
itself. But the former record continues to grow on me, and I think time will
look more kindly on the record than when it was initially issued.
It's not another "Smile," obviously, and I wouldn't want it to be (but I suspect that many would). Songs like "The Waltz", "Fairy Tale", "Make a Wish" and "Rainbow Eyes" are tiny masterpieces, IMHO. As well, If people could see beyond the disappointment of McCartney and Wilson not singing a stronger lyric than "A Friend Like You" they would see that song has a lot going for itself too.
Jens
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 22:30:59 +0100
From: Kingsley Abbott
Subject: John Peel - RIP
What can we say? John Peel simply loved music and touched us all, right from those wonderful Perfumed Garden days on Radio London. And who else would ever have had Dick Dale regularly on Radio 4?
John was a lovely man whom I encountered a couple of times, On each occasion I had cause to thank him for aspects of his generous nature.
It is a vast understatement to say he will be missed.
Kingsley
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 03:18:25 -0000
From: Richard Campbell
Subject: Re: Cass Elliot's solo career
I would add that Cass began her solo career in a much more rock-oriented
context. Her entire first album, which came out in the fall of 1968,
while including "Dream A Little Dream," boasted compositions by John
Sebastian, Cyrus Faryar, Richard Manuel and Leonard Cohen. Steve
Stills played on the LP.
It was after the debacle that took place when she bombed in Vegas due to horrendous health, in October 1968, that sent her back to a more surefooted medium - the secure sound of bubble pop - in 1969 and 1970. She made a very underestimated comeback in 1969 with "It's Getting Better" on the charts and a TV Special that June. But even in this period, she managed to cut some
tracks like Laura Nyro's "He's A Runner" and the pop standard "I Can Dream Can't I?" Still, she herself said, "It's not exactly social commentary."
Please check out www.casselliot.com for more information.
Richard
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Message: 7
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 05:01:07 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Lou Christie to Musica/Greg Shaw comments
Now playing in Musica is Lou Christie's '60s jingle for "Come Alive! You're
in the Pepsi Generation." It's not great quality, but it's not found
often. Lou has a new CD out. Harry Young has done a great job on it,
and I helped a very little bit too. It is the first definitive reissue of his MGM recordings. There's both versions of "Rhapsody in the Rain"
(neither in stereo tho) and all his other MGM 45s plus rarities. You
can check it out at the site:
http://www.geocities.com/cheatersx/lounews.htm
Also, I'd like to weigh in on the death of Greg Shaw. I first heard
about Bomp! from my buddy and fellow S-popper Doug Richard, who got me
a few of the fanzines. He also turned me on to the Shoes 45 and the
Choir EP with the incredible "Anyway I Can." Somehow, Greg hooked up
with me when he did his two Chicago Pebbles CDs in the '90s. Those gave me some songs I did not know previously from Chicago bands, and an outlet for my master tape of my buddy Barney Pip's (Rest in peace, Barney) classic 1967
rendition of "Let It Out"!
I did not know Greg personally, but working with him was fun and thru all the stuff he's given to us to read and hear, I cannot say how much he has meant to us all. Thanks, Greg.
Clark Besch
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 05:23:33 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Kane Triplets now playing in Musica
Also new to Musica is female vocal group the Kane Triplets doing "Buttercup Days." It was written by Teddy Randazzo and Victoria Pike, produced by Henry Jerome, arranged by Hutch Davie and released on United artists 50466 in November, 1968. It has some nice harmonies that sound like Carole King and Ellie Greenwich to me at times.
I just liked it--simple and melodic. Flip is an early '60s sounding
rendition of the Mills brothers 1932 hit, "Smoke Rings." Any info on
these girls?
I've had a few things on Musica, so I'll make this the last until more room frees up.
Enjoy, Clark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 12:26:04 -0400
From: Lloyd Davis
Subject: Re: Smile concert
Phil X. Milstein wrote:
> I can't remember which "Carl" song they played, but the
> second song was Dennis' beautiful "Together" -- nice version, too.
In Toronto, he performed "Soul Searchin'" from the "Getting In Over My Head"
album during that part of the show. (On the album, Carl's vocals from a 1996
session were used.) Could it have been that one in Boston, too?
- Lloyd Davis
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Message: 10
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 13:14:39 -0400
From: David Feldman
Subject: Re: Dance with Claire Francis
Phil M. asked:
> 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.
I'm not Claire, nor do I play Claire on TV, but I think I can answer this one. As far
as I know, there was no club called Sybil. But Sybil Burton ran Arthur (named after
Ringo Starr's haircut!) and it was located in Greenwich Village, I believe on the east
side of Sixth Ave., around Tenth St.
Dave Feldman
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Message: 11
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 17:18:29 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: more on Mark
Larry Lapka wrote:
> I just found Mark Lindsay's solo output too middle of the road for
> my tastes. It especially irked me that this guy, who had one of the
> best voices -- and was quite creative as a writer and producer –
> decided that his solo career would be just the opposite -- sterile
> voice and he wrote and produced little of his solo output.
Larry, I'll stand by my comments. Someone else posted that it is hard to
listen to "Miss America" today, and I thought it was hard to listen to it
THEN. But, for the most part, the others were quite good. Like you, I also
enjoyed Mark's "Sing Me High, Sing Me Low" (even though it may smack
of "Let 'Em In" or "Silly Love Songs" styling), especially the phasing in the
middle, which wasn't being used much anymore at the time. I think this
was written by Mark, his wife and Max Groenthal (Nebraska native), but
I can't find my 45 to verify, so just going on memory here.
Clark
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Message: 12
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 14:53:18 +0000
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Mark Lindsay
Larry Lapka wrote:
> There are gems to be had on his three solo LPs on Columbia, but
> plenty of junk. His Raider albums had become virtual solo albums
> from Goin' To Memphis on, so why did he feel the need to pursue
> a solo career anyway? Heck, for a time his name "... featuring Mark
> Lindsay" was part of the Raiders' monicker.
But that is usually the first step on a carefully-planned path from lead
singer of a group to solo stardom. For instance: The Supremes / Diana
Ross & The Supremes / Diana Ross. Or: The Miracles / Smokey Robinson
& The Miracles / Smokey Robinson. Other examples abound, whereas
a singer placing his or her name out front of the group's named is rarely
used as a long-term move.
Lindsay was apparently aiming for the housewife crowd with his solo
career; he had the talent, and the looks, to pull it off, but apparently
his winning material petered out rather quickly, and his career never
regained its early momentum. Too bad he couldn't get Bob Seger or
Neil Diamond to write for him, as those two sure seemed to have the knack
for tugging housewives' heart- and apron-strings when they wanted to.
--Phil M.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 15:42:09 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: Jerry Fuller & Artie Butler
Artie Butler wrote:
> In addition Jerry Fuller was really a treat to work with. He had great ears,
> and was always extremely professional. I saw Jerry about a year or so
> ago, and it was great catching up. He is really a great guy. We worked
> together on projects for Mark Lindsay, Andy Williams, O.C. Smith, and
> dozens of others I can't quite recall at this time.
Hey Artie,
I agree with you wholeheartedly about Jerry Fuller. He was cutting one of my
songs with Glen Campbell (but that's another story) and invited me over to
his studio behind his house (the front of which was used for the Greatest
American Hero TV show).
He and his family were great. His son had made a rocket that was so powerful
that Jerry had to take him to the desert just to fire it off. It went up so high
it disappeared forever! Great family man and terrific writer/producer.
Austin R.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 15:31:10 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Dance with Claire Francis
Phil M. asked:
> 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.
It was actually called Arthur's, and was the pivotal US discotheque. Read
all about it in the excellent tome "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life."
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 15
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 15:45:06 EDT
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: A Song That Never Comes
Richard Campbell wrote:
> "A Song That Never Comes" was Cass Elliot's single in 1970, and
> was written by Terry Cashman, et al, who wrote "Sunday ..."
Thanks Richard, now I remember. Great song!
Austin Roberts
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Message: 16
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 15:45:47 EDT
From: Claire France
Subject: Re: Borscht Belt Salsa con Cougar
Every year during the summers of my youth I was the vocalist in a band.
We played the "Borscht Belt" up in the Catskill Mountains. We were
supposed to be a Latin band, but we were really just a bunch of kids
that played some Latin songs. Some of the hotels we played were the
Raleigh, Kleins Hillside, the Alamac and several others. The song that
drove me the most off-the-wall crazy went, "1-2-3 to-gether cha cha
cha," and repeat. We had to sing that at least once each set because
that's how the old folks got a chance to do a Latin dance. I can still
hear it in my head!!
The name of the band was the Gilberto Martino Latin Band featuring
"Cougar" (that was my "stage" name in the Catskills). Gil Martin played
keyboards, Norman Kamerling on tenor, Charlie Muchio on trumpet,
and Phil Klein on drums.
Adios,
Claire Cougar Francis
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Message: 17
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 04:11:15 -0000
From: Andy
Subject: Re: Songwriters: In search of Tom Lane & Sharyn Pulley
In a quick search a "Sharyn Pulley" (exact spelling) appeared in the Folklife
Village portion of the Riverfest 2000 Weekend in Columbus, Georgia. If
this is not the same person, then it must be a daughter, due to the exact
spelling. Maybe this will help.
andy
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 18
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 23:38:15 -0000
From: Ray
Subject: Re: Reparata's outtakes
Robert wrote:
> Regarding Nanette's memories: Nanette did indeed sing background
> vocals on the track. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly,
> Nanette sings the opening of the song, "It's a shame what you're
> doing ..." and Mary (Reparata) picks up at "Open your eyes ..."
Sorry I'm a little late to respond to this thread. Interesting ... I too attended
many of Reparata's sessions, but unfortunately I was not present at the "Look
In My Diary" session. But, I think Robert is right -- that does sound like Nanette
starting the song, with Mary coming in a verse later.
I'm grateful that most of Reparata's recordings have been made available
in recent years on CD. But there's still a lot more in the can that have never
been released. I wish someone would release "The Motown Waltz" and "My
Hero," for instance, only two of the many that I remember from her sessions.
Mary's all time favorite recording is "I'm Nobody's Baby Now", but the song
she is most often requested to sing at some shows and all family gatherings
is "I Believe" (her mother's favorite). It's a great performance. The recording
is another one where Nanette sings the intro and Mary sings the rest.
Ray
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 19
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 07:22:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Robert Pingel
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?
Roger Daltrey is another.
R. Pingel
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 20
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:39:20 EDT
From: John Fox
Subject: Re: Innovator in a Wool Hat
Larry Lapka wrote:
> Mike Nesmith's solo stuff away from The Monkees both irked
> me and intrigued me at the same time. He did stuff that I would
> not have heard if he had not done it -- sort of back to basics
> country space cowboy material, if you know what I mean. Some
> of this material is hard to listen to today, but he was quite the
> innovator.
I just finished reading a great book, "Are You Ready For The Country," by
Peter Doggett, a comprehensive history of country-rock covering both the
country influence on early rock & roll and the Dylan/Byrds-type movement
in the late 1960s. In the book, the author gives a great deal of credit for
country rock to Mike Nesmith, which I had never thought of.
John Fox
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Message: 21
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 12:08:23 EDT
From: Al Kooper
Subject: Where's Bobby?
Any of you genies know whether drummer/bandleader Bobby Gregg walks
the face of the Earth and can be located, or is living the good life above
us?
Inquisitive Al (Kooper)
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 22
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 00:56:58 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Re: Charlie Drake; Lewis & Clarke; Andy Pratt; Scott English?
Bob Rashkow wrote:
> Mark Wirtz mentioned that among the television comedians he saw
> was Charlie Drake. Did he actually perform "My Boomerang Won't
> Come Back" with visuals? Was it any funnier than it is on record?
I found it interesting that there were two versions. The US version was
bowdlerized significantly, most noticeably at the line "Shouted till I was
blue in the face" (US) which was slathered over "black in the face" in the
English version -- perhaps a lot funny if you overlook the overt racism,
noteable even within the the sensitivities of that time. Also, the spoken
"rant" at the fade on the UK version was cut off; the US version had a
reprise of the refrain spliced on instead.
Clark Besch wrote:
> Now playing [at musica] is [Lewis & Clarke's] October, 1969
> release, "Why Need they Pretend?"... I think it has a real
> Harper's Bizarre feel of that time.
Agreed -- it's a treat I've never heard before. Unfortunately, musica is back
to cutting ends of songs, so I'll try to listen again tomorrow (if YahooGroups
lets me!).
Barry wrote, re: Goffin-King's "adult" period:
> I wonder if people realize that they wrote some terrific
> later songs, with thoughtful lyrics and great melodies, such as
> I Basn't Born to Follow, Goin' Back, Is This What I Get For Lovin;
> You Baby, Hung on You, Porpoise Song, Lady of the Lake
Class acts all, Barry. The most recent "Goin' Back" cover I know of is a
beautiful version by Andy Pratt ("Avenging Annie," 1970, a true cult classic)
on one of his recent albums ("Cover Me," 2003; the album has some other
interesting covers including a jazz-influenced reinterpretation of "Don't
Worry Baby"). You can chase this and all his albums down at
www.andypratt.com. Incidentally, the opening page bio on that site mentions
a demo of "Avenging Annie" that Dick Wingate (later a major industry player
at Columbia) played on WBRU. I was the person to whom Andy gave it to
take to 'BRU and the first to play it on the air; we had already been playing
his amazing "Records Are Like Life" album (Polydor, 1969). We were all
crushed when "Annie" wasn't the hit everyone anticipated it to be.
Dan Hughes wrote:
> Write to Scott English here:
> http://www.ampcast.com/music/11848/contact.php
Is this "our" Scott English? This guy seems to be a jazz-rock guitarist with
a new age bent.
Country Paul
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 23
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 17:28:15 +0100
From: Andrew Hickey
Subject: Re: Smile concert
Lloyd Davis wrote:
> In Toronto, he performed "Soul Searchin'" from the "Getting In Over
> My Head" album during that part of the show. (On the album, Carl's
> vocals from a 1996 session were used.) Could it have been that one
> in Boston, too?
That's been the song he's been dedicating to Carl since the second Smile
tour, so I would assume so. Previously he's dedicated Good Timin' (first
Smile tour and second 2002 Pet Sounds tour), Carl's solo song Heaven
(at the Carl Wilson tribute concerts in California) and Lay Down Burden
(his song about Carl's death, performed at most shows between 1999
and 2002), so theoretically it could be any of those, but I'd say it'll have
been Soul Searchin'.
Forever has been the only song he's dedicated to Dennis, which he's
done since his 2001 tour supporting Paul Simon. And for those who are
interested, the Love & Johnston 'Beach Boys' dedicate Do You Wanna
Dance to Dennis and God Only Knows to Carl.
--
http://dumbangel.keenspace.com
A webcomic about Smile
Updated (approximately) weekly
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 24
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 13:26:55 EDT
From: Artie Butler
Subject: Re: Where's Bobby?
Hi Al,
I saw Bobby Gregg about four or five years ago in Las Vegas.
I was there doing a memorial concert for the great late Joe
Williams my dear friend. Bobby seemed OK. If you want I can
help you track him down. Let me know. I do hope he is OK. We
all made a lot of records together in those days and had a lot
of fun doing it. How lucky we were. Hope you are well. As always,
best regards to you Al.
Artie Butler
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Message: 25
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 10:37:55 -0700
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Re: Mark Lindsay
Phil M:
> Too bad he couldn't get Bob Seger or Neil Diamond
> to write for him ...
Lindsay charted with "And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind",
which was written by Diamond.
gem
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
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