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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 13 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Saint Etienne
From: Dave Monroe
2. Re: Sonny's productions
From: Phil X Milstein
3. Re: Colgems
From: Bob Rashkow
4. Thanks
From: Joe Nelson
5. Re: This Diamond Ring
From: Ken Silverwood
6. Re: Cher & Spector
From: Barry
7. Simon & Garfunkel's "Silent Night"
From: ACJ
8. Sammy Ambrose
From: Jeff Lemlich
9. Re: Saint Etienne
From: Frank
10. Re: Beverley's "Happy New Year"
From: Scott Swanson
11. Colgems
From: Lapka Larry
12. Harry and Cher
From: Charles G. Hill
13. Rhino Girl Group Box
From: Dan Nowicki
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 13:25:11 -0800 (PST)
From: Dave Monroe
Subject: Re: Saint Etienne
Stewart Mason wrote:
> I too recommend all of the previously-mentioned titles highly,
> and say without reservation that if Bob Stanley isn't a
> Spectropopper, he should be. One of the most enjoyable times
> I've ever had as a journalist was interviewing Mr. Stanley a
> few years ago, which devolved into a long and detailed
> conversation about the '60s records of one of our shared
> passions, France Gall.
And speaking of France Gall, not to mention (as had been mentioned
earlier in this thread) Belle & Sebastian, there's an, er,
"unofficial" recording of B&S doing FG's "Poupee de cire, poupee de
son" floating around out there that's so uncannily faithful to the
original that one can sense the ghost of Serge Gainsbourg conducting
the band as they do their all to bring home the Eurovision trophy for
Luxembourg ...
And speaking of Saint Etienne, French pop, and, er, dolls (poupees),
Saint Etienne have also recored a couple of versions of Michel
Polnareff's heartbreaking "La poupee qui fait non". One was a studio
project for a French pop covers compilation, but I prefer the live
version found on various formats of their "Hug My Soul". The Birds
(Ron Wood et al., later Birds Birds) and Dana Gillespie, at the very
least, both recorded it as well (the latter as "No No No", on Foolish
Seasons).
St. E have also covered, on the Francophone front, Massiel's "La la la"
and Francoise Hardy's "Tout les garcons and les filles". Okay, my two
obsessions, 60s French pop and Saint Etienne (okay, three obsessions,
Scottish indie pop as well) rolled into one post ...
Dave Monroe
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 18:12:59 -0800
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Sonny's productions
Rick Hough wrote:
> As decent families once hid crazy relatives in attics, so
> Bonologists wish the dreaded "Unchained" had remained quite
> firmly chained and hidden from polite society! Phil, you've
> undone forty years of hard work!!!
Always happy to help. More seriously, though, your recent posts
on Sonny & Cher have made for some terrifically exciting reading.
Have you published any of your S&C findings anywhere?
--Phil M.
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 17:24:48 EST
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: Colgems
I do remember that the American pressing of "Davy Jones" (first
name may have been spelled on some copies either as David or as
Davey) on Colpix was re-released sometime in 1967 after The Monkees
became a popular show as well as recording artists. I want to
hypothesize that Colpix became Colgems in '66 around the time
that The Monkees were "getting their act together." There are
at least a few 1966 Colpix records including (They Call Me) Granny
Goose (shown as by The Winkle Pickers). Anyone know this one?
I've never heard it, but it certainly SOUNDS like a novelty!
Bobster
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 02:02:21 -0000
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Thanks
Just to say thanks at this time to whoever sent me a card
anonymously with a Phoenix, Az. postmark.
...you know who you are.
God bless,
Joe Nelson
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 23:24:20 -0000
From: Ken Silverwood
Subject: Re: This Diamond Ring
Davie:
> Tony Middleton is definitely not Sammy Ambrose. Ambrose died
> some years ago, whereas as far as I know Tony Middleton is
> still with us.
Sorry if I am mistaken, I was quoting from a copy of Mr Whitburn's
Record Research books, which I took to be pretty precise.
Anyhoo, Sammy's version was on Musicor 1061 c/w "Bad Night".
Ken On The West Coast.
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Message: 6
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 18:03:56 -0600
From: Barry
Subject: Re: Cher & Spector
Rick Hough:
> In the fall of '74, Mo Ostin of WB pushed his two prime
> acquisitions of the year to record together. Their first
> effort was the Nilsson/Cher duet "A Love Like Yours", recorded
> towards the end of the John Lennon "Rock'n'Roll" sessions. The
> results were good enough (fantastic, actually) to justify an
> album, and "A Woman's Story" and "Baby I Love You" were then cut.
> Those tracks were the debut Warner-Spector 45 (WS 0400 November
> '74, in stereo).
"A Woman's Story" is indeed an amazing track...perhaps one of
the most unknown of 1970's. Also, towards the end of the single,
there's quite an obvious edit.......makes me wonder if this song
wasn't much longer.
Wish to heck it would show up on a CD somewhere.
Barry
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 22:59:30 -0500
From: ACJ
Subject: Simon & Garfunkel's "Silent Night"
Who was the newscaster on Simon & Garfunkel's Christmas single
"Silent Night / Six [Seven?] O'Clock News"? I'm guessing it's
Roy Halee, but I'd like to know for sure.
ACJ
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Message: 8
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 22:31:51 -0500
From: Jeff Lemlich
Subject: Sammy Ambrose
Sammy Ambrose and Tony Middleton were two different people.
Ambrose was a limbo dancer/singer who hit the road in the early
60s with a group called The Afro-Beats (which included one of
Betty Wright's brothers). He had an excellent voice but stardom
eluded him, and he returned to Miami Beach in the 70s, where he
worked as a limbo dancer at the Place Pigalle burlesque joint.
It was during the 70s that he was charged with murder for selling
heroin to a war veteran who had overdosed. Ambrose himself later
died in obscurity in 1988, at the age of 47.
You can see a photo of Ambrose (and the Afro-Beats, as well)
in our tribute to him over at the Limestone Lounge:
http://tinyurl.com/4f2ct
Jeff Lemlich
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Message: 9
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 08:06:42 +0100
From: Frank
Subject: Re: Saint Etienne
> One of the most enjoyable times I've ever had as a
> journalist was interviewing Mr. Stanley a few years ago, which
> devolved into a long and detailed conversation about the '60s
> records of one of our shared passions, France Gall.
I was with France Gall this past Friday evening, and since you're
a big fan, I can tell you that they're might be a big surprise
coming soon. And in the meantime Warner France has just released
a huge set of all her Warner recordings including some unreleased
before sides and and a live concert DVD.
Frank
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Message: 10
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 00:31:19 -0800
From: Scott Swanson
Subject: Re: Beverley's "Happy New Year"
Mario writes:
> Has anyone here heard the great Deram 45 (I think it was the
> label's debut, along with Cat Stevens' "First Cut ...") "Happy
> New Year" by Beverley.
I have copies of both "Happy New Year" and its B-side ("Where The
Good Times Are"). I'd upload them to Musica but there isn't room
for them.
As far as I know she only released one other solo track in the
'60s -- a version of Donovan's "Museum" in July 1967. Now if
only someone would upload THAT to Musica! LOL
There is a brief interview with Beverley (born Beverley Kutner
but known as Beverley Martyn since marrying and divorcing John
Martyn) here: http://home.wanadoo.nl/hvandenberk/words/01wor03.htm
She used to have her own website but it has been disbanded. :(
Hope this helps,
Scott
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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 05:04:52 -0800 (PST)
From: Lapka Larry
Subject: Colgems
Dear Mike, Joe Nelson and All:
The morphing of Colpix into Colgems into Bell is an
interesting story, one that I don't have very much
knowledge about. I am almost 100 percent sure that
during the episode where Bobby Sherman was "the teen
idol," he actually held a copy of the David Jones LP
for whatever reason. Whether it was Bewitched or The
Monkees, this means the album (and a Colpix release)
was available to the general public in 1966-1967--or
after the time that Colgems supposedly replaced
Colpix.
Bell might have absorbed Colgems, but they really did
little with the catalog. They released a lame Monkees
greatest hits album called "Refocus" and they released
the final Monkees single, although it was credited to
Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz, not The Monkees.
I am trying to find out more about the connection
between the three labels, and even Arista, which I
believe absorbed Bell's catalog in the mid to late
1970s.
I have been in contact with Varese Sarabande about a
legitimate Colgems "Greatest Hits", but have not had
a bite yet. I think one is warranted.
Larry Lapka
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Message: 12
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 18:14:02 -0600
From: Charles G. Hill
Subject: Harry and Cher
If you happen to stumble across the Warner Bros. sampler album
"All Meat" (PRO 605, 1975), you'll find "A Love Like Yours"
credited to "Nilsson/Cher". Annotator Dr. Demento says:
"Despite its youth, the 1974 Nilsson/Cher duet 'A Love Like Yours'
is rare, having been greeted upon its 45 rpm release by the same
sort of incomprehension that was accorded to Ike and Tina Turner's
'River Deep, Mountain High," to name another wonderful Phil Spector
production. May I commend to you the entire catalog of Warner/Spector
Records, which have stunning label design and music even more so, and
also Cher's WB album, 'Stars'."
cgh
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Message: 13
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 09:40:42 EST
From: Dan Nowicki
Subject: Rhino Girl Group Box
Lesley Gore's official Web site contains a blurb about Rhino
Records planning to release a 4-CD girl group box set in June
2005. Does anybody on Spectropop have any insight into this
project? Lesley's site only says, "They plan to go beyond the
hits and showcase 'should-have-been-hits'. It will include two
tracks from Lesley and a box book." Is there a tentative track
list or any other details floating around out there?
Dan Nowicki
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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