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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 17 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. "Cold, Cold Winter" in musica
From: David A Young
2. Re: The Clique
From: Michael Thom
3. Central Park West
From: Mike Rashkow
4. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
From: Orion
5. Nazz, Raiders ads to musica
From: Phil X Milstein
6. Re: Magicians' orbit
From: Phil X Milstein
7. Re: Joey Heatherton
From: Various
8. Marcie Blane CD
From: Mikey
9. Re: The Turtles' "Happy Together"
From: Various
10. Eddie Brackett info
From: Bob Celli
11. The Cinnamons
From: Mick Patrick
12. Darlene reminder
From: Phil X Milstein
13. Re: Joey Heatherton's new CD
From: Amber
14. What's your fave Xmas tune?
From: ModGirl
15. Freddie Perren R.I.P.
From: Artie Wayne
16. "The Train From Kansas City"
From: S'pop Team
17. Season's Greetings
From: Austin Powell
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 03:25:04 -0000
From: David A Young
Subject: "Cold, Cold Winter" in musica
Ho, ho, ho, y'all,
New in musica is Candypants' cover of the Pixies Three great "Cold,
Cold Winter," with Wondermint Darian Sahanaja twiddling the knobs,
released in 2003 on Sympathy for the Record Industry 728.
Lead singer Lisa Jenio is a former member of The Negro Problem and
The Pussywillows and, with April March, has sung backup for Ronnie
Spector.
"Cold, Cold Winter" is the B-side of the Candypants 45 released at
this time last year in a limited edition of 1,000 red-vinyl copies.
As nearly as I can tell (though to my great surprise), it doesn't
appear to be sold out yet, so if you like what you hear, hurry on
over to http://sympathyrecords.com/ to order yourself a copy. (The A-
side, "The Happiest Time of the Year," is also very good, but in a
completely different vein, more Swing Out Sister than anything else
I can think of offhand.) Anyone heard their full-length?
Enjoy!
David A. Young
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 20:19:18 -0600
From: Michael Thom
Subject: Re: The Clique
Bill Mulvy wrote:
> The Clique album also had some Tommy James songs including "Sugar On
> Sunday" and "Sparkle and Shine". Their big hit song was "I'll Hold
> Out My Hand". They also did the original? version of "Superman", to
> be made famous, years later, by REM.
Phil X. Milstein wrote:
> Was that the same Clique that also covered "Splash I," by the 13th
> Floor Elevators (which, by the way, was written about Janis Joplin)?
Yes, it's the same group. After the Clique left Scepter and signed
with White Whale, Gary Zekley was enlisted to produce them. They liked
"Sugar on Sunday" and decided to cover it, having no connection with
Tommy James at the time, but once TJ found out they were recording it,
he was also asked to produce them. The tracks produced by TJ weren't
issued on the Clique's sole LP, most of which was done by studio
musicians with the Clique's Randy Shaw singing lead. White Whale double
dipped by issuing one of the LP's tracks, "My Darkest Hour," as a single
under a pseudonym, Bittersweet. "Superman" was a composition by Zekley
and Mike Bottler, who also wrote "(I'd) Wait a Million Years" for the
Grass Roots. Zekley said they created the song in a few minutes over a
revised "Sgt. Pepper" chord progression. The Clique were the first to
record it. REM obviously played B-sides of late '60s singles.
After the Clique LP and a couple of additional singles, the two tracks
TJ produced were issued as the final Clique single, pairing the superb
"Sparkle and Shine" with "I'm Alive." The A-side was written by TJ with
Bob King and longtime associate Ritchie Cordell. "I'm Alive" was
originally the B-side of "Crystal Blue Persuasion." The Clique's
version is more than a little familiar. As TJ confirmed when I
interviewed him for the liner notes for the "Crimson and Clover"/
"Cellophane Symphony" reissue two-fer CD, he used the Shondells' backing
track for "I'm Alive" and overdubbed Shaw's vocal, creating, as TJ put
it "a really cheap B-side!" For "Sparkle and Shine," TJ sang backing
vocals and in some places doubled Shaw's lead vocal, and the Shondells
did the instrumental track. It should have been a major hit, but it
only managed to reach #100 for one week.
Bob King was a childhood friend of TJ's from Michigan, and they had
started writing together before the final TJ and the Shondells LP,
"Travellin,'" which includes some songs written with King. He was also
an excellent bass player and toured as part of TJ's band in the early
'70s with members of Neon. TJ and King wrote and produced "Dark Is the
Night" for Neon and, later, the non-LP B-side, "Darling Before I Go,"
and also produced Neon's Paramount LP. The Neon recordings were part
of the deal struck between Tommy James Ventures and Paramount, though
some TJV productions appeared on other labels (such as the second Peter
Cofield LP, issued on Metromedia, and the Clique's "Sparkle and Shine"
single). TJ and King quit working and writing together when TJ left
Roulette in 1973.
Alive 'n' Kickin' were definitely a real band, with six members,
including Bruce Sudano (later of Brooklyn Dreams and then husband of
Donna Summer). TJ saw them play at a club in NYC and wanted to produce
them. Shortly afterwards, TJ split with the Shondells and stayed at a
farm in upstate NY for a few months to rest and recuperate. During
that time, he and King wrote "Tighter, Tighter," and it was planned to
be TJ's first solo single, but TJ froze up when trying to record the
vocal track. He and King gave the song to Alive 'n' Kickin' and
produced their version. While the follow-up, "Just Let It Come," was
certainly not a bad single, it was not the direction TJ wanted the group
to go, and the LP was finished with Bob King doing more of the
production than TJ. "Jordan," a track on the LP written by members
Sudano and Woody Wilson, got airplay in some markets. Sudano and
Wilson also co-wrote TJ and the Shondells' "Ball of Fire." Some members
of Alive 'n' Kickin' were in the audience for TJ's 2001 appearance the
Bottom Line, which was taped for the "TJ-Greatest Hits Live" CD and DVD.
TJ did not return to "Tighter, Tighter" himself until 1976, when he
recorded a ballad version for his first Fantasy LP, "In Touch." Fantasy
issued the song as an A-side twice, but neither release charted.
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:47:35 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Central Park West
Previously:
> Actually, my rock band recorded and released "Sweets For My Sweet" in
> 1969. We were called "Central Park West", and our agent/manager was
> Julie Rifkind...
Is this the same group in which Austin Roberts was a participant? Did
the group record "I've Got To Have You"?
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 18:41:17 -0600
From: Orion
Subject: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for the plethora of
knowledge and life experiences you are all so willing to share. At this
special time of year, I wanted to also wish each and everyone a very
joyous and healthy season and a very prosperous new year. May "Happy
Together" be used 20 more times this year for some commercial :) It is
the song that made me like the Turtles and is one of my top ten favorite
songs of all time.
Orion
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 22:48:01 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Nazz, Raiders ads to musica
In light of our recent discussions of both Nazz and Paul Revere & The
Raiders -- we did recently discuss these acts, did we not? -- I have
played to musica a promo for the former, and an ad by the latter. I
believe they will be more or less self-explanatory; in fact they will
have to be, as I have no further info on either.
Dig,
--Phil M.
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 21:59:28 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Magicians' orbit
That Alan Gordon wrote:
> ... The Magicians were given the name by Koppleman and Rubin, who had
> the Spoonful hit "Do You Believe In MAGIC", hence The Magicians.
Fantastic! What jokers they must've been. To name one group to promote
the record of another would be like if Brian Epstein had named Gerry &
The Pacemakers "The Handholders" instead. That's not a complaint, just
a bemused observation.
Baby that's rocknroll,
--Phil M.
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 19:54:30 -0000
From: Various
Subject: Re: Joey Heatherton
A selection of posts on the same topic:
_________________________________________________________________
I'm happy to see that the recent release of Joey Heatherton's CD has
generated some discussion. However, I feel like we've heard as much
biographical data about her as we need to here (isn't that why God
created Google?). I'd like to turn the discussion back to her music
and the kind of information one can only find on Planet Spectropop.
In my post alerting the group to the CD's availability, I complained
about the lameness of the booklet. They don't even credit the
songwriters, fer cryin' out loud! As I noted previously, all eight
sides of her four great '60s singles are included on the disc, and
I'd like to know as much about them as possible. Will the lucky
owners of these discs come forward in the interest of community
education, please? I'll begin.
I own but one (the first) of them, Coral 62422, "That's How It
Goes"/"I'll Be Seeing You." The booklet does give the catalog number
and release date (August 10, 1964), but fails to mention that Tony
Hatch wrote the A-side and Irving Kahal and Sammy Fain the flip, or
that the "vocal with chorus and orchestra" was "directed by Dick
Jacobs." (Said chorus, by the way, if not The Breakaways, does a
great impersonation of them.)
My Christmas wish is that those who have them in their collections
will provide at least that level of information about the remaining
singles:
Coral 62451 (May 10, 1965), "The Hullaballoo"/"My Blood Runs Cold"
Coral 62459 (August 9, 1965), "Tomorrow Is Another Day"/"But He's
Not Mine"
Decca 31962 (May 30, 1966), "Live and Learn"/"When You Call Me Baby"
Okay, we all have the "Where the Girls Are" CD and know that "Live
and Learn" is by John Madara, David White, and William Carl and
produced by Madara-White, with the orchestra directed by Jimmy
Wisner.
And what of the previously unreleased '60s tracks on the CD, "You're
the One for Me" and "Till There Was You"? The latter is the Meredith
Wilson song from "The Music Man," but does anybody have info about
the sessions that produced these?
Inquisitively yours,
David A. Young
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That Alan Gordon wrote:
> In the 1950`s there was a children's television show called 'The
> Merry Mailman' which was hosted by a man named Ray Heatherton. He
> was, if I`m not mistaken, Joey`s fatherton. I betcha Al Kooper and
> I still remember his theme song!!!
Hoping Alan Gordon will join me in song as I pull up the following
from the deep recesses of my brain:
"I am the Merry Mailman
Ring, ring your doorbell rings
That's a very special ring
And this is what it (I?) bring(s)
A letter from your grandma
To say she's coming to stay
Close your eyes for a big surprise
It's a present for your birthday..."
Do you think I watched too much TV as a kid?
Jim Cassidy
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OMG. I was on that show. "I am the merry mailman" (C-C-D-E-C-G-G).
Steve Grant
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There's a great article about Joey Heatherton past and present at
http://tinyurl.com/63vyo
Phil Hall
_________________________________________________________________
The only song by Joey Heatherton that I ever remember hearing on radio
was her remake of Ferlin Husky's "Gone" - if I'm not mistaken, it also
made the Top 40. Is this track available on the reissue?
ACJ
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If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Joey Heatherton also married to Lance
Rentzel of the Dallas Cowboys.
Max Weiner
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As long as we're exposing details on all of Joey Heatherton's
relatives, I believe she was once married to Dallas Cowboys'
receiver Lance Rentzel.
John Fox
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 19:28:27 -0500
From: Mikey
Subject: Marcie Blane CD
Just got the Marcie Blane Cd.
This is FUN. It's 1962 all over again.
Great stuff, right off the master tapes, which sound to be in pretty
good shape after 42 years.
Thanks, President Records.
Mikey
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 19:54:29 -0000
From: Various
Subject: Re: The Turtles' "Happy Together"
A selection of recent posts on the same topic:
_________________________________________________________________
Hey Alan!!
Did you ever hear The Ventures' version of "Happy Together"? It
swings, and we do it my instro band today.
Mikey
_________________________________________________________________
Dear Roger:
Thank you so much for your e-mail. You are a true gem. I also went
to the web page about the Turtles that you sent to me. Thanks for
that as well.
Happy Holiday to you and the entire Spectropop Nation...I love you
all so much. What a great bunch of people!!!
Love & Light,
Claire Francis
http://www.clairefrancis.com
_________________________________________________________________
Claire Francis wrote:
> Every time I hear ("Happy Together"), I just feel like crying. If
> any of you know the songwriter, or The Turtles...give them a big
> hug for me.
Claire, I hope you were crying because it made you HAPPY, not sad.
Try their other Alan Gordon faves, "You Know What I Mean", "She'd
rather be With me" and the best Gordon/Bonner Turtles song, "She's My
Girl"!!
Phil X Milstein on "That" Alan Gordon:
> **To differentiate him from This Alan Gordon, another member, who,
> come to think of it, we haven't heard from in a while.
Hmm, Phil you are right! Wonder if "That" Alan Gordon knocked off
the other Alan Gordon?? Maybe Alan was stealing That Alan's
songwriting money??? If only they could have played "happily
together".
Merry Christmas, Clark Besch
_________________________________________________________________
That Alan Gordon wrote:
> When I was a young man I would always ask for heavenly help in
> trying to write a hit song, well the Angels must have heard my
> prayers because they made sure there were plenty of trumpets on the
> record.
I always wondered how the trumpets got on that record. And you must
have prayed REALLY hard for the follow-up, "She'd Rather Be with Me",
because that one had trumpets out the wazoo!
Or else, the producer, Joe Wissert, just really liked LOTS of horns.
Based on his work with Earth, Wind & Fire and J. Geils Band, I'm
leaning in that direction. But I think your theory is as plausible as
any.
"Happy Together" is being used on TWO currently running TV
commercials, and also occasionally on the series "Wife Swap".
Whenever I hear a vocal version used as background music on TV or in
a movie, it is ALWAYS and has always been The Turtles' version. Does
your publisher have some deal that if someone wants to use the song
then they must use the original Turtles recording?
Glen
_________________________________________________________________
Thank you for your E-mail dear Phil.
I just want to tell you once more how much I appreciate the
Spectropop gang, and to thank you personally for all the help you
have given to me to be able to hear my music once again. I still
think of the Spectropop group as the Shamans of the Music Industry
for keeping the stories and the memories alive for each generation
to come. I am very proud to be a member of this group.
Peace and Love and Light to all for the Holiday and New Year.
Claire Francis
http://www.clairefrancis.com
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Message: 10
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 00:56:18 -0000
From: Bob Celli
Subject: Eddie Brackett info
Does anyone know when recording engineer Eddie Brackett passed away
and the last city where he lived? Thanks in advance!
Bob
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Message: 11
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 13:13:42 -0000
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: The Cinnamons
Will Stos:
> Let's hope there are more box sets to come, or at least more
> "Where The Girls Are" comps. Speaking of which, I just got mine
> in the mail... I love it!!! They just keep getting better. A
> favourite of mine, being such a big time Chiffons fan, is that
> great cut by the Cinnamons called "I'm Not Gonna Worry (Cause I
> Know He's Mine)". What a killer song... Does anyone know what
> the B-side to this single was? Did this group record anything
> else?
The Cinnamons released two 45s:
"I'm Not Gonna Worry ('Cause I Know He's Mine)" (Rufus Horton)
"Strange Strange Feeling" (Margo/Margo/Medress/Siegel)
Engineered by Brooks Arthur
Arranged and produced by Big Time Productions
B.T. PUPPY 503, 1964
"Dance To The Music" (Rufus Horton)
Engineered by Bob Arnold
"Mister Cupid '65" (Margo/Margo/Medress/Siegel)
Engineered by Seymour
Arranged and produced by Big Time Productions
B.T. PUPPY 508, 1965
Further tracks by the group sneaked out in 1970 on "Mixed Soul",
an impossibly rare B.T. Puppy LP credited to the Satans 4 and
the Cinnamon Angels.
"Dance To The Music" is currently playing @ musica.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 12
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 01:09:54 -0000
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Darlene reminder
Just a reminder to all U.S. (and Canadian?) members of Darlene Love's
annual "Christmas Baby Please Come Home" appearance on the Letterman
show tonight. Without it ...
... it's not like Christmas at all,
--Phil M.
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Message: 13
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 12:28:23 -0000
From: Amber
Subject: Re: Joey Heatherton's new CD
David A Young:
> Hey, is Amber still a member of this group? It's been far too
> long since we've heard from her, and if she were still here,
> surely she'd've let us know of the CD release a week or two
> ago by her good friend Joey. Or perhaps she's just been busy
> decorating her cell for the holidays.
Julio Niño:
> ... So, as I feel very curious about her (her music and her
> life), maybe David or our "Jail Queen" (or was it "Sanatorium
> Queen"), Amber, or any other, could calm my anxiety by telling
> us something about Joey.
Julio, David, my darlings,
Yes, of course, I'm still here. You wouldn't know it because my
posts rarely get past the S'pop moderators. I've good news, I'm
allowed out on good behaviour until New Year. Trouble is, I have
nowhere to go. Fortunately, my passport is handy and, as you can
imagine, after all these years I'm itching for some male company.
Are either of you two dreamboats married? I'd only be able to
visit one of you. You choose.
David:
> My sole gripe with the package is the near-complete dearth of
> information in the booklet. Details:
> http://www.hip-oselect.com/catalogue_joey.asp
A new CD with no songwriter or producer credits? Heavens! I do
hope your friend Mick's not reading this - the poor thing would
have a conniption!
> My Christmas wish is that those who have them in their
> collections will provide at least that level of information
> about the remaining singles:
>
> Coral 62459 (August 9, 1965), "Tomorrow Is Another Day"/"But
> He's Not Mine"
Easy peasy. Joey escaped some months back, but left some of her
most treasured belongings in my safe hands, including a few of
her original 45s. "Tomorrow Is Another Day" was written by
Leonore Rosenblatt and Victor Millrose. Joey's version is nice,
but the Doris Troy original is unbeatable, surely. "But He's Not
Mine" comes from the pen of Joey's brother, Dick Heatherton.
Both sides were directed by Dick Jacobs.
> Decca 31962 (May 30, 1966), "Live and Learn"/"When You Call
> Me Baby"
Piece of cake, my angel. "Live And Learn" was composed by John
Madara, David White and William Carl - eat your heart out,
Lesley Gore! "When You Call Me Baby" lists John Madara, David
White, Leon Huff and my old beau Len Barry as writers. Jimmy
Wisner directed and Madara-White produced both sides.
Merry Christmas all, not just from me, but from Maxine Brown
and Chuck Jackson too. Visit the musica area to find out what
I'm talking about.
AvT
xxx
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Message: 14
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 15:57:32 -0000
From: ModGirl
Subject: What's your fave Xmas tune?
Mine is "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by fellow Georgia native
Brenda Lee!
Happy Christmas to all. War is over (if you want it).
ModGirl
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Message: 15
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 08:03:58 -0800 (PST)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: Freddie Perren R.I.P.
When I started as professional manager and director
of creative services at Warner Bros. Music in 1970 I
was determined to make contact and get songs recorded
by the"Corporation"...a mysterious group of producers
at Motown records. They produced some of the best
records of the era that included, "I Want You Back" and
"The Love You Save Might be Your Own" for the Jackson
5..and for quite a while their identity was kept under
wraps. Berry Gordy didn't want another Holland/
Dozier/ Holland situation on his hands where the
writer/producers became almost as well known as some
of the artists they produced...demanding more money.
I knew Berry was part of the producing group [and
partial to Jobete songs] so I concentrated on meeting
the other partners. I staked out the Motown waiting
room for weeks...finally I met Deke Richards, who was
also the head of A+R, who was a nice guy, Fonse Misels
was cautious, and Freddie Perren, who was in a class by
himself. We hit it off right away. We both had a love
of the standards and since I represented one of the
greatest music catalogs of all time it was a match
made in heaven.
The first song I brought him was, "I Only Have Eyes for
You", which he cut with Jermaine Jackson. I set up
screenings for him of classic WB movies like, "42nd
Street" and the Cole Porter Story and he wound up
turning me onto songs that might have gone unoticed.
Over the years we became friends and I'm proud to say
he used to call me up from time to time and ask me to
come over to the house to hear a new song or a new
track and get my opinion.
After I left Warner Bros. to run A+Ms publishing we
were out of touch for a while. I was struggling to get
my own company off the ground...and just about ready
to give up when I was driving through Westwood, Cal.
and saw Dino Fakiris [Freddie's lyric writing partner]
hitching a ride.
He told me how discouraged he was, and ready to give
up. He said Freddie had left Motown and created a new
label, but was having trouble getting it started. I
asked Dino what kind of songs they were doing? He
recited the lyric to "Reunited" and "I Will Survive"
which made me pull over to the side of the road and
respond," Are you Crazy!! Those are two of the best
lyrics anyone has ever told me...and you want to give
up?" He gave a little smile and as I dropped him off
wished him the best of luck," If the music is as good
as the lyrics, you've not only got a couple of
hits...you've got a couple of classics!"
As soon as I could, I went over to Freddie Perren's
studio to hear the finished records. It was the first
time I asked a producer to play a record a few times
for me...and I still couldn't enough!. Freddie was a
little surprised at my reaction and was very pleased.
I always told him how much I admired him for wanting
to make significant musical statements...not just hit
records.
Everytime I think about throwing in the towel I think
about that incident. I think about the positive effect
"Reunited" and "I Will Survive" had on me and millions
of other people...to get up and push a little harder.
I wanted to end this post by working in the title
"Heaven Must be Missing an Angel"...but that would
trivialize his vast musical legacy. Of all the songs
that he composed "Say Goodbye to Yesterday" [which he
wrote with his wife Christine] remains one of my all
time favorites, since it puts the past in perspective,
with an optimistic eye to the future.
Goodbye, my friend...'til we meet again, Artie
http://artiewayne.com/
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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 23:55:18 -0000
From: S'pop Team
Subject: "The Train From Kansas City"
Forwarded from the S'pop Public Bulletin Board:
There is not much on iTunes in the way of authentic 60s Spectorian
pop, but I recently downloaded a couple of very nice selections
that Spectropoppers would probably enjoy. Neko Case has a new live
album out and she does a cover of "The Train from Kansas City" of
all things! Nice version, wonder what kind of job she would do on
the the Dum Dum Ditty? Also worth noting is "Anyway", the title
track to the new, (and 1st?), CD by Amy Farris. "Anyway" a blend
of girl group (80%) and alternative country (20%), great melody
and wonderful production. Can't quibble with the price at .99 each.
Any recommendations from others?
Moepop
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Message: 17
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 08:46:19 -0000
From: Austin Powell
Subject: Season's Greetings
To you all.....thanks for a fascinating year and all the stuff I've
learnt and all the new friends I feel I've made...Enjoy the holiday
season wherever you are and whatever you do.
Austin P.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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