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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: British car songs
From: Mark Frumento
2. Re: Warner-Spector
From: Rick Hough
3. Re: British car songs
From: Paul Woods
4. Re: French covers
From: Frank Murphy
5. Re: Brian Hyland
From: Phil X Milstein
6. Ronnie Bird
From: Frank
7. Re: "Silent Night"
From: Phil X Milstein
8. Japanese covers
From: Charles Ulrich
9. Re: French covers
From: Phil X Milstein
10. Re: Ronnie Bird
From: Denis Gagnon
11. Re: British car songs
From: Stewart Mason
12. Auto-arias
From: Richard Williams
13. Re: Who Killed Teddy Bear title theme
From: Phil X Milstein
14. Re: Who Killed Teddy Bear
From: Davie Gordon
15. Re: Fantastic DVD + Neil Sedaka, how cool was he ??
From: Laura Pinto
16. Re: Some Christmas favorites / Ronnie Bird
From: Julio Niño
17. And a British bike song (Mike Sarne)
From: Lyn Nuttall
18. Re: Arthur Brown
From: Dave Heasman
19. Re: Ronnie Bird
From: Dave Monroe
20. Re: Who Killed Teddy Bear
From: Teri Landi
21. Re: The Arkade
From: Austin Roberts
22. Re: French covers
From: Jean-Emmanuel Dubois
23. Hank Garland gone
From: Steve Harvey
24. Re: Neil Sedaka, how cool was he ??
From: Lex Cody
25. Re: French covers
From: Frank
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 17:03:56 -0000
From: Mark Frumento
Subject: Re: British car songs
Richard W wrote:
> Off the top of my head, "Drive My Car" is the only credible UK
> automobile-song that I can think of.
Then there is always the question is "Drive My Car" really about a
car? :>)
On the very obscure side there is a wonderful single by John Pantry
(a British singer/songwriter) called "Motor Car." The song's lyrics
speak to his broken down car in the first person with great lines
like "when your oily smoke made my mother choke I knew that you had
to go."
Mark F.
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 16:33:42 -0000
From: Rick Hough
Subject: Re: Warner-Spector
Hey Phil - thanks for putting the Cher trax up!
re Warner-Spector Discography:
0404 was replaced by Big Tree-Spector 16063 Dion - Born To Be With
You / Running Close...
0406 was slated to be Jeri Bo Keno - Here It Comes (Spector/Barry) /
I Don't Know Why (Spector / Tempo) Both arr. Nino Tempo. Presumably
the Bo Keno joke is Nino's.
Some swear promos were sent out, but I've yet to see one. It was
released in the UK as PSI 2010 001.
Happy New Year to all.
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 17:56:34 +0000
From: Paul Woods
Subject: Re: British car songs
How about MGB-GT by the excellent Richard Thompson? Surprised
Kingsley Abbott didn't mention that one.
Best,
wudzi
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 17:45:36 +0000
From: Frank Murphy
Subject: Re: French covers
The answer to Claud Francois at Motown might be here but the link
times out on my computer:
http://boards.motown.com/viewthread.asp?forum=AMB_AP236392709&id=229
FrankM
reflections on northern soul Saturday's two thirty pm
http://www.radiomagnetic.com or listen to an archive show
http://www.radiomagnetic.com/archive/index.php?genre=&show=65
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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 10:37:52 -0800
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Brian Hyland
Stephen C Propes wrote:
> One of the big regrets I have about my time on the air, passing on
> Brian Hyland, tho I'm sure my audience would have thought I'd gone
> bananas.
Sure enuff. His version of "Gypsy Woman," for instance, is pleasant
enough, but I doubt Curtis Mayfield heard Hyland's footsteps behind him.
--Phil M.
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 17:07:48 +0100
From: Frank
Subject: Ronnie Bird
Scott Charbonneau:
> Ronnie Bird did a bunch of cool covers on his first LP. At least his
> first LP as it was issued in Canada; I have no idea if it corresponds
> with the track listing of his French Decca LP from 1965.
Interesting post, Scott. Ronnie was indeed an interesting character.
He never had any kind of real success in his own country. Only "Ou
Va-t-elle" was a minor hit. Yet, among certain people he was considered
the absolute top. I knew him at the time and I think he was sort of too
way out and "rebellish" to be adopted by the "ye ye"-loving French
crowd. And I always had the feeling he did not care at all.
Frank
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Message: 7
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 13:26:16 -0800
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: "Silent Night"
Clark Besch:
> ... It would make a great documentary to find out who these people
> were that wrote "Silent Night" and the many other Christmas hymns...
No disrespect intended, but "Silent Night" strikes me more as a funeral
dirge than an XMas song. I mean, what else to make of that "sleep in
heavenly peace" line? Perhaps in that case it would better serve as an
Easter song than a XMas one.
--Phil M.
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 10:16:58 -0800
From: Charles Ulrich
Subject: Japanese covers
Dave Monroe:
> Okay, next question: Japanese versions of English-language tracks?
> I've a few, but ...
Sheena & the Rokkets:
You Really Got Me
I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
Suzy Q
Plastics:
Last Train To Clarksville
Scooters:
Atashi no Heat Wave
The "Ukarete" Watcha [Wa-Watusi]
--Charles
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Message: 9
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 13:23:37 -0800
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: French covers
Richard Williams wrote:
> (most notably "Quelque Chose de Tennessee", a great Michel Berger
> ballad which is not about the state but about the poet and playwright
> Tennessee Williams).
Frank replied:
> "Quelque Chose Tennessee" is indeed a very good song but this one is
> not a cover, it's an original like most of France Gall greatest
> period.
The title and subject smack of Serge Gainsbourg. Is it one of his?
Available anywhere?
Frank again:
> Sylvie Vartan's vocals uneven? This must be the understatement of the
> century. If you have never heard her live you have never heard
> anything. Her "What'd I Say" borders on insult to Ray Charles.
It sure is "energetic," though!
Previously:
> Back in 1963, all really nice English girls had a copy of the
> Richard Anthony EP including "J'entends siffler le train" (better
> known in English as "900 Miles") close to the Dansette at all times.
Frank:
> How time flies, in my days it was only "5OO" Miles :-)))
Two different songs, non? I've recently been grooving to Dion's version
of "900 Miles," from his brilliant "Wonder Where I'm Bound" LP. Man oh
man does that record deliver from top to bottom!
--Phil M.
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Message: 10
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 13:44:19 -0500
From: Denis Gagnon
Subject: Re: Ronnie Bird
While I have always thought Richard Anthony had the best records and
the nicest voice amongst French male singers of the 60's, Ronnie
Bird's first LP was really rocking. Back then, I was particularly
fond of "Ou va t-elle" (I didn't know it was an Hollies' cover and
thought it was an original).
PS: I know Richard Anthony was not really French (he was born in
Egypt, I believe) but he recorded for Pathé records in France.
Denis
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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 12:55:01 -0500
From: Stewart Mason
Subject: Re: British car songs
Can't forget about Wings' "Helen Wheels" (a UK single added to the US
tracklisting of BAND ON THE RUN), which Paul McCartney said was an
attempt to write a British equivalent to the driving songs written by
folks like Chuck Berry. Apparently, the first draft of the lyrics
tried to work in place names a la "Route 66" -- Scunthorpe was
mentioned as a particular one that he unsuccessfully tried to wedge in
there.
S
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Message: 12
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 19:18:01 +0000
From: Richard Williams
Subject: Auto-arias
Thanks to all for suggesting various UK-originated car songs I'd
overlooked. The trouble is that, in the spirit of the Reliant Robin,
most of them don't celebrate the sort of car that you'd want to drive,
say, the Pacific Coast Highway in. But I've thought of another one
myself: Roxy Music's great "Remake/Remodel" has the refrain "CPL
593H", the registration number (US readers: license plate) of a Mini-
Cooper into which Bryan Ferry (the songwriter) watched a beautiful
girl climb and drive away one day in Chelsea in the early '70s.
... and now I've just remembered the brilliant "Driver's Seat" by
Sniff and the Tears, on Chiswick.
Richard Williams
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Message: 13
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 13:18:10 -0800
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Who Killed Teddy Bear title theme
Claire Francis wrote:
> Martin from the U.K...a great guy I must admit... sent me a copy of my
> record label on this record and also a copy of the record. I produced
> "Who Killed Teddy Bear" with Richard Hill, another A & R guy at Polydor
> that I worked with sometimes. Mikki Young was the artist...she was also
> an actress and might have even been in the film.
Thanks for all the information -- it is fantastic to finally learn these
details! I suspect that the track Martin (who, reluctant though I may be
to say so lest it swell his head even further, I must agree is indeed a
decent dude) sent you was the version John Grecco (yet another great
guy; luckily, this community is virtually awash with them!) located on
an ultrarare promo 45 that was taken directly from the film's soundtrack.
Despite his excellent ears and wide and deep knowledge of era singers as
well as the attempted aid of others with equally good ears and
knowledge, John has heretofore been unable to identify the track's
singer, let alone any of the other personnel who worked the session.
He's been at Spectropop from time to time, but I don't believe he's been
able to read it lately, so I will pass this information along to him
privately. I know it will thrill him to learn of these details.
Claire, If you don't mind entertaining a couple more questions about it,
do you recall where you recorded WKTB, and whether you recorded any
other soundtrack material for this film besides the title theme.
> I will see if I can rent it from one of the video stores...unless
> someone knows if it was used or not...and they can save me the trip!
If, even after this confirmation, you'd still like to acquire a VHS copy
of the film, contact me offlist and I will set you up with one. It's a
great film, but not for all tastes.
--Phil M.
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 19:43:11 -0000
From: Davie Gordon
Subject: Re: Who Killed Teddy Bear
Phil Milstein:
> I do have a question, however. I note the inclusion of "Who Killed
> Teddy Bear" in your list, and wonder what your involvement with that
> was. ...
Claire Francis;
> I produced "Who Killed Teddy Bear" with Richard Hill, another A & R
> guy at Polydor that I worked with sometimes. Mikki Young was the
> artist...have you any idea if my record was used in the film? Please
> let me know.
Hi Claire, after a bit of digging sround on the net it seems that the
version used in the film is by Leslie Uggams. The song was also used
as the B-side of her first Atlantic single but I don't know if the
record version is the same as in the film. Here's a link to a site
where you can hear it: http://www.scarletstreet.com/clips/index.html
Other related links:
1. dvd supplier: http://www.5minutesonline.com/1D/WHOKILLEDTEDDYP.HTM
2. ebay: http://tinyurl.com/3mq3b
3. hear one of Sal Mineo's scenes here: http://www.salmineo.com/audio.html
Can any film buff tell me if the Arnold Drake who wrote the screenplay
is the same Arnold Drake who wrote for DC Comics in the sixties - he
did "Doom Patrol" among others.
Hope this is of some help - all the best for 2005.
Davie
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Message: 15
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 17:08:16 -0000
From: Laura Pinto
Subject: Re: Fantastic DVD + Neil Sedaka, how cool was he ??
Lex Cody wrote:
> OK, for Xmas I purchased a DVD for a friend, only $10.00 (Australian)
> all shrinkwrapped etc. ... The song I must've watched about 8-10
> times was Neil Sedaka's Calendar Girl. There's something really cool
> about that clip, I dunno whether it's the cheesy way the girls walk
> in, the subtle dancing Neil does, or the fantastic tune, melody and
> very catchy little drum rolls at the end of each chorus.
Hi Lex,
Neil's "Calendar Girl" is one of my favorite music vids of all time,
and did you notice that his outfit changes a couple of times during
the clip? I admit it took a few times watching the thing before it
dawned on me!
By the by, I co-own an MSN group on Neil called The Neil Sedaka
Appreciation Society. I won't bother posting the link here because
the group is private and won't even come up for non-members. If
anyone would like an invitation to join the NSAS, please email me off-
list. Neil's still touring and extremely active in the music biz;
he's had several CD releases the past year alone.
Laura
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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 13:46:26 -0000
From: Julio Niño
Subject: Re: Some Christmas favorites / Ronnie Bird
Hola Everybody:
I´ve just arrived to Madrid from a Christmas visit to my parents in
the Basque Country.
Our favorite prisoner (Amber):
> Julio, David, my darlings... 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...
Hi, Amber. Why choose?. I invite you and also David to come to my
home in Spain, so you´ll have all the male company you deserve, and
if it´s not enough I´ll invite some friends... By the way, I don´t
know why your Initials AvT brings to my mind the image of a bottle
of hairspray . Any idea?.
Changing the subject, talking about favorite Christmas tunes, some
I like very much are:
- Frankie Lymon / "It´s Christmas Once Again".
- The Miracles / "O Holy Night"
- "El Rapto de Santa Claus" (Kidnap The Santa Claus) from the
Spanish version of the OST of "The Nightmare Before Christmas", far
more crazy and fun than the original version sung in English.
- Johnny Mathis / "I´ll Be Home For Christmas".
- Judy Brown / "Dear Santa"
- The Del-Vets /"I Want a Boy For Christmas"
- Ray Anthony (with The Bookends) / "Christmas Kisses".
And changing the subject again, in a recent post Scott Charbonneau
mentioned some French covers by Ronnie Bird. Scott, one cover by
Ronnie that you didn't mention and I find very sexy is "Adieu A Un
Amie", a version of Mike Berry´s "Tribute To Buddy Holly".
Chao.
Julio Niño.
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 07:00:01 +1000
From: Lyn Nuttall
Subject: And a British bike song (Mike Sarne)
Only the other day I was entertaining two of my adult children with my
rendition of an early 60s Mike Sarne song called "Just For Kicks".
(Their responses are unprintable on a family discussion group.)
"If there's one thing that I like,
It's a burn-up on my bike
Now the M1 ain't much fun
Till you try and do a ton
A burn up on my bike, that's what I like.
[Chorus] Just for kicks, I ride all through the night
My bird hangs on in fright
When I do the ton for kicks."
As usual, my version was full of misheard lyrics so I copied the above
from the Black Cat Rockabilly site. (Surely it was "one fing wha'I
like"? Perhaps not.)
My 20-year-old assumed "ton" was a double entendre, but he was raised on
"Are You Being Served" so he has an excuse. Come to think of it, Wendy
Richards, later Miss Brahms on AYBS, was heard on Mike Sarne's big hit
"Come Outside" as the resistant girlfriend, saying things like "Give
over" and "Belt up".
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Message: 18
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 21:37:16 -0000
From: Dave Heasman
Subject: Re: Arthur Brown
I saw Arthur Brown in 1965/6, he'd graduated from Reading summer '65,
and returned to play a gig or two. To be honest he wasn't much cop,
his voice wasn't as strong as it later became. I think he was the
second person with an undergraduate degree from an English university
to have a #1 hit. (Mike Sarne only graduated from London after his
hits).
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Message: 19
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 13:48:39 -0800 (PST)
From: Dave Monroe
Subject: Re: Ronnie Bird
Scott Charbonneau wrote:
> Ronnie Bird did a bunch of cool covers on his first
> LP. At least his first LP as it was issued in
> Canada; I have no idea if it corresponds with the
> track listing of his French Decca LP from 1965...
> Ronnie's second Canadian LP, issued in 1967,
> continues along the same lines.
Yeah, I realized my omission when I was packing
records for a gig last night and came across my
"Chante" EP (on which "Cheese"--vs. "fromage"--in
idneed subtituted for The Knickerbockers' "Lies," I
wish my French was better so I could discern with
awhat other results). That's the best of 'em. He
also does Small Faces' "Hey Girl" (as "Hey Girl") ...
> While this second Canadian LP is not too hot, the
> first one definitely rocks. The general consensus
> is that Ronnie Bird was perhaps the only French
> singer of the 1960s who was a truly convincing
> rocker. Any opinions one way or the other?
... but his original (?--non-cover) material (with
Tommy Brown and Mickey Jones, who even managed to
squeeze out a few decent tracks out with Johnny
Halliday) is the best, "Aimez-Moi," "N'écoute pas ton
coeur," and, especially, "S.O.S. Mesdemoiselles." I
beleive that two CD comp that's out is complete ...
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Message: 20
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 18:04:33 -0500
From: Teri Landi
Subject: Re: Who Killed Teddy Bear
Claire, I just viewed the opening credits of my VHS copy of Who Killed
Teddy Bear? and there most certainly is a song with that title used as
the theme song. There is also a reprise at the end. No credit is given
for the vocalist but it does read "Title and Discotheque songs by Al
Kasha & Bob Gaudio".
Teri
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Message: 21
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 19:43:49 -0500
From: Austin Roberts
Subject: Re: The Arkade
Dan Walsh sang lead on Sentimental Lisa. He sang most of our B sides
and he and Michael Price wrote most of the songs we cut. I thought
Danny had a great pop voice. One thing about the group, all three of
us were great friends. LA in the late 60's-early 70's was a great
place to be if you were a writer or artist or both.
Have a Happy New Year!
Austin
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Message: 22
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 22:01:06 +0100
From: Jean-Emmanuel Dubois
Subject: Re: French covers
Yes Ronnie was great. Sadly he left the music Biz in 69 after one LP
in English. Unfortunately Johnny Hallyday got more show biz backing
than Ronnie.
But Erick Saint Laurent got some great Beatles cover to. His cover of
Friday on my mind/vendredi m'obsède is great too.
Vigon (from Morroco) got some great original songs and a nice cover
of Harlem Shuffle.
Les Anges with Comin' up in the world/une fille mais qu'est ce que
c'est are cool too!!! (with a great cover of Guy Peellaert who done
few years later the Bowie's Diamond dog cover).
Claudes Channes, Hector, Gil Now, Les Mods, Les Gaellic, Illous &
Decuyper, French pop 65-70 got a lot to offer and the more succesfull
were not alway the best ones.
When I was younger French sixties meant: Claude François, Frank Alamo,
Sylvie Vartan & co until I discover more obscure & exiting gems!!!
The compilation: Gentlemen of Paris on FGL should be checked (try
Amazon.fr).
By the way French sunshine pop with Illous & Decuyper, Les Hamster,
Presence etc.. is a great genre that is craving for redicovery too.
Jean-Emmanuel
http://www.euro-visions.com
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Message: 23
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 18:07:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Hank Garland gone
Hank Garland, 74, a Versatile Guitarist, Dies
December 29, 2004 By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ORANGE PARK, Fla., Dec. 29 - Hank Garland, a country, rock and jazz
guitarist who performed with Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers,
Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline, Charlie Parker and many others, died here
on Monday. He was 74. The cause was a staph infection, his brother,
Billy Garland, said.
In the 1950's and 60's, Walter Garland, called Hank, was the talk of
Nashville, a studio artist known for musical riffs that could take a
recording from humdrum to dazzling, as he did on Presley hits like
"Little Sister" and "Big Hunk of Love." He had his first million-
selling hit at 19 with the country tune "Sugar Foot Rag."
Mr. Garland was at the forefront of the rock'n'roll movement, was a
country virtuoso, pioneered the electric guitar at the Grand Ole
Opry and jammed in New York with George Shearing and Charlie Parker.
He started playing guitar at 6 and appeared on radio shows at 12. He
was discovered when he was 14 at a South Carolina music store, where
he had gone to buy a guitar string. He worked with Presley from 1957
to 1961, and was playing on the soundtrack for the movie "Follow That
Dream" in 1961 when a car crash put him in a coma for months. After
the crash injuries and shock treatments, he had to relearn everything,
from walking and talking to playing the guitar.
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Message: 24
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 05:22:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Lex Cody
Subject: Re: Neil Sedaka, how cool was he ??
Laura Pinto:
> ... Neil's still touring and extremely active in the music biz;
> he's had several CD releases the past year alone.
Hey Laura, Here's a co-incidence, I went to Neil's website to see
what he was doing nowadays, and look at his tour schedule, he's
gonna be playing here in Melbourne, Australia in April, which is
pretty cool. I will be phoning the venue about tickets etc... I
have no idea what he will be like to see today, as a lot of
performers get, well, not as enthusiastic about their live
performances as they once were.
Lex
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Message: 25
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 12:17:30 +0100
From: Frank
Subject: Re: French covers
Previously:
> "Quelque Chose Tennessee" is indeed a very good song but this one is
> not a cover, it's an original like most of France Gall greatest period.
Phil M:
> The title and subject smack of Serge Gainsbourg. Is it one of his?
> Available anywhere?
No this is one of her hubby, Michel Berger. Her Gainsbourg days were
only very early in her carreer. I could play it to Musica (again if I
could find the space !!!) If not do you want me to play it directly to
you ?
> How time flies, in my days it was only "5OO" Miles :-)))
Phil:
> Two different songs, non? I've recently been grooving to Dion's
> version of "900 Miles," from his brilliant "Wonder Where I'm Bound"
> LP. Man oh man does that record deliver from top to bottom!
Richard Anthony's cover was the Bobby Bare song "500 Miles". It was
probably Anthony's biggest hit.
Frank
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