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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Playmates
From: Austin Powell
2. Flamma Sherman
From: Ashley Brittin
3. Re: Jacqueline Taieb
From: Dave Monroe
4. Re: Ghost Riders In The Sky
From: Richard Havers
5. Re: France Gall
From: Frank J
6. Re: French covers - Jean/John Musy: Jean!
From: Stephane Rebeschini
7. Re: Jacqueline Taieb
From: Stephane Rebeschini
8. Re: Ramrods Rockin'?
From: Phil X Milstein
9. Kenny Lynch
From: Norm D.
10. Re: Jacqueline Taieb
From: Jean-Emmanuel Dubois
11. Re: Samantha Jones
From: Mark Wirtz (aka Michael Sinclair)
12. Re: Claire Francis and Two's Company
From: Davie Gordon
13. Re: Joe Jeffrey Group
From: Mike Bennedict
14. Re: First R&R Record
From: John Fox
15. The Secrets
From: Damian Bassett
16. Nashville S'poppers Meet Again
From: Ed Salamon
17. Re: Re: Ramrods Rockin'?
From: Dan Hughes
18. Re: Dusty B-sides
From: Frank 2
19. Re: Louisville's Own
From: Don Syzmansky
20. Re: vive la France Gall
From: Dave Monroe
21. Re: she had baggy raccoon eyes
From: Frank Jastfelder
22. Re: France Gall
From: Frank
23. Re: Jacqueline Taieb; France Gall
From: Julio Niño
24. Re: different British versions
From: Phil X Milstein
25. Re: "Who Killed Teddy Bear": 1/21/1966
From: Phil X Milstein
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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 10:18:52 -0000
From: Austin Powell
Subject: Playmates
Mike:
> "Beep Beep" by the (New) England vocal group, the Playmates on
> UK Columbia DB 4224 from 1958......confused as to which version
> to put out: one referring to a Nash Rambler or a Bubble Car.
Phil M:
> The British release was of a different version than the American one?
Hi Phil,
A "British" version was recorded as the BBC objected to the use of
the name Nash Rambler in case it was construed as advertising!!
Roulette's UK licensee asked for the new version which The Playmates
duly recorded.... It happened again with the Kinks "Lola" - the words
Coca-Cola were substituted by "Cherry Cola".
Happy New Year to all...
Ausin P.
They were very "fuddy duddy" about things like that at the BBC!
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 00:24:49 -0000
From: Ashley Brittin
Subject: Flamma Sherman
Hi, I am new here but I have been reading the message board and
have seen some people talking about the girl group "Flamma Sherman".
I have a record by them called "Where Is He". I was curious to
find out more about the group as the record was so strange. I have
been doing a bit of research and I have found that "Flamma Sherman"
were actually five sisters from Liberia attending english public
school, and they had a near hit with a song called "No Need To Explain".
When the song was released, Radio 1 went on strike for a month. By
the time that the radio station resumed everyone had forgotten about
"Flamma Sherman", so the track didn't go anywhere.
Ashley Brittin
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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 04:09:14 -0800 (PST)
From: Dave Monroe
Subject: Re: Jacqueline Taieb
Lyn Nuttall wrote:
> I just acquired a gloriously screwy song by Jacqueline Taieb
> called "7 heures du matin" (1967), a sort of languid French
> rap over a groovy beat... apparently she has been anthologised
> outside of France. Any other enthusiasts here?
If there's one track I've abused in my (so far) short record-
spinning, er, 'career', it's "7 heures du matin". Not that
anyone's complained, but ... but there IS an English version,
"7 a .m.", comp'ed on Girls in the Garage Vol. 3 (LP). The, I
don't know what you'd call it, vocal-to-instrumental track ratio
there is a bit off, however, like a bad dub job.
There's a JT CD comp called The Complete Masterworks of the
French Mademoiselle (a.k.a. Lolita Chick '68) that's worth
picking up (which as i recall also includes the English version
of "7hdm"), and various tracks are scattered about as detailed
on that "Ye-Ye Girls" page. But "7hdm" is the best of 'em.
By the way, on vinyl, the 45 and/or EP can go for pretty good
money (I consider myself lucky to have brought it in for less
than $100), but a vintage pressing it can be had at a reasonable
rate on the Jeunesse, Amour et Fantasie LP (there's also a nice
Sylvie Vartan pop track on there). And it's on both the Pop a
Paris and the Atomic Cafe: French Cuts comps.
Dave Monroe
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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 14:36:14 +0000
From: Richard Havers
Subject: Re: Ghost Riders In The Sky
Paul Urbahns wrote:
> Actually, (Ghost) Riders In the Sky (remake of a 1949 Vaughn
> Monroe number one hit)
Playing guitar on the Monroe version was 24 year old Don Costa.
He had started out playing guitar on a Boston radio station before
moving to New York City. After Ghost Riders Costa began writing
charts for Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme for their Coral recordings.
He later moved to ABC Paramount where he met Paul Anka, signed
Steve and Eydie, worked with Lloyd Price (they cut Stagger Lee) and
had some hits of his own before working with Frank Sinatra in the 60s
until he died in 1983. Along the way he also co-wrote Duane Eddy's
'Because They're Young'.
When I talked to Jimmy Webb last year he told me "Don Costa was
one of the greatest orchestrators who ever put pen to paper."
Richard
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 16:03:39 +0100
From: Frank J
Subject: Re: France Gall
Dave Monroe:
> It strikes me that, while her contemporaries were busy
> re-recording English, German, Spanish and Italian lyrics over
> their backing tracks (and Sylvie Vartan had at least one nice
> 60s single available only in Japanese), FG only seems to have
> recorded in French or German, and, again, I can recall only
> one crossover point, and evern there over a new arrangement/
> recording. Can anyone confim that for me?
AFAIK most of her German songs were exclusively written for the
German market and therefore newly recorded. Most of them with
Werner Müller's Orchestra. He did also work a lot for Caterina
Valente at that time and was a staff producer for the Telefunken label.
Frank J.
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Message: 6
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 18:50:15 +0100
From: Stephane Rebeschini
Subject: Re: French covers - Jean/John Musy: Jean!
Dave Monroe:
> ... By the way, know anything about John [sic?] Musy?
It's Jean Musy, masquerading under a "English sounding name",
as many French musicians did in the 60/early 70's (Eddy Mitchell,
Dick Rivers, Long Chris, Johnny Hallyday...). Musy was behind
many "dance craze" projects in the late 60's/early 70's, and most
of them seemed to have failed.
Bonne Année à tous / Happy New Year
Stephane
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Message: 7
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 18:52:59 +0100
From: Stephane Rebeschini
Subject: Re: Jacqueline Taieb
Lyn Nuttall a écrit:
> I just acquired a gloriously screwy song by Jacqueline Taieb
> called "7 heures du matin" (1967), a sort of languid French
> rap over a groovy beat..........apparently she has been
> anthologised outside of France. Any other enthusiasts here?
This great song was recorded twice by Taieb, in French and in
English. Both were compiled on "Girls In The Garage" LPs. She
kept on recording in the 70's, but her later output is better
forgotten.
Stephane
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Message: 8
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 14:21:52 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Ramrods Rockin'?
Paul Urbahns wrote:
> Actually, (Ghost) Riders In the Sky (remake of a 1949 Vaughn
> Monroe number one hit) by the Ramrods entered the Billboard
> Hot 100 in January 1961 ...
So that would be a different Ramrods than the Rockin' Ramrods,
the Boston group of the middle '60s? Being familiar with "'Ghost
Riders' by the Ramrods" only from afar (i.e. listings, rather
than listenings), I'd always figured it was the same group, or
at least an early (pre-Rockin') version of them.
--Phil M.
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Message: 9
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 11:55:39 -0800 (PST)
From: Norm D.
Subject: Kenny Lynch
S'Pop seems to have developed a bit of a Euro-centric focus
lately (no bad thing, IMHO), so, to offer a little more Brit
-pop, here's a Kenny Lynch link that S'Poppers might be
interested in. He was a radio guest on January 1st's Jonathan
Ross show (interviewed by Mark Lamarr, a very funny and
knowledgeable 60's man. Here's the link, which is available
until January 8th. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/ross/
Mr. Lynch talks a lot about his NY song-writing days amongst
much else. Highly entertaining. He makes his appearance about
half an hour into the programme.
Norm D.
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Message: 10
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 21:46:05 +0100
From: Jean-Emmanuel Dubois
Subject: Re: Jacqueline Taieb
Lyn Nuttall:
> I just acquired a gloriously screwy song by Jacqueline Taieb
> called "7 heures du matin" (1967)... Any other enthusiasts here?
I'm a fan too!! The song is on the CD sampler given away with the
latest issue of France's leading 'rock' magazine Rock n' Folk. I
did have the chance to meet Jacqueline Taïeb some years ago and I
can tell you she was super nice. She even attended a Parisian show
of April March.
The whole 60's career of Jacqueline Taïeb (originaly a Tunisian
girl from the Jewish community then moved to France) is on CD on
FGL too and on the Japanese label (vinyl) M... in France. Trivia:
Jean Bouchety did lots of the arrangements on Jacqueline's songs.
He also did arrangements on Michel Polnareff's best hits. The song
"7 heure du matin" was recorded in London.
Lyric-wise, the song is about a schoolgirl disapointed to have to
get up at 7 AM. She's looking for her toothpaste, dunno what to
wear, thinks Elvis is old fashioned, would like to get Paul
McCartney to help her at her English lessons.
Voila!
JED ;-))
http://www.euro-visions.com
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Message: 11
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 21:00:33 -0000
From: Mark Wirtz (aka Michael Sinclair)
Subject: Re: Samantha Jones
Me:
> Come to think of it, I once wrote and produced a car song. Entitled,
> "Go Ahead" and performed by Samantha Jones...
John:
> "Go Ahead" is absolutely fantastic. I'm a big fan of the kicky go-go
> version as well as the sexy, slowed down redux "Go Ahead and Love
> Me." I've recently wondered - what were your experiences working
> with Samantha Jones like? Is there a song (or songs) of hers that
> you count among your personal favorites?
Thanks for your kind words, John. Working with Sam was as much
of a joy, as it was hanging out with her. She was (still is)
the ultimate professional, as well as an ever energetic, bubbly,
fun lady. Frankly, I had a big crush on her.
By far my favourite of the recordings that I produced with Sam is
"Today Without You", which I co-wrote for her with Kris Ife and
which became the UK entry in the Eurovision Song contest. It had
to settle for #2 spot in the entire contest, because the Germans
made a big stink because of my (arguable) German origin (I'm
actually Alsatian) and tried to claim it as a win for Germany.
When it was clearly established that the copyright, as well as
the recording and all musicians and technical participants were
British, and in my stubborn refusal to be regarded as anything
but a UK music maker (a position to which I hold to to this day),
diplomatic record company boss Larry Page avoided a scandal by
volunteering to accept the #2 position. The record became a big
hit in Europe and other countries, but failed to get air play or
acceptance in England (much like all the other stuff I produced
in the UK at that time).
Sam, I understand, is still singing and performing on cruise ships.
Thank you again for your interest,
Best,
Mark W.
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Message: 12
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 22:14:15 -0000
From: Davie Gordon
Subject: Re: Claire Francis and Two's Company
Mick Patrick:
> Details are: Two's Company "Now That I Love You" (UK Polydor BM
> 56072, 1966); written by Tony May (I think); produced by Claire
> Francis.
Very intersting - that's the Tony May who worked with Larry
Banks on Bessie Banks' original of "Go Now" - Tony co-wrote
"It Sounds Like My Baby" (the b-side of "Go Now")
Wonder if there's a US version - I'll see what I can find.
Davie
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Message: 13
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 02:06:50 -0000
From: Mike Bennedict
Subject: Re: Joe Jeffrey Group
Shawn Nagy wrote:
> I can't find any info on Joe on the net, does anyone know
> much about him or have a link for more info?
The only thing I know is that he had one hit, called
"My Pledge Of Love", released in 1969.
Mike.
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Message: 14
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 21:17:53 EST
From: John Fox
Subject: Re: First R&R Record
Just caught up with about 20 S'Pop issues, and want to join
those in welcoming Steve Propes to the group. I, too, loved
his book on the history of the 45 RPM, but his real treasure
(also with Jim Dawson) is the incredible book, "What Was The
First Rock & Roll Record". Even us S-Poppers who think we know
everything about R&R history can learn things from this book.
Great to have you, Steve.
John Fox
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Message: 15
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 13:32:56 -0000
From: Damian Bassett
Subject: The Secrets
Working thru my mp3s last night, I came across "The Boy Next Door"
by the Secrets. Checked Norm N. Nite's 'Rock On' and learned they
were a one-hit wonder from Cleveland. They sure sound NYC to me!!
I would have bet they came from a Barry/Greenwich or some such
session. Anyone got any additional insight?
Damian Bassett
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Message: 16
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 17:35:26 -0000
From: Ed Salamon
Subject: Nashville S'poppers Meet Again
Nashville S'poppers will meet again this Sunday, January 9 at
about 5:00 PM. Attendees will include regulars Austin Roberts,
Nick Archer, Skip Woolwine, among others, at my pad out in the
woods. Any other S'poppers interested in joining us, please email me.
Ed Salamon
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Message: 17
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 13:00:56 -0600
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Re: Re: Ramrods Rockin'?
Paul Urbahns wrote:
> Actually, (Ghost) Riders In the Sky (remake of a 1949 Vaughn
> Monroe number one hit) by the Ramrods entered the Billboard
> Hot 100 in January 1961 ...
Phil M:
> So that would be a different Ramrods than the Rockin' Ramrods,
> the Boston group of the middle '60s?
Phil, here ya go:
http://www.icebergradio.com/artist.asp?artist=27589
---Dan
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Message: 18
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 15:26:02 +0100
From: Frank 2
Subject: Re: Dusty B-sides
Moi:
> I generally found that Dusty's B sides were almost always
> great tracks worthy of the A side.
Tony:
> Agreed--"Baby Dont you Know", "If It Hadn't Been For You",
> "I'm Gonna Leave You", and the EP track "Now That You're
> My Baby" were much more profound than their A-sides!!!!
> Incidentally, those songs are so much more memorable that
> it is taking me time to remember what was ON the A-side!!!!
Wasn't "Summer Is Over" a B side too?
Frank 2
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Message: 19
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 12:33:05 +0000
From: Don Syzmansky
Subject: Re: Louisville's Own
I wrote:
> Louisville's Own was published in 1983 by Brenda and Bill Woods
> ... Not sure if it is still available, but you may find it online
> somewhere.
Most of the bands were relatively well known locally, played the school
sock hops and such. Everyone in the book had at least one record for local
play. Others were regional or of limited national appeal.
That was one of the more interesting aspects of the time. Almost every band
was able to record, and there were enough local labels to get pressed and
to radio stations. Surprisingly, most got airplay, on a rate-the-record type
format a couple evenings a week. It was a great time for lots of aspiring
players.
Don
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Message: 20
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 04:52:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Dave Monroe
Subject: Re: vive la France Gall
Lyn Nuttall wrote:
> I just acquired a gloriously screwy song by Jacqueline Taieb
> called "7 heures du matin" (1967). ... My French isn't up to
> making much sense of it, apart from the title ("7 o'clock in
> the morning"), but I love it.
By the way, the lyrics seem largely about simply getting up and getting
ready for the day, choosing the proper mini-skirt (naturellement!) and
so forth. You might also want to look up Stone, Uta, and Dani (all single-
named), who, with Mlle. Taeib, put out some of the harder and/or heavier
tracks of the lot.
Unfortunately, however, very few French artists/acts seem to have been
consistent. I get the feeling that domestic French music production in
the '60s (not to mention beyond) was ridiculously to the point of
senselessness trend-driven, given the strange variety and inconsistency
of tracks by any given artist.
And I'm not talking, say, "White Album" variety. Take the weird mix of
garage and, I don't know, "music hall" (chanson?) tracks on any given
Jacques Dutronc EP. But I'm not talking Village Green Preservation
Society variety, either. Maybe it's just musical Ugly American chauvanism
on my part, but ... well, ironically, I like my French music when it's at its
least French.
But I also recall reading an essay that claimed that, while the rest of the
'60s pop world was taking its cues from The Beatles, the French were instead
emulating The Troggs. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I can't say
that I can much corroborate it, either.
But many of these people (Vartan, Hallyday, François, Gall, Dutronc, Hardy,
Sheila, et al) are STILL at it, having passed through either a '70s country
(Hardy) or disco (Vartan, Sheila) or traditionalist (Dutronc, François) phase
and ending up as the Gallic equivalent of a Vegas (or Tahoe, or Atlantic City,
or ...) act (all those "a L'Olympia" live albums).
There are some great -- heavy, even -- Dutronc tracks ca. 1968-70, ditto
Hallyday, who apparently had The Small Faces backing him on a few tracks,
even, but ...
Francoise Hardy has survived the best, in my opinion, perhaps by keeping
up with the times elsewhere, recording with, variously, Malcolm McLaren,
Blur, Air, and Iggy Pop (!). And she has her obvious contmporary fans
(St. Etienne, Stereolab, Keren Ann, Coralie Clement (q.v., all)). Meanwhile,
Dutronc and Hallyday have shown up in some decent films (Merci Pour Le
Chocolat and Man On A Train, respectively).
Okay, that's my rant for the time being, but do let us know what you find.
Thanks for the opportunity.
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Message: 21
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 15:50:45 +0100
From: Frank Jastfelder
Subject: Re: she had baggy raccoon eyes
Julio Niño wrote:
> Hola Frank, there's a great CD with a collection of France Gall's
> songs in German issued between 1968 and 1972 in Decca. It was
> released in 1998. France looks beautiful in the picture on the cover
> of the CD, like a sleepless child with sexy raccoon bags under her
> eyes.
Julio,
I really like the German compilation but you must be joking about the
"beautiful" picture on the cover. IMHO France looks like a heroin junkie
on it. Given that everyone, including me, loves the "Poupee" image of
France I wonder what the cover designer had in mind when he chose
this picture. It could be easily used for a best of Nico CD.
But then again if you are really into "raccoon bags under the eyes" ;-)
Frank J. (not to mix up with the other Frank)
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Message: 22
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 17:49:08 +0100
From: Frank
Subject: Re: France Gall
John H. wrote:
> I've loved France Gall's 60s stuff for a few years now, but there
> seems to have been a period between those and her Michel Berger
> stuff that I can't locate anywhere. Among the singles from this time
> was "Zoi Zoi," and I've heard such great things about it that I
> can't wait to hear it. Is it on any currently-in-print compilations?
After some careful checking, this track is one of the few she made while
contracted to a company called "La Compagnie". It went bankrupt and
no one knows where the catalogue went. I know France would very much
like to have all the songs she recorded during her stay there but as of now
we have been unable to locate them.
Frank
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Message: 23
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 17:12:34 -0000
From: Julio Niño
Subject: Re: Jacqueline Taieb; France Gall
Hola Everybody.
Lyn Nuttall wrote:
> I just acquired a gloriously screwy song by Jacqueline Taieb
> called "7 heures du matin" (1967), a sort of languid French rap
> over a groovy beat ...
What I find most amusing about "7 heures du matin" is the contrast between
the groovy guitars in the music and Jacqueline's bad girl voice with the rather
dumb lyrics. Jacqueline doubts about which dress to choose. But unlike Ginny
Arnell when she sings about the same subject, Jacqueline sounds as perverse
as she was singing a black mass.
Dave Monroe wrote:
> In the meatime, it strikes me that, while her contemporaries were
> busy rerecording English, German, Spanish and Italian lyrics over
> their backing tracks (and Sylvie Vartan had at least one nice 60s
> single available only in Japanese), FG only seems to have recorded
> in French or German, and, again, I can recall only one crossover
> point, and evern there over a new arrangement/recording. Can
> anyone confim that for me?
I remember hearing a France Gall record some time ago at a party with
"Poupée de Cire" sung in Japanese, so she recorded at least that track in
another language.
Chao,
Julio Niño.
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Message: 24
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 14:19:07 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: different British versions
Mike Edwards wrote:
> Hi Phil, from what I recall, they substituted a bubble car for
> a Nash Rambler on the UK issue. There were a couple of other
> interesting examples of lyrics being changed for UK consumption.
That is interesting; I had no idea. (And I suppose the U.S. vs. U.K. versions
of "Lola" are not QUITE the same sort of case, insofar, atleast, as it was a
British record to begin with.) I wonder if such changes would've involved
an entire retake of the lead vocal, or whether some crude form of punch-in
might've been employed.
> ... Johnny Horton sang that the British kept-a-comin' on the
> US issue of "The Battle Of New Orleans" but "rebels" replaced
> "British" on the UK 45.
Amazing -- put out a record that is, in its way, anti-British, and still try to
squeeze a few shillings out of the English for it! Vive le commerce.
> ... I imagine that the ski lodges in Vail will be ringing
> with the sounds of those wonderful London accents.
Well if so let us hope they're better skiers than Mr. Bono.
Punching out,
--Phil M.
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Message: 25
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 11:18:38 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: "Who Killed Teddy Bear": 1/21/1966
Claire Francis wrote:
> The date of 1/21/1966 is handwritten in red on the WKTB. Martin sent
> this photo to me of my label. It might be that he wrote the date down
> when the record was actually released.
Handwritten (or sometimes rubber-stamped) dates on record labels usually
indicate when they arrived at a radio station. I suppose there might be
some goofy individuals out there who also date when they take possession
of a record, but mostly they're from radio.
Speaking of promos, I found a record this weekend that was a "double mono,"
i.e. the same track on both sides, the same length, etc., and both sides in mono.
I've seen plenty of S/M and double stereos, but can't recall any other double
monos. Was that configuration more common than I realize?
--Phil M.
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