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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: Whoo Hoo
From: Phil X Milstein
2. Re: A Vogues Question
From: Joe Nelson
3. Re: More on Soloman King
From: Howard Earnshaw
4. Re: The Chiffons
From: Tony Leong
5. Re: Beach Boys '65 DVD for a dollar!
From: Billy G Spradlin
6. Re: a Vogues question
From: Ed Salamon
7. Founding Dell Viking Gone
From: Bill Swanke
8. Ray Peterson; Mitch Ryder in the studio
From: Country Paul
9. Re: Talking guitars
From: James Cassidy
10. Re: phantom song challenge
From: Robert Pingel
11. Re: "Corrina, Corrina"
From: Robert Pingel
12. Penny & the Overtones
From: Scott Swanson
13. Re: Whoo Hoo
From: Rob Pingel
14. Re: Hawaiian "talking" guitars
From: Rob Pingel
15. Re: thoughts on age(s); Sonovox
From: Joe Nelson
16. Re:Solomon King = Levi Jackson?
From: Howard Earnshaw
17. Re: a Vogues question
From: Mike
18. Re: the play's the thing
From: Phil X Milstein
19. Fabian, Avalon and Rydell
From: Mike Edwards
20. re: Sonovox
From: Mark Hill
21. Re: thoughts on age; "You Talk About Love"
From: Gary Myers
22. Fuse
From: Larry Lapka
23. Re: "Corrina, Corrina"
From: Larry Watts, Jr.
24. Re: A Vogues Question
From: Skip Woolwine
25. Re: Ray Peterson, R.I.P.
From: Norm D Plume
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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 23:48:36 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Whoo Hoo
Tony Baylis wrote:
> It would be neat to know how and/or why 'Whoo Hoo', originally by The
> Rock A Teens, was chosen by the telephone company Vonage as the
> backing for their current commercials on the box. Although I haven't
> heard the original in quite a while, I don't believe it is that being
> played, although it could be a live version. Considering that 'Whoo
> Hoo' was never that huge of a hit, it ias most surprising to hear it
> on TV over 40 years later.
The song achieved new currency via a whompin' cover version, by Japanese
girl trio The 5.6.7.8s, in Quentin Tarrantino's "Kill Bill, Vol. 1."
While it's nice to hear such a cool and (otherwise) obscure tune used in
a lousy phone commercial, this is a much tamer version than either of
its antecedents. I suppose the agency that chose it feels the audience's
ability to accept such heavy sounds only goes so far!
--Phil M.
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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 15:42:09 -0500
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: A Vogues Question
Mikey:
> Soon, Reprise decided to issue a Greatest Hits Lp, and so they bought
> the rights to "You're The One" "5 O'clock World" amd "Magic Town" for
> a year and added string sections to each song to make them sound more
> like the Reprise Hits.
Not to mention making them stereo. The 5OCW session tape is binaural
two track. At that point I don't think a stereo mix existed. Did
Reprise use the two track tape or the Co & Ce mono mix as the basis
for their remix?
Joe Nelson
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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 18:01:51 EST
From: Howard Earnshaw
Subject: Re: More on Soloman King
Soloman King's release was certainly issued past the promo stage, I've
had two issues myself. (& still have one!) Meanwhile I have only seen
demos of the 'Levi Jackson', although I'm pretty sure issues exist of
this also. I'd love to hear the reason why Columbia (EMI) reissued the
same record under another name, but I'd be surprised if both versions
were not by Soloman King. As S.K's. real name was Allen Levy (Levi
Jackson must be a play on that??) Over to someone else for the next
bit of the story!!
Howard Earnshaw
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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 03:52:20 -0000
From: Tony Leong
Subject: Re: The Chiffons
Hey Will: Pat of the Chiffons once told me that she has an acetate
of an unreleased song called "Gee How I Love That Boy" on which she
sang lead vocals!! Also, she originally sang lead on the first
"Mystic Voice" takes until the producers had the entire group sing
in unison. So there are some alternate takes of some of their songs
and no doubt unreleased ones in a vault somewhere!!!!!!
Tony
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 18:40:15 -0000
From: Billy G Spradlin
Subject: Re: Beach Boys '65 DVD for a dollar!
That reminds me of a VHS tape I bought for a dollar of an early 50's
Abbott and Costello broadcast. One show had Les Paul & Mary Ford as
guests playing live and doing a medley of thier hits. Lots of fun if
youre a fan! I wonder if this has appeared on DVD.
At my Dollar Tree this year they had the 60's cult kids movie "Santa
Claus Conquers The Martians" - featuring a very young Pia Zadora! I
bought 3 copies to give as gag christmas gifts.
The video quality isnt great on some of these cheap DVD's. Many of
these shows and movies look like they were dubbed straight from VHS
tapes (many old movies and TV shows are now in the public domain, they
can be copied and re-copied by different companies) but for a buck
each I aint complaining.
Billy G. Spradlin
http://listen.to/jangleradio
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Message: 6
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 16:12:10 -0000
From: Ed Salamon
Subject: Re: a Vogues question
Each Vogues song has a different story:
"You're The One" was recorded in Pittsburgh with the Fenways
providing the backing track.
"Five O'Clock World" uses backing tracks recorded in Nashville by
Tony Moon for the demo.
Correct that the Co and Ce tracks were overdubbed by Reprise, so
they could be "stereo". I can't consider these the original
versions, and this was the kind of stuff Dick Bartley and I would
argue about when we worked together.
I think more than strings were overdubbed, as I once argued with Hal
Blaine, who climed he played drums on "You're The One" that he
wasn't on the original.
Nashville's oldies station WMAK plays the dubbed versions of these
songs and it drives me nuts, as do the album versions of other hit
singles that they play.
Ed Salamon
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Message: 7
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 05:59:05 -0600 (Central Standard Time)
From: Bill Swanke
Subject: Founding Dell Viking Gone
David Lerchey, member of doo-wop group Del Vikings, dies at 67
Associated Press
HALLANDALE, Fla. - David Lerchey, a founding member of one of the
first integrated rock and roll acts, the Del Vikings, died Saturday,
his family said. He was 67.
Lerchey suffered from cancer and pulmonary problems and died at a
veterans hospital, said his wife, Linda Lerchey.
The Del Vikings were formed by five airmen in 1955 at an Air Force in
Pittsburgh, said Harvey Robbins, founder of the Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame
of America. Three members were black, Lerchey was one of two white
members.
"David Lerchey was a wonderful singer, he was a courageous
individual, he certainly carried himself on the stage with dignity
and pride," Robbins said. Lerchey sang baritone and tenor.
The Del Vikings appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1957, Robbins
said, the same year they had two No. 1 hits: "Whispering Bells"
and "Come Go With Me."
Other Del Vikings hits included "Cool Shake," "A Sunday Kind of Love,"
"Summertime" and "Bring Back Your Heart."
The group was inducted into the Doo-Wopp Hall of Fame in 2003.
Lerchey gave his final performance last summer in a concerned
organized by the Hall of Fame at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. He
sang with the other known surviving group member, Norman Wright, who
continues performing as the Del Vikings with his sons.
"We all knew that David was struggling over the last several years,
and yet when he hit the stage his spirit was still as it was as a
teenager," Robbins said.
Lerchey is survived by his wife, two sons and a stepdaughter.
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Message: 8
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 21:07:48 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Ray Peterson; Mitch Ryder in the studio
Ed Salamon Re: Ray Peterson, R.I.P.
> Ray's obit is in the Tennessean on line. They use an old bio that
> shaved his age for the teen market, so have him at 65 rather than 69.
NY Times has his age as 65 as well. If he was really 69, it sort of
undermines my earlier thesis about the blurring of ages "when the music
changed."
Rob Pingel on Ray Peterson:
> My favorite would be "Goodnight My Love" which was a staple sign-off
> song for numerous late-night DJs. One of the few cases where a re-
> make equalled or eclipsed the original record.
Rare occurrance, and true statement.
Laura Pinto:
> I love Dick Fox's Golden Boys!...It looks like the guys do have
< other venues lined up for a tour. Check out Fabian's itinerary
> and you'll see several Golden Boys dates listed:
> http://www.marstalent.com/itinerary_new.htm#Fabian
On the same webpage, there's word that Mitch Ryder will be in a
recording studio 4/4-5/3/2005. Quite the roster of touring acts here....
Country Paul
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Message: 9
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 08:29:14 -0500
From: James Cassidy
Subject: Re: Talking guitars
Jim wrote:
> Hope someone can point me to a US song which was a hit in Australia
> (and probably elsewhere) around 1963..its catchy gimmick was
> "talking" guitars, where the "vocals" were played on the strings.
Then Dave O' replied:
> Off the top of my head, you might be talking about Pete Drake's
> version of "Forever", which was also a vocal hit by the Little
> Dippers.
And I join in:
Back when stores like Woolworth's used to sell cutout 45's in plastic
bags with five (?) discs to a bag, I found myself the proud owner of
another single by "Pete Drake and his Talking Guitar" called "I'm Just
a Guitar (Everybody Picks On Me)" on Smash. According to All Music
Guide, he also had a Top 30 hit in 1963 with "Talking Steel."
Jim Cassidy
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Message: 10
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 07:51:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Robert Pingel
Subject: Re: phantom song challenge
A million thanks for identifying my phantom song.
During the 60's I was attending a boarding school in Atchison, Kansas.
No offense to the people of Kansas, but this town was as close to
nowhere as any teenager could get. However, at night it turned into
a radio paradise. We could pick up WLS in Chicago, KOMA in Oklahoma,
KAAY in Little Rock, Arkansas, and all the rock stations in Kansas
City, Mo.
My best recollection of "Don't You Know" is hearing it in the middle
of the night; a perfect "night" record that stuck with me.
Thanks again.
Rob Pingel
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Message: 11
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 12:22:48 -0800 (PST)
From: Robert Pingel
Subject: Re: "Corrina, Corrina"
Bobster:
> ... The only other version (of "Corrina, Corrina") I've heard is
> (I believe) either Dean Martin or Perry Como ...
There's a great version by Big Joe Turner which pre-dates the
Peterson record.
R. Pingel
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Message: 12
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 19:35:33 -0800
From: Scott Swanson
Subject: Penny & the Overtones
Barry Margolis writes:
> Speaking of demos, I have a 10" metal acetate with the label "Regent
> Sound Studios, Inc.," with The Overtones doing "Walkin' My Baby Back
> Home" b/w "What Made Me Forget," a really cool girl group version
> of the 1931 standard. Was this ever issued?
Looks like "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" was released by Penny & The
Overtones around 1958 (Rim 2021). Both songs are available on the CD
"The Lovely Ladies Of Doo Wop".
HTH,
Scott
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Message: 13
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 11:11:07 -0800 (PST)
From: Rob Pingel
Subject: Re: Whoo Hoo
Tony Baylis wrote:
> It would be neat to know how and/or why 'Whoo Hoo', originally
> by The Rock A Teens, was chosen by the telephone company
> Vonage as the backing for their current commercials on the box.
I recall "Woo Hoo" as being a pretty big record nationally. Fans of the late,
great Steve Allen may remember a regular segment on his old show where
he would take a popular song of the day and read the lyrics in a serious,
dramatic manner. Steve was not a big fan of rock and roll, and had a lot
of fun doing these type of spoofs. Two memorably hysterical dramatizations
were "Be Bop a Lu La" and "Whoo Hoo".
Rob Pingel
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Message: 14
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 20:31:57 -0000
From: Rob Pingel
Subject: Re: Hawaiian "talking" guitars
Jim Faust wrote:
> Hope someone can point me to a US song which was a hit in
> Australia (and probably elsewhere) around 1963. It's catchy
> gimmick was "talking" guitars, where the "vocals" were played
> on the strings.
I don't know the actual song you are looking for, but it might be by guitarist
Alvino Rey, who made a whole career out of the "talking guitar" gimmick.
One of his many LPs is titled "As I Remember Hawaii".
Rob Pingel
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Message: 15
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 15:28:15 -0500
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: thoughts on age(s); Sonovox
Country Paul wrote:
> NY Times ran both his obit, and that of Jim Capaldi of Traffic,
> today. Interesting to reflect: Capaldi was only 60, Peterson 65,
> and Spencer Dryden was 66.
Actually Peterson was 69. The Times interpolated his age based on an old
bio that had shaved a few years off of his age for the teen market.
Paul again:
> This is probably not it, but Pete Drake's "talking steel guitar"
> version of The Little Dippers' [Anita Kerr Singers'] "Forever"
> (Drake on Smash, Dippers on University) was the big one here.
> The effect was made using a device called The Sonovox ...
I think Walsh and Frampton used a different device. A "talkbox" is a small,
self-contained enclosed amplifier, out of which comes a tube through which
the output from the speaker is then literally "piped"into the player's mouth.
When the player steps up to the mic, he uses standard voice techniques to
contort the sound in his mouth as if he was speaking, only the sound source
isn't his voice box. Walsh fashioned one out of his standard amp (said he was
afraid to use it for fear he'd get electrocuted), while Frampton, Aerosmith's
Joe Perry and later Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi used commercial units
(probably Electro-Harmonix Golden Throat Mouth Tubes).
Joe
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Message: 16
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 17:38:31 EST
From: Howard Earnshaw
Subject: Re:Solomon King = Levi Jackson?
Davie L. Gordon wrote:
> I have my doubts about Levi Jackson being Solomon King --
> seems more like Northern Scene disinformation to me.
I can assure you of one thing: both Solomon King and Levi Jackson versions
are identical. No Northern Soul disinformation there!
Howard
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Message: 17
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 18:11:58 -0500
From: Mike
Subject: Re: a Vogues question
Joe Nelson wrote:
> Not to mention making them stereo. The 5OCW session tape is
> binaural two-track. At that point I don't think a stereo mix existed.
> Did Reprise use the two-track tape or the Co & Ce mono mix as
> the basis for their remix?
All three Co & Ce masters given to Reprise were the mono 45 masters.
Mike
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Message: 18
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 18:09:58 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: the play's the thing
Howard Earnshaw wrote:
> I'd love to hear the reason why Columbia (EMI) reissued the same
> record under another name, but I'd be surprised if both versions
> were not by Solomon King. ... S.K's. real name was Allen Levy (Levi
> Jackson must be a play on that?)
And, of course, "Solomon King" is a play on "King Solomon."
--Phil M.
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Message: 19
Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2005 01:58:09 -0000
From: Mike Edwards
Subject: Fabian, Avalon and Rydell
Country Paul wrote:
> FYI, "Dick Fox's Golden Boys" - Frankie Avalon, Fabian and Bobby
> Rydell -- are playing at the Trump 29 Casino in San Diego, CA, March
> 3rd. This means they're probably on tour at various other venues as
> well.
Phil X Milstein followed:
> Dick Fox built his career as an oldies promoter on fake groups, and
> likely still has many of them out on the road.
But these guys are not among them. I have no doubt that Frankie Avalon,
Fabian and Bobby Rydell on the "Dick Fox's Golden Boys" tour are the
original artists. These superb artists are just too good-looking, too distinctive
and too groundbreaking for others to assume their identity. Spectropoppers
can purchase their tickets with confidence and I hope they make it to the
Dunkin' Donuts Center here in Providence.
Mike Edwards
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Message: 20
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 21:08:55 -0500
From: Mark Hill
Subject: re: Sonovox
Country Paul wrote:
> The effect was made using a device called the Sonovox ...
The "Sonovox" goes back to probably the 1930s. You can see it being
demonstrated in Walt Disney's movie "The Reluctant Dragon" (1941) to show
how the train engine said "All aboard!" in "Dumbo" (1941). I first came to
know the Sonovox through a beloved record from my childhood called
"Sparky's Magic Piano" (Capitol, 1947) in which a young boy dreams his
piano can talk. It was written and produced by Alan Livingston, with music
by Billy May.
"One of the world's first, if not the first, voice-activated electronic synthesizer
vocoder attachment, that Capitol Records calls the Sonovox." An electronic
microphone talk box. It goes over the throat and picks up vibrations, which
are then blended with other recorded sounds. It sounds like talking into a
fan, only in reverse. Bono of the rock group U2 got his nickname from the
Sonovox. His full stage name is "Bono Vox".
Dr. Mark
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/popmusicpopculture
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Message: 21
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 20:57:46 -0800
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Re: thoughts on age; "You Talk About Love"
Country Paul wrote:
> Interesting to reflect: Capaldi was only 60, Peterson 65 ...
I think they're now saying he was actually 69, but past publicity had
subtracted four years.
I wrote:
> I also like the follow-up, "You Talk About Love", with the
> instrumental break done on drums.
Paul replied:
> Unknown to me, Gary. Is it easily available on CD, or perhaps future
> musica material?
I don't know about a CD, and I still don't have capability to upload to
musica. The record charted to #46 during a six-week run in '62.
gem
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Message: 22
Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2005 13:32:36 -0000
From: Larry Lapka
Subject: Fuse
I am looking for some information on the band Fuse, which recorded one
LP and had two singles on Epic in 1969 or so. They would have faded off
the face of the earth had not two of their members, Rick Neilsen and Tom
Petersson, gone on to form Cheap Trick. Any information would be
appreciated. Please contact me offlist.
Larry Lapka
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Message: 23
Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2005 12:17:35 -0000
From: Larry Watts, Jr.
Subject: Re: "Corrina, Corrina"
Rob Pingel wrote:
> There's a great version by Big Joe Turner which pre-dates the
> Peterson record.
The version on the soundtrack to the movie is by Ted Hawkins.
pres
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Message: 24
Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2005 06:07:34 -0000
From: Skip Woolwine
Subject: Re: A Vogues Question
One of the great things about living in Nashville is having friends
like Ed Salamon getting some of us old radio guys together with some
of the old music veterans to share stories. Just a few weeks ago, Ed
had myself, Nick Archer (both of us WSM and WLAC alumni), Austin
Roberts, Danny Davis, and Tony Moon over. Tony was in Dante & the
Evergreens, and also the Casuals who backed Brenda Lee with Buzz
Cason (Garry Miles) in the late 50's early 60s. (Tony and Buzz
wrote "Soldier Of Love" by Arthur Alexander, and later, the Beatles.)
Tony told us the story of when he was running the Nashville office of
(IIRC) Screen Gems music in the mid 60's, and had this young
songwriter named Allen Reynolds (who today is a country music
tunesmith-deity) who wrote 5 O'Clock World. Because Screen Gems was
an established company, they took time to do excellent demo
recordings. The Demo of 5 O'Clock World was recorded with
Nashville's top session players, and recorded as a split mix on 2-
track...vocal and instruments separated. With a mono-mixed tape, he
pitched the song to the Vogues, and after a short time, he received a
phone call from the Vogues producer: "Umm, we really love your
demo... can you tell us what all the instrumentation was?"... all the
way down to the most minor details like what brands/models of guitars
were used, and what kind of amplifier settings... They wanted the
same sound as the demo's instrumental track. Tony tracked down all
the info he could and communicated that back to the Vogues producer.
A few days later, he got another call from the producer: "Uh, we just
can't get that same sound up here... is that demo, by any chance, on
a split-track sub-master? Can you just send us your instrumental
track?" And so, according to Tony Moon who produced it, that 12-
String guitar we hear on the Vogues intro is Chip Young, and that
Vogues backing track is actually the original Nashville demo track!
The demo musicians were especially pleased, because the union demo
pay scale they originally had been expecting was upgraded to
the "Master" pay scale with no extra work on their part. 5 o'Clock
World is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I have tried like
heck to learn that 12-String intro on my Rickenbacker, but my fingers
are too fat, old, and slow.
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Message: 25
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2005 07:52:33 -0800 (PST)
From: Norm D Plume
Subject: Re: Ray Peterson, R.I.P.
There's a long obituary of Ray Peterson in UK's The Guardian newspaper
today by journalist Dave Laing. Unfortunately, there isn't an
accompanying photo.
The obit reminds us that moral panic led to a ban on "Laura" in the UK,
with Decca records binning 25,000 copies it had already pressed. A UK
cover version was rushed out, which scooped the poll. This was by
Ricky Valance whom many confused with the recently-deceased Ritchie
Valens (in retrospect: was this close naming a cynical record company
ploy?).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,1402781,00.html
Norm D.
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