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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 24 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Another HIT Records question ... the Avons
From: David Bell
2. Re: HIT Records question
From: Ray
3. Claire Francis on ebay
From: Clay Stabler
4. Re: Dino, Desi & Billy / The Shindogs
From: Bill Craig
5. Re: HIT Records question
From: Mikey
6. Re: "Roller Coaster" Question
From: Dave Monroe
7. Re: HIT Records question
From: Clay Stabler
8. Re: Dick Dale and his tall tales
From: Phil X Milstein
9. Re: The Beach Boys on X
From: Phil X Milstein
10. Re: HIT Records question
From: Dan
11. Hit Records web site
From: Paul Urbahns
12. Keep On Dancin' on Hit
From: Paul Urbahns
13. Bobby Russell on Hit
From: Paul Urbahns
14. Re: The Beach Boys on X and Candix
From: Stephen C. Propes
15. Re: Dick Dale and the roots of Surf music
From: Steve Jarrell
16. Hit Records questions
From: Paul Urbahns
17. Re: clap for the Scatman
From: Phil X Milstein
18. Re: "Roller Coaster" question
From: Clark Besch
19. Motown reissues
From: Frank Murphy
20. Re: Steve Propes, X Records
From: Javed Jafri
21. Mrs. O'Leary's Grammy
From: Phil X Milstein
22. Re: Dick Dale and his tall tales
From: "hawkeyes95"
23. Re: "C'mon, Let's Live A Little"
From: Chris Brame
24. Re: DD&B and Reason To Believe
From: Phil X Milstein
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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 07:43:42 EST
From: David Bell
Subject: Another HIT Records question ... the Avons
One of the girl groups I've really got into after lots of
recommendations is the Avons, who recorded for a variety of labels,
mostly emanating from Nashville - Groove, A-Bet, Sound Stage Seven,
Excello and Ref-O-Ree.
I recall a conversation I had with Mick a couple of years ago about
the group and I remember him saying that they recorded under aliases
for the Hit label. Does anyone have a listing of what they recorded
and under which names?
Bing-bong,
David
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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 12:41:35 -0000
From: Ray
Subject: Re: HIT Records question
David Gofstein wrote:
> Is there a site out there with the story of HIT Records and other
> sound-alike or knock off labels? The Gentrys thread has had me
> curious. If you google the phrase hit records you get a million
> responses. All of which are no help of course! I knew that this
> would be the place to ask!!
Yes, here:
http://capitolsoulclub.homestead.com/HitListing.html
and here:
http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/Stage/7799/hitrecords.htm
ray
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Message: 3
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2005 18:06:48 -0000
From: Clay Stabler
Subject: Claire Francis on ebay
Check eBay item 4074083223 for a nice scan of this rare
Claire Francis produced 45.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4074083223
Clay.
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Message: 4
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 14:14:31 -0000
From: Bill Craig
Subject: Re: Dino, Desi & Billy / The Shindogs
Discussion of "I'm A Fool" written by Shindog (One Of Shindig"s house
bands) Joey Cooper I believe makes me wonder if that band of '60s
and '50s allstars including James Burton, Delaney Bramlet and Glen
D. Hardin ever had any chart records under that name or the same line-
up with a different name.
Also speaking of D, D, and B, I remember them on Merv Griffin's show
doing a version of Tim Hardin's "Reason To Believe".
Bill Craig
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Message: 5
Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 09:16:51 -0400
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: HIT Records question
David Gofstein:
> Is there a site out there with the story of HIT Records and other
> sound-alike or knock off labels? The Gentrys thread has had me
> curious. If you google the phrase hit records you get a million
> responses. All of which are no help of course! I knew that this
> would be the place to ask!!
Dave go to google and type in "The Hit Records Project"
That is a decent site for HIT records. I'm working on my own web
site dedicated to HIT Records, but its still some time away. But
this will get you started.
Mikey
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Message: 6
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 07:54:35 -0800 (PST)
From: Dave Monroe
Subject: Re: "Roller Coaster" Question
Sandy Revers:
> I am hoping someone in this wonderful group can help with this
> question. I am trying to identify a song for a friend that includes
> lyrics similiar to: "Love is like a roller coaster". Does that ring
> a bell for anyone? Anyone have a copy of the song?
Bil Mulvy:
> I believe you are referring to the Ides of March song "Roller
> Coaster". The lyrics are "Did you ever take a ride on a roller
> coaster?" It's on a CD of early Ides songs put out a few years back
> by Sundazed.
A friend just picked up the Sundazed IOM LP reissue. It's beautiful,
and sounds great. In the meantime, howzabout "Love Rollercoaster" by
The Ohio Players? Though that's maybe all too obvious, especially in
light of the Red Hot Chili Peppers cover of a while back as well.
Though here's an urban legend about it:
http://www.snopes.com/music/hidden/roller.htm
Or The Partridge Family's "Roller Coaster"? Lyrics:
http://the-partridge-family-lyrics.wonderlyrics.com/Roller-Coaster.html
http://www.lyricspy.com/95827/The_Partridge_Family_lyrics/Roller_Coaster_lyrics.html
I really like that one. Anyway, let us know what you eventually
determine, I'm curious now. Thanks!
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Message: 7
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 17:19:09 -0000
From: Clay Stabler
Subject: Re: HIT Records question
David Gofstein wrote:
> Is there a site out there with the story of HIT Records and other
> sound-alike or knock off labels? The Gentrys thread has had me
> curious. If you google the phrase hit records you get a million
> responses. All of which are no help of course! I knew that this
> would be the place to ask!!
Great site put together by Spike Elswick with almost complete
discography and tons of other info:
http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/Stage/7799/hitrecords.htm
Clay
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Message: 8
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 12:38:58 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Dick Dale and his tall tales
Dan Nowicki wrote:
> Dick Dale played the Rhythm Room here in Phoenix in December and blew
> many minds and eardrums. His set still includes cool covers such as
> "The Caterpiller Crawl," "Rumble," "Honky Tonk," "Fever," etc.
Did he mention, by way of between-song patter, how he taught Jimi
Hendrix everything he knew, surfed solo from Santa Cruz to Honolulu,
killed himself a bar with his bar hands when he wuz but three, or relate
any of his other tales of macho glory? I love Dale's playing as much as
the next guy, but the one time I saw him live I grew weary of his
bluster before the set was half-over, and never returned to see him
again. (The incompetent and ill-rehearsed band he had with him -- he was
still teaching them the material during the gig -- didn't help, either.)
By contrast, I enjoyed Link Wray bringing his young Danish wife on-stage
with him, their new bambino in arms, in the middle of his set -- it may
have been hokey, but at least it was real.
--Phil M.
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Message: 9
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 12:41:08 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: The Beach Boys on X
David Feldman wrote:
> I definitely bought Surfin' in a record store, and it would almost
> certainly have been at one of two places -- a small independent store
> near my home in Mar Vista, or the famous Wallach's Music City in
> Hollywood.
This might've been a consignment situation, with Murry or the boys
personally supplying a handful of local stores, which, if true, would
reconcile both accounts.
--Phil M.
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Message: 10
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 18:50:08 -0000
From: Dan
Subject: Re: HIT Records question
Have been reading the posts regarding the Nashville-based HIT Records
label. I have started a database of the 45's and their release numbers
in Excel XP. Can anyone help with the missing numbers? Also if anyone
has a special place where these "gems" can be purchased I would
greatly appreciate it.....thanks!
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Message: 11
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 17:40:13 EST
From: Paul Urbahns
Subject: Hit Records web site
Dave wrote:
> Is there a site out there with the story of HIT Records and other
> sound-alike or knock off labels? The Gentrys thread has had me
> curious.
Dave, I invite you and all other Spectropopperss to visit the "Music
Is Fun For Everyone" located at this adfdress:
http://www.geocities.com/spikeopath/hitrecords.htm
The title comes from a phrase used on the Hit Records 39 cent sleeve.
Spike has all the information on Hit releases, I personally provided
him the missing info but he has had some problems so not all of it is
posted. If I ever get some free time, I have enough material and plan
on self publishing a booklet on the label based on my over 30 years
of research. Nit the web site has the basis and some trivia also.
Everybody has to have a hobby and I decided to research Hit because
unlike other record companies that made a few sound-a-likes every now
and then, Hit was totally based on their success with sound a likes.
It was a full service record company built on sound-a-likes which
included eventually included a recording studio. lintographing facity,
tape duplication facilities, record pressing plant, warehouseing
operation and their own distribution system of trucks on the road
stocking thier own racks in grocery, hardware and department stores in
large and small cities in the South East. Besides that made some of
the Best and Worst Sound-a-likes in the business.
One of the more unusal record labels that I have found very little on
was Twin Hits which I think was made in New Your City about 1964 or
1965. Twin Hits claimed to have made sound-a-likes of the Top 100 Hits
on the Billboard chart. They were even distributed in Australia. But
unlike Hit they apparently were not successful in marketing and are
very hard to find today.
Paul Urbahns
the Hit man
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Message: 12
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 18:24:12 EST
From: Paul Urbahns
Subject: Keep On Dancin' on Hit
Javed wrote:
> OK guys I'm lost here. Is the credit on the Hits label listed as
> The Gentrys and is that a misprint? How were these Hits knock-offs
> usually credited ?
Normally the credits on the singles were made up names. In the early
days they tried to make up a name that was similiar to the original
but I believe they got in trouble for that. Two examples would be the
Boots Purcell Combo used only once and named after Boots Randolph and
Bill Pursell the two major musicains on that date. However both had
contracts with other companies. They finally settled on Music City
Five until that same group of musicians got known for session work in
Memphis then changed the billing to Nashville Five. By then
instrumentals were basically off the chart. Telstar was issued as by
The Tides but those same musicians on the Hit single had recorded
three albums for Mercury under that name so Hit only used it once.
The albums as a general rule had no artist credit which was fine.
The Gentrys credit was probably a misprint. I was told by a Gentrys
collector that the drummer of the Gentruys left the band after Keep
On Dancin was issued, and suggested that Hit may have used the same
drummer on their version. It's possible but not likely.
They usually recorded four releasable masters in each three hour
session meaning they spent about 45 minutes on each song (at the max).
That was the most allowed by union rules in nashville.
Unfortuantely all the files for the company have been destroyed.
Therefore nothing can be said for certain unless its one of the
stories I have been told by the people involved in making the records.
Paul Urbahns
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Message: 13
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 17:53:09 EST
From: Paul Urbahns
Subject: Bobby Russell on Hit
Chris wrote:
> My favorite of the label is HIT #50, "I Saw Linda Yesterday" by
> Dave Gibson.
I knew there were some Hit fans lurking out there. Chris that sounds
like Bobby Russell (writer of Honey, Little Green Apples, 1432 Franklin
Pike Circle hero). Bobby also sings the Paul part on the flip of Hey
Paula along with Connie Landers. Bobby Russell did about 90 percent of
the white lead vocals on Hit (including all the early Elvis songs) and
a few of the black vpcal leads. On the black vocal leads I call it Red
Headed Soul as Bobby Russell was red-headed.
Paul Urbahns
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Message: 14
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 19:52:39 -0000
From: Stephen C. Propes
Subject: Re: The Beach Boys on X and Candix
Tom Diehl:
> The X label version was sold by the Beach Boys themselves before it
> got released on Candix. There were 500 made. A friend of mine once
> had a copy that he sold on ebay for $500 in VG condition, he had
> purchased it (for $1!) from a lady who had purchased it directly from
> the Beach Boys after one of their concerts. I don't believe it was
> ever sold in stores.
Thanks for the reply, Tom. Based on the number of X versions I've
either acquired or come across (probably a dozen), I have problem with
that 500 number. Any record pressed in that low a quantity, would be
a once-in-a-lifetime sighting, if that, not a dozen copies+ record.
Most everyone I know who collects Beach Boy singles has at least one,
thus there's not a lot of demand among serious collectors of the
group, so a whole lot survive for that low a pressing run.
It's my guess that maybe the first pressing was 500, but there had to
have been more.
Steve
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Message: 15
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 15:02:37 -0600
From: Steve Jarrell
Subject: Re: Dick Dale and the roots of Surf music
Me:
> I was (Dick Dale's) sax player in the 70's.
Gary Myers:
> Do you know Gilman Carver (gtr, bass)?
Hi Gary, I didn't know Gilman. When I was with Dick Dale, Jon
Bodnar played bass and later Billy McBride, John Gentusa played
guitar, Billy Barber played keys and on drums was Steve Aschoff
and then Robbie Thompson.
Steve Jarrell
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Message: 16
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 18:29:41 EST
From: Paul Urbahns
Subject: Hit Records questions
In my research of Hit Records of Nashville, I was once told by a collector
that the Hit Records version of "Memphis" (the Lonnie Mack instrumental)
was issued in Memphis, Tennessee in a special sleeve highlighting the
musical heritage of the city. The guy didn't have a copy -- does anyone on
the list have one? Something else I could use is a copy of a Hit Records
jukebox title strip.
Paul Urbahns
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Message: 17
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 18:46:58 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: clap for the Scatman
Chris Brame wrote:
> Of course my vote for greatest knockoff of all goes to Scatman
> Crothers' hipster rendition of "Transfusion" on Tops ...
Now playing, for us all to enjoy, at musica. The record appeared on a
Tops EP, where it was paired with a version of "I Almost Lost My Mind"
by future song-poem king Gene Merlino. Complete details, with label
scan, can be found on my Nervous Norvus/Jimmy Drake discography
page, at http://www.aspma.com/drake/discog.htm .
Any the Hit label collectors here interested in working with me on a "Best
Of The Knockoff Labels" compilation project, please contact me offlist.
Dig,
--Phil M.
http://www.aspma.com/probe
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Message: 18
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 00:34:55 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: "Roller Coaster" question
Bil Mulvy:
> I believe you are referring to the Ides of March song "Roller
> Coaster". The lyrics are "Did you ever take a ride on a roller
> coaster?" It's on a CD of early Ides songs put out a few years
> back by Sundazed. ... A friend just picked up the Sundazed
> IOM LP reissue. It's beautiful, and sounds great.
I agree that the Ides' Sundazed LP is great, but I don't think that is the
song he is seeking. I doubt it is "Love Rollercoaster," either. I have not
heard the Partridge song. If I remember correctly, the Blood, Sweat &
Tears song started quitely with "I recall when I was five / Mother said
don't cry / Love is what you make it / like a roller coaster ride." I'm not
sure if that was it or not, but should be a clue if it's the right song or not.
By the way, I got a message from Tim at Sundazed that despite the closing
of their vinyl manufacturer, Sundazed will ALWAYS make vinyl records!
Yippee!
Clark
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Message: 19
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 01:25:29 +0000
From: Frank Murphy
Subject: Motown reissues
'm amazed at all the unreleased material Motown is willing to part with at
one time. Normally they spread it out, adding a new track here or there on
other compilations. Does anyone know if they're planning similar treatments
for more established artists? I can't remember where I heard this, but there
was a rumour about potential box sets for some of the other hit-makers.
Maybe that's just wishful thinking.
Motown has released unreleased material on the more established
artists, but I understand they were not big sellers. The Lost and Found
series produced great albums of rare material by Marvin Gaye, The
Temptations and The Miracles. Maybe they thought the sales would be
bigger than the print run for the European albums. I understand the UK
can release 48-track double CD's because, unlike the States where a song
receives a fixed publishing royalty, in the UK the total publishing royalty for
an album is divided by the number of tracks on the album.
Ever since This Is Northern Soul was the biggest-selling historic
compilation of the year it was released Universal and its budget arm
Spectrum know the potential size of the market and plan accordingly.
I play tracks from recent Motown compilations such as the anthologies
from The Velvelettes and Brenda Holloway, as well as the sets by Mabel
John, Barbara Randolph and older comps from Kim Weston, Tammi
Terrell, The Originals and The Contours. I am also picking up The Ultimate
series, which uses the original single and mostly mono masters. When I
bought a Four Tops EP all those years I did not think I would be buying
as much Motown as I do now.
After years of reissuing the same 40 tracks Motown is now setting the
standard for back catalogue and unissued releases.
FrankM
reflections on northern soul Saturday's two thirty pm www.radiomagnetic.com
or listen to an archive show
http://www.radiomagnetic.com/archive/index.php?genre=&show=65
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Message: 20
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 22:24:20 -0800
From: Javed Jafri
Subject: Re: Steve Propes, X Records
David Feldman wrote:
> Love your work, Stephen. I never thought I'd be helping YOU with a
> question about 45s.
While trying to resolve the mystery behind the X issue of "Surfin" just now
I remembered a book I had bought way back when that had mentioned
the X version. I did not remember the author's name, but when I grabbed
the book, which is called "Golden Oldies: A Guide To '60s Record Collecting,"
who do I see the author is but one Steve Propes! Interesting to note, Steve,
that in 1974 that version was valued at between $15 and $20, while the
Candix version was worth $5.
I dug a little more and this is what Timothy White writes in "The Nearest
Faraway Place" about the X version: " A small quantity was pressed on
Robert and Richard Dix's X Records label under the catalogue X-301."
Candix was the Dix brothers' fledging subsidiary label which had released
a number 44 national surf hit in the spring with The Frogmen's "Underwater."
Javed
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Message: 21
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 00:36:14 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Mrs. O'Leary's Grammy
Winner of last night's Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental
Performance: Brian Wilson, for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"
Will wonders never ...?
--Phil M.
http://www.aspma.com/probe
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Message: 22
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 03:30:11 -0000
From: "hawkeyes95"
Subject: Re: Dick Dale and his tall tales
What's with this new Lawrence Welk Band tour and Dick Dale being a part
of that with people like Big "Tiny" Little? Did Welk give Dale some break
back when? I know by some strange quirk of fate that The Chantays
performed "Pipeline" on the Lawrence Welk Show in 1963. They faked
the performance with Welk's musicians in the background looking like
"what the heck?"
Clark
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Message: 23
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 08:13:59 -0000
From: Chris Brame
Subject: Re: "C'mon, Let's Live A Little"
> Dave Feldman wrote:
> For those Spectropoppers with access to American Movie
> Classics, don't miss "C'mon, Let's LIve A Little," showing
> at the felicitous time of 4:15-5:45 a.m. this Sunday morning.
Thanks a bunch to the fine folks at AMC who chopped the movie down
to 70 minutes to run in that time slot, losing Jackie's performance of "For
Granted" and Jackie and Kim Carnes' "Baker Man." They call it "TV for
Movie People" -- more like "Movies from TV People."
I told her that I love to chop the flicks
>From ninety minutes down to fifty-six
She looked at my hatchet and said "I must agree,
You oughta get a job at
Cable channel AMC"
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Message: 24
Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 19:27:17 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: DD&B and Reason To Believe
Bill Craig wrote:
> Also speaking of D, D, and B, I remember them on Merv Griffin's show
> doing a version of Tim Hardin's "Reason To Believe".
I've just started reading Genya Ravan's memoir, "Lollipop Lounge." So far,
so good. I skipped ahead a bit, and found a part in which she mentions
hanging out with Hardin at coffee shops in the Village at the height of his
heroin addiction. In one touching scene, he attempts to give her the black
leather jacket off his back, but, being a frigid winter's day, she felt he
needed it more than she did, and let him keep it. Anyhoo, she says she'd
hoped to get an early crack at "Reason To Believe," but backed off upon
hearing Rod Stewart's killer version on one of his early solo albums.
--Phil M.
http://www.aspma.com/probe
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