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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 22 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: John Fred gone
From: Tom Taber
2. Re: Claire Francis & Birmingham (UK) Groups
From: Eddy
3. Twiggy's "Dreams"; Travellers 3; David Box
From: Country Paul
4. Richard's music and Stew's life
From: Country Paul
5. Conchita Velasco' "Beatnik" in Musica.
From: Julio Nińo
6. Re: Early Elton
From: Rex Strother
7. Re: John Fred gone
From: Tom Taber
8. Re: John Fred gone
From: Steve Harvey
9. Expiring Copyrights
From: Dave Feldman
10. Party Dolls; Dave Mason; Hollies; "The Jack Nitzsche Story"
From: Country Paul
11. Record shops
From: Kingsley Abbott
12. Re: double tracked teen idols
From: James Botticelli
13. Re: John Fred gone
From: Austin Powell
14. Re: John Fred gone
From: Bob Rashkow
15. Re: Twiggy's "Beautiful Dreams"
From: Mick Patrick
16. Re: John Fred gone
From: Rex Patton
17. Re: John Fred gone
From: Frank Youngwerth
18. Re: Twiggy's "Beautiful Dreams"
From: Phil X Milstein
19. Re: Alison Wonder, R.I.P.
From: Mark Maldwyn
20. Re: Record shops
From: James Botticelli
21. "Judy In Disguise"
From: Phil X Milstein
22. Re: Twiggy's "Beautiful Dreams"
From: Mick Patrick
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 08:01:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Taber
Subject: Re: John Fred gone
Gary Myers wrote:
> John Fred dead at 63
Sad news - "Shirley," "Judy," and "Hey Hey Bunny" are all time
favorites for me ("Judy in Disguise" is the only song I know where I
sometimes sing along to the bass quitar part for the whole record!)
The "Agnes English" lp is very good, and contains a version of
Spectropop favorite "No Good to Cry."
Tom Taber
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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 13:42:32 +0200
From: Eddy
Subject: Re: Claire Francis & Birmingham (UK) Groups
Austin Powell:
> I believe another of the groups that came under the deal were
> Giorgio and Marco's Men who released "Girl Without A Heart"
> c/w "Run Run" on Polydor 56101 in 1966.
The Giorgio (Moroder) & Marco's Men 45 was a Richard Hill production
with Johnny Hawkins as musical director. Both have worked on Claire
Francis productions, but at least on the labels, there's no evidence
Claire was involved here.
Eddy
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Message: 3
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 08:17:36 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Twiggy's "Dreams"; Travellers 3; David Box
Phil X Milstein on Twiggy's "Beautiful Dreams":
> As a dabbler on the instrument myself, my ears always perk up
> whenever they detect musical saw (aka "singing saw") on a record.
> Needless to say this doesn't happen all that often.... [I]t is a
> gorgeous record through and through.
Is this out on CD? If not, any chance of hearing this on musica?
Steve Harvey re: "Turn Around":
> ...[The Kingston Trio] version is sung from the perspective of a
> father to a daughter. My friend is looking for the opposite
> perspective--a mother to a son. Does anyone know if this version
> exists?
Adding to the list others have mentioned, there is an very sweet, zen-
simple and sentimental version by The Travellers 3 on Elektra that
was actually a bit of a hit 45 in the early 60s.
Phil Hall on David Box:
> I ran across a tune earlier this week by David Box called "If You
> Can't Say Something Nice" that sounds so much like Roy Orbison that
> a casual listener could easily believe it is, in fact, Roy. For
> those who may not be familiar, David Box is the singer on the
> Crickets release of "Peggy Sue Got Married". I know that David had
> recorded with Roy Orbison, just months before he died in 1964,
> ironically also in a plane crash. Supposedly there is an
> unreleased recording they did together of "Maybe Baby". Other than
> the google stuff, can any of our knowledgeable Spectropoppers shed
> any more light on David, and/or any of the sessions he did with
> Orbison?
I've found that Rita Box Peek, David's sister, has been very co-
operative and forthcoming via e-mail. She can be reached through
www.davidbox.net, which she curates. I also recommend the CD she
compiled of his released solo work as well as a bunch of interesting
demos. In addition to "Nice" and the completely Orbisonic "I've Had
My Moments" (two versions of each song), "Little Lonely Summer Girl"
(30 seconds of which comes on when you open the home page) is also
outstanding and IMO worth the price of the CD.
Country Paul
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Message: 4
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 08:39:36 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Richard's music and Stew's life
Richard Hattersley Re: "You're So Good To Me":
> Not from the Spectropop era but I know of a recent cover version by
> a guy called Paul Melancon. There is a brief audio sample here:
> http://creative-room.net/tsf/frames/songlist_frm.htm
I clicked and clicked, but nothing happened. Also, the lettering on
that page is awfully dark and hard to read; too bad, because the
collected tracks look fascinating. But Richard, let me endorse your
own work - I've got the downloads and enjoy them very much. "Silent
Girlfriend" sounds like a missing Mike Nesmith song - meant as a
compliment!
Laura Pinto:
> ...Stew[art Epstein]'s life was forever changed in ...
> http://lpintop.tripod.com/oldiesconnection/
Fascinating. One wonders how various things would have been different
if some of life's "what ifs" had been "what was." Thanks to you and
Stew for sharing this.
Country Paul
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Message: 5
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 13:25:22 -0000
From: Julio Nińo
Subject: Conchita Velasco' "Beatnik" in Musica.
Hola Everybody.
With the kind help of Mick, Conchita Velasco´s " Beatnik" (Belter,
1967) is now playing in Spectromusica. Conchita is a very respected
Spanish actress that quite accidentally became a yeyé singer. In the
1965 movie "Historias de la Televisión" (TV stories) Conchita sang
the ironic "Chica YeYé" (yeyé girl), composed by ... yes, Algueró/
Guijarro. This wonderful song, that represents very well Spanish
yeyé, was a phenomenal success, instantly transforming Conchita into
a pop star.
There are many versions of the song, Conchita's is the original and
arguably the best (with the exception perhaps of Rosalia's, another
yeyé girl).
Conchita never took very seriously her singing career
(understandably, considering her voice, although the ego of artists
is often quite impermeable to reality). She always approached
ironically her recordings. In the second half of the sixties she
recorded several EPs for the Spanish label Belter, which included
many tracks of Guijarro/Algueró. Antonio Guijarro's lyrics are
usually rather sarcastic, and often work better performed by limited
singers.
"Beatnik" was the main track of one of those EPs. In the song
Conchita, who sounds totally rural and uncouth, sings that she can't
love his persistent suitor because he's not beatnik enough, and she
only could love someone that dresses and moves like a beatnik.
By the end of the sixties Conchita´s moment as a yeyé singer was
over. She concentrated in her career as an actress which includes a
lot of successes. She´s still very active.
In the rare occasions when I go to yeyé parties here in Madrid (I'm
very unsociable and rather refractory to parties) and I see some of
the ultrasnobbish freaky people that attend them (which of course I
love and hate at the same time) I always think of this song,
"Beatnik".
Enjoy it.
Chao.
Julio Nińo
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Message: 6
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 08:56:07 -0600
From: Rex Strother
Subject: Re: Early Elton
Dave Marheine:
> The session featured Elton John - Piano and Vocals, Linda Peters
> (soon to become Linda Thompson when she married Richard Thompson)
It was famously explained that Elton's "Someone Saved My Life
Tonight" from Captain Fantastic was written by Taupin about the time
Elton tried to commit suicide after a painful break up with a woman
named "Linda". Does anyone know the last name of that Linda, was it
by chance "Peters"?
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Message: 7
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 08:06:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Taber
Subject: Re: John Fred gone
Billy G Spradlin wrote:
> Humm... that's interesting, Robin Hood Brians (Robin Hood Studios)
> told me via e-mail a few years ago that he recorded the entire song
> in his studio in Tyler Texas. (Which was built behind his parents
> house and still operating today).
I'm pretty sure that it was "Shirley," not "Judy in Disguise," that
was recorded with Fats Domino's band - One or more of Fats' hits were
recorded at the same session, if my Goldmine article memory is
correct.
Tom Taber
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Message: 8
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 08:31:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Re: John Fred gone
Billy G Spradlin wrote:
> Humm... that's interesting, Robin Hood Brians (Robin Hood Studios)
> told me via e-mail a few years ago that he recorded the entire song
> in his studio in Tyler Texas. (Which was built behind his parents
> house and still operating today).
The connection to Robin Hood Brians make sense. I bought the Playboys
CD just to hear their take on "Sometimes You Just Can't Win" (Mouse's
version still wins). What's cool about John Fred was that he was also
into the Wildweeds with Al Anderson). Listen to their tune "Sad
Story" which is an obvious takeoff on the Animals' version of
"Ginhouse Blues" with a touch of "I'm Mad" thrown in.
Steve Harvey
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Message: 9
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 12:01:05 -0400
From: Dave Feldman
Subject: Expiring Copyrights
Frank wrote:
> This is indeed a very difficult and tricky subject. I agree with
> Richard that producers who don't exploit masters for a certain time
> should see their rights revert to the artists. However it is quite
> difficult to define the amount of profit after which a producer
> should lose his rights. And such a policy could lead to a situation
> where producers might refrain from producing artists for fearv they
> should lose their rights afetr a while.
In the book business, the criterion is usually a particular length of
time in which the publisher does not have the book in print. One
particular problem that faces us in the 21st century is that with
virtually no expense, a record company could claim that any song or
CD that is available for download is now "in print."
It is possible to write a contract so that if a company does not sell
a minimum number of units, the rights revert to that work revert to
the artists, but artists often don't have that kind of leverage.
Dave Feldman
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Message: 10
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 14:48:35 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Party Dolls; Dave Mason; Hollies; "The Jack Nitzsche Story"
Had an opportunity recently to go to a big charity ball featuring The
Party Dolls, a 50s-60s-70s girl-group package based here in NJ> The
appropriate costume changes enhanced the vibe, along with the
appropriate wigs for each era, including long 60s-Ronnettes-style
affairs; all three girls can really sing, and traded leads. One
singer is original to the group over its entire 18 years; the other
two are younger, but (as) close inspection (as I could get away with)
didn't reveal which one was the "senior" member. More at
http://www.partydolls.com/
I also saw Dave Mason (ex-Traffic) this week. He's now (mostly
natural but also shaved) completely bald, and looks really kinda old -
but then he started singing, and he sounds "just like himself." Good
band, too. (Can't easily find his website, but do NOT go to
www.davemason.com, which is some conservative talk-show host!)
S. J. Dibai:
> [O]ne of my all-time favorite Hollies tunes [is] "Tell Me To My
> Face." It should have been a single....
I'd forgotten about this gem. Agreed. An obscure Hollies track I also
love is a recent one: Buddy Holly & The Hollies (yes, overdubbed)
from a tribute album to Buddy; they do "Peggy Sue Got Married" like
it was a whole fresh thing. Not sure who was in the Hollies for this
project.
> New @ S'pop Recommends
> "The Jack Nitzsche Story: Hearing Is Believing, 1962-1979"
> by David A. Young....
> http://www.spectropop.com/recommends/index2005.htm#JackNitzsche
Looks like it's time to spend more money....
Country Paul
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Message: 11
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 20:52:25 +0100
From: Kingsley Abbott
Subject: Record shops
Peter wrote:
> Can we compile together a list of other great outlets for rare
> vinyl. I have no idea if this place is good, but frustratingly I
> got lost driving in Birmingham (UK not Alabama today) and had to
> drive right by Reddingtons Rare Records. And I can >certainly
> recommend Velvet Fog in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney,
> Australia.
Good idea Peter - if we all put in suggestions, could a list find a
space somewhere in the great S'pop website?
Revolution Records, Mere Street, Diss, Norfolk, England
Recordland, Downtown Calgary, Canada
Selecta Disc, Berwick Street, London W1 (Soho)
So if everyone puts in 2/3 we'd have a good list...
Kingsley
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Message: 12
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 15:51:22 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: double tracked teen idols
Country Paul wrote:
> Yes, Fabian was indeed an awful singer (self-admittedly), but
> without digging out the one or two I have by him, I don't remember
> any double-tracking on his records. (Perhaps they would have
> benefitted!)
I just found a run of 45 Picture sleeves of the fabulous one.
Included "I Am A Man" (which the sleeve says, but the rekkid says
"I'm A Man"), "Tiger", and "Got The Feelin'". His singing wasn't THAT
bad. Unless studio trickery was performed on the vocal trax. Also
brought to mind my childhood experience of being taken to Holy Cross
Stadium in Worcester for the Stadium Festival in 1958 where we saw
The McGuire Sisters, Leslie Uggams, and, yes, The Fabulous Fabian who
was introduced as he rode around the stadium perched on top of the
back seat of a '58 Edsel convertible!
> I disagree with your assessment of Frankie Avalon, who is a quite
> respectable singer; the early stuff, like "Gingerbread" and "De De
> Dinah," is said to have been recorded with him holding his nose
> (literally) to get a "teenier" sound.
True according to Joseph Lanza in "Vanilla Pop" who devotes a chapter
to Frankie Avalon.....
> (Both tracks genuinely rock, actually, and the backing vocal group
> on "Gingerbread" really gives the record some polish.) But I don't
> remember double-tracking on those, either, and certainly not on
> "Venus" and his other "mellower" songs.
Agreed on Avalon who I also found some picture sleeves of. Easiest to
find picture sleeves? Paul "the abuser" Anka. Anyone heard the
dressing down he gives his band backstage? Makes Buddy Rich look like
Mr. Rogers.....
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Message: 13
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 16:39:16 +0100
From: Austin Powell
Subject: Re: John Fred gone
Sorry to hear about John Fred's death. I dug out my UK copy of his
"Agnes English" LP issued here on Pye International. The credits read:
Supervisor - Gene Kent, Recording Director - Robin Hood Brians,
Producer - J. Fred & A. Bernard. No studio is mentioned.
Incidentally, it also reminded me of the "Judy In Disguise" single I
have by Offenbach. It's merely the backing track of JF's song, but
was a much used music bed in my radio days.
Austin P.
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Message: 14
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 19:11:08 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: John Fred gone
I am very, very sad to hear than John Fred Gourrier has left us. I'll
"probably" be catching up with postings in a few days "or so", and
look forward to reading any memories or comments on his remarkable
Southern-style bubblegum records, some of which I have yet to hear.
Bobster
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Message: 15
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 17:28:54 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: Twiggy's "Beautiful Dreams"
Phil X Milstein on Twiggy's "Beautiful Dreams":
> As a dabbler on the instrument myself, my ears always perk up
> whenever they detect musical saw (aka "singing saw") on a record.
> Needless to say this doesn't happen all that often.... [I]t is a
> gorgeous record through and through.
Country Paul:
> Is this out on CD?
Yes, it's on "Go Girl: Dream Babes, Vol 4" (RPM 259). Find a full
track list here: http://tinyurl.com/bcwho
>From the booklet: So hectic was Twiggy's life at the time, that she
doesn't even remember the recording sessions that yielded her first
releases, 'Beautiful Dreams' and 'When I Think Of You'. The Face Of
'66 the Daily Express had dubbed her the previous year, following
the publication of a series of era-defining Barry Lategan
photographs. We had not seen her elfin like before. One minute she
was 16-year-old trainee hairdresser Lesley Hornby of Neasden, the
next she was Twiggy, possibly the most famous fashion model the world
had ever known. When Ken Russell offered her a starring role in his
movie The Boyfriend, Twiggy accepted but warned him that she could
not sing, dance or act. She was wrong on all counts and went on to
become a successful all-round entertainer. Hit records followed too
but for Brit Girl buffs it is only those two initial Twiggy singles
that really matter.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 16
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 20:35:45 -0400
From: Rex Patton
Subject: Re: John Fred gone
"Shirley" was recorded in New Orleans with Fats Dominos band. "Judy
In Disguise" was recorded at Robin Hood Brians' place in Tyler as was
almost, if not all, of the Playboys records. And what records they
were. Starting with the Judy In Disguise lp (originally titled after
their Judy follow-up "Agnes English", but changed after Judy hit)
John and the Playboys produced three straight albums of soulful,
rockin' and at times, quite sophisticated music. The players were
excellent (especially the rhythm section of drummer Joe Miceli and
bassist Harold Cowart) and John and writing partner/Playboy Andrew
Bernard wrote some excellent songs. Check out their greatest hits cd
or better yet, the two/fer of Judy In Disguise/Permanently Stated -
their two best albums. (Hopefully their third best, Love My Soul will
make it to cd someday.) Even Robert Christgau was an ardent fan. John
Fred and the Playboys were much more than "Judy In Disguise".
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Message: 17
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 01:01:02 EDT
From: Frank Youngwerth
Subject: Re: John Fred gone
Based on what I remember reading a few years ago when Fred was
performing at the N.O. Jazz & Heritage Festival, the song he recorded
with Fats Domino's group in New Orleans was not Judy In Disguise (as
reported today by Associated Press), but rather the much earlier
Shirley.
Frank Youngwerth
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Message: 18
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 14:31:06 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Twiggy's "Beautiful Dreams"
Mick Patrick wrote:
> From the booklet: So hectic was Twiggy's life at the time, that she
> doesn't even remember the recording sessions that yielded her first
> releases, 'Beautiful Dreams' and 'When I Think Of You'. ...
Thanks for the CD notes on "Beautiful Dreams," Mick. Your work? Might
you be able to provide whatever further personnel info is listed on
the record?
Thanks,
--Phil M.
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Message: 19
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 19:42:06 -0000
From: Mark Maldwyn
Subject: Re: Alison Wonder, R.I.P.
Thanks Mick. By the way I could never work out the indentity of the
artist in 'Who is Alison Wonder' on the 1st Dream Babes or in the
double fanzine.
Markm
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Message: 20
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 15:46:10 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Record shops
In Boston my faves are:
In Your Ear (Allston Store)
Looney Tunes (Two locations, Boston and Cambridge)
Both have tons of vinyl which to me is huge. Also got an ad magazine
from Nina's in PA. The Cameo-Parkway CD set is available there for
$49.00.
JB
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Message: 21
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 15:55:26 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: "Judy In Disguise"
Did the line about the "living bra" make it through intact in all
radio copies? How 'bout the orgasmic moaning on the break?
--Phil M.
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Message: 22
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 20:58:39 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: Twiggy's "Beautiful Dreams"
Phil X Milstein:
> Thanks for the CD notes on "Beautiful Dreams," Mick. Your work?
Yes.
> Might you be able to provide whatever further personnel info is
> listed on the record?
Sure. Details are:
"Beautiful Dreams" (Scott/Lee)
"I Need Your Hand In Mine" (Scott)
Musical Director: John Hawksworth
Producer: Tommy Scott
UK Ember EMB 5239, 1966
I recall hearing an alternate version of "Beautiful Dreams",
probably from an Ember LP. I didn't care for it too much. Maybe
someone out there can provide further details.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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