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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 19 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Teddy & The Pandas @ Musica
From: S'pop Projects
2. Record Shops
From: S'pop
3. Re: Paul Revere & ...
From: Various
4. Re: John Fred & his "living bra"
From: Phil X Milstein
5. Re: Roger Nichols & TSCOF; Ides Of March
From: Anthony Parsons
6. Re: Lesley Gore´s "What Am I Gonna Do With You".
From: Julio Niņo
7. Re: Roger Nichols & TSCOF
From: Frank Jastfelder
8. Changed lyrics; a touch of Blarney
From: Ken Silverwood
9. Re: Ides Of March
From: Bill Mulvy
10. Re: Roger Nichols & TSCOF
From: John Berg
11. Re: Ides Of March
From: S.J. Dibai
12. Judee Sill -- new album release and re-releases
From: Country Paul
13. Allentown Anglophile CD now available
From: Neil Hever
14. Re: Ides Of March
From: Bob Rashkow
15. Re: Teddy & the Pandas
From: James Botticelli
16. Re: John Fred & The Playboys
From: Bobster
17. Re: Alison Wonder, R.I.P.
From: Peter Lerner
18. Lou Johnson info/corrections
From: Rob Pingel
19. Lesley Gore in concert with Seattle Women's Chorus
From: "spectorcollector"
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 20:37:30 +0100
From: S'pop Projects
Subject: Teddy & The Pandas @ Musica
Dear Members,
The Team are proud and pleased to announce the publication of
another new S'pop feature article:
Once Upon A Time In Massachusetts
The Teddy & The Pandas Story
by Mike Dugo
An excerpt:
>From their inception, Teddy and the Pandas had formulated a plan
that would allow them the opportunity while performing live to
test their original songs on wildly enthusiastic crowds in and
around the Massachusetts North Shore. Their plan succeeded for
the most part, but The Pandas later found their musical prowess
compromised by a production team keen to latch onto the latest
misguided musical trend, resulting in the band's eventual
dissolving. Yet, despite this and other questionable management
decisions, the Pandas succeeded in recording several songs that
certainly position the band as one of the very best the '60s
Boston rock'n'roll scene had to offer.
Read the whole thing here:
http://www.spectropop.com/Teddy/index.htm
The group's first record, "Once Upon A Time", is now playing @
musica: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
Enjoy,
The S'pop Team
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 21:17:37 +0100
From: S'pop
Subject: Record Shops
Peter Lerner:
> Can we compile together a list of great outlets for rare vinyl.
Kingsley:
> if we all put in suggestions, could a list find a space somewhere
> in the great S'pop website?
Norm D:
> Who's compiling this list, by the way? Can it be put on the site,
> please?
Your wish is our command. S'pop has opened a searchable database:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/database
Click on 'Record Shops'.
The 25 entries received to date have been added to the database.
Members are invited to submit their own entries by clicking
'Add Record', or via an email to the board in the usual manner.
Updates to or additional information for existing entries are
also most welcome.
S'pop.
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 13:13:40 -0400
From: Various
Subject: Re: Paul Revere & ...
Some responses to Phil X. Milstein's question:
> Does anyone know why the long-time name "Paul Revere &
> The Raiders" was collapsed into simply "The Raiders" in the
> late 1960s, at a time when most bands were, if anything,
> taking the opposite route?
-----
Mike:
As far as I know, Mark Lindsay was promised more of a leading role, so they
became "The Raiders featuring Mark Lindsay".
-----
Tom Taber:
I recall from reissue liner notes that Mark Lindsay felt the "PRATR" name
was old-fashioned, and wanted it shortened -- though, if he'd realized how
much that would hurt Paul's feelings, would never have suggested it.
-----
S.J. Dibai:
This was mostly an attempt to change the band's image. It was actually Mark
Lindsay's idea, and was inspired by people calling the Rolling Stones "the
Stones," and the Rascals dropping the "Young" from their name. The logic
was that with the words "Paul Revere" gone from the band's billing, the
image of the group as Revolutionary War costume-wearing lame-o's
would go with it.
Bear in mind that a few months earlier, promo copies of the "Let Me"
single had gone out with the group billed as "Pink Puzz." A radio station
in LA played it, but then removed it from rotation when the band's true
identity was revealed. And the follow-up, "We Gotta All Get Together,"
did twice as well on Cashbox than on Billboard because of decent sales but
bad radio response. The band's goofy image, paired with the bubblegummy
gook that Lindsay often came up with after Terry Melcher exited, had really
worn the group down after 1967, so they felt the need to re-evaluate
their direction.
-----
Dave Gofstein:
I'm guessing it was an attempt to court a "hipper" image. About the same
time we had The Young Rascals turn into The Rascals, The Beach Boys
contemplate becoming Beach (really!), and I have an LP The Brooklyn
Bridge recorded under the name The Bridge (a pretty good album, actually,
in which they do mostly songs by a very young Loudon Wainwright III).
I'll bet there are a bunch more examples like these which I'm hoping
everyone one this list will start throwing out there!!
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 13:18:30 -0800
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: John Fred & his "living bra"
Rex Patton wrote:
> ... While he was in there, Russ played John an acetate of
> Elton John's followup to his flop first single, "Border Song,"
> to see what he thought of it. John said he knew "Your Song"
> was a hit from the moment he heard it and told Russ he
> should definitely put it out.
Great story, Rex. I wonder what Neil Diamond thought of it!
Irving Snodgrass wrote:
> John Fred Gourrier was born in 1941 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
> His father, Fred Gourrier, had played professional baseball
> with the Detroit Tigers organization.
According to the obits, John himself was quite the basketball
star in his day. Sounds like a very athletic family.
Larry Bromley wrote:
> When "Judy in Disguise" was on the charts, the top stations in
> South Florida were 560 WQAM and WSRF 1580. As far as I recall,
> the "living bra" phrase and the moans remained in local playings
> on both stations.
By the way, for those living offshore from the U.S., or who came
along too late for the '60s, the phrase in question was a reference
to an ad campaign for the Playtex company. Their slogan "living bra"
may have been chosen to create an image of perfect form-fittingness,
but its suggestion of anthropomorphic undergarments gave rise to a
wave of jokes, parodies, and jokey references such as in "Judy In
Disguise." On the other hand, I don't know WHAT that song's moans
have have been in reference to!
Dig,
--Phil M.
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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 12:53:29 -0500
From: Anthony Parsons
Subject: Re: Roger Nichols & TSCOF; Ides Of March
Mike Bennidict asked:
> Anyone familiar with Roger Nichols & The Small Circle Of
> Friends? I just heard a song by them called "Love's So Fine."
"Love So Fine" is one of my favorite songs! I'm familiar with
the version by The Four King Cousins from their 1969 LP. Written
by Tony Asher and Roger Nichols, it's one of my two favorites
from that album, the other being another Roger Nichols song
called "I Fell", which was co-written with Paul Williams.
(In fact, it was an Internet search for info on The Four King
Cousins which led to my discovery of the Spectropop website and
Yahoo group!)
I'd really love to hear the Roger Nichols & Small Circle of
Friends version of "Love So Fine" -- any chance it could be
played to musica? I'm always interested in hearing how a
songwriter handles his own songs. There's an authenticity to
it that's comparable to a classical composer conducting his
own works.
Mike also wrote:
> The Ides of March were probably only known nationwide
> for a 1970 hit called "I'm Your Vehicle," but there were
> others which I know of being from the Chicago area. ...
I recommend the Sundazed CD "Ideology". It contains their
complete recordings from 1965 to 1968 and makes mention of
all their single releases during that period. It's a great CD!
Sincerely,
Antone
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 18:26:28 -0000
From: Julio Niņo
Subject: Re: Lesley Gore´s "What Am I Gonna Do With You".
Hola Everybody:
Pres wrote:
> Back to Lesley Gore: am I alone in thinking her vocal
> on "What Am I To Do With You (Hey Baby)" is horrible? It
> sounds to my ears like she's trying to channel Ann-Margret
> and only nailing the flat parts.
Hola Pres (or Larry). It's funny how different tastes and sensibilities
can be. Not only don't I find horrible or flat Lesley Gore's singing in
"What Am I Gonna Do With You (Hey Baby)", but exquisite, full of nuances
and very moving. I think the way Lesley sings that gorgeous song fits
perfectly with the intimate conflicts exposed in the lyrics. I also like
very much the versions by The Chiffons and Skeeter Davis (I'm not familiar
with Jackie & Gayle's, which I would love), but in my opinion they approach
the tune in a more extrovert way, which for me somehow reduces its
emotional impact.
Chao,
Julio Niņo.
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Message: 7
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 20:27:05 +0200
From: Frank Jastfelder
Subject: Re: Roger Nichols & TSCOF
Mike Bennidict asked:
> Anyone familiar with Roger Nichols & The Small Circle Of
> Friends? I just heard a song by them called "Love's So Fine."
Their only album for A&M just got rereleased in the UK. It's a fantastic
piece of sunshine pop. Nichols worked together with Paul Williams on
many great songs. I love that LP.
Frank Jastfelder
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 20:08:49 +0100
From: Ken Silverwood
Subject: Changed lyrics; a touch of Blarney
I seem to recall The Carpenters changing the line "sleep with you
again" to "be with you again" when making their version of Delaney
& Bonnie's "Groupie (Superstar)." At the back of my mind exists
the sound of The Bachelors on Val Doonican's late '60s BBC TV show
singing "a come-on from the girls on 7th Avenue," from Simon &
Garfunkel's "The Boxer," where, as we know, they really got the
come-on from whores. Oh!, how we jeered. (Hope I've not misheard
S & G).
Just looking now to be amazed that The Bachelors hit #3 in the UK
with a copy of S & G's "Sounds Of Silence" in 1966, and Val hit #5
the same
year with Bob Linds "Elusive Butterfly"!
Ken On The West Coast
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Message: 9
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 15:08:36 -0500
From: Bill Mulvy
Subject: Re: Ides Of March
Mike Bennidict wrote:
> The Ides of March were probably only known nationwide
> for a 1970 hit called "I'm Your Vehicle," but there were
> others which I know of being from the Chicago area. ...
One other Ides Of March 45 release during that time period was
"Rollercoaster." Releases after "Vehicle" included "Superman"
and "L.A. Goodbye". They also had a lot of airplay on WBBM-FM
with the 10-minute-plus-long "Tie Dye Princess". All three of
those songs were off the "Common Bond" LP.
So, you listen to Bob Stroud?
Bill Mulvy
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Message: 10
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 16:10:56 EDT
From: John Berg
Subject: Re: Roger Nichols & TSCOF
The Rev-Ola label in the UK has recently reissued this album on CD.
You should be able to procure it via GEMM or other emporiums.
John Berg
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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 20:29:45 -0000
From: S.J. Dibai
Subject: Re: Ides Of March
Mike Bennidict wrote:
> The Ides of March were probably only known nationwide
> for a 1970 hit called "I'm Your Vehicle," but there were
> others which I know of being from the Chicago area. ...
Dude! Get thee to a Sundazed comp called "Ideology." It has all the
Ides' stuff from 1965 to 68. Some very good tracks on there, too.
But "Nobody Loves Me" isn't on there, of course.
> Anyone know of any other single releases in that period?
> They certainly wouldn't have charted nationally.
Actually, two of the Ides' early singles did chart on Billboard:
"You Wouldn't Listen," #42, 1966 (seven weeks on the Hot 100)
"Roller Coaster," #92, 1966 (one week on the Hot 100)
Okay, okay, I'll leave the rest to Clark!
S.J.
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Message: 12
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 17:15:00 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Judee Sill -- new album release and re-releases
There is a new Judee Sill album out in Europe, apparantly containing demos,
radio and TV broadcasts, live concerts, etc. It's called "Dreams Come True";
the cover is shown at http://www.kneeling.co.uk/pages/jsill/dreams.asp . I
believe the album's contents include a lot of the demos available on Bob
Claster's excellent site -- http://www.kneeling.co.uk/pages/jsill/default.asp
-- where you can find dozens more demo downloads. I've also played the probable
title song to Harmony High's files. (Check out that group or join it at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/harmonyhigh/ ; while not my group, I seem to
have been poopulating it with most of its songs lately, but there's room for
other contributions, too.)
Judee Sill was an item of discussion here a while back, so perhaps this new
collection might be of interest to some of you. Additionally, her two studio
albums, both early Asylum releases, have also been reissued in expanded form
by Rhino Handmade.
For those unfamiliar with her and her music, Sill was a conundrum -- a wild
child and a spiritual seeker as well as an incredibly talented musician.
Read her bio by someone who knew her well at
http://www.kneeling.co.uk/pages/jsill/js_remember.asp . The main webpage --
http://www.kneeling.co.uk/pages/jsill/default.asp -- has probably the best
summary of Judee Sill websites and research on
the net.
I've always found Sill's music to be haunting, spiritual and highly
compelling. Her first album had the almost-hit single "Jesus Was A
Crossmaker" (covered by The Hollies), the gorgeous "Ridge Rider" and the
transcendent original "Lady-O," covered by the Turtles using the same
instrumental track. (But Sill's vocals on the chorus just erupt into pure
beauty.) Her 2nd LP had the epic "Kyrie" among several other striking
tracks.
I'd consider Judee Sill sadly obscure and greatly unappreciated. Of course,
dying young before having one's "big hit" doesn't help one's career a lot --
although Nick Drake has sold more albums in his rediscovery (thanks to TV
commercials using his music) than he ever did when alive. So maybe one of
Judee's songs needs to be put in a commercial! But till then, you're in with
"the in crowd."
the ever-eclectic
Country Paul
(still haunted by her music after 35 years)
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Message: 13
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:16:05 -0000
From: Neil Hever
Subject: Allentown Anglophile CD now available
Popsters, you may have seen my posts previously regarding Allentown
area bands from the '60s. I had the distinct pleasure of remastering
some lost King's Ransom songs from an original 12-inch lacquer two
years ago. I'm happy to report that Distortions records has released
a compilation of some notable Allentown area bands. The CD includes
tracks from The King's Ransom, The Shillings, The Limits, Jay & The
Techniques and some really obscure tracks from The Dooley Invention
and Bleu Grass. The King's Ransom tracks are from my collection
(including the remastered tracks), so I'm pleased to have played
a small role in reviving this material. The Shillings are notable
because of their good songwriting skills, and there is a lot more
of the material that remains unreleased.
I have not been prompted or paid to post this note -- I just thought
some garage pop/rock fans out there might like to know about this
release. Previously I have traded CD compilations of this material
privately. Now you can get a CD with artwork and bio info.
Neil Hever
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:12:47 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: Ides Of March
Mike Bennidict wrote:
> The Ides of March were probably only known nationwide
> for a 1970 hit called "I'm Your Vehicle," but there were
> others which I know of being from the Chicago area. ...
As a fellow Chicagoan, I can tell you that not only did they chart nationally
with "You Wouldn't Listen" and "Roller Coaster" (although they were much
bigger hits in the Midwest), but they also managed to get "L.A. Goodbye"
(1971) on the charts on Warner Bros., even though it too was only a regional
Top 10. Very talented group as a garage/pop band, who unfortunately in 1970
got on the brass/jazz bandwagon. That said, all of their WB LPs are great,
at least as good as anything Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears were doing at
the time.
Bobster
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Message: 15
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:12:59 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Teddy & the Pandas
recently:
> Once Upon A Time In Massachusetts
> The Teddy & The Pandas Story
> by Mike Dugo
Mike did a wonderful job filling in lots of blanks for me. I was there,
but didn't know all he researched. Nice, nice work!
Mike didn't mention Minuteman records, on which all of my Teddy & The
Pandas singles are recorded. Minuteman in this case being not the
anti-immigration group trawling for Mexicans on the Arizona border,
but the originals who fought the Brits on Lexington Green (my hometown).
Mike, was there any mention of Minuteman Records in your talks?
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Message: 16
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 21:18:25 EDT
From: Bobster
Subject: Re: John Fred & The Playboys
I always loved "Hey, Hey, Bunny." I first heard it on Kiddie-A-Go-Go.
CFL wasn't playing it for some reason. Then in September '68 it
resurfaced on CFL, and if I'm not mistaken went into the Top 30 or
so! Flip side "No Letter Today" is very eerie and bizarre. Is that
the Ray Charles tune? I also really love "Little Dum Dum" -- Billy S.
or Nick A., did this get any airplay down South? I don't think it even
bubbled under the Tot 100.
Bobster
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 13:29:06 +0100
From: Peter Lerner
Subject: Re: Alison Wonder, R.I.P.
Mick wrote:
> I'll remember Cheryl, not for the behind the scenes role she
> played in the career of Michael Barrymore (in fact, I will
> *forgive* her for that) but for the singles she made under
> various stage monikers. Two of her best two records - "Once
> More With Feeling" using the name Alison Wonder, and "I'll
> Forget You Tonight" as by Cheryl St Clair ...
And a nice 45 in my collection is Cheryl St Clair's "We Want Love,"
coupled with "My Heart's Not In It", released in 1966 on CBS (202041),
here in the UK. I would never have made the connection with Cheryl
Barrymore if not for Spectropop.
Peter
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Message: 18
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 14:46:07 -0000
From: Rob Pingel
Subject: Lou Johnson info/corrections
My CD copy of "Sweet Southern Soul", Mar 057, includes small lettering
in the upper left hand corner that reads, "original recordings limited
edition". In the lower right hand corner in larger lettering is the
wording, "including early '60s releases". The CD was manufactured in
Brussels, and does not include liner notes or credits for label,
producer, arranger, etc. There are 24 tracks in all, and the first
13 are all Big Top or Big Hill material. I've included credits listed
on singles in my collection, where possible:
1. You Better Let Him Go (Byers)
2. Reach Out for Me (Bacharach-David) Big Top 3153
Produced and arranged by Burt Bacharach
3. Unsatisfied (Giant-Baum-Kaye) Big Top 101
A Giant-Baum Production
4. Magic Potion (Bacharach-David) Big Top 3154
Produced and arranged by Burt Bacharach
5. If I Never Get To Love You (Bacharach-David) Big Top 3115
Produced by David Mook, arranged & conducted by Bert Keyes
6. Wouldn't That Be Something (Giant-Baum-Kaye)
7. A Time To Love, A Time To Cry (Bechet-Giant-Baum) Big Top 101
8. Anytime (Lawson) Big Top 103
A Giant-Baum Production
9. What Am I Crying For (Giant-Baum-Kaye) Big Top 103
A Giant-Baum Production
10. Always Something There To Remind Me (Bacharach-David) Big Hill 552
Produced, arranged & conducted by Burt Bacharach
11. Thank You Anyway (Mr. D.J.) (Giant-Baum-Kaye) Big Top 3115
Produced by David Mook, arranged & conducted by Bert Keyes
12. Please Stop the Wedding (Giant-Baum-Kaye) Big Hill 554
A Giant-Baum Production
13. Park Avenue (Giant-Baum-Kaye) Big Hill 554
A Giant-Baum Production
To the best of my knowledge, none of the following Big Top, Big Hill
or Hilltop tracks have ever been issued on CD:
Walk On By (Bacharach-David) Big Top 104
Produced by Marshall E. Sehorn & Allen Toussaint; arranged
by Allen Toussaint
Little Girl (A.Toussaint) Big Top 104
Produced by Marshall E. Sehorn & Allen Toussaint; arranged
by Allen Toussaint
Magic Potion (Instrumental) (Bacharach-David) Big Hill 552
Produced, arranged & conducted by Burt Bacharach
It Ain't No Use (Giant-Baum-Kaye) Hilltop 551
Produced & arranged by Burt Bacharach
This Night (Bruno-Johnson) Hilltop 551
Rob Pingel
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Message: 19
Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 02:23:35 -0000
From: "spectorcollector"
Subject: Lesley Gore in concert with Seattle Women's Chorus
Hi, gang,
A while back when I let the group know in advance about Lesley Gore's April 16 and 17 appearances with Seattle Women's Chorus, I promised to write a little bit about it after the show. Here's the scoop on a most memorable experience:
The curtain rose on the 160-voice Chorus, in full '60s regalia, singing Patty Lace and the Petticoats' "Girls Should Always Look Their Best," setting the tone for rest of the program with their tongues in their cheeks and the fun meter cranked all the way up from the get-go. The "Girls!" medley continued with "Shoop Shoop de Doop Rama Lama Ding Dong Yeah Yeah Yeah" (The Clinger Sisters), "Wonderful Summer" (Robin Ward) and "Girlfriends for Life," the latter a modern-day revival of the girl-group sound originally performed by Darlene Love on the unreleased soundtrack to the 2000 movie "All I Wanna Do" (and incorrectly shown as being from 1963 in the concert program).
When the applause finally died down, Gore made a spectacular Busby Berkeley-inspired entrance, suddenly appearing atop a dramatically lit stairway to heaven, complete with twinkling stars behind her. After teasing the audience with a single line from "It's My Party," delivered in slow motion, she launched into "Maybe I Know," following that with "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows." Both songs were slowed down from the hit versions, and Lesley's phrasing throughout the evening betrayed her love of jazz, but these and all her other songs retained the energy and tenor of the originals nonetheless. I can't tell you how many people I heard marveling at what good shape her voice is in. She's also in incredible physical shape, still tiny and beautiful. The girl's still got it, big time!
I was very pleased that none of the seven songs Lesley sang was a truncated, medley-ized version. All appeared with at least as many verses as the originals; "You Don't Own Me" even had a new verse, and several others were treated to extensions of one kind or another.
The Chorus delivered the inevitable Motown medley straightaway after Lesley's opening set, and to great audience approval; this was followed by the show's most incongruous moment, the slapstick "God Loves a Woman," a send-up of antifeminism, performed by the Chorus's small-group a cappella ensemble Sensible Shoes.
Next up: "Sixteen Reasons," the ridiculous/great Connie Stevens ditty turned into an appropriately campy production number, and featuring a spot-on soloist. A medley of "Tonight You Belong to Me" and "I Love How You Love Me" followed, both songs benefiting from effective choral arrangements. The soloist on the latter tune opted for an affected hiccupy delivery ("But darling most of all, I love how you lo-ove me") that I think would've been better off abandoned in favor of a (the Chorus should forgive the expression) "straight," irony-free presentation. I'd have liked to see a focus on the sheer loveliness of the songs and the arrangements. (The entire show was arranged by David Maddux.)
A group of songs collectively titled "Oh, Johnny!" was performed behind a soda-shoppe tableau in which it slowly dawns on our heroine that the reason the boy of her dreams isn't responding to her advances is that he's busy pursuing the boy of *his* dreams. She's distraught at first, but by the end of the medley, the two boys are doing her hair and the three are all friends. The songs: "Johnny Angel," "Johnny Get Angry," "Johnny Are You Queer?" (anachronous but unavoidable), and "The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget."
The first act closed with Lesley's sophisticated takes on the naīve songs "That's the Way Boys Are" and "The Look of Love," the latter complete with a nod to Greenwich and Barry in the spoken introduction, in which Lesley named the song one of her favorites from her catalogue.
"The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" opened the second act, followed by the obligatory dance-craze medley, flawed in my opinion for its inclusion of three "boy" numbers ("The Twist," "Pony Time," and "Land of 1,000 Dances") and "Hanky Panky," which, to the best of my knowledge, isn't now and never was a dance. (Someone please correct me if I have this wrong.) If left to me, the medley would've consisted exclusively of "girl" "dance" songs, but as with the Motown set, an enthusiastic audience reaction was guaranteed regardless of the specifics.
Like "Oh, Johnny!" the "Girl Fight!" medley was acted out in pantomime while the Chorus sang. The sequencing of the three songs, "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" (Little Eva), "Here She Comes" (The Darlettes), and "Nightmare" (The Whyte Boots/Lori Burton), made for a cleverly evolving story line. No one familiar with the latter record would be unimpressed by the soloist's near-flawless reproduction of Burton's performance; I didn't know it was possible to channel someone while she's still alive! The wailing sirens and flashing lights accompanying the chaotic, screaming climax of the song brought the set to a thrilling conclusion.
The next medley, "Girls vs. Boys," looks (with a sly wink) at the relative merits of each gender and examines their interrelationship. The songs: "I Wish You Were a Girl" (Cathy Carroll), "Girls Grow Up Faster than Boys" (The Cookies), "Sometimes I Wish I Were a Boy" (Lesley Gore), and "I'd Much Rather Be with the Girls" (Donna Lynn). Several people, including some hardcore girl-group collectors, have mentioned that they hadn't heard/of the Cathy Carroll tune, which took very well indeed to a choral treatment, by the way, so I've posted it to musica for all to hear. Just know that it sounds much different here from the fleshed-out Maddux version to which the Chorus treated us.
Saving the best for last, the program then delivered three home runs in a row: one more medley, a breathtakingly soulful reading of "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman" by close-harmony group Sensible Shoes, and Lesley Gore's final set. The medley, "Hidden Love," comprised "Sally Go 'Round the Roses" and "My Secret Love" (the semi-autobiographical song Gore co-wrote for the 1996 film "Grace of My Heart"). Each of the two songs had been treated to a powerfully haunting, goose bump-inducing arrangement, the latter graduating from plaintive ballad to defiant anthem in the process. Taken together, they became more than the sum of their parts and made for an unforgettably moving listening experience. (The program hilariously lists Miss Lily Banquette's original performance of "My Secret Love" as dating from 1961.)
Lesley closed the show with "Judy's Turn to Cry" and "You Don't Own Me," the latter of which of course brought the house down. By this time, she owned the audience, and they went wild for her forceful performance, on their feet long before it ended and screaming for more long after. I myself could barely applaud; I just stood there with my jaw dropped, repeating, "Oh, my God. Oh, my GOD!" Between the song itself, Lesley's earth-shattering delivery, and the massed-choir backing, it's hard to imagine "You Don't Own Me" ever being more effective than it was here. I know I'll remember it with awe forever.
Of course there was an encore. The Chorus launched into their version of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and then were rejoined by Ms. Gore, who, quelle surprise, had saved "It's My Party" for the very end. The entranced audience simply refused to let the good times end, and the performers clearly hadn't planned on such a long ovation, so it was interesting to see them spontaneously figure out how and when to finally, really end it.
Afterward, there was a little table where one could buy Lesley Gore T-shirts, CDs, and headshots. She was sitting there signing autographs and having her picture taken with fans. I had her sign my "Hey Now" picture sleeve (cuz "Sometimes I Wish I Were a Boy" is the B-side) and regretted not having a camera with me. I wondered if she noticed the "Maybe I Know" badge I wore on my chest, and whether she'd ever enjoyed performing these songs as much as she must have enjoyed performing them with this very talented group of women and in front of this wildly responsive audience.
David A. Young
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