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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 9 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Sandi Sheldon "One Minute Too Late"
From: Simon White
2. Sherman & the Teenagers
From: Mick Patrick
3. That Thing You Do!--The group???
From: Clark Besch
4. Re: Big John
From: Bob Rashkow
5. Re: More Sandi Sheldon
From: Howard Earnshaw
6. Re: Big John
From: Chris
7. Attention Music Historians and Journalists
From: S.J. Dibai
8. Re: Big Bruce/Steve Greenberg
From: S.J. Dibai
9. Re: Honey Ltd
From: Mick Patrick
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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:15:28 +0100
From: Simon White
Subject: Re: Sandi Sheldon "One Minute Too Late"
John H wrote:
> I see an auction currently on eBay for a Sandi Sheldon single on the
> Okeh label: "One Minute Too Late/ Touch My Heart." I didn't see this
> title listed in her discography on the main Spectropop site. Can
> anyone shed some light on it? http://tinyurl.com/a97ec
I suspect I should respond to this. This is a 45 recorded by producer
Ian Levine when Sandi/Kendra was here in London to appear live at
"The Rocket" Allnighter. The 'a' side is an original song that I have
a particular soft spot for (and I feel others may like) whilst the
flip is a solo recording of The Vonettes track which originally came
out on Cobblestone. Both are in a 'Northern Soul' vein. The story of
how they come to be on "Okeh" is interesting. Sandi's big Northern
'hit' was Okeh 7277 a 1967 release (directly before one of Little
Richard's on the label) but prior to Levine recording Sandi for his
45, he had been working on an album with a young singer called Ebony
Alleyne for Sony UK. As promotional items, three different Ebony
Alleyne 45's were released on the 'Okeh' label with Sony's blessing.
All are in a smooth 1960's style that would appeal to many readers
here. The first Ebony Alleyne 45 follows on numerically from the last
"Okeh" 45 in 1970 - The Cheers, Okeh 7338. Therefore the first
Eboyny Alleyne 45 "Walk Away And Never Look Back"/"Count The Days" is
Okeh 7739. The album however was never released, but a set of
circumstances connected with the unfortunate demise of the "Rocket"
Allnighters meant the 45's escaped into the world and are available
from a number of UK record dealers. In fact if anyone is interested I
may have a few spare myself. The Sandi Sheldon 45, Okeh 7340 slots
into the numbering sequence. However, all copies of "One Minute Too
Late" have a pressing fault on them in them in the form of a crackle.
In a way though, this adds to the authenticity sound and doesn't
really detract. Now I'm going back to wondering who Joy Lovejoy was.
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:21:49 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Sherman & the Teenagers
Are there any Leiber & Stoller experts out there? I hope so, 'cos I
have a question about one of their more obscure compositions: "The
Draw" recorded by Sherman & the Teenagers on Columbia 4-42054 in 1961.
Has this track ever been released on CD? If so, details please. Does
anyone have a copy of the 45, perhaps? I'd love to hear it. Thanks in
advance.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 17:16:08 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: That Thing You Do!--The group???
Hi all. This weekend has been Husker Heaven here with Cornhuskers
playing and winning in World Series (until Sunday night). We
celebrated at the local "Haymarket Heydays" (pretty rural sounding,
ain't it?) by seeing the band named "That Thing You Do!" Their ad
said "featuring music from the movie". On stage, the announcer
claimed they had written some of the movie soundtrack songs. I know
some of the writers had a band after the movie, but not by that
name.
Anyway, they started their set by playing "Dirty Water" (obligatory
"I love Lincoln" in ending lyrics) and "Love Potion #9" (Searchers'
version) which were a little later than the movie setting. Then,
they launched in to most all of the soundtrack songs back to back.
It was technically sung and played pretty well, but the band had NO
banter with the crowd (maybe because the crowd was very UN-
enthusiastic, which was embarrasing to me. I felt like we two were
the only people clapping!) and had no onstage fun during the songs.
That made the whole set seem rather slick and overplayed instead of
fresh and 60's sounding like the movie group. Even more
disappointing was the fact that their 2nd and 3rd set was to be 70's
& 80's power pop. Yes, I wondered (no pun) what they would play:
Raspeberries, Plimsouls??? But, seems like the band should have been
a 1964 band. I suppose it wouldn't go over for long with a croud.
So, I looked on inet and couldn't find any info but that they were a
New York band. Anyone know any more about this band? They were
pretty good, but needed to have a LOT more fun onstage.
Thanks, Clark
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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 14:00:24 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: Big John
Patti Page's version of "Big John" calls to mind Steve Greenberg's
"Big Bruce" (1969?), which is completely politically incorrect, but
amusing all the same. Big Bad Brucey-Woosey is a hairdresser who
wears bell bottoms and a polka-dot tie, etc. He's a gay stereotype
although Greenberg never once mentions any of the labels. Pretty
cruel, but thankfully even though it Bubbled Under for a while, it
never got on the Billboard charts. It seems to me that recordings of
this type were easier to appreciate back then--am I alone in thinking
this?! I think nowadays things like this are done more out of
ignorance and hostility, while in 1969 Greenberg's only purpose was
to entertain, not to mention put forward yet another parody of the
Jimmy Dean hit.
Bobster
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 14:02:19 EDT
From: Howard Earnshaw
Subject: Re: More Sandi Sheldon
John H:
> I see an auction currently on eBay for a Sandi Sheldon single on the
> Okeh label: "One Minute Too Late/ Touch My Heart." I didn't see
> this title listed in her discography on the main Spectropop site.
> Can anyone shed some light on it? http://tinyurl.com/a97ec
I believe this is a 'new' release, one of those specially licensed
thingies.
Howard
PS: I'd just like to thank Mick Patrick for allowing me to print his
Sandi Sheldon piece in the latest 'Soul Up North'. Special thanks to
to the Spectropop website too (who I've mentioned in the credits :-)
Other artists featured in this issue (#48) are Bobby Sheen as
revealed by Simon White, an interview with Garnet Mimms conducted by
Kym Fuller, Chicago soulman Johnny Moore, an obituary,an interview
with Ritchie Pitts (ex Velours) by Colin Wood and loads of vinyl
reviews along ith features on th Vee Jay label by Stuart Drake and
the short lived UK Inferno label by label founder Neil Rushton.
If anyone out in Spectropop land would like a copy please mail me off
list for payment details.
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Message: 6
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:42:01 -0000
From: Chris
Subject: Re: Big John
Phil X Milstein wrote:
> There is a long tradition of "alternate versions" being sold under-
> the-counter, down there with the filthy comedy records, as "party
> records," mostly in ghetto record stores.
...like "Think Twice: Version X" (per the engineer) by Laverne Baker
and Jackie Wilson! It's on "Celebrities at Their Worst Vol. 2". Dr.
Demento played it once and had to bleep most of it...
"You like chocolate?" "No - not that kind!",
Chris
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Message: 7
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:46:32 -0000
From: S.J. Dibai
Subject: Attention Music Historians and Journalists
Greetings, fellow Spectropoppers. As you know, I've been working on a
Philadelphia music history project that has been academic in nature
so far, but now I am going to try to spin part of it off into a
journalistic venture as well. I majored in history in college and
thus have training in the field at large, but I have no formal
training in MUSIC history, where the rules of the game are clearly
different from, say, political history. And I am new to the field of
journalism, period. Would any music historians and/or journalists
among us be willing to help me understand some of the legal and
ethical issues involved in these fields? If so, please contact me off-
list.
Much appreciated,
S.J. Dibai
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Message: 8
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:37:04 -0000
From: S.J. Dibai
Subject: Re: Big Bruce/Steve Greenberg
Bob Rashkow wrote:
> Patti Page's version of "Big John" calls to mind Steve Greenberg's
> "Big Bruce" (1969?) Pretty cruel, but thankfully even though it
> Bubbled Under for a while, it never got on the Billboard charts.
Actually, it did--it peaked at #97 on the Hot 100 and spent a
whopping three weeks on that chart.
> It seems to me that recordings of this type were easier to
> appreciate back then--am I alone in thinking this?! I think
> nowadays things like this are done more out of ignorance and
> hostility, while in 1969 Greenberg's only purpose was to entertain,
> not to mention put forward yet another parody of the Jimmy Dean
> hit.
I think you're right. Anyone who put out a "Big Bruce"-type record
in this day and age would be asking for trouble. But I can
appreciate "Big Bruce" in historical context. It's a funny period
piece, that's all.
I've always wondered who Steve Greenberg was and what ever happened
to him.
S.J. Dibai
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Message: 9
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:54:26 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: Honey Ltd
Me:
> Paul's right, the Honey Ltd sound as good as they look. It's time
> some of their tracks appeared on legit CD - easier said than done,
> I guess. In the meantime, I've posted one to musica - The Honey
> Ltd "Come Down" (LHI 1208, 1968), written by Laura L. Polkinghorne
> Creamer, arranged by Ian Freebairn Smith, produced by Lee Hazlewood.
John H:
> The Honey Ltd. sound amazing. I would love to hear anything and
> everything else they've done! I think I'm in love.
Say no more. I've posted another track to musica: The Honey Ltd
"Tomorrow Your Heart" (LHI 1208, 1968), written by Marsha Jo Temmer
and Laura L. Polkinghorne Creamer, arranged by Ian Freebairn Smith,
produced by Lee Hazlawood. Enjoy:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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