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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Moonshot Records - early Delfonics
From: Davie Gordon
2. Bobby Schafto
From: Justin McDevitt
3. Re: Slippin' and Slidin'
From: Anthony Parsons
4. Re: I Spy Shelby Flint
From: Frank Jastfelder
5. Re: Mark Wirtz on Sounds of the Sixties
From: Alan
6. Re: Jigsaw - One Way Street?
From: Joop
7. Re: Jigsaw
From: Austin Powell
8. Re: Keep A Knockin'
From: Phil X Milstein
9. Ilanga (Ilonka Biluska)
From: Dave Monroe
10. Susan Rafey's "The Big Hurt"
From: James Botticelli
11. Re: Eric Clapton & Mark Wirtz
From: Mark Frumento
12. Re: 'He Don't Really Love You' / Philly Producers
From: Hans Huss
13. Re: New Orleans Musicians Update
From: Kees van der Hoeven
14. Re: Moonshot Records - early Delfonics
From: Eric Charge
15. Scram #21 - The Swamp Issue out now
From: Kim Cooper
16. Jack Nitzsche at Spectropop update
From: Martin Roberts
17. Re: Ventures
From: Gary Myers
18. Re: Bobby Schafto
From: Roberto Lanterna
19. Re: Vogues on Reprise
From: Bryan
20. Re: Moonshot Records - early Delfonics
From: Hans Huss
21. Gary U.S. Bonds
From: Dennis Hoban
22. Caroline Munro
From: Dennis Hoban
23. Gonna Get Along Without You Now
From: Diane
24. Philadelphia Soul
From: James Botticelli
25. Ernie Johnson, Robert Moog, Laurel Aitken - R.I.P.
From: S'pop Projects
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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 16:16:50 -0000
From: Davie Gordon
Subject: Moonshot Records - early Delfonics
Moonshot Records
================
Here's a listing of the label's releases with some observations.
Dating the releases hasn't been easy as only two of them were ever
reviewed / listed by Billboard. Logically from it's numbering series
the company was set up in '67 but that may not be the full story but
I'll get to that in the notes about the Delfonics. Who owned it is
another mystery - with releases originating in Los Angeles, Chicago,
New York and Philadelphia it's probable that Moonshot was just an
outlet for masters that had been shopped around - it's certainly
possible that Nate McCalla was behind it.
6701 THE DIPPERS
Honey Bunch - PT. 1 (N. Nathan)
Honey Bunch - PT. 2 (N. Nathan)
Prod : Rose Productions
Apparently a West Coast record - "N. Nathan" was well known DJ The
Magnificent Montague and Rose Productions was his company. I haven't
heard this but I suspect it's another of his studio instrumental
groups (like the Packers and The Romeos). Montague would finance
sessions by ghost "groups" then try to sell the finished tapes to
other labels. Exactly who played on these records is still a bit of a
mystery but the musicians involved include future members of both WAR
and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
6702 THE VONTASTICS
Lady Love (Bobby Newsome)
When My Baby Comes Back Home (Bobby Newsome)
Prod : Burgess Gardner, Bruce Scott, Chuck Bernard
[A Chicago record - the group had been recording for the Satellite /
St. Lawrence group of labels but the company had folded around late
'66 / early '67 - the Moonshot release was probably recorded for St.
Lawrence then the tapes were shopped around before Chess stepped in
and bought up the remaining artists' contracts. Issued in the UK on
Stateside SS2001 in March '67 when EMI had a short-term licensing
deal with Calla. Does anybody remember this being played on "Juke Box
Jury" or is my memory playing tricks on me ?]
6703 THE DELFONICS (BB Apr 13,1968)
He Don't Really Love You (Thom Bell, Wm. Hart)
Without You ( )
Prod : Thom Bell, arr : Thom Bell
[I've seen copies of this with and without a "distributed by Calla
Records" label credit. See below for more detail.]
6704 UNISSUED ?
6705 VIRGIL BLANDING
Birth Of A Man (Teddy Vann)
Little Girl's Gonna Be Trouble
Prod :
[AKA Gil Blanding on Ready, he'd had an earlier (1966) single on
Verve and would resurface on Jerry Ross' Colossus label in the early
seventies]
6706 THE SUBWAY RIDERS
Adam (Teddy Vann)
After The Session
Prod : Teddy Vann
[Probably a studio group]
6707 THE SUB-DOMINANTS
Anyone Can Do It (Major Lance)
Bang Bang (Joe Cuba, Jimmy Sabater)
Prod : Major Lance
[Probably a studio group - "Bang Bang" was a version of the 1966 hit
for the Joe Cuba Sextet]
6708 JIMMIE RAYE (BB June 1,1968)
It's Written All Over Your Face (Jimmie Raye)
That'll Get It (Jimmie Raye)
Prod : Abner Spector ?
[Had earlier releases on Abner Spector's Tuff label (1964) then on
Garrison (1967) - there were other singles on labels like KKC but I
don't have the info. handy]
6709 UNISSUED ?
6710 CLIFF NOBLES
Pony The Horse (Jimmie Rodgers)
Little Claudie
Prod : Jimmie Rodgers
These were old tracks issued to try to catch some sales on the back
of Nobles' huge hit with "The Horse" which just missed making # 1 on
the Billboard R&B chart. Moonshot's only album was Nobles' "Pony The
Horse" a rare but, from what I remember, pretty unmemorable release.
There's no "distributed by Calla" credit on the label but McCallas's
JAMF Music gets a co-publishing credit. JAMF means Jive Ass Mother
F****** :)
6711 LANDY
Doctor Good Soul (Landy McNeal)
Mama Dear (Landy McNeal)
Prod : Abner Spector ?
This is Landy McNeal who'd been lead for the "Smokey Places" Corsairs
in their final days on Tuff. So it looks as if both 6711 and 6708
came from Abner Spector who'd by this time joined Chess as a staff
producer (Wayne Cochran)
6712 TONY FOX
Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say
Powerful Love
Prod : Teddy Vann ?
[Teddy Vann had produced The Sandpebbles and Tony Fox releases on
Calla - maybe Calla didn't want these tracks so they got hived off to
Moonshot]
Archaelogy dept - the Delfonics' early days
Tony Cummings interviewed both Thom Bell and William Hart of The
Delfonics for his book "The Sound of Philadelphia" (Methuen, 1975)
Thom : "In 1966 I was doing a little work for Cameo Records .....
Stan Watson brought the group to me I listened to them. Stan asked
"Can you do anything with them ?" and I said I thought I could do the
job. So I did a thing with the group called "He Don't Really love
You".
William : "When Thom played it to Cameo they didn't like it. They
were looking for a Motown kinda dance sound and our thing was a slow
harmony ballad. So they took our record and sold it to another
company called Moonshot Records who were distributed by Calla. .....
With better distribution "He Don't .. " could have been a big hit.
But it DID do well in Philadelphia and Cameo said "We'll take over
from here" and the next record came out on Cameo" ["You've Been
Untrue"/ "I Was There", Cameo 472, 04/67)
6703 was issued to cash in on the success of of "La La Means I Love
You" which was still on the charts - "He Don't Really Love You"
entered the Billboard R&B charts on May 2nd, 1968 two weeks before
the chart debut of their official followup "I'm Sorry". 6703 was the
only Monnshot release to make the charts peaking at # 92 on the Hot
100 but doing considerably better on the R&B chart where it peaked at
# 33.
What puzzles me is the original release - Jay Warner's "The Billboard
Book of American Singing Groups" says it was first issued in August
1966 which makes sense but doesn't quite square with the 67XX
numbering series - there may have been an earlier series but I've yet
to find any supporting evidence.
So here's the chronology
08/66 "He Don't Really Love You" (Moonshot)
04/67 "You've Been Untrue" (Cameo 472)
01/68 "La La Means I Love You" (Philly Groove 150, dist. Bell)
BB 01.27.68
04/68 "He Don't Really Love You" (Moonshot 6703) BB 04.13.68
04/68 "I'm Sorry" (Philly Groove 151) BB 04.20.68
Another mystery - here's Stan Watson (Philly Groove's owner) quoted
in Tony Cumming's book "When we put out "La La ..." it got picked up
by radio and pretty soon was the hottest record around. We couldn't
handle a national distribution thing so Larry Utall got in contact and
Philly Groove became a Bell-distributed label, Then it REALLY started
to happen ..."
So there's a pre-Amy-Mala-Bell release of "La La .." presumably with
a different number to the AMB issue (150) - has anybody ever seen
one? This has puzzled me for years - none of the standard reference
works ever mention "La La..." as anything other than Philly Groove
150 but Stan Watson sounds very definite that there WAS an earlier
issue. I'm puzzled that in all these years I've never come across
any definite details of an earlier issue which is all the more
surprising in that "La La..." is hardly an obscure record.
This little epic has probably raised more questions than it has
answered so any additional input would be most appreciated. It would
make an aging discographer really happy to see scans of the original
issues of The Delfonics' "He Dont Really Love You" and "La La Means I
Love You".
I've been busy on a massive release dating project from which I've
been reluctant to get sidetracked so I haven't had time to post more
regularly but I've decided to take a bit of a break from that before
I get brain burn-out.
Thanks to all my Spectropop friends for the continuing stream of
fascinating posts.
A final word on the Delfonics - I've always loved their "Funny
Feeling" an astonishing fusion of sweet soul and psychedelia which
was so far away from their usual sound that it barely managed to
chart at all (# 94 on the Billbaord Hot 100). Hearing it always make
think of the soundtrack for "Barbarella" as it could've slotted in
there and not been too out of place. It's a pity nobody's ever seemed
to have asked Thom Bell about it as it's one of the most intriguing
records he ever worked on. Sunshine pop aficionados should try to
hear it as as it's got more "ba ba ba ba" vocal backgrounds on it
than, say, The Love Generation.
Are you feeling groovy, baby? Are you feeling good?
Davie Gordon
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Message: 2
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 23:20:33 -0500
From: Justin McDevitt
Subject: Bobby Schafto
Hello Spectropop,
Some minutes ago I was listening to a Reelradio spot from Wbz Boston,
(circa spring-Summer 1964) featuring Bruce Bradley. Along with song
snipets of Billy J. Kramer, Gerry and The Pacemakers and Don't Worry
Baby by the Beach Boys, BB played a song called She's My Girl by
Bobby Schafto, (not sure of correct spelling). With a 6 second song
snipet, I didn't get to hear much, yet the song captured my interest.
I think Schafto has been covered in past postings. Nonetheless, can
one of the many experts on this list, provide some info about this
track and the artist. By chance, (and I doubt it), is She's My Girl
on any compilations?
Justin In Saint Paul
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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 00:29:14 -0500
From: Anthony Parsons
Subject: Re: Slippin' and Slidin'
Simon White:
> ...Much better is "Slipping and Sliding" by Spic & Span on V Tone
> from 1961, which is in a rough Everly Brothers style.
How about my favorite non-Little Richard version of Slippin & Slidin
by Wanda Jackson? Re the Everlys: To me, Cathy's Clown is pure
Spectropop. I've come to a whole new respect for the Everlys this
past year by delving into their lesser known and later material.
Talking To The Flowers, which I just recently heard on the Rhino Soft
Pop Nuggets CD "Come To The Sunshine" is incredible, as is that whole
CD. And by the way, Wanda Jackson rocks AND rules!
Antone
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Message: 4
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 11:13:44 +0200
From: Frank Jastfelder
Subject: Re: I Spy Shelby Flint
Anthony Parsons wrote:
> I don't know if (Shelby Flint's) The Voice In The Wind is on either
> LP, but I'm sure someone else here could verify. I have no idea if
> a 45 was ever released.
"TVITW" is at least included on the Capitol LP albeit as an
instrumental. It's a ballad with a slight oriental touch.
Frank Jastfelder
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Message: 5
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 10:31:47 +0100 (BST)
From: Alan
Subject: Re: Mark Wirtz on Sounds of the Sixties
Frank M wrote:
> Brian Mathews read out a letter from Mark (Wirtz) explaining he
> could not add much to the story of Caroline Munro that Brian had
> attached to the playing of Caroline's single "Tar and Cement". Mark
> did point out that whilst Clapton was on the session Bruce and
> Baker were not. Several web sites will now have to be changed.
> Brian played the B side "This Sporting Life". You can catch it at
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2 CLICK on Listen Again and select sounds
> of the sixties.
I was the one who sent an extract of an e-mail that Mark Wirtz had
posted on the Interweb to "Sounds Of The Sixties" (phew!). I am
always contacting SOTS if they fail to mention any contribution made
by "Big Jim Sullivan" who actually played lead bango on the Caroline
Munro record. You can download the song (it's on Caroline's own web
site).
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Message: 6
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 09:41:25 -0000
From: Joop
Subject: Re: Jigsaw - One Way Street?
Bob Radil wrote:
> RE: The MP3 posted in Musica, Jigsaw - One Way Street. Is this the
> same act that in 1975 had a hit with "Sky High"?
Hello Bob, Here's what I have said on message # 30780 about Jigsaw:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/message/30780
Joop greets
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Message: 7
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 10:45:46 +0100
From: Austin Powell
Subject: Re: Jigsaw
Jigsaw are a band very close to my heart, having worked with them and
their management/production/publishing team in the late sixties and
early seventies. The group's first releases were on MGM UK's short-
lived Music Factory label in '68. Mister Job/Great Idea was Cub 4,
Let Me Go Home/ Tumblin' was Cub 5...Then they switched to MGM proper
for One Way Street,which was re-issued in 70 on Philips.They stayed
with Philips until 73 when they moved to BASF Records before the
Splash label was started by their management. Their act did include
comedy most notably the hilarious "Sittin' On A Bomb" which drummer
Des Dyer performed sitting centre stage, on a toilet ! The track is
on their Aurora Borealis album from 1972. A much underrated group,
high on musicianship and creativity - nice guys too !
Austin P
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Message: 8
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 10:39:28 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Keep A Knockin'
Simon White wrote:
> You may be thinking of "Keep a Knockin'", which is spliced from a
> short radio station recording (with a line "I'm drinking gin and you
> can't come in" removed) ....
Perhaps that explains the little moment of slippin' and slidin' that
occurs about 2/3ds of the way into the song, where the tape wobbles as
if an engineer accidentally brushed his hand against the take-up reel.
No?,
--Phil M.
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Message: 9
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 08:40:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: Dave Monroe
Subject: Ilanga (Ilonka Biluska)
Country Paul wrote:
> By the way, Fred Clemens has an extensive list of covers of
> "Mbube"/"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" at
> http://www.bobshannon.com/fred/Mbube%20Listing.html
I was glad to see They Might Be Giants' "The Guitar" on that list
(and note TMBG's appropriation as well of the opening bars of
Frank Sinatra's recording of "Downtown" as "Minimum Wage," on
their Flood album). But here's another one of those times I wish
I had ready access to the technology to upload something to Musica.
Anyone familiar with South African singer Ilanga? E.g., ...
ILONKA BILUSKA
After a stay in South Africa, Biluska returned to the Netherlands,
where she became a popular girl singer in the 1960's. However, the
tunes 'Aniva?' and 'Jikele Maweni' were only released in Belgium.
Both tunes were recorded in Brussels in 1969 with a mix of Western
and African musicians. Some parts of 'Aniva?' have a strong
bluebeat rhythm. It seemed like it was to become a hit. Even a clip
was shot, with Ilonka in a leopard catsuit. It never appeared on TV,
because just after the release there was a months long strike on
Belgian radio and television and that brought an end to this
project. The record disappeared into the vaults of music history.
Biluska had to wear a wig on the sleeve, she was originally blond.
The photo was shot to make her look like a black girl.
Selective discography
Ilanga (Ilonka Biluska), 'Aniva?/Jikele Maweni', Decca 95/23.921X
(Belgium) (1969)
http://home.planet.nl/~hooij397/DreamHC/Pagina33.html
Unfortunately, there aren't sound clips here, but ...
http://www.amcrecords.com/titles.php?lan=EN&label=TAU&code=105984
http://www.amcrecords.com/artists.php?lanEN&artist=1489
The chorus features the title sung a la "Wim-o-weh," accenting the
middle syllable a la "Wim," i.e., "aNIva aNIva aNIva aNIva aNIva
aNIva aNIva aNIva." The b-side ("Retreat Song"?), which seems to
be a traditional Zulu (or, pehaps, Xhosa?) song which y'all might
know via Miriam Makeba's version. Interesting note here ...
http://tinyurl.com/8pool
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Message: 10
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 12:11:50 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Susan Rafey's "The Big Hurt"
Sorry to intrude with this, but a member asked me for an MP3 of Susan
Rafey's "The Big Hurt". I have now digitized the song from the LP and
am willing to forward it to that member, but I've forgotten the name
of the member. Please step forward.
JB
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Message: 11
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 18:02:54 -0000
From: Mark Frumento
Subject: Re: Eric Clapton & Mark Wirtz
Frank M wrote:
> Well Brian Mathews read out a letter from Mark explaining he could
> not add much to the story of Caroline Munro that Brian had attached
> to the playing of Caroline's single "Tar and Cement". Mark did
> point out that whilst Clapton was on the session Bruce and Baker
> were not.
It would be good to have a Clapton expert chime in on this. It seems
odd to me that he was doing session work, especially in 1967, with all
of his Cream activity. I'd also like to hear from Mark Wirtz. I think
we've been through every one of his EMI period tracks and Mark never
once mentioned Clapton. I thought I remember him saying that Jimmy
Page played on just one of his tracks and I'm pretty sure he said it
was one of the Caroline Munro songs. On the other hand, Mark has a
good memory and he's generally clear on the major names with whom he
worked.
Mark F.
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Message: 12
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 13:55:24 -0700 (PDT)
From: Hans Huss
Subject: Re: 'He Don't Really Love You' / Philly Producers
Simon White wrote:
> I suspect ['He Don't Really Love You'] was actually recorded for
> Cameo/Parkway but the label went down before it was released.
> [...] I'm currently giving myself a headache trying to thread
> through all the Philly connections with Gamble and Huff, Thom Bell,
> Stan Watson, Billy Jackson, Jimmy Wisner et al. What a supremely
> gifted and talented group of people.
"A supremely gifted and talented group of people" - you're absolutely
right. Philadelphia in the late 60's and early 70's sure gave New
York, Detroit and Chicago a run for their money. And not just the
famous names either, labels like Harthon, Blackjack and Jimmy
Bishop's Arctic are all well worth investigating!
According to Tony Cummings, the Delfonics, a foursome at the time,
and Thom Bell recorded 'He Don't Really Love You' for Cameo/Parkway.
They thought the recording was too soft and sold it on to Moonshot.
The record was hit in Philadelphia, however, and Cameo released the
follow-up. After the demise of Cameo/Parkway, when all the contracts
were handed back to the artists, Stan Watson formed Philly Groove,
and the career of the Delfonics, now down to a trio, took off in
earnest.
A copy of Tony Cummings's rare book, The Sound of Philadelphia, is on
eBay at the moment (the auction closes on September 14). Although I
think his verdict on Cameo/Parkway's artists is unnecessarily hard,
on Philly soul, mid 60's up to around 1973, he is excellent. The book
is worth getting for the pics alone: Kenny Gamble at the breakfast
table, Bobby Martin conducting a group of string players at Virtue
Studios, Gerri Grainger and Bunny Sigler at Sigma Sound; and has many
candid anecdotes, such as the one about Bobby Eli being offered to
submit his biography to the first edition of Who's Who of Black
Americans 1974-75.
Some of the more obscure Philadelphia labels, Academy, Del-Val,
Pentagon, Womar, and Blackjack, are represented on CDs. Check the
Philly Archive Soul CD's at this link:
http://funkadelphiarecords.com/
Hasse Huss
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Message: 13
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 21:47:22 -0000
From: Kees van der Hoeven
Subject: Re: New Orleans Musicians Update
Willie C wrote:
> The following people are reported to be okay:
> Jeff Albert (...) Linnzi Zaorski.
And Bobby Charles, my #1 New Orleans favourite...?
Kees
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Message: 14
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 19:43:34 +0100
From: Eric Charge
Subject: Re: Moonshot Records - early Delfonics
Davie Gordon on Moonshot Records:
> Who owned it is another mystery - with releases originating in Los
> Angeles, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia it's probable that
> Moonshot was just an outlet for masters that had been shopped
> around - it's certainly possible that Nate McCalla was behind it.
I have a copy of a 1973 interview with Thom Bell in which it's
reported:
Stan [Watson] had already started his own label called Moonshot and
Thom was chosen to come up with the material and production [for the
Delfonics]... Moonshot folded soon afterwards and Stan went into
business completely on his own. He started Philly Groove records and
Thom was again hired to record the Delfonics. There had been one
release [by the Delfonics] prior to Moonshot and that was on Cameo...
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Message: 15
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 22:14:51 -0700
From: Kim Cooper
Subject: Scram #21 - The Swamp Issue out now
Gentle reader,
In light of recent events, Lark Pien's cover image is entirely too
eerie: a swamp scene in the pitch darkness, gators, frogs, fishes,
turtles and egrets rocking out without a hint of human presence to be
seen. It is our Swamp Issue, with a funky air blowing through it. We
hope it harkens a healthy bayou by and by, O.
Features include Nathan Marsak's rude and hilarious interview with
Dwarves leader Blag Dahlia, Gene Sculatti on that brief moment "When
MOR went Hip," Phantom Surfer Mike Lucas in a valiant attempt to
interview Blowfly, Ron Garmon on the lurid early 70s Skywald
Horror-Mood magazines, Tony Sclafani investigating Baroque rockers The
New Society, Michael I. Cohen digging deep in Kenneth Anger's music
archives to find the mysterious Andy Arthur, Deke Dickerson's history
of hillbilly "eefing" records, Jonathan Donaldson talking with High
Llama Sean O'Hagan, plus scads of reviews, pin-ups and fun.
Scram #21 is $6 postpaid by mail to PO Box 31227, LA, CA 90031 or $7
when paying online at http://www.scrammagazine.com/backissues.html
Subscribe now and get one of the very last copies of the MC5 or Dead
Boys live DVDs or Denny Eichhorn's fantastic comics anthology. The
DVDs are going fast, so email to confirm availability.
And don't forget the Bubblegum Achievement Awards in LA on October 7.
Much more info is at http://www.bubblegum-music.com
yrs,
Kim
Editrix
Scram
http://www.scrammagazine.com
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Message: 16
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 23:16:40 +0100
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: Jack Nitzsche at Spectropop update
As topical as it is regular(!), the new Record of the Week
(week? who am I kidding!) is an obscure Nitzsche production
of a Victorians' track, "Happy Birthday Blue", sung by Joni
Lyman. Quite fun, I think you'll like it. Give it a listen
on the home page:
http://www.spectropop.com/JackNitzsche/index.htm
The reviews of Nitzsche's "Hearing Is Believing" (which I'm
sure you've all bought a copy) are still dribbling in. One
goodie to read has been added to the 'ACE CD Web Reviews':
http://www.spectropop.com/JackNitzsche/AceCd_webreviews.htm
Enjoy
Martin
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Message: 17
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 15:37:01 -0700
From: Gary Myers
Subject: Re: Ventures
Joop:
> The Ventures had been listening to the records of Chet Atkins and
> came across "Walk don't run", but Chet on his turn had listened
> closely to Johnny Smith's original version of the song.
> http://www.originals.be/eng/main.cfm?c=t_upd_show&id=6667
Interesting site, Joop. Thanks for that link. Yes, I've had Smith's
orig on a compilation LP since about 1964, and I finally sat down to
figure it out about 6-7 yrs ago. I was amazed at the differences, and
I've been curious about Chet's version ever since. I'm sure he did it
far more correctly than the Ventures did.
gem
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Message: 18
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 11:53:07 -0700 (PDT)
From: Roberto Lanterna
Subject: Re: Bobby Schafto
Justin McDevitt on Bobby Shafto:
> By chance, (and I doubt it), is She's My Girl on any compilations?
I have Bobby Shafto's "She's My Girl" on an UK Various Artists LP
called "60's Back Beat".I don't know if it was ever issued on CD or
if the song is on any other compilation.
This is what the notes of the LP say about Shafto:
"Boyish good looks, a lack of controversy, consistent photo spreads
in magazines such as 'Rave', 'Fabulous', 'Jackie' and a good spot on
several package tours was one way of hoping to break an artist and
was the path chosen for Bobby Shafto. All in he recorded about seven
singles, including 'Over and Over', 'The Same Room' and 'See Me Cry',
all of which showed a fine ear for commercial pop. The best, however,
was 'She's My Girl', stylistically and in essence, a typical 1964
beat single. Shafto was never an innovator, but was always closer to
Tin Pan Alley than the essential records of, say, the Kinks, the
Stones etc. 'She's My Girl' is a good single, with a ringing guitar
and the driving feel of the Honeycombs 'Have I The Right'. It wasn't,
however, enough for a hit."
I hope this bit of info will be useful,
ciao,
Roberto
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Message: 19
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 19:09:12 -0000
From: Bryan
Subject: Re: Vogues on Reprise
Paul Urbahns wrote:
> Warner Brothers in Japan did include the three Reprise versions of
> the Co & Ce hits on a legal CD, which I have and it sounds great!
Hi, how did you get that CD? I looked all over for this CD for my
Vogues collection and tried to order it from dealers and they said
nothing turned up. Thanks for any info...
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Message: 20
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 12:14:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: Hans Huss
Subject: Re: Moonshot Records - early Delfonics
Davie Gordon wrote:
> So there's a pre-Amy-Mala-Bell release of "La La .." presumably
> with a different number to the AMB issue (150) - has anybody ever
> seen one? This has puzzled me for years - none of the standard
> reference works ever mention "La La..." as anything other than
> Philly Groove 150 but Stan Watson sounds very definite that there
> WAS an earlier issue.
Just a few additions to and comments on David's wonderful piece of
vinyl archaeology.
Yes, the Dippers' 'Honey Bunch' is an instrumental (vaguely Latin-
sounding with a fake live audience). 'After The Session', too, is an
instrumental. No composer on the label, but it's published by
Unbelievable Publ. Corp., BMI. I listed some of the other recordings
using this rhythm track in a previous post - the best are Frankie &
the Classicals 'What Shall I Do' (Calla 127), and the two versions
of 'Moonlight, Music And You' by the Essex and Laura Greene (Bang 537
and RCA 9164 respectively), but there were many others. Checking the
release dates (as far as I'm able), it seems the Essex's version may
actually be the original.
Jimme Raye had two releases on KKC, 'Philadelphia Dawg' / 'Walked On,
Stepped On, Stomped' (KKC 1), and 'Philly Dog Around The World' /
'Just Can't Take It No More' (KKC 2), the latter a very in-demand and
expensive Northern Soul record.
And yes, it appears there is a pre-Bell release of 'La La Means I
Love You', though I have never seen a copy. Beckman, Hunt & Kline's
"Soul Harmony Singles 1960-1990" (Three-On-Three, 1998) lists it as
number 1001/2 (no date).
I have the Delfonics on Moonshot somewhere. If it's the early one,
I'll scan it.
Hasse Huss
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Message: 21
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 13:10:20 -0700
From: Dennis Hoban
Subject: Gary U.S. Bonds
How about Gary (U.S.) Bonds? Is he still alive? I saw him in "Blues
Brothers 2000" in 1998 and haven't heard of him since.
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Message: 22
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 13:14:26 -0700
From: Dennis Hoban
Subject: Caroline Munro
Frank M wrote:
> Well Brian Mathews read out a letter from Mark explaining he could
> not add much to the story of Caroline Munro that Brian had attached
> to the playing of Caroline's single "Tar and Cement". Mark did
> point out that whilst Clapton was on the session Bruce and Baker
> were not.
Is this the same Caroline Munro, the "Scream Queen" of 1980's slasher
movies fame?
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Message: 23
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 22:06:25 -0000
From: Diane
Subject: Gonna Get Along Without You Now
Hi Poppers,
I am trying to find the name of the female artist who did a version of
"Gonna Get Along without You Now" probably @ early sixties. It wasn't
Teresa Brewer, Patience & Prudence or Skeeter Davis, but someone else.
Her version had a great arrangement. (And it wasn't Viola Wills!)
Thanks!
HurdyGurl, aka Diane
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Message: 24
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 17:52:10 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Philadelphia Soul
Hans Huss wrote:
> Philadelphia in the late 60's and early 70's sure gave New York,
> Detroit and Chicago a run for their money. And not just the famous
> names either, labels like Harthon, Blackjack and Jimmy Bishop's
> Arctic are all well worth investigating!
The Temptones were on Arctic, a Temptations-like group that featured
a teenaged Daryl Hall who later joined Executive Suite in their
infancy. 1968's "Christine" features Hall on false tenor vocals and
Executive Suite eventually signed to Babylon records following Hall's
exit according to my hearsay lore where they practically defined the
essence of the sound of Philadelphia. Then there's The Philly
Devotions.....
Meanwhile North Bay Records, 70's Philly's indie label, had artists
like Little Dooley, and Talk of The Town, eventually stripped down to
duo McFadden & Whitehead of "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" fame. What a
history! Dee Dee Sharp married Kenny Gamble and re-emerged as a 70's
Philly Soul singer.
The Tymes, formerly of Parkway, ended up recording elsewhere but
became big beach music guys. And of course the O'Jays jumped off the
Bell bandwagon leaving Cleveland in the dust. Even the Jacksons whose
finest LP was made in Philly for Epic Records featuring the sublime
"Let Me Show Ya (The Way To Go)" in '76...
JB/dismounting pulpit now
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Message: 25
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 08:35:35 +0100
From: S'pop Projects
Subject: Ernie Johnson, Robert Moog, Laurel Aitken - R.I.P.
One of the less pleasant tasks of the S'pop Team is the
all too regular updating of the Remembers section. Three
more obituaries have just been added. Click the links
below to read them.
Ernie Johnson
Of the soul duo Eddie & Ernie
died on August 20th aged 61:
http://www.spectropop.com/remembers/EJobit.htm
Robert Moog
Inventor of the Moog synthesizer
died on August 21st aged 71:
http://www.spectropop.com/remembers/RMobit.htm
Laurel Aitken
"The Godfather Of Ska"
died on July 17th aged 78:
http://www.spectropop.com/remembers/LAobit.htm
R.I.P.
The S'pop Team
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SPECTROPOP features: http://www.spectropop.com
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