________________________________________________________________________
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
________________________________________________________________________
There are 14 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. S'pop message format
From: The S'pop Team
2. Podcast: A Trip to Bubblegum Land
From: Kim Cooper
3. Session players, etc
From: Mark Wirtz
4. Re: Kim Fowley's "Lights"
From: Mark Frumento
5. Re: Colossus Records / The Mob / Jerry Ross
From: James Holvay
6. Re: The McKinleys
From: Billy G Spradlin
7. Re: Kim Fowley's "Lights"
From: Karl Ikola
8. Re: unknown artist on Teenage Opera sampler
From: Mark Wirtz
9. The Association New Memories album
From: Paul Urbahns
10. Re: Patti Dahlstrohm "Emotion"
From: Bill George
11. Re: The Mob
From: Mark
12. Norrie Paramor; John Schroeder
From: Mike Edwards
13. Re: Kim Fowley's "Lights"
From: Joop
14. Re: Caroline Munro / Teenage Opera
From: Alan
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 21:46:48 +0100
From: The S'pop Team
Subject: S'pop message format
For better or worse, Spectropop is a moderated group.
Every message is checked and approved before appearing
on the board. Consequently, posts are routinely edited
for format and content by our moderators, all of whom
are unpaid volunteers. To keep their workload to a
minimum, may we remind you to PLEASE make sure your
posts are as close as possible to the following layout:
START OF SAMPLE MESSAGE
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
From: Name < email address >
Date: Mon Jan 01, 2004 0:00am
Subject: overview of message
[OR Re: existing thread]
[but NOT "Spectropop Digest Number xxxxx"]
Previous sender's name:
> The relevant part of the message to which you are
> replying.
Your reply or supplementary question.
And please always put your name at the end.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
END OF SAMPLE MESSAGE
Many thanks,
The S'pop Team
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2005 08:19:38 -0700
From: Kim Cooper
Subject: Podcast: A Trip to Bubblegum Land
The Bubblegum Queen took editrix Kim on a psychedelic trip to
Bubblegum Land, and that evil L'il Chewy secretly recorded every
word! Pay special attention and you'll hear about a SECRET SPECIAL
GUEST STAR at the Bubblegum Achievement Awards whose attendance
has not yet been announced anywhere else!
Tune in, tune on, drop out and dig: http://tinyurl.com/dpe3v
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2005 06:08:03 -0000
From: Mark Wirtz
Subject: Session players, etc
Kurt Benbenek wrote:
> Mark, You've aroused my curiosity... I know Clapton played lead
> on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and Lennon (and McCartney)
> often played lead guitar parts in the studio. But...exactly what
> other "ghost performers" played "idiosyncratic, lead guitar parts
> and solos" on Beatles records? This is the first time I've heard
> this.
Whoa... The point of my post was not to reveal "secreted" player
identities, be it Eric Clapton, or anybody else, but, by referring
to examples that I believed to be common knowledge, I simply meant
to demonstrate the practice of hiring ghost musicians (and
sometimes singers) to stand in for presumed performers.
If anybody was hiding anything back then, it was not the
substituted artist or performer who did so for reasons of ego or
vanity, but because the contractual politics of the times did not
allow for disclosure.
What has further obscured the true identity of participating
musicians back then, was that, as a rule, only featured artists,
producers and MD's were given formal credit on non-classical
recordings (even by the time the Beatles released "Sgt. Peppers,"
no credit was given to any guest musicians, or engineers such as
Geoff Emerick).
Contrary to that industry-wide custom, I was, for a long time, an
exception when, from my first ever album production onward, I
persistently credited all principal musicians, singers and
engineers, even cover designers.)
If I, unwittingly, made any careless or misleading remarks that
have given erroneous impressions, or raised undue suspicion, I
apologize profusely. I have always been proud of my integrity and
public discretion, and I have no wish to mess with that now, not,
ain't, none (chuckle).
Thank you.
Cheers,
Mark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2005 13:27:28 -0000
From: Mark Frumento
Subject: Re: Kim Fowley's "Lights"
Karl Ikola wrote:
> Was Kim upfront with you, or did you already know, that "Lights"
> (later titled "Lights The Blind And Lame Can See" on his "Good
> Clean Fun" LP from '70) borrowed the melodic hook from the Hep
> Stars' "Wedding"?
Has Kim actually confessed to stealing that from The Hep Stars? Isn't
it just part of the melody from "The 1812 Overture" or another
classical melody? In fact I always thought of "Wedding" as a direct
knock-off of "Night of Fear" by the Move. The Hep Stars were not
exactly a highly original band. Be interested to hear form you on
this.
Mark F.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2005 20:27:07 -0700
From: James Holvay
Subject: Re: Colossus Records / The Mob / Jerry Ross
Previously:
> Also, did Colossus release records by acts OTHER than Dutch ones?
Rob Pingel:
> How about The Mob? Chicago group, right?
Rob: You are correct. The MOB formed a year or two before the
"horn group era" became popular. Our first single was on Cameo
Parkway, the second was on Mercury, #3 and #4 were on Twinight/
Daylight. My co-writer (Gary Beisbier), our then manager and I,
were producing the group with no success. After The Buckinghams
(who had no horns in the group), BS&T and local, fellow musicians
CTA (formerly The Missing Links, The Exceptions, The Big Thing)
and The Ides Of March hit, we were all about to commit harri kari
with a dull knife, in some dismal, combination truckstop/motel,
in the freezing midwest. Fast forward to 1970, we had a 4 week
engagement in San Juan, Puero Rico. We were following Lou Rawls
into the Americana Hotel show room. On the very last day and last
show of the engagement, Jerry Ross and his wife April (who were
on vacation at the time), came in to see us. Our show was non-
stop, high energy and we consistently received standing ovations
every night. Jerry approached me after the show and asked if we
were signed to a label. Lucky for us, we weren't. I was very
aware of Jerry's credentials, having been a small record
collector at the time. I was extremely flattered that he wanted
to produce the group and jumped at the opportunity. Thirty days
later, we flew to New York and recorded the first of two albums
at Bell Studios, for his label, Colossus. There's not enough
room on this email, to say all the great things about Jerry Ross
that I'd like to, other than "THANKS Jerry".
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 05:40:25 -0000
From: Billy G Spradlin
Subject: Re: The McKinleys
Phil Hall wrote:
> One 60's group I really enjoy that I NEVER hear about is the
> Scottish girls, The McKinleys. I only have five songs by them.
> "Someone Cares For Me" should have been a hit, and some of the
> others are very good also.
I have the "Someone Cares.." and "When He Comes Along" (promo copy)
45's on Swan. Were any other McKinleys singles released by Swan and
other labels here in the USA?
Speaking of Swan Records, is there a discography listing anywhere
online?
Billy G. Spradlin
http://listen.to/jangleradio
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 00:21:50 -0700
From: Karl Ikola
Subject: Re: Kim Fowley's "Lights"
Mark Frumento wrote:
> Has Kim actually confessed to stealing that from The Hep Stars?
> Isn't it just part of the melody from "The 1812 Overture" or
> another classical melody? In fact I always thought of "Wedding"
> as a direct knock-off of "Night of Fear" by the Move. The Hep
> Stars were not exactly a highly original band. Be interested to
> hear form you on this.
Kim never "confessed" so much as alluded to it in the notes to one
of his retrospective CDs, saying that Benny from Hep Stars/Abba gave
him sh*t about the theft. Lifting public domain "classic" melodies
was rampant in the '60s, and would merit a thread all its own, I
would think. "Night Of Fear" might make a nice segue with "Wedding",
but it's not quite the same hook 'n' drive. Kim certainly did a
fair amount of public domain "use" to grab some chart action.
"Nutrocker" (original cut by Jack B. Nimble and the Quicks on the
Del Rio label, picked up by Dot, and then made into a smash hit by
B. Bumble and the Stingers), "Emerald City", cut by Elephant
Graveyard and the Seekers (and Lord Sitar!) is another example. Hep
Stars were not a great band in my estimation, but I love "Wedding",
and like it better than Kim's "Lights" or the Move song fwiw...
KI
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 01:33:11 -0000
From: Mark Wirtz
Subject: Re: unknown artist on Teenage Opera sampler
Michael wrote:
> I have a question about the unknown artist on the "Fantastic
> story..." collection. He was the vocalist who sang "Love will
> always find a way" (the demo of the instrumental version "Theme
> from a Teenage Opera"). In the booklet of this sampler is
> written that you can't remember the artists name...
Hello Michael, Nonsense. I know exactly who it was -- (and it was
only a demo vocal! That track, like so many others that have
surfaced as releases, was NEVER intended to be made public!) --
but honor prohibits me from revealing the singer's name (he, as
much as I, felt that the performance was dreadful to the point of
pathetic -- the very reason why I trashed that version, even
though it was only a test. God knows how r.p.m.'s Mark Stratford
managed to unearth it - he didn't get it from me! LOL).
Roy Black? Oh yes, I am familiar with his work. He was actually a
pretty good performer! By the way, since you live in Germany, it
might interest you that, to this day, the criminally under-
celebrated German harmony band "Muenchener Freiheit" is one of my
top three favorite bands of all time! Their recent, new, release
"Geile Zeit" is yet another gem! I LOVE their stuff! By rights
and virtue, MF should have become an international success, alas,
the name probably killed them. "Muenchener Freiheit"... what a
blindfolded choice THAT was -- they might as well have called
themselves "The Bavarian Nazis." LOL
By the way, since you appear to have appreciated my past stuff,
have you checked out my new CD on Revola/Cherry Red Records, "Love
Is Eggshaped"? I hardly ever blow my own horn, but I need to put
in a plug for myself every now and then, darn it! (Chuckle).
Thank you for your interest.
All the best,
Mark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2005 17:27:10 -0400
From: Paul Urbahns
Subject: The Association New Memories album
Ron Sauer wrote:
> The Association version of "Walk Away Renee" was produced by
> Curt Becher (Boettcher) and I think it is a great version.
Mike Love also issued on Hitboaund an Association album in 1983
titled, New Memories. The Association does 7 songs and the other
3 are one each by Mike Love, Mary Macgregor, and Bobby Vee. It
was also sold exclusively at Radio Shack stores.
Kingsley Abbott:
> I believe that The Association (with quite a changed lineup at
> that stage) also cut a whole album at the time, but I have
> never seen this and heard that it was poor by comparison to
> their earlier work.
The New memories album lists the group as Terry Kirkman; Julius
Alexander; Larry Ramos; Rus Giguere; Ted Buechel, Jr. and Rick
Ulsky. The liners state that Brian Cole died in 1972, and
therefore was not available. The Association songs were produced
by the Association and when any artist redoes and oldie most folks
compare it with the original. The remake always sounds "different"
and these do. The arrangemnts are totally but I can't say bad,
just more harmony which you would expect from that many singers.
Paul Urbahns
Radcliff, Ky
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2005 14:12:47 EDT
From: Bill George
Subject: Re: Patti Dahlstrohm "Emotion"
I just listened to this great track. I've never heard the song or
Patti before. Thanks for posting it. The verse reminds me VERY MUCH
of the title track of Buffy Sainte-Marie's great 1992 album
"Coincidence & Likely Stories."
Bill
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 00:07:43 -0000
From: Mark
Subject: Re: The Mob
Hi Gary! This question is for either you or Jim Holvay--is this
the same Mob group that did a rare version of "Open the Door to
Your Heart" for the Daylight label? Thanks in advance.
Best,
Mark
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 00:06:25 -0000
From: Mike Edwards
Subject: Norrie Paramor; John Schroeder
Mark Wirtz writes:
> why, oh, why is one of the UK's most influential, creative,
> arranger/producer's of the 60's -- Norrie Paramor - not more
> remembered and celebrated? Think... countless hits with Cliff
> Richard, The Shadows, Helen Shapiro, to name but a few of his
> milestone roductions... Wasn't Norrie, in fact, the one who
> REALLY pioneered the Abbey Road Studio Rock sound
He probably was, but his biggest failing: no US hit. Back in the
day when UK artists were occupying 25% of the US Hot-100, Cliff,
Helen and the Shads were not among them. It's not that they made
bad records; they just didn't have enough British Invasion
quotient to find a market with US audiences. I remember a US
dealer commenting to me a few years back: "can you imagine how
pissed Cliff Richard must have felt when Chad & Jeremy were
moving boat loads of records in the US?".
You state that: "Norrie has always stood tall as UK's Don Costa".
No argument there but it's worth noting that UK thrush, Danny
Williams, from EMI's stable did have some US success but with
recordings arranged and conducted by Don Costa. "White On White"
(UA, 1964) probably being the best example.
(We do so badly need a decent Danny Williams' compilation CD, by
the way)
Moving on, "John Schroeder wrote a bunch of great stuff for
Helen Shapiro" and he was the producer and director of Sounds
Orchestral who had two US hits on Parkway, "Cast Your Fate To
The Wind" and "Canadian Sunset" in 1965. The latter from their
LP, "The Soul Of Sounds Orchestral" is now playing in musica
because we need a little mood music every now and then. The
great piano playing was by another John; Mr. Pearson and what a
fine job he did on those records.
Enjoy, Mike Edwards
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 09:26:30 -0000
From: Joop
Subject: Re: Kim Fowley's "Lights"
Mark, "Night of fear" is surely derived from "1812 Overture"
(Op.49) from Pyotr Ilich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-93). You can listen
to a midi here: http://www.classicalarchives.com/tchaikovsky.html
Mark wrote:
> In fact I always thought of "Wedding" as a direct knock-off of
> "Night of Fear" by the Move.
But the Hep Stars "Wedding" (written by ABBA's Benny Anderson) was
a Swedish nr 1 hit in 1966. So that's before The Move hit with
"Night of fear". You can download an MP3 of "Wedding" here:
http://www.freewebs.com/andra-sidan/
I never heard "Lights" by Kim Fowley. I hope someone can deliver
me an MP3 or post it to musica, so I can compare the 3 songs.
Joop greets
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 09:09:20 -0000
From: Alan
Subject: Re: Caroline Munro / Teenage Opera
Dennis Hoban wrote:
> Is this the same Caroline Munro, the "Scream Queen" of 1980's
> slasher movies fame?
Mark Wirtz:
> She most certainly is -- a regular in them golden olden "Hammer"
> films. And don't forget Caroline as one of the fabled "Bond (007)
> girls"...! Caroline, by the way, continues to be active, looking
> fabulous, and appearing regularly at Sci-fi - and horror film
> conventions.
Mark, Was it Jimmy Page or Ritchie Blackmore in Caroline Munro's
Lamb's Navy Rum Adverts? LOL
My real questions are :-
Who played Lead Guitar on "Theme From Teenage Opera"?
Who were the guitarists on "Grocer Jack" and "Sam"?
I have often wondered who played on the classic pop records from
the sixties and thanks to you Mark I now have some insight. I was
in the lucky situation of living near Big Jim Sullivan in Hounslow
at that time but it is only this year that I realised how prolific
he was.
Alan
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
SPECTROPOP features: http://www.spectropop.com
End
