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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 9 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. The Dixie Cups
From: Mick Patrick
2. Motown Legends Kim Weston and Brenda Holloway
From: David Bell
3. Re: The Bootiques
From: Phil Hall
4. Re: The Dixie Cups
From: Will Stos
5. Re: Motown Legends Kim Weston and Brenda Holloway
From: Richard Havers
6. The Wall of Sound
From: elokuiama
7. Re: The Bootiques
From: Phil X Milstein
8. Toni Banks (Bessie)
From: Phil X Milstein
9. Re: Songwriter Baker Knight Dies at 72
From: Bob Rashkow
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 18:56:09 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: The Dixie Cups
Laura Pinto:
> Those of you who saw my earlier threads on The Dixie Cups will
> recall that two of the trio's original members, sisters Rosa
> and Barbara Hawkins, have been residing at a Tampa hotel since
> being left homeless by Katrina's unwelcomed visit to New Orleans.
> This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of seeing the gals in
> concert, and of meeting with them after the show. The Dixies put
> on a wonderful performance, and you couldn't ask for sweeter and
> more personable ladies. If you'd like to see photos from the
> concert, click on the link...: http://snipurl.com/oldiespix
Ahhh, the Dixie Cups, the gals who brought a little bit of the
Big Easy to Broadway in 1964, and knocked the Beatles off the
Number One. God bless 'em. Thanks for the pix, Laura. Find some
more here: http://www.thedixiecups.net/gallery.htm
While the group's Red Bird material is readily available on CD,
it's a drag that their subsequent ABC recordings are not. Those
who like "Iko Iko" are sure to dig "Two-Way-Poc-A-Way", released
on ABC Paramount 10692 in 1965. The song was written by Fedison/
Hawkins/Hawkins/Johnson, arranged by Joe Jones, and is a Sharon
Production. I've posted the track to musica. Click here to hear
it: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 15:22:07 EDT
From: David Bell
Subject: Motown Legends Kim Weston and Brenda Holloway
MOTOWN WEEKENDER AT HEMSBY'S PONTINS CAMP.
The second Motown Weekender was held at Hemsby last weekend and
here are just a few of my thoughts about it. Motown deserves an
entry on Planet Spectropop, as there's been nothing about this
magical 60s label for a while here.
Meeting up with lots of old friends, having a drink or three with
them and just generally chinwagging was great but then Kim Weston,
Brenda Holloway and Frances Nero were the magical ingredients that
made this weekend so special.
I was shocked when the first act on stage was Kim Weston. Every
time I've ever seen her with Brenda she has always closed the
show and I was thinking who is gonna be able to follow this lady?
Kim shook the place to its very foundations from the first song,
which was a non-Motown side, I Got What You Need, her first
single on MGM after leaving the Motor City. Fabulous and she said
that it was the first time she had ever sung it on stage. Since
the song was recorded in 1966/7, she's waited nearly 40 years to
debut it. All of the Motown tracks you would expect to hear from
Kim were there - Helpless, Take Me In You Arms, It Take Two (with
Ritchie Pitts), You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurt Me), Looking For
The Right Guy and I'm Still Loving You. I'm sure that I've missed
a few songs from her 40 minute act but I've forgotten them in the
excitement and tiredness that hit me.
Kim looked stunning in a black sequinned gown and a lovely Rudy
Calvo wig (I am reliably informed). The place erupted when she
had finished her set. She told us later that this show was the
first she had done, which included her full set of songs, since
her terrible automobile accident in LA a couple of years ago. She
is in constant pain but it looked to me that she had forgotten
that in the joy that she obviously gets from performing live.
After the powerhouse that was Kim, it was the beautiful, petite
Frances Nero's turn. She sang her British Top 10 hit Footsteps
Following Me, Stevie's You Are The Sunshine Of My Life and
finished with Keep On Loving Me. Frances is a completely
different kind of singer from Kim but won the audience over and
they gave her a rousing reception. She looked uncomfortable and
shy at the beginning of her act but gained in confidence when
she realised the appreciation of the assembled multitude.
Then it was a red haired Brenda's turn and what a performance
this very beautiful, stunning, shapely lady gave. Again it was
every Motown song that you would expect to hear from the churchy
testifying of Every Little Bit Hurts to You've Made Me So Very
Happy to half of Crying Time, which sent the audience into fits
of happiness. Crying Time is THE song that is most appreciated
by the Northern crowd. The list was endless. She sang When I'm
Gone, a Mary Wells tribute, which consisted of You Beat Me To
The Punch and Two Lovers. She sings them with a great sincerity,
which stems from her obvious love of Mary Wells and her music.
Think It Over (Before You Break My Heart), Just Look What
You've Done and My World Is Crumbling were also favourably
received by the soul devotees. Once again, her reception was
overwhelming and the rafters were raised.
I was without a voice at the end of the show, much to wife's
amusement, but if you're gonna see a show like this, then I
really enter into the spirit of the event.
And finally, it was great sharing time with Kim and Brenda and
you kept us amused with your stories in Barry's room until the
early hours. They are two very gracious, funny ladies who had a
wealth of stories to entertain us after hours.
I showed Kim two photos that made her cry. One was of a young
Kim at the start of her Motown years that she had never seen
before. I had bought the original colour negative for an
exorbitant sum on Ebay a couple of years ago and have been
longing to give her a copy. for the first time in my life and,
most certainly the last, I gave my autograph to Kim, as she
asked me to sign it for her.
The other was a set of 4 black and white pictures taken at the
It Takes Two recording session with Marvin Gaye ("a naughty,
naughty man" according to Kim, who had a broad grin on her face
as she told us that). She was very emotional about the pictures
and said that so many people over the years had come to believe
that she and Marvin recorded their songs separately and now she
had proof at last that they were together in the studio. She
also loved the fact that the Andantes were in one of the pictures
too.
I'd like to finish by recommending two British Motown cds to all
of you, which contain the best of Kim and Brenda's work. Brenda's
was released a few months ago, whilst Kim's was released only
last week. Both contain a smattering of their well known songs
but, more importantly, there is a wealth of previously unreleased
material too. They are:
Kim Weston-The Motown Anthology. Universal 983 160-5
Brenda Holloway - The Motown Anthology - Universal 980 765-8
Enough already.
David
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 19:09:29 -0000
From: Phil Hall
Subject: Re: The Bootiques
Mick Patrick wrote:
> The composer of "Did You Get Your Fun", Bootiques leader Christine
> Costello, is the daughter of Lou, the comedy star.
According to the Internet Movie Database, Lou Costello had only 2
daughters; Patricia & Carole. Could be that Christine is/was a stage
or middle name.
Phil H.
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 19:32:45 -0000
From: Will Stos
Subject: Re: The Dixie Cups
Mick Patrick wrote:
> While the (Dixie Cups') Red Bird material is readily available
> on CD, it's a drag that their subsequent ABC recordings are not.
The Belgian bootleg label Marginal issued a set called the
"Complete Dixie Cups" back in the 1990s that has tracks from
their time at ABC. I actually quite enjoy their reading of "Danny
Boy." What a difference from Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles'
version. Much more bluesy, which is quite fun for such a
traditional Irish song.
Is Marginal out of business now? I know they may have issued some
"grey" releases and the sound quality wasn't the best, but they
certainly put out some comprehensive collections.
Will : )
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:40:54 +0100
From: Richard Havers
Subject: Re: Motown Legends Kim Weston and Brenda Holloway
David Bell wrote:
> The second Motown Weekender was held at Hemsby last weekend...
David, what a great review and I loved your stories at the end
about the photographs. That's part of what makes music so magical.
Richard
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Message: 6
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 18:06:12 -0000
From: elokuiama
Subject: The Wall of Sound
I know this might seem strange to you but i'm new to Phil Spector and
wondered if anyone would explain the "Wall of Sound" style /technique
to me please.
Thanks,
Tim
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 18:02:08 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: The Bootiques
Mick Patrick wrote:
> The composer of "Did You Get Your Fun", Bootiques leader Christine
> Costello, is the daughter of Lou, the comedy star.
Phil Hall wrote:
> According to the Internet Movie Database, Lou Costello had only 2
> daughters; Patricia & Carole. Could be that Christine is/was a
> stage or middle name.
Chris Costello was not only Lou's daughter, but also his biographer.
It's been a while since I read her "Lou's On First," but I remember
enjoying it quite a bit when I did. I'd never heard of her
involvement in pop music, though, and I'm curious how Mick came to
learn of her membership in The Bootiques. "Did You Get Your Fun" is
a cool record!
Dig,
--Phil M.
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Message: 8
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 19:56:00 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Toni Banks (Bessie)
Hi cats, I'm wondering if anyone has either (or, ideally, both)
side of Bessie Banks's first record, "You're Still In My Heart"
b/w "Johnny The Dreamer," on which she was billed as Toni Banks.
For the record, it was on Glory (#263), from 1957, and she was
backed by The Four Fellows, a group which included her husband,
Larry Banks. If so, please contact me offlist. There's a present
in it for you!
Dig,
--Phil M.
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Message: 9
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:17:32 -0400
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: Songwriter Baker Knight Dies at 72
I saw Baker Knight's obit in the Chicago Tribune the other day.
Very sad loss. Wonderful songwriter as well as prolific.
Hadn't heard about Don Adams, though. Two relics of the 6Ts
pop culture have left us. (Scanning through a week's worth of
E-mails, regards to everybody on S'pop, the latest Nashville
gathering sounded really fun......)
Bobster
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