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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 7 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Teddy Vann & the Sandpebbles
From: Mick Patrick
2. Re: France Gall, Sandie Shaw live footage
From: Eddy
3. Dumb Angel Gazette
From: Brian Chidester
4. Come back, Reparata, all is forgiven
From: Phil X Milstein
5. Re: "Playin' Hard To Get" / Rhino Girl Group box set.
From: Julio Niņo
6. Re: The Wall of Sound
From: Phil X Milstein
7. Marcy Jo
From: S'pop Projects
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:53:16 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Teddy Vann & the Sandpebbles
Hey Davie, has anyone mentioned the Sandpebbles' CD "We Got Love
Power", released on Westside WESM 609 in 2000?
The disc contains every record the Sandpebbles ever made, plus
10 previously unissued tracks and 6 radio promo spots for "Love
Power". The unissued track are:
("I've Got To) Do It To It"
"The Love Man"
"The Love People"
"I've Got To Do What I Believe"
"Up And Down"
"Soul Mountain"
"Home Sweet Home"
"Come On People"
"Co-ordination"
"We Can Change It"
"(I've Got To) Do It To It" was written by Ralph Bailey, Vernon
Harrell and Johnny Robinson. The Sandpebbles, Tony Fox and
Vernon Harrell all recorded versions of this song. All three
used the same backing track.
The CD lists the writers of all of the other previously unissued
tracks as "unidentified", but I wouldn't mind betting Teddy Vann
wrote some or all of them. He certainly produced every track on
the CD.
Interesting group, the Sandpebbles. And lead singer Lonzine
Wright! Wow, what an amazing voice! After their first few
records they fell out over royalties with Teddy Vann and Calla
Records. The group got themselves a new record deal at
Cotillion with producer Swamp Dogg (Jerry Williams), but their
old management owned their name, so they became C. & the Shells
instead. The Calla label then got themselves a whole new group
of Sandpebbles. The CD contains tracks recorded by both group
line-ups.
Find more info and soundbites here http://tinyurl.com/8uejq
and here http://tinyurl.com/7odc9
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 11:26:52 +0200
From: Eddy
Subject: Re: France Gall, Sandie Shaw live footage
Peter Andreasen:
> At this moment you can watch live footage from France
> Gall, Sandie Shaw, Kathy Kirby, Vicky Leandros etc. at:
> http://www.eurovision.tv/english/index.htm
And while we're talking TV here, S'poppers in the UK and nearby
might wanna check out Later with Jools Holland tomorrow (21st)
where Burt Bacharach is scheduled to appear! Sex and British Pop
on Sunday (23rd), also on BBC2, looks like fun as well!
Eddy
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 17:32:47 -0400
From: Brian Chidester
Subject: Dumb Angel Gazette
Hi All Spectropop Members,
I apologize for this solicitation on the forum, but I thought I
might make a formal announcement that I now have a new edition
of the journal/almanac known as "The Dumb Angel Gazette." The
new volume is #4, titled "All Summer Long," the first edition
of DAG in 15 years, co-written and co-edited by myself and
Domenic Priore, with several contributing authors, as well,
including Harvey Kubernik, Otto von Stroheim, Mark A. Moore,
the artist known as Shag and others. DAG #4 has actually been
out for a little over three months now, and I hope no one feels
slighted for the late announcement here... Domenic and I have
been trudging around California with boxes in the trunks of our
cars, trying to get into as many shops as possible... we're now
completely covered, in terms of independent book stores/record
shops/boutiques throughout the state, as well as several indie's
in Seattle, New York and Philadelphia. Plus, we're also in every
Tower Records store in the US, and a bunch of cool catalogues,
like Norton and Get Hip. Things are moving, but we haven't
really hit the internet too hard. So here's a bit of an
announcement... hope not to sound too sales-pitchy.
Anyway, DAG #4 is 150 pages, full-color... there a surf-band
family tree by Peter Frame that is four pages, fold-out;
photography by Dennis Hopper, rare artwork by Rick Griffin and
other cool beatnik surf artists. There's a Steve Douglas
interview, a 1964-66 Phil Spector article, 50+ pages on Brian
Wilson and tons of other surf instrumental and exotica contents.
I hope you all will check it out:
http://www.dumbangelmagazine.com
It took us four years to complete... hopefully the next one can
be done much sooner. We're workin' on it... Thanks for listening.
Yours,
Brian Chidester
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 18:04:00 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Come back, Reparata, all is forgiven
S'pop Projects wrote:
> Without a doubt, "I'm Nobody's Baby Now" by Reparata & the
> Delrons is one of *the* most revered recordings here on
> planet Spectropop. Incredible, but true - S'pop's Ray Otto
> was there at the session. Find out more in his review of
> the group's new "Best Of" CD:
> http://www.spectropop.com/recommends/index2005.htm#Reparata
I've been meaning to say how much I enjoyed reading Ray's account,
especially his in-studio memories, and this gives me a perfect
opportunity. His comments on Mary's realization that the spoken
passage in "Nobody's Baby Now" could (aesthetically speaking) make
or break the song was especially exciting to read, particularly in
light of the fact that, as the evidence shows, she did indeed
totally NAIL IT! If only we had such reports from the trenches of
so many others of our favorite recording sessions.
Thanks so much for your thoughts on R & the Ds, Ray -- it made my
annual Spectropop dues worth paying all by itself.
I haven't heard Mick's R & Ds addition to musica yet, nor ordered
my copy of the Ace CD, but you know I'll be gettin' on both of
them real soon-like.
Dig,
--Phil M.
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 19:37:29 -0000
From: Julio Niņo
Subject: Re: "Playin' Hard To Get" / Rhino Girl Group box set.
Hola everybody.
Mark Frumento commented on the Rhinoīs Girl Groups box:
> ...One track that makes the whole set worth the $50 is Yvonne
> Carroll's 'Mr. Loveman...
Mick Patrick answered:
> ..."Mr. Loveman" by Yvonne Carroll it's been readily available
> on CD for years. Find it on "Playin' Hard To Get: West Coast
> Girls"...
Everytime someone mentions that extraordinary compilation my
brain begins segregating endorphins in a typical Pavlovian
response. Itīs one of my favorite Girl Groups compilations. Not
only does it contain the splendid "Mr. Loveman" but many other
irresistible songs like the wonderful *Paris-Sisterish* "Love
Bells" by The Galens (which I prefer to "Chinese Lanterns",
that is also included); the ode to daydreaming, Donna Lorenīs
"Dream World"; the suggestively menacing "You Better Watch Out
Boy" by the Accents, "Goodbye Jimmy" by Panda Berry, or perhaps
my favorite in that collection, "Crying of My Pillow" by
Dorothy Berry, composed by the talented David Gates (Iīm
wondering now if some of his superlative productions with
Margaret Mandolph has been reissued on CD).
Mark Frumento again:
> ...Having had a chance to listen to the Rhino Girl Group box
> a few times I want to gush about it a little bit more. As was
> already pointed out, the packaging is fantastic and clever as
> all get out. But what impresses me most about the set is the
> track selection and running order. It's a real testament to
> the art of CD compilation...
I was doubting about buying or not the Rhino box set (not only
because I think Iīm going to hate the hat box format; Iīm a total
fan of orthogonality) but mainly because I already had most of
the tracks on CD. I counted the songs I donīt have and they were
around a dozen or a little more. Finally I couldnīt resist the
temptation (I usually canīt, or perhaps I usually donīt want to
do it) and I bought it. I justify myself by thinking that surely
the notes and photos will be worth it, and that spending my time
and money accumulating records keep me away from my other, much
more dangerous vices.
Mark alludes to the importance of the order in which the songs
are featured in a CD compilation. I also find that factor very
important. The sequence of the songs can transform completely
the listening experience. Itīs a good example of what in theory
of systems is called an emergent quality (a quality that results
from the interactions between the components of a system). I
really donīt know if compilers usually choose the order the
songs are featured (apart from the cases in which they are
presented in chronological order of course) but some of them
seem to have a special talent for doing it.
Chao.
Julio Niņo.
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 18:24:34 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: The Wall of Sound
Tim asked:
> 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.
Ooh, ooh! Call on me, call on me! I know this one!
The "wall of sound" was a term -- whether it was coined by him or
not, I know not -- used to describe the production techniques of
Phil Spector, who, beginning around 1962 or '63, used massive
instrumentation -- multiple pianos, basses and guitars, all playing
simultaneously, along with tons of percussion and backing vocals
and, as his special secret sauce, the palpable, practically
BREATHING echo available to him at Studio A of Gold Star Studios in
Hollywood. These ingredients were all rendered in glorious mono,
the better to create a thick dust-bunny of music through which
virtually no individual instrument was distinguishable from the
mass. Although at first listen this radical approach to crafting
teenage pop sounds like a mistake, Spector was in fact the ultimate
studio perfectionist, and the "Wall of Sound" a highly deliberate
concept designed to turn innocent ditties into what Spector, who
was heavily influenced by Wagner, famously called "little symphonies
for the kids."
So, teach, do I get a "Gold Star"?
--Phil M.
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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 01:22:20 +0100
From: S'pop Projects
Subject: Marcy Jo
Country Paul:
> ... thanks for posting Marcy Jo's "Since Gary Went Into The
> Navy" to musica. I didn't know it was about Gary Troxel, but
> have always loved the song...
Talking of Marcy Jo...
The story of this Philly pop princess, plus a discography, has
just been uploaded to the main S'pop website.
Either visit the homepage and click on Marcy's picture:
http://www.spectropop.com
Or access the article directly here:
http://www.spectropop.com/MarcyJo/index.htm
Enjoy,
The S'pop Team
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