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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 11 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Giant-Kaye-Baum
From: Fred Clemens
2. Lookin' for The Beagles
From: Ayrton Mugnaini
3. Jackie DeShannon's "Should I Cry"
From: Will Stos
4. Re: lookin' for The Beagles
From: Phil X Milstein
5. Re: songs of Larry Weiss
From: Ayrton Mugnaini
6. Re: lookin' for The Beagles
From: Dave Monroe
7. Re: lookin' for The Beagles
From: Steve
8. Re: Ronnie Gittens
From: Bill Swanke
9. Re: songs of Larry Weiss
From: Ed Salamon
10. Re: Jackie DeShannon's "Should I Cry"
From: Rob Indart
11. Re: Peanut Duck
From: Phil X Milstein
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 01 Nov 2005 21:09:11 -0000
From: Fred Clemens
Subject: Re: Giant-Kaye-Baum
Rob Indart asked:
> I'm wondering if anybody has any information about Bill Giant,
> Florence Kaye and Bernie Baum, who were a great songwriting
> team from the '60s. They wrote a lot of Lou Johnson's sides on
> Big Top, the V.I.P.'s "You Pulled A Fast One" (also on Big Top)
> and also Bill Giant's "Poof (Up In Smoke)" (MGM), which was later
> covered by Kenny Lynch (on Big Top) as "Puff (Up In Smoke)."
> They also wrote a lot for the Elvis Presley movies.
Bill Giant's version is labeled as simply "Poof!" (no "Up In Smoke")
on MGM, which dates from around December of 1961. Lynch's song was
given the subtitle in the UK because of the derogatory meaning of the
word "poof" there, and hit the UK charts in October of '62. Once his
version made it to the US (in March-April of '63 on Big Top), its
original, shorter title was restored.
That was, by the way, around the same time that Peter, Paul, & Mary's
own "Puff," which was eventually (in April) retitled as "Puff (The Magic
Dragon)" was making some noise.
You might also add the American theme to "Kimba, The White Lion" to
the trio's credits, with an uncredited Bill Giant doing the main vocals.
Fred Clemens
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 19:23:43 -0300 (ART)
From: Ayrton Mugnaini
Subject: Lookin' for The Beagles
Laura asked:
> I have not been able to find any information on
> the boys behind the '60s cartoon band The Beagles.
> Can somebody give me information about their
> careers, before and after The Beagles?
I hav a single by them -- "Let's All Sing Like The Birdies Sing" /
"Deep In The Heart Of Texas" -- even issued here in Brazil, circa 1964.
Cheerio,
Ayrton
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 01 Nov 2005 22:15:35 -0000
From: Will Stos
Subject: Jackie DeShannon's "Should I Cry"
I've had Rhino's girl group box set on constantly and love it more and
more if that's possible. "Mr. Loveman" by Yvonne Carroll really grows
on you. But my question is regarding Jackie DeShannon's "Should I
Cry." This song was new to me, and it just floored me. It sounds like
a cross between "One Fine Day," and "Da Doo Ron Ron." Was it intended
for any other group/artisit to record? Have any other versions been
released?
Will : )
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 01 Nov 2005 18:38:25 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: lookin' for The Beagles
Laura Taylor wrote:
> I have asked this on other lists, but despite Internet searches and
> the knowledge of many, I have not been able to find any information
> on the boys behind the '60s cartoon band The Beagles. Can somebody
> give me information about their careers, before and after The Beagles?
The Beagles, a five-minute animated series created by Leonardo Television
Productions (aka Total Television Productions), began in 1966 -- perhaps a
bit late in the game to glom onto The Beatles bandwagon.
As for the cast, Stringer, a purebred and the only member of the troupe with
AKC papers, had been trained practically from birth for a showbusiness
career. He was recommended for the role of the lead guitarist and singer by
his agent, Marty (son of Zeppo) Marx, and in fact the show (and, for that
matter, the band) was largely built around his considerable talents.
Scotty, the bassist, was actually a half-breed (with his father a shih tzu),
a fact that was carefully hidden from the show's fans. He was discovered in
an Alpo commercial by the producer's wife, Evelyn Leonardo.
Last to be chosen was Tubby, the drummer. The role in fact had already been
filled, by Axelrod, a well-known animal actor from the East Coast, but just
before the cameras started rolling he was fired for disobedience and
distemper. Tubby was a down-at-the-heels stray who'd been spotted loitering
around the studio for a few weeks, but, as they say, there was little wrong
with him that a good cleaning wasn't able to take care of. Since so many
years have passed, I think it is now safe to reveal the fact that Tubby was
of entirely uncertain heritage, and in fact underwent some plastic surgery
-- ear extensions -- to get him looking more "beagle-esque."
Alas, despite such careful grooming The Beagles project wasn't a very
successful one. Failure, as they say, has many fathers, and in the show's
post-mortem it became extremely difficult to sort out on precisely whose
shoulders the blame belonged, but most commentators at the time stressed the
fact that Scotty's habit of sniffing Tubby's butt at inopportune moments
caused the show to run up huge production expenses, which may have doomed it
despite passable ratings. Stringer, meanwhile, succumbed to the pressures of
being leader and developed a nasty Liva-Snaps habit. The last straw came
when a strung-out Stringer broke off his leash and snapped at his animator's
hand, leaving the latter unable to draw as well as considerable insider
sniggering over the consummation of an industry cliché so hoary it harkens
back to vaudeville days.
Given all this, nobody was entirely surprised when, in the late spring of
1967, the show was finally put down. In its aftermath Tubby made out fairly
well, donning a filthy handkerchief he'd found in the alley behind the
studio and hooking up with a Deadhead for several tours of the U.S. in the
latter's beaten-up VW van. Scotty returned to commercial work, finally
drifting over to the business side as an agent specializing in, quite
fittingly, animal acts. But the demise of The Beagles hit Stringer hard,
leaving him down in the dumps, where he survived on his wits for several
years until losing one of his paws in an alley fight. His last residence
was the Hollywood Home for Retired Animal Actors, where he died in
September 1970 after choking on a bone.
That's all I know about The Beagles, although I point you to
http://tinyurl.com/aey8g , http://tinyurl.com/dhay8 and
http://tinyurl.com/b2udp for further info.
Showbusiness can a bitch sometimes, can't it?
Dig a bone,
--Phil M.
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 20:08:53 -0300 (ART)
From: Ayrton Mugnaini
Subject: Re: songs of Larry Weiss
If I got it right, Larry Weiss has two songs which start with very
similar melodies, "Let Me Tell You Baby" (covered by The Troggs)
and "What A Wonderful World," the Louis Armstrong megahit.
Cheerio,
Ayrton
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Message: 6
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 09:54:50 -0800 (PST)
From: Dave Monroe
Subject: Re: lookin' for The Beagles
Laura Taylor wrote:
> I have asked this on other lists, but despite
> Internet searches and the knowledge of many, I have
> not been able to find any information on the boys
> behind the '60s cartoon band The Beagles. Can
> somebody give me information about their careers,
> before and after The Beagles? GREAT '60s pop!
I think we've asked the same question here and elsewhere, and to no avail.
But here are the credits to the theme song:
Music and lyrics by W. Biggers, T. Covington, J. Harris, C. Stover
Published by Vincent Youmans Co., Inc.
Arranged and conducted by Charles Fox
http://www.toontracker.com/beagles/beagles.htm
So perhaps there are some useful clues there. I'll haul out the 45 and LP
when I get a chance, to see what else there might be, but i think I've gone
down that road already.
Meanwhile, here are the few other even close to illuminating sites I've found:
http://vmu.vh1.com/artists/az/beagles/bio.jhtml
http://www.stevemandich.com/otherstuff/beagles.htm
http://icebergradio.com/artist/15710/the_beagles.html
There may be some duplication there, though.
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 01 Nov 2005 23:17:08 -0000
From: Steve
Subject: Re: lookin' for The Beagles
Laura Taylor asked:
> I have asked this on other lists, but despite Internet searches and
> the knowledge of many, I have not been able to find any information
> on the boys behind the '60s cartoon band The Beagles. Can somebody
> give me information about their careers, before and after The
> Beagles?
Try this link:
http://www.toontracker.com/beagles/beagles.htm
There apparently was an album released on Harmony records, and though
the link above lists no voice actors it does mention why information is
so hard to find.
Cheers,
Steve
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Message: 8
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 19:01:59 -0600 (Central Standard Time)
From: Bill Swanke
Subject: Re: Ronnie Gittens
>From Peter D. Carpenter,
President, Cammy Awards Inc.
-----
In loving memory of Ronnie Gittens
10-28-2005
At the time of his untimely passing, Ronnie was a long time member of
The Catalinas. In early years, he was a member of The Spontanes and The
Fantastic Shakers. Some of his song credits include "Whatja Do That Fo'?",
"They Call Me Mr. Bass Man", "You're Driving Me Crazy", "Line Up" (Catalinas)
"She's Got My Number" (Fantastic Shakers) and "Big Feet" (recorded by Renee
Brown). I was lucky to know him as an entertainer and to have worked several
shows with The Catalinas over the years, but I was truly blessed to have him
as my friend.
Deepest thoughts of sympathy are extended to his daugher, Tammy and the rest
of Ronnie's family and band mates.
The remainder of my shows for 2005 will be dedicated to the memory of Ronnie.
Our hearts and prayers go out to Ronnie's family and friends. The 2005 Carolina
Beach Music Industry Awards on Saturday, November 12 will dedicated in his honor.
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Message: 9
Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 16:42:55 -0000
From: Ed Salamon
Subject: Re: songs of Larry Weiss
Ayrton Mugnaini wrote:
> If I got it right, Larry Weiss has two songs which start with very
> similar melodies, "Let Me Tell You Baby" (covered by The Troggs)
> and "What A Wonderful World," the Louis Armstrong megahit.
"What A Wonderful World" was actually written by George David Weiss, with Bob
Theile. I saw Larry at the post office last week. Nashville is such a small town.
Ed Salamon
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Message: 10
Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 16:31:06 -0000
From: Rob Indart
Subject: Re: Jackie DeShannon's "Should I Cry"
Will Stos asked:
> ... My question is regarding Jackie DeShannon's "Should I Cry."
> This song was new to me, and it just floored me. It sounds like
> a cross between "One Fine Day," and "Da Doo Ron Ron." Was it
> intended for any other group/artisit to record? Have any other
> versions been released?
"Should I Cry" was recorded by The Concords, a doo-wop group on Epic,
in 1964. Here is a link to The Concords' story:
http://www.destinationdoowop.com/concords.htm
Rob
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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 13:23:55 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Peanut Duck
Simon White wrote:
> As someone who has lived with and loved "The Peanut Duck" for
> many years I feel I must add my voice (quack quack) to the debate.
> When I first heard the track -- from a bootleg 45 -- in a record shop
> in London I was, to put it mildly, delighted. My first reaction was
> exactly as Julio's in that I thought it was Shirley Ellis, a thought
> that may have been influenced by the novelty element of the song.
> ... I believe it originates from Philly. I must say I don't hear Brenda
> Reid in there at all. The "Peanut Duck" voice is very distinctive and
> so is Brenda's.
Perhaps it is fortuitous that, due to the timing of Halloween this year,
Claudine Clark's "Walkin' Through A Cemetery" appeared recently at musica,
as hearing it again reminded me of the song's nuances. With the controversy
surrounding the identity of the "Peanut Duck" singer having re-emerged
around the same time, due in that case to the release of Rhino's "One Kiss
Deserves Another" boxset, the confluence of hearing these two records within
a few days of one another has sparked a thought.
Although I have yet to play them side-by-side, suddenly last night there
came a rapping at the chamber door of my brain that Claudine Clark's
slightly unhinged vocal performance on "... Cemetery" is like a lite version
of the gone antics of the "Peanut Duck" singer (which get goner and goner as
the song progresses). I then remembered that, if I understand my Claudine
Clark bio correctly, she is from Philly, which is the very city in which
"Peanut Duck" was apparently recorded.
Is it worth taking this thought to the next logical step, which would be A/B
comparison? Or is it, for one reason or another, categorically, patently and
prima facie absurd?
This seems a good time to add that were it not for Simon White's remarkable
patience with contending with Rhino's repeated entreaties for more and more
information on a record -- acetate demo, really -- that came with virtually
none of its own -- not to mention his ability to, somehow, find them most if
not all of what they were looking for -- the track simply would have ended
up on Rhino's cutting-room floor. Someday I'd like to hear the full story of
how this mystery track became licensed for use in the boxset, but, with the
release party being today and me unable to attend, perhaps I've missed my
moment.
Quack quack, dee-dee-dee,
--Phil M.
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