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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 8 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Good Vibrations and Jersey Boys
From: Mike Edwards
2. Beach Boys ballads
From: James Botticelli
3. Beach Boys ballads
From: Steve Harvey
4. Beach Boys ballads
From: Pres
5. Re: Candy & the Kisses CD
From: Stefano Boni
6. Re: Brian Wilson interview
From: Jens Koch
7. Re: Tupper Saussy new works
From: ACJ
8. Girls Will Be Girls
From: Ray Soulsteptoe
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 21:16:33 -0000
From: Mike Edwards
Subject: Good Vibrations and Jersey Boys
Having seen "Jersey Boys" a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't help
wondering why it has proven to be much more successful than the
Brian Wilson/Beach Boys themed musical, "Good Vibrations", which
played on Broadway last year.
I saw "Good Vibrations" last December and I enjoyed it. However
I couldn't find a review that supported this opinion. Even the
reviews by Spectropop members were negative.
Certainly the New Jersey feel of "Jersey Boys" was perfect for a
New York audience, whereas the California styled "Good Vibrations"
with cast members sporting Speedos and Quicksilver shirts probably
seemed out of place to audiences who spent the morning shoveling
snow from their driveways. Mind you, that didn't stop "South
Pacific" from chalking up nearly 2,000 performances back in the
day.
"Good Vibrations" wasn't about the lives of the Beach Boys
whereas "Jersey Boys" was very much about the lives of the 4
Seasons. The audience knew pretty early on who the characters were
in "Jersey Boys"; they probably didn't figure out the characters
in "Good Vibrations" even as the performance came to an end. When
a "Good Vibrations" cast member sang "I Just Wasn't Made For These
Times", the audience could not easily relate to it. The songs
in "Jersey Boys" were not used to substitute for the spoken word,
they complemented it. "Sherry" was a pivotal song but its lyrics
were not part of the story line, allowing the audience to clap and
stomp along with it.
And then there's the difference in the music. I've noted in the
past that as good a songwriter/producer as Brian Wilson was, his
music had zero r&b appeal. Songs by Crewe/Gaudio and Crewe/Linzer/
Randell (and other combinations) included strong r&b elements. In
addition, as Mick Patrick noted in his notes to the sadly deleted
Dyno Voice CD, a Bob Crewe backing track could wake the dead.
Given this, it was clearly a lot easier for those attending
"Jersey Boys" to rock along than for those in the "Good
Vibrations" audience. It's a formula that has clearly worked for
"Mama Mia".
Whenever I read messages about Brian Wilson's work, they
invariably include essays or references to blessings by others
(such as Paul McCartney or someone's music teacher) to support
the case. This doesn't make them bad songs but maybe they don't
work in a musical. 4 Seasons' songs need no such baggage, they
hit you right between the eyes as the needle drops on the
beginning of their 45s.
I don't think a cast CD was issued for "Good Vibrations", whereas
it was for "Jersey Boys" and this CD is currently # 176 on
amazon.com. Respectable – as is the # 285 placing for Rhino's
"Very Best of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons" on the same
listing.
Mike Edwards
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 14:42:14 -0500
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Beach Boys ballads
Regina Litman wrote:
> A slow Beach Boys song that I like sometimes, depending on my
> mood, is "The Warmth of the Sun".
That's called a Dead Ballad at this address. Also check out "Girls
On The Beach". A ballad can have a beat to it. I guess the
criterion would be the mood the song conveys and, of course, how
you'd dance to it!
JB
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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 15:27:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Beach Boys ballads
Regina Litman wrote:
> A slow Beach Boys song that I like sometimes, depending on my
> mood, is "The Warmth of the Sun".
The Warmth of the Sun is even more meloncholy when you learn that
Brian and Mike (?) wrote it through the night and finished it the
morning that John Kennedy died in Dallas. As for Pet Sounds you
ought to listen to what was making the charts at the time it was
released, including Beach Boys filler like Barbara Ann. Then put
on Pet Sounds. And on the Seventh Day Brian created Pet Sounds!
Where did such young kid that material, sound, ect. Definately a
case of the Old Master Painter in disguise.
Steve Harvey
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 00:02:02 -0000
From: Pres
Subject: Beach Boys ballads
"Don't Worry Baby" is second only to "Baby I Love You" as my
favorite records of the sixties. As far as Beach Boys ballads,
I can't think of any better, in my opinion. But here are the
runner ups:
"Please Let Me Wonder" (the "I love you" at the end is sigh worthy
and I can't help but notice the similarity in KC's "I love you"
at the beginning of "Please Don't Go"), "Caroline, No", "The
Warmth of The Sun", "God Only Knows", "You Still Believe In Me"
and "Kiss Me Baby". And for a first try at a ballad, you could
certainly do worse than "Surfer Girl".
pres
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 11:18:50 -0800 (PST)
From: Stefano Boni
Subject: Re: Candy & the Kisses CD
Mick Patrick:
> Excellent group, Candy & the Kisses. You converts have their
> CD, yes? If not, find out more, and hear sound bites, here
> http://tinyurl.com/7euyh and here http://tinyurl.com/cenqq
Paul Urbahns:
> For the benefit of we in the USA, the Candy and The Kisses
> CD is available from Amazon Canada, known to value hunters
> as http://www.amazon.ca With the current rate of exchange
> the price is quite reasonable. I frequently get orders from
> Amazon Canada arriving at my house in the sticks of Kentucky,
> faster than orders shipped by Amazon USA.
I bought this CD earlier this year, prior to the Cameo-Parkway
set coming out. I'm curious to know how the tracks were mastered,
because while "The 81", on the ABKCO set is crystal clear, the
sound on that track from the British CD, seems to have more kick
to it.
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Message: 6
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 19:55:46 +0100
From: Jens Koch
Subject: Re: Brian Wilson interview
Jon Biker:
> Very interesting interview with Brian Wilson in today's (London)
> Times (29 November)
Yeah - every once in a while these kinds of Brian Wilson
interviews appear; I posted one myself some time ago, and yes
it doesn't actually thrill anyone. If you're unprepared for it,
or somehow thought Brian had made enough progress from his
troubled mind, it's sad; and if you are prepared for it, it's
still very sad, but at least this article implies that Brian is
not always at the 'worst of times'. However boiling Wilson's
condition down to a matter of either relating people or the old
genius bit isn't helpful to say the least. Maybe Larry King was
badly prepared for the CNN interview last year, but at least
Brian was given the opportunity to explain his mental problems.
This writer, Andrew Billen, seems set upon exposing Brian as
what he quotes an "amateur human being", which really says more
about the writer than Brian Wilson.
Jens
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 22:44:48 -0500
From: ACJ
Subject: Re: Tupper Saussy new works
I wish Mr. Saussy nothing but the best with his "new music
project," but it'll be hard to replace Don Gant as the Neon
Philharmonic's vocalist. For me, he was a big part of the NP's
success (what success it had).
ACJ
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 04:54:30 -0000
From: Ray Soulsteptoe
Subject: Girls Will Be Girls
Hi everyone - this is my first post - prompted by hearing one
track off the "Girls Will Be Girls" cd - it's Elena and "007"
- what can you experts tell me about this track? I'm hoping
it's on a 45.
Ray
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