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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 23 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: Louise Cordet
From: Mick Patrick
2. Diane Ray
From: Ronnie Allen
3. Re: Joe South & Bob Dylan
From: John DeAngelis
4. Re: Viva
From: Phil X Milstein
5. Re: Christmas is the time to be with The Orchids
From: Scott Swanson
6. Re: The Isley Brothers
From: Hans Huss
7. Re: Louise Cordet
From: Michael Robson"
8. Re: Kim Fowley
From: Martin Roberts
9. Re: Joe South "The Purple People Eater Meets The Witch Doctor"
From: Tom Taber
10. Re: Joe South and Dennis St. John
From: Regina Litman
11. Re: Christmas is the time to be with the Orchids
From: John DeAngelis
12. Re: Diane Ray
From: John Black
13. Re: Motown covers . . . "My Girl" by the Mamas and Papas
From: Regina Litman
14. Viva Records/Music
From: Austin Powell
15. Re: Diane Ray
From: Elizabeth Curtis
16. Re: Joe South - "The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor"
From: Regina Litman
17. Re: Kim Fowley
From: Eddy
18. Re: Viva Records/Music
From: Artie Wayne
19. Re: Joe South "The Purple People Eater Meets The Witch Doctor"
From: James Botticelli
20. Re: Diane Ray
From: James Botticelli
21. Re: Motown covers . . . good 'n' bad
From: Mark Maldwyn
22. Re: Diane Ray
From: Mark Maldwyn
23. Joe South
From: Rex Patton
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 22:44:17 -0000
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: Louise Cordet
Mark Maldwyn wrote:
> Louise Cordet - neglected chanteuse. Did she record "Two
> Lovers" in French, I wonder?
Alan V Karr:
> I can't tell from the French titles, but this site is a
> good reference:
> http://members.tripod.com/ye_ye_girls/
> http://members.tripod.com/ye_ye_girls/artists/cordet.html
Anyone interested in Louise Cordet could do worse than search
the S'pop Discussion Forum Archives, where you'll discover a
discography and much more. Use the Spectrosearch facility at
the top of the sidebar menu on the S'pop home page. Better
yet, just click here: http://tinyurl.com/8x95n
But no, she didn't wax "Two Lovers" in French. Shame.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 18:36:21 EST
From: Ronnie Allen
Subject: Diane Ray
Diane Ray is the girl who sang the Top 40 hit version of "Please Don't
Talk To The Lifeguard." She is, of course, a different artist from Diane
Renay, who had the hit "Navy Blue."
Diane Renay has her own website (http://www.dianerenay.com) and there's
plenty of information on the Internet about her.
I've been able to find very little information about Diane Ray, however,
other than the fact that she was born in Gastonia, North Carolina in 1942.
I think her CD called "The Exciting Years" is really good. There's no great
"message songs" there, but I throughly enjoy her singing and her enthusiasm.
Does anyone have any additional information about Diane Ray? Does she
still perform?
Ronnie Allen
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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 09 Dec 2005 23:28:43 -0000
From: John DeAngelis
Subject: Re: Joe South & Bob Dylan
Paul Oliverio wrote:
> Not only was Joe South a session musician on "Blonde On Blonde,"
> but the original bi-fold album jacket had a photo of him.
While Joe South definitely played on "Blonde On Blonde", there was/is
no photo of him in the bi-fold jacket. The only people besides Dylan
in those photos were actress Claudia Cardinale, an unidentified female
(who contrary to some reports was definitely not Edie Sedgewick),
manager Albert Grossman (the back of his head), and photographer
Jerry Schatzberg, who took all of the "Blonde On Blonde" photos.
John DeAngelis, NYC
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 09 Dec 2005 18:24:56 -0500
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Viva
Artie Wayne wrote:
> In 1970, when I was general manager of Viva music [soon to be
> bought by Warner Brothers music] ...
Was Viva Music a subsid of the Viva label? If so, perhaps you can tell us
some more about the label (that is, if your job brought you in contact at
all with the label side). Looking over their discography now, I see lots
of things I'd like to hear more about -- or better still simply hear. (And
isn't it about time some enterprising reissue company comp'ed this cool
and eccentric label?)
Their main artist seems to have been Sonny Curtis, and, unless one is
looking to break the bank with smash singles, that can never be bad. Other
artists of note reflect a diverse range of styles, with The Shindogs (who
had the label's debut release), Rudy Vallee, James Griffin, Spike Jones, Jr.
(with a version of "Hooray For Hazel"), Prof. Irwin Corey and our own Alan
O'Day among the Viva roster.
Also, did they have one of the coolest label logos of them all, or what?
(Which I think may've been based on the logo for Marlo Brandon's "Burn"
flick.) For a pic, see BSNPubs' Viva page at http://tinyurl.com/98joh (and
note the extremely rare Rolling Stones album on the right). While there I
noticed an intriguing album, " A Trip Down The Sunset Strip," a '67 release
by the "Leathercoated Minds," which apparently consisted of generic versions
of the following songs:
Eight Miles High
Sunset And Clark
Psychotic Reaction
Over Under Sideways Down
Sunshine Superman
Non-Stop
Arriba
Kicks
Mr. Tambourine Man
Puff The Magic Dragon
Along Comes Mary
Pot Luck
Is it my imagination, or does this reflect the first known attempt at a
generic exploitation session based on songs with dope references? I am
pretty sure it pre-dated the California Poppy Pickers release by some
months.
Viva Viva!
--Phil M.
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Message: 5
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 15:09:39 -0800 (PST)
From: Scott Swanson
Subject: Re: Christmas is the time to be with The Orchids
Mick Patrick wrote:
> Before moving to the Roulette label in 1965 for a final
> release cut with producer Teddy Randazzo, [The Orchids]
> delivered two further singles on Columbia, including the
> rare delight of a girl group Christmas record.
Coincidentally, the "other" girl-group Orchids, the UK trio, also cut
a Christmas song in 1964: "Mr. Scrooge".
Well, I guess it's not technically a Christmas song, but it's about as
close as you'll get for a British girl group. I got it off musica many
moons ago ... perhaps someone can replay it there now?
Scott
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Message: 6
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 14:26:29 -0800 (PST)
From: Hans Huss
Subject: Re: The Isley Brothers
Paul Oliverio wrote:
> The extraordinary thing about ["This Old Heart of Mine"] is
> that it gave the Isley Brothers three distinct classics
> covering, effectively, three generations: "Shout," "Twist &
> Shout," and then, with Motown Magic, "This Old Heart of Mine."
Even more extraordinarily, it didn't stop there. The classics
kept on coming: 'It's Your Thing' (1969), 'That Lady' (1973),
'Fight The Power' (1975), 'Caravan Of Love' (1985); surely
covering another generation or two...
Hasse Huss
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Message: 7
Date: Fri, 09 Dec 2005 23:19:39 -0000
From: Michael Robson"
Subject: Re: Louise Cordet
Mark Maldwyn wrote:
> Louise Cordet - neglected chanteuse. Did she record "Two
> Lovers" in French, I wonder?
I have four LOUISE CORDET French EPs.
EP (FRENCH PS) DECCA 454.089 (1962)
A. SWEET ENOUGH
SOMEONE ELSE'S FOOL
B. I'M JUST A BABY
IN A MATTER OF MOMENTS
both sides of first two UK 45s.
EP (FRENCH PS) DECCA 454.096 (1963)
A. SHE'S GOT YOU
WE KNOW WHY
B. EVERYTIME
CRAZY KIND OF LOVE
same tracks as the UK EP.
EP (FRENCH PS) DECCA 454.100 (1963)
A. FAIRE LE GRAND VOYAGE
QUE M'A-T-IL FAIT?
B. FROM ME TO YOU
L'AMOUR TOURNE EN ROND
cover of Lennon/McCartney's "From Me To You" in English
(although never released in UK); "L'Amour Tourne En Rond"
is French version of Decca A-side "Around and Around"
EP (FRENCH PS) DECCA 457.022 (1964)
A. POUR TOI (FOR YOU)
LAISSE LE SOLEIL SECHER TES LARMES
B. J'AIME TROP JOHNNY (HAVE YOU EVER BEEN LONELY)
DIX MILLE FOIS
"Laisse Le Soleil Secher Tes Larmes" is French version of
Decca A-side "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying"; "J'aime
Trop Johnny" is "Have You Ever Been Lonely" (then) recently
recorded by THE CARAVELLES; "Dix Mille Fois" is French
version of Decca B-side "Loving Baby"
it might also be the appropriate time to mention the recent
death of TONY MEEHAN, ex-SHADOWS, who wrote and produced
many of LOUISE CORDET's records, following an accident at
home a couple of weeks ago.
clunk click every flip,
Michael Clunkie
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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 23:03:43 -0000
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: Re: Kim Fowley
Phil Milstein on Kim Fowley:
> has any Spectrocentric artist amassed a more extensive
> discography?
Yes, (I think :-)) Jack Nitzsche:
http://www.spectropop.com/JackNitzsche/discography.htm
Martin
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Message: 9
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 15:21:40 -0800 (PST)
From: Tom Taber
Subject: Re: Joe South "The Purple People Eater Meets The Witch Doctor"
Richard Fannan wrote:
> As a kid, I had bought the record for Purple People Eater
> Meets the Witch Doctor after hearing it on the radio once.
> I was pleasantly surprised when, several months later, the
> flip side became the huge hit.
As a kid (just turned 9) I loved Purple People Eater and the
Witch Doctor. By the time I realized I could BUY them, they
were off the radio and not in stores - but I found "Purple
People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor" in a 45 rack at the
Supermarket, and got my mom to buy it for me. It was a year
or more before I found out "Chantilly Lace" was the hit side!
That was about 10,000 45s ago, and 2 of them have been Joe
South's version.
Tom Taber
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Message: 10
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 00:38:25 -0000
From: Regina Litman
Subject: Re: Joe South and Dennis St. John
Artie Wayne wrote:
> I remember having breakfast with Joe South, at the Continental
> Hyatt House in Hollywood, when he was on a promotional tour
> for his own record, "Walk a Mile in My Shoes". [Still one of
> my favorites.]
>
> I had a chance to tell him how much his writing had inspired
> me, "I Never promised you a Rose Garden", "Down in the
> Boondocks", and how innovative I thought his productions were.
> He appreciated being appreciated [as we all do].
>
> As we were starting to discuss the unique modern rhythyms he
> used behind his Country flavored songs, we were joined by
> Dennis St.John who played drums on all of Joe's hits, as well
> as most of the hits made in Atlanta. We all shared a lot of
> stories and had a good old time!
Thanks for sharing this with us. Joe South was one of those
songwriters who, although he had hits of his own, really made
his mark with songs that others recorded.
The name Dennis St. John is quite familiar to me because he was
in Neil Diamond's band for several years. I knew he was from
Atlanta, but I didn't know about the Joe South connection.
> P.S. I'd be honored if you dropped by my updated website and
> signed my new guestbook http://artiewayne.com
Thanks for the invitation. I was there a few days ago and was
impressed by your background.
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Message: 11
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 00:10:24 -0000
From: John DeAngelis
Subject: Re: Christmas is the time to be with the Orchids
Mick Patrick wrote:
> Before moving to the Roulette label in 1965 for a final
> release cut with producer Teddy Randazzo, the Orchids
> delivered two further singles on Columbia, including the
> rare delight of a girl group Christmas record. That seasonal
> offering is now playing at musica:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica
Thanks so much for this song, Mick! It's beautiful!
John DeAngelis, NYC
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Message: 12
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 19:41:47 EST
From: John Black
Subject: Re: Diane Ray
Ronnie Allen wrote:
> I've been able to find very little information about Diane Ray,
> however, other than the fact that she was born in Gastonia,
> North Carolina in 1942. I think her CD called "The Exciting
> Years" is really good. There's no great "message songs" there,
> but I throughly enjoy her singing and her enthusiasm. Does
> anyone have any additional information about Diane Ray? Does
> she still perform?
Diane Ray is an intriguing subject. She seems to have come out
of nowhere--and then gone right back there! Seriously, I've
always been surprised that she managed to have an entire LP
released. That's not a knock on her talent, just my spin on her
obscurity then and now. Perhaps a Svengali type was backing her,
but she really didn't desire a show business career. Just
speculating.
John Black
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Message: 13
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 00:27:37 -0000
From: Regina Litman
Subject: Re: Motown covers . . . "My Girl" by the Mamas and Papas
Alan V Karr wrote:
> I failed to note that I found the above to be undistinguished
> compared to the preceding Beat covers I listed. Also IMO Mamas
> & Papas' take on My Girl probably could have been an A side but
> that's just me.
Back when the album containing this came out, WPGC, a Top 40
station in the Washington area, played this cut and said that it
was going to be the group's next single. It didn't happen this
way, and now I wonder if it was just the DJ's wishful thinking or
if there was a change in plans.
Around that time (possibly on the same album), they did another
Motown song, "Dancing in the Street", which included some of the
place names in the Virginia suburbs of DC, where Cass had grown
up and John Phillips had also spent some time.
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Message: 14
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 08:46:34 +0000
From: Austin Powell
Subject: Viva Records/Music
Like Phil, I thought the Viva label design was awesome. My copies
of the Shindogs single "Who Do You Think You Are", part written
by Delaney Bramlett and produyced by Leon Russell and Sonny
Curtis's "My Way Of Life" are kinda prize possessions receiving
them as I did back in 1966 (?) from Ed Silvers at Viva Records.
In Britain, the Fontana label issued only one single from Viva,
"Questions And Answers" by The California In Crowd" (renamed for
UK release because there was a British group called The In Crowd),
but they did release a couple of The Midnight String Quartet LPs.
Am I right in believing Warner Music now owns the masters ?
But, hey...I just love that logo.
Austin P.
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Message: 15
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 18:57:15 -0800
From: Elizabeth Curtis
Subject: Re: Diane Ray
Ronnie Allen wrote:
> I've been able to find very little information about Diane Ray,
> however, other than the fact that she was born in Gastonia,
> North Carolina in 1942. I think her CD called "The Exciting
> Years" is really good. There's no great "message songs" there,
> but I throughly enjoy her singing and her enthusiasm. Does
> anyone have any additional information about Diane Ray? Does
> she still perform?
I like Diane Ray a lot -- "The Exciting Years" is a great album.
Everything I know about Diane I learned from the album's liner
notes. From the back of "The Exciting Years" LP:
"....Diane is a pretty, 17-year-old teenager who hails from
Gastonia, North Carolina. She's five-foot-four, weighs 115,
has blue eyes, blonde hair, loves to dance, listen to records,
go on picnics, watch drive-in movies, and in short, do all the
things that the average gal her age would like. But then, she
also does a few things more. She has a daily radio show on
Gastonia's WLTC. She sings with her own combo, Diane Ray and
the Continentals. She makes constant appearances at record hops
and television shows. And of course, she has her recording
sessions for Mercury.
Diane says she's the luckiest girl in the world, and the
happiest. "I've always wanted to be a record artist, but I
honestly didn't think it could happen this fast." She may be
the only who didn't. "When I first heard her sing, I knew she
was a natural," is the comment made by Shelby Singleton,
Mercury's vice-president and artist and repertoire directory.
Singleton discovered Diane when she entered a talent contest put
on by the Thons radio chain in North Carolina. Diane won the
contest, but Singleton was sold on her even before the ballots
were counted. He signed her to a recording contact on the spot.
Her first record for Mercury, "Please Don't Talk to the
Lifeguard," was a national hit and Diane was on her way."
I wish I knew what she was up to now, and if she still performs.
Take care,
Elizabeth
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Message: 16
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 00:46:27 -0000
From: Regina Litman
Subject: Re: Joe South - "The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor"
Brent Cash wrote:
> Since Joe South is in the news here, I thought I'd bring up
> a zany one by him called "The Purple People Eater Meets The
> Witch Doctor". It's on NRC (National Recording Corp.) and is
> exactly what the title sounds like it would be. The writing
> credits a team of J.P. Richardson-R.Johnson. So, perhaps The
> Big Bopper had his hand in this one? It's absolutely hilarious,
> and, fittingly, the edge of the vinyl is severly warped. The
> flip is written by Joe, "My Fondest Memories" and published by,
> of course, Lowery Music Co.Inc.
I've heard of this song but have never heard it. I had seen an
anthology album on Amazon (possibly an import) that contains it,
but I ended up getting a different anthology that doesn't contain
it.
I have three Joe South anthologies on CD, but they concentrate on
the period around the time "Games People Play", "Walk a Mile in
My Shoes", and "Don't it Make You Want to Go Home" charted in
1969 and the very early 1970s. I'm not familiar with much that he
did either before or after that time.
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Message: 17
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 08:11:01 +0100
From: Eddy
Subject: Re: Kim Fowley
Martin Roberts wrote:
> Record collector, Benoit Conte compiled a discography of Kim
> Fowley's record releases and its positively Nitzschean in its
> breadth and diversity. Sadly it doesn't seem to have been
> published anywhere.
So where can one view this then ?
Eddy
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Message: 18
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 07:22:22 -0800 (PST)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: Re: Viva Records/Music
Phil...Austin...How ya'doin'? Yes...Viva music was the
publishing arm of Viva records...and no, I really
don't know much about the record company.
I joined the publishing company in 1970 under some
interesting circumstances. I recently had relocated to
Hollywood from New York during what I call the
"California music Gold Rush".
I spent most of my money on independent productions,
but this wasn't like New York, I couldn't just put my
lead vocal on a track, make up a name, and sell it to
some record company. Companies like Warner Brothers,
A+M, RCA, etc. were only interested in signing real
artists...and I didn't have any!
During this frustrating time I ran up an $1800 bill at
Amigo recording studios, which was owned by Viva music
and wasn't able to pay it. I went to my old friend Ed
Silvers, who was running the company. He was my former
producer at Liberty records, the man who brought me
into both April-Blackwood music and Flomar music, and
I offered to work for Viva until I paid off the Studio
bill.
After a long lecture, and telling me he didn't need
another professional manager, he reluctantly hired me
at a fraction of what I was worth.
For the next year I represented some of the best staff
writers in the buisness, Jerry Fuller, Sonny Curtis,
J.J.Cale, Jimmy Griffen, DeWayne Blackwell and Alan
O'Day, who was just starting his career.
After getting dozens of cover records including those
by 3 Dog Night, Bobby Sherman, The Jackson 5, Anne
Murray, Helen Reddy, and updating old songs in the
catalog like, "You're 16", I stayed with the company.
Ed doubled...then tripled my salary...generously
giving me stock options when the company was bought by
Warner Brothers!
Regards, Artie Wayne http://artiewayne.com
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Message: 19
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 11:17:20 -0500
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Joe South "The Purple People Eater Meets The Witch Doctor"
Tom Taber wrote:
> I found "Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor" in a 45
> rack at the Supermarket, and got my mom to buy it for me. It
> was a year or more before I found out "Chantilly Lace" was
> the hit side!
I had that EXACT same experience. My parents bought me Witch
Doctor and Purple People Eater for my birthday. Then they found
the Big Bopper flipside. I too didn't know about Chantilly Lace
until long afterward!! Funny world.
JB
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Message: 20
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 11:22:41 -0500
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Diane Ray
Elizabeth Curtis wrote:
> I like Diane Ray a lot -- "The Exciting Years" is a great album.
> Everything I know about Diane I learned from the album's liner
> notes.
I got a bone to pick with Diane personally. When she described the
lifeguard as "...tall and handsome golden tanned, six feet tall
and man oh man..." my insecurities were given a massive boost. At
5'9" and not considering myself 'handsome' (even though I am), I
thought I'd never get me a chick.
JB/still soldiering onward in girlville
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Message: 21
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 18:55:00 -0000
From: Mark Maldwyn
Subject: Re: Motown covers . . . good 'n' bad
Paul Oliverio wrote:
> An atrocity >>This Old Heart of Mine<< covered by Rod Stewart.
That's still not as bad as Phil Collins' Motown 'covers' or
anything else he's done actually. Nevertheless, Truly Smith and
Elkie Brooks did fine Motown versions in the U.K.
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Message: 22
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 19:26:27 -0000
From: Mark Maldwyn
Subject: Re: Diane Ray
Diane Ray's version of "Please don't talk to the Lifeguard"
is fine as is Andrea Carroll's version which I find more
'experimental'. Whose recording came first?
Mark M
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Message: 23
Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 15:16:19 -0500
From: Rex Patton
Subject: Joe South
Paul Oliverio:
> Not only was Joe South a session musician on BLONDE ON BLONDE
> but the original bi-fold album jacket had a photo of him.
Among his other session work, that's also Joe doing that swampy
opening guitar lick to Aretha's "Chain Of Fools".
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
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