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Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
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There are 13 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: The Battle of San Onofre
From: Steve Crump
2. Mick & Bonnie & Charlotte
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
3. Re: CHARLOTTE O'HARA
From: Phil Milstein
4. Re: CHARLOTTE O'HARA
From: Mick Patrick
5. Re: Sandy Salisbury
From: Jason Penick
6. Re: They Don't Know question
From: Phil Chapman
7. RE: Sandy Salisbury
From: Joey Stec
8. "Mad Dog"
From: james botticelli
9. Re: Sandy Salisbury/Demos
From: Mark Frumento
10. The Darlettes' "Lost"
From: Will Stos
11. Re: VAN McCOY & THE DARLETTES
From: Mick Patrick
12. Re: VAN McCOY & THE DARLETTES
From: Phil Chapman
13. Re: VAN McCOY, THE DARLETTES & THE SWEET THINGS
From: Mick Patrick
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 11:50:28 -0000
From: Steve Crump
Subject: Re: The Battle of San Onofre
Don Charles wrote:
> Does anyone have any information about this narrative song?
> I know that Annette Funicello recorded "The Battle Of San Onofre"
> for her BEACH PARTY album in 1964, but there is no record of its
> authors in either the BMI or ASCAP databases. Who wrote it, and
> was it ever cut by anyone else?
Hi Don,
Just to confuse you even further - I have Annette's Beach Party album
on Buena Vista and the composer of San Onofre is listed as Zino -
Crawford.
Stay tuned - someone else may have another tale to tell!!
Steve
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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 11:59:41 EDT
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
Subject: Mick & Bonnie & Charlotte
Mick Patrick:
> Maybe we should consider republishing Peter Canvel's
> great article on Bonnie/Charlotte from Philately #7.
> Any takers?
Do it, Mick! Those Philately and PSAS newsletters contain gems,
nuggets and info that the folks on here would love to see!
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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 11:27:17 +0000
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: CHARLOTTE O'HARA
Mick Patrick:
> Anyone out there interested in a Charlotte
> O'Hara discography? No? Awww, here it is anyhow.
I only signed on to the Spectropop group yesterday, and it's
already come up a gusher for me. The Preview items in your
Charlotte O'Hara listing caught my eye, as I maintain a
discography of this label
http://www.aspma.com/labels/preview.htm
which was one of the most prominent of the song-poem companies.
I'm a bit stunned to learn that the Charlotte O'Hara I spent
several months trying to track a few years ago (only to learn
she's deceased) was also the lead singer of the legendary
Bonnie & The Treasures. In fact, I hadn't even previously
connected Charlotte O'Hara to Bonnie Graham, who recorded dozens
of sides for Preview - my attempts to locate her were due to
her collaborations with Nita Garfield, who was the real
target of my investigation. (I did eventually locate
Charlotte's daughter, who led me to Nita, who, alas proved
to be fairly uncooperative.)
I'd like to learn whatever I can about her. I've never
actually heard Bonnie & The Treasures, and wonder where it
might be available. In the song-poem world, this will be big
news.
Best wishes,
--Phil Milstein, Boston, U.S.
P.S. I enjoyed your revised liner notes on the new edition
of Myrmidons Of Melodrama. I have an article on the
Shangri-Las '77 reunion lined up for the next issue of Ugly
Things, and wish that revised Myrmidons had come out a few
months sooner, before I finished my story. As it was, I came
up with much of the same information, but the hard way! (I
also have a review of Myrmidons appearing in the same issue,
but under a different byline.)
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Message: 4
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 16:51:19 -0000
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: CHARLOTTE O'HARA
Phil Milstein wrote:
> Mick, the Preview items in your Charlotte O'Hara listing caught
> my eye, as I maintain a discography of this label
> http://www.aspma.com/labels/preview.htm
> which was one of the most prominent of the song-poem companies.
> I'm a bit stunned to learn that the Charlotte O'Hara I spent
> several months trying to track a few years ago (only to learn
> she's deceased) was also the lead singer of the legendary
> Bonnie & The Treasures. In fact, I hadn't even previously
> connected Charlotte O'Hara to Bonnie Graham, who recorded dozens
> of sides for Preview - my attempts to locate her were due to
> her collaborations with Nita Garfield, who was the real
> target of my investigation...I'd like to learn whatever I can
> about her. I've never actually heard Bonnie & The Treasures, and
> wonder where it might be available. In the song-poem world, this
> will be big news.
Hi,
Contact me off-line, Phil, and I'll send you a copy of the Charlotte
O'Hara article from PHILately magazine.
Actually, I only just discovered the existence of the Preview 45 by
Bonnie & Nita. I've neither seen nor heard a copy. (In fact, oh
shame, I'm not even sure exactly what a song-poem is!) My decision to
include the disc in my Charlotte O'Hara Discgraphy is based solely on
an assumption that Nita MUST be Bonnie/Charlotte's frequent
songwriting collaborator Nita Garfield. Hopefully, I'm correct. If
so, I guess I'll have to add all the Bonnie Graham 45s on Preview to
the discography too.
I'm sure there are folks out there in Spectropopland willing to put
some Bonnie/Charlotte tracks on MP3 for you.
In the meantime, search the Spectropop Forum Archives for more info
on this enigmatic figure who has cropped up very frequently in recent
discussions.
Anyway, it looks like the "song-poem world" and those of us who dwell
on "planet girl-group" might benefit from a spot of mutual further
research.
MICK PATRICK
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Message: 5
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 12:58:23 EDT
From: Jason Penick
Subject: Re: Sandy Salisbury
Mark Frumento:
> Having downloaded "The Best Thing" I'm in real need to know more about
> Sandy's records. I have the two recent Sandy CDs but were there more 45s
> that haven't made it to CD? Any place to find a discography?
The Complete Curt Boettcher Project
http://home.attbi.com/~pinkpuzz/curt.html
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Message: 6
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 17:02:00 -0000
From: Phil Chapman
Subject: Re: They Don't Know question
Stewart Mason wrote:
> I've always wondered: I've heard reports that Tracey's "They Don't
> Know" is just Kirsty's original single with Tracey's voice and a
> new guitar line dubbed on. If it's not, it's certainly an
> incredible simulation of the original, right down to the
> climactic "BAY-by!" shout, which I'm 99.8% positive is Kirsty,
> not Tracey.
Well spotted, Stewart! You're rattling the memory banks here, and I
don't have copies of everything I worked on. However, courtesy of
some kind Spectropopper who does, I've listened to the two and the
backing tracks are similarly arranged, but not identical. Tracey's is
a semitone up on Kirsty's, and, although Kirsty re-sang the backing
vocals (the harmonies on the last verse are different), neither of
them could get the "Baby" to sound as good as Kirsty's original, so
it was pitched up and 'flown in'.
I may well get corrected on this next point: Although the early TU
tracks were recorded with live musicians, the later ones were played
to drum machine, sometimes not adding a real drummer. Both versions
of "They Don't Know" sound like they could be machines (the snare
sound is pretty consistent), in which case it could be the same basic
programme with a different bass, guitar and piano.
> Also, is it just me, or are Kirsty's backing vocals actually
> mixed louder than Tracey's lead vocal? Any insight would be
> appreciated.
Another of my habits from the early days was to mix for radio,
usually monitoring through a single loudspeaker in mono. Consequently
anything to the sides came out a little louder when listening in
stereo, and I kind of like that. Also, "They Don't Know" is three
part harmony, if you include Tracey's melody as the middle part, and
I guess I must have balanced them equally.
Phil
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Message: 7
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 14:36:50 -0400
From: Joey Stec
Subject: RE: Sandy Salisbury
Mark Frumento wrote:
>Having downloaded "The Best Thing" I'm in real need to know more about
>Sandy's records. I have the two recent Sandy CDs but were there more 45s
>that haven't made it to CD? Any place to find a discography?
hello hello...I just got off the phone with Sandy...we both feel that between
the Poptones, Sandy and the Dreamsville Sandy CD's this is about all of it...
we have included most of his writing catalog as well ...we are thinking of
possibly puting together more of his elaborate demo sessions fron '67 thru
'69 years...this depends of course if we can get some one to do it...
Regards
Joey Stec
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Message: 8
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 14:58:07 -0400
From: james botticelli
Subject: "Mad Dog"
Phil Milstein wrote:
> I only signed on to the Spectropop group yesterday,
> --Phil Milstein, Boston, U.S.
Welcome to the list "Mad Dog"..Phil's a former DJ from MIT back in the
day and played some good rekkids on the show called "Lost & Found", a
6T's obscurity show which airs daily at noon www.wmbr.mit.edu and is
broadcast these days in Real Audio to the best of my knowledge and
belief..He's also a collector of some type of esoterica in addition to
rekkids, which perhaps he can explain. He was profiled a couple of years
back in the Boston Globe for that collection. A good addition to the
list y'all.
Jimmy Botticelli
Taking The E-Z...Way Out!
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Message: 9
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 16:06:36 -0400
From: Mark Frumento
Subject: Re: Sandy Salisbury/Demos
From: Joey Stec
> hello hello...I just got off the phone with Sandy...we both feel
> that between the Poptones, Sandy and the Dreamsville Sandy CD's
> this is about all of it...
Thanks Joey. I noticed in the discog. that Jason Penick posted (thanks
Jason!) that "The Best Thing" was the only single side not comp'ed.
I had the impression that Sandy released more 45s.
> we are thinking of possibly puting together more of his elaborate
> demo sessions fron '67 thru '69 years...this depends of course if
> we can get some one to do it...
That'd be great if you can find someone! I would love to hear them. Are
there Japanese labels interested? Surprised that Sundazed hasn't been
interested.
If you find someone to release them maybe you can pass those names over to
Mark Wirtz. I have a stack of his demos yearning to be heard. In some ways
Mark's work is very much along the lines of Sandy's.
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Message: 10
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 15:55:46 -0400
From: Will Stos
Subject: The Darlettes' "Lost"
I downloaded a song called "Lost" by the Darlettes the other day
and I can't seem to get it out of my head. It's not terribly hook-
heavy or happy, but a little brooding. I checked John Clemente's
Darlettes discography in his book Girl Groups: Fabulous Female
That Rocked The World, but I didn't see it listed. So, question to
girl groupies on the list. Is this song by Diane Christian and the
Darlettes? Any idea if/when it was released? How about the
writers? It has a bit of Bacharach/David feel to it, and a vocal
bass line similar to some Marvelettes recordings. Any help would
be luverly!
Will
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Message: 11
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 22:28:31 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: VAN McCOY & THE DARLETTES
Original Message From Will Stos:
> I downloaded a song called "Lost" by the Darlettes...I checked
> John Clemente's Darlettes discography in his book Girl Groups:
> Fabulous Female That Rocked The World, but I didn't see it
> listed. So, question to girl groupies on the list. Is this song
> by Diane Christian and the Darlettes? Any idea if/when it was
> released? How about the writers? It has a bit of Bacharach/David
> feel to it, and a vocal bass line similar to some Marvelettes
> recordings. Any help would be luverly!
Hi,
One of the reasons "Lost" by the Darlettes sounds so dreamy and
gorgeous is it was written and produced by the great VAN McCOY.
Van also produced the equally lovely B-side "Sweet Kind Of
Loneliness", composed by one Nora Kirby. The record was released
in 1965 on Mira 203.
I'm pretty certain these Darlettes are not the similarly monickered
outfit fronted by girl-group goddess Diane Christian. If they are,
it most certainly is not the "Here She Comes" songstress singing
lead.
In fact, I would not be at all surprised if the lead vocalist turned
out to be the one and only KENDRA SPOTTSWOOD / Kenni Woods / Sandi
Sheldon, Van McCoy's right hand woman on many sessions and singer on
numerous girl-group 45s brainstormed by the great man.
Perhaps Dave at Van McCoy Music, a recent Spectropop conscriptee, can
shed some light?
MICK PATRICK
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Message: 12
Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 22:07:23 -0000
From: Phil Chapman
Subject: Re: VAN McCOY & THE DARLETTES
Mick Patrick wrote:
> In fact, I would not be at all surprised if the lead vocalist
> turned out to be the one and only KENDRA SPOTTSWOOD/Kenni Woods/
> Sandi Sheldon, Van McCoy's right hand woman on many sessions and
> singer on numerous girl-group 45s brainstormed by the great man.
I thought this voice sounded familiar so I searched around the net
and found the following:
"..Though Peaches and Herb was billed as a duo, their member rotation
is more similar to a group's. Herb has remained the only constant
with, at last count, four "Peaches" stepping up to the microphone.
The original Peaches, Francine Hurd Barker, a Washington, D.C.,
native, earned the childhood nickname "Peaches" because of her
genteel manner. She sang in neighborhood groups and in her teens she
became the lead singer for a group named The Keynotes. Starting her
own group, The Darlettes, they auditioned for and were signed to D.C.-
area label Date Records, where their name was changed to The Sweet
Things..."
http://discomuseum.com/PeachesHerb.html
Personally, I still think Francine Barker's "Don't You Know Love When
You See it" is wonderful, and one of Van's finest Bacharach takes.
Phil
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Message: 13
Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 00:21:25 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: VAN McCOY, THE DARLETTES & THE SWEET THINGS
Original Message From Phil Chapman:
> I thought this voice sounded familiar so I searched around the net
> and found the following:
>
> "..Though Peaches and Herb was billed as a duo, their member rotation
> is more similar to a group's. Herb has remained the only constant
> with, at last count, four "Peaches" stepping up to the microphone.
> The original Peaches, Francine Hurd Barker, a Washington, D.C.,
> native, earned the childhood nickname "Peaches" because of her
> genteel manner. She sang in neighborhood groups and in her teens she
> became the lead singer for a group named The Keynotes. Starting her
> own group, The Darlettes, they auditioned for and were signed to D.C.-
> area label Date Records, where their name was changed to The Sweet
> Things..." http://discomuseum.com/PeachesHerb.html
Hi,
Well spotted that man. And I thought I was the one who was supposed to
be the voice expert :-)
Enthused by the knowledge that THE DARLETTES became THE SWEET THINGS,
I searched around my bin, I mean brain, and came up with the following
line-up for the group:
FRANCINE "PEACHES" BARKER (nee HURD), DYANNE STEWART & NANCY J. JOHNSON.
Unfortunately for Dyanne & Nancy, the Sweet Things' recording career was
curtailed after just two 45s when Francine quit to form PEACHES & HURB
with Herb Frame.
> Personally, I still think Francine Barker's "Don't You Know Love When
> You See it" is wonderful, and one of Van's finest Bacharach takes.
Coincidentally, when Francine quit Peaches & Herb, she was replaced by a
young lady named MARLENE JENKINS, formerly a member of THE CLICKETTES
("I Just Can't Help It" on Checker, anyone?). Previous stepping into the
"Peaches" role she cut some great solo singles as MARLINA MARS, among
them an exquisite version of Bacharach & David's "It's Love That Really
Counts (In The Long Run)"
MICK PATRICK
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