[Prev by Date]
[Next by Date]
[Index]
[Search]
Spectropop - Digest Number 491
- From: Spectropop Group
- Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002
________________________________________________________________________
______________ ______________
______________ ______________
______________ S P E C T R O P O P ______________
______________ ______________
________________________________________________________________________
Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Ohtaki
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
2. The Carols
From: Ian Chapman
3. My Dad
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
4. Lovely Ronnie and "You"
From: Spector Collector
5. Canadian Girl Groups
From: Warren Cosford
6. Jodelles
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
7. girl group recreations
From: Spector Collector
8. Re: Shelly and Paul and TV Land
From: David Beard
9. "My Dad" Redux
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
10. The Singlettes
From: Ian Chapman
11. On Broadway
From: Spector Collector
12. Re: Gary Lewis
From: Billy G Spradlin
13. Re: Gary Lewis' "Jill" 45
From: Billy G. Spradlin
14. Re: Elvis Costello
From: Jean-Emmanuel Dubois
15. Re: Shelley and Paul and TV Land
From: Joseph Panzarella
16. Re: Canadian Girl Groups
From: radiopro
17. Re: SHIRLEY MATTHEWS / THE CAROLS
From: Mick Patrick
18. Spectropop TV correction and update
From: Jack Madani
19. Male Nicht Den Teufel An Die Wand
From: Phil Milstein
20. Re: Shelley Fabares
From: Ken Levine
21. Re: TV Land
From: Beatle Bob
22. Re: Shelley Fabares
From: Patrick Rands
23. Flower children turned movie actors
From: Bob Rashkow
24. Re: Lovely Ronnie and "You"
From: Phil Chapman
25. Review of Tony Award-Winning Broadway Musical "Millie"
From: Don Charles
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2002 20:40:12 EDT
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
Subject: Ohtaki
You mean... you mean someone ELSE besides me and a few others has heard the
Ohtaki girl-group compositions?? Aren't they fabulous?? Incandescent is the
word, actually... !
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 00:42:52 +0100
From: Ian Chapman
Subject: The Carols
Will asked:
> The Carols - Apparently they're from Winnipeg, Manitoba and they
> recorded a version of "Soldier Boy." Anyone heard it? Is it worth
> searching for?
Will,
I have one of the Carols' records, but can't recall if that's the one. I'm
on vacation at the moment, so I'll get back to you about it. I do recall it
was slightly folky, with a very sparse production. I also recall they
sounded very similar to another girl-group called the Carols who had a UK
release on Polydor ("Darling I Want You So Much") and wondered if they might
be the same group. (And I don't mean the Carrolls or the Carolines, by the
way, both of whom helpfully also had releases on Polydor!)
Ian
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2002 20:44:43 EDT
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
Subject: My Dad
Awww! It's true... I defy anyone to listen to "My Dad," in all its innocent
mawkishness, and not burst into tears. I have it on a CD called "Donna Reed's
Dinner Party", and I lose it every time. So sue me.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 02:03:20 +0000
From: Spector Collector
Subject: Lovely Ronnie and "You"
Can someone that's sprung for the "Complete Apple Singles" set (or at least
volume five of it) please tell me whether the version of "You" credited to
Ronnie Spector is the same (instrumental) version credited to her on "The
Harri-Spector Show"? It's common knowledge that she recorded a vocal version
of the song and that her performance was wiped from the tape so George could
put his vocals on instead, although you can still hear her plainly on the
fade of his version. The version that appears on "Harri-Spector" is a pretty
finished-sounding background track, but all you hear of Ronnie is a couple
of "woh-oh"s way in the background, as though she were in the room but
nowhere near a mike.
I'm glad to hear that, with the Apple set, writer credits have appeared for
"Lovely La-De-Day"; it's not credited on "Harri-Spector". Is it another
Spector/Wine/Levine number a la "I Loved Him Like I Love My Very Life",
which she also recorded?
I discovered the Chiffons track "Love Me Like You're Gonna Lose Me" sometime
after I'd heard the rumor that Ronnie had recorded a song called "Lovely
La-De-Day". (That's the way it's spelled on the acetate I've seen, although
I understand that at least one more acetate of the song, labeled "Loverly
Laddy Day" and featuring a more finished production, also exists). As
previously mentioned here by another writer, "Lovely La-De-Day" (or "words"
to that effect) constitute the background chorus of "Love Me..", so for a long
time I assumed that the rumor got started because Toni Wine, who sings lead
on the Chiffons cut, has a voice that could conceivably be mistaken for
Ronnie's. Imagine my delight when I learned that it was a whole different
song!
Now if only some version - I'll settle for any version at the moment - of
her recording of the Harrisong "When Every Song Is Sung (I'll Still Love
You)" would surface!
David A. Young
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2002 22:45:48 -0400
From: Warren Cosford
Subject: Canadian Girl Groups
Hi Folks:
I put the question concerning Canadian Girl Groups to some friends.
Here are some responses:
Warren Cosford
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Warren
I'd like to make a few comments about the Cancon girl groups item.
1. I've only heard of the Big Town Boys, featuring Tommy Graham,
backing up Matthews.
2. Does anyone know if Private Property is available on CD? A friend
of mine's been looking for it for years.
3. Does anyone know anything about what Matthews is doing these days?
According to the Jam Music Canadian Music Encyclopedia "In 1967 she
was married to became Shirley Vedder and gave up her career in singing.
She has spent most of her adult years living with her family in Unionville,
Ontario and was the executive assistant at a racquet ball club there and
an accomplished player herself."
4. Canadian girl groups are indeed hard to find. But I'll add one, The
Allan Sisters, who made the CHUM Chart with "Larry" in 1964. Here are
their entries at the two sites:
http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusicPopEncycloPagesA/allansis.html
http://www.borderlinebooks.com/canada/a2.html#The_Allan_Sisters
5. The Borderline book is written by a British author, Vernon Joynson,
who has done similar books for Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.
You can often tell that he lacks first-hand knowledge of what he's writing
about. A big part of the problem is the book focuses on 63-75. For artists
within that time period, however, Joynson's info is often better than Jam's.
But both sites have many inaccuracies.
Lorne
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Warren,
Cancon girl groups(!)... a couple of wonders from the 70's would include
Toulouse out of Montreal, who were three bilingual singers with tons of
unexploited potential. There was another group out of Toronto called, or
as I recall the one single, I think, "Stradivarius featuring Lady." My
guess is that the "Lady" reference was to the female vocalists. I vaguely
recall partying with a couple of them one eve in Halifax. It was the last
century, so memory is fading. Quickly!
Steve
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hi Warren,
Were The Charmaines Canadian? I'd heard from Canadian expert Bill Munson
that they were American & had been recording for Fraternity in Cincinnati.
They recorded solo there & sang back up on some Lonnie Mack sides. I know
they recorded on Red Leaf here, but I'll ask Bill to fill in the blanks. The
Valentines from Vancouver had an early song "The Sock" on Spartan as well.
Wayne Russell
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2002 22:02:21 EDT
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
Subject: Jodelles
Well... this is the first time I've heard "My Boy" by the Jodelles, and I'm
instantly hooked. I downloaded it and played it for both myself and my
roommate, and could happily and confidently predict it: Verse... verse...
minor chord refrain... verse... instrumental break... minor chord reprise...
chord change / verse... fadeout into instant girl-group classic nirvana...
thanks, guys! Thanks very much for the sugar in my ears : )))
==Jimmy==
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 02:36:58 +0000
From: Spector Collector
Subject: girl group recreations
Insightful of Bill Reed to namecheck Eiichi Ohtaki on the Jodelles cuts, but
apparently Ken Gold had a Spector/Svengali thing going on with them: in
addition to producing all three tracks, he co-wrote them (with Mick Denne).
So do we know who Ken Gold (sounds familiar) and Mick Denne (doesn't) are?
One cut that deserves to be mentioned from around the same time (1987,
actually) is The Cover Girls' "That Boy of Mine" from their otherwise
formulaic dance album "Show Me." I wish I were mp3-positive; can anyone else
share that one with the gang?
David A. Young
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 03:08:50 EDT
From: David Beard
Subject: Re: Shelly and Paul and TV Land
Alan Gordon writes:
> And even though I don't remember any of the specific situations,
> I'm sure Shelly sang on the show.
She did perform "Johnny Angel" on an episode. It's been a couple of
years since I've seen it, but I seem to remember it being at a school
function of some sort.
David Beard
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2002 20:48:02 EDT
From: Jimmy Crescitelli
Subject: "My Dad" Redux
I believe Carl Betz as Dad was angry at son Jeff for re-arranging things in
the garage so that Jeff could rehearse with his band... when they came up
with "My Dad," Carl realized what a maroon he was being... and cried. Ahhh...
what a great show! And, as an aside, anyone who lumps The Donna Reed Show
together with those "Stepford wife '50s situation comedies..." let it be
known that Donna was NO pushover. ; )
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 01:13:18 +0100
From: Ian Chapman
Subject: The Singlettes
Kingsley wrote re. the Singlettes:
> Interesting to see note of a five piece line-up from an Australian source.
> The album I have (and the TV show) featured a three piece of
> Lisa Shipley, Naomi Eyers and Alison Jiear, so I guess that Toni and
> Dee didn't make the trip to the UK
Kingsley,
The Singlettes were a threesome, but they had a few changes of lineup. I
think the report quoted is just listing all the girls who were members at
one time or another. I recall reading that it was Naomi who was behind the
whole concept, and I have vivid memories of her picking me out of the
audience at the Piccadilly Theatre to stand up and receive a personal
serenade of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"!! Recalling what they did to
some of the other guys in the audience, I think I got off lightly!
Anyone remember their one-off musical sitcom? I was always impressed that
their repertoire included a few less-than-obvious girl-group numbers, such
as the Goodees' "Dum Dum Ditty" and Ginny Arnell's "I Wish I Knew What Dress
To Wear".
Ian
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 02:26:31 +0000
From: Spector Collector
Subject: On Broadway
Not a reply to Don Charles's post regarding the recent Tony awards per se,
but since he's opened the door...
Saturday night I had the extreme pleasure of being among the first people in
the world to see a preview performance of the Broadway-bound musical
adaptation of the hit John Waters movie "Hairspray." It's playing here in
Seattle through most of June before hitting the Great White Way, where I
honestly predict it'll be scooping up at least as many Tonys next year as
"Thoroughly Modern Millie" just did.
On the way home, my friends and I wondered aloud why any other musicals
would even bother opening with the awards a done deal. No kidding, it's that
good. See it when you have a chance, or at the very least, buy the cast
album, due soon on Sony Classical.
From the moment the curtain rose with the familiar "bom, bom-bom" drum
opening made famous by "Be My Baby," I knew I was in for a treat. The next
several songs, too, all borrowed VERY heavily from the Phil Spector
cookbook, and it was a thrill to hear that sound performed live, right down
to the Hal Blaine-esque drum fill at the end of "I Can Hear the Bells."
Eventually, other musical styles, including "straight" Broadway (insert your
own joke here), are incorporated, but the period sound continued to
dominate. There's even a new version of "The Madison," with even kookier
steps than ever, if you can believe that!
Tracy Turnblad, the character made famous by the young Ricki Lake, is played
here by Marissa Jaret Winokur, probably best known for the scene in the
movie "American Beauty" in which she's working a fast-food drive-up window
and says to Annette Bening, "You are so busted!" Harvey Fierstein does a
remarkable tribute to Divine in his portrayal of Tracy's mother Edna, and
although that's as close to famous as I know anyone in the cast to be, the
ensemble is tight and first rate. The incredible songs are by five-time
Oscar-nominated movie scorer Mark Shaiman, along with co-lyricist Scott
Wittman.
Don mentioned the "lavender quotient" of "...Millie," and of course it can't
be ignored in this production either, but it would be a shame if that were
the only lens through which the show were viewed. It's truly hard to imagine
anyone who wouldn't leave this show exclaiming, as we did, "What a party!"
In any case, I wouldn't want to hang around with them!
Watch for the CD, and if you have a chance, say "hell with the budget" and
buy tickets for this stage show. You won't regret it!
David A. Young
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 09:42:03 -0000
From: Billy G Spradlin
Subject: Re: Gary Lewis
Mikey:
> in fact he did a whole bunch of them for small labels, I
> think, one on Bell, also. They've never been compiled on CD
> because they weren't even close to being hits, altho some of
> the songs are quite nice.
I havent heard his post-Liberty recordings except for a 45 he cut
for Epic in 1974-5. Not bad but it's not as good as his mid-60's work.
I'm really a fan of the two 1967 albums "New Directions"
and "Listen!" that Koppelman and Rubin producted, they had no major
hits but they are far better than the 1-3 hits and covers albums
that Snuff Garrett produced. I hope to make a CD-R Transfer of both
albums, I just havent had time to do it.
> People forget that Gary Lewis had 10 top 40 hits and 15 chart
> records total, that's as good as many of the British Invasion bands,
> and better than most of them. Yet you never hear Gary's name mentioned
> among the 60s great acts, which is wrong. So he did bubblegum pop
> stuff, so what? Is that any less important than R&B? I guess the
> "critics" think so.
There is that stigma that also haunts so many 60's male solo artists
like Gene Pitney, Del Shannon, Lou Christie and Bryan Hyland. They
never seem to get much ink in rock history books except a for a brief
mention of thier most well known hits. 60's girl groups, British
Invasion and USA Garage Bands have gotten far more ink and LP/CD
reissues.
Gary wasn't the greatest singer - most of his hits have him double
or triple tracked, and Snuff Garrett has said that he used session
singers who would sing along with Gary's lead to "cover up" the
inadequacies of his voice. (sound familar?).
Billy
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 10:24:25 -0000
From: Billy G. Spradlin
Subject: Re: Gary Lewis' "Jill" 45
Jill was a great 45 - and "New In Town" was an excellent LP track
from "New Directions" that could have been a single. One of my
favorites from that LP is "Moonshine"...a big production with backing
vox from Leon himself (I think - could be someone else!).
> Somebody really needs to do a great 2 cd comp of these and other
> rarer and lost Gary Lewis and the Playboy 45's and album cuts, it's
> long overdue for this group, no more "Hits" comps are needed.
I agree, this would be a good project for Sundazed - though it might
shoot a hole in thier cred. (then again they released a 3 CD set on
the Trashmen!?) The guy needs a better comp than the crap that EMI
Special Products and Curb has released. The best CD was
EMI's "Ledgendary Masters Series" that came out in the late 80's and
I think its now outta print.
I just bought a skimpy Gary Lewis 3 CD set from CSC Music (20 bucks
at Sam's Club) that has the balls to call itself "36 All Time
greatest hits" when only 2 discs have the hits (each CD is around 30
Minutes!) and the 3rd CD is wasted on cover versions! A real rip-off,
companies like CSC Music give re-issues a bad name. The main reason I
bought it was to get the rare "Ice Melts in The Sun" and "Main
Street" (another excellent singe) and the remixed versions
from "Ledgendary Masters" without the count-in intros.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 12:00:32 +0200
From: Jean-Emmanuel Dubois
Subject: Re: Elvis Costello
Dear Spectropoppers-
Fans of Elvis Cotello might be interested to know that i have done
an interview (& great photo) for the international extremely classy
& glossy mag: Citizen K International - Summer issue - (it's a
bilingual magazine for English & French speaking audiences).
People running web pages about Elvis Costello can ask me for a copy
of it to put on line - Voila!
Best :-)
Jean-Emmanuel
www.euro-visions.net
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 15
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 08:22:27 -0400
From: Joseph Panzarella
Subject: Re: Shelley and Paul and TV Land
I remember Shelley singing "Johnny Angel" on The Donna Reed too,
and I also think it was at a school funtion too...as a kid I had
the biggest crush on Shelley. Just last night I was watching the
SciFi channel, Shelley was on an episode of "The Twilight Zone"
called "Black Leather Jackets", it was about 3 motorcycle riding
aliens sent here to destroy earth...as I recall Shelley did a
couple of movies with Elvis too, but I'm not too sure if she sang
in them though.
Joe Panzarella
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 16
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 09:07:54 -0400
From: radiopro
Subject: Re: Canadian Girl Groups
Re Girl Groups. Likely the best known of all girl groups in Canada
were The Girlfriends, later known as The Willows (or was it the
other way round), who were the trio featured coast to coast on
Music Hop out of Toronto. All went on to relatively successful
careers including one who was the featured vocalist at Deerhurst
in the days just before Shania Twain took over there, while another
(perhaps the same one) was a member of the original Dr. Music lineup.
Being late at night, I'm stumped regarding their individual names,
but I'm sure they'll come back to me tomorrow.
Also, the Vernon's Girls referred to as a Canuck girl group were
actually British, and were played on CHUM when virtually anything
released here by an English band would get airplay.
Another act not mentioned, largely because they were two and two
(girls and boys) was the Sugar Shoppe who may have thought they were
the Canadian Mamas and Papas but were, in fact, unconsciously
supplying a template for ABBA, although it's doubtful their music
made it as far as Sweden. The guys, by the way, were Peter Mann,
later well known as one of the top vocal arrangers in the business
for such as The Laurie Bower Singers, and a pretty fair producer,
too, for The Nylons; and Tony Award winner Victor Garber, who has
the good habit of showing up in blockbuster movies like Titanic.
Also missing from mention, but never from my memory, are such as
Patti Hervey and, though she had nothing that I know of in the way
of hits, Joyce Hahn, whose weekly appearances on Cross Canada Hit
Parade likely inspired a few others to give it a go. Susan
Pesklevits made quite a few appearances on Vancouver's Let's Go,
perhaps before it went national, but later, of course, became better
known as Susan Jacks.
Greg Simpson
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 17
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 14:56:36 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: SHIRLEY MATTHEWS / THE CAROLS
> Does anyone know if Private Property is available on CD? A
> friend of mine's been looking for it for years.
Hi,
Yes, "Private Property" by Shirley Matthews & the Big Town Girls is
available on the CD "Where The Girls Are - Volume 4", Ace CDCHD
802. Click below to view the front cover/tracklist and/or purchase:
http://216.15.202.119/cgi-bin/SearchCatNo.asp?intSite=1&lngID=162890
And talking of Canadian girl groups...
Re: The Carols / Carolls / Carrolls / Carolines.
I've given up trying to work out if these are all the same group
or not. Now I learn that there is a Canadian group to consider
too! :-(
Hopefully Ian can sort it out for us. And to assist him in this
endeavour I am about to email him a recent article from a local rag
about the St. Albans-based sister act. Two of the trio were twins.
There, that's got you interested, Ian! :-) Who caught them on Stars
In Their Eyes?
(In unison), "Tonight, Matthew, we're gonna be the Beverley Sisters!".
MICK PATRICK
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 18
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 08:04:37 -0500
From: Jack Madani
Subject: Spectropop TV correction and update
> There's also the Donna Reed show, but I don't think Shelley
> Fabares or Paul Petersen ever sang on the show.
>
>Yes, they did.
Well! :-D It's certainly nice to come back to the list and make
a big honkin' error in my first post!
I guess what I *meant* was "I don't KNOW if" Shelley or Paul ever
sang on the show; I confess, I never watched Donna Reed, Father
Knows Best, or Ozzie & Harriet with the same manic intensity that
I did the Patty Duke Show, Gidget, and Leave It To Beaver. Anyhow,
thanks to all who replied that there are indeed musical episodes of
the Donna Reed show.
TVLand has a site that lets you see two weeks' worth of upcoming
episodes of their various shows. I perused the Donna Reed listings
but didn't find anything that sounded like a musical interlude might
be upcoming. More alert Donnaficionados may want to check for
themselves, so as not to have to rely on my faulty judgment:
http://www.tvland.com/schedule/TVL_show.jhtml
Meanwhile, there seem to be a couple of noteworthy Batman's in the
offing:
Jun 6 2002 7:00PM 063 - The Cat's Meow Part 1: Fiendish feline
Catwoman plots to steal the voices of Brit-pop sensations Chad and
Jeremy with the tricky Voice-Eraser she made in prison.
Jun 13 2002 7:00PM 074 - That Darn Catwoman Part 1: After
delivering a stirring speech at Aaron Burr High School graduation,
Robin is waylaid by Pussy-cat, who works for Catwoman.
jack
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 19
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 13:19:39 -0000
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Male Nicht Den Teufel An Die Wand
Can anyone verify whether Peggy March's "Male Nicht Den Teufel An Die
Wand," the German version of her own incredible "This Heart
Wasn't Made To Kick Around" (the German title apparently translates
to "Don't Paint a Portrait of the Devil on the Wall") really is, as a
comment on an old BSN chatpage claims, "lyrically and musically
better heard in its German origin"? Not speaking German, I'm not yet
convinced that that distinction would really be all that clear to me.
--Phil Milstein
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 20
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 08:06:34 -0700
From: Ken Levine
Subject: Re: Shelley Fabares
Shelley has had a lot of health problems over the last several
years but I saw her recently and she looked pretty fit. She was
wearing her hair in sort of a punk/spiked type do that was a
little off-putting. Not sure Donna Stone would approve. But she's
doing great.
Ken
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 21
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 16:32:25 +0000
From: Beatle Bob
Subject: Re: TV Land
Hey Al,
Continuing with the Batman TV series, be sure to catch Paul Revere
& The Raiders playing at a politcal fund raiser for the Penquin.
Also be sure to point you're orbs for a musical appearance by
legendary 60s-garage greats, The Standells, on an episode of The
Munsters.
And to fill you're hip-chick quotient, dig Jackie DeShannon's cameo
appearance at the beginning of an episode of the classic secret
agent-sci-fi-western; The Wild Wild West. Jackie appears in a
skin-tight show-girl outfit trying to help James West dechiper a
secret code from a piece of sheet music.
Beatle Bob
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 22
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 13:58:46 -0400
From: Patrick Rands
Subject: Re: Shelley Fabares
Here's a Shelley Fabares Tribute page, with, as far as I know
the most complete discography - still in the works I see
http://www.geocities.com/shelleyfabares/
:Patrick
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 23
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 18:34:23 -0000
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Flower children turned movie actors
Yep, Victor Garber sure did sing with The Sugar Shoppe, a delightful
6Ts relic on Capitol including PRIVILEGE from the incredible Peter
Watkins flick, which is another relic. I think Terry and Susan Jacks
and The Poppy Family are somewhat more like ABBA and that, as was
mentioned, the Shoppe lean more toward a Mamas and Papas-type sound.
They do a marvelous job with Bobbie Gentry's "Papa Won't you Let Me
Go To Town With You?" in that same vein.
Another late sixties musician who apparently went Hollywood in the
70s is Cliff DeYoung, who played with Clear Light, as many of you
know. We've covered music from BEDAZZLED - Clear Light performs "She's
Ready To Be Free" in a mind-boggling and rather amusing acid-trip
scene in the James Coburn 1968 comedy, The President's Analyst.
Bobster
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 24
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 19:47:26 -0000
From: Phil Chapman
Subject: Re: Lovely Ronnie and "You"
Spector Collector wrote:
> I'm glad to hear that, with the Apple set, writer credits have
> appeared for "Lovely La-De-Day"; it's not credited on "Harri-
> Spector". Is it another Spector/Wine/Levine number a la "I Loved
> Him Like I Love My Very Life", which she also recorded?
Good to see you back, David (and Jack). "LLDD" sounds like from the
same sessions, but I don't think she's as comfortable on "I Loved
Him...."
> I discovered the Chiffons track "Love Me Like You're Gonna Lose Me"
> sometime after I'd heard the rumor that Ronnie had recorded a song
> called "Lovely La-De-Day".........constitute the background chorus
> of "Love Me..", so for a long time I assumed that the rumor got
> started because Toni Wine, who sings lead on the Chiffons cut....
As I've said previously, this is probably my all-time favourite
Chiffons track. A beautiful melody, counter melody and backing vocals
(three tunes in one!). I've always thought the lead vocal was shared
bewteen Judy and Sylvia, as per John Clemente's book, but perhaps
there's another version around? The label credits production to
Levine & Wine, arrangement to John Abbott (the great Rep' & Delrons
guy) and "vocal arrangements by Toni Wine". At the time, there was
another rumour that the Ronettes were on backing vocals, which I like
to believe, as it was recorded around the time the Phil was writing
with Irwin & Toni ("You Came You Saw...", "Black Pearl" etc...)
> her recording of the Harrisong "When Every Song Is Sung (I'll Still
> Love You)" would surface!
This is new to me, further info??
Do you know any more about the 'Ronettes' track "Lovers" which came
out on the Rare Masters album? The writer credits are "unknown", but
I assume it's another Spector/Wine/Levine tune - it has the 'sound'
of "Black Pearl", but unfinished.
Phil
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 25
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 17:54:11 +0000
From: Don Charles
Subject: Review of Tony Award-Winning Broadway Musical "Millie"
http://nytheatre.com
review by Martin Denton · April 23, 2002
Thoroughly Modern Millie is the happiest show in town — a warm and adorable
musical comedy brimming with charming songs, snappy dances, talented
performers, and energy to spare. I honestly can't remember the last time an
original Broadway musical was created with so much sincerity and so much
heart: Millie is a show that leaves you utterly glowing with good feeling.
It's the musical we've been waiting for all season. I can't wait to see it
again.
The story goes like this: Millie Dillmount has arrived in New York City from
a small town in Kansas determined to become, well, thoroughly modern. To
her, this means bobbing her hair, wearing shirt skirts, drinking illegal
booze, and—most important—marrying her boss, the richer the better. She
takes up residence at the Hotel Priscilla, most of whose inhabitants are
young wannabe actresses, and the proprietress of which is the rather
remarkable Mrs. Meers, who wears kimonos and speaks with a thick Japanese
accent. There's clearly something fishy about her, and it turns out that
she's involved in a white slavery ring, assisted by Chinese immigrants Ching
Ho and Bun Foo, who ostensibly work in the laundry room.
Millie, who is a crackerjack stenographer, quickly lands a job at the
Sincere Trust Insurance Company, working for movie-star handsome (and
wealthy) Trevor Graydon III. She sets her sights on him, of course, but
she's distracted by the much more approachable Jimmy Smith, who was the
first New Yorker she (literally) bumped into when she first arrived in town.
Meanwhile, Millie's pal, the prim but well-heeled Miss Dorothy Brown, seems
to be involved somehow with Jimmy as well; and did I mention, too, that
she's Mrs. Meers' prime candidate for the white slavers because she's an
orphan, and therefore won't be missed when she's kidnapped. And, oh yes,
there's Muzzy Van Hossmere, the stunning (and ridiculously rich) singing
star who for some reason is a friend of Jimmy's and quickly becomes
Millie's too.
Dick Scanlan's intricate plotting packs in plenty of absurd detail and gives
all these lovable (though outlandish) characters plenty to do. (He even
manages to sneak Dorothy Parker and George Gershwin into the thing.) It's an
extremely well-crafted book, bursting with wit and good humor and never
losing sight of the fact that Millie and Jimmy are going to wind up in a
clinch when the curtain goes down. They are, genuinely, a couple to root
for.
The score—most of it by Scanlan and composer Jeanine Tesori, with two songs
from the movie and a few standards from the 1920s interpolated for very good
reasons—is terrific. Highlights include "The Speed Test" (to a tune by Sir
Arthur Sullivan), in which Millie demonstrates her proficiency with
shorthand and typewriter and wins Trevor Graydon's, er, heart; "They Don't
Know", a very funny charm song for Mrs. Meers; "What Do I Need With Love?",
a delightful solo for Jimmy; "I Turned The Corner," a winning duet for Jimmy
and Millie; and the bona fide show-stopper "Forget About The Boy", delivered
with enormous brio by Millie and her fellow stenographers at the top of Act
Two.
Which brings me to the lively, savvy dances of choreographer Rob Ashford,
the best of which may be "Forget About The Boy". Ashford shines, also, with
the blissful soft shoe that accompanies "I Turned The Corner"; the brash
high spirited Charleston of "The Nuttycracker Suite", which features a step
that recalls the uninhibited young Joan Crawford in early flapper roles; and
the strikingly original tap-danced typing of "The Speed Test". Ashford's
work is fresh and inventive and lively and smart: the dances suit the
characters and genuinely advance the story.
Michael Mayer's direction is A-1, also; and the cast he's assembled here is
just swell. Sutton Foster is spot-on as Millie, a
not-quite-as-good-as-you-thought girl who nevertheless wins our hearts as
she learns that love, not money, is the key to true happiness. Gavin Creel
is her buoyant, appealing opposite as Jimmy. Angela Christian, an expert
dancer, is fine as Miss Dorothy. Ken Leung and Francis Jue are
ingratiatingly clueless as Mrs. Meers' hapless assistants. Sheryl Lee Ralph,
whose Deena Jones in Dreamgirls remains a treasured memory for this writer,
is a captivating, larger-than-life, radiant presence as the outsized Muzzy.
Stealing the show, though, are two supremely gifted comic actors. Harriet
Harris, who you will likely know best from TV as Frasier Crane's evil agent
Bebe Glazer, is delicious as Mrs. Meers, nailing punchline after punchline
with timing so precise that it could be used in the Olympics. And Marc
Kudisch, who actually looks something like Dudley Do-Right, makes the
square-jawed (and square) Trevor Graydon this season's most memorable comic
creation. This guy is so old-fashioned that he can only sing operetta: watch
Kudisch woo and croon foolishly but earnestly to the strains of a Victor
Herbert tune—he's hilarious.
Thoroughly Modern Millie is as pretty to look at as it is to listen to.
David Gallo's sets — and there are quite a few of them — are attractive and
elegant and inventive. Martin Pakledinaz's costumes are bright and colorful
and eye-popping (especially his creations for the glamorous Muzzy; see
photo). And Donald Holder's lighting bathes the show in a warm, luminous
glow that is eclipsed only by the beaming faces of audience members by the
time Millie reaches its happy conclusion.
So: see Thoroughly Modern Millie. It's a musical comedy that really is
musical and comical; a show where you leave happier than when you came in.
Who says musicals can't soar on gossamer wings anymore? Millie is the show
Broadway needs and audiences deserve. Head on over to the Marquis Theatre
and have a glorious time.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
End
Spectropop text contents © copyright 2002 Spectropop unless
stated otherwise.
All rights in and to the contents of these documents, including each element embodied therein, is subject to copyright
protection under international copyright law. Any use, reuse, reproduction and/or adaptation without written permission of the owners is a violation of copyright law and is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.