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Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
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There are 9 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Roger Nichols covers
From: Bill Reed
2. Re: Roger Nichols songs
From: Patrick Rands
3. Re: Motown
From: Mikey
4. Re: Roger Nichols songs
From: Mark Frumento
5. Re: Canadian G
From: Vlaovic B
6. Re: Roger Nichols songs
From: Bob Rashkow
7. Re: Chiffons LMLYGLM
From: Will Stos
8. Margo Guryan, CHUM, Gary Lewis and singles artists
From: Paul Payton
9. Ronnie does George
From: Spector Collector
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 17:45:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: Bill Reed
Subject: Roger Nichols covers
laughingmood:
> I'm trying to compile a list of songs written by Roger Nichols
> that were recorded by other artists other than himself and
> Paul Williams. Here is what I can think of so far:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I think that there is a track by First Edition. Don't
know why I know that. . .just do.
bill reed
http://communities.msn.com/NickDecaro
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 20:48:25 -0400
From: Patrick Rands
Subject: Re: Roger Nichols songs
The Four King Cousins did two Williams-Nichols tunes on the
Introducing... album......
I Fell, Love So Fine
:Patrick
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 20:33:55 -0400
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: Motown
simon white:
> While I'm thinking of it, Spectrum are releasing this week a
> double album of obscure and unreleased Motown tracks. Theres a
> great Marvelettes track called "Poor Little Rich Girl' and the
> BEST Lewis Sisters track I ever heard! It really is an essential
> purchase! Honest!
Hmmm...Now, I wonder if "Poor Little Rich Girl" is the Steve Lawrence
song? Steves version is fabulous, but has never been released on CD.
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 20:52:10 -0400
From: Mark Frumento
Subject: Re: Roger Nichols songs
laughingmood:
> I'm trying to compile a list of songs written by Roger Nichols that
> were recorded by other artists other than himself and Paul Williams.
Oh my, I think you are a brave person and I'd love to see the finished
list! I can add:
The Montanas - Let's Ride (though the song writers are listed as "unknown"
on the CD????)
Check out Jeff Glenn's Lost Jukebox track list in the files section of
the Spectropop Yahoo group home page. I think you'll find more there.
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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 21:11:12 -0400
From: Vlaovic B
Subject: Re: Canadian G
Vincent:
> Toulouse's track "On A Rien" ...was also covered by LA based
> female act, Saint Tropez,
> I remember a female trio called Peaches as well, given out by
> Radio Shack of all people..
> I had remixed Patsy's From NY to LA about seven years ago, it
> became a club hit in Australia after that...
> Perhaps one of the experts on this site can also advise if
> Touche, a Vancouver act that had a mild hit with "Take A Look
> But Don't Touch", was all female
So many questions I can answer, or at least give some insight....First off
'The Peaches'. Dreadful...3 blonde girls who were best known for singing
back-up on CTVs Bobby Vinton show circa 1976. Yes I recall a Radio Shack
give-away single. I probably shouldn't say dreadful, I just remember the
Bobby Vinton show too well.
Touche....'Take A Look...' sounded so close to Toulouse there couldve been a
lawsuit. I didn't know they were from Vancouver, I just assumed Montreal.
They were in fact 3 ladies, and they were (I believe) the back up singers on
Patsy Gallant's CTV television show, circa 1978. 'Take a Look' had a
fantastic break in the middle with just a sly, sensuous rhythm headed by
some latin drums.....
As for Toulouse, they recorded in both French and English. I have seen a CD
of their French music, and in fact own a copy of 'the Best of' on CD. It's
basically a reissue of their 1977 'Export' vinyl LP, with some instrumental
versions of 'What would Your Mama Say' (a ringer for Dusty Springfield!) and
'It always Happens this Way' (their biggest English hit, to 30 in 1977). In
addition they had a real great disco novelty called 'APB' which should, but
wasn't (a hit that is).
And as for Patsy Gallant, she's still a name around Montreal I understand,
but in the rest of the country hasn't had much of a profile since 1979
following the death of Montreal disco music. Still I know 'From NY to LA'
was a top ten hit in much of the world except the USA. Kinda cool, kinda
camp (well very actually) and the story of a pop/disco song celebrating US
celebrity while actually being orignally written as a Quebecoise Separatist
anthem must have hit many Canadian Francophones as just tragic. BTW I only
know of two Montreal disco tracks that became bona-fide hits in the states
(if any Americans are looking for reference points): France Joli's "Come to
Me" and Gino Soccio's "Dancer". The latter I wouldn't be surprised to find
had vocals supplied by none other than Toulouse.
It may come of interest to non-Canadians that while there may have not been
much Girl Group music produced in Canada during the 60s, during the mid 70s
a lot of Canadian pop music mined the Girl Group era for a number of
singles....(and I'm asking Canadians to remember...)
Suzanne Steven - Make Me Your Baby
Patricia Dalquist - Nothing But Heartaches
and Charity Brown, with a whole clutch of singles which were very good
covers of GGhits
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 01:29:37 -0000
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: Roger Nichols songs
laughingmood wrote:
> I'm trying to compile a list of songs written by Roger Nichols
> that were recorded by other artists other than himself and Paul
> Williams.
Don't forget one of Three Dog Night's loveliest hits--"Out In The
Country". How appropriate--that's exactly where I'm heading--!!!
Bobster
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 02:11:29 -0000
From: Will Stos
Subject: Re: Chiffons LMLYGLM
Mark Frumento wrote:
> I really love LMLYGLM but, for me "Tonight I'm Gonna Dream" is
> still the Chiffons' masterpiece. Perhaps I'm a bit overly
> sentimental for that 60s sound?
One of my favs too! I think the one song from the group I don't have
(well, any songs that have been released anyway) would be "So In
Love" on Buddah in 1971. I've searched everywhere for it but to no
avail. Seeing how it's so obscure, I doubt it would have found it's
way onto cd, so I'm still searching for the 45. Has anyone heard
this? Is it a decent cover of the Tymes' hit?
Will
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 00:58:58 -0400
From: Paul Payton
Subject: Margo Guryan, CHUM, Gary Lewis and singles artists
Just got the Margo Guryan album on Franklin Castle; "Sun" leaps out at me -
the CD player goes on repeat for that one. Not everything is great, but it's
certainly ambitious and appreciated, and there are more great tracks. It's
as though Priscilla Paris was a soprano singing over a Merseybeat track that
went to college! Well worth the investment; I feel as though I'm late to the
party on this one. (And thanks, Ken Levine, for the covers list.)
Vlaovic: sorry to hear of the loss of the CHUM website. They were one of the
great powerhouses of rock radio; a good friend from college, Don Berns,
worked there for several years and was duly proud of the affiliation. (I
believe he ultimately migrated to CHUM-FM, and is currently in Pittsburgh,
PA.)
Mikey writes:
> 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.
It isn't about R&B, I think, but rather about "serious" music. (Although
when I listen to some of the "serious" stuff now, its amazing how much of it
sounds pompous and overblown.) Sadly, quality pop artists like Lewis, Tommy
Roe, Billy Joe Royal and other high-grade singles acts are unduly lumped
with the true fluff of the era, thus they are forgotten. I don't know your
age, Mikey, but as one who lived through the times (and perpetrated and
perpetuated some of the attitudes on the radio), from the advent of "album
only" groups in the mid-60's certainly into the DIY era of the 80's, there
was a definitive chasm between "singles" listeners and "album" listeners,
which was bridged in some circles at one's own peril. As a progressive rock
jock, I used to take a lot of heat because I also loved my 45's. Most rock
writers were on the album side; not an inconsiderable number were also
"hipper than thou" - just ask 'em. Spectropop does a lot to redeem those of
us who appreciate the single recorded performance whether on a 45, LP cut,
or CD (and the writers on this list who cover them).
Still catching up,
Country Paul
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 06 Jun 2002 05:37:34 +0000
From: Spector Collector
Subject: Ronnie does George
When I mentioned Ronnie Spector's unreleased Apple recording of "When Every
Song Is Sung," Phil Chapman asked for more information. By way of answer
(and context), I quote from Kristofer Engelhardt's 1998 book "Beatles
Undercover":
"When Phil Spector became the new (unofficial) A&R man at Apple Records, it
allowed him to re-release his legendary Philles Christmas album, and to
re-launch his wife Ronnie's career. According to Ronnie, Phil was hired at
Apple on the condition that he allow Ronnie to sign with the label. The idea
was for Phil and George Harrison to write and produce an album's worth of
material for Ronnie. The recordings resulted in only one record release, the
single 'Try Some, Buy Some'/'Tandoori Chicken.' A version of the B-side,
with Phil on lead vocals, was also recorded, but remains unreleased.
"At least three other as-yet-unreleased Ronnie Spector songs were also
recorded - 'You,' 'Lovely La-De-Day' (a k a 'Loverly Laddy Day') and 'I Love
Him Like I Love My Very Life.' (The first release of this song was under the
title 'I Loved You Like I Love My Very Life' by Carla Thomas in September
1970. Phil produced a version of the song for Darlene Love a few years
later, under the title 'I Loved Him Like I Love My Very Life.') Ten slightly
different takes of 'I Love Him Like I Love My Very Life' exist on two 12"
one-sided Apple acetates that feature Harrison's distinctive slide guitar.
Ronnie reportedly also attempted Harrison's composition 'I'll Still Love
You' (originally titled 'When Every Song Is Sung'). ('I'll Still Love You'
was also attempted by Leon Russell and by Cilla Black. The song was
eventually released by Ringo on his album 'Rotogravure.') There is also a
possibility that Ringo may have contributed to some of Ronnie's recording
sessions for Apple Records as well. In all likelihood, Harrison also helped
Phil with the production of these songs. The plans for an album were
abandoned because Ronnie was uncomfortable with the style and direction the
recordings were taking. These recordings have yet to see the light of day,
except on rare Apple Records acetates. The Apple acetates (RS 1 & 2) of
'You' are backing tracks minus vocals. Several years later, Harrison
released 'Try Some, Buy Some' and 'You,' removing Ronnie's vocal track and
substituting his voice, and adding a few instrumental overdubs to the
original backing tracks as well."
As I mentioned before, volume five of the Complete Apple Singles collection
contains a version of "You" credited to Ronnie, but since it's so expensive,
I'm hoping someone will let us know whether it's the backing track described
here and included on the disc "The Harri-Spector Show" or the original vocal
take.
It was interesting to hear Phil Chapman say that Ronnie "sounded more
comfortable" on "Lovely La-De-Day" than on "I Love Him Like I Love My Very
Life" in light of Engelhardt's explanation of why her Apple album project
fell apart.
And add Mr. Spector's version of "Tandoori Chicken" to the list of things
I'd love to hear, along with Ms. Spector's "When Every Song Is Sung"!
David A. Young
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