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Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: The Knack (U.S. 60s group)
From: Neil Hever
2. King Curtis & Mickey Baker
From: Kingsley Abbott
3. Re: Wayne Cochran's stature
From: Doug
4. Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
From: Neil Hever
5. The Knack
From: Mike Dugo
6. Re: The Knack (U.S. 60s group)
From: Phil Chapman
7. Re: MAIN WAYNES
From: james botticelli
8. Re: Quiz
From: Phil Chapman
9. Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
From: Dan Hughes
10. Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
From: Freya
11. Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
From: Phil Milstein
12. Mothers / Gold Star Acetate / Dean Courtney
From: Leonardo Flores
13. Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
From: Neil Hever
14. Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
From: Dan Hughes
15. Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
From: james botticelli
16. Re: Clear Channel and Randy Michaels
From: Dan Hughes
17. Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
From: Dave
18. Tight playlists
From: Thomas Taber
19. Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
From: James Botticelli
20. Re: The Knack (U.S. 60s group)
From: Jeffrey Glenn
21. Re: The not-so-elusive Malcolm Dodds
From: Jeffrey Glenn
22. Re: I'm just a DUMBHEAD!
From: Jeffrey Glenn
23. Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
From: Stephanie Campbell
24. Re: I'm just a DUMBHEAD!
From: Keiko Kondo
25. Re: Radio blows
From: Nick Archer
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 17:13:05 -0000
From: Neil Hever
Subject: Re: The Knack (U.S. 60s group)
Jeffrey Glenn wrote:
> Does someone know if this group - not to be confused with
> the U.K. group that recorded several singles from 1965-67
> - released any more records....
Jeff, I have the Knack single "Time waits for no one" and
it is very good. I have not seen a collection in the states
but a band this good must have something. I'll look through
my collection for more material.
Cheers,
Neil Hever
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 12:36:31 +0100
From: Kingsley Abbott
Subject: King Curtis & Mickey Baker
Rashkovsky's mention of King Curtis and Mickey 'Guitar'
Baker just now was quite a coincidence as I had just
finished writing a review for an album that features
both of them prominently - it is "More Rockin' On
Broadway" recently released on Ace CDCHD 853.
Their contributions really lift several of the tracks.
It comes from the Time/Brent/Shad/Warner labels.
The album covers the '58 - '61 period mainly, so may
be a tad early for some folks tastes, but it does rock!
Kingsley
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 14:01:13 -0000
From: Doug
Subject: Re: Wayne Cochran's stature
Norman wrote:
Re: Wayne Cochran
> Was he the same bloke who had a hit with "Last Kiss" (that
> song Pearl Jam covered recently) or is he someone else?
He did it first, but J. Frank Wilson had the hit with it.
Doug
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 16:42:01 -0000
From: Neil Hever
Subject: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
Hi Spectropoppers, I'm pretty new to the list. Some of you
may not be directly affected by this kind of thing if you
live outside the U.S. but I'm sure you can relate to the
subject: I'm very disgusted with the way commercial stations
select and play music. It is not unusual to encounter an
"oldies" station with a 300 song rotation. Astounding isn't it?
Three or four decades of fantastic music limited to 300 songs!
The choice of music is dictated no doubt by focus groups and
cockamamie research. It means hearing "Hanky panky" or "Cool
Jerk" over and over again. Arguably they are both entertaining
songs but potentially annoying when played to excess. Even
groups like The Beatles with a 7 year history (in the U.S.)
of hit records and albums are reduced to 8 or 9 tracks!
I don't expect oldies stations to play obscure things like
"Blue Jay Way" or "Mr. Moonlight" but couldn't they unclench
their butt cheeks long enough to program lesser know songs
from the Beatles catalogue?
Our collective memory of great music is being robbed by these
so-called oldies stations - a term that nauseates me by the way.
Fortunately, I work in public radio. Our station programmed a
salute to soul music this summer and I had an epiphany. One of
our hosts played The Edwin Hawkin's Singers "Oh, Happy Day", a
gorgeous pop/gospel track from 1969. I remembered it but was
still shocked to learn it was a top 10 song and a Grammy winner!
Why isn't it on the radio?
Best wishes,
Neil Hever
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 12:38:44 -0500
From: Mike Dugo
Subject: The Knack
Sorry, Jeff - I can't help you with the Knack's discography,
but I for one am interested in hearing the tracks.
Mike Dugo
60sgaragebands
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 18:41:25 -0000
From: Phil Chapman
Subject: Re: The Knack (U.S. 60s group)
Hi Jeff,
Spotted another Knack single from '67,
Capitol 5889 - Softly Softly/The Spell
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 14:47:36 -0400
From: james botticelli
Subject: Re: MAIN WAYNES
Mike Rashkow wrote:
> another white R&B talent was Billy
> Harner out of Philly.
who did an excellent and very early (about '71 or '72) Philly-
disco styled cover of chuck Jackson's "I Don't Wanna Cry"
toward the end of his solo career
--
Jimmy Botticelli
Taking The E-Z...Way Out!
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 19:21:00 -0000
From: Phil Chapman
Subject: Re: Quiz
Well, it's all quite exciting nowadays - Spectropop parties,
past and proposed, newly-discovered girlgroup acetates and an
entire Jack Nitzsche site. BUT...I like mysteries, and I'm
curious to know the answer to M. Anthony's quiz. We can't let
your prize go unclaimed. Can only think they were all covered
by the same artist? Give us a clue!
> what connects them all?
>
> Dry Your Eyes - Brenda & the Tabulations
> Lovin' Things - The Grass Roots
> Save The Last Dance For Me - The Drifters
> Where Do You Go? - Cher
> They Call My Guy A Tiger - Jody Miller
> A Well Respected Man - The Kinks
> Second Fiddle Girl - Barbara Lynn
> Can't Get Over (The Bossa Nova) - Eydie Gorme
> The Day The Rains Came Down - Jane Morgan
> Hello Mary Lou - Ricky Nelson
> Torture - Kris Jensen
> Snap Your Fingers - Joe Henderson
> Calendar Girl - Neil Sedaka
> Anyone Who Had A Heart - Dionne Warwick
> She's A Fool - Lesley Gore
> Foot Tapper - The Shadows
> Ya Ya - Lee Dorsey
> What Do You Want - Adam Faith
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 14:21:19 -0500
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
Hi Neil,
The sad truth is that commercial radio has to sell advertising to pay its
way, and advertisers buy ads on the stations with the most listeners.
If your town had two oldies stations--the one it has now (call it WAAA),
and another (WBBB) with a longer playlist as you suggest, then WAAA would
win the ratings war, and hence the advertising dollars, hands-down.
People who are really into music would love WBBB. Everybody else would
listen to WAAA. And unfortunately, our group--folks who know the music
well and love it tremendously--are a drop in the bucket. Advertisers
can't be bothered with such a tiny fringe.
It would be commercial suicide to follow your suggestion....
But you really knew that already, didn't you?
---Dan (General Manager of a college radio station)
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 20:19:58 -0000
From: Freya
Subject: Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
> The sad truth is that commercial radio has to sell advertising to
> pay its way, and advertisers buy ads on the stations with the most
> listeners.
There is a facinating interview with the head of clear channel out
there somewhere, in which he basically hints that commercial radio is
full of just rubbish himself. (Well you know you have to read between
the lines)
Clear Channel have a virtual monopoly on american radio. They are
also in some financial difficulty from all the debt they have
accumulated from the aquisition on all the radio stations. They feel
they can't take any chances and have to do whatever they can to get
the maximum revenue, so they play music that focus groups and stuff
like that dictate.
The head of clear channel was talking about how he would love to
start a commercial station that just played stuff like sinatra and
all that kind of stuff. I think he was going to call it Vegas Radio
or something I don't know, he had all this marketing worked out and
it was quite a commercial idea for a station, but in the current
market, even that was just unfeasable. I don't know it's a facinating
interview and it's somewhere out there on the internet! Go and find
it! ;)
Depressing stuff, although one amusing thing is that apparently the
major labels are complaining that they are now virtually having to
pay radio stations to play their records because of the dreadful
monopoly! Ah! You reap what you sow! :)
love
Freya
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 15:47:07 +0000
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
Dan Hughes wrote:
> People who are really into music would love WBBB.
> Everybody else would listen to WAAA.
Why do you suppose it is that the non-fanatic music-listening
public prefers such a limited rotation of songs?
--Phil Milstein
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Message: 12
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 20:40:22 -0000
From: Leonardo Flores
Subject: Mothers / Gold Star Acetate / Dean Courtney
Hello all,
Thanks everybody for the info on the Gold Star Chuck Barris Syndicate
Goldstar Acetate. It's really a great song and I hope to play it on
Musica soon, I'll keep you all informed when that happens.
Ray Collins Frank Zappa and the Mothers Answers:
When did Frank and Ray Meet? Ray says they met in 1961 in a bar in
Pomona. The bar had changed ownership and Zappa's band was going to
play and Ray met him that night. They started to write songs together
and Frank bought Sudio Z in Cucamonga. They had recorded a bunch of
different types of music including Doo Wop.
Get this, when Frank was arrested for his lewed tapes incident,
all of his reel to reel tapes, hundreds, were confiscated and were
never to be seen again, they were either destroyed or thrown out and
Ray says he hasn't see them since that incident. He says a lot of
great songs were recorded by them during that time.
Cruising with Ruban and the Jets: Ray doesn't know who wrote the
liner notes for the LP but he says it's safe to say it was Frank. if
you haven't read the liner notes for the LP, it's a very truthful
spoof of growing up Latino/LA DooWop music scene in Los Angeles
during the late 50's early 60's. Almost the same story my POP tells
about how it was, of course the dog names were different
Funny Ontario Porno Films (!): Ray says that Frank made a bunch of
Funny Porno Films in Ontario, go figure! Why he told me this info I
don't know, but maybe they had soundtracks or something. I guess once
a Mother always a Mother.
Dean Courtney @ the 45 Club:
Soul Artist Dean Courtney who recorded on RCA, MGM and Berkley
(check your John Manship Record Guide, Specropoppers he is listed..)
was a surprise guest at the 45 Club last month. My good friend Gabby,
who's a big Northern Soul DJ out here in LA, brought him over as a
special surprise guest for the club.
He even brought over his original RCA soul 45 and we had the
pleasure to spin the 45 on a packed floor for him. Afterwards we had a
late night dinner and talked to him at Canters Deli in Hollywood.
Truly a night I will never forget. We'll have photos on the 45 Club
Website soon http://www.the45club.com
Also thanks to all you Spectropoppers who came out for the CD
Cellarful Of Motown Univeral/Motwon Music contest, the first winner
was a Spectropop Club Member!
Cheers and God Bless,
Leonardo
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 21:34:00 -0000
From: Neil Hever
Subject: Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
Dan et al, I used to work in commercial radio so I am acutely
aware of how it operates. My argument is that the playlists
do not have to be as tight as they are. I think the focus
group and polling must be fundamentally flawed. When your
rotation gets down to 300 songs that is just pathetic. To
answer the question - why do people pick these songs - I would
say the answer lies in the polling. The polls are only looking
for something people immediately recognize. Your average
listener, given half a chance, might really enjoy hearing
"Tell Me Why" or "Things We Said Today" by the Beatles once
in awhile. Note I said given half the chance. They never get
that chance. That is my theory. Well, the day will come when
on demand web or satellite radio will penetrate the market and
these kinds of stations will suffer. It may be happening already.
Neil Hever
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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 16:34:40 -0500
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
Phil Milstein:
> Why do you suppose it is that the non-fanatic music-listening
> public prefers such a limited rotation of songs?
Because to them, music is background, not something to be studied,
compared, and analyzed, as we nuts enjoy doing.
The typical oldies listener wants to hear only songs he knows. And he
didn't listen much in the old days, so he only knows the songs that got
played to death when they were new. And that's what he wants to hear
now. Yucck.
---Dan
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 17:40:14 -0400
From: james botticelli
Subject: Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
Freya wrote:
> Clear Channel have a virtual monopoly on american radio.
> They are also in some financial difficulty from all the
> debt they have accumulated from the aquisition on all the
> radio stations. They feel they can't take any chances and
> have to do whatever they can to get the maximum revenue, so
> they play music that focus groups and stuff like that dictate.
I think its safe to say that Corporate America will soon reap
what it's sewn and the landscape will be cleared for new endeavors.
Then again there's Colorado Springs......
JB/half a cup is not enough
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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 16:45:52 -0500
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Re: Clear Channel and Randy Michaels
Ironically enough, the head of Clear Channel that gave that interview was
Randy Michaels, who just last month was fired from the job. (He was
reassigned to a technical job, believe it or not).
Michaels was a notorious program director at WLW in Cincinnati, and one
of his pranks is legendary (and got him arrested):
A rival station had a contest--a huge box was atop a downtown Cincinnati
office building, and listeners had to guess what was in the box. Clues
were given on the air, and on a particular morning the box would be
opened. Tremendous interest was developed in the promotion, and the
morning the box was opened, thousands of people were downtown to see what
would emerge.
What emerged, much to the surprise of the audience, and even more to the
surprise of the radio station, was the morning man from Michaels' WLW!
He had been helicoptered to the top of the building in the middle of the
night and ensconced himself in the box until the grand unveiling.
Station X had both the DJ and Michaels arrested.
Those were the days....
---Dan
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 18:41:38 EDT
From: Dave
Subject: Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
Neil Hever:
> I'm very disgusted with the way commercial stations select and
> play music. It is not unusual to encounter an "oldies"
> station with a 300 song rotation. Astounding isn't it? Three or
> four decades of fantastic music limited to 300 songs!
For some of these stations, 300 songs would be a vast improvement.
There's a "classic soul" station around here whose entire playlist
lasts about 4 hours (with commercials), then they repeat. Is it
really surprising that the Powers That Be have targeted internet
radio lately?
-dave
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Message: 18
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 15:44:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: Thomas Taber
Subject: Tight playlists
A personal pet peeve, and I believe that super tight
playlists are pure caca. Why not find the world's most
popular song and play it round the clock? Obviously
the best playlist is a number greater than one and
less than 5000, but my heart and my having gone
through hundreds of peoples' 45 collections brain
tells me the right number is probably around 2000.
A Toronto station that plays "oldies" (for want of a
better term) Friday and Saturday nights, AM 740 whose
signal must reach half of North America, mentioned
recently what their most requested song was - not from
Spectropop fanatic weirdos like us, but the listening
public - BABY SITTIN'BOOGIE, a song I haven't heard on
any oldies station in like forever! Kids love it
instantly, it's funny, it rocks its butt off, the
later German language version went top 10 in Chicago,
and no one plays the darn thing!
And you can't tell me that their aren't enough people
in the world with Spectropop-like tastes to support
something wild on one of the 100 or more pay-to-listen
satellite radio endeavors! "The Underground Garage"
show seems to be doing well, and it certainly isn't
catering to the lowest common denominator.
And hey, thank you folks who write in all the time for
making our lives more interesting!
Tom "Smells Like Camp Granada" Taber
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Message: 19
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 19:32:15 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
Previously:
> I'm very disgusted with the way commercial stations select and
> play music. It is not unusual to encounter an "oldies"
> station with a 300 song rotation. Astounding isn't it? Three or
> four decades of fantastic music limited to 300 songs!
a reply:
> For some of these stations, 300 songs would be a vast improvement.
> There's a "classic soul" station around here whose entire playlist
> lasts about 4 hours (with commercials), then they repeat. Is it
> really surprising that the Powers That Be have targeted internet
> radio lately?
We're quite fortunate in Boston to have WILD which is a classic soul format
that digs deeeep. They spent the 8T's and 9T's trying to keep up with all
the kiss and jamn type stations and finally returned to their roots in 2000.
(At age 50 they finally got the faith) They also have "the Time Tunnel" on
Saturday mornings from 8-12 where they play flipsides of followup hits and
such. Then they follow that with the "Time Tunnel Block Party" all Saturday
afternoon with DJ-mixed soul, funk and disco classics, dusties, and material
from the back of the 'vault'. Too good to be true. Its only drawback is that
its a 'daytimer'. But you can hear the pawn shop, shyster lawyer, and
generic nationwide AM commercials. All in all not a bad deal.
JB/used to work there and had to fight to program lesser known material
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Message: 20
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 16:34:27 -0700
From: Jeffrey Glenn
Subject: Re: The Knack (U.S. 60s group)
Phil:
> Spotted another Knack single from '67,
> Capitol 5889 - Softly Softly/The Spell
Hi Phil,
Damn! :-)
Guess I've got to keep looking (there's actually a copy on a Japanese web
site - a Toshiba/Japan copy - into which I'm checking).
And Freeman and Mike and others who want the titles I already have played to
musica, I'll do it as space allows as not to monopolize the files section.
:-)
But... if anyone can't wait they're already available on (cough, cough)
WinMX. ;-)
Again, thanks Phil for the additional info. This one sounds like a goody!
Neil Hever wrote:
> Jeff, I have the Knack single "Time waits for no one" and
> it is very good. I have not seen a collection in the states
> but a band this good must have something. I'll look through
> my collection for more material.
Neil, thanks for checking further. You've already no doubt seen that Phil
came up with another one.
And you're dead right about "Time Waits For No One" too - a true collector's
classic. And "I'm Aware" on the flip is pretty cool too!
Jeff
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Message: 21
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 16:35:49 -0700
From: Jeffrey Glenn
Subject: Re: The not-so-elusive Malcolm Dodds
Paul, thanks for the info on Malcolm Dodds - I knew there had to be
something out there. "Look For The Union Label" rocks! :-)
Jeff
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 22
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 16:45:21 -0700
From: Jeffrey Glenn
Subject: Re: I'm just a DUMBHEAD!
> PS: I agree, it's a great record. You should hear Ginny's
> Japanese-language version!
Mick, could you play this to musica? This must sound positively surreal!
:-)
Jeff
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 23
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 21:36:00 -0700
From: Stephanie Campbell
Subject: Re: Commercial radio - robbing our collective memory?
I hear people all the time wondering why they dont hear things like
Morning Girl - Neon Philharmonic
Whos in the Strawberry Patch with Sally - Tony Orlando and Dawn
Automatically Sunshine - Supremes
Put your Hands Together - OJays
Tommy Roe - Stagger Lee
Ray Stevens - Unwind and Mr Businessman
and countless other records that charted in the top 30!!
Its a shame I see people whose faces lite up if a record comes on that they
have not heard in 20 years and its time for those days to come back,
If they had left things the way they were they wouldnt be in this big mess.
Its time for independents to come back and bring back the old music
Steph
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Message: 24
Date: Fri, 06 Sep 2002 02:06:27 -0000
From: Keiko Kondo
Subject: Re: I'm just a DUMBHEAD!
> PS: I agree, it's a great record. You should hear Ginny's
> Japanese-language version!
>
> Mick, could you play this to musica? This must sound positively
> surreal! :-)
Hi Mick, I want to hear this tooooooooo Please.;-)
KK
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Message: 25
Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 21:14:02 -0500
From: Nick Archer
Subject: Re: Radio blows
I worked for a Lee Abrams programmed station in the late 70's. Each of his
250 consulted stations across the country played exactly the same songs each
week. When I asked why we had to quit playing some old Creedence songs, they
told me with a straight face that they had distributed over 900,000 survey
cards in airports the previous year, and that people remembered Proud Mary
but not Green River. Of course this is the same Lee Abrams who is now head
of programming for XM satellite radio.
The problem is that the money people control the creative people. They don't
want to do ANYTHING that might lose a listener, so they keep the experience
safe and in a box.
I've also worked at stations that did it right. More on that tomorrow.
Nick Archer
Check out Nashville's classic SM95 on the web at
www.live365.com/stations/289419 . One that did it right.
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End
