Spectropop - Digest Number 611

• From: Spectropop Group
• Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2002

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                        Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
                  http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
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There are 7 messages in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

      1. Bits and pieces....
           From: Country Paul 
      2. Re: Batman/Sun Ra
           From: Richard Williams 
      3. Re: Sun Ra
           From: Louise Posnick 
      4. Re: Sun Ra
           From: Louise Posnick 
      5. RE: Lou Reed/ SunRa etc
           From: Louise Posnick 
      6. Re: Sun Ra to the Batmobile!
           From: Billy Spradlin 
      7. Nino & April & Teacho.
           From: Ken Silverwood 


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Message: 1
   Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 01:23:11 -0400
   From: Country Paul 
Subject: Bits and pieces....

Two weeks of catch-up begin here.....

Jason Tinkey, "Another Time" is the song by Sagittarius, 
thus explaining the Curt Boettcher credit. Agree with Bobster: 
one of the most beautiful records of the '60s - heck, EVER! 

Re: "new" 60's feeling - I'll mention Alice Bierhorst's 
CD "Oxygen" again - several songs have a strong girl group/
soft psych vibe to them. It's available only from 
http://www.cdbaby.com as far as I know. She has a new one
coming next month; reports when I hear it. Also, Ivy's last 
album, "Long Distance," had the exquisite Carpenters-wish-
they'd-done-this "Edge of the Ocean" which is pure girl-group/
soft psych. (They say it went Top 40 in the UK!) And on the 
same subject, Patrick Rands, thank you for the new Ivy album
notice. I also see on their site http://thebandivy.com/news 
that Fountains of Wayne have resurrected themselves and are 
recording again. IMHO, anyone not yet familiar with their album 
"Utopia" should run right out and get it; while not pure to 
the sound of this group, I think it would nonetheless appeal 
greatly.

I've noticed a recent undercurrent of mild backlash against 
"whisper" singers. Who are we dunning? The Teddy Bears? The 
Spectors Three? The Paris Sisters? The Innocents, with and 
without Kathy Young? Julee Cruise (another '60s feeling artist 
from the early '90s I should have mentioned above - with a 
David Lynchian edge, of course)? I came to Spectropop due in
significant part to that soft sound, and frankly, while I like 
many girl group records, sometimes some of the belting in the 
soprano range really grates on me. (The Toys, for example, 
but that's my personal taste.) Ah, well, chacun a son gout.

...Which reminds me, until she started having US hits, I 
thought Petula Clark was actually French but with an English 
surname, like Cindy Ellis, who hit with the German 
"Do You Think of Me" on Laurie in 1959-60. Is anyone else 
familiar with the Cindy Ellis record? Did she do anything else? 
Was there an album? I may have asked this before, but there are 
more European correspondents here now; maybe you can help. I 
think I hear the production and arranging of Bert Kaempfert 
on the track, too. Can anyone confirm?

Moepop: a while back I concluded that Paul Schafer must be 
one of the great record collectors of all time. He had a "solo" 
LP on Capitol a while back, and while the name escapes me, 
there was one great track with lots of New York 50s and 60s 
artists on it that just rocked out. I especially remember
Dion scatting on it.

Javed, JB, Phil M and Neil H, thanks for your comments 
re: radio. Fragmentation of the audience has always been part 
of radio, but in this round, the fragments are smaller and 
smaller, in my opinion. The Clear Channel bottom-line 
mentality eventually catches up with an organization, and 
formats change as reactions set in to react to reactions.

Javed, nice to hear CHUM 1050 is back. By the way, Toronto is 
where I heard and bought the Esquires' "So Many Other Boys" 
(Capitol of Canada, 1965). To my knowledge it never made it 
to an album. I can't effectively download music, but I crave 
the original recording in any format if you or anyone has one 
(without going into hock for it, of course). I know that 
out-of-print Canadian 45s are rare as hen's teeth.

Re; all-girl groups, harder than what we're talking about 
here, Fanny has a very limited edition 4-CD box set just out 
on Rhino Handmade. And my favorite all-girl group is the 
amazing Roche sisters. Folky, pop, classical, political 
sometimes, and not just a little girl-group in them. Check 
"Losing True" from one of their mid '80s albums (title escapes 
me) which has a 60s aura contrasted with Robert Fripp's guitar. 
Phil Spector would have made it a hit. (By the way, that 
Frippish guitar sound haunts the new Moby track, "We Are All 
Made of Stars," which is rather retro itself, but not quite to
the 60s....)

Doc Rock, re: Buzz Clifford - what label is the LP on? 
Columbia or Dot?

Too tired to continue; more soon.

Country Paul





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Message: 2
   Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 12:22:50 +0100
   From: Richard Williams 
Subject: Re: Batman/Sun Ra


Sadly, I've never heard the Batman album. But I know that 
Pat Patrick, listed as "bass" in the personnel, usually 
played baritone saxophone with Ra's various arkestras. They 
tended to swap instruments -- John Gilmore, one of the best
tenor saxophonists of his generation, and a big influence on 
John Coltrane, was also a terrific drummer -- but I don't 
remember Patrick playing anything other than reeds.

Richard Williams





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Message: 3
   Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 09:38:28 -0400
   From: Louise Posnick 
Subject: Re: Sun Ra

Phil Milstein wrote:
> I don't wish to contradict a fabulous Lovelite, 
> particularly one who has touched the hem of the garment of 
> the great Ra! But ...the fact of Ra's involvement on the 
> Tifton fake Batman soundtrack session has been confirmed 
> several times over by all of the world's finest Sun Ra 
> archivists. I'm not sure what documentation or personal 
> testimony they used to verify this information, but if 
> they're convinced, I'm convinced. Ra's connection to the 
> world of schlock music was via his former producer Tom Wilson 
> (himself an otherworldly cat), who had been contracted to 
> pull together a combo and produce the session.

Hi,

Was it Sun Ra or some members of his Arkestra? They did do 
many other types of recordings in order to make a living...
Sunny kept them on allowances from performances....if it was 
Sun Ra, playing on this, what year was this recording made?  

And you can disagree with me any time....I have memories that
can be challenged and should be....

Thanks, 

Louise



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Message: 4
   Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 09:49:28 -0400
   From: Louise Posnick 
Subject: Re: Sun Ra

Bryan wrote re: the "fake Batman soundtrack session":
> I used to have this album as a kid..... the studio 
> musicians that were put together featured members of 
> Sun Ra's group and the Blues Project. Here's the lineup:
> Pat Patrick  - Bass  
> Sun Ra  (Sonny Blount) - Hammond Organ
> Marshall Allen  - Alto Sax  
> Roy Blumenfeld  - Drums  
> Danny Kalb  - Lead Guitar  
> Steve Katz  - Guitar  
> Andy Kulberg - Bass  
> Al Kooper - Organ  
> John Gilmore - Sax (Tenor)

Thank you Bryan, and I stand corrected about Sunny not doing 
this kind of thing...all I can say is that he may not have 
practised what he preached, at least on this occasion. I knew 
that Pat would often go off to do other things, Marshall and 
John rarely did....the band lived in Marshall's house (father's 
house) in Philly and some came, some went, and some stayed...
the core group is on your lineup: Pat, Marshall, John, and Sunny
..then there was Jack Jackson, Nimrod, Lex Humphries, and his 
female singer whose name escapes me...if Sunny said he was going 
to do this type of recording all others would follow, but some 
would do other work without his ok or knowledge....

Thanks, 
Louise




  




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Message: 5
   Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 10:13:18 -0400
   From: Louise Posnick 
Subject: RE: Lou Reed/ SunRa etc

dixigas said:
> Well the Batman record is from 66 and was as far as I know 
> a (famous) Tom Wilson production..and more of a spoof fun 
> session! It is somewhat of a known fact on the internet that 
> this is Sun Ra on the sessions..and it is a real cool album...
> Batman main theme being the only regular tune heheheh!! 
> Wild swirling organs and guitars otherwise!!!.....

Chris....
I see that this is legit...if you lived in SunRa's world, 
even on the periphery as did I, you would understand my 
surprise..I met him in 1969 - his musicians were preached to 
all the time about NOT selling out for money or commercial fame
...the word SPOOF would have been forbidden in his creating
of music...and many of his musicians lived a poverty sticken 
lifestyle because of Sunny's beliefs.....it was culty in a way 
for some of them...they all died poor and in many ways unknown
...they were marvelous musicians, especially John Gilmore...and 
Clifford suffered greatly trying to please Sunny and his 
ideology...I can tell you that if Clifford had gone off for 10 
minutes and recorded material on such an album, although 
probably terrific,he would have been chastised by Sunny for 
selling out to earthly undertakings...the Velvet Underground/
Dan and Dale would have never been mentioned in Sunny's 
presence, believe me - even if good musicians...so Sunny took 
his most faithful posse on this ride with no one else knowing...
these are my reasons for being so shocked....SunRa always had 
an all black orchestra...and did not play in PUBLIC with white 
musicians as he believed they were earthly beings and had no 
place in his musical world....there are more reasons than this, 
but way too complex to address...but thank you for this info...
it is important to me as a musician, jazz and rock lover, and
fan of SunRa's music..........

Louise



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Message: 6
   Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 17:36:59 -0000
   From: Billy Spradlin 
Subject: Re: Sun Ra to the Batmobile!

Rat Pfink wrote:
> Regarding the "fake Batman soundtrack session":
> I used to have this album as a kid. It was credited to 
> The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale: 'Batman and Robin', 
> which turned out to be a non-existent group...but the studio 
> musicians that were put together featured members of Sun Ra's 
> group and the Blues Project: 

I have a Batman 45 (I think it was pressed by Peter Pan 
records) from the mid 60s called "Look Out For The Batman" 
b/w "It's The Batman"  The first song's a a swingin' little 
tune that I played to death when I was a preschool DJ. 
- anyone know if Sun Ra is playing on this?

Billy








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Message: 7
   Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 23:53:36 +0100
   From: Ken Silverwood 
Subject: Nino & April & Teacho.

Hello all,
Firstly, does anyone know of a good comprehensive CD of 
Nino Tempo & April Stevens with their Atco & White Whale 
recordings, not just the "hits".
Second ,where can I find info on Teacho Wilshire, his name 
has always intrigued me since I bought the Isley Bros 
"Twist & Shout" as a lad & there was his name [arranged by 
Teacho Wilshire]. Of course I now can view it on many other 
45s in my collection, but he seems to be a bit of an unsung 
hero compared to the esteem in which others like Quincy Jones, 
Bert Berns & Claus Ogerman are held.

Ken On The West Coast



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