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Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
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There are 8 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: The making... and remaking... of a HIT
From: Billy G Spradlin
2. Re: Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell
From: Stewart Mason
3. Re: Lisa Mychols
From: Jeffrey Glenn
4. Re: What's for Dessert Ma??/??
From: Artie Wayne
5. ... from Alzo Fronte
From: Alzo Fronte
6. Re: ?? for Artie Wayne
From: Phil Milstein Move ahead to 1966. Snuff Garrett gives "Sure Gonna Miss Her"
> a more upbeat arrangement, adds horns, and gives Gary Lewis a
> top ten U.S. smash. Never one to miss a trick, along comes
> Bobby Russell (under the pseudonym Ed Hardin), rerecording his
> OWN song, this time mimicking Snuffy's arrangement!
> Talk about covering YOURSELF!
And the interesting thing is that Snuff cut two versions of "Sure
Gonna Miss Her" with Gary - the mono single version features the
horns but never was mixed into true stereo until EMI's 1990s
"Legendary Masters Series" CD.
The stereo version that appeared first on Gary's 1966 album
"Hits Again!" (and on later on "Golden Greats" and other greatest
hits LPs) doesn't have any horns and is a different take - instead
of the horns it has a Spanish fingerpicked guitar intro with solos
throughout the song. If you listened to FM Oldies stations in the
70s/80s you proably heard this version first like I did.
It appears on the OOP Rhino "Little Bit Of Gold" mini 3 inch CD.
(a concept that should have been a big seller but didn't because
the adapters they came with was a pain in the @$$ to put on! -
I'm glad they are making a comeback with digital cameras)
I kind of like the second version better than the single, there's
some really tasty drum fills (by Jim Keltner?) that are missing
from the single version. The mixing is so poor on many of Gary's
stereo albums I think a Liberty staff engineer mixed it and
accidentally pulled the wrong take.
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 11:57:35 -0500
From: Stewart Mason
Subject: Re: Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell
Norman enthuses:
> My last praise of her is via "Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell"
> (Capitol ST 2928 Australia 196?). Both "My Elusive Dreams" and
> "Let It Be Me" got airplay here alongside David Houston and
> Tammy Wynette's Version. Next to Bobby Vinton their version of
> "Elusive Dreams" is my favourite.
I believe this one came out in 1968. Fellow Margo Guryan fans
should note that there's a swell version of "Sunday Morning" on
this album as well.
Stewart
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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 08:48:08 -0800
From: Jeffrey Glenn
Subject: Re: Lisa Mychols
> Lisa has a nice website:
> http://www.lisamychols.com - that is definitely worth a look.
> It has a link the amazon listing and a couple of tracks from
> the CD can be heard. I haven't had time to listen to them yet,
> but if they are half as good as the wonderful "Lost Winters
> Dream" (heard on Spectropop Girl Group Radio), this CD will
> be indispensable.
Lisa's preparing a split CD sampler of some of her upcoming new
original material (3 of her songs and 3 from her friend Gail George,
who you might know from the IPO Vol. 4 or Gene Pitney Tribute CDs);
I've just finished the artwork for it, but Lisa doesn't have the
tracks quite finished. If you go to her website and join the
mailing list she'll mail you a copy of it when they're finished.
She's also putting together a Media Sampler featuring the 3 new
songs from the above CD plus three from tribute CDs released this
year and three from "Lost Winter's Dream." I've also finished the
artwork on this, which will feature 4 different covers (same design;
different colors: blue, yellow, green, and orange - at least that's
the plan right now :-) ).
This is an excerpt from her latest newsletter:
"A LISA MYCHOLS VIDEO WILL BE IN GEAR ON JANUARY 2, 2003 in Los
Angeles! It will be at the Alterknit Lounge in The Knitting Factory.
Check NEWS PAGE for more details because....
WE NEED EXTRAS TO BE THE AUDIENCE!
"Parking is underneath the club. It's $5 but food and drinks will
beprovided.
"PLEASE E-MAIL ME IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT MAKE IT!"
And finally, 04 of the "Lost Winter's Dream" tracks (and one of her
new original songs) can be heard on Lisa's mp3.com page at
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/180/lisa_mychols.html
There's a reason this is David Bash's 35th favorite album of all
time. :-)
Jeff
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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 10:16:16 -0800 (PST)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: Re: What's for Dessert Ma??/??
JB:
> What did you do when "Strawberry Shortcake" was recorded?
James.......Sorry...I don't remember.
Steve H:
> I used to have a friend named Ken Milstein who always told
> me his cousin was writing material for Jay and Techniques.
Steve......He's not related to me.
regards, Artie Wayne
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 18:48:37 -0000
From: Alzo Fronte
Subject: ... from Alzo Fronte
Hello
I am Alzo from Alzo & Udine ....I have been searching
the web and came up with a site that is discussing my music.
I have recently learned of a re-release of Alzo & Udine on
CD from Japan and am thrilled and totally confused about
anyone knowing my music...Then I came upon this chat about
us.... you all have many questions I would love to answer
and still have great album and new that no one has heard...
Contact me and visit new website http://www.alzomusic.com
and tell me stuff...
Love to all,
Alzo Fronte
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Message: 6
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 14:12:55 +0000
From: Phil Milstein I used to have a friend named Ken Milstein who always told
> me his cousin was writing material for Jay and Techniques.
> Related to you or to Jerry? Maybe neither!
Or maybe to me.
--Phil Milstein
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Message: 7
Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 19:26:44 -0500
From: John Rausch
Subject: Gene Pitney/ Neil Sedaka
I read a recent thread on another website referring to Neil
Sedaka making a demo of "It Hurts To Be In Love", which was
ultimately given to Pitney who recorded on the mono track
with drums added and it was mentioned that one can hear Neil
in the background on the mono version.
Now that I read this it makes sense to me that this could have
been a Neil Sedaka recording, since it sounds like the same
groove of many other Sedaka hits of the era.
Anyone?
John Rausch
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Message: 8
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 00:29:33 -0000
From: Ian Chapman
Subject: Toni Wine at Screen Gems
Back in 2000, I posted to Spectropop about a bunch of Screen
Gems acetates that surfaced in London several years ago, some
of which were believed to have a Toni Wine connection. With
the recent welcome arrival of Allan to the group, and Toni's
willingness to answer our questions, I thought it was time to
raise the topic once more.
The story is this: Malcolm Baumgart (a true Spectropopper in
every sense, but alas, not a computer enthusiast!) was scouting
for wax in London's Portobello Road market one fine Sunday
morning when he happened across a batch of seven U.S. 10"
one-sided Screen Gems acetates. The stallholder told him
that they had originally been found in a studio in Edinburgh
before somehow surfacing in London. In common with most acetates,
each label bore the song title only.
Malcolm, Mick and myself duly did our best to identify the
vocalists – some were unfamiliar, but we were all pretty sure
that the voice on two of the discs belonged to Toni Wine.
One was entitled "Just Go Away" which we knew to be a Toni
composition anyway, a song that the Shirelles had recorded.
The other was entitled "A Toy Is Only Made For Play", a great
girl-group item that was unknown to us by anyone else. Years
later, post-internet, we discovered via the BMI website that
it was a Russ Titelman composition.
It struck us that "Toy" was similar in structure to Dusty
Springfield's "I Only Want To Be With You", which led us to
speculate that maybe Screen Gems had been targeting Brit artists
and that these acetates had been specifically sent over to the
U.K. for that purpose. To add weight to the theory, someone had
handwritten on the paper sleeve of one of the discs "Sandy (sic),
Cilla, Dusty", as if the song was perhaps thought to have been
suitable for one of those girls. (Artie Wayne's recent posting
about being asked to write for Helen Shapiro seems to add even
more credibility).
Last week, I emailed the whole story to Allan and Toni, and
Phil arranged for them to receive mp3s of "Just Go Away" and
"A Toy Is Only Made For Play". I was dying to hear what Toni
had to say about these tracks – even if it was only to confirm
that it was indeed her voice. As it happened, Allan and Toni
received the mp3s in advance of the email – by the time it turned
up, they'd already figured it all out!!
What follows is Allan's reply:-
"Finally got to play these for Toni this evening, but before I
got your email. In a way, that was good, because it exercised
our minds."
"Toni recognized herself on 'Toy' right away, but said she
didn't think it was her song. Sounded like one of Rusty's
(her name for Russ Titelman). She came up with slightly
conflicting theories, one that her voice sounded like it was
cut in 1962 and the other that she was trying to capture a
Dusty Springfield sound. As Dusty didn't get her 'girl group'
sound until 1963 and I don't think she hit here 'til '64, both
can't be right. Now that you've thrown Lulu and Sandie into
the mix, then 1964 sounds about right. (Toni also recalls
doing a demo vocal for 'To Sir With Love' and pegs that in
1962 also, way before the movie was actually shot.)"
"Yes, Screen Gems was way out in front in establishing an
English presence and did have their writers aiming stuff at
English acts. I don't know if we can pinpoint how early this
happened (pre-Beatles, possibly) without further research.
Toni was wondering if there were studio labels (like Allegro,
Mirasound, etc) on any of the acetates. That might also help
to identify their time period."
"On 'Don't Go Away Angry, Just Go Away', even I could recognize
her voice (due to her unique phrasing), and her first thought
was that it was one of her songs, but she later thought it might
be Helen Miller's. The song was haunting us both, and I finally
realized that I had heard something similar a few years ago by
the Shirelles. Lo and Behold, on one of Mick's Ace packages,
"Lost and Found," there it was, but titled "Please Go Away."
Someone (perhaps either of her co-writers, Artie Kornfeld or
Gerry Goffin, or perhaps the producer, with permission) had
changed the hook to "I want you to stay but Please Go Away."
Not only doesn't Toni have her demo of the song, but it was
not on the supposedly complete DAT of her Screen Gems songs that
EMI sent a few years back. She's thrilled to now have a copy."
"Toni is enjoying this immensely, so please feel free to send
along any other Screen Gems songs for ID. Even if she is not
singing them, she'd be happy to try and ID the voice."
Will do! Copies of the labels have also been sent, so we'll
be watching this space! Allan and Toni, thanks for a truly
fascinating and enjoyable reply.
Ian
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