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Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
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There are 17 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Wallpaper Of Sound
From: Team Spectropop
2. Re: Hang On Sloopy
From: bob anthony
3. Re: Ronettes on tour with the Beatles
From: James Botticelli
4. Re: Rhino CDs
From: Mike Edwards
5. Ronettes and M the K
From: Bill Craig
6. Dawn, Dusk, Toni, Ellie, Leslie, Peggy? Barb?
From: John Clemente
7. Harmonica Max
From: Ken Silverwood
8. Re: Hang On (A Bit Longer) Sloopy
From: Deena Canale
9. Re: Hang On (A Bit Longer) Sloopy
From: Barry Green
10. Re: Ticket To Ride
From: Andrew Jones
11. Re: Estelle and Nedra of the Ronettes
From: Tony
12. Re: Hang On (A Bit Longer) Sloopy
From: Paul Urbahns
13. The House Of Blue Lights
From: Eric Charge
14. Re: Ain't That Funny
From: Richard Havers
15. Re: Re: Ain't That Funny
From: "Peter Lerner"
16. Ellen Carol
From: Peter Lerner
17. Strangeloves
From: Dan Hughes
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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 08:51:02 -0000
From: Team Spectropop
Subject: Wallpaper Of Sound
Dear Members,
Sanctuary Records' recently released WALLPAPER OF SOUND CD
should be of interest to Spectropop types. Here are a few
paragraphs from the booklet:
Here's a new twist, the PHIL SPECTOR story, not told by way
of Ronettes, Crystals and Righteous Brothers tracks, but
via a collection of British versions of his originals and
songs written by JEFF BARRY & ELLIE GREENWICH, BARRY MANN &
CYNTHIA WEIL and GERRY GOFFIN & CAROLE KING, the three
husband and wife teams with whom he collaborated on many of
his Wall Of Sound classics.
Although it is as a producer that Spector is primarily
renowned, it should be noted that he also co-wrote almost
all of his best-known productions. In the very early 1960s
he worked as a freelance producer and aspirant tunesmith,
joining forces with a variety of lyricists before founding
his own label in 1961 and delivering the Crystals, Bob B.
Soxx & the Blue Jeans, Darlene Love, the Ronettes and the
Righteous Brothers unto the world. To help him create songs
for his stable of singers, he turned to some of the hottest
writers in the land. And he knew precisely where to find
them – the Brill Building in New York.
Situated on Broadway at the epicentre of the record
industry, the Brill was by name a building but by nature an
entire district. The district, from which great composers
like Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, the Gershwins, Cole Porter
and Richard Rodgers had created the songs of a previous era,
was, by the 1960s, home to a new generation of songwriters.
Barry, Greenwich, Mann, Weil, Goffin and King were among the
leaders of that new breed.......
A review of the CD by David A. Young, Spectropop's resident
curator of all things Spectoresque, is available here:
http://www.spectropop.com/recommends/index.htm#Wallpaper
Enjoy,
The Spectropop Team
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2002 17:43:38 -0800 (PST)
From: bob anthony
Subject: Re: Hang On Sloopy
Bob Beason wrote:
> Today my local classic rock station played a version of the
> McCoys' "Hang On Sloopy" with an additional verse that I'd
> never heard before. It began, "Sloopy put your red dress on..."
The version of Hang on Sloopy that you speak of
appears on Hang On Sloopy best of The Mc Coys on the
Epic/Legacy label which was released in 1995 and is
still in print
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2002 20:11:23 -0500
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Ronettes on tour with the Beatles
Mike Edwards wrote:
> The Beatles 1966 US tour was written up by Barry Tashian
> (of Barry And The Remains) in a book entitled, "Ticket To
> Ride - The Extraordinary Diary Of The Beatles Last Tour".
ADDENDUM: Barry & The Remains are now reunited for touring
purposes and were seen a couple of years back on their
Maiden Voyage right here in Boston. They sound EXACTLY the
same as their legendary Epic LP of 1966. Opening were The
Lost (one of Willie Boom Boom Alexander's 60's bands) and
The Rising Storm, the preppies from Phillips Academy in
Andover who essentially covered Lenny Kaye's version of
"Nuggets".
JB
--
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2002 22:21:52 -0500
From: Mike Edwards
Subject: Re: Rhino CDs
Bryan writes:
> I'd like to point out, in case you don't know this, that Rhino
> is now wholly owned by Warner Music Group, and acts as the
> reissue division for Warner Bros., Elektra, Atlantic and some
> of the subsidiary labels like Sire.
No, I didn't know that and thanks for pointing it out. However,
that still gives Rhino a lot of titles to work with. There are
loads of unissued gems in the Atlantic, Warner and Reprise
catalogs covering the golden years of the early 60s.
Mike Edwards
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 03:47:14 -0000
From: Bill Craig
Subject: Ronettes and M the K
Is there any story behind New York DJ Murray(The K)Kaufmann
back in the day always referring to The Ronettes as "Murray
The K's Dancing Girls"?
Bill Craig
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 02:17:14 -0500
From: John Clemente
Subject: Dawn, Dusk, Toni, Ellie, Leslie, Peggy? Barb?
Hello All,
First of all, I'd like to thank Allan Rinde and Toni Wine
for their marvelous contributions to the group. Secondly,
I'd like to say that "Only To Other People" by The Cookies
is one of my favorite GG songs, with Margaret Ross on lead.
All this talk of backing vocals for Dawn singles reminds me
of The Angels section in "Girl Groups". Peggy Santiglia
Davison had told me that she and Barbara Allbut sang backups
for "Knock Three Times". This is when Peggy and Barbara were
offered the positions of Tony's backing vocalists for the live
act, but they declined (Girl Groups, p. 20, second and third
paragraphs). My questions are for Toni. Does she remember
Peggy and the Dusk project ("Angel Baby", "I Hear Those Church
Bells Ringing", "Treat Me Like A Good Piece Of Candy", all
written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown)? Also, any info
on Ardith Polley, who wrote the B-sides ("I Cannot See To See
You", "Suburbia USA")? Any info is appreciated.
Regards,
John Clemente
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 10:27:53 -0000
From: Ken Silverwood
Subject: Harmonica Max
Many thanks to Richard for pointing out it was Max Geldray on
harmonica, obviously my hearing is not what it used to be.
(nice to know someone reads my comments). While I'm on, who
composed "Ain't That Funny" for Jimmy Justice. It sounds
'American', if it is'nt it's a damn good cop.
Seasons Greetings
from Ken On The West Coast
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 09:19:30 -0400
From: Deena Canale
Subject: Re: Hang On (A Bit Longer) Sloopy
Robert Beason:
> Today my local classic rock station played a version of the
> McCoys' "Hang On Sloopy" with an additional verse that I'd
> never heard before. It began, "Sloopy put your red dress on..."
Are you sure it was the McCoys? I've never heard a McCoys version with the
extra verse about the red dress, but I have heard the Strangeloves' version
which includes it ("Sloopy wears a red dress that's old as the hills/but
when Sloopy wears that red dress, y'know it gives me the chills..."). Were
the vocals perhaps a little huskier, deeper, more mature and lascivious than
the teen caterwauling on the shortened McCoys track? Actually, the backing
tracks of both versions are identical. Here's the scoop from the Al
Quaglieri-penned liner notes of "I Want Candy: The Best of the Strangeloves"
(Epic Legacy):
"Along with the new FGG [Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer,
the three Brill Building denizens who masqueraded as
zebra-print-vest-wearing Australian wildmen the Strangeloves] tunes and
several covers, [Bert] Berns suggested a reworking of a tune he and Wes
Farrell had written for the Vibrations, 'My Girl Sloopy.' The rhythm track
for 'Sloopy' came off well, so much so that it was slated to follow-up 'I
Want Candy.'
There was just one catch. The Dave Clark Five, with whom the Strangeloves
had spent the last leg of their tour, liked the Strangeloves' live workout
on 'Sloopy' and planned to record it themselves upon their return to
England. With 'Candy' still on the charts, it was too early for a
pre-emptive strike by the Strangeloves. Berns suggested the boys find
someone to record 'Sloopy,' and pronto. At a last-minute, post-tour gig in
Dayton, Ohio, the Strangeloves found them. They were show openers Rick and
the Raiders, soon to become the McCoys.
With the exceedingly adolescent McCoys in tow, FGG rushed home to New York,
there to add the teen group's vocals and Rick Zehringer's guitar to their
'Sloopy' track. 'Hang on Sloopy' was rush released, and instantly zoomed to
number one of the charts.
Over the next several years, the McCoys and Rick Derringer (ex-Zehringer)
would become the Strangeloves' opening act, clicking with eight chart hits
and two LPs, all produced by FGG."
Bear in mind, however, that the Alan Clayson-penned liner notes of "Hang on
Sloopy: The McCoys" (See for Miles) tell a slightly different story.
According the these notes, the McCoys named themselves after a Ventures tune
in 1962. In 1965:
"Signing the group to his recently-founded Bang production company--which
also had the young Neil Diamond on its books--Berns hurried them into a
studio to cut what he considered a suitable vehicle to set the ball
rolling--a definitive version of 'Hang on Sloopy,' using the Vibrations'
single as a helpful demo. There wasn't much time to spare as a Canadian
act--Little Caesar and his Consuls--had already got wind of 'Hang on Sloopy'
and, damn them, had just crept into the Billboard Hot Hundred with it. Into
the bargain, Screaming Lord Sutch, while touring North America, had dashed
off a version in New York and, even as Berns mixed the McCoys recording, was
trying to convince London record companies to steal a march on Little Caesar
in Britannia. For all these setbakcs, the McCoys had a walkover, totally
eclipsing Little Caesar--while Sutch's 'Hang on Sloopy' mouldered in the
family vault. Slicing to the top in the States as a wire through cheese,
the McCoys also cracked the British Top Five..."
Interesting how Clayson makes no mention whatsoever of the
Strangeloves--though, verily, the backing tracks of both the Strangeloves'
and the McCoys' versions are identical, right down to the burlesque house
drum pounding, the honking saxes and the blistering Zehringer/Derringer
solo. But I know of no longer "red dress verse" version credited to the
McCoys--does anyone else?
Rock & Roll, Hootchie Coo,
Signed D.C.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 06:38:08 EST
From: Barry Green
Subject: Re: Hang On (A Bit Longer) Sloopy
Robert Beason:
> Today my local classic rock station played a version of the
> McCoys' "Hang On Sloopy" with an additional verse that I'd
> never heard before. It began, "Sloopy put your red dress on..."
> Why haven't I ever heard this expanded version before and
> where did it come from? Was the long version ever issued on
> vinyl? And which CD(s) is the long version on? I know I can
> count on the experts of Spectropop nation to satisfy my curiosity!
Hi Bob,
I have never come across the extended version of Hang on Sloopy
(approx 3.51 the single was only 3.04) with the extra verse on vinyl
either on the USA Bang label or Immediate which released it here
in the UK. The only CD that I have which contains this is:
The Best of the McCoys - Hang on Sloopy ZK 47074 issued in 1995
via Sony on the LEGACY/epic associated label
The CD is unique as it also has other tracks which are longer
than the original single versions - (total of 22 tracks on the CD)
Eg:
Up and Down 3.00 against 2.36 on the single
Runaway 2.58 against 2.35 on the single
I got to go back 3.02 against 2.42 on the single
The booklet states - Most of the songs on this collection appear
for the first time in stereo. These tracks have been mixed from the
original multi-track tapes to possess the same mighty wallop and
intensity of the original mono singles.
Hope the above helps
Barry
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 10:34:45 -0500 (EST)
From: Andrew Jones
Subject: Re: Ticket To Ride
I second the recommendation of Barry Tashian's "Ticket to Ride." If
you're a Beatlemaniac, it's one of the best Beatle books you'll ever
read.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 18:32:50 -0000
From: Tony
Subject: Re: Estelle and Nedra of the Ronettes
Hello, Nedra sang LEAD with Ronnie on "Keep On Dancing". Also, Nedra
and Estelle are audible on the background of "Sleigh Ride", and
the "live" "What I Say".
Tony
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 13:12:51 EST
From: Paul Urbahns
Subject: Re: Hang On (A Bit Longer) Sloopy
Robert wrote:
> Today my local classic rock station played a version of the
> McCoys' "Hang On Sloopy" with an additional verse that I'd
> never heard before. It began, "Sloopy put your red dress on..."
That is the original version, recorded before it was issued as a single. The
hit version we all know and love has that verse removed. Somebody found a
tape of it and issued it on CD. Now radio stations are playing it like it was
the hit instead of the real one because they don't know any better. Another
gripe I have is with oldies stations that play Sally Go Round The Roses without
the organ because it showed up on an Oldies CD by Steve Hoffman as a collectors
treat. Then a music syndication company put it on the CD library they sell to
radio stations. The programmers are too young to know the difference and now
most oldies stations play that version instead of the original hit version with
the organ. It has become the :defacto" standard. On that song, the organ makes
the record. Younger people hear some of these odd versions or non-hit versions
on the radio, they lack the punch of the hit version and wonder why they were
ever hits. The long version Sloopy is probably on the McCoys comp by Legacy.
But I bet they didn't put both versions on there.
Paul Urbahns
A guy who likes to hear the hit versions, not a cutting room floor reject on
radio
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Message: 13
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 18:59:58 -0000
From: Eric Charge
Subject: The House Of Blue Lights
Don Covay's "The House Of Blue Lights" has been issued on CD by Sepie Tone.
I have cloth ears. Can any of you clever people identify the female vocalist
sharing lead vocal duties on the track "Homemade Love", written by Don
himself? The album dates back to (perhaps) 1967 - the CD liner notes are not
terribly helpful.
And Happy New Year everyone!
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 18:33:18 +0000
From: Richard Havers
Subject: Re: Ain't That Funny
Ken Silverwood wrote:
> While I'm on, who composed "Ain't That Funny" for Jimmy Justice.
> It sounds 'American'. If it isn't, it's a damn good cop.
It was Les Vandyke.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 15
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 22:42:41 -0000
From: "Peter Lerner"
Subject: Re: Re: Ain't That Funny
Ken Silverwood wrote:
> While I'm on, who composed "Ain't That Funny" for Jimmy Justice.
> It sounds 'American'. If it isn't, it's a damn good cop.
Richard Havers:
> It was Les Vandyke.
Wasn't Les Vandyke better known as Johnny Worth - wrote a few early
hits for Adam Faith?
Peter
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Message: 16
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 22:44:57 -0000
From: Peter Lerner
Subject: Ellen Carol
One of my favourite early Jackie DeShannon 45s is
"I Won't Turn You Down" on Liberty 55358. This nice and
tuneful teen ballad was written by Ellen Carol.
Does anyone have anything to say about Ellen? Only clue
is the publisher - Laki Inc (BMI).
Thanks in advance!
Peter
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Message: 17
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 17:51:50 -0600
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Strangeloves
I dimly remember a pre-"I Want Candy" song by the Strangeloves,
called "Love Love". A slower song.
Am I dreaming?
---Dan
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
End
