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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: Zaz Turned Blue
From: Javed Jafri
2. Tom Dowd and The Language of Music
From: nebulax
3. Re: Classic Mike D'Abo song in a TV show!
From: Lindsay Martin
4. Re: Kenny Chandler
From: Alan Warner
5. Re: Who'da thought it?!
From: Billy G. Spradlin
6. A Passing Fancy
From: Popsike67
7. Re: James Brown
From: Billy G. Spradlin
8. Re: Duelling David Allens
From: Patrick Rands
9. Rainy Daze
From: Freeman Carmack
10. Re: Little Jimmy Scott
From: Mick Patrick
11. Re: James Brown
From: Vincent Degiorgio
12. Gigi Parker
From: Jeff Lemlich
13. Re: Looking Glass/Tim Gilbert
From: Jeffrey Glenn
14. Tim Gilbert, Peter Rowan
From: Bob Rashkow
15. Everly Brothers' "The Ferris Wheel"
From: J.J.
16. Re: Earth Opera
From: Dan Hughes
17. Alber t Hammond / Mums Records
From: Roger Kaye
18. Re: Gentle Soul
From: Country Paul
19. Re: Gigi Parker
From: Doo Wop Daddy
20. Re: NYC Spectropop Party
From: sheila
21. Re: A Passing Fancy
From: Javed Jafri
22. Re: "We Can't Go On This Way"
From: Artie Wayne
23. Re: Donna Lynn
From: Andres
24. Re: Mr Spector in the press
From: Richard Havers
25. Re: "We Can't Go On This Way"
From: Bob Wallis
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 23:30:32 -0500
From: Javed Jafri
Subject: Re: Zaz Turned Blue
Stewart Mason:
> The same album has a terrific '60s pop pastiche called "Smile," with
> lead vocals by the Knack's Doug Fieger (an old high school buddy of
> the Was brothers from their teenage years in Detroit) and some
> terrific twang guitar and Farfisa parts.
It was actually members of the Knack who turned Don Was on to the hidden
genuis of Brian Wilson sometime in the late 80's. Was was producing a
Knack reunion album and members of the group started to play bootlegs of
Smile for him. He had never heard the material and was hooked. and by
1994 was working with the great one. There was also talk in the mid 90's
of Was producing a new Beach Boys album (something of a little more
substance than Bummer In Paradise) but it came to naught.
Javed
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 06:46:16 -0000
From: nebulax
Subject: Tom Dowd and The Language of Music
There's a new documentary film out about Tom Dowd, and here's an
excerpt of Film Threat's review of it.
-Neb
P.S. - There's also a website for the film at -
http://www.thelanguageofmusic.com/
--------------------------------------------
http://www.filmthreat.com/Reviews.asp?Id=3810
"Tom Dowd may not be a household name. But if this list of classic
songs, albums and artists means anything to you, then you already
know the work of this illustrious producer, engineer, inventor and
all-around musical genius. In an era when most pop and rock music -
not to mention the dreaded "modern R&B" genre - has been polished,
processed and overproduced into irrelevance, it's hard to imagine
that a man like Dowd could leave such a monumental legacy by, if
anything, underproducing his acts. His personal stamp was nothing
more or less than plain quality. He never imposed a sound of his own
on musicians; he simply brought out their best and laid it on tape in
the most organic way possible."
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 18:03:46 +1000
From: Lindsay Martin
Subject: Re: Classic Mike D'Abo song in a TV show!
Alan Warner wrote:
>HANDBAGS AND GLADRAGS ... signature tune of the critically-acclaimed
> British TV comedy series "The Office". BBC America ....check it out
Check it out indeed: Australian 'poppers can still catch the last 2 episodes
of Series 2 on pay-tv channel UK-TV Mondays, but Series 1 starts next month
on our ABC-TV. The DVD/video of Series 1 is currently being released in Oz
too.
It's a fly-on-the-wall mockumentary, I guess in the style of "Best In Show".
The excrutiatingly inept & vain boss in "The Office", David Brent, is also a
frustrated singer-songwriter, who insists on treating the staff to some of
his compositions at a training seminar. In Series 2, he attempts an
embarrassing motivational dance to Tina Turner's "Simply The Best", to the
stunned silence of an audience of business people. It's really got to be
seen to be believed (or disbelieved!).
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 03:47:08 -0800
From: Alan Warner
Subject: Re: Kenny Chandler
Follow-up to message from Mick Patrick re Kenny Chandler:
Mick mentions that Kenny Chandler's recording career lasted
five years after his version of HEART in 1963. I just recently
dug out one of his later releases and thought its pedigree
would be of interest here; in 1968, he had a single on Capitol's
Tower subsidiary, both sides of which were produced by Kenny
along with songwriter Carl D'Errico. Topside was BEYOND LOVE
and the flip was CHARITY; both songs were written by Carl with
Roger Atkins who'd collaborated together on IT'S MY LIFE,
recorded by The Animals and a huge hit for them in '65 in the UK;
the single later became a US hit in '66. Two years after that,
Carl & Roger had another of their songs cut by a British group
namely NO EXCESS BAGGAGE by The Yardbirds.
Rock on!
Alan Warner
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 14:33:44 -0000
From: Billy G. Spradlin
Subject: Re: Who'da thought it?!
Unlikely Northern? My Picks:
Little Peggy March - He Couldn't Care Less (my fave track from her)
Connie Stevens - Tick Tock
Gary Lewis - My Hearts Symphony
Gene Pitney - Getting Together (It's a Tommy James song, but Gene's
version gets my vote)
Mamie Van Doren - The Boy Catchers Theme
The 4 Seasons - The Puppet Song, Can't Get Enough of You Baby
Neil Sedaka - I Hope He Breaks Your Heart
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 15:30:31 -0000
From: Popsike67
Subject: A Passing Fancy
Just stumbled across a terrific song called "I believe in sunshine"
by a band called A Passing Fancy. Does anyone have any info on this
group?
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 14:44:12 -0000
From: Billy G. Spradlin
Subject: Re: James Brown
James Brown is proably the most sampled and remixed artist of all
time - many of his funk classics (with all those great drummers and
rhythm sections) were sampled to death on so MANY rap and dance
records during the 80's through the early 90's before record
companies started charging for the use of samples. JB might have been
the Godfather of Soul, but R&B's grandson Hip-Hop stole his grooves.
Billy
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 17:27:31 -0000
From: Patrick Rands
Subject: Re: Duelling David Allens
Again, Frank has a link and pokes some fun at Way Out West.
http://franklarosa.com/vinyl/Exhibit.jsp?AlbumID=52
Worth a look for the soundfiles and cover scan.
:Patrick
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 13:17:45 -0500
From: Freeman Carmack
Subject: Rainy Daze
Re: progressive sunshine:
I don't have any info on the specific track, but...Wasn't Tim Gilbert
the writing partner with John Carter, of "Incense and Peppermints" fame,
and weren't both of them members of the one LP group, Rainy Daze; of
"Acapulco Gold"(single and LP) fame?
Freeman Carmack
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 19:54:41 -0000
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: Little Jimmy Scott
Simon White:
> Nice to see Little Jimmy's "Falling In Love Is Wonderful"
> getting a play in The Liquid Room. Whilst not really
> Spectropop [although it is at least sixties], the recently
> re-released rare album of the same title is a wonderful
> collection of standards done in '63 and withdrawn quickly
> at the time. Jimmy's voice and phrasing are extraordinary
> and influenced Nancy Wilson, Frankie Valli, Gloria Lynne...
I second all that. And the amazing Little Jimmy Scott really
IS Spectropop - check out the Party Playlist (message # 8964).
He's a unique performer but I guess he should really be filed
under jazz. I think of him more as a pop balladeer. In my
opinion the great man's best material can be found on
"The Source", the album he cut with producer Joel Dorn for
Atlantic in the late 1960s. It's available on CD in various
forms on Warners, Rhino and Sequel. One thing I especially love
about his recordings is the tempo - slow, slower,
s..l..o..w..e..s..t. This man makes Roberta Flack sound like
the Ramones. So, Simon, did HE make a "Northern" track?
MICK PATRICK
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 11:58:27 -0800
From: Vincent Degiorgio
Subject: Re: James Brown
The Japanese remix albums of JB's stuff, as well as those
of the Jackson 5 are pretty cool.
V
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Message: 12
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 15:16:15 -0500
From: Jeff Lemlich
Subject: Gigi Parker
Here's a question for y'all:
Who was the group on Gigi Parker's 1962 single
"Someday, Someway"/"Lonely Girl Blue" (Coral 62314)?
Bob Gaudio wrote both sides; Charles Callelo was the
arranger; Bob Crewe the producer. That sounds like
Four Seasons territory, but to me it doesn't sound like
them.
Anyone know?
Jeff Lemlich
http://www.limestonerecords.com
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 12:03:57 -0800
From: Jeffrey Glenn
Subject: Re: Looking Glass/Tim Gilbert
Thanks to everyone for help with the Looking Glass 45 on
Valiant (and to Billy for the clean mp3s)!
Country Paul:
> Back to "sunshine progressive": I have a 45 by Tim Gilbert on
> UNI 55045 (1968), produced by Frank Slay (Bob Crewe's former
> partner), and arranged by George Tipton. "If We Stick Together"/
> "Early October" are both written by T.Gilbert/J. Carter; "Stick,"
> the A-side, is a Dylanesque stream of consciousness sung in a
> voice a bit reminiscent of Peter Rowan's. I've always loved this
> track; anyone know anything about this artist? (A Google search
> revealed nothing.)
Tim Gilbert was the lead singer/rhythm guitarist/songwriter of
the Colorado band The Rainy Daze. He and his college buddy John
Carter wrote their hit "That Acapulco Gold" (and it's cool B-side
"In My Mind Lives A Forest" - UNI 55002, 1967) as well as being
solely credited for composing "Incense And Peppermints" (though
they may have composed it to an already recorded basic track sent
to Carter by newly-relocated-to-Los Angeles-from Colorado Frank
Slay, who had produced and originally released "That Acapulco Gold"
on his own Chicory label in Colorado before it was picked by by
UNI, and who was now producing the SAC). Three followup singles
on UNI and one on White Whale were released before the band called
it quits. The Gilbert solo single was released between the last
UNI 45 and the one on White Whale.
From Fuzz, Acid & Flowers:
"Tim Gilbert, the main songwriter, also released a solo 45,
'Early October'/'If We Stick Together' (UNI 55045) 1967 - folkie
fare which has been compared to Tim Buckley. He would go into
songwriting and his compositions (with J. Carter) would appear
on Hardwater (fellow Coloradans The Astronauts in disguise),
Yankee Dollar, Horses and Strawberry Alarm Clock LPs."
Slay also had at least one of his other Chicory 45's picked up
by UNI after "That Acapulco Gold" while he was still in Colorado
- "The Sky Gone Gray"/"Still In Love With You" by The Boenzee
Cryque (UNI 55012, originally Chicory 406 - both 1967).
Anyone have this? I'd be interested in hearing it.
Hope this helps!
Jeff
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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 15:56:05 -0500
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Tim Gilbert, Peter Rowan
Freeman Carmack:
> ...wasn't Tim Gilbert the writing partner with John Carter
> of Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Incense and Peppermints".....and
> weren't they both members of the one-LP group The Rainy Daze?
Yes indeed. Though I've never heard (but hope to find!!!) Tim's
solo single(s), he and Carter wrote some of the SAC's best tunes.
They also wrote, and may have actually been, Rainy Daze (That
Acapulco Gold and Discount City on UNI, Make Me Laugh on White
Whale, others!) Another Carter-Gilbert collaboration was the
Higher Elevation on Liberty: WONDERFUL sunshine pop: "Here Comes
Sunshine" and "Summer Skies." I probably will learn more about
these and thousands of others when I finally order my print
edition of Fuzz Acid & Flowers, hopefully for February :-)
Country Paul mentioned Earth Opera. Glad to hear Peter Rowan is
still playing music, even if it HAS to be bluegrass :-{{ Earth
Opera's 1st LP ranks very highly in my book, one of my first late
introductions to the infamous Boston Sound and a truly great
protest album as well! (And Beantown had Teddy and the Pandas
too...as I told Billy Corelle some time back, wish I were about
10 years older and had grown up in the area, say around Lynn or
Revere or something, but oh! those winters!)
Bobster
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 22:15:41 -0000
From: J.J.
Subject: Everly Brothers' "The Ferris Wheel"
Re Everly Brothers' "The Ferris Wheel": Great song, but was this the
orig version made? It´s written by Dwayne & Ronald Blackwell...
JJ/Sweden
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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 16:19:47 -0600
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Re: Earth Opera
Bob sez:
> Earth Opera's 1st LP ranks very highly in my book, one of my first
> late introductions to the infamous Boston Sound...
The Bosstown Sound was the product of the geniuses (geniusi?) at MGM; I
wouldn't lump Earth Opera (on Elektra) or Teddy (Musicor and Tower) in
the group, even though the town and the time was right.
So what did you think of Orpheus, the Beacon Street Union, and Ultimate
Spinach? THOSE were the MGM Bosstown Sound groups.
---Dan
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 17:53:56 -0500
From: Roger Kaye
Subject: Alber t Hammond / Mums Records
Was there some sort of connection (Part ownership? Staff writer/producer?)
between Albert Hammond and Mums records. I'm curious because I found a
pair of promo 45s on the label and the only things I had been aware of
them putting put had an AH connection, namely his 45s and a few lps by the
re-formed Steppenwolf which contained a few covers of his songs. One of
the 45s was a cover of RUNAWAY by former Merry-Go-Round member Bill
Rinehart, and I wonder if there is an lp to go along with it. Neither that
one or the other (Memphis by Charlie Starr) had any Hammond connection,
which prompted this inquiry.
Roger
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Message: 18
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 18:50:08 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Re: Gentle Soul
Efram Turchick:
> ...CD reissue of the Gentle Soul album will be available March 25th.
Way to go, Sundazed! How this group escaped notice the first time around is
still a mystery to me.
> By the way, the original Epic/Columbia paperwork has no indication of any
> involvement from Nitzsche on "Our National Anthem" or "Song For Three."
Ah, to have these in stereo (I hope). Any idea who DID do the arranging? The
recordings sound like a cross between Mamas and Papas, Jefferson Airplane
and second-album Stone Poneys.
George Leonard:
> I notice you have a band so people probably bore you too with questions
> about what so and so was really like, but you've really said Rumplestiltskin
> to me. That is an extremely perceptive question. The invention of history.
> But let me see if I can find an email exchange with U. of Chicago Press from
> a year ago on that.
I look forward to that exchange, either on- or off-list.
I HAD a band - Benefit Street, 1969-71. No releases, but our demo tapes
(mostly recorded at Andy Pratt's Aengus Studios) got heavy airplay (about
half a dozen original songs) on WBRU in Providence, RI in the late
60's-early 70's. I have a studio-only doo-wop group with two 45's, but
that's for love only. I still keep my day job!
> Why "Country"?....What is your act like?
Thanks for asking. My professional radio career, mostly rock, included two
major stints in country radio (1966-68 and 1988-93). WHCN, my first paying
freeform progressive rock station, gave me the handle, and it stuck. (Plus,
there's at least one other Paul in this group.) Re: my "act" - none, really.
Benefit Street was a "folkie rock" group but with mostly original material;
we just stood or sat there and played. My on-air objective was always to be
as close to "real" as possible, especially on progressive radio. Ideally,
there was "no us or them, only we." Many of the pop stations I worked at had
wide playlists, so I've been lucky enough to play a surprising amount of the
music discussed here on the air.
Country Paul
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Message: 19
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 19:22:09 EST
From: Doo Wop Daddy
Subject: Re: Gigi Parker
re gigi parker: the four seasons appear on the song "lonely girl blue".
others may appear on this side also. as far as the other side, i have
not heard it, so i can not offer an opinion.
doowopdaddy
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Message: 20
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 19:45:31 -0500
From: sheila
Subject: Re: NYC Spectropop Party
In response to Country Paul's inquiry about the New York Spectropop party......
The party will be held in the Springtime. I will post a message to
the list once the date is confirmed!
Sheila
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 21
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 21:14:40 -0500
From: Javed Jafri
Subject: Re: A Passing Fancy
> Just stumbled across a terrific song called "I believe in sunshine"
> by a band called A Passing Fancy. Does anyone have any info on this
> group?
The Passing Fancy were a group from Toronto formed around 1967. I remember
hearing them on CHUM radio but don't know very much else about them. They
made the CHUM chart twice. Their first hit was "I'm Losing You Tonight" and
" I Believe In Sunshine" also charted. I don't remember much about the
songs specifically. "I Know I'm losing You" was the bigger hit and I don't
recall what "I Believe In Sunshine" sounded like. I have wondered, however,
if it was the same song as the one recorded by the Canadian group Madrigal
in 1970. The Madrigal song also charted and I have it on a compilation. It
is a very pleasant piece of pop that should appeal to Spectropoppers.
Javed
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 22
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 20:39:27 -0800 (PST)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: Re: "We Can't Go On This Way"
Hey Bob......how's your new place comin' along? I'm curious about a track
that Teddy and the Pandas cut "[You're so young and] We can't go on this
way" that my freind Bob [Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves] wrote and I published
[at one time]...can you post it on Musica? I remember it as being a really
good song and a true story.
Thanks, and regards , Artie Wayne
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 23
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 09:58:48 -0000
From: Andres
Subject: Re: Donna Lynn
Doc Rock wrote:
> I'm a big fan of Donna Lynn but I find it very hard to find her
> recordings. I enjoyed "That's Me, I'm the Brother" on musica...
Is it the same Donna Lynn who once made `My Boyfriend Got A Beatle
Haircut' in 1964? This song is really beautiful! If it's she, what
has happened to her after that more or less successful single? Were
there any more releases? Any connections with Donna Lynn, who made a
cover photo for the album The Very Best of Ashford & Simpson
(released May 2002)? Sorry for so many questions,
Andres
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 24
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 10:34:42 +0000
From: Richard Havers
Subject: Re: Mr Spector in the press
There is an article in tomorrow's (Saturday) Daily Telegraph colour
magazine about Phil. In fact it's not just an article but an exclusive
interview and pictures. Written by Mick Brown, who many UK people will
know as one of our best music related journalists, it will throw some
interesting light on the current state of Mr Spector. Mick went to
Phil's home in LA to conduct the interview. I am not sure if it will
be included on the online version, but this is their home page:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Best
Richard
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 25
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 07:08:15 -0500
From: Bob Wallis
Subject: Re: "We Can't Go On This Way"
Artie,
I know I'm not the "Bob" you aimed your email at, but my name is Bob
Wallis and I'm good friends with the guys from Teddy and the Pandas
and manage their web site. I posted "We Can't Go On This Way" to
Musica for you. Visit their website at http://TeddyandthePandas.com
Bob Wallis
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
End
