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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. Re: Motor-City
From: Ian Slater
2. Re: Kingsmen / Motor City
From: Kingsley Abbott
3. Re: Latin music(s)
From: Stewart Mason
4. Re: Mark Eric
From: Joe Foster
5. Phil Spector movie?
From: Neb Rodgers
6. Re: George Goldner and Tico Records
From: Mick Patrick
7. Re: Motor-City
From: Shawn Baldwin
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 14:16:30 -0000
From: Ian Slater
Subject: Re: Motor-City
Lindsay asked:
> Could some wise person here please clarify the meaning of "Motor City"
> for me? I can't quite get a handle on what it is. It seems to be some
> kind of post-60s neo-Motown sub-genre of Northern Soul... or is it?"
"Motor City" was the main label for a number of recordings of former Motown
and related soul stars from British producer Ian Levine in the mid to late
1980s. He did a great job of finding artists, many of whom had disappeared
into retirement, and recording new songs with them. Some went on tour. These
came out on various releases on Motor City and Nightmare - I've got a couple
of CD compliations dated 1995 in front of me as I type. There was also a TV
documentary in the UK about it all.
They were the original artists, but with the groups there is the usual
"re-recording" issue of how many of the original artists could be got
together. For instance the "Marvelettes" had just Gladys and Wanda from the
original group and Wanda didn't tour.
What are they like? Really quite good I'd say - though not as magical as the
originals of course.
Ian Slater
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 15:27:14 -0000
From: Kingsley Abbott
Subject: Re: Kingsmen / Motor City
The Kingsmen's 'Little Latin Lupe Lu' also came out as a single in the
UK - Pye International (Red/Yellow) 7N 25262. I thought I remembered
it scraping the reaches of the chart for a week or so, but wishful
thinking obviously plays tricks on the little grey cells. Love those
heavy funky drums on it.
Regarding Motor City - let's assume that the letters were made of
plasticene - then with not too much cheating (well OK, a letter or
three) you could get the anagram 'contrived' from it, which is probably
as close to a musical definition of the output of the majority of that
label as you really need. Well, hush my mouth!
Kingsley
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 13:14:42 -0500
From: Stewart Mason
Subject: Re: Latin music(s)
The Spectropop team:
> There's probably no form of popular music more under-appreciated in the
> United States than Latin music...
I'm guessing no one from Team Spectropop is from my home bases of Texas and
New Mexico, where local radio stations playing hits and classics of Tejano
music regularly figure in the upper reaches of the Arbitron surveys, which
means that they're reaching even gringos such as myself.
And, as Phil M. and others have noted, it's a bit reductive to speak of
"Latin music" when that can mean anything from the chugging 4/4 rhythms of
Tejano/norteno/conjunto (which, incidentally, are *hugely* influenced by
the German and Czech immigrants who landed in Texas and parts of Mexico
starting in the 1840s -- the same culture that made German-style pilsner
the local beer of choice in Texas and Mexico also brought the polka, the
tuba and the accordion) to samba to son and beyond.
S
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 18:43:14 +0000
From: Joe Foster
Subject: Re: Mark Eric
Brian Chidester:
> I have an interview with Mark Eric from two years ago, where he discusses
> being influenced by the Beach Boys' "Friends" record, as well as Walter
> Wanderly. He also had a song recorded by the Four Freshmen in '67, which
> Brian Wilson cannot even lay claim to. I find his 1969 album to be so
> fun, a little absurd vocally... the warble of a Sun truly setting on the
> California Sound. Mark did a show in L.A. at the Highland Grounds last
> April, which was really cool, as he played probably half the songs from
> MIDSUMMER'S solo on piano. Unfortunately, for a lot of us here in L.A.,
> he hasn't been so easy to work with once he found that we had interest in
> his music. I was sorry to tell him that I didn't know anyone who could
> make him a superstar this late in the game. I do hope he's doing well.
Hi Brian....
Mark behaved himself for the reissue of his album, but I can imagine he's a
handful in other contexts!...maybe now it's out he'll be easier?...would
like to hear/see the interview of course....
all the best
Joe
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 11:36:08 -0800 (PST)
From: Neb Rodgers
Subject: Phil Spector movie?
A film about Phil Spector as envisioned by Tom Cruise? It could happen:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/09/fashion/09SPEC.html?ex=1045817272&ei=1&en=da3c91f25ddb9e09
Neb
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 21:01:31 -0000
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: George Goldner and Tico Records
The Spectropop Team:
> There's probably no form of popular music more under-appreciated
> in the United States than Latin music. Yet, it's hard to imagine
> a time when it wasn't heard there. Given that large sections of
> the country were once Mexican territory, Latin songs and dances
> have been a part of the cultural tapestry of America for a very
> long time! Over the last 75 years...
Mike Edwards:
> I would suggest that most Latin music has its basis in Puerto
> Rican and Cuban culture. Although both countries are Spanish
> speaking, any ties they have to Mexico seem to end there.
Phil Milstein:
> While that may be true for the northeast, I don't think it holds
> for the southwest, where Mexican-derived sounds reign supreme
> among the Latin audience.
Stewart Mason:
> I'm guessing no one from Team Spectropop is from my home bases
> of Texas and New Mexico, where local radio stations playing hits
> and classics of Tejano music regularly figure in the upper
> reaches of the Arbitron surveys, which means that they're reaching
> even gringos such as myself. And, as Phil M. and others have noted,
> it's a bit reductive to speak of "Latin music" when that can mean
> anything from the chugging 4/4 rhythms of Tejano/norteno/conjunto
> (which, incidentally, are *hugely* influenced by the German and
> Czech immigrants who landed in Texas and parts of Mexico starting
> in the 1840s -- the same culture that made German-style pilsner
> the local beer of choice in Texas and Mexico also brought the
> polka, the tuba and the accordion) to samba to son and beyond.
The Team's message announcing the launch of the new Spectropop
feature "Mambo Gee Gee - The Story Of George Goldner And Tico
Records" has generated an interesting discussion. Indeed, the bones
of the little missive appear to have been picked clean. (For
"indeed" read "hopefully"). I await the views of members who, like
yours truly, have actually read the article itself. As you might be
aware, it's online at: http://www.spectropop.com/tico/index.htm
MICK PATRICK
(Half Irish, half Welsh and quite the La Lupe fan)
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 14:42:21 -0600
From: Shawn Baldwin
Subject: Re: Motor-City
Lindsay asked:
> Could some wise person here please clarify the meaning of "Motor City"
> for me? I can't quite get a handle on what it is. It seems to be some
> kind of post-60s neo-Motown sub-genre of Northern Soul... or is it?"
Ian Slater;
> "Motor City" was the main label for a number of recordings of former Motown
> and related soul stars from British producer Ian Levine in the mid to late
> 1980s. He did a great job of finding artists, many of whom had disappeared
> into retirement, and recording new songs with them...These came out on
> various releases on Motor City and Nightmare... What were they like? Really
> quite good I'd say - though not as magical as the originals of course.
The original material that some of the artists did, like Martha and The
Vandellas' "Step Into My Shoes", "Angel In Disguise" and "Number One", they
even did a remake of "Dancing In The Streets" that Martha pretty much matches
her original vocal. Mary Wilson (original Supreme) did very good material too
and Brenda Holloway. The Flos (aka Former Ladies Of The Supremes, Jean,
Scherrie and Lynda) had some good stuff too. But they used fake drums and the
music sometime sounded cheap.
Shawn
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
End
