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Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
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There are 15 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Mr. Custer; folk choirs; radio call letters; Hal Miller
From: Country Paul
2. Re: Motorcity Records / Drum Machines / Doris Jones
From: Simon White
3. Re: Tandyn Almer
From: executiy
4. Re: Balladeers Take 2
From: Bob Rashkow
5. Re: The Forum Artwork
From: Brian Chidester
6. Re: Determiners
From: Don
7. Re: Motorcity Top 10
From: Adam G.
8. Soul 24 -7 Radio playlist 16th feb
From: Simon White
9. Re: Spector Sessions CDs
From: Richard Hattersley
10. Jack Nitzsche at Spectropop update
From: Martin Roberts
11. Matthew Reid's "Jane"
From: Country Paul
12. Crosby and the Balladeers
From: Steve Harvey
13. Roy Phillips
From: Watson Macblue
14. The Shadow Nose
From: Steve Harvey
15. Re: WINS etc
From: George Leonard
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2003 23:10:12 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Mr. Custer; folk choirs; radio call letters; Hal Miller
Bryan:
> Al DeLory, Joe Van Winkle and Fred Darian were Del-Fi's (Balladeers)
> group, (Van Winkle/Darian co-authored and produced the million-seller
> "Please Mr. Custer".
Worth another listen. Behind the cynically satirical vocal is a beautiful
minor-key ballad. I know Larry Verne passed on some time ago, but did he
have any other hits? Anyone know his history?
Ron:
> I'm not sure if the Balladeers on Delfi were the same as Les Baxter's
> Balladeers who had an LP on Reprise in 1961. At that time their
> membership included Phil Campos of the Forum and Jerry Yester among
> others. In 1963 they had several songs on "Jack Linkletter Presents a
> Folk Festival" on GNP. By this time David Crosby was a member of the
> group.
The context of the time: payola dimmed r&b; "clean cut" folk was in. The
New Christy Minstrels and Serendipity Singers were having hits and
everyone wanted to have a "me too" act. No doubt a lot of quality talent
went through these groups on their way to somewhere else. (I wonder if
the lush choral "Bells of Rhymney" by the Serendipities would sound as
good to me now as it did then.)
George Leonard, true about WEVD! Many other stations had insteresting
backstories to their call letters. Not to get on too-divergent a tack:
aside from the obvious (like WMGM, New York, owned by guess what company)
were call letters less so - ex-rock-now-news powerhouse "1010 WINS, New
York" was once the flagship station of the International News Service. In
Westchester County, NY, WFAS still exists, but its founder, Frank A.
Seitz, who gave me my first radio job, has gone to that great directional
pattern in the sky. In Providence, RI, ex-rocker WICE was originally in
the Rhode Island Arena, an ICE-hockey rink; WHIM, once the 60's rocker
"Whim Fun Radio," was originally counter-programmed to women-oriented
stations (soap operas, etc.) in the daytime - "Radio for HIM."
Mike Edwards:
> Hal Miller on Amy from 1964...."On My Own Two Feet" <
Awesome and huge, and quite the sea change for the lead singer of
"Silhouettes". I've always loved this one. Primo Crewe sound.
Tom Taber:
> A google search revealed K.S. 230 as being The Charlatans 45 "The
> Shadow Knows"/"32-20"; don't know if it had an actual release.
Is this the SF or UK Charlatans?
Country Paul
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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2003 13:42:02 +0000
From: Simon White
Subject: Re: Motorcity Records / Drum Machines / Doris Jones
A personal Motorcity Top Ten - only the first one is in any particular
order - and of course there are more. I've mentioned the best or only
available version where possible. I really do recommend any of these sides
to anyone interested. It must be said that in some cases these tracks were
meant to be played in a club situation and sound best on a big system - then
they really come into their own. They were all done with the intention of
capturing the spirit of the artist involved - but with a more contemporary
[for the time] feel too, hence the drum machines - although economy came
into that it too!
1. Karen Pree - Girl With A Broken Heart [12"]
2. Kim Weston - Signal Your Intention [7"/12"] Actually a Nightmare
release first, but on Motocity too.
3. Chuck Jackson - All Over The World [12"]
4. Saundra Edwards - Love From The Inside Out [U.S. cd HTCD 7702 "The
Best Of Motorcity Vol 2"]
5. Lost - Barbara Randolph [MOTCDLP 51 U.K.cd "DIVAS" there is a better
later version of this]
6. David Ruffin - Hurt The One You Love [12"]
7. The Fantastic Four - Back In Circulation [U.K.cd MOTCD 76 "Back In
Circulation"]
8. Ivy Jo Hunter - Burning Sensation [U.K.cd MOTCCD83 "Motorcity A Go
Go"]
9. The Lovetones - Fire Alarm [U.K.cd MOTCD 72 "Turn This Heart Around"]
10. Marv Johnson - Somethings Burning In My Heart [U.K.cd MOTCCD83 "Motorcity A
Go Go"]
10 b. The Exciters "Reaching For the Best" Nightmare - 78. Not a Motorcity
release but worthy of mention. Great vocals - Brenda Reid [of course] on a
remake of a song that charted in 75 in the U.K. but updated. Its a reet good Hi
Energy stormer!
I won't bore the rest of the readers with more but anyone interested please
contact me off list.
As for Doris Jones, look out for 'The Best Of Doris Jones' U.S. cd HTCD69-2
and "Ian Levine Presents Northern Soul Memories" U.K. GSCD 129 which
contains Doris and a number of similar tracks and one or two from my list
above.
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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 00:47:16 -0000
From: executiy
Subject: Re: Tandyn Almer
Harvey Williams:
> I believe (Tandyn Almer) also recorded an LP of demos for Almo/Irving
> Publishing (like the Paul Williams-Roger Nichols LP); there's also a
> songbook called "Along Comes Tandyn", which contains "12 new songs
> arranged for pop groups", such as "I Get High", "Sunset Strip Soliloquy,
> "Alice Designs" & others. I've no idea where these numbers ended up, or
> indeed where Almer ended up. Does anyone else?
I met him in the 1990s. He was living in the Washington, D.C. area.
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Message: 4
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 14:58:27 -0500
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: Balladeers Take 2
If I didn't know before I know it now! It's the names, baby! I'd never
heard of Les Baxter's Balladeers (though I have heard of Les Baxter!)
so I figured it was Al DeLory et al but forgot that those are....3
different people! Al DeLory was the guy who put "Suicide is Painless
(Theme from M.A.S.H.)" on the charts in '70, wasn't he?
Leonardo Flores, I can't say for sure but I could have sworn the Outrage
LP on Kama Sutra was released. I thought I remembered seeing it way back
in the 70s in a local specialty store such as Record Exchange. If it was
actually released it's probably extremely rare by now.
Groovin' on, Bobster
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Message: 5
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 17:15:37 EST
From: Brian Chidester
Subject: Re: The Forum Artwork
Steve wrote:
> As I stated in the liner notes to the Forum Rev-Ola CD reissue, the
> jacket art probably drove away more potential fans than it ever
> attracted. The cover looks like a budget religious album from a post-
> Rat Pack perspective.
Like Sinatra marrying Modess Mia Farrow? In the context of 1967, you are
right, it probably sent prospective buyers running for the Iron Butterfly
instead. That said, in hind sight, it reminds me a little of the "Hawaii
Right Now! Don Ho Presents The Aliies" record cover. Hawaii gone Mod! If
you are a Mod and have a sense of humor, then the Forum should be appealing
on the grounds of artwork alone. The music is really great, though. It
sounds like a pastiche of the PET SOUNDS-style of instrumentation, with
elements of Byrds-Pop and Soft-Pop vocals. Who knows where the mix came
from, but it works completely.
Incidentally, Jerry Yester, who was a part of Baxter's Balladeers, remembers
that most of the people who were involved with him (including David Crosby),
in the '60s, remember him as an old fogey-type producer, who was supplying
schlock jobs. I wonder what Brian Wilson thought of him. Check out the
opening sequence of "Muscle Beach Party" -- the perfect soundtrack flow from
Baxter into Usher/Wilson... utterly unbelievable with the Micahel Dormer
imagry.
> Preserving the original art was a tough call, but we decided to leave it
> as is. Incidentally, Baxter's hilarious S&M-inspired notes are also
> included in the CD reissue.
Glad you kept the original art and notes. Those collectors still into irony
will file this under absurd, and purists should appreciate that record
companies always did what they thought was best, even if it didn't really fit
the beauty of the vibe in the grooves. Good job, Steve.
Best,
Brian Chidester
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Message: 6
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 22:37:38 -0000
From: Don
Subject: Re: Determiners
Tom, When I list the groups, if the group used "The" I would only use
it if their names didn't end in S. So The Beatles would be filed
under "Beatles". The Germz would be filed under "Germz, The". The
ones that I have a hard time with are groups like The Roger Nichols
Trio. File under R or N? Right now I have CDs by Ben Folds in d
different spots depending on whether he was with Ben Folds Five.
DonNJ
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Message: 7
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 00:44:40 -0000
From: Adam G.
Subject: Re: Motorcity Top 10
Leonardo Flores:
> How 'Bout some top 10 Lists for Motorcity?
In no real order.......
Saundra Edwards - There's Nothing Else To Say Baby
Carolyn Gill & Marv Johnson - Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing
Syreeta - If The Shoe Fits
Valadiers - What's Wrong With Me Baby
Kim Weston - Emotion
Three Ounces Of Love - Evil One
Joe Stubbs - Smoke In The Air
Saundra Edwards - No More Room In My Heart
Velvelettes - That's When The Tears Start
Edwin Starr - Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache
--Adam G
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Message: 8
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 18:35:58 +0000
From: Simon White
Subject: Soul 24 -7 Radio playlist 16th feb
Yesterday's playlist for ya. For more like it, tune in to the
show next Sunday:
no no baby - the sherrys
you cant do that - doris willingham
are you ready for love - patti austin
signal your intention - kim weston
this time it's real - tower of power
no turning back now - shelly black
integrity - aretha franklin
do you like the way i love you - the ebonys
i'm still dancin - the presidents
funny how we've changed places - debra anderson
i can't make it without you - tyrone davis
the man with the golden crutch - charles thomas
i really love you - dee dee sharp
la de da i love you - inez and charlie foxx
when i'm gone - instumental
lonely boy - brenda holloway
heaven must have sent you - the elgins
open the door to your heart - na allen
chains of love - j j barnes
that's just never enough - j j barnes
i want to go back there again - chris clark
what's it gonna be - dusty springfield
bring him back - cissie houston
by some chance - the lewis sisters
i love you baby - cindy scott
walk tall like a man - 02 of clubs
i'm back - little richard
you better stop - little richard
he got what he wanted (but he lost what he had) - little richard
if you wanna - baby jean
heartbreaker - b b king
keep lookin' - solomon burke
what is this - bobby womack
mama (he treats your daughter mean) - big maybelle
you can count on that - shirley matthews and the big town girls
do you - the knights and arthur
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Message: 9
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 12:48:58 +0000
From: Richard Hattersley
Subject: Re: Spector Sessions CDs
Don't suppose anyone could tell me where to get these CDs, I have been
unable to get my hands on them. Contact me off group if anyone can help.
cheers
Richard
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Message: 10
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 18:08:56 -0000
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: Jack Nitzsche at Spectropop update
Currently playing on http://www.spectropop.com/JackNitzsche
Judy Henske - Dolphins In The Sea (Reprise), don't miss it.
It's a pity Timi missed out, but she will be in the frame again
for Battle of the Nitzsches.
Next week the choice is just as tough, between Bobby Day - Down
On My Knees (RCA), or The Furys - If I Didn't Have A Dime (Liberty).
Overwhelming response to continue playing the KHJ drum sessions
at Nitzsche Radio. Take a trip to
http://www.spectropop.com/JackNitzsche/jacknitzscheradio.htm to
hear the two latest tracks.
Martin
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Message: 11
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 17:06:13 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Matthew Reid's "Jane"
I was going through an LP I found recently called "Girls Girls
Girls All Over The World" (Adam & Eve 504, 1990), a doo-wop
compilation which looks like a US-made gray-market affair. In
among the stuff is "Jane", a very nice doo-wop ballad by "Matthew
Reid and the Seasons." Is this indeed a Bob Crewe Production? Can
someone help with the label and when it was released? (It sounds
early 60s; I know Reid had at least one 45 on Topix.) Also, there's
a piano intro and outro, which on this album is drowning in heavy
tape-echo. Since the effect is on another unrelated track as well,
it sounds like it may be an aftermarket addition. Can anyone
familiar with this track tell me, please?
Country Paul
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Message: 12
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 16:21:39 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Crosby and the Balladeers
Byrds fans should know that Les Baxter's Balladeers
were an early training ground for David "Capeman"
Crosby. Al Linkletter had a hootenanny album with
various acts including David and the Balladeers.
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Message: 13
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 14:17:45 -0800 (PST)
From: Watson Macblue
Subject: Roy Phillips
One of my best memories of Jamie LePage is turning him on to
(of all people) The Peddlers. I sent him a tape of their
ludicrously underrated album Suite London; his glorious reply
was a near-hysterical screed of rapture. Like so many of us,
he wondered how the hell a bunch of guys this talented could
be so forgotten.
Does anyone in Spectropop have contact information for Roy Phillips?
I know he's in New Zealand, running a recording studio after a
strange post-Peddlers life of fish restauranting and (allegedly)
cab driving while the other two Peddlers continue to live it up
in Spain and Portugal. I get the feeling that the story of the
band's breakup is right there, somehow. Anyway, I'm interested
in getting a radio show together about the Peddlers, and a word
with the greatest British pop stylist of the 60's (so there!!)
wouldn't go amiss.
All help gratefully received!
Watson
(Yeah, I'm baaaccck!!)
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Message: 14
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 16:26:18 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: The Shadow Nose
> Tom Taber:
> > A google search revealed K.S. 230 as being The
> Charlatans 45 "The
> > Shadow Knows"/"32-20"; don't know if it had an
> actual release.
Country Paul:
> Is this the SF or UK Charlatans?
The Charlatans are the US version. I don't have my
single in front of me, but I'm beginning to think the
single was actually on Kapp, but I will check. It does
have a picture sleeve and was a white label promo. The
Shadow Knows was not the band's choice for the single.
It was suppose to be Buffy Saint Marie's Codeine, but
the higher powers thought the drug reference (even
though it was anti-drugs) would get it banned. The
single went nowhere, not surprising considering that
it was hopelessly out of date by the time it was
released.
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Message: 15
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 03 14:59:52 -0800
From: George Leonard
Subject: Re: WINS etc
> George Leonard, true about WEVD! Many other stations had insteresting
> backstories to their call letters. Not to get on too-divergent a tack:
> aside from the obvious (like WMGM, New York, owned by guess what company)
> were call letters less so - ex-rock-now-news powerhouse "1010 WINS, New
> York" was once the flagship station of the International News Service.
Dear Country Paul,
All those years and I never knew what WINS stood for. Murray the K's
original venue. Thank you! You know, I know the lady who was Murray's
executive assistant for years and years. I ought to turn her on to
Spectropop.
Paul, please do get on a "divergent tack", offlist with me, if you have
time:
How would you evaluate Garrison Keilor's classic book, WBLT, a Radio
Romance? I've read it and re-read it. Emotionally, it was very close to
what I saw here in Silicon Valley during the birth of the Internet.
Indeed, the growth of this list has some interesting parallels with
the early days chapters of that book. "Spectropop: an Internet Romance."
We never realize we're in "history" until later.
I'll post this request for offline info to the list, and drop the thread.
George
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George J. Leonard
Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities
San Francisco State University
Novelist, Imagine Entertainment
Universal Pictures, Hollywood
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