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Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
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There are 9 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Hank Ballard
From: Simon White
2. The last train
From: Bob Rashkow
3. What is rock and roll?
From: Doc Rock
4. Re: McCartney
From: Scott Blackerby
5. Detergents
From: Ken Silverwood
6. Re: Faux Shangri-las
From: Guy Lawrence
7. Re: BBC sound clip/faux Shangri-Las/Betty Barnes
From: Ian Chapman
8. Re: Shindig/Thomas Fritsch???
From: Mark Frumento
9. Superduper
From: Alan Gordon
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 22:40:59 +0000
From: Simon White
Subject: Hank Ballard
Sad to hear of Hank Ballard's passing ...without his version of
The Twist there would be no Chubby Checker, Cameo wouldn't have
gone in the direction they did which means no Dee Dee Sharp, Orlons
etc. The knock on effect of that is possibly no Gamble and Huff
and the repercussions of that are too awful to even think about!
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 23:20:02 -0000
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: The last train
Caught Terry Gross' 1993 interview with Hank Ballard this
morning. He talks about how he got the idea for "Finger Poppin'
Time" in a coffee shop (waitress asks man what time it is,
he snaps his finger and replies, "It's finger popping time!")
Cute! And R.I.P. Hank, we will all miss you a lot. "Work With
Me Annie"--another great R & R influence from the early 5Ts.
It occurred to me earlier today that "Last Train to Clarksville"
(written by Boyce & Hart, I think!) by The Monkees, one of the
biggest hit songs of the late sixties, is entirely a telephone
conversation (Now I must hang up the phone/I can't hear you in
this noisy railroad station....) Did anyone else think of that?
Checked out bnbnk's What Might Be Rock & Roll--an intriguing
collection! On one end of the spectrum he's got the mind-blowing,
wonderfully trippy "Journey To The Center of the Mind" and Tim
Buckley's mini-epic soul-folk poem, "I Never Asked To Be Your
Mountain", and on the other, Grand Funk's mundane, headache-
inducing "We're An American Band". Grand Funk BTW was a marvelous
group while they were still based in Detroit, but with the possible
exception of "Bad Time" (which arguably was fairly reminiscent of
their earlier work). I can't listen to, and really enjoy, anything
after '73. By re-making "The Loco-Motion" as a "heavy" tune,
IMHO they had completed their commercial sellout (in addition to
getting great royalty profit for its penners). Thank you bnbnk &
let's see some more of what "might be" rock and roll!!! I'm
already trying to come up with a few of my own.
Bobster
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 18:23:02 -0500
From: Doc Rock
Subject: What is rock and roll?
Rock and roll is the music that was popular when you were
in high school, if you were in high school after 1955.
Doc
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 18:38:44 EST
From: Scott Blackerby
Subject: Re: McCartney
Alan Goron said:
> But as great a bass player as Chris is, well, in my humble
> estimation, he's no McCartney. Paul had a far-reaching
> understanding of arrangement and production that did so
> much for his bass playing.
He really is a great bass player - even if he doesn't think
so himself. His bass patterns literally revolutionized rock.
Wish I'd kept my Hofner bass ...
Scott
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 23:48:18 -0800
From: Ken Silverwood
Subject: Detergents
Whilst listening to The Shirelles' "Soldier Boy", I realised
(as you do) that I had a copy of The Detergents' "Soldier Girl",
lurking in the dark recesses, so I played it to musica.
See what you think
Ken On The West Coast
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 05 Mar 2003 00:02:38 -0000
From: Guy Lawrence
Subject: Re: Faux Shangri-las
Taking the "radio play" concept one step further was "Memories
Of A High School Bride" by the Players which really was a mini
soap opera with music popping up every now and then. The whole
thing (it's not surprising to learn) was the product of Kim
Fowley's imagination.
Regards, Guy.
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Message: 7
Date: Wed, 05 Mar 2003 00:56:11 -0000
From: Ian Chapman
Subject: Re: BBC sound clip/faux Shangri-Las/Betty Barnes
Phil wrote re. the BBC website:
> Thanks all, found a neat audio clip of La La Brooks
> talking about "the mad recording technique of record
> producer Phil Spector."
That’s a clip from an interview with Charlotte Greig, taken
from her Radio 2 series "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow",
from, I think, 1990. It was a truly excellent six-part
series about girl-groups that followed on from Charlotte’s
book of the same title. Apart from LaLa Brooks, there were
also contributions from Nedra Talley, Barbara and Rosa Lee
of the Dixie Cups, Rosetta Hightower and Reparata, amongst
others.
Regarding faux Shangri-Las records, that sub-genre taken to
its ultimate must surely be Betty Barnes’ "Requiem (For A
Girl Born Of The Wrong Times)" on Kapp (’68), where we’re
given a sneering spoken commentary on the requiem mass for
the misunderstood local "bad girl" and the events leading up
to her demise: "Dig that crazy caddie – she never rode in
one of them before, it’s even got curtains on the back
door – and get a load of what’s goin’ on – you’d think
someone real important was gone. I remember when no-one gave
a darn". We’re led to believe this is spoken by a friend of
the dead girl, a fellow tearaway, when in a jarring
denouement, it turns out to be the girl herself, full of
regret, watching her own funeral. Despite the obvious
tongue-in-cheek element, it’s quite unsettling in its own
way!
Ian
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 05 Mar 2003 00:48:59 -0000
From: Mark Frumento
Subject: Re: Shindig/Thomas Fritsch???
Patrick Rands wrote:
> What a great site.
Shindig Magazine is real up and comer, I think. The fact that
Jon (Mills) opted to put reviews on-line in such a nice format
(rather than wait for the next issue of the magazine) is really
a good move on his part. I'm obviously appreciative of him
reviewing my CDRs but regardless of that he's got a good thing
going and I hope that everyone gets over to the site to check
out his excellent work.
> I went through a Thomas Fritsch phase many years ago when
> I got my hands on two of his albums.
You are a brave soul, Patrick! But just how and why does one go
through a Thomas Fritsch phase? Glad you said this was a few
years back or I'd be worried about you. ;>))
> Anyone know anything about this guy?
I can't offer any more information than can be gleaned from
comments by Mark W. He was apparently pretty well known in
Germany at the time Mark was asked to do arrangements for two
of his LPs. Nils Noboch was the producer and from the sound of
it quite a competent one at that. The recording facilities in
Germany must have been light years ahead of the US and UK because
the sound of the records is really amazing. As to the music, well,
I have a tough time with German language pop as it is.
There are several Mark Wirtz originals on the two LPs I have.
Most of them are not credited to Mark. Rudi Lindt took the credit.
In some cases its under other names.
Fritsch looks a little to me like Lou Christie but unfortunately
has none of the talent to go with it.
By the way, I think there is at least one CD in print on TF...
in Germany of course.
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Message: 9
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 16:47:54 -0800
From: Alan Gordon
Subject: Superduper
Don't know if the first one here qualifies, but:
"Superlungs My Supergirl" - Donovan and The Jeff Beck Group
"Braniacs Daughter" - XTC (mentions Supergirl)
peace,
albabe
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