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Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
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There are 22 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Jack Nitzsche at Spectropop update
From: Martin Roberts
2. The music on musica; Brian's productions; [Canadian] Esquires; more
From: Country Paul
3. Re: Spiral Starecase
From: James Botticelli
4. Re: Nanker Phelge
From: Steve Harvey
5. Soul & Inspiration; a few seminal records
From: Country Paul
6. Re: Suzie Creamcheese' conscience call
From: TD
7. Re: 4 Seasons On E-Bay
From: Stuart Robertson
8. Re: Cuff Links / Ronnie Dante
From: Dan Hughes
9. Re: Ask the Count 5
From: Paul Lewis
10. The Metropolitan Soul Show
From: Mike Edwards
11. Re: Bob Rashkow's Top 10
From: Mike Edwards
12. Nanker Phelge
From: Eddy Smit
13. Ann Sidney; Ellie Janov; phone songs; Lincoln Chase; Gene Pitney
From: Country Paul
14. 4 Seasons on Alanna
From: Kingsley Abbott
15. The Hooven-Winn-Smith axis
From: Charles G. Hill
16. "More Today Than Yesterday" in musica
From: Michael Edwards
17. Even less McCartney
From: Stratton Bearheart
18. Re: Nanker Phelge
From: Phil Milstein
19. Re: Ronnie Dante
From: Laura Pinto
20. Organ's R Us
From: Ken Silverwood
21. Re: Spiral Staircase/Brenda K. Starr
From: Simon White
22. Shirley Not!
From: Simon White
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 22:27:58 -0000
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: Jack Nitzsche at Spectropop update
The Fashions are playing on http://www.spectropop.com/JackNitzsche
- winners of the Record of the Week, with a very strong Jack Nitzsche
& Jackie DeShannon song, "Baby That's Me", better known by Lesley
Gore and The Cake. But this, the original recording, sure holds a
lot of charm.
Next weeks Battle of the Nitzsches promises to be a battle royal!
For those who haven't heard Bobby Day's "Another Country, Another
World", a super take on The Crystals gem, a treat that shouldn't
be missed. Only problem is that the competition is provided by
Emil O'Connor's obscure cover of Johnny Nash's "Some Of Your Lovin'".
So you lucky people two red-hot covers of Spector co-compositions
both featuring Darlene Love and her pals on vocal duty.
The Nitzsche Radio Page,
http://www.spectropop.com/JackNitzsche/jacknitzscheradio.htm
is this week playing the "Wall Of Sound" Jingle #3.
Does life get any better?
Martin
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2003 19:12:55 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: The music on musica; Brian's productions; [Canadian] Esquires; more
Re: Message 10,000 - I'm late with the well-wishes, so I'll
just thank YOU for the cool musica. I love the Nino Tempo -
"Pet Tempo!" Bonnie & The Treasures is also nice, but "Close
Your Eyes" is my favorite of hers so far, although I haven't
toured her song-poem repertoire yet! And the Reparata
track is a pleasure, although it cut out on me during what
seems like the final chorus. (Is that my computer's problem,
or musica's?)
Stratton Bearhart wrote:
> I agree with Mark Frumento that there is a discrepancy between
> the quality of Brian Wilson's creative output with The Beach
> Boys and some of the material he produced for others.
While agreeing with that comment, I disagree with your following
one that Brian put the _best_ outside production work into
American Spring. There are indeed some excellent moments, but
I also hear the full share of the master's touch in "Guess I'm
Dumb," "Pamela Jean," the absent-on-the-CD Wayne Newton (& the
Beach Boys) "Comin' On Too Strong" (also a Brian production and
a hit, wasn't it?) and my long-time fave "Sacramento." I wish
he'd spent more time on the Survivors' instrumental, "After The
Game," to my mind one of the most beautiful pre-Pet Sounds melodies
he ever recorded. In fact,I can hear it in my head done in 4/4
"Surf's Up" feeling, with lyrics, of course....
Richard Havers mentions Rupert Holmes. "Town Square" and "The
Old School" from his 1978 Private Stock LP, "Pursuit of Happiness"
(PS 7006) are a two-song suite I've always loved - beautiful,
yearning, ultimately life-affirming. And since I jumped ahead a
decade, let me jump back one to 1959 for a Jim Reeves' "He'll Have
To Go" (RCA), a million-plus #1 hit. I remember seeing him either
sing or lip-sync on TV while "on the phone" (it could have been on
Dick Clark's Saturday evening show). There's also the under-reissued
Orlons' "Don't Hang Up" (Cameo, 1962). And let's not forget that
mid-60s country weeper, "Yes, Mr. Peters" (Mercury), in which
Roy Drusky calls up his squeeze on the side (played by Priscilla
Mitchell)who answers, "Yes, Mr. Peters," allegedly to her boss.
Cute once - but it was actually a c&w hit.
Andres Jurak:
> [Donna Lynn] also had a single released only in Japan (I think)-
> A-Side. I Had A Dream I Was A Beatle
> B-Side. My Boyfriend Got A Beatle Haircut
> Record Number CR-1124
"Beatle Haircut" was actually a US hit 45 in 1964, spawning an
album of the same name. Both were on Capitol.
Someone mentioned "Superman's Song" (charted in Canada) by the
Crash Test Dummies. A masterpiece! There's a rare video of lead
singer Brad Roberts eulogizing Superman; the band members are the
mourners. Funny yet quite touching; worth seeking out.
Speaking of Canada, after 3 1/2 decades of looking, I just came
into a copy of The Esquires, "So Many Other Boys" (Capitol of
Canada, 1964). This wonderful-but-unknown song embodies the
Canadian link to the British invasion, about halfway through a
CD of unknown origin of Canadian hits from the late 50s to early
70s. One interesting conclusion I draw from listening through
the CD is that Canadians were listening to as much (or more)
British pop music as American long before "the invasion." To my
knowledge, it never made it to an album or other re-release. If
the Admin team can tell me how, I can try to play it to musica.
Rashkovsky: It's all rock and roll, like "classical" is all
classical. I'd apply the Supreme Court's comment on porn, "I know
it when I hear it." (Okay, so they said "see.") I fear even getting
into bottomless ocean of this discussion, and so won't - at least
now.
Country Paul
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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2003 20:03:49 -0500
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Spiral Starecase
Larry Lapka wrote:
> I think the confusion with Pat Upton's race stems from the
> fact that his daughter, Brenda K. Starr, is the result of a
> mixed marriage.
Trivia of the year award goes to Larry.
Who would EVER have known this?~
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2003 17:58:12 -0800 (PST)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Re: Nanker Phelge
Richard Havers:
> Why would there be a Nanker Phelge as well as a
> Jagger/Richards credit?
Why would were there be an L. Ransford as well as a
Nash/Clarke credit or an A.Smith/Bernard Webb as well
as a McCartney credit? Sometimes it's to cover up a writers'
identity (see Hilton Valentine's website and the story on
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"). Sometimes it's to see if a
song can sell on its own merit, there are a million reasons
why people do it.
If the royalties were going to everybody then why not just
list the Rolling Stones? Why only two names? Have you seen
a royalty statement with all five listed? You may be right,
but I've never heard of this before.
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Message: 5
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2003 19:32:36 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Soul & Inspiration; a few seminal records
Richard Hattersley:
> Who actually produced the Righteous Brothers' "Soul & Inspiration"?
From the label of a DJ copy of the original release: Prod: Bill Medley;
Arr. Bill Baker; Cond. Michael Patterson.
Can't rank 'em, but some personal seminal records:
Teddy Bears - Oh Why (not the first, but arguably the best; any will do)
Spectors Three - I Really Do (the "velvet wall of sound")
Clusters - Darling Can't You Tell (TeeGee, 1958 - Arlene Smith of the
Chantels overdubbed on top for a killer sophisticated sound)
Penguins - Earth Angel
Frankie Lymon & Teenagers - Why Do Fools (and any other uptempos_
Chantels - Maybe
Videos - Trickle Trickle
Dore [Herb] Alpert - Dina (A&M 714)
Procol Harum - Whiter Shade of Pale
Byrds - Turn Turn Turn
Duane Eddy - Rebel Rouser
Diamonds - Little Darlin'
Fiestas - So Fine
Fleetwoods AND Sandy Salisbury - Come Softly To Me
14 random ones, and I haven't even gotten going....
Country Paul
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Message: 6
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2003 21:44:45 -0500
From: TD
Subject: Re: Suzie Creamcheese' conscience call
Eddy asks,
> Isn't that Suzie's conscience there, rather than a phone
> conversation: "Suzie, this is the voice of your conscience..."
Dan:
> Jeez, Eddy, you are right!
> But I think her conscience is contacting her via telephone....
But on that same album is the fabulous "You Didn't Try To Call Me"
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Message: 7
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 03:19:18 -0000
From: Stuart Robertson
Subject: Re: 4 Seasons On E-Bay
What do you folks think of the album "Genuine Imitation Life
Gazette", I enjoy this album myself,good arrangements,and those
harmonies, I love the track Mrs Statelys Garden(correct title?)
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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2003 21:35:30 -0600
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Re: Cuff Links / Ronnie Dante
Peter:
> The album sleeve notes for "Tracy" however would have us
> believe that the Cuff Links were a "new pop group" with
> nine members. None of whom is pictured on the sleeve.
> However there is a young lady with a stripey shirt and
> blue jeans - wonder if she's Tracy? You mean I shouldn't
> believe that either?
But Peter, it's true that the front cover of the album has a
photo of a girl (Tracy?), but the back cover has a collage of
faces in a circle, each of them being Ron with a different
hairstyle/beard/mustache etc. If you didn't know, you probably
wouldn't realize that they are all the same guy.
--Dan
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Message: 9
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 05:04:00 +0000
From: Paul Lewis
Subject: Re: Ask the Count 5
Steve:
>Weren't Brenton Wood and the Count Five on the same
>label.
Yes they were both on a label called Double Shot Records which
I think came out of Los Angeles. In Australia they were on
Festival records. Thanks
Paul Lewis
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Message: 10
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 00:34:05 -0500
From: Mike Edwards
Subject: The Metropolitan Soul Show
Simon White writes:
> Under the new Marquis of Queensbury rules, two non-CD
> tracks will be "played to musica" on Monday following the
> show. I thank you."
Great idea, Simon. Let's hope the tracks make it this time.
I'm going to try and listen to the Show as it is broadcast
on Sunday afternoon in New York.
Good luck,
Mike
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Message: 11
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 00:43:54 -0500
From: Mike Edwards
Subject: Re: Bob Rashkow's Top 10
I would like to step up and second Bob on the following
superb choices:
1. The Letter - The Box Tops - Mala (1967).
3. Suspicion - Terry Stafford - (1964, Crusader)
5. Sun Ain't Gonna Shine- The Walker Brothers - 1966 (Smash).
6. Bend Me, Shape Me - The American Breed- 1968 (Acta)
9. No Fair At All - The Association - 1966 (Valiant)
You're just left wondering why did the era of the 45 have to end.
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Message: 12
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 10:06:39 +0100
From: Eddy Smit
Subject: Nanker Phelge
As requested.
Nanker Phelge songs :
Stoned
Now I've got a witness
Little by Little (NP-Phil Spector)
Andrew's blues (NP-Phil Spector)
I'm alright
Off the hook
Empty heart
2120 South Michigan Avenue
Stewed and keefed
Play with fire
We want the Stones
The under assistant west coast promotion man
The spider and the fly
Note that the "We want the Stones" chant by the concert crowd,
is also attributed to NP.
Stones co-authors :
As tears go by (J-R-Oldham)
Con le mie lacrime (J-R-Danpa)
Ventilator blues (J-R-Mick Taylor)
I'd much rather be with the boys (Richards-Oldham)
Black limousine (J-R-Wood)
No use in crying (J-R-Wood)
Everything is turning to gold (J-R-Wood)
If I was a dancer Pt 2 (J-R-Wood)
Pretty beat up (J-R-Wood)
One hit (to the body) (J-R-Wood)
Fight (J-R-Wood)
Back to zero (J-R-Chuck Leavell)
Dirty work (J-R-Wood) (these last 4 all on Dirty Work album !!)
Almost hear you sigh (J-R-Jordan)Anybody seen my baby (J-R-KD lang-
Mink) Thief in the night (J-R-De Beauport)
Note that Andrew Oldham disappears from the credits in Con le mie
lacrime, suggesting he only did (some) words for that one. Note that
Ron Wood totally disappears after the OD on Dirty Work. Of course the
most remarkable absentee is Sister Morphine, which is credited to J-R
only, but is nevertheless more or less accepted as a Marianne Faithfull
song.
Eddy
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Message: 13
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 01:57:20 -0500
From: Country Paul
Subject: Ann Sidney; Ellie Janov; phone songs; Lincoln Chase; Gene Pitney
John Frank:
> (who is still amazed that Ann Sidney's "The Boy In The Woolly
> Sweater" made it to at least #8 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
> Despite the bad review in "That Will Never Happen Again",
> I love it!)
John, you must have left when I came aboard, so hello. Not only
are names like "Mina" etc. bandied about knowingly, but yours
is the first mention of a song and artist only I thought I knew
about. I remember this record being "terminally cute" - but
liking it anyway. Any idea who she was and what happened?
And talking about one-off's on Capitol (which Ann Sidney recorded
for), Ellie Janov had an exceptional cover of (forgive the name)
Cat Stevens' "Portobello Road." Any background on this, please?
Phil Milstein:
> I hesitate to throw into the mix all the phone-number songs:
> "Beechwood 4-5789," etc.
Tommy Tutone had one in the '80s although I forget his number
(867-5309?). Then there's Steely Dan's "Rikki Don't Lose That
Number. And wasn't there a country song, "Trouble On The Line"
where the cheated-upon spouse is listening in on the extension?
(A recent Sawyer Brown song has the same title; don't know if
it's the same song.)
Richard Tearle: "Hello, How Are You?" was ELO, I believe (don't
remember the exact name of it - maybe "Mr. Blue Sky"?). And (maybe
Javed can help on this one) there was a French-Canadian song c.
1970 called "Le Telefon" (I don't remember the artist - he winds up
screaming at the end - but the 45 was on a dark green label).
I enjoyed the Shirley Ellis notes; thanks, Phil. I'd been curious
about Lincoln Chase, whose name I knew before Shirley's time in
the spotlight. AMG notes "Lincoln Chase is best-known for writing '
Jim Dandy' and 'Jim Dandy Got Married' for Lavern Baker and teaming
with his wife, Shirley Ellis, in the '60s to pen a string of entertaining
novelty tunes". Except that thanks to Phil, we know they weren't married.
BMI lists a total of 361 compositions, including "Such A Night," the
first-generation Drifters song. There were also two albums under his
own name: "Explosive Lincoln Chase" [Liberty, 1958] and "Lincoln Chase
& You" [Paramount, 1974]. Anyone heard his solo albums, especially the
1958 one?
Keith Beach re: Gene Pitney:
> Interesting stories about Phil Spector (his favourite track of
> his long career is "Every breath I take"). <
Phil's or Gene's? Count it as mine - it's still an incredibly powerful
track and possibly the best match for Gene's unique tenor. By the way,
for Pitney completists and r&b fans, if you ever see "The Hartford
Groups" album or CD on Relic, grab it - there are four Gene Pitney
doo-wop tracks where you'd swear he's channeling Clyde McPhatter!
RIP Hank Ballard. I did a recent side-by-side comparison, and Chubby
Checker's "Twist" was a note-for-note copy yet played somehow less
agressively. Chubby's version was dancing, but Hank's was indulging
in the original meaning of rock and roll!
Let's go, let's go, let's go,
Country Paul
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Message: 14
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 11:22:02 -0000
From: Kingsley Abbott
Subject: 4 Seasons on Alanna
That 4 Seasons on the Alanna label is not our boys.
Another earlier group on a one-off record, that isn't
particularly distinctive in any way. Save your money!
Kingsley
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Message: 15
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 10:43:36 -0600
From: Charles G. Hill
Subject: The Hooven-Winn-Smith axis
So saith Guy Lawrence:
>"Gimme Little Sign" and Wood's other hit "The Oogum Boogum Song"
>were both beautiful summery soul records. Anybody got any
>other credits on the writers - Smith, Hooven and Winn?
Hal Winn and Joe Hooven were the producers, and, I think, the owners
of the Double Shot label; Alfred Smith is Brenton Wood himself.
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Message: 16
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 18:16:04 -0000
From: Michael Edwards
Subject: "More Today Than Yesterday" in musica
Pat Upton has been the subject of a few write-ins recently.
"More Today Than Yesterday" was his most famous song, a #12
hit in 1969 for the group he led, Spiral Staircase. Here's a
disco revival from another Spectropop hero, Gary Criss, as
his version of "More Today Than Yesterday" is currently
playing in musica. It was recorded in Montreal and was issued
about two years after his success on the Salsoul label with
"Rio De Janeiro". Way back when, Gary gave us the original
version of "Our Favorite Melodies" (Diamond, 1962), which
has already been played in musica.
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Message: 17
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 19:03:04 -0000
From: Stratton Bearheart
Subject: Even less McCartney
Thanks Alan, fascinating post. and full of veracity!.
My thoughts move from McCartney to Paul Simon, who,I think,
emerged from a "folk tradition" and ventured into a far more
interesting harmonic territory than PM. (even if a little
boring!)
Stratton Bearhart.
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Message: 18
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 15:37:13 -0500
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Nanker Phelge
Thanks to Richard Havers for his list of Nanker-Phelge credits.
Interesting that about half of them are B-side-only tracks --
perhaps a clue to what the boys had in mind for that credit.
--Phil M.
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Message: 19
Date: Sun, 09 Mar 2003 00:20:52 -0000
From: Laura Pinto
Subject: Re: Ronnie Dante
David Coyle wrote:
> BTW, Ron Dante's video for "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies is
> still playing regularly on VH-1 Classic. It has Dante miming
> to the vocals and a chorus of Ron Dantes pretending to play
> the various instruments. Oddly enough, it kind of resembles
> David Cassidy's clip for "I Think I Love You".
Thanks for the heads-up on Ron's old "Sugar Sugar" clip being
shown on VH-1. I seldom watch TV anymore but I'll have to tune
in and look out for that one. I saw that clip for the first
time in 1971 on The Larry Kane Show; it was also the LAST time
I saw it until a couple of years ago via a clip on Ron's site.
I'd love to see it on my 25-inch TV rather than my 15-inch
computer monitor, on an audio/video system that shrinks the
picture down to a mere couple of inches!
Laura
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Message: 20
Date: Sun, 09 Mar 2003 01:14:06 -0800
From: Ken Silverwood
Subject: Organ's R Us
Phil Chapman wrote:
> Combo-Organs are characterised by a reedy electronic sound,
> as used on "96 Tears", "Light My Fire", "House Of The Rising
> Sun", although NOT "Telstar" or "Runaway", these were modified
> Claviolines (monohonic).
Hi Phil,
Wasn't the instrument on "Runaway" called a MUSITRON played
by a Max Crook who came up with the collection of notes which
lead into the vocal (note the technical data) (I just buy the
stuff). He also came up with a tune called "The Snake" under
the name Maximillian, which, if you were lucky, appeared on
the b-side of "Runaway" and made for a very collectable item,
but was also issued as a 45 in its own right. I think it came
out on London American in the UK, as did "Runaway", which is
still the best song to ride to at a fun fair, bar none.
I liked the Waltzers best.
Ken On The West Coast
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Message: 21
Date: Sun, 09 Mar 2003 01:22:19 +0000
From: Simon White
Subject: Re: Spiral Staircase/Brenda K. Starr
James Botticelli wrote:
> Brenda K. Starr, is the result of a mixed marriage.
Is this the same Brenda who did a wonderful record, "Satan,
Let Me Sleep Tonight"? It's on my wants list!
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Message: 22
Date: Sun, 09 Mar 2003 01:38:46 +0000
From: Simon White
Subject: Shirley Not!
Charles G. Hill wrote:
> Alfred Smith is Brenton Wood himself.
And also Alfred of Shirley and Alfred - Shirley of course
is Shirley Goodman of Shirley and Lee and Shirley & Co
["Shame Shame Shame"].
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End
