________________________________________________________________________
______________ ______________
______________ ______________
______________ S P E C T R O P O P ______________
______________ ______________
________________________________________________________________________
Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are 16 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. The Montanas
From: Rob Stride
2. Re: Gordian Knot
From: Scott
3. Re: Fake Merseybeat
From: Steve
4. Re: Brill Building Comic Srip
From: David Feldman
5. Re: American Breed: 45 vs CD
From: Nick Archer
6. Today's your birthday!
From: Country Paul
7. Lesley Gore
From: Stuffed Animal
8. Sounds on the web
From: Steve
9. Re: Moulty and Hooke
From: James Botticelli
10. Re: Moulty and Hooke
From: Dan Hughes
11. Rose Garden, Montanas
From: Bob Rashkow
12. Re: American Dreams
From: David Coyle
13. Re: The Cryan Shames
From: David Coyle
14. Re: American Breed: 45 vs CD
From: Guy Lawrence
15. Cranking up the speed
From: Charles G. Hill
16. Re: The Beatles Anthology
From: David Coyle
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 00:23:52 -0000
From: Rob Stride
Subject: The Montanas
Ive recently got hold of some stuff by the "Montanas". A five piece
from Dudley UK.They released 9 singles in the USA, and 9 in the UK.
but they werent always the same releases in each Country, They
covered The Four Seasons "I'm Gonna Change" and did and excellent job.
thier Music was outright POP and had some nice Keyboard parts
(Harpsichord I think) and fantastic Harmonies.The song That gained a
lot of interest in the States was "You've Got To Be Loved" not unlike
Kieth's 98.6. But unfortunately they never made the charts in either
country.But they did make a few classics including " A Step in the
Right Direction". "Run to Me" & "Ciao Baby". If you havent heard them
and love good crisp quality POP i suggest you check them out. If you
do know anything about them i'd love to hear from you as i would like
to know what happend to the members of the band after they split in
69'. And if any of them remained in the Music Business as they were
very talented.
The Names of the Band are
John Jones - Lead Vocal
Will Hayward - Lead Guitar
Terry Rowley - Guitar & Keyboard
Jake Elcock - Bass
Graham Crew - Drums (65-67)
Graham Hollis - Drums (67-69)
I would be grateful for any information.
Thanks Rob Stride
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sun, 06 Apr 2003 22:18:13 EDT
From: Scott
Subject: Re: Gordian Knot
Patrick Rands writes:
> I would take any reviews from Bad Cat Records with a grain of salt.
Hopefully you take all reviews with a grain of salt. What's the old
saying? Opinions (and reviews) are like a**holes - everyone has one...
> They have a knack of pumping lp prices up while knocking the lps
> down. Sure the Gordian Knot lp isn't the best record in the world,
> but it's got its moments. I doubt it's worth $25 though. >>
I was curious and looked for this LP on the GEMM website. Found two
copies - one for $40.00 and one for $35.00. Relatively speaking, the
$25.00 price would seem to be a steal.
> They also knocked the Canterbury Music Festival lp and sold it for
> $350 - and that lp is super fine.
I didn't think the review was that critical since it says some nice
things about the LP. The price is high, but as far as I can tell, this
is an exceptionally rare album and this copy is in great shape. I
couldn't locate a second copy anywhere on the web ...
So why do I care one way or the other? Well, 'cause I wrote the two
reviews.
Scott
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 12:25:02 -0000
From: Steve
Subject: Re: Fake Merseybeat
There were plenty of European fakes... The Rattles, for example, were
huge in germany. Not to be confused with The Ruttles...the spoof band
in the late 1970s. There were several others in Scandinavia but the
German connection is best. Many of the original Star Club recordings
are available and some feature these groups. It is always good fun
hearing the Searchers, The Beatles etc attempt German! Some wonderful
german cover versions have just been released including The Supremes,
Dusty, Pitney, Searchers, Swinging Blue Jeans and others ... You may
know that Connie francis sang in German, but how about Lesley Gore!!
Also if anyone likes the Spector Sound, check out the french band Les
Surfs - re issues now out. Some of their versions (in French) of the
wall of Sound are great.
Steve
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 10:37:14 -0500
From: David Feldman
Subject: Re: Brill Building Comic Srip
> Can't open the comic strip!!! Help
Try http://www.richardgagnon.com/1619_Broadway.pdf
and be patient -- it can be very slow to load but well worth the wait.
Dave Feldman
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Sun, 06 Apr 2003 19:09:34 -0500
From: Nick Archer
Subject: Re: American Breed: 45 vs CD
> So hold on to those 45s, and has anyone got a pristine version of
> the American Breed's Acta 45 they can loan me?
I think that this was more common than not. Sometimes labels speed up
records to make them sound better before release. Maybe the original
was the slow one.
I remember getting the Gunhill Road LP, and "Back When My Hair Was
Short" wasn't even on the same planet. And wasn't Gerry Rafferty's
"Baker Street" sped up on its U.S. release? I recall a lot of
disappointed people when they bought the greatest hits CD.
Nick Archer
Want to hear 70's songs from Gene Pitney, Jackie DeShannon, Paul
Anka, Carole Bayer Sager, Larry Henley, Leslie Duncan, Mark Lindsay,
and more great pop? Check out Nashville's classic SM95 on the web at
http://www.live365.com/stations/nikarcher
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 14:30:20 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: Today's your birthday!
Apropos of nothing, a friend sends me lists of this stuff periodically, and
today's (April 7th) birthdays include an interesting cross-section:
1908 - Percy Faith
1915 - Billie Holliday (real name: Eleanora Fagan!)
1920 - Ravi Shankar
1938 - Gov. Jerry Brown of California (credited by his source as "Linda
Ronstadt's boyfriend")
1943 - Mick Abrahams (Jethro Tull)
1943 - Spencer Dryden (Jefferson Airplane)
1946 - Bill Kreutzman (Grateful Dead)
1952 - Bruce Gary (Knack)
And an event worth noting (if you accept the basic premise that prior
freeform shows don't count):
1967 - Progressive Rock radio begins at KMPX-FM, San Francisco
Country Paul
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 14:14:25 +0000
From: Stuffed Animal
Subject: Lesley Gore
Lesley Gore recently hosted a segment of the gay and lesbian newsmagazine
"In The Life," which airs once a month on selected PBS stations. She
introduced a feature on lesbian novelist Ann Bannon . . . with her hit "You
Don't Own Me" playing in the background! Petula Clark has also appeared on
this program (an episode celebrating the 25th anniversary of Stonewall, if I
remember correctly).
Stuff
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 12:15:32 -0000
From: Steve
Subject: Sounds on the web
Just joined. can anyone help suggest sites where one can hear
tracks. Got the Kathy Young track. I found some great sounds on site
below - dowop and what we call "popcorn" pop in europe. i am sure
this may be of interest. But how can one even buy these CDs? A google
search proves fruitless!
http://www.maronis-world.de/Seiten/mp3-demos.htm
Steve
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Sun, 06 Apr 2003 19:37:05 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Moulty and Hooke
Dan Hughes wrote:
> Has anyone ever seen Moulty and J.C. Hooke together??
Never! But anecdotally, Moulty ran a small record label in the early 80's
that was re-issuing New England garage rock groups from the 60's. I think it
folded. I once saw The Barbarians open for Vanilla Fudge at Irwin Gardens at
Lake Winnepausaukee, New Hampshire. They opened with a cover of the Stones'
"She Said Yeah". They were louder than God before Blue Cheer. This was '68
when Fudge packed in crowds and the Barbarians were at the end of their
career. Moulty wasn't handicapped by that hook.
JB/"I found that I loved music, so I learned to play the drums"
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 14:14:22 -0500
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Re: Moulty and Hooke
James Botticelli:
> I once saw The Barbarians open for Vanilla Fudge at Irwin
> Gardens at Lake Winnepausaukee, New Hampshire. They opened
> with a cover of the Stones' "She Said Yeah".
James, I bought the Barbarians album when it came out, and I
was sorely disappointed in all respects. Lots of garage band
covers done quite poorly. I actually took it back to the store
for a refund! (You could do that in those days). Shoulda'
kept it--it's probably worth a fortune now!
---Dan
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 15:39:13 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Rose Garden, Montanas
Didn't "Here Today" actually show up on the 'Next Plane To
London' LP? Would love to get the 45 that never got on there,
all the same. Jeff G, this is same title different song from
the Brian Wilson composition, right? BTW the LP has some good
things, it's basically more folksy than NPTL which was just a
wonderful pop record. "I'm Only 2nd" is a great tune, and they
give Giant Sunflower a run for their money on "February Sunshine"
while "Flower Town", e.g., is pure folk.
The Montanas charted in the US with the marvelous "You've Got
To Be Loved".....but not nearly as high as it should have.
Whoever hasn't heard it, go for it, it's a supreme example of
the sunniest of sunshine-pop from here or across the Atlantic.
Irresistible harmonies! :--)))
Bobster
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 13:32:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Coyle
Subject: Re: American Dreams
I tried to get into last night's episode of the show,
but found myself going back and forth to "Rain Man".
Whoever did the Brenda Holloway scene, singing "Every
Little Bit Hurts," was pretty good, but I was thrown
by the girl in the folk club singing "Dream A Little
Dream Of Me" just like Mama Cass Elliott (in 1964?).
Who was she supposed to be that Mama Cass MUST HAVE
been inspired to use her arrangement??
What gets me is all the conversation that goes on in
the bleachers during the "taping" of the "show". Even
with the performers miming their performances, I doubt
kids could have gotten away with talking during the
show. Seems Dick Clark ran a pretty tight ship.
All in all, I doubt Clark realizes that there are
people out there who watch this show, going: "Wait a
minute, this song wasn't recorded until 1965, why is
it playing on a show that's obviously set before
Beatlemania??"
I have been watching a lot of "Whose Line Is It
Anyway", and heard that Wayne Brady was going to be
portraying Jackie Wilson on an upcoming episode of
"Dreams". That guy can sing, and I'd bet he not only
would have the voice down, but the moves. How could a
person play Jackie Wilson and just stand there? Brady
is great at the more musical moments in "Whose Line.."
-- brilliant improv comedian and musical mimic...
David
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 13
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 14:09:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Coyle
Subject: Re: The Cryan Shames
"It's called 'Out Of This Place We've Gotten To
Get'..."
The Cryan Shames are definitely an underrated '60s
band. All of the Sundazed reissues are worth picking
up, although "A Scratch In The Sky" is the best of
their three albums. Their debut LP is a notch above a
lot of other "'60s garage" albums (many of which were
one-offs as opposed to debuts). Definitely good at the
Beatles/Byrds sound. Of the original tracks, "I Wanna
Meet You" is definitely an infectious teen-popper,
while "Ben Franklin's Almanac" blends vocal group
harmonies with Kinks-like guitar rhythms.
"Sugar And Spice" is a classic, of course, but a case,
I think, of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". I still
prefer the Searchers original (written by Tony Hatch,
wasn't it?). The standout track on the second album is
easily "It Could Be We're In Love", which is up there
with "I Will Always Think About You" by the New Colony
Six as a Chicago-bred ballad of the first order.
David
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 14
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 22:57:08 +0100
From: Guy Lawrence
Subject: Re: American Breed: 45 vs CD
Wasn't it Joe Meek who said there'd never been a track
recorded that couldn't do with a bit of speeding up?
Guy.
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 15
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 17:24:53 -0500
From: Charles G. Hill
Subject: Cranking up the speed
Michael Edwards observed:
> Many many years ago I threw away my well played copy of the
> American Breed's 45, "Bend Me Shape Me" and purchased the album,
> named after this hit tune. I never became comfortable with the
> version of "BMSM" on this album, as it seemed to lack the urgency
> I was used to with the 45.
What is claimed to be the mono 45 version shows up, oddly, on
another Varese disc - "Dick Bartley Presents Collector's Essentials:
On the Radio, Volume Three". Says Bartley in the notes:
"[W]here the mono single had punch and power (and was considerably
"speeded up" for radio airplay), the stereo LP version seemed slow,
limp and lifeless."
Interestingly, this version runs 2:16; I can't swear to it, but
I think it fades later than the 45. It's certainly faster than
the two-track mix that's been widely circulated.
Didn't Andy Kim complain that Jeff Barry (or someone) speeded up
his Steed material?
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 16
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 13:06:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Coyle
Subject: Re: The Beatles Anthology
Not only was the "Anthology" video set an expanded
version of what was shown on ABC, but there was quite
a bit of fancy editing done in the process of
expansion. A lot of commentary had revised running
order, although everything that was on the TV version
appears in the VHS version.
Besides the 5th DVD of bonus footage, there was a bit
of tweaking done for the soundtrack of the
"Anthology". The big difference for me is noticeable
during the segment that shows the Beatles performing
"Some Other Guy" live in the Cavern Club. When the
"Anthology" was first aired and then released on
video, there was a definite glitch in the sound at one
point, which is not evident in the DVD version. It
really adds to the clip, which is the definitive
Cavern film of the early Beatles.
There's no additional archival footage on the fifth
disc, but the footage of the surviving Beatles jamming
on old rock standards, and an unreleased McCartney
song, is priceless. In addition, you get George Martin
and the Beatles in Abbey Road, listening to old tapes,
particularly one of the legendary first take of
"Tomorrow Never Knows". Fascinating.
All in all, it's a better set than it was because of
the fifth disc. More Beatles is a good thing.
David
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
End
