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Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
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There are 16 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: The Five Emprees
From: Clark Besch
2. Re: The Tourettes
From: Mike Rashkow
3. Re: Song Search
From: Steve Harvey
4. Carol Connors
From: John Frank
5. Re: Tony Hatch & Buddy Greco
From: Mick Patrick
6. A Christmas Gift For You
From: Guy Lawrence
7. Platters that Mattered?
From: Billy G Spradlin
8. Re: Linda Laurie/Land ... Lost
From: Phil Milstein
9. Eva and Emitt... a loverly couple
From: Alan Gordon
10. Re: Johnny Nash
From: Bill Craig
11. The one and only Lesley
From: Alan Gordon
12. Danny Valentino
From: David Bell
13. Re: Song Search
From: Richard Havers
14. Johnny Nash--voiceovers?!
From: Bob Rashkow
15. Little Eva
From: Simon White
16. Re: Platters that Mattered?
From: James Botticelli
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 06 May 2003 15:01:27 -0000
From: Clark Besch
Subject: Re: The Five Emprees
David Coyle wrote:
> There is supposed to be a CD coming out on Arf Arf of
> the Five Emprees complete recordings. Don't know when
> or if it's actually out yet.
Good news and bad news on the 5 Emprees CD. Erik at Arf!Arf!
emailed me mid-April that they are definitely doing the CD,
but it will not be out till the end of the year. In the
meantime, "Little Miss Sad" is only available on CD on a
Rock 'N Roll Roots CD that Bob Stroud and WDRV-FM in Chicago
put out thru Borders in Chicago. However, it is a vinyl
transfer.
Altho' the 5 Emprees' small amount of recorded music has some
clinkers, they have some great songs too, in my opinion.
Certainly, "Little Miss Sad" is a classic. Then, the follow-
up, "Hey Baby" (Bruce Channel tune) is basically the Hollies
doing the tune--it's that close! It also charted on WLS!
If you thought the Buckinghams could sound like the Hollies,
listen to this record. No comparison! Also, the take-off,
"Little Miss Happiness" is a good one. And from Smash (the
others are on Freeport label), "Gone From My Mind" (Fortunes
also did great job on this one - Geoff Stephens wrote it) is
really good too!
"Little Miss Sad" came out originally by the 5 Empressions on
Freeport, but to avoid confusion (would that really be a problem
here?) with Chicago's Impressions, they changed it to the 5
Emprees. If I remember correctly, WLS Chicago listed it as by
5 Empressions for the first week or two it charted there.
Anyway, many assume the original label is hardest to find, but
I think the 5 Empressions is almost as common as the 5 Emprees
label. Their album also thanks Art Roberts or Clark Weber for
WLS help in getting them going. The Billboard review of the
album lists a stereo and mono number. I have yet to see a
stereo copy of this album. Anyone have one? Is it really
stereo?
Anyway, hope this helps. I cheerfully anticipate this release
as many of you do. Hopefully with bonus cuts!!
Clark
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 06 May 2003 20:43:02 EDT
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: The Tourettes
> Bill Craig (Kevin Rinaldo)
Which is your real name?
Like the name game--what would you call a band of dwarfs
that never sound like Bing Crosby--The Nogroans.
Rashkovsky
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 06 May 2003 18:34:42 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Re: Song Search
"Reds and yellows, blues and greens" - that bit is an old
kids' song I can remember my mother singing to me as a wee
lad. The title of the tune is "I Can Sing A Rainbow". I
think it was incorporated into the Dells' tune, but it's not
originally from there.
Kinda like Bowie using "Lavender Blue" to intro one of
his tunes.
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 06 May 2003 21:49:01 -0700
From: John Frank
Subject: Carol Connors
Country Paul: Thanks for the fabulous interview with Carol
Connors that's now on the website! You both seemed to have
a great rapport -- you asked all the right questions and she
gave honest answers.
Never thought I'd say this and really mean it, but "Thanks
for sharing.". (Loved the fact that the Teddy Bears were in
an elevator with Fidel and Che! How surreal!)
Is there a good Teddy Bears compliation available? I think
it's high time I heard more. I do have some of Carol's solo
releases, and I've heard other Teddy Bears' stuff ... once,
in the far, distant past. The interview makes me want to
listen to them again.
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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 08:08:46 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: Tony Hatch & Buddy Greco
Frank asked:
> Mick, could you ask Tony Hatch about his work with Buddy
> Greco when he was recording in the UK?
Hi Frank,
To my knowledge, Tony Hatch wrote or co-wrote some six songs
for Buddy Greco, namely:
Maggi
I Could Be The One
I Know Where I Belong
Moving On
Baby Lean On Me
If I Could Live My life Again
I'm no expert on Greco's releases but I know the last two titles
were released on a UK Pye single in 1973. Presumably the other
four were album tracks. I asked Tony about Buddy and his reply
follows. Take it away Mr. Hatch........
> I don't recall how Buddy Greco and I got together but I think
> Pye wanted to sign him or already had him under contract and
> asked me to produce. Phil Coulter also produced records with
> Buddy but I can't remember if that was before or after I
> worked with him.
>
> We got on very well. Two musicians with similar tastes. It must
> have been about 1973 because I recall that as being the year of
> writing and producing the first version of the stage musical
> "The Card" and Buddy wanted to record a couple of songs from
> the show. They were "I Could Be The One" and "Moving On".
> Jackie and I also wrote "I Know Where I Belong" and "Lean On Me"
> specifically for him but I can't find "Maggi" or "If I Could
> Live My Life Again" in my catalogue. As I've said before, this
> doesn't mean that we didn't write those songs - just the
> cataloguing system is wrong. I thought Buddy wrote all or part
> of "Maggi" as a tribute to someone in his life at the time.
> Maybe I helped him.
>
> The sessions were all held at EMI except for a wonderful live
> album made at Joe Pullen's Talk Of The North in Eccles. The
> sound is incredible.
>
> Buddy was great to work with - very easy and the musicians
> appreciated him as well. I think the only problem we had was
> that both of us wanted to make him more quality pop than jazz
> (for which he was better known) and I think it was difficult to
> make the crossover.
>
> We did manage to socialise occasionally and went to all his UK
> shows whenever he was touring. We keep in touch (vaguely) and in
> 1996 when I produced the Variety Club International Convention
> in Las Vegas (where he lives) he gladly agreed to perform a half
> hour show with a big band at one of the dinners attended by about
> 500 people. He was sensational and said lots of nice things about
> me.
Further recollections from Tony Hatch to follow. More questions,
anyone?
Mick Patrick
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 13:58:23 +0100
From: Guy Lawrence
Subject: A Christmas Gift For You
Unseasonable I know but I've just realised that I have a
spare sealed copy of the Wall Of Sound's "Tribute To Phil
Spector" CD discussed at length here last xmas.
Anyone want to swap it for a CDR? Please contact off-list.
Guy
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 06 May 2003 22:22:47 -0000
From: Billy G Spradlin
Subject: Platters that Mattered?
Jimmy B wrote:
> ... That song is a Top 10 on the Jimmy Bee Spectropop
> Platters that Mattered. What are the chords? ....
Never heard of this - can anyone reprint that "Platters that
Mattered" list or is it online on the Spectropop website?
Playin' catch-up again Billy
NP: Reparata & The Delrons - "It's Waiting There For You"
(sweet record!)
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 23:37:31 -0400
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Linda Laurie/Land ... Lost
Scott wrote:
> ...Linda Laurie could not have sung the original "Land of
> the Lost" theme, as it was the voice of Wesley Eure, the
> actor who played Will on the show.
>
> Perhaps she did her own version of the song, which was
> rejected in favor of the one used.....
Now that you mention it, I believe she did hers for the second
version of the series.
--Phil M.
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Message: 9
Date: Tue, 06 May 2003 19:05:44 -0700
From: Alan Gordon
Subject: Eva and Emitt... a loverly couple
From Rob Stride:
> As for the "old enough to kill but not for votin"...
> Nothing has changed in the UK under our strange antiquated
> system. You can marry and have children, work and pay taxes,
> die for your country but are still not allowed to buy a beer
> or Vote! Democracy, don't you just wish that there was some?
Maybe you need to write new lyrics to update "Eve of..." Kinda
like Allan Sherman... kidding. In all seriousness, isn't it
amazing how world-wise a lot of us (including myself) think we
are. I had no idea those were the stats for voting and beer in
England. Just look at our last election to see what happens
when you put those two together. I hear pretzels can be pretty
deadly too.
From Clark Besch re Emitt:
> His song recorded in 1981 that got on the Varese "Listen,
> Listen" CD sounded more like Gino Vanelli than Emitt Rhodes.
> Emitt don't come back unless you give us the Beatlesque pop
> we heard in '71.
I think the one "newer" song on Varese's "Best of Emitt...,"
"Isn't It So" is pretty groovy, and I'm not a Gino Vanelli fan
in the least. It says it was recorded in 1980. It's interesting
to see where he was musically in contrast to the Punk/New Wave
stuff that was becoming popular at that time.
I really don't mean to be snide but, as for Emitt doing the same
ol' "Beatlesque pop we heard in '71..." well I would hope you
wouldn't mind if he actually progressed as an artist. The
Beatles certainly did, and look what they turned out.
As for the info about his demos. It's still sorta mentioned on
his site...
http://users2.ev1.net/%7Ekryan73/emitt/emittstory.html
...and as I mentioned before, it was also mentioned in a recent
issue of I.C.E. I have no idea where they picked it up, but I'll
call Peter and see if he remembers. Hopefully it's a result of
some new interaction with Emitt.
peace, love, peter max, santana,
albabe
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Message: 10
Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 03:26:14 -0000
From: Bill Craig
Subject: Re: Johnny Nash
I seem to recall that the first time I heard Johnny Nash
was his singing of the theme song for the cartoon series
"Hercules" in the early '6os.
Can someone verify this or did I dream it?
Bill Craig
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 08 May 2003 13:03:30 -0700
From: Alan Gordon
Subject: The one and only Lesley
I forgot who posted the Lesley Gore toons to the site, but
whoever you are, thank you so much.
These are great. "The Golden Couple" and "Come Softly To Me"
are tremendous! "Come Softly..." is really spectacular.
Lesley's voice just perches itself on top of the arrangement
like a glistening angel on a Christmas tree.
Do you know who any of the other voices are? Do you know
anything about the other performers, or about the live gig?
Why wasn't this on the box set???!!!
Sorry... I become somewhat overzealous when it comes to Ms.
Gore. I remember watching her perform on some tv show way
back when I was just a lad. I recollect lying on my belly
on my bed, my elbows under my chest dug into my blankets,
with my hands under my chin holding my head up... and just
sighing over her sexy eyebrows.
I'm probably in the minority here, but I love the jazzy stuff
she does with a small band on the Bear Family box set. Just
Lesley and a tiny cadre of jazzy players.
I was watching an episode from one of the X-Files box sets
the other night, and I was trying to figure out who Agent
Scully reminded me of, when she didn't look like she was
shaking off an all-nighter(?) Then it hit me...
So... in the Lesley Gore story, how about Gillian Anderson?
Hugh Grant for Mike Smith in the Dave Clark 5 Story, and
Gillian for Lesley?
I'm collecting these y'know.
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Message: 12
Date: Thu, 08 May 2003 16:09:57 EDT
From: David Bell
Subject: Danny Valentino
This guy is a complete mystery to me but someone here must
know something about him.
It started with a tease from my friend, Malcolm, who fed me
the line that he is Connie Francis' cousin. As I said, I'd
never heard of this singer and then, looking through an old
1960 edition of Billboard (as you do) I came across an MGM
45 by him.
Then Malcolm goes to his Danny Valentino box and tells me he
recorded a song "Till The End Of Forever" written by LaMarge/
Franklin/FRANCIS. It was published by Francon Music, a Connie
F company.
Another recording was "Biology" written by Edwards and Wayne
and published this time by Frank Music.
Is Malcolm pulling my leg about this guy? Is he Connie's cousin?
Is "Wayne" Artie Wayne? Someone in this group is gonna give me
all the answers, I know!
David.
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 08 May 2003 22:29:03 +0100
From: Richard Havers
Subject: Re: Song Search
Steve Harvey wrote:
> "Reds and yellows, blues and greens" - that bit is an old
> kids' song I can remember my mother singing to me as a wee
> lad.
That's what I thought Steve....but the person who posted says
she has listened to that, on my prompting, and it isn't the one!.
The search continues....
Richard
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 16:34:54 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Johnny Nash--voiceovers?!
The music of Johnny Nash is currently being discussed.
(Don't forget "Steeer It Up", his follow-up to "I Can See
Clearly Now" which I always liked better!)
In addition to all of his collectible sixties records, great
pop with a tinge of country, ska, and reggae in it, Nash is
the voice heard singing the opening and closing credits of
the old Trans-Lux syndicated television cartoon, HERCULES,
which those of us who are old enough to remember was on during
the mid 6Ts; that was the first time I heard of Nash until his
wonderful hit, "Hold Me Tight".
By the time he scored with "Clearly Now", I was somewhat more
familiar with his career.
--Bobster
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 08 May 2003 00:51:45 +0100
From: Simon White
Subject: Little Eva
Can some kind soul tell us what alternate versions of Little
Eva tracks were released and in what form ? I think Mr Patrick
put at least one on a CD comp.
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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 08 May 2003 17:42:11 -0400
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Platters that Mattered?
Billy G Spradlin wrote:
> Never heard of this - can anyone reprint that "Platters that
> Mattered" list or is it online on the Spectropop website?
Sorry Billy, that is just an expression for "Rekkids I Like".
There is no Listus Officialus except in the echoes of our
collective minds where the sun isn't shinin' through the
pouring rain.
JB
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