________________________________________________________________________
SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
________________________________________________________________________
There are 12 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Question on The Groop
From: Art Longmire
2. Valley of the Dolls
From: Matt Howell
3. Sire discography
From: Doug
4. Re: Roemans; Connie Francis; John Kongos; Dennis Wilson; more
From: Billy G. Spradlin
5. Mea Culpa Sorta
From: David Feldman
6. More news and notes
From: Country Paul
7. Re: Laura Nyro
From: David Feldman
8. changes @ yahoo - fyi
From: Country Paul
9. John Kongos - Three Degrees
From: Eddy Smit
10. Roemans
From: Kingsley Abbott
11. Re: Jaedes Album 1969
From: Frederick Blackmon
12. "Stoney End" request
From: Frank Youngwerth
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 22:49:33 -0000
From: Art Longmire
Subject: Question on The Groop
Thanks, Keith, for posting the album contents for the Groop -
I've got to try to track down my 45 by the band-god knows
where it is!
I noticed that a majority of the songs were written by
Jeffrey Comanor. That name seemed familiar to me and, as I
recall, Comanor wrote several songs for the Fifth Dimension
on their "Stoned Soul Picnic" LP ("Bobbie's Blues" and "The
Sailboat Song"). He wasn't a member of this group by any
chance, was he? Probably not, but I'm curious!
Checking the internet, I found his website (Comanor is now
a doctor and children's author) and it did mention that he
contributed songs to the Midnight Cowboy film, but the article
didn't go into any detail about his musical career.
Thanks for the tip-off that Aileen Thomas went under another
name while with The Groop-I found it interesting that the group
members weren't aware of an album of their material being issued
back in 1969.
Art Longmire
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 2
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 20:37:27 -0000
From: Matt Howell
Subject: Valley of the Dolls
I may be wrong, but I think there were some questions on here
some time back regarding the availability of the soundtrack to
'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls'. I was browsing for 60s
EuroSpy/SuperHero movies at http://www.trashpalace.com/new.htm
and saw they are selling a recent version on CD and gatefold
vinyl.
Matt
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 3
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 23:49:08 -0000
From: Doug
Subject: Sire discography
All this talk about Sire made me go dig out my back issues of
Who Put The Bomp (or just Bomp! later on), to find the story
they ran on the Sire label in issue #20 (January 1979).
I was going to type out the (nearly complete) discography, but
it's too big. So I think I'll just list the different series
numbers and who distributed them at the time of release. These
are supposed to be in chronological sequence.
4101 to at least 4121 (distributed by London)
350 to at least 358 (distributed by Polydor)
5001 to at least 5003 (distributed independently)
701 to 713 (distributed by Famous Music)
714 to at least 746 (distributed by ABC)
1001 to 1032 (the latest release at the time) (distributed by WB)
A few of the labels early highlights:
4101 to 4121 - includes the Strangloves, Freddie Cannon and
the Nebraska band the Rumbles LTD. with "Push Push", a great
bubblepunk tune. "Honey Do" by the Strangeloves, the second
release by the label (#4102), made #120 on the Bubbling Under
charts on 11/23/68.
350 to 358 - the Mixtures "Pushbike Song" (#350), which made
#44 in 1971.
5001 to 5003 - the previously mentioned "Somethings Gone" by
the Jam (not, of course, the later UK punk band).
701 to 713 - some Cliff Richard singles and the labels first
big hit "Hocus Pocus" (#704) by Focus, which made #9 in 1973.
714 to 746 - singles by Renaissance, Chilliwack, Stackridge
and their next big hit, "Couldn't Get It Right" (#736) by the
Climax Blues Band, which made #3 in 1977. Also in this group
were the first singles by the Ramones, the Talking Heads and
a Flamin' Groovies classic, "I Can't Hide."
1001 to 1032 - Mostly "new wave" by this point, with releases
by the Ramones, the Talking Heads, Richard Hell, Radio Birdman,
the Dead Boys, the Tuff Darts, Plastic Bertrand, etc.
A great, long running record label!
Doug
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 4
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 22:33:18 -0000
From: Billy G. Spradlin
Subject: Re: Roemans; Connie Francis; John Kongos; Dennis Wilson; more
Phil Milstein:
> I've never heard his "Pacific Ocean Blue" album. Is any of
> it half as good as "Lady"/"Fallin' In Love"? Is it available
> on CD?
It was issued by CBS/Epic back in the early 90's along with
all of the Brother catalog. I found my copy at a Camelot Record
discount bin for 4.99! Excellent album.
Billy
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 5
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 22:35:03 -0400
From: David Feldman
Subject: Mea Culpa Sorta
Susan wrote:
> Janis Ian with "Society's Child" and all that came after?
David Feldman:
> I knew someone would bring up Janis Ian! Yes, Janis was younger
> than Laura Nyro, but I don't think there's any comparison in the
> quality of the music or the sophistication.
Bill Craig:
> I'm with you David. Taking nothing away from Janis Ian, I can't
> think of too many artists of any age who seamlessly synthesized
> their influences (Girl Groups, Doo-wop, Soul, Jazz) and created
> a completely unique musical and lyrical universe, the way that
> Laura did.
I apologize to all if my comments about Janis Ian seemed harsh.
No one complained, but when I saw my post in print, *I* found it
annoying.
DF, who still hasn't figured out how to picnic (I confess)
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 6
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 22:50:39 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: More news and notes
Re: "I'm Into Something Good": I always preferred the Earl-Jean
version - sly, sexy, and perfect chord change in the chorus on
"told him I could". The Hermits were just too darned clean for
the song! (Of course, they did have their strengths - "My
Reservation's Been Confirmed" rocks with the best of 'em, for
example.)
Michael Coxe wrote about the Twinn Connexion. Any chance of a
track showing up on musica?
Speaking of musica, I love the Billy Mitchell track ["You Know
I Do"]. What drugs was Jeff Barry on? :-) It's insane, but
wonderful. Obviously not a hit, but way cool anyway. When you
get a chance, Stuff, can you please play "Short Skirts" as well?
Also, Eddie Rambeau's "Summertime Guy" is super - should've been
up there in Hitland with Freddy Cannon's "Palisades Park".
Steve Harvey:
> Safaris - Summer Nights (I thought it was the surf band, but
> it was doo wop)....
> Shelby Flint - Angel On My Shoulder promo
The Safaris had "Image Of a Girl" and the follow-up, "Girl With
The Story In Her Eyes." A promo of "Angel"? Wow! I LOVE this song!
Has Shelby Flint ever been discussed in these pages?
Noiro:
> I have their LP entitled "Brute Force". It is a one man band
> and all of the LP is pretty much the same type song. It is
> OOP and not on CD to the best of my knowledge.
Adding to Rat Pfink's comments, "our" Brute Force is one man,
Steven Friedland. More info at www.brutesforce.com. There's a
band with the same name about whom I know nothing who had one
album that I know of; I only heard of them in the confusion of
tracking down Mr. Force - er, Friedland, who is alive and well
and living in NYC.
Steve Harvey:
> I have a single somewhere by someone I never heard of on a
> label with an Indian beating a drum on the top, same label
> as the Murmaids single, I think.
That would be Chattahoochee. I've always been curious about
that label. Who owned it? What else did they have out? How
many releases? I know about The Midnighters, of course. I
also have a great two-sided 45 by Bobby Paris on the label,
"Little Miss Dreamer" and "Who Needs You?" The former is a
gorgeous doo-wop ballad with girl-group backing, the later
a sterling rocker with a false-fade end a la the Contours'
"Do You Love Me".
More on John Kongos. First, Norman:
> Should anybody be interested two great sites to go to: "South
> African Rock Digest" at http://www.sarockdigest.com/ and "South
> African Rock Encyclopaedia" at http://www.rock.co.za/ - In the
> Encyclopedia you will see some "groovy" pics of Johnny Kongos
> and the G Men (three of the four members are bespectactled a le
> Buddy Holly).
Very cool sites - surfed around both sites a while. If you're short
on time, the direct URL for Kongos is
http://www.new.co.za/~currin/jkongos_index.htm - Some of the album
of covers are true "classics," dated even for the time! Other notes:
apparently Happy Mondays covered "Step On" (under that name). I also
remember a US release on Scepter of "I Love Mary," an earlier track
credited to John T. Kongos. Anyone know why he stopped recording and
what he's doing now (if he's even still alive)?
Michael Gessner:
> I've been a Blackwells fan since I heard "You Took Advantage
> Of Me". What's the story with this group? Can anyone post "You
> Took Advantage of Me", it's a terrific song.
I'm curious about them, too. I have a gorgeous Fleetwoods-like track
by them on Guyden, "Oh My Love."
Off for a day or two - back soon,
Country Paul
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 7
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 22:54:45 -0400
From: David Feldman
Subject: Re: Laura Nyro
Stuart Miller, writing about Eli & the Thirteenth confession,
said: > The fact that Laura did the background voices herself
> presented technical problems in recording because it was an
> 8-track that was used and there was worry that there wouldn't
> be enough space. The tracks were mixed to another 8 track
> and the overdubs were done on the slave and then bounced
> back to the master. And it was done manually as there were
> no syncing devices then.
Thanks so much for all that information, Stuart. Considering
the fact that I've probably played this album more than any
other one in my collection except for Pet Sounds, I know
remarkably little about the recording of it, so I'd love to
hear anything else you can share.
For example, what was the role of Roy Halee in the recording
and conceptualization of the album? It may be completely a
coincidence, especially insofar as Halee's reputation is more
as an engineer than a "big vision" producer, that he seemed
to be around right at the point when some major artists, such
as Bob Dylan (Highway 61), S&G (Bookends), & Laura Nyro (Eli)
were making breakthrough records. Is Halee at all responsible
for the huge change in sound of BS&T's second album?
Those *were* different times. I assume that many of the artists,
especially those oriented toward live performance, might have
been more prone to defer to engineers and producers then, but
that might not be true. I believe that Halee and Laura Nyro had
a falling-out during the recording of Tendaberry, right?
DF, who has trouble picnicking, and hasn't even tried to Gibson
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 8
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 01:20:46 -0400
From: Country Paul
Subject: changes @ yahoo - fyi
We'll be right back to music after this message:
Yahoo Groups has instituted changes in the files/photos
sections of their/our groups. I don't know who is affected
by this, but the info is here:
http://help.yahoo.com/groups/groups-56.html
We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.
Country Paul
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 9
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 06:16:51 +0200
From: Eddy Smit
Subject: John Kongos - Three Degrees
Country Paul:
> John Kongos' backing band on the album had a lot in common with
> Elton John's: Caleb Quaye, Roger Pope, Ray Cooper, Dave Glover.
> Backing vocals: Sue & Sunny. Guest appearance by Ralph McTell
They were of course brought along by Gus Dudgeon, who was
already producing Elton at the time.
Except for somebody from Down Under, I didn't see any comments
on the success (?) of the 3 Degrees Dirty Old man. And since it
apparently didn't chart in the UK, I was wondering what it had
done in the States...
Eddy
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 10
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 17:57:31 +0100
From: Kingsley Abbott
Subject: Roemans
Catching up too....
Michael Gessner:
> Does anyone have any of the ABC singles by The Roemans?
Yes, I'm pretty sure I have one - let me know offlist the
title you are searching and I'll see what I can find in the
inner sanctum.
Kingsley
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 11
Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2003 20:54:04 -0400
From: Frederick Blackmon
Subject: Re: Jaedes Album 1969
Simon White:
> This is interesting - there's a 45 - "Hotter Than Fire" on
> CHERRY RED 144 - by The Jades and the Northern scene always
> says it's The Commodores!
> Does this mean (gulp!) they're WRONG!!??
To Simon,
Thanks for the inquiry about the song "Hotter Than Fire". It
was not my group. My group spelled its name "Jaedes" WE did
not record that song. Thanks again it was good to hear from you.
Frederick Blackmon
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
Message: 12
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 15:23:14 EDT
From: Frank Youngwerth
Subject: "Stoney End" request
Talking of "Stoney End", I wonder if anyone's in a
position to play to musica Laura's song as done by
the Blossoms, or Peggy Lipton.
Frank Youngwerth
-------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------
End
