------------------------
Well, I wouldn't say they don't play ANY. I hear Santo & Johnny's
"Sleep Walking" all the time. Ditto with "Tequila," "Green Onions,"
"Telstar," Walk--Don't Run," "Wipe Out," stuff like that. Those
are constantly on the air, regular staples of any oldies station.
So a few of the instrumentals are there -- at least on LA's
KRTH-FM -- and as far as I know, they are on the official "safe
oldies" list used by most programmers. That list of songs is
pretty short, with barely 300 songs on their primary (heavy
rotation) playlist.
But I agree, The TJ Brass's hits are very hard to find on that
list, and are very rarely played on oldies stations. They're
probably considered "too pop" to fit their tightly-programmed idea
of what their rock-oriented listeners want to hear. (And don't get
me STAHted on A&M/Polydor's failure to properly reissue those hits
on CD.)
For the record (no pun intended), here's a quick list of just the
Top 5 U.S. instrumental hits during the oldies era (1955-1973):
Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen - "Midnight in Moscow" (Kapp 442) [2/3/62]
Chris Barber's Jazz Band - "Petite Fleur (Little Flower)" (Laurie 3022)
[1/12/59]
Les Baxter & His Orchestra - "Medic" (Capitol 3055) [4/9/55]
Les Baxter and His Orchestra & Chorus - "Unchained Melody" (Capitol 3055)
[4/9/55]
Les Baxter with His Chorus & Orchestra - "The Poor People of Paris (Jean's
Song)" (Capitol 3336) [2/11/56]
Mr. Acker Bilk - "Stranger On the Shore" (Atco 6217) [3/17/62]
Booker T. & The MG's - "Green Onions" (Stax 127) [8/11/62]
George Cates & His Orchestra - "Moonglow and Theme from 'Picnic'" (Coral
61618) [4/14/56]
The Champs - "Tequila" (Challenge 1016) [2/24/58]
The Chantays - "Pipeline" (Dot 16440) [3/2/63]
Cozy Cole - "Topsy II" (Love 5004) [8/25/58]
Dave "Baby" Cortez - "The Happy Organ" (Clock 1009) [3/16/59]
Floyd Cramer - "Last Date" (RCA 7775) [10/10/60]
Floyd Cramer - "On the Rebound" (RCA 7840) [3/6/61]
The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny & His Orchestra - "Quiet Village"
(Liberty 55162) [4/13/59]
Bill Doggett - "Honky Tonk (Parts 1 & 2)" (King 4950) [8/18/56]
Duane Eddy - "Because They're Young" (Jamie 1156) [5/23/60]
Percy Faith & His Orchestra - "The Theme from 'A Summer Place'" (Columbia
41490) [1/11/60]
Ferrante & Teicher - "Exodus" (UA 274) [11/14/60]
Ernie Fields' Orchestra - "In the Mood" (Rendezvous 110) [9/21/59]
Ernie Freeman - "Raunchy" (Imperial 5474) [11/18/57]
Al Hirt - "Java" (RCA 8280) [1/4/64]
Jorgen Ingmann & His Guitar - "Apache" (Atco 6184) [1/23/61]
Johnny & The Hurricanes - "Red River Rock" (Warwick 509) [8/3/59]
Bill Justis & His Orchestra - "Raunchy" (Phillips Intl. 3519) [11/18/57]
Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra - "Wonderland by Night" (Decca 31141)
[11/14/60]
The Ramsey Lewis Trio - "The 'In' Crowd" (Argo 5506) [7/31/65]
The Arthur Lyman Group - "Yellow Bird" (Hi Fi 5024) [5/29/61]
Lonnie Mack - "Memphis" (Fraternity 906) [6/8/63]
Johnny Maddox - "The Crazy Otto (Medley)" (Dot 15325) [2/5/55]
Henry Mancini & His Orchestra - "Love Theme from 'Romeo & Juliet'" (RCA
0131) [5/10/69]
The Marketts - "Out of Limits" (WB 5391) [12/7/63]
The Mar-Keys - "Last Night" (Satellite 107) [7/3/61]
Hugh Masekela - "Grazing in the Grass" (Uni 55066) [6/8/68]
Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra - "Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Bleu)" (Philips
40495) [1/6/68]
Hugo Montenegro & His Orchestra - "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" (RCA
9423) [2/17/68]
Sandy Nelson - "Teen Beat" (Original Sound 5) [9/7/59]
Cliff Nobles & Co. - "The Horse" (Phil.-L.A. 313) [5/25/68]
Perez Prado & His Orchestra - "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" (RCA
5965) [3/5/55]
Perez Prado & His Orchestra - "Patricia" (RCA 7245) [6/16/58]
Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra - "Lisbon Antigua" (Capitol 3287)
[12/10/55]
David Rose & His Orchestra - "The Stripper" (MGM 13064) [5/12/62]
Santo & Johnny - "Sleep Walk" (Canadian-Amer. 103) [7/27/59]
Morris Stoloff & His Orchestra - "Moonglow and Theme from 'Picnic'" (Decca
29888) [4/14/56]
The String-A-Longs - "Wheels" (Warwick 603) [1/9/61]
The Surfaris - "Wipe Out" (Dot 16479) [6/22/63]
The T-Bones - "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)" (Liberty 55836)
[12/11/65]
The Tornadoes - "Telstar" (London 9561) [11/3/62]
Billy Vaughn & His Orchestra - "Sail Along Silvery Moon" (Dot 15661)
[12/23/57]
The Ventures - "Walk -- Don't Run" (Dolton 25) [7/18/60]
The Ventures - "Hawaii 5-O" (Liberty 56068) [3/8/69]
The Village Stompers - "Washington Square" (Epic 9617) [9/21/63]
The Virtues - "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" (Hunt 324) [3/9/59]
Lawrence Welk & His Orchestra - "Calcutta" (Dot 16161) [12/12/60]
Mason Williams - "Classical Gas" (WB 7190) [6/22/68]
Roger Williams - "Autumn Leaves" (Kapp 116) [8/20/55]
Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra with Eddie Heywood - "Canadian Sunset"
(RCA 6537) [6/23/56]
Young-Holt Unlimited - "Soulful Strut" (Brunswick 55391) [11/30/68]
There's another 250+ instrumentals that made the Top 40 during
that same era (1955-1973), many of which are forgotten today by
most casual listeners. I see several dozen Top 5 songs up there
that _should_ be played more often on oldies stations, but sadly,
are not.
I never hear "Lonely Bull" or "Taste of Honey," each of which
missed the Top 5 but did make the Top 10, and they had almost a
dozen other Top 40 hits that were all decent. My fave would
probably be "Casino Royale," which had the best drum work of any
of Bacharach or Herb Alpert's hits, IMHO.
--MFW
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-= Marc Wielage | "The computerized authority =-
-= MusicTrax, Ltd. | on rock, pop, & soul." =-
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--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: DL and Supremes
Sent: 08/12/98 3:26 pm
Received: 08/13/98 6:23 am
From: David Feldman, feldXXXX@XXXderables.com
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXX@XXXties.com
Mark says:
>Something buried deep in my half-dead brain cells reminds me of a
>film clip I once saw of a young Aretha on one of the TV music
>shows (Shindig? Hullabaloo?) wailing away on a song with the
>Blossoms backing her up, and Darlene was having the time of her
>life, rooting Aretha on as the intensity of the song kept building.
>What a great sight!!! Darlene seemed in awe of Aretha's talents
>- Pretty classy lady, if you ask me.
That would almost certainly be Shindig, in which DL and the
Blossoms were regulars. What it's easy to forget, in retrospect,
is that for most of the American public, Shindig WAS her biggest
exposure as a solo act, ever. Let's face it, Spector did little to
give any of his singers publicity as a solo artist.
I had the privilege of speaking for a few minutes with DL once,
and found her gracious and grounded. One difference between DL and
most of the other soul singers of her era is that DL always made a
good living. Even if Spector "screwed" her out of money she should
have had, she always made a good living as a session singer.
That's one reason why her support of Ronnie is just another
indication of her classiness.
> From: WILLIAM STOS, wsXXXX@XXXt.com
>
> Have you ever heard "Baby Don't Go" by Florence and the Supremes
> on their debut album? That's a great track too! You know, it is
> really sad that Mary and Flo didn't sing lead more often.
My favorite Supremes song is "Let Me Go the Right Way," which
also featured a "harder" sound.
Diana
>has an okay voice, but I get tired of listening to her after a
>while. It's also a shame Mary didn't win when it was her versus
>Diana for lead on "Where Did Our Love Go." She lost by 2-1 when
>the producers (HDH) had to choose. But, what I find the most
>disappointing is that the Marvelettes, who were first offered the
>song, didn't recorded it! Those gals could have been the Supremes
>I'm sure, and none of them have her ego out of check!
>
I think you underestimate Diana Ross's ability. The Supremes were
exceptionally good live, actually, and Ross had the chops. Like
Ronnie Spector, though, she can't sing everything, but she had a
greater range than most remember. Just thinking of singles, she
could not only excel in the usual HDH stuff like -- my favorite --
Come See About Me, but also edgier stuff like "Love Is Here," "Some
Things You Never Get Used To," "Love Child" (a fine lead vocal
regardless of what you think of the song) as well as more serious
ballads like "Forever Came Today."
I agree completely that the Marvelettes were the better group,
although live, I think the Supremes were superior (when they
weren't busy singing Broadway songs). The post-Diana Supremes were
terrific, too. Love "Up the Ladder to the Roof," "Nathan Jones,"
"Everybody's Got the Right to Love," etc.
Dave Feldman
CD of the Month: It's a tie!
Belle & Sebastian: "If You're Feeling Sinister"
Billy Bragg & Wilco: "Mermaid Ave."
Coolest Car Name of the Week: "Integra"
Movie of the Week [Again]: "There's Something About Mary"
Best Time Killer of the 90's: Filling out the UPDATED gender survey at
"http://www.imponderables.com"
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Re: Girls vs Girl Groups
Sent: 08/13/98 4:49 am
Received: 08/13/98 6:23 am
From: WILLIAM STOS, wsXXXX@XXXt.com
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXX@XXXties.com
>Darlene and Ronnie (and Flo and Diana) are great, but I am more
>into groups. Give me the Crystals any day!
Amen to that! As I mentioned before, how would Darlene sound
without the Blossoms, and Aretha often recruited the premiere
back-up group of the later 60s, the Sweet Inspirations, for her
recordings! Sometimes when you listen to groups like the Shirelles,
the Chiffons, the Crystals, etc, you beginn to wonder if any one
of them could sound any better with one singer standing out even
more than they had too.
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Zorba the Greek
Sent: 08/12/98 1:58 pm
Received: 08/13/98 6:23 am
From: Paul Urbahns, PaulurbXXXX@XXXom
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXX@XXXties.com
In a message dated 98-08-12 00:42:22 EDT, you write:
<< How can these pinheads running the oldies stations NOT play
someone as talented as Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass? It
simply doesn't add up. I have all his albums and his songs which
usually made the top of the charts, always made you feel
great. >>
Maybe Claudia or someone else can answer. Does the MONO copies of
Goin' Places LP have the hit 2:48 version of Zorba The Greek?
Paul Urbahns
paulurbXXXX@XXXom
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
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