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"ALL THE POOP THAT FITS"
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Volume #0013 11/14/97
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Subject: slow down! aagh!
Sent: 11/13/97 12:20 AM
Received: 11/13/97 7:55 AM
From: Jack Madani, Jack_MadXXX@XXXXXX2.nj.us
dang! People are answering stuff that *I* wanted to say, so's I could
appear to be all knowledgeable and so forth!
Carol Knudson, who in private refers to this list as Spectropoop, sez:
> Though not of the 'Spectropop' era, one of my favorite lines
> in any song is "You ain't a beauty, but hey you're
> alright..."
What a coincidence, that's one of the few Springsteen songs that I really
adore. Leave us not forget that the outro to that tune is based on the
Hal
Blaine Be My Baby "boom, ba-doom WHACK!"
> And let's not forget the Main
>Man himself in "He's Sure The Boy I Love" "When he holds me tight,
>everything's right..."
This is the one that I wanted to mention, and you beat me to it.
Therefore,
let me merely add that my favorite part is the beginning, when Darlene
sez,
"but he sure ain't the way I thot he'd be." I love how she pronounces
"thot."
>CAROL (who had Jimmy Soul's "If You Want To Be Happy" played at her
> wedding
This was the other tune I wanted to mention. I think what's going on
here is that these songs have a high HUMOR quotient, something which also
seems to have left the music world after "Relevance" came in.
>For the curious, I'm pretty sure that an Ullman comp
>CD exists on Rhino (where else?)
There are two Tracey Ullman discs: one is indeed a Rhino comp, which
includes all of her album "You Broke My Heart In 17 Places," plus several
tracks from her other album, called "You Caught Me Out."
However, for those who are intrigued by Tracey's sound, I'd recommend
trying to find the complete YCMO, which was originally released on Stiff
and which does exist on cd as an import, with bonus tracks included. One
song in particular is magnificent, called "Sunglasses." Faux Spector all
the way, including high compression on the mix. But if you can tune down
the treble to stop your ears from bleeding, you'll fall in love with this
track. Sunglasses *is* one of the cuts added on to the Rhino disc, but
the import disc of YCMO also includes an extended version of Sunglasses
that is worth hearing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack Madani - Princeton Day School, The Great Road,
Princeton, NJ 08540 Jack_MadXXX@XXXXXX2.nj.us
"It is when the gods hate a man with uncommon abhorrence that they
drive him into the profession of a schoolmaster." --Seneca, 64 A.D.
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-----------[ archived by Spectropop ]-----------
Subject: Nice Guys Finish Last
Sent: 11/13/97 3:24 AM
Received: 11/13/97 7:55 AM
From: Kevin & Collette Mangold, discXXX@XXXXXXmail.com
I bought a Jan & Dean boot cassette a few years ago, (please don't rat
on me!), and one of the songs really stood out.
'Nice Guys Finish Last' must have some J&D connection, but as there were
no liner notes with the tape, I don't know what it might be.
A Jan Berry production? Was it an unreleased Matadors track?
Did Jan co-write the tune? Was Dean or Gary Zekley involved?
(When Jan & Dean were here in Las Vegas a few months back, I wanted to
ask them about the song... but figured that it was so obscure that
they'd look at me like a lobotomy patient).
Any help here would be greatly appreciated!
Rock On!
Kevin
-----------[ archived by Spectropop ]-----------
Subject: Oldies radio
Sent: 11/13/97 12:45 AM
Received: 11/13/97 3:22 AM
From: Big L, bXXX@XXXXXXt
> It seems to me that as far as Oldies Radio is concerned,
> programming leaves much to be desired. It stands to reason
> that if listeners like "Locomotion" by Little Eva and "Will
> You Love Me Tomorrow" by Shirelles, the sound of a less
> popular but artistically wonderful record like the Cookies "I
> Never Dreamed" would sound familiar enough to Oldies Radio
> listeners to spark interest, and because so many wonderful
> records of the Spectropop era were flops, endeavors in this
> area could expand interest in the genre horizantally. I know
> Oldies reissues aren't big business in general, but Oldies
> Radio pays no attention to the myriad CD reissues of lesser-
> lnown Spectropop era recordings. By ignoring them, they
> actually contribute to their own format becoming stagnant.
This is a discussion we have had often on the broadcast-airchex list. The
consensus is that:
1. Oldies radio is more concerned with product than emotions.
2. Oldies radio is more concerned with money than anything.
3. Most people in their 40s and 50s want the nostalgia limited to gentle
prods. They look upon their younger days with some embarrassment. They
seem to want to remember only what they can relate to in the present.
Listening to "Jumpin' Jack Flash" reminds them that they did things in
their youth that they are not comfortable with now.
Take "Walkin' In The Sand." For the most part, a poignant song that
brings back only good memories. Contrast that with "I Can Never Go Home
Anymore." A similar record, maybe better - but brings back memories of
conflicts with parents, maybe even the time you ran away. Not warm, fuzzy
feelings for most folks. They don't want to be reminded. That's why
you'll never hear ICNGHA on your typical oldies station.
4. Oldies radio serves, in most cases, as background music in the car or
office.
5. Oldies stations have continually narrowed their playlists until many
are only playing a few hundred records.
There are exceptions. WCBS-FM in New York is probably the best oldies
only station in the country - and they've been around long enough to
celebrate THEIR 25th anniversary. I also like WMJI in Cleveland, and WGRR
in Cincinnati.
The worst? Probably KRTH in Los Angeles. Like WCBS-FM, they have all the
heritage jocks from the old KHJ days. However, unlike WCBS, they stifle
them. Even the legendary Don Steele (RIP) was only allowed to intro and
outro the songs, Drake style. WCBS lets the jocks talk. Can you imagine
Dan Ingram being forced to read liners over a record outro?
I've heard WJMK in Chicago compared to KRTH, but haven't heard enough to
make a judgment. I can't imagine John "Records" Landecker or Dick Biondi
allowing themselves to be likewise constrained.
So, taking the "product" approach, playing only records that originally
were Top 10, you're not going to get much in the way of the more esoteric
records, that may have been wonderful, but weren't big hits in their
time. And, really - how can you argue with the concept? If a record
wasn't even a hit during it's first run, there must have been a reason.
BTW, I'd like to list a few songs that I loved, even though they weren't
hits:
Lonely Drifter - O'Jays (later covered by Pieces of Eight)
No Good To Cry - Wildweeds
River Is Wide - Forum
That's just a few of many.
I post WABC surveys from the early 60s every week on my web page. These
may be of great interest to Spectropopers. The URL is below in my sig
file - push the WABC button for the main WABC page. At the bottom of the
page, there is a link for WABC surveys.
Big L
-----------[ archived by Spectropop ]-----------
Subject: Pet Sounds box
Sent: 11/13/97 12:45 AM
Received: 11/13/97 3:22 AM
From: Big L, bXXX@XXXXXXt
I like the stereo mix everywhere, with one exception: I can't stand the
way they butchered "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times."
This went beyond "remixing" and "remastering:" it is rerecording,
something that should never be done.
My judgment is based on the Sampler: I don't have the box set yet.
Big L
-----------[ archived by Spectropop ]-----------
Subject: CAN T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE - the Group
Sent: 11/13/97 3:27 PM
Received: 11/14/97 1:07 AM
From: Javed Jafri, javedjaXXX@XXXXXX.ca
Is this the same song Question Mark and the Mysterians recorded. The ?
mark song was also covered by a group called Colorfield in the 80's. I
quite like that version. Colorfield were an offshoot of the Specials and
Fun Boy Three.....Javed
> From: Jamie LePage, le_page_XXX@XXXXXXies.com
>
>
> To follow is a working list of Gary Zekley songs I have been
> compiling over the last
>
> CAN T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE - the Group, Dick & Dee Dee,
> Yellow Balloon...
-----------[ archived by Spectropop ]-----------
Subject: Tedesco Obit
Sent: 11/13/97 3:34 AM
Received: 11/13/97 7:55 AM
From: Kevin & Collette Mangold, discXXX@XXXXXXmail.com
Read in the paper this morning about the passing of Wrecking Crew
guitarist Tommy Tedesco.
Looking back on his career, it was truly remarkable; the local rag said
that he may have been the most recorded guitarist in history - (don't
know about that... my money would be on Chet Atkins).
On the 'previously supressed' side of Jan & Dean's UA Anthology album,
Jan intoduces Tedesco as 'the world's oldest teenager.'
Hate to sound morbid, gang, but we're lucky to have lost as few of these
great 60s musicians as we have. (A few years ago, my wife suggested that
we try to contact some of these people to thank them for all of the
wonderful music they've given us - unfortunately, we never got around to
writing Mr. Tedesco).
We're fortunate to have had his talents to enjoy and his loss, although
not headline, is truly noteworthy.
Surf's down,
Kevin
-----------[ archived by Spectropop ]-----------
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