----------------
That's something that always fascinated me as well. The story as I
understand it is that somewhere in late 1971/early 1972, Bacharach
and David wrote all the songs for the bomb Columbia musical
version of LOST HORIZON. Around this same time, Dionne's label (
Scepter Records) began having financial problems, and Dionne's
singles and albums began to fizzle.
After the movie bombed in early 1973, Bacharach was (according to
interviews) mired in personal and professional depression, and he
and songwriting partner Hal David decided to end their 15-year
partnership. Dionne was incensed, because she had them tied to an
exclusive contract where she essentially had first refusal rights
on virtually anything they wrote. After a year or so of bickering,
she finally sued them, and Bacharach and David also sued each other
. Dionne spent most of 1972, 1973, and the first half of 1974
recording almost no material at all. Sometime in 1974, she finally
settled the lawsuit against Bacharach and collected several million
dollars (but the exact amount has never been published, to my
knowledge).
Dionne's career bounced back in mid-1974 with her comeback hit "
Then Came You," with The Spinners. Five years later, she emerged
as a major Adult Contemporary artist with songs like "I'll Never
Love This Way Again," "Deja Vu," and a half-dozen others in the
early 1980s. Meanwhile, Bacharach's career languished, while that
of his then-wife, Angie Dickenson, was much more-visible, because
of her successful TV series and made-for-TV films.
In mid-1985, Dionne finally decided that enough was enough, and
she picked up the phone and called up Bacharach to ask if he might
be willing to allow her to sing an updated version of "That's What
Friends Are For," which Burt had written in 1982 for the movie
NIGHT SHIFT. They agreed to bury the hatchet, the song was an
immense hit, and Bacharach's career went on the fast track for the
rest of the 1980s, resulting in several major hits with his new
wife/songwriting partner Carole Bayer Sager.
So that's the gist of it, as I understand it. As far as I know,
neither Dionne nor Bacharach has ever provided any specific
details on the terms of their dispute, though they have said many
times that they regret not working together for more than 10 years
. Dionne has pointedly said in live concert appearances, "
unfortunately, we'll never know what music we could have made
during those 10 years, but we'll make the most of the years we
have left."
--MFW
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-= Marc Wielage | "The computerized authority =-
-= MusicTrax, Ltd. | on rock, pop, & soul." =-
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--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Connie Francis reminder
Sent: 09/04/98 11:51 pm
Received: 09/05/98 8:43 am
From: Jack Madani, Jack_MadXXXX@XXX12.nj.us
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXX@XXXties.com
I hope someone will be able to help guide me regarding that single
disc Conniegreatest hits disc vs. that 2-disc "Readers Digest"
compilation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack Madani - Princeton Day School, The Great Road,
Princeton, NJ 08540 Jack_MadXXXX@XXX12.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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: obscure...
Sent: 09/05/98 9:12 am
Received: 09/05/98 8:26 pm
From: james fisher, JHFAXXXX@XXX.net
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXX@XXXties.com
Thanks for the info on the "Echoes of the '60's" Spector vinyl.
Glad I've hung on to it over the years. I bought a cheapo
compilation "early 60's" CD the other day because it had on it a
track I love but never hear on the radio--"Hold Me" P.J.Proby, from
1964. It's a real rocker! Anyone else remember this guy? He also did
a couple of pop chart covers of tunes from "West Side Story"as I
recall. Any info on his situation these days? His on-stage gimmick
was splitting his pants which was,of course, considered pretty
outrageous at the time and got him banned from a lot of TV shows...
...if we had only known what awaited us in the pop world not too
far down the line.....
Jim
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Re: ROSIE AND THE ORIGINALS
Sent: 09/05/98 3:05 am
Received: 09/05/98 8:43 am
From: Doc Rock, docroXXXX@XXXcom
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXX@XXXties.com
>ROSIE AND THE ORIGINALS ("ANGEL BABY")...WORD IS THAT "ROSIE"
>NEVER HAD A FOLLOW UP SONG BECAUSE ROSIE WAS REALLY A BOY AND HIS
>VOICE CHANGED!!
Rosie was not really a member of the group which recordd "Angel
Baby." She sort of sat in, so to speak. And the reason she sounded
so "Rosie" was that she had a bad head cold that affected her voice.
The Originals were pretty pissed that thier hit-claim-to-fame
featured her. And she was pissed about her cold/voice.
As for a follow up, she had a 45 by ROSIE (formerly with the
Originals) and an LP of which I have had a copy of for over 35
years.
Doc
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Re: Tar and Cement.....thanks
Sent: 09/05/98 5:11 am
Received: 09/05/98 8:43 am
From: CHARLES THOMPSON, CHAZTHOMPXXXX@XXXgy.net
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXX@XXXties.com
>for Charles Thompson. I think the singer you need for the above
>tune is VERDELLE SMITH (I'm not 100% sure on the spelling of her
>first name but I think we can assume that I've got her family name
>down right!) It's a spoken intro..."The town that I came from was
>quiet and small"...?? Does that sound like it? I have no idea
>whatever became of her. Pity. Great song though,from around '66/'67
>and I don't think I've heard it since.
Yes! that is who I was trying to remember! A buddy of mine use to
have the 45 of Tar and Cement, and as recent as the late 1980's we
ran across it in his old record collection.....After moving several
times between then and now, he somehow lost that 45....... I'm so
disappointed. O well, I guess I'll only have my memory now to rely
on to conjure up that song. Another great recording (one I do still
have on a 45 and would like to find on CD) is BIG TOWN BOY by
Shirley Matthews and the Big Town Girls. Very reminiscent of the
Crystals HE'S SURE THE BOY I LOVE. There's a Canadian AM radio
station, CSCO, that plays it now and then along with a great many
NOT top 40 oldies of all time. Love that station!!!
Chaz_T
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Top Ten Plus Chiffons
Sent: 09/06/98 9:16 am
Received: 09/06/98 9:20 am
From: WILLIAM STOS, wsXXXX@XXXt.com
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXX@XXXties.com
> Hi boys and girls... I've been enjoying reading your Top 10
> lists very much! - Jimmy
I've enjoyed them too. Speaking of Top Ten lists my friend Sheila
Bergel is collecting various Top Ten lists for the secong edition
of her GG fanzine Cha Cha Charming. Send them via me with your
name if you want it published, and I'll forward them to her.
Sorry, I don't have her address on hand. They can be anything.
I wrote Top Ten songs with guy names in the title, songs about
death, etc, it's wide open.
Next item on the agenda. After doing my Chiffon-a-thon for my
birthday spectacular (btw, I used at least one selection from
every list I read before the show air date, and Doc, "Egyptian
Shumba" was so wild I haven't stopped hearing from listeners
yet!) Anyway, I was wondering something. Did the Chiffons who
recorded "He's So Fine," and others really recorded the first
record released as by the Chiffons, "Tonight's The Night," on Big
Deal in 1960? I'm beginning to speculate. Fact 1: None of the
famous Chiffons ever remember recording the song! In a recent
interview they were asked about it but none of them could recall
the song! Considering it was their supposedly first recording
session, and the song actually fought the Shirelles hit version to
reach No. 76 on the charts, you'd think they might have recalled it.
Fact Two: The Chiffons didn't release a follow-up to their chart
hit on the same label. Their next stop was Wild Cat records,
where they recorded "Never Never." Although not really in the
style of their later hits, it sounded like the Chiffons. The
lead voice is identifiable. Even one more release before the
Laurie label sessions sounded like them.
What's the deal? Does anyone know the truth behind this? The
Chiffons version of "Tonight's The Night," sure doesn't sound like
them to me, and considering they sounded exactly like themselves
barely one year later, was it really them, or do we have another
case of the Patti Labelle/Bluebelles scam with "I Sold My Heart To
The Junkman," which was really recorded by the Starlets?
Thanks, Will
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: philles bootlegs
Sent: 09/06/98 7:30 am
Received: 09/06/98 9:20 am
From: john rausch, jXXXX@XXXnet
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXX@XXXties.com
here is a scan of a philles label bootleg on colored vinyl
just a click away!
http://members.tripod.com/~rauschj/paradiseboot.JPG
from jonr
Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes at:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Studio/2469/
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
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