__________________________________________________________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ S P E C T R O P O P __________ __________ __________ __________________________________________________________ Volume #0211 January 15, 1999 __________________________________________________________ Incomparable stars of stage, screen, radio and recordsSubject: question for Carol Received: 01/15/99 10:26 am From: Tom Simon, tsXXXXXXXXom To: Spectropop List, spectrXXXXXXXXties.com I have a question for Carol Kaye ... Carol, I understand that you have done session work with Don Lawrence, who is probably better known as Snake. He's good friends with drummer Sandy Nelson. Have you done some work with him lately? Tom Simon --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: rhythm Received: 01/15/99 2:20 am From: Carol Kaye, carolXXXXXXXXlink.net To: Spectropop List, spectrXXXXXXXXties.com Doc, that's interesting about Sue Thompson, although, and I have to be delicate about this, most singers, especially if they're experienced, don't have to be told where the beat is or phrasing etc., or anything about the inside meters. The beat is always there, like a trolley line, all you have to do is "hook into it" -- and you automatically know where 8 bars are, all those things that musicians feel too. It's understood where the bars of music are, the rhythm of a song, meters etc. Some singers in pop music do not have that experience I speak of (imo), but they have other things; a voice, personality, overall presentation, aura, or ? that the record co. is banking on overall to make it big. All the studio backup singers know what I'm talking about here -- as do all experienced fine musicians, too. It's just a matter of having done it for decades, that's all. I don't mean it takes "decades" to get your inside meters and good sense of time together so you can sing around the beat with freedom. Singers can learn that if they take some good coaching lessons. People like Lou Rawls, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Mel Torme, Joe Williams, etc. all have that natural talent to almost immediately do that the minute they started singing. You just got to know where the beat is, and listen to music, preferably jazz and you've got the phrasings from all the instruments then. It's basically very easy. If you study from a vocal teacher who is wise to all that, then it's just a matter of a little while, say 1-2 years of trial and learning if you've got some good talent to begin with. Many big-name singers could try their whole life-times and never be able to have that freedom. If you watched us studio musicians record, you'd be bored to tears at our robotic looks, and no gestures. We put our all into the music. Back when I was playing jazz in the clubs, everyone prided themselves not to move much, as that was "showmanship", not musicianship. You played to crowds of people who listened to music (not "looked" at music), who grew up to listening to the radio. But showmanship is the name of it all these days -- most people grew up with television and demand a lot of stage presence in addition to music. Carol Kaye http://www.carolkaye.com/ --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Bacharach Box Received: 01/14/99 8:58 am From: David B Ponak, dpXXXXXXXXlink.net To: spectrXXXXXXXXgeocities.com Hi Folks, I have to get my own 2 cents worth about the Bacharach Box. Let me start off by saying that I think it's a wonderful set, and we should all be grateful to Patrick Milligan at Rhino for making it happen. That said, I have a few minor personal gripes. While I respect Patrick's decision to go with Burt & Hal's own arrangements and or productions wherever possible, I think that resulted in a few superior versions being omitted. How could he overlook Dusty's "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself?" (I also would have also chosen Dusty's version of "In The Land Of Make Believe.") I think the Roger Nichols & The Small Circle Of Friends version of "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" is far superior to Burt's. How could he do this box without a single Aretha track? I definitely would have gone with her version of "I Say A Little Prayer." Dionne's is also classic, but there's already SO much Dionne on the box. Lastly, Cilla Black's version of "Afie," one of Burt & Hal's greatest accomplishments, is unlistenable to my ears. She sounds like Liza Minelli on a bad day, for god's sake! This should of been the Dionne version. One track I'd never heard before that blew me away was "So Long Johnny" by Jackie Deshannon. Rhino was unable to license Neil Diamond's "Heartlight." Which may have been a blessing. David --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Re: DC5 album tracks Received: 01/15/99 2:20 am From: Stewart Mason, flamXXXXXXXXcom To: Spectropop List, spectrXXXXXXXXties.com Paul Urbahns wrote: >The DC5 two disk set did not set the world on fire like the >beatles reissues did. Therefore, I bet he's having trouble >finding anybody interested. A few DC5 songs have shown up on >movie CDs but the original albums (as I understand it) were quite >lame. I have a few of the Dave Clark 5 LPs (including GLAD ALL OVER, HAVING A WILD WEEKEND and the not-live-but-you-have-to-look- close-to-realize-that AMERICAN TOUR, VOL. ONE), and while they're not one fabulous killer track after another, I know a lot of bigger bands whose albums were far more spotty. (I think it took *years* before there was a mostly-decent Stones album.) Plus you get the occasional track like GLAD ALL OVER's "Doo Dah," which is simply fascinating in its awfulness: okay, a waltz played at funeral dirge speed with lyrics that slightly rewrite "Camptown Races" into directions for a would-be dance craze. Who on earth thought this was a good idea? Stewart --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Crystals, Shangri-Las, Marvelettes? /// Carol Kaye Received: 01/15/99 2:20 am From: Jimmy Cresitelli, JimmXXXXXXXXom To: Spectropop List, spectrXXXXXXXXties.com Hi everyone! Apparently the Crystals, Shangri-Las, and Marvelettes are going to share a bill in New York soon... any New Yorkers want to verify this? Anyone going? Carol Kaye: it is absolutely fascinating reading about your experiences. You have a treasure of musical history! And talented as well! Thanks so much for your detailed posts... VERY illuminating, especially the Detroit / Los Angeles "connection..." Who knew?? : ) Take care, y'all!! Jimmy --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Stan Ross novelty Received: 01/15/99 2:20 am From: Mark Landwehr, msXXXXXXXXbs.com To: Spectropop List, spectrXXXXXXXXties.com Recently, Carol Kaye mentioned long-time Gold Star engineer Stan Ross in one of her fabulous dissertations...Does anyone remember the record Stan put out with Bob Arbogast in 1958 called "Chaos"? It was a satire on RnR radio of that time ("KOS, Kay-os Radio") & was issued on Liberty 55197 but never charted. One of the funniest records I've ever heard (being an ex-jock), complete with fast-talking DJ & hilarious jingles - Altho' having copies of the single, I've never seen it on a compilation, not even a Demento comp...Can anyone supply some info if it has re-surfaced anywhere??? "It pays..to listen..to Kay-os... But not to work here... We wish..somebody'd..pay-os." Mark (Philles Phanatic) --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Why didn't I... Received: 01/15/99 2:20 am From: Ron Weekes, WeeXXXXXXXX.edu To: Spectropop List, spectrXXXXXXXXties.com ..accept the invitation to join this list a long time ago when it first started up? I don't have an answer, but I'm here now. Just got Vol. #0210 and am glad to see the names of some of the folks who participate here. Those of you who know me, know that I have a real interest in Gary Usher. I've recently added a little something I got from Chuck Girard to my Usher home page. Nothing historically new, but fun to read. I've been enjoying "The Ballroom: Preparing for The Millennium" CD, but still like Sagittarius' "Present Tense" better. Keeping my fingers crossed that someone will rerelease The Silly Surfers and The Weird-Ohs material on CD. I have to head out of the office for now, but just wanted to say hello. Landlocked in Idaho! Ron Weekes The Surf and Hot Rod Sounds of Gary Usher Web Page http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Studio/8242 --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Even more Drifters Received: 01/15/99 2:20 am From: Jamie LePage, le_pageXXXXXXXXties.com To: Spectropop List, spectrXXXXXXXXties.com At the risk of this turning into a one-man thread, I just got the Drifters box "rockin' and driftin'" and have a few comments. 1. Atlantic's Tom Dowd is quoted in the liners: "I worked with 30-35 different Drifters over the years. Nobody could pinpoint who sang on what." Well, now I don't feel so bad about being a bit unfamiliar with every member change. Yet, the liners do indicate fairly precisely which Drifters were on which records, and that helps put everything in perspective. 2. At that first dinner when Ahmet asked Clyde McPhatter to sign with Atlantic, Clyde's concern seemed to come from his previous experience with less than satisfactory musicians at King Records. Ahmet assured him only the finest studio musicians would be used on his Atlantic sides, so Clyde agreed. An interesting comment in Billy Vera's liner notes: "...Atlantic was scrupulous about little items like intonation and pitch. they liked their product to be in time, a concept lost on the majority of indie producers of the era." It's true that Atlantic's Drifters rhythm tracks are all in the groove, the playing is impeccable; that contributes greatly to the timeless nature of these recordings, I think. 3. I had many of these recordings elsewhere, but with all the biggest solo stuff on here alongside the Drifters tracks, this collection really is wonderful. Lover's Question and Lover Please by Clyde McPhatter, Spanish Harlem and Stand By Me by Ben E. King are all on this set. In addition, the 70's Drifters tracks sound like the Foundations meets Philly. In any event, the very British Greenaway/Cook/Macauley sound is certainly evident. 4. Bill Inglot and Dan Hirsch at DigiPrep are credited with the mastering. I've come to trust that as a guarantee the sound will be satisfying, and this set lives up to that promise. -- Ahmet Ertegun Rules!!!!! All the best, Jamie LePage
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