______________________________________________________________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ S P E C T R O P O P ____________ ____________ ____________ ______________________________________________________________ Volume #0217 January 28, 1999 ______________________________________________________________ The perfect music of the Victrola gives dancing a new delightSubject: Diane Renay! Received: 01/28/99 1:49 am From: WILLIAM STOS, wsXXXXXXXXt.com To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com Hi Diane! I was very happy to find out from John that you were joining the group! I know that "Navy Blue," turned out to be the hit side of your first record with Bob Crewe, but I'm in love with "Unbelievable Guy," one of my Top 10 favourite GG songs ever! "Watchout Sally," is another fav. You have a fantastic voice. I'll be happy to hear some of your favourite stories from your career! Will --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Diane Renay Received: 01/28/99 1:49 am From: john rausch, jXXXXXXXXnet To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com Hi Diane, Thanks for taking me up on my offer to join SPECTROPOP! This is a great group of folks and a great and always interesting list. While talking to you privately, you mentioned that your backup singers were the Rag Dolls, who had a hit with "Dusty", I thought this was very interesting to know. I have another question for you...do you remember any of the session players on your hits? Were they the same group for all the songs or were there different musicians for different tracks? I have always enjoyed the big "trombone / sax /horn" sound on your records, do you recall who was playing them? And of course you already know my favorite (fun) song is "Bell Bottom Trousers" Also, how was it like to work with Bob Crewe? John Rausch ...Bye Bye Sailor Boy, Cause It`s Anchors Away Once More !!! --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Soft Rock A-Z Received: 01/28/99 1:49 am From: David B Ponak, dpoXXXXXXXXlink.net To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com The Japanese Soft Rock A-Z book is pretty groovy, unfortunately the text is all in Japanese. It's interesting just to check out the album covers and note the artists that they've included, as well as those they missed. --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: re. soft rock A-Z Received: 01/28/99 8:02 am From: harvey.williXXXXXXXXe.com To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com Yes! The Vanda people in Japan publish a Soft Rock A-Z. Most of the writing (band histories, LP reviews etc) is in Japanese, as you might expect, but all artist entries also have an illustrated discography in English. There are a few unlikely entries (Frank Sinatra's Bob Gaudio-produced 'Watertown' is a great LP, but what's it doing here?) and there's a Soft Rock chart placing Salt Water Taffy's 'Finders Keepers' at the top, which makes one question the compilers' taste (better than Odessey & Oracle? Pet Sounds? Roger Nichols?). Even so, it's quite essential; I'm still discovering great music through it two years later. I'd imagine any Japanese web-based record shop could get it for you, tho' if you're in New York, I found my copy in the Japanese Bookstore opposite Grand Central Station. As for that SMiLE LP, yeah, I've often wondered about that too. I know it was released on Tenth Planet a while ago; Can't remember the band's name I'm afraid (something like Five Miles Beyond..?), tho' I read a review when it came out, & it said more about the sleeve than the music. Deduce from that what you will. Take care! Harvey Williams --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Re: SOFT ROCK A-Z Received: 01/28/99 1:49 am From: Elliot Kendall, PowerjXXXXXXXXom To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com VANDA is working on an updated SOFT ROCK A-Z book due out in Japan later this year. Check out the VANDA website...new VANDA mag due out in MAY... Soft Pop rules, dude...shreds too... WEB VANDA <http://www.jah.ne.jp/~vanda/> --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: re: Mamas and the Papas Received: 01/28/99 1:49 am From: Marty Rudnick, mrudnXXXXXXXXro.com To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com WILLIAM STOS, wsXXXXXXXXt.com wrote: >I recently saw a double disc full of their best recordings. I >think it was called Creeque Alley or something. Does any have >this one. I'd love a brief review! Thanks Marty sez: I have this set, and believe it to be for collectors only. It's my personal opinion that their hits were GREAT, and most of the rest was just hamburger helper. Even the harmonies got predictable. But again, the hits were GREAT. I really think that their "16 greatest hits" is more than enough for all but the most hardcore Mamas & Papas fans. Even some of the minor hits ("Trip, Stumble & Fall") are not terribly memorable. On a related note, I was once given a tour of the old Dunhill studios on Beverly Blvd. by Jim Lockert, a fairly legendary engineer from the olden days. "Harvey" rules! /Marty --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Re: Mamas And The Papas Received: 01/28/99 1:49 am From: David Bash, BashXXXXXXXXom To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com WILLIAM STOS, wsXXXXXXXXt.com wrote: > I was really surprised to find that a great many students at my > high school are fans of the Mamas and the Papas. I love this > group, but I only have one greatest hits cd (16 songs) and I'm > dying for more. I recently saw a double disc full of their best > recordings. I think it was called Creeque Alley or something. > Does any have this one. I'd love a brief review! Thanks Hi William, Creeque Alley is a 2 CD set on MCA that contains 43 of the best tracks from The Mamas and The Papas as well as selected tracks from other projects that members of the band were involved with. The songs are wonderful, full of those trademark harmonies that in my opinion will never be duplicated by any other band. The only drawback to the collection is the sound quality, which is pretty dodgy. Recently MCA did a 20 song (I believe) Greatest Hits which was remastered, and I've been told it sounds great. If it sounds anything like their recent remaster of the Mamas And The Papas debut album, "If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears," then it's worth having for the sound alone. The only reason I haven't picked it up yet is because I'm waiting for a remastered "Best Of" collection that is more expansive than 20 tracks, although I haven't heard any definite plans by the label to do one. -- Spectropop Rules!!!!! Take Care, David --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Mamas and Papas Received: 01/28/99 1:49 am From: Jamie LePage, le_page_XXXXXXXXties.com To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com WILLIAM asked: >I was really surprised to find that a great many students at my >high school are fans of the Mamas and the Papas. > >Does any have [Creeque Alley]. William, Are you really in high school??? Maybe there's hope for today's youth after all! :-) Creeque Alley - not recommended. The stereo/mono debate aside, Califoria Dreaming just sounds plain WRONG in the stereo mix on this CD. When they did the stereo mix, they left out (or at least mixed way down) the background vocals in many places, and at the end of the day, the whole thing is generally of average quality (if anyone on the list was involved with this CD production, apologies, but please explain how this happened!). Ironically, the Three Dog Night CD released from MCA around the same time is wonderful, so it can't be entirely MCA's fault that the M&P set is mediocre. I too am quite fond of the great harmony vocals of the Mamas and the Papas, and for more of the same sunshiny vocal sound, I suggest other artists in a similar style: Eternity's Children, Sagittarius, Sunshine Company, Fifth Dimension, for instance. But of course it's a matter of personal preference; all the above examples lean more toward straight pop than do the folkier M&P tracks. Anyway... Barry McGuire rules, baby! -- All the best, Jamie LePage
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