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Volume #0220 February 2, 1999
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joining the legions of fans
Subject: A surprise
Received: 02/02/99 7:21 am
From: WILLIAM STOS, wsXXXXXXXXt.com
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
Guess what everybody. My friend Sheila is taking some classes at
NYU, and she noticed an older black woman sitting in front of her.
When the class had to stand up and tell a little bit about
themselves, she introduced herself as none other tha Mary Wilson!
She didn't mention the Supremes, but said she had become a
professional singer at age 13, toured the world, and was now
back to take some courses for a new direction in her life.
Sheila was blown away! No one else new who she was because she
didn't mention the Supremes, but Sheila, who is a huge GG fan
knew the whole story. She's going to introduce herself next week.
I've invited both Sheila and Katherine Anderson-Schaffner of
the Marvelettes to join the group if they have time, and I've
also extended an invitation to Mary. Let's all hope they write
me back so I can recommend them as new members!
Will
p.s. that new Del-Fi Girl group comp sounds great! what other
artists can we expect to hear?
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Subject: Fave Album Cover
Received: 01/31/99 9:06 pm
From: Jimmy Cresitelli, JimmyXXXXXXXXom
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
Well... I'd have to say "The Crystals Twist Uptown," with all
those Crystals in their party dresses getting ready to hop into
their station wagon. A close second... the Phil Spector
Christmas Album... you just KNOW they were all sweating bullets
under those hot lights, wearing those wigs and winter sweaters,
but you'd never know it judging by those happy smiles. Barbara:
was everyone present at this Christmas photo shoot, or were the
groups spliced together? And I heard once who's on there with
Bobby and Fanita. It's not Darlene; is it Carolyn Willis? It
would have been odd to have Darlene in two places on that LP
cover, even if she WAS photographed separately...
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Subject: Greetings
Received: 02/02/99 7:21 am
From: John Hesterman, ZachaXXXXXXXXffice.worldnet.att.net
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
Hello All :)
I'm not sure who it was that sponsored me to this list, but
thank you! I have really enjoyed reading the posts over the last
couple of weeks and hope I can make occassional contributions
that will be of interest to all of you as well.
Thanks again :)
John
"...together we will explore the great unknown..."
Paul McCartney, ONLY LOVE REMAINS
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Subject: It's My Party
Received: 02/02/99 7:21 am
From: Doc Rock, docroXXXXXXXXcom
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
I just received promo/review copies of two CD singles by a GG
called It's My Party.
CD one has "I'd Much Rather Be With the Girls" (the Donna Lynn
song) and a nifty retro-song called "Can't."
The second CD has "That Boy John" (yes, THAT "That Boy John" b/w
a wonderful remake of the Secrets' "The Boy Next Door," and "I'm
Bobby's Girl."
I recommend them highly. New grist for our mill! Write John at
impXXXXXXXXom, and tell 'em Doc sent ya'! It won't do you any
good, but I've always wanted to say that!
Doc
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Subject: Re: acetates
Received: 02/02/99 7:21 am
From: Doc Rock, docroXXXXXXXXcom
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
Jamie,
You asked about sessions, and if Diane had acetates of tracks to
practice her vocals with.
Well, wait til she tells you of the marathon 24-hour Navy Blue
LP session, with songs written for her by Bob Crewe on the spot
as she slept in the studio!
Take it away, Diane!
Doc
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Subject: Re: Soft Rock A-Z
Received: 02/02/99 7:21 am
From: Agnes Skinner, MUV96XXXXXXXXnt2.lu.se
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
Harvey Williams wrote:
>and there's a Soft Rock chart placing Salt Water Taffy's
>'Finders Keepers' ...
LOL! Hahaha. Y'know, some of my friends think I listen to
*totally* unknown 60s bands but I have never in my life heard of
Salt Water Taffy!!! Could you describe their music a bit more
and possibly give me some reference points (similar artists,
that is)?
>which makes one question the compilers' taste (better than
>Odessey & Oracle? Pet Sounds? Roger Nichols?).
I've never been able to get into that Zombies record. It's
regarded as a masterpiece by many, no?
>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.
It's pretty weird cos it was only 7 british pounds and I simply
forgot to buy it! The same happened when I found this pretty
rare but cheap 7", Herb Alpert & TB doing a cover of the Beach
Boys' "Darlin'" - it was supercheap bit I just forgot to buy it!
! Must be something in the London air, me thinks...:)
Elliot Kendall shared this URL with us:
>WEB VANDA <http://www.jah.ne.jp/~vanda/>
Thanks, Elliot! I'll definitely bookmark this site.
And then Jamie LePage wrote:
>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,
Hmmm...never heard of this group - care to share the essential
info?
>Sagittarius, Sunshine Company, Fifth Dimension, for instance.
Sunshine Company....I found one of their records at a record
fair a couple of months ago but in the grand tradition of my
life, I forgot to buy it!! :) The guy who sold it said it sounds
like a complete Mamas/Papas rip-off. I've never really liked the
latter group - as Marty Rudnick said, the hits are fantastic but
there's a lot of filler on their LPs - so I guess I wouldn't
enjoy SC, right? I'm more into the Brill Building/
Bacharach-styled soft rock.....
The Cyrkle - what about them?
Will get to that reply soon, Marty...
Tobias
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Subject: Re: What is soft rock?
Received: 02/02/99 7:21 am
From: Jamie LePage, le_page_XXXXXXXXties.com
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
Intriguing post, Frank.
>>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?)
>
>I'm fascinated by the Japanese take on soft rock, which appears
>to be every bit as hip over there as it's traditionally been
>un-hip here.
I share Frank's fascination. Why do the Japanese judge the
arguably "unhip" Salt Water Taffy as an equal to the most
highly revered albums of this genre: Pet Sounds and Odessey
& Oracle?
One aspect of so-called "soft rock" that makes it so relevant to
this discussion group is that it evolved directly from the
Brill Building/Girl Group school. Riopell from Spector to Parade,
Usher from Hondells to Sagittarius, David Gates from Girlfriends
to Bread, and like that. But by 1968, the old school music makers
were perceived by the new Rock movement as going in a decidedly
unhip direction. The real time prejudice against love american
styled pop music is sort of irrelevant now, especially for those
whose discovery of this music is recent. And while appreciation of
music is always subjective, certainly the schooled musicians' and
arrangers' work of this period is far more structured than much of
the Rock music that came out at this time. Anyone heard of Blue
Cheer?
The 20's to 30's Japanese who buy "soft rock" I guess are
detached even one level further; that is, the nuance of lyric
and its importance to the mood of a song is often only partially
understood and often not taken into consideration. So a lyric
like "Finders keepers, losers weepers-You should have woke up
before you broke up" may not sound as ridiculous as it does to
many native English speakers.
>To me O&O is a little arty, Pet Sounds a tad whiney; though
>frankly I'm surprised Roger's not at the top of that list.
I had to smile at that. Both O&O and PS would be in my desert
island list if I ever bothered to make one, but I get what you
mean about arty and whiney. Hey, that's part of what makes them
so darn good. And you're right about Roger Nichols, Frank; in
the Japanese definition of soft rock Small Circle of Friends is
godhead.
I just have to say Salt Water Taffy doesn't suck if you like all
the Kama Sutra/Buddah stuff. But for those whose taste for soft
rock leans toward the A&M and Burbank sound, some of the more
contrived stuff lauded under the so-called soft rock banner ends
up sounding like second rate bubblegum music.
--
Art and wine rule!!!!!
All the best,
Jamie LePage 
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