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Volume #0236 March 4, 1999
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Teenage Symphonies To God
Subject: BOUNCE spectroXXXXXXXXties.com: Non-member submi
Received: 03/04/99 12:00 am
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
========== Start of forwarded message ==============
The following news story is posted at:
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/ts/story.html?s=v/nm/19990303/ts/sprin
gfield_1.html
Singer Dusty Springfield Dies At 59
LONDON (Reuters) - Dusty Springfield, the 1960s British pop
star famous for her husky voice and blonde beehive hairdo,
has died at the age of 59, her agent said Wednesday.
Springfield, who had fought a long battle against breast
cancer, died Tuesday night at her home in Henley-on-Thames,
west of London, agent Paul Fenn said. Her cancer had first
been detected in 1994.
Born Mary O'Brien in London, she teamed up in the early
1960s with her brother Tom to form the Springfields, which
became one of the country's top pop and folk acts.
Once described as Britain's finest white soul singer,
Springfield's 1963 solo debut "I Only Want To Be With You"
is now a pop classic.
Worldwide success came in 1966, with "You Don't Have To Say
You Love Me," which sold a million copies to become her only
British number one hit.
In 1968, she moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she recorded
"Dusty In Memphis," regarded by some critics as one of the
decade's finest albums. At the same time she released her
classic single "Son Of A Preacher Man."
In May last year, Springfield announced a financial deal in
Los Angeles under which she would get millions of dollars in
exchange for future royalties from her hits.
Just two months ago, Springfield was honored by Britain,
being granted an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British
Empire).
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
=============== End of forwarded message ===================
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Creation, etc.
Received: 03/03/99 3:43 am
From: Robert Charles-Dunne, XXXXXXXXlt.com
To: spectropop, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
What a charge to connect with others who remember and
appreciate Amen Corner, The Beckies, et al! Pleased to
make your acquaintance, I'm sure...
Regarding Jim's queries on The Creation, Jonah and Dave
have already done a marvelous job describing their
historical relevance, so I won't rehash. However, can I
recommend to Jim and others that if they like The Creation,
they might also find much to admire about The Action?
Another mid-60s Anglo, psych-mod band, these guys also
failed to get their share of credit. First releases were
produced by Kenny [Small Faces] Lynch, with later stuff
produced by George [Fab Four] Martin. Reggie King was a
soulful singer - favourably compared to Steve Marriott by
no less a Mod authority than Paul Weller - and because of
the mod affiliation, The Action stuck largely to a hopped
up Tamla/Motown sound. Anyone familiar with the Mod period
knows how heavily black US music influenced the white UK '
faces' of the day, including early releases by The Who and
Faces, even though latter day recordings reveal it less.
For more on the same UK stuff, try checking out Martin
Payne's great site called Making Time [named after the
Creation song]
http://freespace.virgin.net/martin.payne2/indexes.html
Also, if you can find anything by a Toronto band from the
60's called The Mandala, it fits into roughly the same
groove. Toronto was a soul-fixated town in the 60s and
boasted literally dozens of blue-eyed soul bands, complete
with matching suits, large horn sections, etc. One mutant
exception was R&B-psych band The Mandala, a five piece
fronted by a wicked showman named George Olliver, who
could literally make hundreds of teenybopper girls swoon
in ecstasy simply by removing a white glove, one finger at
a time, and tossing it into the crowd. He was later
replaced by Roy Kenner. The band also featured guitarist
Domenic Troiano [The Guess Who, The James Gang, several
solo albums], and a rhythm section and keyboardist who
went on to record extensively with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed
and a number of others. Classic Mandala songs include "
Opportunity," "Give & Take" and "Love-itis," all of which
display a fine appreciation for soul, but include fuzzed
out guitar solos and other psych flourishes. The band
morphed into a short-lived combo called Bush after The
Mandala folded. Mandala recordings may be found on the
Chess subsidiary K&R label [the band thought it was
signing to Chess, but K&R were brought in by Chess to make
it sound like K&R's other hit band The Turtles], and
Atlantic.
Another Canadian band from the same time frame worth
seeking out is The Ugly Ducklings. Not as mod-pop-psych as
Creation/Action/Mandala, this five piece was a Rolling
Stones/Yardbirds style band and did it exceptionally well.
Snarly, arrogant, contemptuous sound. The one exception was
a slow-building, heavy orch single called "Gaslight," which
featured strings, HUGE drums and wailing vocals. Highly
recommended to lovers of 60s garage-punk like Shadows Of
Knight, Standells, et al.
Interesting comments from Steve McClure re: Idle Race and
The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, another pair of under-rated
iconoclasts. Strangely enough, both bands were signed to
the UK United Artists label [along with Family] by the
same two A&R guys, Andrew Lauder and Francis Davies. Both
bands received pretty classy retro-reissues: "History of
The Bonzo.." by UA, and "Imposters Of Life's Magazine" by
Canada's Daffodil label, which was run by Francis Davies
in the 70s. Both releases are recommended, as is just
about anything else that Lauder and Davies have done over
their careers. Lauder has signed artists to UA, Radar,
Silvertone, This Way Up and now has a brand new blues
label called Cello. Davies' Daffodil label was the home to
King Biscuit Boy, Crowbar, Tom Cochrane, Spirit of
Christmas, Fludd, Klaatu, and a dozen others. It's been my
pleasure to know both of these guys, who have demonstrated
over the past 30 years that one can have a career as a
record 'weasel' WITHOUT having to forfeit one's honesty or
integrity.
In referring to The Creation, Warren Cosford mentioned
Shel Talmy, my personal favourite producer of all time [
Who, Kinks, Easybeats, Creation, Chad & Jeremy, Pentangle,
et al.] I have bought a LOT of records over the years
because they have Talmy's production credit. Some are not
so great. But one band that never seems to even get
mentioned is the UK group Rumpelstiltskin. These guys
wanted to be in the Zep/Jeff Beck Group school of UK
blues-based heaviosity, which may be outside the
parameters of Spectropop, but they were damn good.
Unfortunately their sole album sported the single most
hideous album jacket I think I've ever seen, a poorly
drawn cartoon strip parody that failed to work on ANY
level. Great tunes, though, and some sterling Talmy
production touches, just in case there are other Talmy
completists reading this.
Thanks to all the members for the psychic/sonic resonance.
Robert Charles-Dunne
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: From The Big Hurt to...
Received: 03/03/99 10:48 am
From: Jamie LePage, le_page_XXXXXXXXties.com
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
This has been a most enlightening thread and thanks again to
Carol Kaye and all for helping sort out the background on The
Big Hurt.
During this discussion Alec introduced what was to me a new
name in the Spectropop era LA recording scene: Leo Kulka.
Most intriguing was Alec's comment that Leo made other
records using the flanging effect at around the same time.
Alec, as time allows, please do tell more about Leo, his
studio and his records.
I gotta say; the contributors to this list continually amaze
me with their knowledge. You guys are great!
All the best,
Jamie LePage
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: last thoughts on the Big Hurt
Received: 03/03/99 10:48 am
From: Alec Palao, paXXXXXXXXs.com
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
>Carol said:
>
>Here's the reply I got from Russ Wapensky, who has
>interviewed and hung out with Stan Ross many a year now.....
>.I don't know Leo Kulka, but I do know (and stand in back of
>) Stan Ross and what Russ Wapensky says (a government man
>btw):
>
>Carol,
>
>It was definitely Stan. Larry did the basic track & then Stan did
>the phasing - all at Gold Star. I've heard both of them tell this
>story dozens of times.
>
>Russ
I think the experts are right, that Leo Kulka was not
involved with the recording of "Big Hurt" per se. His
recollections to me were probably clouded by the fact that:
(1) he did toy with the phase effect in approximately the
same time period - as a fellow Hollywood sound engineer,
maybe even discussed it with Ross and Levine
(2) most, maybe all of the rest of Toni Fisher's Signet LP
was recorded by Kulka at Sound Enterprises. I know this for
a fact because he told me some interesting/amusing stories
about working with her. For instance, Miss Fisher couldn't
quite get to grips with the despondent lyrics of the cut
"Gloomy Sunday". Therefore, Kulka and Shanklin called her
every name under the sun until she became so upset that the
distress in her voice was clearly apparent! I came across a
stereo master reel of the LP in Leo's archives, which
although a little torchy/MOR for my taste, still sounds
glorious in stereo.
Carol, if your ever worked with Leo de Gar Kulka, you're
unlikely to have forgotten him. A tall, avuncular man with a
bald pate, pencil moustache, perennial ascot and reasonably
thick Eastern European accent (an evacuee of Czechoslovakia),
I knew him very well for the last six or seven years of
his life. He was a wonderful man and full of vigour almost
to the day he died. Leo left Hollywood in 1964 to start
Golden State Recorders up here in San Francisco, so perhaps
you did not run into him that often. He loved studio
trickery and sound effects (witness his creation of the "One
Stormy Night" series by the Mystic Moods Orchestra, a lounge
favourite), so it's understandable he would at least partly
credit himself with the invention of the phase effect.
All the best,
ALEC
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Randy Newman
Received: 03/03/99 2:11 am
From: Rainier Wolfcastle, MUV96XXXXXXXXnt2.lu.se
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
Sorry for posting lots of questions to the list without
following any of your replies up (the reason is I don't have
the knowledge many of you have) but here goes another one....
One of my favourite albums right now is Randy Newman's
self-titled debut record. I have unfortunately not heard a
single note of any of his other albums so what records of
his are recommended, and preferably in the same
piano-and-lots-of-strings style as the debut? 12 Songs and
Sail Away look interesting but I don't know.....
Tobias
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Vogues cover needed
Received: 03/04/99 12:00 am
From: Jeffrey Thames, KingoGrXXXXXXXXom
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
Hidy, fellow 'poppers...does anyone know where I could
locate the Vogues' 1970 cover of "God Only Knows" on vinyl,
CD, or (as a last resort) cassette? None of the comps I've
seen (US or otherwise) seem to have it. Thanx in advance!
Cheers,
Jeff
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: WB reissues
Received: 03/04/99 12:00 am
From: Ron Bierma, ELRONXXXXXXXXom
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
In a message dated 3/2/99 5:01:35 PM, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com writes:
>Is there anyone on this list who is affiliated with Warner
>Brothers who might be able to shed some light upon this?
I don't work for WB, though I am aware that recently Rhino
was purchased by WEA, essentially allowing them access to
all in the Warner, Elektra and Atlantic catalogues. The
first fruits of this marriage being an Alice Cooper box, a
Doobie Bros box, and remasterings of Buffalo Springfield,
etc. Write Rhino a letter, Send em an e-mail and let em know
you want Association, Neon Philharmonic, Beckies, Bob
Newhardt, etc...reissues!! BTW, just got Rhino's 2 new Dusty
Springfield remasters (In Memphis-and In London-with Numerous
previously unreleased tracks-practically doubling their
original lengths!!) They're awsome!! Sound is great also!!
!!Ron!!
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: BOUNCE spectroXXXXXXXXties.com: Non-member submi
Received: 03/02/99 1:30 am
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
========== Start of forwarded message ==============
Subject: Grammys
Please note the great producers/writers/artists honored at
this year's Grammy presentation.
SAM COOKE
Lifetime Achievement Award honoree
Thursday, February 18, 1999
Though he lived to be just 33, Sam Cooke was a successful and
influential singer in three distinct fields: gospel, pop and R&B.
"Sam was the best singer who ever lived, no contest," said
Jerry Wexler, who tried in vain to sign Cooke to Atlantic
Records. "When I listen to him, I still can't believe the things
that he did. It's always fresh and amazing to me. Everything
about him was perfection."
Cooke was among the first black stars to run his own publishing
company (Kags Music), his own record label (Sar/Derby Records),
and his own management firm. Among the artists that Cooke had a
hand in discovering: Bobby Womack, Billy Preston, Johnnie Taylor,
Mel Carter and Lou Rawls.
Cooke was all of 20 in 1951 when he became a star on the gospel
circuit as the lead singer of the Soul Stirrers. In 1956, Cooke
smoothed out his style in a bid for broader pop acceptance. He
broke through with the dreamy ballad "You Send Me," which hit No.
1 in December 1957. Cooke followed that smash with a mix of
smooth ballads, charming novelties ("Wonderful World") and
catchy dance records ("Twistin' the Night Away").
Cooke was among the first group of artists inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and "You Send Me" was voted
into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 1998.
For the full article, go to:
http://www.grammy.com/grammy/news.nsf/WebNewsbyTitle/AF0580D428A5E140002567
1D00138F91
JERRY LEIBER and MIKE STOLLER
Trustees Award honorees
Thursday, February 18, 1999
Despite orchestrating the careers of great R&B groups like the
Coasters and the Drifters, writing some of Elvis Presley's
best-known hits and functioning as tacit mentors to writer/
producer icons such as Phil Spector and Burt Bacharach, Leiber
and Stoller remain inexplicably undercelebrated. But those who
follow music closely, especially those familiar with the
operation of New York's famed Brill Building in the '60s, know
better [hey, Spectropoppers, that's us!]. At times, they did
everything but press their own records, functioning as writers,
producers, A&R men, publishers and label executives. With Lester
Sill they embarked in the label business, starting Spark Records.
Soon, their label was purchased by Ahmet Ertegun's Atlantic
Records, and Leiber and Stoller moved to New York to set up shop
in the Brill Building. The Robins were renamed the Coasters and a
long string of hits ensued: "Searchin'," "Yakety Yak," "Poison
Ivy" and more.
With the Drifters especially, Leiber and Stoller began to refine
their studio process, cutting detailed sessions and adding
strings to R&B records for the first time (they've been credited
with producing arguably the first soul record -- the Drifters'
"There Goes My Baby").
By the early '60s, the pair had become the standard by which
other producers could be measured, which led Lester Sill to send
a young LA producer out to New York to study under them. Phil
Spector slept on Leiber and Stoller's office couch by night and
absorbed their innovative production techniques by day. But
their presence at the Brill Building influenced others too, like
Burt Bacharach, who wrote for the Drifters and often incorporated
Leiber and Stoller's love of Latin rhythms into his songs.
Eventually, Leiber and Stoller left Atlantic and started their
own label again, this time Red Bird, where they scored hits
particularly with girl groups like the Dixie Cups and the
Shangri-Las.
For the full article, go to:
http://www.grammy.com/grammy/news.nsf/WebNewsbyTitle/C6B15AE04DA6A5BF002567
1D00140137
KENNETH GAMBLE and LEON HUFF
Trustees Award honorees
Thursday, February 18, 1999
Gamble and Huff built arguably the most successful black-owned
music company of the '70s with their Philadelphia International
label. Their direct inspiration was Berry Gordy's Motown, and
they followed that template for success pretty closely, creating
an identifiable "Philly Sound" with mostly home-grown talent.
Among the groups that owe a huge debt to the talents of Gamble
and Huff are the O'Jays, the Intruders, and Harold Melvin and
the Bluenotes, all of whom benefitted from G&H's sweet songs of
romance or bold social examinations, lushly orchestrated
arrangements and a propulsive groove.
In the early-'60s, Gamble led his own band, Kenny Gamble and the
Romeos (the band included Thom Bell, who would later become a G&H
protege producer with his own string of hits voiced by the
Stylistics, the Spinners and others). Meanwhile, Huff was
establishing a name for himself as a hot New York session
pianist, working with fellow Trustees Award nominees Jerry
Leiber and Mike Stoller, to name a few. Huff was hired to play
on a session for a Gamble-penned tune back in Philadelphia and
Gamble asked Huff to join his group. Even as the team was
producing hits like the Soul Survivors' infectious 1967
"Expressway To Your Heart," helping to revive the career of Jerry
Butler by orchestrating his "Ice Man"-era hits and working with
other great singers like Dusty Springfield, they were hatching
plans to build their own empire, first with Gamble Records, then
Neptune and finally with the extremely successful Philadelphia
International.
For the full article, go to:
http://www.grammy.com/grammy/news.nsf/WebNewsbyTitle/8D425DA06EE502AB002567
1D0013DE18
=============== End of forwarded message ===================
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: 60s psych pop list
Received: 03/04/99 12:00 am
From: Dave Mirich, DmirXXXXXXXXom
To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com
I don't want to annoy anyone by reposting this 60s psych pop
list time and again. How about if I give it through the week
and be done with it. So please get your recommendations in
asap. Thanks everyone! Dave Mirich
Tobias wrote: 
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