__________________________________________________________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ S P E C T R O P O P __________ __________ __________ __________________________________________________________ Volume #0241 March 11, 1999 __________________________________________________________ Explanatory notes for the interested and informed ListenerSubject: Re: 45s Big and Small Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: Big L, biXXXXXXXXtmail.com To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com The 45 rpm single was made for one purpose: jukeboxes. Old 78 jukeboxes (small hole) had a problem sometimes with getting the record centered, especially after the mechanism got some wear on it. Result: record falls off the platter, tone arm comes down on felt - loud racket, possible broken record and damaged needle. With the large hole, the center post could be conical at the top, and the record would automatically fall into place even if miscued. In the 60s, a few labels made 45s with snap out centers to accomodate people who did not have a 45 adapter for their turntable, or didn't feel like putting it on. == Big L --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: 45 Holes Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: Paul Urbahns, PaulurbXXXXXXXXom To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com Stewart wrote: > For example, I have two otherwise identical copies > of the Mala single of the Box Tops' "The Letter"/"Happy > Times" from 1967, one with a big hole and one with a small > hole. My assumption has always been that for whatever > reason, some 45s escaped the factory without getting their > holes punched. Am I wrong? That's probably it. Some children's labels from the 60's period and a few Capital singles from the late 50's have a triangle type thing built into the big hole so you can punch out the whole if you want for the large spindle or leave it in and play the single on a standard phonograph without the 45 adapter. As I understand it, and unpunched 45 has a small whole and looks like a 7 inch album. Paul Urbahns paulurbXXXXXXXXom --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Smile, My Dad, movie soundtracks Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: Stewart Mason, flamiXXXXXXXXcom To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com John Love asks: >There are continuous references being made to "Smile" as >if it actually exists as an album. I know that some songs >from the sessions eventually found their way onto albums >after "Smiley Smile", but I had thought that Brian's >original vision was never completed. Is there a bootleg of >the sessions floating around? There are actually many, many bootlegs, though no, the sessions were never officially completed (and there's heated debate about just how close to completion the album ever actually came). Speaking of SMILE bootlegs, I'm on the verge of finally acquiring one. The 2-CD Vigotone set seems to be the consensus favorite, but if anything feels strongly for or against any of the other favorites, I'm willing to be persuaded. Big L wrote: >I got this by private e-mail. If you can help this gentleman, >please reply to him personally, not to me. Thanks. > >>>>>I am looking for any CD that has the song "My Dad" by >>>>>Paul Peterson. I have been looking everywhere. Thank you. I did write to Mr. Sweeney, but if anyone else has a yen for this song, TV STARS SING (K-Tel 3388, released in 1995) has not only "My Dad" but singles by Ricky Nelson, Shelley Fabares, Johnny Crawford, Edd Byrnes and Connie Stevens, Connie Stevens solo, Richard Chamberlain, George Maharis and Dwayne Hickman. Playing time is very skimpy, but (surprisingly for those of us who remember K-Tel's 70s heyday) the CD has attractive packaging, well-written liner notes, some good pictures and more-than-decent sound. Jack Madani wrote: >This leads me to something else that I dig about the era >that we celebrate here, which is that even *incidental >movie music* from those days just rocks with the echo of >the studio, and electric basses playing melodies, and big >drum kits with those fluent 32nd runs up and down the toms. >The Beach movies all have it, of course, but so do a ton >of other movies from that time period. Yes! Besides the beach movies and all those great AIP biker flicks with Davie Allan and the Arrows soundtracks available on Tower Records, anyone here who has never heard the soundtracks of Ennio Morricone, Krzysztof Komeda and Nino Rota may well be very interested in them. (Jack, you later express a fondness for BIG-sounding adult pop records -- you in particular will fall in love, if you haven't already.) Morricone is the best known of the three -- most of you have heard his theme for THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, with its Duane Eddyesque twang guitar, prominent bass, wordless female choir and mysterious grunting, and that typifies the style of music he wrote for that and the other "spaghetti westerns." His other 60s soundtrack work is closer to what Rota did for Fellini films and Komeda did for Polanski films, among others: very prominent electric organ (usually sounds like a Vox Continental or Farfisa to me), prominent wordless female choirs, swooping strings and rhythm sections heavily influenced by both jazz and rock that make you want to use the phrase "a-go-go" in every sentence. It's not technically pop, but it's quintessentially 60s, and Bacharach fans in particular might be interested. Domestic and import CDs are available at stores which specialize in soundtracks: I recommend starting with any of Morricone's Westerns, Rota's GIULETTA DEGLI SPIRITI and Komeda's THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS. (Fans of current pop groups might recognize that the Swedish band Komeda took more than their name from the composer, and the enormous debt the High Llamas owe to Morricone and Rota.) Stewart ***************************FLAMINGO RECORDS*************************** Stewart Allensworth Mason Box 40172 "The director mistakenly ate Albuquerque NM 87196 raw pork in Scotland." www.rt66.com/~flamingo *********************HAPPY MUSIC FOR NICE PEOPLE********************** --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: "My Dad" Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: Jimmy Cresitelli, JimmyXXXXXXXXom To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com This fab tearjerker can be found on Nick at Nite Records CD BK67148, "Donna Reed's Dinner Party," a fun and unusual "concept compilation" from 1995. www.sony.com/Music/ NickAtNite Also appears on Rhino Records CD R2 71650, "The Colpix-Dimension Story." It's an absolutely stupendous collection. (What I like to do is set the CD player for The Cookies' bluesy and sexy "Will Power" and the Girlfriends' surging, storming, thunderous "Jimmy Boy," The Cookies' "Girls Grow Up Faster Than Boys," The Cinderellas "Baby, Baby," and Lou Christie's "Guitars and Bongos," and ROCK !!! And that's just Side B... --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Donna Reed's Dinner Party Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: WASE RADIO, wXXXXXXXX.org To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com This is to Pat Sweeney: I have "My Dad" on a various artists' CD called "Donna Reed's Dinner Party" on 550 Music/Epic. The song is in clean true stereo. This disk also contains "The Men in My Little Girl's Life" by Mike Douglas, "Johnny Angel" by Shelley Fabares, "Our Winter Love" by Bill Purcell , all in stereo. It also contains a two track stereo mix of " Chances Are" by Johnny Mathis. I hope this disc is still available. Good Luck Michael Marvin Kool 103.5 WASE Radcliff, Ky. --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Happenings/Tokens Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: David Feldman, feldXXXXXXXXderables.com To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com Jack Madani speculated: > I've got a vinyl lp somewhere in my collection by > the Happenings and I was sure it's called "It's a > Happening World." I suppose I could be wrong.... Their big album (i.e., the one with "I Got Rhythm" and "My Mammy" was called, in an amazing burst of inspiration: "The Happenings." The record was produced by The Tokens, but there doesn't appear to be any overlap of membership between the two groups. Just picked up "Wimoweh: The Best of The Tokens" CD, which seems to cover only the Tokens' RCA material. My only Tokens LP is "I Hear Trumpets Blow," which is B.T. Puppy's #1000 (B.T.'s first release?) Did the Happenings ever put out a second album? Dave Feldman CD of the Week: The Mockingbirds Word of the Week: Churrascaria RIP: Dusty Springfield Best Time Killer of the 90's: Filling out the UPDATED gender survey at "http://www.imponderables.com" --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Re: Tokens vs. Happenings...You Be The Judge! Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: David Bash, BashXXXXXXXXom To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com Jack Madani, Jack_MadXXXXXXXX12.nj.us wrote: > I've seen recent digests referring to a Tokens album > called "It's A Happening World." But doesn't that album > get more properly credited to the Happenings? I know the > Happenings are some sort of offshoot-sideproject- > pseudonymous alter ego to the Tokens, although I'm not > entirely clear of the specifics of that relationship. > > Anyhow, I've got a vinyl lp somewhere in my collection by > the Happenings and I was sure it's called "It's a > Happening World." I suppose I could be wrong.... Hi Jack, The album "It's A Happening World" is indeed by The Tokens, Warner Brothers #1685. The album has recently been released by Warner Brothers Japan on CD. The sound quality is great and the disc contains 12 bonus tracks of 45 A's and B's The Tokens had during their Warner period. Many of these sides ended up on their "Intercourse" album, which Warner rejected and The Tokens ultimately released, in very limited quantities, on their own B.T. Puppy label. The Intercourse album has also been re-released on CD by B.T. Puppy, and is an interesting slice of urban pop/psychedelia. -- Spectropop Rules!!!!! Take Care, David Bash --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: It's A Happening World Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: Javed Jafri, javedjaXXXXXXXXt.ca To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com Jack, The Happenings were a separate group from the Tokens. They recorded for the Tokens record label BT Puppy. Their breakthrough success was "See You In September" in 1966 and they also had a fairly decent hit with a cover of Steve Lawrence's "Go Away Little Girl". Their most memorable and successful recording however was a cover of the Gershwin standard "I Got Rhythm". I'm sure you'll love those dit, dit, dit's featured in that song. That's pretty much it as far as their well known numbers but they did make the charts with a cover of "My Mammy" in 1967. In the midst of the emerging long hair look and sound they were a throwback to an earlier era. Like the Four Seasons or the Vogues they had short hair and wore suits but their singles sounded good on the radio. Javed --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Tokens/Happenings Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: Paul Urbahns, PaulurbXXXXXXXXom To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com In a message dated 3/9/99 5:33:57 PM Eastern Standard Time, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com writes: > I know the Happenings are some sort of offshoot-sideproject- > pseudonymous alter ego to the Tokens, although I'm not > entirely clear of the specifics of that relationship. They were two different groups, but the Happenings were produced by the Tokens. Paul Urbahns paulurbXXXXXXXXom --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Bermudas/Tammys Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: Ian Chapman, iandXXXXXXXXlnet.co.uk To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com Will: Relax! The Bermudas were indeed an oriental group, or at least the lead singer - Chu Sen Ling herself - was. If you can find a copy of the boot CD "Surf Bunnies & Hot Rod Honeys", you'll see a fantastic colour pic of a bikini-clad Chu Sen Ling posing on a California beach next to a surfboard! Great record, too. Doc: Glad to see someone else raves over "Egyptian Shumba" - I like this record for exactly the same reasons you listed. Manic!! Now try the Kane Triplets' VOCAL version of "Theme >From "Mission Impossible"!! Ian --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Bermudas/Diane Renay/Toys Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: wsXXXXXXXXtyenet.com To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com Doc wrote: >"The Bermudas sound like Annette and Donna Loren singing >a ballad to put Frankie to sleep." Well, it is a little tame compared to Shumba, but the novelty makes it kinda fun. eva wrote: >their first release was 'Donnie' in early 1964 reaching #62 >in the national charts. Wow, "Donnie" seemed really forgettable to me. I'm surprised this release wasn't a bigger success. >"Draggin' Wagon" 'by the Surfer Girls, b/w "One Boy Tells >Another," now THERE is a record. You know, this being a site with a lot of Beach Boys, surf fans, I don't want to stir any trouble, but aside from a few choice cuts like "He's A Doll," and "The One You Can't Have," by the Honeys, "Don't Drag No More," by Susan Lynn, "Surf Bunny Beach," by the Surf Bunnies, and the above mentioned Surfer Girls 45, girl group surf/drag records are my least favourite of the genre. When it comes to the surf sound in general I really find a record either sounds incredible or awful. The guy groups were a little better about their material, but the girl groups who tossed their hat into the rings just didn't seem to have it. They ended up sounding too cute, or just plain bad sometimes. What does everyone else say about this subject? Diane Renay! Speaking about sub genres in the girl group era, you had your very own with the whole "navy" thing. With follow-ups like "Kiss Me Sailor," and Bell Bottom Trousers," did you feel like you were being type-cast into that sort of thing or even a novelty performer? When you recorded these songs did Bob tell you why he wanted to exploit the success of your first hit? I've personally found your non-naval songs like "Unbelievable Guy," "Watch out Sally," and "Growin' Up Too Fast," to be more energetic and commercial. One final note. I just found out Barbara Harris of the Toys ("A Lover's Concerto" and I believe even back-up on some of Diane's records) has released a brand new album on her own indie label! She has her own cool website too! I found out that the two other Toys (Barbara Parritt and June Montiero) joined the fake Marvelettes groups of the 70s when the Toys disbanded. Write me for the address. --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Etta and Frankie and Carol & Alice Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: CLAUDIA CUNNINGHAM, TPXXXXXXXX.net To: Spectropop List, spectroXXXXXXXXties.com Just came across a little gem from my collection. This must have been out in the early Sixties, if I recall. The tune is "Pushover" by Miss Etta James. Ms. Etta's voice is strong, to say the least...it could scare the buzzards off a garbage truck! If anyone wants a taste of real gritty, down-home soul pre-Aretha buy yourself some of her stuff. There must be a CD out there featuring Etta. AND...Ol' Blue Eyes, bless his soul, never ceases to amaze. Just after you think you've heard everything he's done, you find something else better than before. May I suggest you check out a little ditty Frank recorded called "You and Me". Talk about overproduced, gorgeous piece of music. This is IT. Highly recommend it. It'll break your heart. And a question for Carol Kaye: Can you tell us who the musicians were on "Grapevine" with Marvin Gaye, and did you work on any really well known disco records? I know you mentioned you worked on some. T'would like to know. Thanks! Claudia --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Smokie Received: 03/11/99 2:37 am From: Ian Chapman, iandXXXXXXXXlnet.co.uk To: Spectropop List, SpectroXXXXXXXXties.com Warren: Smokie were rarely out of the UK charts in the mid-late 70s...they seemed to be on practically every edition of "Top of the Pops" at the time. Lead singer was Chris Norman. He also did a great soft-rock duet with Suzi Quatro, "Stumblin' In", got to #41 in the UK charts. Smokie are still around, but without Chris, playing the oldies circuits. Ian --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- End
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