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Volume #0324 September 20, 1999
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The Vine Street Irregulars
Subject: Gold Star Studios
Received: 09/18/99 1:47 pm
From: WASE RADIO,xxxxxt.org
To: Spectropop List, spectxxxxxities.com
I have done some studying about Gold Star Studios.
The studio was founded in 1950 by Stan Ross and Dave Gold.
The earliest song that I can think of is that was recorded
there was the Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is To Love Him", a
number one hit around Christmas 1958. Not only was Phil a
frequent visitor to the studio, so was Eddie Cochran
("Summertime Blues", "C'mon Everbody"), Ritchie Valens
("La Bamba", "Donna"), Big Bopper ("Chantilly Lace"),The
Murmaids ("Popsicles and Icicles"), Sonny and Cher ("I Got
you Babe", "Bang Bang", "The Beat Goes On"), Beach Boys
(back tracks to "Wouldn't It Be Nice' and "California
Girls"), Buffalo Springfield ("For What's Its Worth"), Iron
Butterfly ("In-a-gadda-diva" reportedly just the vocal was
recorded there), etc.
Gold Star pretty much lived up to its name. The facility
was rewarded with 150 gold records. What made that studio
so great was the sound. It was a small room that had four
acoustic chambers, according to the back cover of the 2 LP
"Phil Spector's Greatest hits" set (the one with the parade
cover). I have seen some interior shots of the studio. The
board had three meters with rows of these small knobs. On
the right side were two tape machines, one with three
tracks which I speculate was used for either the initial
recording, or for stereo mixing. The other one was
obviously mono since it had one meter, and looks to me
like a Scully. The equipment may look antiquated by
today's standards, but the sound was fantastic.
Sadly the studio closed down in March 1984, and one report
was that the building was destroyed by fire. What a shame.
A piece of music history gone up in flames.
If someone else can enlightnen me on the history of this
historic place, please post.
Michael Marvin
WASE radio
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: To big L and DJJIMMY
Received: 09/18/99 1:47 pm
From: Joey Stec, Jxxxxxcom
To: Spectropop List, spectxxxxxities.com
To big L:
I was in the Magoos for their final year and helped bury
the group. We did recordings in LA and also did a few
shows. After the Blues Magoos, Ralph Scala (who was the
main writer of We Ain't Got Nothing Yet as well as the
lead singer) and I made a deal with United Artists Records.
We recorded and released an album called the Dependables,
which was Carl Radle, Ronnie Gilbert of the Magoos.
Chuck Blackwell from Taj's and Claudia Leenear of Mad Dogs
fame....after the album bombed, I then played for a few
months with Crazy Horse as they were attempting to do a
second album. Then I did some things with Chris Hillman
and wrote songs that were published by Steven Stills Music.
I started a demo group with Jim Gordon (Traffic fame etc.)
Carl Radle, Bobby Keys, and Joey Lala. We did the Joey
Stec album on Playboy Records which is now available as a
limited edition on Loki Music. See Joey Stec Web Site. The
album was produced by the late JIMMY MILLER. Please check
out the web site, it's mostly all there, and please feel
free to ask any questions you may have anytime.
In answer to DJjimmy, yes, we all played on everything on
the Millennium album. 5 am was an old Ballroom track which
we upgraded a bit, but I don't remember who played what on
that track. It was a great song from Sandy.
Thanks for your appreciation of rock and roll.
Cheers,
Joey Stec http://members.xoom.com/joeystec
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Weird Beach Boys/Carol Kaye dream
Received: 09/18/99 1:47 pm
From: Cheeky Monkey, wuxxxxxet.se
To: Spectropop List, spectxxxxxities.com
I had this really weird dream last night of which I can
only remember a tiny fragment: a Beach Boys TV documentary
in which Carol Kaye played the guitar riff to "Add Some
Music To Your Day" and commented "This is great stuff -
Brian at his best." !!! Just wanted to share this with you
all :-)
Amazing to see so many legends on this list, btw! I was
particulary happy that Joey Stec has joined us now, as the
"Begin" reissue booklet annoyingly only stated (in 1990)
that you were "believed alive". So it's really great to
hear that you've recently hooked up with Mike Fennelly
again! I bought "Begin" about two months ago, and there's
not much info in the CD booklet, so I'd love to hear what
your part in The Millenium was, apart from co-writing
songs like "To Claudia On Thursday". What is your opinion
on the album today, looking back at it? It still sounds
amazingly fresh and modern, even all the psychedelic
phasing and backwards tapes. I don't know if you've heard
about the group, but a a nineties British band called The
Boo Radleys - coincidentally on the same record label,
Creation Records/Rev-Ola, as most of the reissued Curt
Boetcher stuff - owed *a lot* of their sound to The
Millennium, particularly on the last album they released,
"Kingsize", before they split up last year. Creation
Records should sign the remaining members of The Millenium
to close the circle.
Tobias
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Re: Clem Comstock
Received: 09/18/99 1:47 pm
From: Billy G. Spradlin, bgsprxxxxxhlink.net
To: Spectropop List, spectxxxxxities.com
Dear David:
Thanks for clearing up the Clem Comstock CD for me and
Jack. Sounds like a fun collection.
I need to make one more correction: the other Teardrops
track on the "Where the Girls Are...Volume 2" collection
was "I Love You", not "A Change Of Heart", and was
produced by one Bud Reneau. Anyone know anything else
about this group besides that they released two 45's on
Musicor nationally?
(This is what happens when you crank out a reply letter
very quickly, hit the send button...and....then look down
at the track listing on the CD Case and realize that you
made a mistake!)
Billy G. Spradlin
29 Rim Road
Kilgore, Texas 75662
Email: bgsprxxxxxhlink.net
Homepage: http://home.earthlink.net/~bgspradlin/
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Re: records out of Cincy
Received: 09/19/99 12:07 am
From: Ron Sauer, RGxxxxxcom
To: Spectropop List, spectxxxxxities.com
In a message dated 9/17/99, 04 :42:25 PM,Billy G. Spradlin,
bgsprxxxxxhlink.net writes:
>I just picked up "Where the Girls Are... Volume 2" on Ace.
>There are two good tracks by a Cincinnati Girl Group called
>The Teardrops ("You Wont Be There" and "A Change Of Heart"
>which sounds like a early take of "You Wont.."). The notes
>state that the records were originally released on Saxony
>records out of Cincy and later released by Musicor. The
>production on both tracks is "Kitchen Sink on a Budget"
>and I'm wondering if this Clem Comstock produced this
>group.
Nice to see one of my favorite girl groups mentioned. The
Teardrops has several local hits, the biggest here in
Cincinnati being "Tonight, I'm Going To Fall in Love Again".
I believe their producer was named Bud Reneau, but I'll
have to check that. And I believe Saxony was his label.
"Tears Come Tumbling" is my favorite. That is the first one
picked up by Musicor. I remember the then local DJ Morton
Downey Jr. making that announcement. (I remember him also
proclaming Dobie Gray "the next Marvin Gaye" and pulling
one of those "riding a Ferris Wheel for 83 million
straight hours" stunts.) "Tears Come Tumbling", after
being released on Musicor made some noise in Boston among
other places.
Ron
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Re: "Where the Girls Are... Volume 2"
Received: 09/19/99 9:51 pm
From: Stos, William, xxxxx.tyenet.com
To: Spectropop List, spectxxxxxities.com
>I just picked up "Where the Girls Are... Volume 2" on Ace.
>BTW: This CD is mostly R&B material...not Pop, even though
>there are some catchy songs here and there, some of the
>songs deserved not to be hits or should have stayed "in
>the can"...
My thoughts exactly. I like a lot of heavy girl group R&B
(Sweet Inspirations, Bluebelles, etc) but the stuff on
this comp was mostly just awful. Teardrops, Candy and the
Kisses, Ernstine Eady, Silky and the Shantungs, and Dianne
and Annita have good cuts on here, but a lot of the solo
soul femmes which apparently cut "girl group" material
should have been left out. It's a shame this stuff is
reissued or saved from the vaults when countless other
pieces of great vinyl are left to rot.
Will
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Nino Tempo "Boystown"
Received: 09/19/99 12:07 am
From: Robin Wills, robinxxxxxpop.demon.co.uk
To: Spectropop List, spectxxxxxities.com
Hi there
A few years ago I managed to track down Nino Tempo's
single "Boystown" (Tower 369). I don't know if it been
discussed here already , but it's a marvellous lush Pet
Sounds/ Spector cross-over with lyrics to match the
campness of "I'd much rather be with the boys". Now to my
ears, it sounds like Hal Blaine on drums, does anyone have
any other info of who else plays on it and where it was
recorded? Also my copy is not in great shape and I would
like to know if it has appeared on any compilations.
I joined this list a couple of weeks ago (thanks Kingsley)
and I have found it very informative, although these days I
seem to depend less on older stuff as I enjoy a lot of the
new pop stuff emanating from the States...
All the best
Robin Wills
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
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