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Volume #0365 January 6, 2000
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featuring radio and recording favorites
Subject: Re: Rhondels
From: DJJimxxxxxcom
To: spectxxxxxities.com
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 14:29:41 EST
In a message dated 1/4/0 10:59:59 AM, you wrote:
>Bill Deal (and the Rhondells). They had three
>pretty darn good songs out in 1969 called, "May I", "I've
>Been Hurt" and "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am".
>Great stuff...("I've been hurt (hurt, hurt), oh, I've been
>hurrrrt (de-oooh!)" All the stuff was up-tempo and quite
>danceable (as Dick Clark use to say).
>The songs were laced with a heavy horn section, great
>backup from the Rhondells and at the end of three minutes
>you were feeling pretty good.
>Does anyone know what's happened to them?
Thanks for bringing up this, one of my very favorite
Blue-Eyed Soul groups of the late 6T's. File near The
Magnificent Men, Spiral Staircase, Buckinghams, Four
Seasons and others of that ilk. Their recordings seem to
be most appreciated by the Carolina "Beach Music" crowd
down in Shagland, SC, USA where their carefree, light,
bouncy, and soulful pop is easy to dance to with Bud in
hand, and of course by the English where their work has
been re-issued within the past five years by Sequel I
believe. You must hear their rendition of Carole King's
"It's Too Late", replete with thee cheesiest (and perhaps
shortest) moog solo known to date.
On that note, wouldn't it be fabulash if a company decided
to reissue a compilation of all the great Blue Eyed Soul
bands, the kinds of bands that wore garish bell-bottomed
uniforms and did Motown medleys, Soul covers and their one
45 for the adoring crowds at early Holiday Inns across
America!
.... Jimmy Botticelli
Happy 2000 soft-poppers
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Subject: The Rhondels
From: Richard Globman
To: Spectropop List
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 14:21:47 -0500
Claudia asked:
>[Bill Deal (and the Rhondels)] had three
>pretty darn good songs out in 1969 called, "May I", "I've
>Been Hurt" and "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am".
>Great stuff...("I've been hurt (hurt, hurt), oh, I've been
>hurrrrt (de-oooh!)" All the stuff was up-tempo and quite
>danceable (as Dick Clark use to say).
(some deleted)
>Does anyone know what's happened to them?
==================================================
Well, since you asked...
Being a former member of The Rhondels, I can help a little.
The band was formed about 1961 by keyboardist Bill Deal
and drummer "Fat" Ammon Tharp. All the members were from
the Virginia Beach area and the set list was primarily
covers of Virginia- North Carolina beach music favorites.
We played primarily fraternity parties at UVA and other
southern schools and were the house band at the Peppermint
Beach Club in Virginia Beach.
The original 8-man lineup consisted of keyboards, drums,
bass, guitar, 02 trumpets, trombone, and sax. The group
was "discovered" by a promotor for long-defunct Heritage
Records and an album entitled "Vintage Rock" was cut. The
three hits you referred to were all covers: May I (Maurice
Williams & The Zodiacs) I've Been Hurt (Tams) What Kind of
Fool (Tams).
Soon after the success of "Vintage Rock", musical tastes
changed... Disco was in, hardcore rock was in, and
southeastern beach music was out...except in the south.
The band returned to the Virginia and is still active in
the area today although Bill Deal is the only original
member still associated with the group...Ammon Tharp has
his own band "Fat Ammon's Band" and the rest are out of
the music business completely, as far as I know.
Over the years, a few other albums were cut:
The Toast of Virginia Beach
Once Upon a Time
Rhondels Forever
All were distributed only in the southeastern U.S.
Thankfully, some people still remember the music...in 1996
we reunited for a benefit concert at Virginia Beach and
sold out the arena at $200/ticket to raise money to
restore the beach.
Most of the '60's beach bands...The Embers, Catalinas,
Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, Tams, Chairman of the
Board, etc.... are still around.
DICKYG
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Subject: this and that from Spectropop V#0364
From: Jack_Mxxxxxk12.nj.us (Jack Madani)
To: spectxxxxxities.com
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 16:39:34 -0500
spectxxxxxities.com writes:
>Jim Cassidy asked if DOTB was the only one of the most
>played songs of the century with only 1 hit version and
>very few covers.
>
>In reply, I believe that Michael Bolton (yikes!) charted
>with his version in the mid-80s (I'm at work, away from my
>Billboard bibles right now to verify) and I remember a
>cover by none other than "Der Bingle," Bing Crosby. There
>must have been more covers too......
Was there not also a cover by the group The Reddings,
consisting of some of Otis's kids? That was a hit also, I
believe.
As for Christmas platters spun over t'the Madani's abode,
this year my wife liked The Partridge Family disc and I
was taken by Connie Francis's Xmas album. "Baby's First
Christmas" is a sweetly precious original tune, methinks.
Individual Christmas song: "Snowfall," which I have in
two different recordings, one by the Manhattan Transfer
and one by Doris Day. It's a beautiful jazzy ballad,
really impressionistic. Totally cool. I think Tony
Bennett also recorded it on his Xmas album of relatively
recent vintage.
Thanks John Rausch for the info on who arranged Sedaka's
"Next Door To An Angel." I'm disappointed that my guess
of Claus Ogerman was incorrect--it always gives me such a
buzz when I successfully connect the dots. Oh well. So
what else, besides Lesley Gore and those Francis sides
that I mentioned before, has Ogerman worked on?
>Responding to Dave Feldman's comments on the Doo Wop
>groups, may I add one gentleman who is never mentioned (or
>heard from)...Bill Deal (and the Rhondells). They had three
>pretty darn good songs out in 1969 called, "May I", "I've
>Been Hurt" and "What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am".
>Great stuff...("I've been hurt (hurt, hurt), oh, I've been
>hurrrrt (de-oooh!)" All the stuff was up-tempo and quite
>danceable (as Dick Clark use to say).
>
>The songs were laced with a heavy horn section, great
>backup from the Rhondells and at the end of three minutes
>you were feeling pretty good.
>
>Does anyone know what's happened to them?
They're still around, playing the Carolina beach music
circuit, as far as I know. But they can't be any good if
Dicky Globman isn't playing with them any more.
------------------------------------------------
Jack Madani - Princeton Day School, The Great Road,
Princeton, NJ 08540 Jack_Mxxxxxk12.nj.us
"You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred."
--Henry Cabot Henhouse III
-------------------------------------------------
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Claus Ogerman
From: "Ian Chapman"
To: "Spectropop List"
Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2000 01:27:27 -0000
Jack......
A record bearing the Ogerman name in the credits is always
worth checking out. If you can locate the original 45 of
Connie Francis' "Whatever Happened To Rosemarie", you'll
find another great Ogerman arrangement on the flip, "Your
Other Love", which Claus wrote in collaboration with Ben
Raleigh. A little more dramatic than "Rosemarie", it has
a certain Spector feel, with a "galloping" guitar and lots
of swirling strings. I don't understand why this wasn't
included on Connie's "Rocksides" compilation.
It was Claus Ogerman's name as arranger/conductor on the
label that once prompted me to pick up an unfamiliar
Mercury 45 by Frankie Cherval, and I was glad I did.
"Shake Hands With A Loser", penned by Claus and Betsy
Weinberg, is basically a male Lesley Gore record, chock
full of those familiar Ogerman traits you mentioned,
including a great girl chorus. The record was actually
the consecutive Mercury 45 issue after Lesley's "That's
The Way Boys Are", and it's very easy to imagine both
sides sung by Lesley herself. The flip, a Barkan/Raleigh
tune called "Baby Be Good To Me" is slower, but has all
the same trademarks. Frankie comes over somewhat in the
Steve Lawrence mold, which is fine by me.
Going back to Connie's "Rocksides" comp, besides "Your
Other Love", there was another omission: "Souvenirs", a
single in Europe, is a bouncy Barkan/Heard song on which
Ellie Greenwich can be heard clear as a bell,
oop-shooby-do-wah-ing her way all through it, from the
intro to the end. My copy has no arranger credits, so I
don't know if Claus had any involvement in this one - it
doesn't sound like it - but it's another example of
Connie's foray into girl-group territory.
Ian
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Subject: To Jack Madani Re: The Dum Dum Ditty // and to all Re:
Darlene on Letterman
From: Jimxxxxxcom
To: spectxxxxxities.com
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 11:42:11 EST
"Yeah yeah yeah yeah... " I hear ya. GREAT song, but I
always thought it was "run run ditty" too. "Dum dum
ditty" doesn't make sense, you're right. Now what DOES
makes sense and is so cool is "da doo ron ron." In the
most perfect, th emost primal, the most rawly-emoted and
performed pop song ever recorded, La La Brooks sang, in
those four syllables, what civilization has been
attempting to convey in song since instruments were
invented. I can see why Phil erased Darlene's lead; La
La's unschooled, little-girl-on-the-verge-of-enlightenment
voice was what was needed here. I remember coming in
REAL late one Saturday night as a teenager... Mom asked
"what the hell you been doing for the last twelve hours?"
And the only thing I could reply with was "da doo ron
ron."
Speaking of Darlene, I caught her on Letterman. I wonder
why she turns "Christmas" into a clap-happy singalong?
That song should rip the hearts out of everyone who's
listening... still, her voice was great, and I DID cry,
especially when she tore up the last few lines.
You go, Darlene.
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Subject: Four Seasons Mono/Stereo
From: "Kingsley Abbott"
To:
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 21:04:05 -0000
Having survived an odd mixture of drinks (entirely my
fault) on Jan 1st, I'd like to wish all the list a very
happy and healthy new year!
Just to backtrack briefly to the recent discussion about
the strange Stereo mixes of early Seasons product: I have
just interviewed Bob Gaudio at length for a tailpiece to a
big 4 Seasons overview piece that I am writing for
England's Record Collector. I raised this point with him,
and basically he said that the stereo mixes were none of
his or the group's doing, having been done (badly) by
person or persons unknown. All their recordings were
conceived as full mono sounds a la Phil S's 'tiny speaker
for radio effect' approach. The Vee Jay stuff was all done
on a two track machine, with just a little bouncing. It
was not until they moved to Philips that they began to use
an eight track at Atlantic Studios, after all the others
at Stea Philips studio. There will be more in the piece
later this year. Incidently, apart from their usual
drummer Buddy Salsman, they played everything on the
tracks themselves until they gradually began to add extra
people like a second guitar about the middle of the
Philips era. They sure were talented guys, getting the
richness of sound that they achieved as far back as 1962.
Crewe's production really helped too, which Gaudio
acknowledged. Also, he did not know the Victorians "Baby
Toys" track we recently mentioned, or many of the other
soundalikes Concords, Classics etc etc), so I have agreed
to send him a CDR of them with his productions of the
Jesse James & Outlaws tracks which he also doesn't have!!
Lastly, should any Meekophiles on the list be interested
in the little bit I wrote in RC on my 1963 visit to his
studio, just mail me privately and maybe I can photocopy a
few or give the back copy ref.
Cheers 'n' Beers
Kingsley Abbott
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Subject: Re: Los Yaki
From: "Francesc Sole"
To: "Spectropop"
Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2000 01:16:56 +0100
Matthew,
I asked your question to some fellow Beatle fans and I can
tell you that Los Yaki were from Mexico.
A band from Spain called Los Mustang did lots of Beatle
covers, including El Submarino Amarillo and many of these
covers were more popular in Spain than the Beatles
originals at that time! :-) :-/
Francesc
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Christmas Time (& Mingo-go) is Here Again
From: DJJimxxxxxcom
To: spectxxxxxities.com
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 14:32:23 EST
In a message dated 1/4/0 10:59:59 AM, you wrote:
>the Xmas song I wasn't able to get off my mind this year
>was the Flirtations "Christmas Time is Here Again". A
>winner.
Welcome back Mingo-go. We're waiting for your tome on
Japanese music! I'll chip in with my fave in the spirit of
the season ;-) Honey & The Bees "Jing-Jing-A-Ling"
Jimmy Botticelli
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Subject: Happy 2K
From: BOBBYxxxxxcom
To: spectxxxxxities.com
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 18:19:16 EST
In a message dated 1/4/00 10:00:23 AM Central Standard Time,
spectxxxxxities.com writes:
<< a egalement enregistre - Super 45 tours - microsillon >>
OK. You've lost me here, Mr. Administrator.
Happy 2K y'all.
blh
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: not zactly girl groups but similar kinda time zone...
From: Rough Trade Shop
To: Spectropop List
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 17:10:26 +0000
Hi,
Just wondered if anyone had seen Edwin Starr play
recently? He's playing just outside town (croydon
brannigans.....) tomorrow night and I wondered if it was
worth making the trip....
Also........someone has asked one of my bands to do a
northern soul cover version for a compilation..........I just
wondered if anyone could think of any good northern soul
boy/girl duets ???
Thanks for any info on these!!!
x delia x
xxxxxhtrade.com
www.roughtrade.com
if you'd like to be sent regular new releases emails let me know
ph-0171 792 3490
fax 0171 221 1146
at....130 talbot road , london , wiiija, u.k.
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
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