Spectropop V#0382

           http://www.spectropop.com
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   Volume #0382                        February 3, 2000   
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          This is the new design in today's music








Subject:     cake
Received:    02/03/00 12:35 am
From:        Nat Kone
To:          Spectropop!

John Frank wrote:
>
>Nat Kone wrote:
>
>>Speaking of recently found records, what can you tell me 
>>about this apparent girl trio on Decca, called "The Cake"?
>
>I've always clearly heard Cher's voice in their classic, 
>"Baby That's Me"? Is it? Or did one of the group merely 
>sound like her? (I've been wondering this for years and 
>would really like to know if my suspicion is true.)
  
None of them look like Cher and none of them are named 
Cher but that doesn't mean it isn't secretly Cher, I 
suppose. But you better ask Ms.Kaye who played guitar on 
this one. Actually the credits are quite complete on the 
back, listing nine guitar players, also including Mike 
Post, Melvin Brown (rings a bell) and Mac Rebennack. Even 
the engineers are listed. What isn't listed are the names 
of the three ladies in Cake. But the credit list is 
"signed" by three women. Barbara, Eleanor and Jeanette who 
hope we can "groove behind this album" as much as they all
did making it.

Nat


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Subject:     it isn't soft pop exactly...actually
Received:    02/03/00 12:35 am
From:        Hillary Rodham Hussein
To:          Spectropop!

Kingsley Abbott wrote:

>Of David's list, the CDs I personally would most like to
>see, in order I guess, are 5th Dimension's first two
>albums as a twofer,

Aren't these two already released on "The Jim Webb 
Songbook" CD? Or is that a bootleg compilation?

Actually, Kingsley (and Joe), I wouldn't mind seeing The 
Sagittarius' "Blue Marble" on a Revola CD...

...why hasn't that record been reissued, anyway? Is it not
as good as "Present Tense"?

Nat Kone wrote:

>I don't see anyone on this list talking about their 
>"recent finds" like on the other list I'm on

Sounds like the exotica-list to me, right?

Is there an album which draws equally from the soft pop 
*and* exotica 'genres'? "Smile" belongs to the 2nd category, 
with all the Martin Denny-ish stuff, but it isn't soft 
pop exactly...actually, The BB's "Friends" is the album I 
can think of. 

T.


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Subject:     Chris & Peter Allen
Received:    02/03/00 12:35 am
From:        David Bash
To:          Spectropop!

I'd like to publicly thank listmemeber Francesc Sole for 
tipping me off to the whereabouts of Chris & Peter Allen's
"#1 Album", one of the LPs on my list of soft pop that 
should be released on CD. I'd never heard the album before
but had been told by those who have that it was truly a 
soft pop classic. I spent quite a bit of money to get it, 
and I must say it was worth every penny! Trust me, folks, 
this stuff is *nothing* like the sounds Peter Allen was 
doing in the late '70s. It's soft pop with a dash of 
whimsy that fans of Harpers Bizarre will especially love, 
and it contains, as part of a medley, the only cover of 
"The Rain, The Park, And Other Things" I've ever heard 
(unless I'm forgetting one).

Soft pop fans out there, if this album appears on any for 
sale lists, definitely pick it up. You won't be 
disappointed!
--
Spectropop Rules!!!!!
Take Care,
David


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Subject:     Mr. Cupid's flip
Received:    02/03/00 12:35 am
From:        Frank Youngwerth, FMYou@aol.com
To:          Spectropop!

<>

My reference says the non-Cookies b-side to their Mr. 
Cupid (WB 7047) is "Hang My Head and Cry" performed by the
Big Guys.

Never heard these either, but I sure like "Wounded".

p.s. I erred: Ernie Freeman arranged but did not produce 
the Patti Page track I recently raved over. Do any "
Northern Soul" djs know about it ("Till You Come Back to 
Me")? It certainly sounds like something right up their 
alley--or is that scene long gone?

Frank Youngwerth 


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Subject:     "This Diamond Ring" - pre-Gary Lewis version
Received:    02/03/00 12:35 am
From:        Claudia Cunningham
To:          Spectropop!

Regarding "This Diamond Ring" - Maybe I'm going bananas 
but I seem to clearly recall a pre-Gary Lewis version by a
soul group...the song was slowed down a notch and had a 
horn section! Can anyone help me or am I totally 
dillusional? 

Claudia


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Subject:     "Popsicles and Icicles" by the Murmaids
Received:    02/03/00 12:35 am
From:        WASE RADIO
To:          Spectropop!


I suppose everyone has a favorite song from their 
childhood. Mine was "Popsicles and Icicles" by the 
Murmaids. I remembered hearing that song a lot when I was 
living in Germany. I was hearing that on a jukebox at an 
NCO club there. I remembered the "B" side was an 
instrumental called "Huntington Flats". Many years later 
when I got more into collecting oldies, I found a copy of 
"Popsicles..." at a record store. But the strange thing 
was the "B" side was another song called "Blue Dress", 
this time a vocal. I thought I lost my mind there. Well it
didn't turn out that I didn't. I found a copy with that 
instrumental B side at a shop that sold old records. The 
copy had some noise but the music was just as I remembered. 

The song sounds like one you would hear at a roller 
skating rink. A Hammond organ plays a simple tune, 
accompanied by an electric rhythm guitar, a warm full bass
(Carol, Is that You?), and drums. Very simple song with two
key changes all in two minutes and fifteen seconds. To all 
girl group fans read on. For many years I wondered if the 
Murmaids ever put a whole album-and the answer was an 
eventual yes. There was an album on Chattahoochee in 1980 
(?!?). I ordered in May of 1981, and got it. I played it 
every day till I wore the grooves out. And in 1995 the 
same album came out on compact disc on Collectibles. If 
you are a fan of the girl groups this is a must CD for 
your collection. Another interesting curios on "Popsicles 
and Icicles" is on the song's ending. The original 45 
version has that loud organ to go out very cold. On the 
Murmaids album and reissue 45s of "Popsicles" has a slight
fade on that organ, but eventually ending cold. In our 
station library there's a version that has an extra guitar
flourish and drum roll both which fades out very quickly.

Happy Listening
:):):):):):):):):):)

Michael G. Marvin
WASE radio


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Subject:     M E A N I N G F U L ! ! !
Received:    02/03/00 12:35 am
From:        Jamie LePage
To:          Spectropop!


Although I shall write many things about "Priscilla", she 
can best be described in one word...
M E A N I N G F U L ! ! !

Or so says Phil Spector in the liner notes to "Priscilla 
sings Herself," the Priscilla Paris solo album on York 
Records (4005).

I don't know the release date (late '66 or '67?), but it 
still has that deep cavernous sound first heard on I Love 
How You Love Me, and Priscilla's vocals on this album are 
absolutely gorgeous. The direction is away from girl group
and the arrangements are decidedly restrained. The echo is 
like being in the Gold Star arena. You are used to the 
ambience when it is full of people, but when it's empty 
the hallowness seems so big and a bit eerie. That sound 
comes through to me on this. The same ambience as on 
Ronettes' Blues for Baby.

The spin obviously is "Once-girl-group star Priscilla is 
now an inspired singer/songwriter artist" you see. I admit, 
there is great charm in the "non-traditional" chord 
progressions the (uncredited LA) studio musicians play. 
Melodically it is playfully simple; Lyrically, it's pretty
serious. Here's a sample:

"I'm me
And me I'll always be...
But what if I can't be
The things you want from me
Then I'll die
'cause I'm me"

Phil adds..."These songs are happy and sad...Deep and 
shallow..."

He sort of has a point.

I was reminded of this record because it sounds like it 
was recorded around the time of the Cake's "Baby That's 
Me." Maybe that White Whale Nino & April stuff too. A 
latter day booming Gold Star-ish recording if you will. I 
think we need more of these. The last holdouts before the 
16s and 24s changed the playing field.

Produced by Greene & Stone, arranged by Don Peake and 
Harold Batiste, engineering by Doc Seigel and Stan Ross. 
This pinpoints Gold Star as one of the studios used. From 
the sound of it, I'd bet the mix was done at Gold Star, 
maybe the lead vocal tracking too. Priscilla was 
undoubtedly very comfortable working with Stan by then I 
would think.

Questions: Where did Doc Seigel usually work and what 
other of his records fall into our area of discussion? 
Also, York Records was Greene & Stone's imprint, wasn't it? 
Distributed by Bell, I wonder who now owns these masters. 
Anyone know a bit more about this label? Priscilla was 
later managed by Clancy Grass and I believe she married 
him. Whatever happened to Priscilla? Anyone know?

Jamie


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Subject:     The Liquid Room 1/29/00
Received:    02/01/00 3:38 am
From:        Ponak, David
To:          Spectropop!


The Liquid Room airs every Saturday Morning (Friday night)
from 3-6 on 90.7 FM KPFK. (98.7 in Santa Barbara County).

Also check out my show The Nice Age at 
http://www.spikeradio.com. 
The time has changed. I'm now on Sunday afternoons from 
3-6 PM, PST. 

The Liquid Room-1/29/00:

1.The Committee-California My Way
Happy Together-The Best Of White Whale Records (Varese Sarabande)

2.Puffy-???? (Can't read the kanji) (Take Me To The Disco Mix by Fantastic
Plastic Machine)
PMRX-Puffy Remix Project (Epic-Japan)

3.Wayne Newton-Live And Let Die/Hard To Handle
The Best Of Wayne Newton Live (Chelsea)

4.Luke Vibert & BJ Cole-Baby Steps
Stop The Panic (Astralwerks)

5.Air-Playground Love
The Virgin Suicides Soundtrack (Astrawerks)

6.Mark Wirtz-Satan Took A Tram Ride
Kitschinsync (RPM-UK)

7.Pulp-A Little Soul
This Is Hardcore (Island)

8.Dominic Frontiere And His Orchestra-Temple Of Suicide
Pagan Festival (Columbia)

9.The Divine Comedy-The Frog Princess
Casonova (Setanta)

10.The Walker Brothers-Walking In The Rain
Images (CD bonus Track) (Mercury-UK)

11.Rupert Holmes-Answering Machine
Partners In Crime (MCA)

12.DJ Me DJ You-Showerball
Rainbows And Robots (Emperor Norton)

13.The Eels-Jeannie's Diary
Daisy's Of The Galaxy (Dreamworks)

14.The Singers Unlimited-Feeling Free With Patrick D.
Feeling Free (MPS)

15.Sissy Bar-Sour
Songs For Peeps (Mootron)

16.Majestic-Bub
Live It Up (Shelf Life)

17.The Cowsills-Indian Lake
The Best Of (Mercury)

18.The Aluminum Group-Chocolates
Plano (Minty Fresh)

19.Yoshinori Sunahara-My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose
Take Off And Landing (Ki-oon-Japan)

20.Yukari Fresh & Pat Detective-Yipee To Kate 99
Pop Tics (Bungalow-Ger.)

21.Flip Flap-Tampopo
Liv La La La Luv (Sony-Japan)

22.The Beach Boys-Matchpoint Of Our Love
The M.I.U. Album (Caribou)

23.Suba-Tantos Desejos
Sao Paulo Confessions (Six Degrees)

24.Spanky & Our Gang-Without Rhyme Or Reason
Greatest Hits (Mercury)

25.Mellow-Instant Love (Andy Votel Remix)
Single (East/West-UK)

26.Yellow Magic Orchestra-Be A Superman
Technodon (EMI-Japan)

27.Fay Lovksy-He Don't Love Me Anymore
Confetti (WEA-Holland)

28.New Order-Your Silent Face
Power, Corruption & Lies (Qwest)

29.Ballroom-It's A Sad World
Before The Millenium (Rev-ola-UK)

30.The Fifth Dimension-The Girl's Song
Up Up And Way-The Definitive Collection (Arista)

31.Johnny Rivers-Rosecrans Blvd.
Rewind (Liberty)

32.Glen Campbell-Where's The Playground Susie?
Greatest Hits (Captiol)

33.Dusty Springfield-Magic Garden
Hits And Bits (Mercury)

34.Tomovsky-Let's Do It On The Phone
Single (Sony-Japan)

35.Lady Nelson & The Lords-Picadilly Pickle
Picadilly Pickle (Dunhill)

36.The Raymakers-Solar Bubbles
Demo

37.Beck-Boyz
At Home With The Groovebox (Grand Royal)

38.David McCallum-5 O'clock World
Music: At Bit More Of Me (Capitol)

39.Denki Groove-Theme From Invaders
Voxxx (Sony-Japan)

40.Lee Hazlewood-I Move Around
13 (SLR)

41.Edwyn Collins-No One Waved Goodbye
I'm Not Following You (Setanta)

42.Pizzicato Five-Serial Stories
Pizzicato Five (*********-Japan)

43.Frank Sinatra-What's New?
Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely (Capitol)

44.Bjork-All Is Full Of Love (String Mix)
CD Maxi Single (Elektra)

45.Paul Williams-Morning I'll Be Moving On
Someday Man (Reprise)


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