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dead dog songs that were cut in about two sessions
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There are 10 messages in this issue #15.
Topics in this digest:
1. Reparata and the Delrons / Yellow Balloon
From: "Mr. Action"
2. Yellow Balloon
From: Glenn Sadin
3. Jan and Dean's Yellow Balloon
From: Paul Urbahns paulurbahn
4. Warner-Spector
From: "Joseph E. Vine Jr."
5. Memory Lane
From: kieront
6. Rock On History
From: "Kingsley Abbott
7. Re: Ronnie sings Spector (or not)
From: Jamie LePage
8. ronnie sings
From: john rausch
9. Re: Yellow Balloon
From: "Ron Weekes"
10. More Tommy James/Pittsburgh hits
From: Greg Matecko
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 13:11:16 -0400
From: "Mr. Action"
Subject: Reparata and the Delrons / Yellow Balloon
Written in Digest Number 14:
>I got the Reparata and the Delrons song on the new Girl
>Group cd on Varese Sarabende. This disc compiled by Dick
>Bartley has the song in true stereo, but sounds distorted.
>At least it does not have the badly chopped ending.
Well, I don't agree with this, it sounds really clean to
me. If you DO hear some distortion, then it's on the first
generation stereo master tape, as that's what they used for
this release. It's never sounded better than it does here.
Michael Gessner wrote re: Yellow Balloon
>
>I read that the original version of "Yellow Balloon" was
>done by Jan & Dean. I looked through all my J& D LPs and
>haven't found it. Is this true and if so, where can I
>find it?
Mike, Although I'm not at home to double check, I'm pretty
certain that J&Ds "Yellow Balloon" is on the Sony "Rock
Artifacts" series, I *think* Vol 2. I'm pretty sure that's
where I first heard it. Also, If I'm not mistaken, isn't it
on the J&D CD "Save For a Rainy Day" with all the rain
songs?
Regards,
Mikey
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 14:18:00 -0700
From: Glenn Sadin
Subject: Yellow Balloon
Mike sez...
>I read that the original version of "Yellow Balloon" was
>done by Jan & Dean. I looked through all my J& D LPs and
>haven't found it. Is this true and if so, where can I
>find it?
It's on the legendary and super-rare album "Save For a
Rainy Day," reissued in expanded form by Sundazed on CD
and double-LP. The album was recorded in Dean's garage
with a bunch of J&D's studio musician pals shortly after
Jan's accident. (No, Jan does not not sing on the record!)
Glenn
Glenn Sadin
Read about JAPANESE POP MUSIC from the 1950s thru the
1990s:
http://home.earthlink.net/~glenn_mariko/nihon.htm
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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 17:39:57 EDT
From: Paul Urbahns paulurbahn
Subject: Jan and Dean's Yellow Balloon
Mike wrote:
>I read that the original version of "Yellow Balloon" was
>done by Jan & Dean. I looked through all my J& D LPs and
>haven't found it. Is this true and if so, where can I find
>it?
Yes Mike, as the story goes, after Jan was injured in a car
accident, Dean wanted to get some product out so people
would not forget who Jan and Dean were. He made some
recordings at Joe Osborne's garage (in 1966) with some
musician friends that had worked on previous Jan and Dean
records over the years. The album "Save It For A Rainy Day"
had songs on the theme of rain with some sound effects
dubbed in. Songs included, among others, Yellow Balloon,
Here Comes The Rain, Lullaby In The Rain, Taste Of The
Rain, etc. Dean did two arrangements of Yellow Balloon,
one a typical Jan and Dean one, and one that had a bubbly
effect like the Turtles. He says he was doing Turtles
album graphics at that time.
Apparently he gave the Turtles type version to Gary Zekley
who shopped the tape (with some alterations) to Canterbury
Records.
The original Yellow Balloon single (on Canterbury) had the
song Yellow Balloon backwards on the B side (as Noollab
Wolley) proving at that early point he didn't have a
second song.
Meanwhile, Jan privately issued the Jan and Dean album on
his own own J&D label (as J&D JD-101) in 1966 and sold
them himself. Now this is where I get confused. According
to most accounts Jan wasn't getting paid for some of the
albums he wholesaled so he made a deal with Columbia in
1967 to issue the Save It For a Rainy Day album as
Columbia CS-9461 but it wasn't issued. Columbia did issue
two cuts from the J&D album in 1967 (probably to promo
their issue of the album) Yellow Balloon backed with A
Taste Of Rain on Columbia single 4-43682. Apparently Gary
Zekley couldn't get anybody to issue the Turtles style
version of the song until the Columbia Jan And Dean
release was announced. because in 1967 when the Canterbury
version was released. Zekley said in an interview that he
knocked on doors and nobody wanted to issue the song until
the word was out that Jan and Dean version was ready to be
released. he also said someplace he was afraid he would
get sued if he issued it, so his stories vary slightly. I
have heard both singles were advertised in the same issue
of Billboard.
In all honesty the Turtles type arrangement was more
contemporary and out sold the Jan And Dean version.
Besides Jan's family supposedly didn't want the song out
with Jan's name on it because Jan had nothing to do with
it. That's why the single wasn't widely pressed, and the
album never issued. Columbia didn't want a legal battle on
their hands and they didn't want an album credited only to
Dean. The cover of the album had Jan Berry's brother
standing in for Jan with no explaination.
Over the years the Jan And Dean version has been more
available than the Yellow Balloon version. As far as I can
tell the actual Yellow Balloon single on Canterbury was
grossly overpressed (expecting a bigger hit and more sales
than it got). The original Canterbury single and album were
the only releases I could find of the song until recently.
I am told by other fans the Canterbury album was padded out
with some dead dog songs that were cut in about two
sessions. Some of the songs had been previously issued
under the name Our Gang, but I understand they were
re-recorded for the Yellow Balloon album so the sound
would be uniform. Can't confirm this because I don't have
the Our Gang versions on Br'er Bird label. Varase Sarabade
issued the single on a various artists CD called Sunshine
Days volume 3. The Yellow Balloon album has been reissued
on CD and according to the notes Don Grady was the lead
singer on the Yellow Balloon track. Don Grady was on the
My Three Sons TV show and this may have helped Zekley sell
the song to Canterbury when nobody else wanted it.
Meanwhile, back to your original question. I have the
original Jan And Dean version on a various artists album
called California USA (Columbia C2 37412 issued about 1977,
and later reissued on CD), Rock Artifacts, Volume 4
(cassette and CD) issued about 1991. And finally Sundazed
issued the whole Save It For A Rainy Day album with
alternate versions of the songs on CD in 1996 (Sundazed SC
11035) with the original mono album complete and some
stereo remixes available for the first time. The Save It
For A Rainy Day CD definately belongs in any Jan And Dean
collection.
This seems a little long but if anyone else can shed some
light on this confusing subject, please do.
Paul Urbahns
paulurbahn
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 13:15:25 GMT
From: "Joseph E. Vine Jr."
Subject: Warner-Spector
If possible, I would greatly appreciate the US Master #s
for both sides of Cher's "A Woman's Story" / "Baby I Love
You" (Warner-Spector 0400) and Darlene Love's
Warner-Spector single 0401.
Thanks very much!
Joey
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Message: 5
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 10:13:37 +0100
From: kieront
Subject: Memory Lane
said in digest 14
>I remember that not too far from Picca=dilly circus and
>Shaftsburry Avenue there was a small market place where I
>used to buy a lot of records. There was a stand there
>called Rock On, as far as I know it was before the Camden
>Street shop. Do you know if this stand was the begining of
>the Rock On story?
That was in Soho market, at the east end of Gerrard Street
(London's Chinatown). Rock On originally was a stall in
Portobello Market and moved to Soho Market in 1976. It was
great - I bought the Try It LP by The Standells in = 1977
(I was three years old...). In Sep or so '76 the Jam
plugged into the electric supply at the stall and played
outside the market on the street (I didn't see this). But
the stall was a goldmine for 60s and 50s stuff - the folks
who ran it ran Chiswick records, now Ace Records, top
reissue label. In mid 1977 another stall opened in the
market, Wretched Records, totally dedicated to punk. When
the Rock On shop opened in Camden (late 1978 I think) the
stall became Rocks Off, and moved into a shop in Hanway
Street (behind Oxford Street) under that name. And it was
there I got the soundtrack to Riot On Sunset Strip.
That's quite enough memory lane,
Kieron
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Message: 6
Date: Sat, 05 Aug 2000 09:58:09 +0100
From: "Kingsley Abbott
Subject: Rock On History
Dear Spectropoppers,
The recent queries about the roots of the late great Rock
On shop in London's Camden Town prompt me to tell what I
know of the story.
As far as I recall, Rock On and the lovely Ted Carroll
started on Golbourne Road, which is off Portabello Rd. Ted
had a tiny stall at the back of a sectionalised shop
premises. His bit was about 10 ft by 8 ft perhaps - one
counter that he could just fit behind and some wall racks.
It opened I believe only on Friday mornings and Saturdays.
The first time I went was a Sat. when I delighted in
finding the second Hondells album for, I think, A33-25.
Ted was heavily into selling Flamin' Groovies that
afternoon. He would have his pet things to tell you about
and to sell you. He introduced me to The Halos' "Nag",
Tony Visconti's "I Remember Brooklyn" doo wop pastiche and
The Hammersmith Gorillas amongst others there. Thereafter
I'd go on a Friday morning on my way to work, and would
encounter Ted on the street market outside "Junking" as
he'd call it - searching for good albums to sell on the
stall. I narrowly beat him to an Outlaws (Meek) for a few
pence one morning.
His stall was a great place to hang out. Rob Finnis was
often there (Nice Guy) and we'd chat about the relative
worth of Spector/Girlie/Surf tracks. They asked me to
justify why I reckoned the Fantastic Baggys so much after
Ted and I did a heavy trade for one. The stall had a good
'underground' reputation for collectors. At that time
there were very few collector shops in London - Moondogs
in East London (WONDERFUL basement!), Vintage up the
Caledonian Road and Ted, plus a few market stalls here and
there. This was around 1972/3- pre record fairs etc. Ted
soon opened up the well known stall at the Soho Market
just behind Leicester Square - again pretty small. This
was usually staffed by Roger Armstrong. Mnay goood finds
could be made there. It was to become well known as it was
much more central and near other record stalls. Somehow, I
can't recall how, I was at the Camden Town shop the day
before it opened, and I gave Ted a hand putting stock out
on the racks. I delighted in finding copies of the second
and third Critters albums that afternoon. I had never seen
them before. A33 each! This was to be the template for the
great collectors shop. Smallish interior - maybe 18 ft by
12 ft customer space - with racks either side and down the
middle, and the counter at the end with rarities displayed
and boxes of thematically arranged singles, plus
knowledgable staff - Ted, Roger, Barry Appleby and others.
I recall the Spector book display, Ted's first Rock On
Production by Rob Finnis. Great it was too! Worthy of
updating and reissuing? The shop was always first on
anyone's visit to Camden record searching as it was right
outside the station. You'd never know who you'd bump into
there - Lemmy, assorted Clash or Damned or Terry Melcher.
Probably as much a source of Hornby's "High Fidelity" as
anywhere, as it was THE place. Soon after Ted had the
Chiswick label offices upstairs in a glorious clutter, and
>from that the glorious Ace Records grew with all the same
people on board. I look now at their catalogue, which has
to be about the best in the world, and recall the early
beginings. I'm happy to say that they have remained tot
ally committed to the ideals of proper record collecting.
Music first!
I could go on for hours, but I hope this will have been of
some interest to people even if they have never been there!
Kingsley Abbott
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Message: 7
Date: Sat, 05 Aug 00 23:27:42 +0900
From: Jamie LePage
Subject: Re: Ronnie sings Spector (or not)
David Young wrote:
>I'm confused about...the alleged injunction Spector has
>against Ronnie's singing his songs in public. It seems
>like I remember that the ban did not apply to her live
>concerts, only to appearances in broadcast media.
Hi David,
>From the various comments I've seen posted here, I too
believe we've not heard the whole story yet. When the
court decision in the Ronettes vs. Phil was announced it
was a fairly high profile story in the media, yet this
"injunction" has not been mentioned in any piece I've seen.
For that matter, an injunction against an artist barring
her from performing her popular repertoire would be
equivalent to inhibiting her from practicing her chosen
profession. I cannot think of a single reason or
circumstance that would persuade a judge to grant such a
ruling.
Bearing in mind that that many broadcast uses of songs are
subject to approval of the owner, I think your comment that
Ronnie cannot perform Phil's compositions in broadcast
media is probably closer to the truth, and for that no
injunction is necessary. The whole thing boils down to
whether a song can be used without permission of the owner.
My guess is that if permission is not required, then
Ronnie may continue to "use" Phil's songs. But if
permission is required, it just might be that Ronnie's
attorneys were told it may no longer be possible to obtain
that permission. Purely conjecture, mind you...
>
>And how does she get away with doing "I Can Hear Music"
>on the upcoming "Chapel of Love" PBS special? Because
>she's duetting with Brian Wilson?
My guess? In a way, you're right - because of Brian; and
Jeff. Denying Ronnie would be denying Brian and Jeff as
well. It isn't surprising to learn this particular "Ronnie"
use of I Can Hear Music was approved.
>
>And for that matter, how was it possible...to release...
>"I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine" on her recent "She Talks
>to Rainbows" EP?
This use is not considered "performance". It is considered
"reproduction". Once a song has been released, anyone can
obtain a license to release a new recording of that song,
without permission of the owners. It's a principle concept
in defining to what extent an "author" may control use of
its works, and it clearly does not extend to control over
who can record or publicly perform those previously released
works. I would be very interested to see any judgement ruling
against that concept.
>Can anyone who's seen her lately confirm that she's
>still doing these tunes live?
I can confirm she was doing them all as recently as
eighteen months ago, and we have seen several reports here
since then confirming the same. If you and I are guessing
correctly, she will continue to perform these songs
publicly but you probably won't very often see her singing
Philles era hits on TV or video any more.
>She's coming to Seattle on September 3...
That's less than a month away. Please tell us all about it
afterwards. When I saw her eighteen months or so ago she
was brilliant. Far beyond my expectations. I liked
Ronnie's 1999 show much more than the Billy Joel/E Street
Band era. The band was quite decent and fairly true to the
original style, and fortunately, the drummer rarely
overplayed.
All the best,
Jamie
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Message: 8
Date: Sat, 05 Aug 2000 14:49:12 -0400
From: john rausch
Subject: ronnie sings
David Young posed some interesting questions about Ronnie
Spector singing her songs.
I too am interested in the ramifications of the recent
court ruling. Hope someone has some info.
Also I have heard that Ronnie is back in the studio
recording a full length lp/cd. Does anyone know any more
on this?
John Rausch
Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes@
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Studio/2469/
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Message: 9
Date: Sat, 05 Aug 2000 19:14:31 -0600
From: "Ron Weekes"
Subject: Re: Yellow Balloon
Mike wrote:
I read that the original version of "Yellow Balloon" was
done by Jan & Dean. I looked through all my J& D LPs and
haven't found it. Is this true and if so, where can I
find it?
Ron replies:
Isn't it on the Sundazed CD "Save For A Rainy Day"?
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 10
Date: Sun, 06 Aug 2000 21:27:39 -0600
From: Greg Matecko
Subject: More Tommy James/Pittsburgh hits
Here's a little more info on Tommy's early years. As
Michael Marvin pointed out, "Hanky Panky" got it's big
push in Pittsburgh. The DJ usually given credit for this
is a fellow named "Mad Mike" Metrovich (sp). The stories
I've always heard is that it broke at the teen dances
first, then on the air.
When the record hit, and Tommy came to town to make
appearances, he recruited a local band to become the new
Shondells. One or two of them still reside in the
Pittsburgh area.
What you don't always hear about is the local
"entrepreneur" that booted the Snap 45 of "Hanky Panky."
This gentleman used profits from Tommy's record to
continue to press 45's of other "Pittsburgh Hits," over
the years, and was finally sent to jail a few years ago
for, of all things, selling stolen beauty products at flea
markets!
It always amazes me that Tommy James gets lumped in the
bubblegum music area. Sure, "Hanky Panky," Mony Mony," et.
al. were bubblegummy, but "Crystal Blue Persuasion" and "
Sweet Cherry Wine" certainly weren't - heck, "Sweet Cherry
Wine" was a protest song!
As someone else pointed out, Tommy still puts on a great
live show. He constantly returns to Pittsburgh for oldies
shows, and always sounds great! He even married a
Pittsburgh girl...
Spectropoppers, I have been remiss in my duties. I mention
"Pittsburgh Hits" above. These are not in reference to hits
by Pittsburgh groups such as the Vogues and the Skyliners.
These are songs that were made popular by DJ's who had
control over what they played on the radio in the 60's.
Guys like Porky Chedwick, Terry Lee and the above
mentioned "Mad Mike" were constantly on the lookout for
music that no one else had, and would actually take steps
to guard the record's identity so no one else could play
it!
Many of these records fall under the category of
Spectropop faves - a lot of girl-group type stuff, along
with soulful love songs. There is a local company that has
been putting a bunch of this stuff out on CD, and I'll have
to get more information and post it to the list.
An example of a "Pittsburgh Hit" is "High On A Hill," by "
Mandy" writer Scott English. Almost any time a poll is
conducted on Pittsburgh's favorite oldies, this song
usually pops up as Number 1. It wasn't a national hit, but
a monster record here in Pittsburgh. I think it may have
gotten some airplay in California.
On another note, I'm still kicking myself for finding out
too late that Carol Kaye played a jazz concert during her
seminar in Pittsburgh! Carol, what did you think of local
luminary Joe Negri?
Greg Matecko
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