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Playable only on 33 1/3 RPM Instruments
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There are 15 messages in this issue of Spectropop.
Topics in this Digest Number 282:
1. ROBIN WARD: GODDESS OF AUTOEROTICA
From: Mick Patrick
2. Whatever happened to Robin Ward?
From: "Charles G. Hill"
3. Attack single
From: "Kingsley Abbott"
4. I Been Moved -- but not by Ronnie
From: "Spector Collector"
5. Various
From: Mike Rashkow
6. Re: Ellie Greenwich
From: Mike Rashkow
7. Re: Tim Rose
From: "Joseph Scott"
8. Sam the Record Man
From: Stewart Mason
9. RE: Sam the Record Man
From: "David Parkinson"
10. new Swing Out Sister
From: "Jack Madani"
11. Paul is Dead - Pickettywitch question
From: "Randy M. Kosht"
12. RE: new Swing Out Sister
From: "Vincent Degiorgio"
13. re: the look versus the sound
From: "Jack Madani"
14. LONDON BOYS
From: Mick Patrick
15. LA Spectropop
From: "Ken Levine"
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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 20:37:58 +0000 (GMT)
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: ROBIN WARD: GODDESS OF AUTOEROTICA
Greetings,
If it wasn't bad enough that some iconoclast had already
dared to question the holy grail status of Reparata & the
Delrons, some bright spark now points the finger at ROBIN
WARD...
Guy Lawrence wrote:
> ...I've always thought "In His Car" by Robin Ward
> was the worst girl-group record I've ever heard!
> Don't get me wrong, I can take as much G.G. as Mick
> Patrick can throw at me, I just find it really wet!
Robin Ward's smash hit of the winter of 1963/4,
"Wonderful Summer", was one of the most heavenly pieces
of pop music ever recorded. "Winter's Here" was even
better. "Johnny, Come And Get Me": superior still. "In
His Car": perfection on wheels. That track was the most
sublime piece of autoerotica this side of "Don't Drag No
More" by Susan Lynne. Robin Ward's records were
wonderfully produced at Gold Star by Perry Botkin who
usually wrote the songs too. The playing was faultless.
I wouldn't mind betting Carol Kaye and the rest of that
legendary team were the session musicians used. The
"Wonderful Summer" album was close to a work of art too,
with "For All We Know" in the style of "He Hit Me" and a
"Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah"-flavoured interpretation of "Where
The Blue Of The Night (Meets The Gold Of The Day)" being
just two of the platter's highlights. Compared to Robin
Ward, the Paris Sisters sounded like the Kingsmen. No
wonder she was so in demand as a session singer.
But perhaps I'm in a minority and "In His Car" really was
the worst girl-group record ever.
MICK PATRICK
"
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 17:25:24 -0600
From: "Charles G. Hill"
Subject: Whatever happened to Robin Ward?
"Ken Levine" wrote:
> Whatever happened to Robin Ward?
There's a nice interview with The Artist Otherwise Known
As Jackie Ward on the semi-unofficial Partridge Family
site:
http://www.cmongethappy.com/interviews/jw/index.html
is where you want to be....cgh
===========================================================
Charles G. Hill |
For every vision, there is an equal and opposite revision.
===========================================================
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 17:49:57 -0000
From: "Kingsley Abbott"
Subject: Attack single
Wonderful to hear from Mike Rashkow and all the
interesting comments about so many discs. Mike may be
interested to know that The Attack's "Washington Square"
also came out in Britain in 1967 on Phillips and is
currently listed at ?20. There was also a British band
with the same name the same year whose issues are even
more valuable. I seem to recall that the US single may
have been quickly deleted for this reason. I grabbed one
first week for the title on the B-side, though I too
loved WS as the A-side.
regarding Don Charles' comments re- the Ellie CD boot - I
too was somewhat saddened when I saw I had bought "Let It
be Written" all over again, but as they say - Caveat
emptor - I 'd still rather have it than not, by a very
big margin!
Kingsley Abbott
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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 02 Nov 2001 02:47:09 +0000
From: "Spector Collector"
Subject: I Been Moved -- but not by Ronnie
In digest 264, Don Charles asked whether it was Ronnie
Spector sharing vocals with Andy Kim on his 1971 single
"I Been Moved." I've heard this question before, so I
finally decided to ask someone who'd know: Ronnie, who
says that, no, she never sang on any Andy Kim record.
Other guesses?
David A. Young
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 07:49:16 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Various
Jack Madani writes:
> Say, something that I didn't expect that came up out
> of the A&E documentaries on the Brill Building crowd:
> Tony Orlando's name and face kept popping up, with
> the phrase "demo singer" always added on. I didn't
> know that about Tony.
But you did know that he had a big hit early on in his
career, "Bless You", right. Very good tune and quite a
big hit. At the time he became Dawn he had been a demo
singer for years and was also working as a song plugger
for a publisher out of 1650 Broadway---big one, but I
can't think of the name.
Mick Patrick wrote:
> How great it was for us Spectropoppers to hear from
> MIKE RASHKOW the other day. Les Girls' great title
> track of the "Stop, Look & Listen" LP was, if you ask
> me, the best ever Greenwich/Rashkow collaboration.
> The group comprised Ellie plus two of the Rag Dolls;
> Jean Thomas and Mike Rashkow's wife Mikie Harris. I'm
> sure I've also seen Mikie's name listed as a back-up
> singer on some Blondie albums.
Mick, you sure know a lot about Ellie and Les Girls. It
actually amazes me. Jean Thomas, who was at one time
Mikie Harris's roomate in NY (they went to high school
together in Sarasota, FL) was a wonderful singer and a
very ambitious overachiever. She is now Mira Sorvino's
manager among other accomplishments..and if anyone
remembers the auio logo for Quasar, that was her. She
did numerous major jingles and recorded on her own
several times. I own one of her records "You're The Root
Of My Evil"
Further on this--I personally never knew "Stop, Look &
Listen" made it to any LP. Who can I chase for the
royalties.
More seriously, the main reason it sounds good in my
opinion is that we had the original track from the
Chiffons?? hit. It was hot, crisp and tight--Eliot
Greenburg and Doug Morris had written and produced it and
graciously gave it to us to use for the "B" side. Doug
Morris later became a record business "God", President of
everything--probably still is, I don't pay a lot of
attention to the business anymore. I work on my golf game
instead.
BUT, I have no memory of her singing on Stop, Look and
Listen, maybe so--I've been known to be forgetful, but I
don't think she was on this one. Just Ellie and Mikie is
my memory.
Rag Dolls? Fill me in. The three did tons of
background work during the 60's (Melba Moore would often
fill a spot if one couldn't make the date) but gain, I
don't remember the Rag Dolls. Everbody used to just call
them "the girls" that's where Les Girls came
>from--though ultimately some people have stated it had
other connotations.
Stewart Mason writes on the subject of Variations on a
Theme called Hanky Panky:
> I'd like to go on record as calling this one of the
> most brilliant and bizarre songs of its time, and one
> of my all-time favorites.
and I'd like to go on record as being very gratified by
your comment.
I am amazed, astonished and beside myself to find people
who not only know, but care and are complimentary about
some of my work. Thank you.
Mike Rashkow
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 08:31:20 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: Ellie Greenwich
I assume it is common knowledge that Ellie wrote and
arranged the background parts for Aretha Franklin's
Grammy winnder "Chain Chain Chain".
She didn't sing on it. That was the Sweet Inspirations,
but it was her concept and she was in the booth
producing when they dubbed in the parts. The little
anticipated "hoo" thing she wrote for the bridge is
what makes that record in my opinion. I remember her
going out to the studio to show the Inspirations how she
wanted it done--it's an unusual timing Jerry Wexler
paid her for doing it, but he never to my knowledge gave
her credit for the creative. So I will.
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 08:20:56 -0700
From: "Joseph Scott"
Subject: Re: Tim Rose
Folk musician Billy M. Roberts wrote "Hey Joe" in the
early '60s. (It is not "traditional," as some sources
claim.) Dino Valenti learned it from Roberts, David
Crosby learned it from Valenti, Bryan MacLean (at that
time a Byrds roadie) learned it from the Byrds, John
Beck of the band the Leaves learned it from MacLean, the
Leaves released at fast version of the song in Nov. '65,
that version was a substantial hit, Rose recorded the
song using a novel slowed-down arrangement (with Bernard
Purdie on drums, incidentally), based in part on the
Leaves arrangement. Chas Chandler heard the Rose version,
thought the song could be a big U.K. hit for somebody
slowed down like that, had the then-virtually-unknown
Hendrix and band record it that same way (same approach
to the moody backing vocals, jazzy drumming, etc. etc.,
very unlike the pre-Rose versions of the song), over
Jimi's initial objections. Rose and Hendrix had never
met at that time.
Joseph Scott
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 15:21:46 -0700
From: Stewart Mason
Subject: Sam the Record Man
Rip Gooch wrote:
>Sam The Record Man is closing its doors. If any of you
>are in Toronto in the next couple of weeks, don't
>forget to pay a visit to the store in Yonge Street.
>Could be your very last chance to pick up those
>obscure CDs.
>
>To say I'm distraught is an understatement. Sam's is
>one of the reasons I moved here in the first place ...
>;-)
Oh my god. I'm just horribly saddened by this news, far more than I
rationally should be. The Yonge Street Sam's is my favorite reccord store
in the world, and a major, major part of my yearly trips to Toronto.
Although really nothing special anymore in its rock selection (nothing like
it was even a decade ago, I'm afraid), Sam's had the finest selections I
have ever seen of pre-rock vocal pop, world music and soundtracks, and, I
would hazard to guess, the finest classical department in the world.
This is terribly sad. Any further information would be most welcome. Is
the entire chain going under?
Stewart
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 21:14:12 -0800
From: "David Parkinson"
Subject: RE: Sam the Record Man
Yes, this is painful. My brother and I have had a ritual
for the last few years when I get back to Toronto of
hitting up Sam's for some bin-scouring and then across
the street for some good cheap Thai food at the Salad
King. Who else is going to stock every single Claudine
Longet album? Where else will I find obscure Japanese
New Colony Six twofers? I used to laugh at the
outrageousness of their stock -- last time I was there
they had about 20 Man albums; I don't know anyone who
ever listened to that band, but I guess if you were a
die-hard Man fan this would be the place for you.
I remember buying the Beatles 62-66 there (the red
double album) in about 1970 or so. Sigh. Well, at least
the Salad King is still there.
David
Rip Gooch wrote:
>Sam The Record Man is closing its doors.
>To say I'm distraught is an understatement. Sam's is
>one of the reasons I moved here in the first place ...
Stewart Mason wrote:
> Oh my god. I'm just horribly saddened by this news,
> far more than I rationally should be. The Yonge
> Street Sam's is my favorite reccord store in the world,
> and a major, major part of my yearly trips to Toronto.
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 09:18:14 -0500
From: "Jack Madani"
Subject: new Swing Out Sister
Spectropop writes:
> the new Swing Out Sister recording called "Somewhere
> Deep In The Night"
Haven't heard this one yet. Their prior long-player was
fabulous, with a tune that sounded like the Walker
Brothers, and with another wacky little segue tune
called Joe Meek's Cat.
But ouch, Japanese import means too expensive. Is there
any plan to release this new Somewhere Deep In The Night
domestically?
jack
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Message: 11
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 14:32:35 -0800
From: "Randy M. Kosht"
Subject: Paul is Dead - Pickettywitch question
In Issue 281, Stewart Mason wrote:
> (I've been fascinated by [urban legends] since I was
> four and I found a scrapbook my older sister had made
> of "Paul Is Dead" stories from the fall of '69,
> including one of the quickie mags on the rumor -- do I
> wish I still had that!!!!)
Here in L.A., our channel 9 (KHJ-TV) devoted an hour to
the Paul McCartney stories, hosted by F. Lee Bailey ("An
Inquest into the Death of Paul McCartney").
and Mike Rashkow mentioned:
> Ellie's second single for Bell Records, "(It's Like A)
> Sad Old Kinda Movie."
Is that the same song as was done by the group
Pickettywitch on Pye Records in the early '70s?
Randy
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Message: 12
Date: Fri, 02 Nov 2001 00:45:51 -0500
From: "Vincent Degiorgio"
Subject: RE: new Swing Out Sister
Swing Out's deal is actually with Mercury Japan and
they remain unsigned for the rest of the world. I had a
great conversation with Corrine last year, wanting to
sign them when I was at RCA. Nothing materialized, so
the queen of Cinematic pop and her enigmatic partner
only get their records released in Japan.
Kaleidoscope World is my all time favourite
record...their 2nd album...
Vince
Jack Madani wrote:
> Haven't heard [Swing Out Sister's "Somewhere Deep In
> The Night"] yet. Their prior long-player was
> fabulous, with a tune that sounded like the Walker
> Brothers, and with another wacky little segue tune
> called Joe Meek's Cat.
>
> But ouch, Japanese import means too expensive. Is
> there any plan to release this new Somewhere Deep In
> The Night domestically?
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 13
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 09:41:41 -0500
From: "Jack Madani"
Subject: re: the look versus the sound
>>To compare us as like a film crew, is a disservice
>
>I'm not sure I understand this. Are you saying that it's
>a disservice to compare a session musician's contribution
>to that of the camera person...the editor...etc?
>I think the comparison is apt.
>I certainly didn't mean it as an insult.
>
Alan, I think I see what you mean. And Carol, I would
have to agree that it wouldn't be an insult to suggest
something like this:
James Wong Howe (camera) = Jack Nitzsche
Robert Wise (editor) = Larry Levine
And while the various brilliant studio musicians usually
referred to as "The Wrecking Crew" might not necessarily
correspond to other behind-the-camera film crew personnel,
perhaps they WOULD be similar to the crew of onscreen
actors that a great film director like e.g. John Ford
would use over and over behind the top stars of his
movies. Hence:
John Wayne = The Ronettes
Maureen O'Hara = Darlene Love
and:
Ward Bond = Hal Blaine
Harry Carey, Jr. = Tommy Tedesco
Jane Darwell = Carol Kaye*
*okay, okay, Jane Darwell never looked as good in
lollipop sunglasses as our beloved Carol did! But Jane
was the only female actor i could think of who showed up
often as a supporting actor in Ford's films--and after
all, she DID win an Oscar for Grapes of Wrath--in a
supporting, albeit essential, role.
jack "barry fitzgerald" madani
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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 23:21:46 +0000 (GMT)
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: LONDON BOYS
Greetings,
"Jake (in SW2) Tassell" asked:
> By the way, somebody told me you lived in Herne
> Hill, Mick - is that right?
That's not correct, Jake, but close...very, very close.
MICK PATRICK (from a bunker in SE22)
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 01 Nov 2001 22:02:39 -0800
From: "Ken Levine"
Subject: LA Spectropop
Who besides me lives in LA?
Any interest in a Spectropop get together?
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
End
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