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There are 11 messages in this issue of Spectropop.
Topics in this Digest Number 287:
1. [girl] singers and their accents
From: "Jack Madani"
2. Randazzo & Pike
From: "Jeff Lemlich"
3. Re: Various
From: Mike Rashkow
4. The Bon-Bons
From: "Ian Chapman"
5. Re: Halos
From: "Don Charles"
6. GG Comps
From: "Vlaovic B"
7. The Songmakers Collection DVDs- any EXTRA footage??
From: Charles Ellis
8. The Glider
From: "Jack Madani"
9. Christopher Robbin(s)?
From: "Paul Payton"
10. Re: Ellie "In The Flesh"
From: John Clemente
11. SOS Heart In Distress
From: "Ian Chapman"
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 23:59:09 -0500
From: "Jack Madani"
Subject: [girl] singers and their accents
regarding Bobby "Wildwood Days" Rydell's backing signers,
Ron Buono writes:
> I too was quite surprised to hear about the
>black trio of matrons who always sounded like white
>teeny-boppers to me! Now, can anyone tell us who the girl
>group was on Del Shannon's "Little Town Flirt", "Too Many
>Teardrops" and other tracks? They were as good or better
>than many of the gal groups of that time. Dont'cha think?
[pinch nose, sing real high] here she comesssssss.......]
Yeah, those Del Shannon girl singers had it going on too.
But you know, when it comes to getting a really good,
tight, TIGHT, big harmony blend, I don't know if the
Angels and the Chiffons can be beat.
But that doesn't mean that the other girl groups weren't
great. Personally, I have a REALLY soft spot in my heart
(some say it's my head) for the groups that have big
time regional accents. Like the Dixie Cups with that
N'Yawk thing, or (this one really slays me) the Tammys
with that Western Pennsylvania thing (as in "whawts sew
sweet abaht sweet sixteen...").
And I've been thinking about this for a while, and
wondered if those in the know might be able to confirm
or deny: is there a discernable Southern California
accent? Specifically, I'm thinking of the pronunciation
of the short "e" that comes out more like a short "i."
E.g., "send" comes out more like "sind." Seems like
Mike Love and Darlene Love both had it pretty strong.
jack
who grew up in the Delaware Valley and likes a lunch
consisting of a cayke and a haygie and a daynut. (coke,
hoagie, donut)
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 2
Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2001 01:15:40 -0500
From: "Jeff Lemlich"
Subject: Randazzo & Pike
Mike wrote:
> Thanks for your kind comments. Yes, the tune was
> completely uncharacteristic of Randazzo at that time.
> Probably the influence of the co-writer Vicki Pike who
> I think he later married (Last I heard they were in
> Florida).
Randazzo and Pike were behind some wonderful whacked-out
music in 1967 and 1968. Pike co-wrote Third Bardo's
great "I'm Five Years Ahead of My Time" on Roulette...
and Randazzo produced "The Mechanical Man" by Bent Bolt
and the Nuts!
Jeff Lemlich
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 09:44:16 EST
From: Mike Rashkow
Subject: Re: Various
Re: Del Shannon's girl group and more
> I'd love to hear them (along
> with the Reparata recordings from the same period which I
> also can't find).
>
I believe that Ellie and Mikie were involved in several
of those records-shoring up the background parts. Not
certain of this but I do think so.
Subject: Re: Joannie Sommers
> whatever happened to Joannie Sommers??
Had a sex change operation and became Johnny Winter????
re: Christine Cooper's "S.O.S (Heart In Distress)"
> That track was recycled onto Teri Nelson's version for
> her Kama Sutra LP.
Very interesting stuff.
Re: playing musica files
unfortunately for me, all I have available at this time
is a little laptop without even a good player. Can you
recommend the best player I can download free--I can
then possibly use phones as a listening medium. No space
for decent speakers in our RV. If anyone can help please
contact me off-list. Thanks.
Rashkovsky
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2001 02:13:41 -0000
From: "Ian Chapman"
Subject: The Bon-Bons
David said:
> Peter Lerner asked about The Bon Bons' "Each Time" last
> time around. I've heard before that there was supposedly
> some Shangri-Las involvement, but I don't believe that's
> been confirmed, has it?
Back in '76, a guy called Billy Miller wrote to Bomp
magazine in response to the Shangs/Bon-Bons query. He
sent them a photo of the Bon-Bons which had originally
been featured in the Aug. '64 issue of Teen Life magazine
with the following caption:- "The Bon-Bons - and did you
ever see such four living, breathing, singing, dancing
DOLLS. "Come On Baby", their first recording on the
Coral label, skyrocketed them to overnight fame. You'll
be hearing lots about these teens." Yes, well.......
Uploaded to the photos file is scan of the reprint of the
copy(!) Despite the ropey quality, you can see that none
of these four living, breathing, singing, dancing dolls
are Shangri-Las.
Ian
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 5
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 17:14:56 +0000
From: "Don Charles"
Subject: Re: Halos
Anybody looking for rare Angels records should put their
sides as The Halos on Congress Records at the top of
their list of must-haves. The production values on
"Keep On Lovin' Me," not to mention Toni Mason's
dynamite vocal, are tailor-made for Spector knockoff
fanatics. Your toes WILL tingle!
Don Charles
Tom Waters segued:
>why are [the Angels'] mid to late 60's
>recordings so hard to find? I'd love to hear them (along
>with the Reparata recordings from the same period which I
>also can't find).
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 6
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 13:08:34 -0500
From: "Vlaovic B"
Subject: GG Comps
Hang on, was it not Big Maybelle' singing 'Big Trouble'?
It was on the Girls About Town Compilation.
I recall buying the Charly records Red Bird compilation
'Charlys Angels' (what a terrible name!) in 1981. And I
the first Rhino records GG compilation came out in 1983
(as a companion piece to the book and eventually video).
It had the groovy switch-pic of the Shangri-Las and the
Dixie cups on the cover. So I guess 'Where the Girls Are'
wasn't the first GG compilation. But as it focussed on
impossible to find recordings its arrival was most
welcome!
N
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 23:21:22 -0000
From: Charles Ellis
Subject: The Songmakers Collection DVDs- any EXTRA footage??
Does anyone know if there is any footage/music in the
DVD version of the A&E Songmakers Collection as opposed
as to what we saw on TV in August? I taped the 2-hour
special, and would like to know......
--- In spectropop Claudia Wilson wrote:
>
> Brill Building era heaven !!
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 8
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 23:44:48 -0500
From: "Jack Madani"
Subject: The Glider
spectropop writes:
>It was good to hear that Frank Wright had confirmed that,
>as I've always believed, Phil Spector was the producer of
>Troy Shondell's "The Glider."
Okay, I fully concede the truth of this fact. But
would I be considered a dolt if I say that it at least
SOUNDS like it was a Joe Meek production, not Spector?
jack
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Message: 9
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 23:57:47 -0500
From: "Paul Payton"
Subject: Christopher Robbin(s)?
To Mike Rashkow: Christopher Robbin - could that have an
"s" at the end, and is he the same artist who did a
virtually acapella version of the Beatles' "Here There
And Everywhere" on an RCA 45? I've always loved the
arrangement, with its exquisite full chorus, although he
sounded a bit "night-clubby" on his lead. Nonetheless,
it's a record I frequently go back to and enjoy.
Paul
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 10
Date: Tue, 06 Nov 2001 23:50:50 -0500
From: John Clemente
Subject: Re: Ellie "In The Flesh"
Hello All,
This excerpt from the last issue:
> Mikie Harris had a part to play in Gary US Bonds:
> "Dedication" together with Bruce Springsteen & the
> E-Street Band and one John Clemente on bass (?)
doesn't refer to me, John Clemente, author of "Girl Groups".
Regards,
John
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 11
Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2001 03:30:53 -0000
From: "Ian Chapman"
Subject: SOS Heart In Distress
Mike Rashkow said:
> I would also offer that if you want to hear them at their
> background best, find a copy of "S.O.S. Heart In Distress"
> on Cameo, it was produced by Richie Cordell (later of
> Joan Jett fame) and Beau Gentry (who seems to be off the
> radar for a long time). Artie Butler did the charts. When
> you listen to "the girls" on this one check out Jeannie
> up in the stratosphere nailing some notes that only dogs
> usually can hear. The parts were overdubbed in Bell
> Sound Studio C. I was the button pusher on the date, and
> it is etched in my memory.
>
> S.O.S. is still one of my all time personal top ten records.
Mine too! Mike, I assume the version of "S.O.S. (Heart
In Distress)" you're referring to is by Christine Cooper
on Parkway? The production on this record is a killer,
and even though it didn't chart, it was picked up by the
UK's Northern Soul scene in the 70s where it always
filled the dancefloors. So much so, in fact, that it was
heavily bootlegged at the time, as genuine original
copies were so hard to track down. I've loved this
record for years, and had no idea that "the girls" were
on back-ups!
Ritchie Cordell and Sal Trimachi produced Christine's
follow-up, a very Motownesque tune called - sticking
with the nautical theme - "Heartaches Away My Boy",
heavily influenced by the Supremes' "Back In My Arms
Again". That one was an even bigger northern soul hit
and even now currently fetches in excess of ?150 for an
original copy! Mike, do you recall if this was done at
the same session as "S.O.S", and were the girls also on
back-ups?
Footnote: Another version of "S.O.S." later appeared on
the Kama Sutra album, "Sweet Talkin' Teri" by the Teri
Nelson Group. This was the group that contained two
ex-Crystals, Barbara Alston and Mary Thomas. The album
was another Super K production and "S.O.S" used the same
backing track as Christine Cooper's.
Check out the Billboard ad for Christine's version at
the photo files area.
Ian
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
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