Spectropop - Digest Number 313

• From: Spectropop Group
• Date: Sat, 08 Dec 2001 21:38:44

                  
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       Laminated with "Clarifoil" made by British Celanese Limited
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There are 13 messages in this issue of Spectropop.

Topics in this Digest Number 313:

      1. Harrison, Spector, My Sweet Lord and He's So Fine
           From: Richard Williams 
      2. My Sweet Lord - The Belmonts
           From: "Warren Cosford" 
      3. Re: My Sweet Lord - The Belmonts
           From: "Robert Conway" 
      4. Re: Bossa '63 and Beyond....
           From: James Botticelli 
      5. Bossa Nova
           From: Jimmy Crescitelli 
      6. More info on Babs Tino
           From: "Nick Archer" 
      7. HBR 441 The Bompers - "Do the Bomp"
           From: Lee Dempsey 
      8. Felice Taylor - It's Winter Outside
           From: Paul Urbahns 
      9. Mann & Weil -John Braheny - Stone Poneys
           From: "Paul Payton" 
     10. Mort Shuman
           From: "Brian Flaherty" 
     11. Re: Studios/London Echo Chambers
           From: Jake Tassell 
     12. Re: My Sweet Lord
           From: "Nick Archer" 
     13. Song similarities
           From: Dan Hughes 


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Message: 1
   Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 18:04:26 +0000
   From: Richard Williams 
Subject: Harrison, Spector, My Sweet Lord and He's So Fine


I'm sorry that virtually all the Harrison obituaries
mentioned the successful plagiarism suit. It was easy to
see why, but as a result the incident seemed to assume a
greater importance than it warranted, leaving people with
the impression that Harrison was a thief. He wasn't. He
was a participant in the process of emulation and
transformation which created pop music and allowed it to
develop. "Borrowing" tunes -- and chord sequences and
rhythm patterns -- was all a part of it, not least
because young musicians usually learnt to play by copying
records. But because Harrison borrowed a part of a tune
rather than a rhythm lick, he could be sued. Bo Diddley
could never take legal action against all the thousands
of people who used his rhythm lick. If he'd tried, the
defendants could have said with complete justification
that it could be traced all the way back to Africa. And
no doubt the tune of He's So Fine has an antecedent
somewhere. The idea of someone suing a Beatle is
particularly ludicrous, bearing in mind their direct
influence on so many musicians of their own and
subsequent generations.

As for the question of Spector's attitude, it might be
interesting to mention an exchange between Lennon and
Spector during the sessions for  Happy Xmas (at which I
was present). At one point Lennon mentioned to Spector
that he had more or less nicked the melody from one of
Phil's old records: I Love How You Love Me by the Paris
Sisters.  Spector was amused and not a little flattered
-- and he made it clear that, like Lennon, he understood
the organic evolutionary process of which this was an
example.


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Message: 2
   Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 17:58:58 -0500
   From: "Warren Cosford" 
Subject: My Sweet Lord - The Belmonts

The first time I became aware of the controversy
surrounding He's So Fine/My Sweet Lord was in 1972 when
I heard The Belmonts sing My Sweet Lord on their "Cigars,
Acappella, Candy" album.  In the arrangement they sing
some of the lyrics of "He's So Fine".

A few years ago, the album was released on CD by Elektra.
I highly recommend it.

Warren Cosford


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Message: 3
   Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 20:12:25 -0600
   From: "Robert Conway" 
Subject: Re: My Sweet Lord - The Belmonts

The first time I heard the melody to My Sweet Lord I
couldn't believe it but never thought it would lead to
such heightened legal battles.  Many tunes have hooks,
riffs, etc. borrowed from other songs, from the obvious
repetitive C-F-G to the less obvious intro guitar
riffs--Blues Magoos (We Ain't Got Nothing Yet) exact lift
>from an obscure Rick Nelson LP track to the Shocking
Blue-Who similarities, i.e., Pinball Wizard-Venus.  Anyhow,
I digress.  What I really wanted to say is I just finished
playing my import "hits" compilation by the Chiffons and
lo and behold the last track is...My Sweet Lord.

Bob Conway


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Message: 4
   Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 14:57:09 EST
   From: James Botticelli 
Subject: Re: Bossa '63 and Beyond....

In a message dated 12/7/0 Mick Patrick writes:

> Mmmm, Eydie Gorme, Tippie & the Clovers, Ruby & the
> Romantics, Elvis Presley, Irene Reid.....I feel a Bossa
> Nova '63 concept compilation CD coming on. More
> suggestions, anyone?

 How about Ed Lincoln, Astrud Gilberto, Walter Wanderley,
Chris Montez, June Christy, any mid-6T's United Artists
Soundtrack with the obligatory bossa entry........


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Message: 5
   Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 17:14:15 EST
   From: Jimmy Crescitelli 
Subject: Bossa Nova

Okay... I have Eydie's record. Can anyone describe to me
how to do the Bossa Nova? I need to know for holiday
parties, where I usually end up having too much grog /
glog / aqvavit... and end up demonstrating dances of the
60s. (I do a mean Madison.) 


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Message: 6
   Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 13:40:30 -0600
   From: "Nick Archer" 
Subject: More info on Babs Tino

Does anyone have background info on Babs Tino? A friend
of mine thinks the records sound like Carole King and
Toni Wine together. Who produced, when did they record,
and what does the name mean?

Nick Archer
Nashville, TN


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Message: 7
   Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 15:12:56 EST
   From: Lee Dempsey 
Subject: HBR 441 The Bompers - "Do the Bomp"

Speaking of "Do the Bomp" -- has the lead vocalist on
this ever been documented?  I swear it's Danny Hutton! 
Listen to "Roses and Rainbows" and "Monster Shindig, Pts.
I and II" (not coincidentally, also on HBR).  It's the
same vocalist, to these ears...

Lee


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Message: 8
   Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 16:18:11 EST
   From: Paul Urbahns 
Subject: Felice Taylor - It's Winter Outside

I have an old 8 track tape called, Blockbuster Hits
Volume 8 on some off the wall label out of California.
There is a song called It's Winter Outside that I really
like by Felice Taylor. Never heard any of her other songs
but this one is really good. It sounds like new lyrics to
Everythings Good About You (a hit for the Lettermen).

Anyway the only reference I can find is Mustang 3024 It
May Be Winter Outside. I assume it's the same song. Has
it been reissued on anything or should I try to dub a
copy of my 8 track. The other songs on the 8 track are
commonly available.

Please help music fans.

Paul Urbahns


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Message: 9
   Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 16:34:19 -0500
   From: "Paul Payton" 
Subject: Mann & Weil -John Braheny - Stone Poneys

Jim Cassidy wrote:

> ... recent interview with Barry and Cynthia.

Nice find! Incidentally, the interviewer, John Braheny,
had a solo LP out in 1966 or '67 (?) on a label from CA
called Records By Pete. "Free Fall" was the title cut -
very good - but the big winner to my ears was "December
Dream," which was covered by The Stone Poneys, featuring a
very young Linda Ronstadt.

Brushes With Fame Dept.: Around the time their 2nd album
came out, I got to meet the Stone Poneys (and the late Tim
Buckley) backstage at a gig in Greenwich Village. Seems my
date, a high school friend, had gone to the University of
Arizona and was singing in a trio that wanted to go out on
the road; however, she wanted to stay and finish school.
So Sue Rozell dropped out and Linda Ronstadt dropped in.

Country Paul


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Message: 10
   Date: Sat, 08 Dec 2001 01:18:59 -0000
   From: "Brian Flaherty" 
Subject: Mort Shuman

I have just dug out a 45 of Cilla Black singing
"Loves just a broken heart"

The production credits read---Strings arranged and
produced by Mort Shuman---Hearing it again for the first
time in yonks sends shivers down my spine. Mort doesn't
attempt to drown out Cilla. His production augments
Cillas voice in the same way as Ivor Raymonde does with
Dusty Springfield on "I just don't know what to do with
myself"

Mort was a very talented bloke...

Regards

Brian Flaherty


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Message: 11
   Date: Sat, 08 Dec 2001 00:17:13 +0000
   From: Jake Tassell 
Subject: Re: Studios/London Echo Chambers

What I have been looking for in London and found 'no such
luck' is a recording studio with a proper echo chamber.
The only studio that has one, as far as I know, is Abbey
Road. (they use it as a storeroom - can you believe, but
@ £££££ per day, it's a bit beyond my means).

Anybody else know of anything?

Regards

Jake


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Message: 12
   Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 22:35:15 -0600
   From: "Nick Archer" 
Subject: Re: My Sweet Lord

As a music director in mid 70's North Carolina, I was sent
a 45 on Laurie records of the Chiffons doing "My Sweet
Lord". As the song faded out, they started singing the
lyrics to "He's So Fine" over the fade.


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Message: 13
   Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2001 22:11:40 -0600
   From: Dan Hughes 
Subject: Song similarities

The one that always jumps out at me are the chorus line
>from the Drifters' I Count the Tears, and the Grass
Roots' Let's Live For Today:

Drifters:  "Nah-Nah--NahNahNah late at night"

Grass Roots:  "La-La-LaLaLa live for today"

They sound identical to me.

---Dan


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