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the kind of gutsy production that makes a No. #1 single!
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There are 16 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Kal Mann RIP
From: "Phil Chapman"
2. Re: Under The Influence
From: Bryan
3. LONNIE RUSS, LITTLE HELEN AND DARLENE LOVE & THE BLOSSOMS
From: Mick Patrick
4. Re: Inquiring Minds Want to Know
From: "David Gordon"
5. Musical Heroes (& my musical odyssey)
From: "Martin Roberts"
6. the big bossa nova
From: "Jack Madani"
7. bossa nova and girl groups
From: "Jeff Lemlich"
8. Patrice Holloway
From: "Don Charles"
9. All things Holloway
From: James Botticelli
10. Talking of Spector......
From: "John Lester"
11. Re: LONNIE RUSS, KFWB
From: "Ken Levine"
12. George, Lonnie Russ, Dion, other neat 45's
From: "Paul Payton"
13. Re: The Apollas Under The Influence Of Love
From: "David Gordon"
14. Idle thoughts about arrangers
From: "Lindsay Martin"
15. Auditorium sizes
From: "Kingsley Abbott"
16. Re: Inquiring Minds Want to Know
From: Paul Underwood
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 00:40:37 -0000
From: "Phil Chapman"
Subject: Kal Mann RIP
I had the pleasure of meeting Kal Mann & Bernie Lowe
individually in the early 80s during an abortive ABKCO
Cameo-Parkway compilation project. Kal was still very much
enthusiastic about his music, so much so that his wife had
banished anything to do with recordings to the garden shed,
where he spent a fair amount of his time. Consequently, we
spent the entire afternoon in a little wooden hut crammed
with gold discs, 45s & albums, sheet music etc, and a
record-deck, while Kal recounted numerous tales of studio
sessions, accompanied by the relevant track. Although not
over keen on cover versions, he singled out "The Bristol
Stomp" by The Late Show (UK) as one of the better covers
he'd heard, which by sheer coincidence was a track I had
recorded. Meeting Kal remains one of my most enjoyable
experiences in the music industry.
Phil
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sun, 09 Dec 2001 21:03:35 -0800
From: Bryan
Subject: Re: Under The Influence
Phil wrote:
> One thing that's always intrigued me about the first two
> Felice Taylor releases is that the 'b' sides, "Winter
> Again" and "Love Theme" (cute string & brass arrangement),
> are credited to R. Kuhn, even though they are the backing
> tracks to the 'A' sides.
I don't think the answer to this is all that intriguing,
to be honest. R. Kuhn -- Robert Kuhn, to be exact -- is
the real name of one Bob Keane, the owner/president of
Del-Fi (then Stereo-Fi). I'm sure he was just doing what a
lot of record label prexies did at that time.
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 3
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 17:09:14 +0000 (GMT)
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: LONNIE RUSS, LITTLE HELEN AND DARLENE LOVE & THE BLOSSOMS
Greetings,
> Original Message from Mike Rashkow: Also, "My Wife
> Can't Cook" some little California indie label,
> artist Lonnie Russ. Ray Shanklin arranger. Somebody???
Sorry, Rashkovsky, I don't know who played trombone on
this track but I can tell you that the backing vocalists
were none other than DARLENE LOVE & THE BLOSSOMS. Those
who have seen the Lethal Weapon movies will know that
Darlene has carved out a whole new career as a "wife who
can't cook" in recent years.
MY WIFE CAN'T COOK by LONNIE RUSS was released on the
small 4J label (#4J 501) late in 1962. It reached #57 on
the Billboard Hot 100 early the following year.
19-year-old Lonnie's real name was Gerald Lionel Russ and
he wrote the song himself. The track can be found on the
Ace CD "THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN ROCK'N'ROLL" vol. 8
(CDCHD 750. You can find a full tracklist for this great
CD on the Ace website: www.acerecords.co.uk
Fans of obscure answer-records might like to know that
the very next release on the 4J label was "SO WHAT IF I
CAN'T COOK" by LITTLE HELEN. I'd tell the Little Helen
story but there's a limit to how much one is able to type
during the commercial break on Countdown.
MICK PATRICK
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Message: 4
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 17:29:16 -0000
From: "David Gordon"
Subject: Re: Inquiring Minds Want to Know
--- In spectropop, Michael Rashkow wrote:
> a 45 on Columbia "Kickin Child" written and performed by
> Dion. Yeah, that Dion. It was produced by Bob Mersey.
>
> Also, "My Wife Can't Cook" some little California indie
> label, artist Lonnie Russ. Ray Shanklin arranger.
> Somebody???
Hi Mike,
The label for Lonnie Russ was 4J.
Columbia's Legacy division issued a Dion CD about 5 or 6
years ago that contains, I think, all his Columbia
material. The CD title was something like "Bronx Blues"
but it's been out of print for a few years. I'd guess it
shouldn't be too hard to track down.
David Gordon
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 5
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 21:31:42 -0000
From: "Martin Roberts"
Subject: Musical Heroes (& my musical odyssey)
Phil Spector? Brian Wilson? Bob Crewe? Well yes but who I
intend to write about today are my printed word heroes.
Now I guess this has a lot to do with your age (I'm 40
something), your musical taste, your frame of mind when
piece first read and loads of other things. Bit like what
girl we're you kissing when you first heard Norman
Greenbaum's Spirit in The Sky! So attempting to put the
respect I have for these writers in context. Martin's
musical odyssey I'm afraid!
Richard Williams.
The first record I bought (this should please Don Charles!)
was The Archies Sugar Sugar, (this shouldn't!) but I soon
left this type of music behind. Attending free concerts
by Hawkwind, going to The Country Club (or something like
that) behind Belsize Park tube station and watching
groups like If and Curved Air. Creeping of to the Jimi
Hendrix Isle Of Wight concert for three days as a fresh
faced 13 year old.(for those interested, first picture
pages of Hippie Hippie Shake by Richard Neville, I'm the
one with out the large breasts bottom right!) Time frame
might be a bit out but hope you get the drift. Stayed
with this type of music The Who, Black Sabbath etc for a
few years of summers in the mud at various Rock Festivals.
Bought most of the pop papers Disc & Music Echo, Melody
Maker, NME favourite being NME. With out really being
aware of it I started to get tired, the music was
becoming to boring & pretentious. I missed a Reading
Festival, bought the new Hawkind more out of duty, still
buying NME & occasionally Melody Maker though perhaps
more out of habit. I began to notice the writers names.
Early mid seventies there were some great ones, Charles
Shah Murray, Fred Dillar (excuse spellings!) lots of
other names I can't remember & from Melody Maker-pages &
pages of Amps, guitars & drums for sale bit boring!-But
there was Richard Williams!
Now here was a writer who could enthuse with his love &
knowledge of music, against my better judgement I even
bought a LP by The Penguin Cafe Orchestra! Do not
remember that many individual pieces (one great one, when
Punk first made its triumphant and much needed burst on
to the scene, a review/article on the merits & longevity
of three of the first Punk groups, Eddie/Hotrods, the Sex
Pistols & the Damned. The Damned's New Rose won. Think
because of the Shangs style opening! Of course I was
aware of The Crystals, Ronettes, Chiffons etc from the
radio, liked what I heard and I remember Richard writing
about Phil Spector quite a bit. Although I did miss Out
Of His Head when first published and later had to hunt
through dusty second hand book shops. The Warner Brothers
Phil Spector Christmas album had been released and
Richard had helped sow the Spector seed.
Mick Patrick, The Phil Spector Appreciation Society & The
US Pioneers
Know I have written quite a bit about Mick & the gang
already (you can't get too much of a good thing!). About
the same time as Punk the PSI releases started hitting
the shops now these were soooo good. I played them over &
over again about the same time Pick Hits Of The Radio
Good Guys Vol 3? The Chiffons on Phillips & The Shangri
Las Greatest Hits on Mercury. Trips to Rock On in Camden,
Rob Finnis's book The Phil Spector Story all of these
were great but a bit hard to keep the momentum going when
collecting in a vacuum. A workmate tried to get me to go
to a Northern Soul Nighter in West Hampstead or was it
The Water Splash in London Colney? But 'discos' are for
pulling birds and I already had one! (soon to be my wife
Sue). Regret not going now, might have understood what
Northern soul is!
Also around this time, perhaps a bit earlier Ian's
granddad Phil was sending out the first writings of The
Phil Spector Appreciation Society. These make great
reading but lose a bit of impact for knowing of them so
late in the day.
This lonely record collecting was to change, I was soon
to throw away my anorak & plastic record bag, stop
creeping around in the shadows at record fairs. Phil
Spector Wall Of Sound Vol 6 Rare Masters 2 was in the
shops and it had a contact address for the PSAS! What
seemed like months later the first copy landed on my door
mat. Oh Bliss! I wasn't a lubey Well if I was I wasn't
the only one! Mick & Carole's writings ably assisted by
Ian, Keith, Kriss (and others) pushed my collecting to
new heights. A family trip with the In-laws and
grandchildren to Disneyland was seen (and taken!) as a
wonderful chance to record hunt. My Mother-in-law even
called the Police-know one could be in a record shop this
long, something must have happened!
On another mailing list perhaps not intentionally
someone's writings were described as Fan Based implying
Amateur as opposed to Professional, Scotland Yards finest
versus Sherlock Holmes? Now I'm not sure about the merits
to this, Richard is a pro are Mick & Ian amateur? They
have both been paid for record sleeves etc but still have
day jobs, semi pros? Now I know no one earned any money
for the PSAS so this was Fan Based. So what about the
writings? Terrific. Knowledgeable, informative and
written with a great sense of fun. Ian's record reviews
could have you almost hearing the crash of the cymbals,
Mick's interviews made you feel you were present. I could
go on!! Fan Based? Give me more!!
PSAS also made me aware of the US Rock Pioneers (Mick's
term-used under copyright!) Ken Barnes, Greg Shaw, Alan
Betrock & many others. So much good & involving writing.
Ken on Jack Nitzsche, The Whyte Boots & Carol Connors.
Alan's work first thing I knew by him was his 'Newspaper'
A-Z of Girl Groups-still holds up to scrutiny 25 years
later, his 'proper' book Girl Groups Story Of A Sound
etc,etc. These were/are professional. Give me more!!
Around this time great articles/books were appearing by
the likes of Tom Wolfe, Nik Cohen, Charlie Gillett and
others to many to mention. And even-at least in the
Capital-the spoken word on the radio by Stuart Coleman on
Radio London & Roger Scott on Capital Radio. Truly pop's
Golden Age of Writings!
What happened in the Eighties, Nineties and to date?
Well Mick changed the format of the PSAS newsletters,
instead of 5 or 6 photocopied A4 sheets stapled together
three or four times a year, we got two super (sometimes
even glossy!) 'proper', magazines. They are required
reading by all fans of Spector, the articles were
increased in size, pictures & full discographies. The new
format lost some of its intimacy but Wonderful Times! The
only problem, the workload was just too much instead of
three a year they were coming out once every two years
and I'm still awaiting my current issue! The flow of good
reading matter was slowing up.
Could still read Mick & occasionally Ian's always
excellent sleeve notes on first record's & then CD
booklets but my enthusiasm was fading. Stopped avidly
reading record lists & swapping tapes, the love of the
music was still there but it seemed easier to watch TV
than dig around in record boxes.
Spectropop. Pops New Golden Age?
Well, I'd first heard of Spectropop through Ian and
didn't really fancy it. Where is the involvement in a
cold impersonal computer screen? The real thrill is in
tearing open the envelope, the expectant trip to
Compendium in Camden Town and the feel of the paper in
your fingers. Thanks Ian but no thanks. I'll stick to my
78's!
When I did get connected to the web I gave Spectropop a
look, Wow the site is amazing love the graphics and the
presentation, all those links! Too much to take in.
Plenty of visits since, still not visited them all.
Highlights so far? Sorry, too many to choose from.
I admire the way equal billing & space is given to other
peoples sites even if they do not respond by giving a
link back. What a charming and gallant world Spectropop
is!
Every time I click on and go a wandering I notice
something else I've either missed or has been added since
my last visit. A magical playground for grown ups
(alright big kids).
Have I mentioned the humour? Lots of facts but so much in
amongst these to smile about, especially with the
graphics or though I'd guess The Three Bells photographer
had the best sense of humour!
Talking of humour & facts leads neatly to the Spop
member's forum the jewel in the crown. I get the digest
and it has reached the point where I'm actively willing
my evening's reading to download! What a sad creep! Oh
well I admit it but not a sad cynical one! So much
information to take in, news, gossip, funny stories and
drunken ramblings by so many writers. Old pros and new
whipper snaps. Names from the past Don Charles (still
firing away on all cylinders!), Jim Crescitelli and
others. Among this All Star line up who do I admire, no
envy the most? The popper who wrote in requesting info on
The Walker Brothers My Ship Is Coming In (I think) and
Elisa going at her record collecting 13 to the dozen and
turning up so many good discs already.
Happy Times!!
Martin
PS Sorry if I've missed anyone's name of and apologies to
anybody I've insulted!
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 6
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 12:15:35 -0500
From: "Jack Madani"
Subject: the big bossa nova
Spectropop writes:
>"Gentle swaying of the hips while the body remains
>straight and almost motionless is the Bossa Nova. Knees
>bend with each step, weight must remain evenly balanced
>on balls of each foot.
Sure! Like the way Laura Petrie would dance in her
capris slacks on the old Dick Van Dyke show!
jack "hubba hubba" madani
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 00:49:09 -0500
From: "Jeff Lemlich"
Subject: bossa nova and girl groups
Here's one I don't think was mentioned earlier:
RAGEN (Society Girl Bossa Nova) by the Caliente Combo
(Parkway 921), the flip side of "Society Girl" by the
Rag Dolls!
Jeff Lemlich
http://www.limestonerecords.com
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 8
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 18:25:35 +0000
From: "Don Charles"
Subject: Patrice Holloway
> What the Boy From Crosstown can't tell you about Patrice
> Holloway's unissued Motown sessions isn't worth knowing!
Speaking of the lead singer of Josie and The Pussycats...
does anyone know if there are enough Patrice Holloway
recordings available to make a decent CD compilation?
Don Charles
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 9
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 15:39:33 EST
From: James Botticelli
Subject: All things Holloway
I've often wondered (well, not THAT often...) if Brenda
and Patrice Holloway were related. I love Brenda's lesser
known stuff like "Together Til The End Of Time", "I've
Got To Find It" and "Just Look What You've Done". And of
course Patrice's excellent tune on one of the early Kent
UK Soul compilations (can't recall the title). Also, were
there any LP's by Patrice?
JB/Curious in Boston
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 10
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 08:37:44 -0000
From: "John Lester"
Subject: Talking of Spector......
Are we yet able to get Ike and Tina's Everything Under
The Sun" on CD yet?
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 11
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 22:22:13 -0800
From: "Ken Levine"
Subject: Re: LONNIE RUSS, KFWB
"My Wife Can't Cook" by Lonnie Russ was actually a hit in
LA. Not a big hit but KFWB played it.
Speaking of KFWB, anybody remember an instrumental called
"Images" by Hank Levine? It was really the KFWB logo put
to music but a great record.
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 12
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 23:47:54 -0500
From: "Paul Payton"
Subject: George, Lonnie Russ, Dion, other neat 45's
Re He's So/Sweet Lord: The "quotation" did seem blatant
to my ears the first time I heard the latter, but by that
standard every 12-bar-blues writer would have to sue
every other one. Dan's comparison of the Drifters' "I
Count the Tears" and the Grass Roots' "Let's Live For
Today" makes sense. Also Duane Eddy's instrumental
"Because They're Young" is a faster cha-cha version of
Jack Scott's "My True Love." The list goes on.....
And remember George also wrote the "Sue Me Sue You Blues."
And it was original as hell.
Richard Williams, is "Out of His Head" in print and
available Stateside? (And if I seem naive in asking this,
I apologize, but I'd like to find it.)
Mike Rashkow: Lonnie Russ, "My Wife Can't
Cook"/"Something Old, Something New" was on 4J Records,
early 60's. I don't have it, but have a dub somewhere on
an old reel-to-reel. (Don't have a reel-to-reel player
either, unfortunately.) Flip was a real nice doo-wop
ballad; I remember the A side being a cross between the
early Motown sound and Jimmy Soul.
Regarding Dion, Mike, I don't know the song you mention,
but possibly my all-time fave Dion composition is
"Knowing I Won't Go Back There," exquisitely sung by
Kenny Rankin (Columbia c. 63-64), also a Bob Mersey
arrangement if memory serves. It's a gorgeous, moving and
haunting ballad. Does anyone know if Dion himself ever
cut it?
The Kenny Rankin 45's got me thinking about some other
beautiful slow songs on 45's around that time (mid-60's,
plus or minus) - some A sides, some B. Anyone with
knowledge of the folowing and want to add comments?
- Dee W. White, "What Would You Do (If You Were In My
Place)?" on Columbia (Nashville roots, I think, but for
the rock audience; very pretty, spacy, echoey)
- Garry Bonner's delicate and exquisite "Me About You" on
Columbia (passionate vocal, beautiful period arrangement;
think Stone Poneys' "December Dream")
- The Comfortable Chair's "Some Soon Some Day" on Ode.
The group, blessed with magnificent co-ed vocals,
featured one Bernie Schwartz; he had two songs on the
soundtrack of "The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart,"
Don Johnson's first starring role - IMHO, a pretty bad
movie. Those songs were also on an MGM-subsid album he
did called "The Wheel" - great title track regarding
composition and arranging, and maybe even performance,
but the entire LP was either mixed or pressed with total
treble distortion making it very hard to listen to!
Talented musician, though. Anyone know what he did
afterward or is doing now?)
- Gentle Soul, "Song For Three"/"Our National Anthem",
both on Columbia (okay, "Anthem" wasn't soft, but it was
commanding; "Song For Three" and David Crosby's "Triad"
shared a common subject. Neither 45 made it to their Epic
LP, also blessed with some prime moments.) To my ears,
Gentle Soul was "the one that got away" - they deserved
to be commercially successful. Leader - and later solo
artist - Pam Polland currently lives in Hawaii; details
at
http://www.pampolland.com.
Country Paul
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 13
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 17:40:11 -0000
From: "David Gordon"
Subject: Re: The Apollas Under The Influence Of Love
--- In Spectropop, "Jeff Lemlich" wrote:
> There was another excellent version of "Under The
> Influence Of Love" in 1967, by the Apollas on Warner
> Bros. (featuring super-sexy lead singer Leola Jiles).
Hi Jeff,
Talking about the Apollas I came across a reference to
them in a book I was reading about the Monkees.
It seems that Peter Tork played bass for the Apollas
prior to joining the Monkees. He returned the favour by
getting the Apollas a spot as support act on, if I
remember correctly, the Monkees first national tour.
While I'm on about the Monkees does anybody know anything
about Detroit girl group Gigi and the Charmaines making
an appearance in their TV program ? The reason I ask is
that I've seen a Detroit newspaper ad for a club
appearance by the group with the blurb " stars of the
Monkees TV show" or something like that.
To see the ad check this website www.ritchie-hardin.com
under the Detroit section.
Finally re Felice Taylor there's a UNI single by Lori
Hampton which covers one of her songs but I can't
remember which one offhand.
David Gordon
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 14
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 20:23:01 +1000
From: "Lindsay Martin"
Subject: Idle thoughts about arrangers
I've been looking at a Reprise single I have of Trini
Lopez's "Up To Now": fabulous dramatic brassy
arrangement by Don Costa (and it's nothing like the more
familiar Trini of "Lemon Tree"-with-audience-backgound).
Anyone here familiar with it?
Which leads me to think about arrangers. To take one
obvious example, what was Jack Nitszche's contribution
as arranger to the Spector sound? (No doubt you've
covered this previously; maybe I should hit the archive.)
I wonder how many of the pop arrangers of the 50s & 60s
came from a Big Band background (as I believe Don Costa
did). It's interesting to speculate on how this may
have influenced the sound of the pop we listened to then.
When I hear the stunning musicality of the arrangements
on, say, Gene McDaniels's records ("Lonely Town" is a
favourite of mine) I can't help being impressed by the
formal musical training that is obviously at work.
Lindsay
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 15
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 17:45:54 -0000
From: "Kingsley Abbott"
Subject: Auditorium sizes
This is an odd query for Spectropop, but with the wealth
of knowledge in the group, I thought it worth asking...
Can anyone help with details about the capacity and other
details of the major sixties auditoriums in the States
(ie Long Beach Auditorium). I'm gathering info about the
venues that would have put on major package shows of
visiting UK acts. Any details that will help build up a
good picture would be welcomed. Please contact me
directly off list...Thanks.
BTW British members may like to look out for major pieces
on Brian Wilson in the Telegraph magazine (Jan 5th) and
Observer (probably around the same time)
Kingsley Abbott
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 16
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 09:25:25 +0100
From: Paul Underwood
Subject: Re: Inquiring Minds Want to Know
Michael Rashkow wrote:
>
> Many years ago, when I was young and beautiful, I owned
> a 45 on Columbia "Kickin Child" written and performed by
> Dion. Yeah, that Dion. It was produced by Bob Mersey.
>
> Anyone got it or know where I can get it?
>
> By the way--very nice stuff. Definitely not Dion and The
> Belmonts, funky, bluesy.
>
The 45 version is on the Bronx Blues CD half of which is
doo wop, the rest is bluesy. There is another (mellower)
version of the song on the Columbia double CD "The Road
I'm On" which covers most of the highlights of Dion's
Columbia years from doo wop to blues and folk rock. Both
collections are essential.
Paul
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
End
