Spectropop - Digest Number 277

• From: Spectropop Group
• Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 18:17:10

                  
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______________        S  P  E  C  T  R  O  P  O  P        ______________
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              The Finest Sound in Authentic Hawaiian Music
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There are 12 messages in this issue of Spectropop.

Topics in this Digest Number 277:

      1. Blaine's drums
           From: "Kingsley Abbott" 
      2. Hal and the hippies
           From: Bobby Lloyd Hicks 
      3. Re: Playboys drummer
           From: Carol Kaye 
      4. Re: Happiness
           From: Billy G. Spradlin 
      5. Re: Blaine's drums
           From: "Mike Arcidiacono" 
      6. Misc soft psych
           From: "Paul Payton" 
      7. Re: Soft pop 66 -- Gene Clark's first album
           From: Jason Penick 
      8. Re: the Association-but not really
           From: Bob Hanes 
      9. Brian on AOL Live
           From: LePageWeb 
     10. Diamonds/Walking Along
           From: Marc Miller 
     11. Diamonds Played Solitaires/Don Plays Tropical
           From: James Botticelli 
     12. Gary Usher Discography Available
           From: "Ron Weekes" 


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Message: 1
   Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 20:54:02 +0100
   From: "Kingsley Abbott" 
Subject: Blaine's drums

Reading Jamie's comments about Hal Blaine's drum tuning,
I was reminded of a small section in my up-coming book on
the Pet Sounds album (Pub.Helter Skelter - end of
November).  I asked him about any differences between
Brian Wilson sessions and Phil Spector ones.  Here is
what he said to that one:  "I usually produced my own
drum part, and it was used as the base to build from.
There was a difference between working for Phil Spector
and working for Brian. With Brian it was a smaller band
so I tuned my snare lower for a bigger, fatter sound.
With Phil it was a bigger band, so I had a higher snare
designed to cut through the rest. Brian had most of what
he wanted in his head, but there was always some room for
us to put in pops and clicks and dings!  Percussive
elements came from both of us."

Hal therefore did vary his tuning, and there may have
been some other natural variations between the different
sets that he had at Gold Star and Western as well as
possible miking (and mike) differences.  It's hard to
imagine that such wonderful professionals like Hal and
Carol didn't almost automatically make adjustments to fit
the feel of the recordings they were involved with.  The
sort of thing that would be as natural to them as that
important first cup of coffee!  Maybe Carol remembers
such 'adjustments-in-progress'...

Can I also welcome member No 500 whoever she/he may be,
and send a smile to all of this entertaining and
knowledgable group.

Kingsley Abbott


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Message: 2
   Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 17:36:28 EDT
   From: Bobby Lloyd Hicks 
Subject: Hal and the hippies

Carol Kaye wrote:

> Like all fine drummers, Earl and Hal were capable of
> sounding very very different on most record dates,
> according to the styles of music, the people they
> were working for etc.

  This reminded me of an album that I bought in '68 when
it came out because Hal was on it. SALVATION'S Gypsy
Carnival Caravan.  I don't have it anymore and don't
remember anything about it except that there was a long
"jam" on side two that seemed almost humorous. The San
Francisco hippies getting really far out while the L A
studio pro clips along in precision time. I guess they dug
it though. They did put it out on their record, but to me
it seemed like the two camps really didn't connect.  I've
often wondered what Hal thought of that particular
"experience", man.

blh


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Message: 3
   Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 13:31:43 -0700
   From: Carol Kaye 
Subject: Re: Playboys drummer

> Gary Lewis & The Playboys' Happiness. What a great
> track! I had never heard it before. The drumming is
> great on this! Hal Blaine, me thinks.

Yes, Jamie, you're right, always Hal Blaine.  

Carol Kaye
http://www.carolkaye.com/


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Message: 4
   Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 04:29:07 -0000
   From: Billy G. Spradlin 
Subject: Re: Happiness

> The strings are a dead giveaway - it's got Nitzsche's
> signature all over it, but you didn't mention the
> (credited) producer. Koppelman/Rubin? 

The back cover of "Listen!" credits "Producer: Gary Klein,
A Product of Koppleman-Rubin Associates" dont know
anything about him. Any relation to (the infamous) Allen?

Billy


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Message: 5
   Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 18:23:21 -0700
   From: "Mike Arcidiacono" 
Subject: Re: Blaine's drums

Well, as a Hal Blaine devotee (and i have to be honest,
I've been playing drums 27 years, recorded 5 LPs,
ect....I ripped off Hal's Style)

Carol's comments are right on...Hal could sound VERY
diferent when need be. For instance, on the Gary Lewis
records, he doesnt play like Hal at all...he seems to
intentionally downgrade his playing to appear simpler and
more basic....as Gary would have sounded.  On the
Playboys records,  Hal repeats the famous triplet roll
>from snare to small tom on many of the fills. This helped
define the Gary Lewis sound, along with the glockenspiel
trills and 1/4 note steps, that are in almost every GL 45.
He doesnt do any of the neat solo type fills that he does
on The Challengers LPs, for example, or The Mamas and The
Papas records.

Another song that is Hal and doesnt sound like him is
"You're The One" by The Vogues. This is probably the only
record that Hal does a double backbeat on 2 AND 4,(listen
to the chorus) rather than on just 2.

By the way, Carol....did you play bass on 'You're The One"??
Its my fav record from the '60s.

Mikey


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Message: 6
   Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 00:48:45 -0400
   From: "Paul Payton" 
Subject: Misc soft psych

> Re: Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies 

Their masterpiece, IMHO. I was so disappointed that after
"Mary" and this they lamed out on "Cherish," etc. -
hardly bad records, but hardly living up to their
potential. (Of course they lamed out all the way to the
bank....)

Related question: The Gates of Eden, "No One Was There"
(WB 45, prod. by Claus Ogermann [sp?]) sounds as though
it could have been the same group or certainly related.
Anyone here know? And was there an album?

> Re the Fugs ... soft -- that should have read "The Theme
> Of The Virgin Forest."

...and the exquisite "Morning, Morning" too!

> The original "My World Fell Down" would sort of qualify
> ... it's fantastic.

No argument here, esp. with the psych-noise break. As
well as the gorgeous "Another Time."

> Donovan, great surreal lyrics

Possibly my favorite Donovan interpretation is Jennifer
Warnes' ("Warner" at the time) "Sand and Foam" (Reprise,
1972). Maybe a coupla years out of time for the core of
this list, but soft psych to the hilt. Same LP: "Empty
Bottles," with John Cale (VU) involved, I believe....

And if Gene Clark & The Gosdin Brothers' album qualifies
(to me it could - the original mix is an alltime fave),
then so would Johnny Cash's track "Happy To Be With You"
(66? 67?). He is simultaneously so detached yet so
emotional; positively trance-inducing (to me, at least).

In closing, I know they're much later and a lot more
"sophisticated," but has anyone noticed/mentioned the
strong girl-group ethos that inhabits some of the Roches'
best recordings, such as "Losing True"? Three-part
harmonies to kill for!

Country Paul

P.S. Odd thought - does anyone know who were - or
anything about - the three female bback-up singers who
were on so many Bobby Rydell records on Cameo in the 60's
(like "Swingin' School" and "Volare")? Was it always the
same group?


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Message: 7
   Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 10:32:37 EDT
   From: Jason Penick 
Subject: Re: Soft pop 66 -- Gene Clark's first album

In a message dated 10/25/2001, Spectropop writes:

> Would anything on Tim Buckley's first album qualify as
> soft-psych? IIRC it's kind of similar to Gene Clark's
> '66 album, in which case it would be borderline
> psych-wise I guess (but I may well not RC).
> 

Yes, I forgot to list Gene's "Echoes", one of the
all-time best soft pop/ psych songs, released December
'66 as a single.  The 34 piece orchestral arrangement by
Leon Russell and Gary Usher was the first true piece of
"symphonic rock", followed shortly thereafter by Usher's
production of the Peanut Butter Conspiracy's orchestral
psych masterpiece "Then Came Love" (circa January '67). 
These are pop breakthroughs that often go overlooked,
even by rock scholars (many of whom have an anti-L.A.
bias to begin with.)

Jason


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Message: 8
   Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 15:21:56 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Bob Hanes 
Subject: Re: the Association-but not really

Jason, wouldn't it be interesting to lock Jules
Alexander and Van Dyke Parks in a room?  Just to see what
they might come up with!  It would'a been REAL, far out,
to say the least.

The Right Reverend Bob, dumb angel chapel, The Church of
the Harmonic Overdub


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Message: 9
   Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 14:50:33 +0900
   From: LePageWeb 
Subject: Brian on AOL Live

Someone sent me this link - A revealing, sometimes
hilarious audio/video interview with Brian Wilson.

"So what music have you been listening to lately, Brian?"
"Phil Spector....."

You gotta check this out!

I tried to find a web page that links to the program but
no luck. However, this link will open the interview
directly in Real Player. 

http://demand1.stream.aol.com/ramgen/aol/us/aollive/events/2001/brianwilson.rm



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Message: 10
   Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 14:22:35 -0400
   From: Marc Miller 
Subject: Diamonds/Walking Along

Jimmy B -

The Diamonds "stole" Walking Along from the Solitaires,
who recorded it for Old Town in 1957.  GREAT record
(Solitaires version, anyway).

Marc


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Message: 11
   Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 16:34:36 EDT
   From: James Botticelli 
Subject: Diamonds Played Solitaires/Don Plays Tropical

In a message dated 10/26/01, Spectropop writes:

> JimmyBee AXED (regarding The Diamonds):
> 
> > Who did they steal "Walkin' Along" from?
> 
> If memory serves (and at my age it seldom does),
> "Walking Along" was first recorded by The Solitaires,
> one of the zillions of doo-wop groups who started out on
> the street corners of Harlem.
> 
> I would say about 1956.

Thanks for that amazing bit of info which I never would
have known....not even having the failed memory to recall
it with. On a general interest tip, for friends of
Exotica music (Martin Denny, Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman, et
al) the keepers of the exotica flame have managed to
release their second one. Hawaii's Don Tiki have released
"Skinny Dip with Don Tiki" a CD replete with the stuff
that made the old Beachcomber, Trader Vic's and The
Duke's Room burn with a tropical intensity in post WWII
America. Samples and graffix to die for at
http://www.dontiki.com   

Enjoy..JB


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Message: 12
   Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 19:32:11 -0600
   From: "Ron Weekes" 
Subject: Gary Usher Discography Available

Just wanted to let all of the Gary Usher devotees out
there know that the fifth and final volume of Stephen J.
McParlands' exhaustive biography on the musical career
of Gary Usher is now available.  This volume is the only
discography available that covers the career of this
musical genius.  CMusic Books writes:


THE CALIFORNIA SOUND - An Insiders's Story
THE MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY OF GARY USHER
VOLUME FIVE

This 176 page 8x10 glossy coloured covered book is the
final volume of a FIVE volume set detailing every aspect
of the recording career of GARY USHER. This volume
includes a COMPLETE as possible DISCOGRAPHY of  Usher
related recordings circa 1961-1990. Also included is a
COMPLETE as possible discography of his UNRELEASED
material and all the songs he wrote for the various music
publishing companies he was signed to. Additional
discographies (of released and unreleasaed material) of
CURT BOETTCHER, DICK BURNS and CHUCK GIRARD are also
included. A full chapter synopsis for all volumes is also
featured, as is a thorough index for chapters 1-4, and 11
pages of glossy photos (including a colour plate).

PRICE PER COPY IS $US40 PLUS POSTAGE
SPECIAL PRICE FOR  THOSE WHO HAVE PURCHASED VOLUMES 1-4, 
$30 PLUS POSTAGE.


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