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Dedicated to the World's Greatest General Amusement
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There are 25 messages in this issue of Spectropop.
Topics in this Digest Number 344:
1. moustaches/Sean O'Hagan/new Mojo Collections
From: Stewart Mason
2. Fuzzy Bunnies and Other Voices
From: "Michael Greenberg"
3. basslines
From: "Jack Madani"
4. Re: Riff pioneers
From: "Robert Conway"
5. Re: Riff pioneers..R Dean Taylor
From: "John Lester"
6. ANYTHING FOR A SONG
From: Justin Mcdevitt
7. Re: ANYTHING FOR A SONG
From: "Mike Arcidiacono"
8. Re: Looking Through the Eyes of Love
From: "John Lester"
9. Re: Re: Riff pioneers
From: Simon White
10. Re: Riff pioneers..R Dean Taylor
From: "David Parkinson"
11. serious discourse on hair
From: Alan Zweig
12. Re: Hair
From: James Botticelli
13. Jack Nitzsche - KHJ
From: "Ken Levine"
14. Re: Riff pioneers..R Dean Taylor
From: "John Lester"
15. Re: ANYTHING FOR A SONG
From: Paul Richards
16. Re: ANYTHING FOR A SONG
From: "Robert Conway"
17. the groop
From: "Alex"
18. Angelica / La Musique
From: Ted T
19. Re: Riff pioneers..R Dean Taylor
From: "Robert Conway"
20. RE: Re: Riff pioneers..R Dean Taylor
From: "David Parkinson"
21. Re: Riff pioneers
From: "Robert Conway"
22. RE: Bubblegum Is The Naked Truth
From: "David Parkinson"
23. Chi Lites and Temptations
From: James Botticelli
24. LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE
From: Justin McDevitt
25. Re: Ronnie Spector
From: "L.E.Pinto"
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 12:16:14 -0700
From: Stewart Mason
Subject: moustaches/Sean O'Hagan/new Mojo Collections
If "moustaches signify hard," what were Dickie
Scoppettone and Eddie James doing in Harpers Bizarre?
The Sean O'Hagan who's the leader of the High Llamas is
also a music journalist of some note (he wrote for the
weeklies during the '80s, and is still an occasional
contributor to magazines like Mojo), so it's entirely
possible that he *is* the guy who wrote the BW piece in
the Guardian.
Speaking of both Mojo and musicians who are also
journalists, the new issue of Mojo Collections features
a 16-page series of articles on '60s French pop, with
contributions by the great Bob Stanley of St. Etienne
fame, who's also an excellent music writer and one of
the nicest guys I've ever interviewed.
Stewart
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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 15:27:41 -0000
From: "Michael Greenberg"
Subject: Fuzzy Bunnies and Other Voices
This is a question for Mike Rashkow, but may be of
interest to other Spectropoppers:
I have two singles you co-produced with Ellie Greenwich:
The Other Voices covering Brute Force's "No Olympian
Height" (they added an "s" to "Height" in the title) and
The Fuzzy Bunnies covering Al Anderson's "No Good To Cry."
I'd love to hear about these two groups, particularly who
was in them, and about these records.
Thanks in advance for any information/recollections you
can share!
Michael
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 09:36:21 -0500
From: "Jack Madani"
Subject: basslines
all right, all right, all right! I don't usually join in
on laundrylist threads but how can I pass this one by?
Don't know if these are all necessary the most "killer"
basslines or bass riffs, but for me at least, when I
listen to these songs, the bass line is all I seem to
hear in my ear:
You Can't Hurry Love (Supremes)
Phil Collins' competent but uninspired remake
showed how important it is to get the bassline jussst
right in this song; whereas the Motown version grooves
along in Fluid Drive, the Collins version swings like an
Englishman ;-D
California Girls (Beach Boys)
In the verses, the chord progression shifts down a
whole step from the Tonic, but the bass ostinato stays on
the Tonic. I LOVE when that happens. On top of which,
what a rollicking, powerful pattern. Ding-guh ding-guh
ding-guh ding-guh....
Soulful Strut (Young-Holt Trio)
I've never heard the Barbara Acklin original, but I
know the Swing Out Sister remake very well, to the point
where I'd forgotten how great the Young-Holt Trio
instrumental version was. Until I heard it on the radio
day before yesterday. What a groovy, funky, jazzy
bassline.
Wouldn't It Be Nice (Beach Boys)
O the dignified majesty of that walking bassline on
the verses. And then all of a sudden the weird thing
that the bass does on the bridge. I STILL can't tell
exactly what the notes are there. But it sure is
essential.
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Message: 4
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 08:39:39 -0600
From: "Robert Conway"
Subject: Re: Riff pioneers
> Did Motown ever make a 45 that sucked...
Technically he wasn't on "Motown," but what about
anything by R. Dean Taylor?
Bob Conway
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Message: 5
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 16:45:23 -0000
From: "John Lester"
Subject: Re: Riff pioneers..R Dean Taylor
Bob Conway wrote:
> > Did Motown ever make a 45 that sucked...
>
> Technically he wasn't on "Motown," but what about
> anything by R. Dean Taylor?
I, for one, take an opposite view.....Gotta See Jane,
Lets Go Somewhere are examples of classic Motown.....
Indiana Wants Me was not one of my preferred songs but
everyone else seemed to like it!
Try saying what you said in the North of England when
"There's A Ghost in My House" is spinning.
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Message: 6
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 10:45:25 -0600
From: Justin Mcdevitt
Subject: ANYTHING FOR A SONG
Hello Spectropop friends;
With the diversity of musical knowledge represented by
this group, I have all the confidence that someone can
help me out.
In early August of 1968, while on a visit to Cleveland
Ohio (where the Cuyahoga river caught on fire that same
year, or was it 1969) I heard a song on one of the local
AM rock stations performed by a group whose harmonic
style sounded much like the Lettermen.
Some lyrics from the song that I vaguely recall are:
"Then my eyes were full of you", or conversely, "then
your eyes were full of me". Following these lyrics there
was a repetition of lyrics: "I knew that you knew, that
you knew that I knew". Both sets of lyrics were presented
in a waltz-type tempo.
Noodle on this one if you would.
Finally, I also am looking to find out the artist or
group that performed the song "LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES
OF LOVE".
Yours in peace,
Justin McDevitt
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Message: 7
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 11:59:18 -0500
From: "Mike Arcidiacono"
Subject: Re: ANYTHING FOR A SONG
Justin Mcdevitt wrote:
> Subject: Spectropop - ANYTHING FOR A SONG
> Finally, I also am looking to find out the artist or
> group that performed the song "LOOKING THROUGH
> THE EYES OF LOVE".
>
Geez, which one? I know of versions by:
Partridge Family
Gene Pitney
Tony Orlando
Englebert Humperdink
Tom Jones
And Im sure they are 100 more!!
Your Friend,
Mikey
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Message: 8
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 16:57:13 -0000
From: "John Lester"
Subject: Re: Looking Through the Eyes of Love
Presumably Gene Pitney is the obvious answer!
----- Original Message -----
From: Justin Mcdevitt
> Finally, I also am looking to find out the artist or
> group that performed the song "LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES
> OF LOVE".
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Message: 9
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 17:02:13 +0000
From: Simon White
Subject: Re: Re: Riff pioneers
Robert Conway wrote:
> Technically he wasn't on "Motown," but what about
> anything by R. Dean Taylor?
>
>
> Bob Conway
Outrageous !
Thers a Ghost In My House / Lets Go Somewhere are
wonderful records !
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Message: 10
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 09:10:11 -0800
From: "David Parkinson"
Subject: Re: Riff pioneers..R Dean Taylor
John Lester wrote:
> I, for one, take an opposite view.....Gotta See Jane,
> Lets Go Somewhere are examples of classic Motown.....
>
> Try saying what you said in the North of England when
> "There's A Ghost in My House" is spinning.
I agree entirely. I picked up the R Dean Taylor
collection not long ago (mostly so I could finally hear
"There's A Ghost In My House", which is endlessly
referenced in various accounts of the Northern Soul
scene), and it turned out to be much much better than I
expected, although certainly on the AM radio tip on most
songs. There is only one genuine stinker ("My Lady Bug
Stay Away From That Beatle"), which is some kind of
novelty song. Kindly, the folks who compiled this
collection put it dead last for ease of avoidance.
"Back Street" is a textbook example of late 60s/early
70s social conscience songwriting, with a charging beat.
"Taos New Mexico" is pretty fluffy, but holy gosh, any
song with mariachi horns gets my full attention. This
song has about seven separate hooks, all duking it out
at various times. It's an almost laughable excess of pop
songwriting, and the lyrics are pretty OTT as well.
Another song where he's separated from his girl, but at
least he doesn't die in a hail of bullets at the end of
this one (he's already in jail).
It may not be classic Motown, but those folks were
obviously no slouches when it came to spotting
songwriting talent. What I'm wondering is: who out there
knows which Motown artists recorded R Dean's songs?
David
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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 15:48:18 -0500
From: Alan Zweig
Subject: serious discourse on hair
"Javed Jafri" wrote:
>Some notable exceptions to your rule. Even in 1966 both
>the Critters and Left Banke had hair which I would say
>was just as long as that of the Blues Magoos and by late
>1967 you'd have a hard time guessing that the Strawberry
>Alarmclock and Sunshine Company were not purverors of the
>greasy long haired muse favoured by Big Brother and The
>Holding Company.
It's just a theory but okay, I'll rise to the challenge.
:)
I'm looking at two Critters records. On "Younger Girl",
only one member, Chris, has actual long hair. And even
then, it's sort of "Chad and Jeremy" long hair. As
opposed to "Boston" or "Steppenwolf" long hair. One of
the guys actually has short hair. Of course, the cover
sort of looks like an early Love record, and they also
had short hair and weren't soft pop. But my hair rule is
not so much about finding soft pop as it is about
avoiding bad boogie rock.
I have three Sunshine Company records. The first thing
you have to say is that they have a girl in the band.
That's usually an indication that it's in the ballpark.
It means they care about vocals and harmonies. All the
boys have longish hair on the first record but it's
friendly long hair. And they seem happy and friendly. If
you look at "Sunshine and Shadows" and you only look at
the pictures of Merrell and Doug, it's true that either
of them could have joined Jethro Tull at the time. But
then you have to remember that they're called "The
Sunshine Company".
As far as Strawberry Alarm Clock goes, I don't know which
record cover you're referring to. On the two I have, they
all look pretty friendly and none of them have hair past
their shoulders.
But my appreciation of this music has a lot to do with a
time period that it evokes and thus hairstyles and
"fashion" are a big part of it. Hair length relates to
innocence. It's not a direct link but it's an indicator
sometimes. I think my favorite music of this period comes
>from bands who weren't sure who they were or what they
were doing. That's why I get really excited when they all
look like they come from different bands. Or when they
all have short hair except one member who looks like a
biker. Especially if he's the lead guitarist. Last week
they were the New Christy Minstrels but they got
themselves a hot guitar player and kaftans and now
they're "psychedelic".
(hey Javed, that email address looks like it's from
Toronto?)
AZ
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Message: 12
Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 17:44:55 EST
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Re: Hair
In a message dated 1/9/02, Andrew writes:
> > ...if the hair is long but the part is still on the
> > side and there isn't any facial hair that can
> > sometimes mean its soft not hard. But mustaches
> > signify hard.
>
> That's odd - my hair's right down my back and I have
> a large bushy beard. My taste in music must be
> harder than I thought ;)
You must be a rebel in which case you'll never ever
be any good ;-)
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Message: 13
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 09:24:09 -0800
From: "Ken Levine"
Subject: Jack Nitzsche - KHJ
Are Nitzsche fans aware of a whole instrumental jingle
package he created for 93/KHJ Los Angeles back in the
Boss Radio late 60's era. Ten or fifteen minute long
cuts employing the KHJ logo done in different arrangments.
They're quite remarkable.
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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 17:35:21 -0000
From: "John Lester"
Subject: Re: Riff pioneers..R Dean Taylor
David Parkinson wrote:
> I picked up the R Dean Taylor collection not long
> ago...There is only one genuine stinker ("My Lady Bug
> Stay Away From That Beatle"), which is some kind of
> novelty song. Kindly, the folks who compiled this
> collection put it dead last for ease of avoidance.
David,
Blame me for the last two tracks on that R Dean Taylor
compilation. I really liked Lady Bug.......and I tried
to get it on cos it was scheduled as a 45 release on VIP
with Dont Fool Around....I was really pleased to get it
through the powers that be too. Don't it remind you of
"When The Lovelight..." Oh well, I can't always get it
right, I suppose!
R Dean Taylor worked on quite a few Motown songs...."So
Long" on Marvin Gaye was one of my favourites...then
there was "I'll Turn to Stone..recorded by everyone and
his dog (although not issued) and then there was "Love
Child"
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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 21:06:28 -0000
From: Paul Richards
Subject: Re: ANYTHING FOR A SONG
Justin,
The song you're thinking of is 'Montage' written by the
one & only Jimmy Webb, I've got versions by 'Picardy'
which has a girl vocal so I doubt it's that one.It might
be Jefferson's version which is my favourite.I know there
are other versions, anyone know? You can get it on
CD, there's a Jefferson compilation recently released
which I must get, it's also on a compilation of Jimmy
songs called 'Up, up & away' & on one of the excellent
'Ripples' compilations on Sequel Records[all PYE
sunshine/folk stuff].
Cheers
Paul Richards
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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 14:08:34 -0600
From: "Robert Conway"
Subject: Re: ANYTHING FOR A SONG
Justin Mcdevitt wrote:
>In early August of 1968...I heard a song on one of the
>AM rock stations performed by a group whose harmonic
>style sounded much like the Lettermen.
Sounds like "Montage from How Sweet It Was." I saw the
flick--How Sweet It Was--in 1968 with my girlfriend. The
movie was weak but when we both heard the song we
immediately fell in love with the melody and the lyrics,
and suddenly the movie became--for that moment--a classic.
I believe I bought the LP on Imperial by Love Generation
that featured the song, "Montage from How Sweet It Is (I
Know That You Know)" but I might have opted for the
soundtrack...that was many miles ago.
The song, by the way, was written by Jimmy Webb. A few
years later I bought the post-Rockin' Berries LP on Janus
by Jefferson--a great version, perhaps definitive.
On a similar note: a bit later (1969) Mark Lindsay issued
another Jimmy Webb composition, "First Hymm from Grand
Terrace," that was very similar in feel to "Montage..."
It probably was written about the same time. The same
song also is available by Richard Harris as "The Hymms
>from the Grand Terrace"--a nine minute complete version
of the tune--on the Raven CD by Harris, "The Webb
Sessions 1968-1969.
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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 21:09:44 -0000
From: "Alex"
Subject: the groop
Hello sunshine people!
Has anyone information about The Groop?
I've got an spanish picture cover single with the amazing
"The Jet Song" & "A famous myth" on the B side.I believe
that Chris Ducey,who appears as the writer of "The Jet
Song" is in fact Jameson,who has an LP produced by Curt
Boettcher and was a friend of Maitreya Kali/Craig
Smith...Does anybody know the true story?
Thanks,
Alex
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Message: 18
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 20:57:53 -0800
From: Ted T
Subject: Angelica / La Musique
For those in the group who haven't checked out the French
charts recently, Barry and Cynthia are back at the very
top. The theme song of top-rated local TV show "Star
Academy" is "La Musique" (French version of Barry's
"Angelica" single) and it has gone straight to number one
in France (instant "double platinum" according to my
knowledgeable daughter). The concept of the show is to
have a bunch of young performers compete against each
other for a recording contract or something. On the
record, they all sing together and it sounds pretty awful.
Nothing to compare with Nicoletta's great, powerhouse
version of the song back around 1968 or so. Anyway, I'll
probably get the record, just for the pleasure of looking
at the songwriter credits .
Ted T.
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Message: 19
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 14:27:48 -0600
From: "Robert Conway"
Subject: Re: Riff pioneers..R Dean Taylor
John Lester wrote:
>>>Did Motown ever make a 45 that sucked...
>>what about anything by R. Dean Taylor?
>I, for one, take an opposite view.....Gotta See Jane,
>Lets Go Somewhere are examples of classic Motown.....
>
>Try saying what you said in the North of England when
>"There's A Ghost in My House" is spinning.
The sirens and police megaphone was just way too much
over the top for my taste. Sorry for my opine but IWM is
just too typical of the prefab pop being cranked outin
the early seventies. My all-time hate was "Seasons in
the Sun" which might have been sung by the folksinging
dude on the frat-house steps in Animal House. My
reaction exactly Mr. Blutarski.
Bob Conway
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Message: 20
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 15:21:44 -0800
From: "David Parkinson"
Subject: RE: Re: Riff pioneers..R Dean Taylor
John Lester wrote:
> David,
>
> Blame me for the last two tracks on that R Dean Taylor
> compilation. I really liked Lady Bug.......and I tried
> to get it on cos it was scheduled as a 45 release on VIP
> with Dont Fool Around....I was really pleased to get it
> through the powers that be too. Don't it remind you of
> "When The Lovelight..." Oh well, I can't always get it
> right, I suppose!
Ulp. I should know by now that EVERYONE is in this group,
and watch my mouth accordingly. Well, I'm not a big fan
of "Lady Bug", but my hat is off to you for putting this
collection together. As I said, I really bought it for
that one track, and I've been listening to it over and
over for a couple months now. I had no idea that his
songs were so good, having only heard "Indiana Wants Me"
(which I still think is one of the greatest AM radio
songs ever).
David
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Message: 21
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 14:33:19 -0600
From: "Robert Conway"
Subject: Re: Riff pioneers
OK, I finally got up from the 10-count I took for the R.
Dean Taylor. Here's another then: The Messengers on
Rare Earth...I must admit I bought the LP on the chance
that they might have been Michael and the Messengers and
also because I liked the rounded LP jacket.
Bob Conway
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Message: 22
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 15:34:40 -0800
From: "David Parkinson"
Subject: RE: Bubblegum Is The Naked Truth
I bought three of the dang things: one for me, one for
an old friend (the one who alerted me to the Varese
Sarabande bubblegum collection), and one for myself. If
anyone out there is unaware of Scram, you should try to
get your hands on it through your local newsstand, if
possible. Many of the articles in Bubblegum Is The
Naked Truth were originally published in Scram, and
every few months they put out another issue with odd
bits of information on various obscuro areas of -- as
they call it -- unpopular culture. It's a great mag,
written by real fans.
David
Kingsley Abbott wrote:
>
> I got the book "Bubblegum Is The Naked Truth" (Ferel
> House ISBN 0-922915-69-5) for Christmas, which I guess
> will be an essential purchase for many on this list, with
> chapters/sections on Ron Dante, Archies,K/K, Cowsills,
> Gary Zekely, Dino Desi & Billy, Turtles, Boyce & Hart,
> Jeff Barry, Gary Usher, Carol Conners, and much much more.
> A great dip-into book of 300+ pages.
Javed wrote:
> I recently got a copy of this book as well and have only
> skimmed it so far but it does look like e great read. It
> covers much more than what it commonly thought of as
> bubblegum music. There is a section on Sunshine Pop and
> other related genres. Plus some members of this very list
> are amongst the contributors to the book.
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Message: 23
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 15:02:36 EST
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Chi Lites and Temptations
> The poor Chi-Lites were particular victims, making
> records in the mold of whatever the Temptations were
> doing at the time.
So you're saying that late 6T's/ early 7T's Chi Lites the
Temps II? A legit comparison IMHO is that they were both
vocal groups in the doo wop tradition doing sweet soul
ballads, midtempo and dancers. The Temps featured more
often than not the rough hewn David Ruffin while the Chi
Lites with Eugene Record were more false tenor oriented.
Sure the Temps had Kendricks, but on maybe a third of the
songs was he the lead. In fact Kendricks and Ruffin had
both left the Temps by the time Chi Lites scored
significantly (although their salad days included monikers
such as The Presidents, The Hi Lites and Marshall and The
Chi Lites while the Temps were making major mid-6T's hitz).
Also when "Oh Girl", their signature song hit in '72, the
Temps were mainly a political Norman Whitfield outfit past
their prime. What quickly followed were a whole series of
obscure Temp releases throughout the 7T's. OK The Chi
Lites did the funky "Give More Power To The People" but
that was their only bow to the political winds. The very
closest they ever came was the overlapping similarities
between "Just My Imagination" and "Oh Girl". Then again if
Brunswick and Motown Records were indistinguishble you'd
be right...But they are very distinguishable at this
address...
JB/thanks for the space
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Message: 24
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 12:06:26 -0600
From: Justin McDevitt
Subject: LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE
Hello Mikey and John;
The Gene Pitney reference jogged my memory and I recalled
that that he had indeed, recorded this track. I'm not
surprised that other artists also recorded this track.
Justin
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Message: 25
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 23:43:25 -0000
From: "L.E.Pinto"
Subject: Re: Ronnie Spector
--- In spectropop, John Rausch wrote:
> Anyone catch Ronnie on Hollywood Squares ? Guess it
> finally aired today?
Yes, I saw the shows that have aired so far and Ronnie
looks as cute as always. I like her; she seems like a
neat lady.
Laura
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End
