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Hitsville, U.S.A.
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There are 17 messages in this issue of Spectropop.
Topics in this Digest Number 348:
1. Re: Marvelettes Millennium
From: "John Lester"
2. Re: early Motown CDs
From: "Joseph Scott"
3. Re: early Motown CDs
From: "Mike Arcidiacono"
4. PIXIES THREE COMPILATION
From: Simon White
5. Pixies Three?
From: James Botticelli
6. Pixies Three
From: Doc Rock
7. Re: PIXIES THREE COMPILATION
From: Greg Fasolt
8. Re: Bubblegum Music Is The Naked Truth
From: "Laura E.Pinto"
9. Re: ALMA COGAN MEETS ANDREW LOOG OLDHAM
From: Keith Moore
10. Jerry Yester
From: "Harvey Williams"
11. Re: Darlene or Edna?
From: "Frank"
12. Mistaken Identity!
From: Joe Foster
13. Various
From: "Paul Payton"
14. Proud Mary Female
From: "Tony Leong "
15. San Francisco Earthquake(s)
From: "Spectropop Administration"
16. Pixies Three
From: "Justin McDevitt"
17. Juan Garcia Esquivel
From: "Spectropop Administration"
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 09:34:11 -0000
From: "John Lester"
Subject: Re: Marvelettes Millennium
This is for Ian Chapman and anyone else who loves the
Marvelettes....
I did a Marvelettes Millennium and even though the guys
on this list might otherwise overlook this, I want to
tell you some things about it.
I helped choose the pictures which is why there are
British ones in it and even one of the girls in
Amsterdam...so the pictures are good but as we know...
ITS WHAT'S IN THE GROOVES THAT COUNT
Please Mr Postman...Harry went back to the original
master tape....and my gawd, it was awesome, honest it was.
Mick - you would have had kittens, honest you would.
Gladys Horton is on one channel and everyone else is on
the other. The piano and drums (reputedly Marvin Gaye)
are going ten to a dozen, the girls are chanting away in
typical girl group fashion...it's a sound I shall never
forget in my life. Incredible. But sorry, I digress...
Harry got the stereo version AND the mono version and
tweaked about with them. You will need to buy the CD to
find out what he's done. (tee hee)
I wanted to put on the UK version of "Don't Mess With
Bill" but all the tapes I pulled out didn't have that
version and also they all had that distorted bass. To
get rid of that, you would have to go back to the
original multi-track and redo it. If you did that you
would lose the originality of the song. So it was
cleaned up by Engineer Suha as best he could.
I ensured the stereo version of "I'll Keep Holding On"
was included (Mick and others will know how much I wanted
that from years ago - so it's nice and clear instead of
that ropey vinyl version we had to put up with for near
on 30 years). Locking Up My Heart is in stereo (although
you could get that in stereo before). The Hunter Gets
Captured by The Game is the LONG version.....and When
You're Young and In Love is the yellow Anthology version
- you know the one that starts off ...Young and in
Love.......and ends with "Feel so good"
What was interesting about "When You're Young and In
Love" was that there were two versions on the same
production master tape and what ever was the 45 version
(this is where the DM references come in handy and these
are on the 45's - you know the thing that says something
like 193M04) , I chose the other one to discover it was
the Anthology version.
Magician is the "Collection of 16 Original Big Hits"
version....nothing too odd about that but I wasn't taking
any chances, I just put it on and made sure it sounded ok.
Suha was a great guy to work with and quite amusing too.
What is interesting is that all the engineers I know are
"would be musicians" I think both Suha and Kevin Reeves
are both experienced drummers of some repute...and that
helps when the guys have more than just a engineer's eye
for reproducing this work.
So Ian...do go out and buy this CD, Harry chose the
tracks and I put on those versions strictly for the likes
of you!!!
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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 11:03:29 -0700
From: "Joseph Scott"
Subject: Re: early Motown CDs
Al Q. mentioned Harry Weinger's research ability.
Personally, if I were dealing with a situation in which
there were "many many unmarked boxes" of tapes, and I
planned to try to put personnel credits on CDs, Allan "Dr.
Licks" Slutsky is not someone I would rely on, directly
or indirectly, in trying to determine who really played
what on what during '60s Motown sessions (none of which
Slutsky attended). Better to omit personnel credits on a
CD than credit the wrong musicians.
Joseph Scott
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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 11:10:42 -0500
From: "Mike Arcidiacono"
Subject: Re: early Motown CDs
"Al Quaglieri" wrote:
> A lingering question from my brief Motown tenure: it was
> common knowledge at the company that in the old days,
> they used to send actual mixdown masters (NOT production
> copies) directly to RCA Indianapolis for pressing.
Al, Bob Dennis was Motown's in house mastering engineer
>from 1963 to 1967.
Bob would cut master disks for plating right there in
Motown's building, next door to the studio. So, I'm not
sure why Motown would be sending any master tapes to the
pressing plants. Any ideas?
PS......Any luck on a Steve Lawrence "The Columbia Years"
comp?
Mikey
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Message: 4
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 09:30:30 +0000
From: Simon White
Subject: PIXIES THREE COMPILATION
Justin McDevitt wrote:
> Is there a Pixies Three CD compilation that is still in
> print (I would assume as a Japanese import)?
>
> I am putting together a Girl Group CD to include the
> track Cold Cold Winter.
>
> I would appreciate any assistance.
Paul, over to you for this one I think.....
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Message: 5
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 10:43:08 EST
From: James Botticelli
Subject: Pixies Three?
In a message dated 1/13/02 Justin writes:
> I am putting together a Girl Group CD to include the
> track Cold Cold Winter.
Is it by The Pixies? Pixies Three? I cant quite remember,
but I think I have it..JB
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Message: 6
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 10:18:57 -0500
From: Doc Rock
Subject: Pixies Three
The Pixies new CD, "Our History," has every recording
they ever made, including unreleased takes, demos, and
their final, unreleased Cameo single.
Doc
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Message: 7
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 08:50:33 -0500
From: Greg Fasolt
Subject: Re: PIXIES THREE COMPILATION
Justin,
Try the Pixie web site.
http://members.home.net/thepixies3/merch.htm
or try
http://members.home.net/thepixies3/vintagepr.htm
Greg
Justin McDevitt wrote:
> Is there a Pixies Three CD compilation [with] Cold Cold Winter.
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Message: 8
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 23:14:29 -0000
From: "Laura E.Pinto"
Subject: Re: Bubblegum Music Is The Naked Truth
--- In Spectropop, Kim Cooper wrote:
> Scram can be found at some newsstands and chainstores, or
> you can order directly from us. For details see
> http://www.scrammagazine.com.
>
> In further bubblegum news, Southland Spectropoppers may
> want to leave March 23 open on their calendars. We're
> throwing a second Bubblegum Ball, to feature Ron Dante
> from the Archies backed up by the sparkle*jets UK....
Kim,
Thanks so much for the info on the Bubblegum Ball, which
couldn't have come at a better time. Just this past week,
I was asked by a woman who lives in the LA area if I had
any info on it so that she could go see Ron Dante perform.
Thanks to you, I just responded to her email and included
the address of the venue and the link to your site. I'll
also be adding this info on the Tour Schedule page of my
Ron Dante fan site.
I've really been enjoying "Bubblegum Music is the Naked
Truth." I devoured it (especially the sections on Ron)
>from cover to cover, and you and David Smay did a
terrific job. My best wishes to you both for the book's
success.
Laura
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Message: 9
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 00:36:25 -0000
From: Keith Moore
Subject: Re: ALMA COGAN MEETS ANDREW LOOG OLDHAM
I've also just bought the new Alma Cogan box set. The
Andrew Loog Oldham tracks are well worth having -
especially Love Is A Word. So too - if you like
standards - are the LPs which make up most of discs 1
and 2. I was disappointed that the English version of
Tell Him wasn't included - has this ever appeared on cd?
Maybe something worth putting out on one of your
compilations Mick!
--- In Spectropop, Mick Patrick wrote:
> A year or so before her death, ALMA COGAN recorded some
> tracks with producer Andrew Loog Oldham. Her record
> company EMI didn't like them and nixed their release.
> After a thirty-six year wait the fruits of that unlikely
> liaison are available for all to hear on the new "The
> Girl With A Laugh In Her Voice" box set.
>
> A four disc package might seem like an extravagance but
> it's available for £22 in the HMV Shop sale. That's
> about one third off the full price. What do you get for
> your money? 100 tracks including 10 previously unissued
> and a great 64 page booklet containing a discography and
> loads of great pictures. Is it worth it? Absolutely YES,
> although I must admit that it's unlikely that I will
> ever play the pre-Beat tracks which take up over half of
> the four CDs.
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Message: 10
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 23:51:59 -0000
From: "Harvey Williams"
Subject: Jerry Yester
Regarding Jerry Yester's "I Can Live Without You", Paul
Payton asked:
> Never heard of that version, Harvey. Where can it be
> found, please? (And by the way, it's Payton with an A. No
> offense taken!)
Sorry! It's on a Big Beat comp LP called "Penny Arcade:
Dunhill Folk Rock vol 2", which was released back in 1988,
so it's probably easier to find a copy of the original 45
in the US. His other solo single, "The Sound Of Summer
Showers", is equally perfect too, as are each of the
b-sides. Incidentally, Jerry composed "I Can Live Without
You", so if it is the same song as the Micky Jones 45,
presumably he's given the writing credit...?
harveyw
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Message: 11
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 12:22:38 +0100
From: "Frank"
Subject: Re: Darlene or Edna?
John Lester" wrote:
> I still think that
> Hair suite is wonderful....(sorry Mick!!!)....
This suite will forever remain a masterpiece of
pandemonium sound.
Frank
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Message: 12
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 16:02:33 +0000
From: Joe Foster
Subject: Mistaken Identity!
Re: the recent posts concerning Sean O'Hagan, and the
ones concerning the Pogues....Sean the writer, and Sean
the High Llama are two different people...really and
truly they are, I've known both men since the early '80's,
they don't even look alike!....a good opportunity however,
to plug Sean the High Llama who I rate very highly
indeed....his earlier adventures as Microdisney with
Cathal Coughlan are well worth checking out too.
As for the Pogues stuff....there seems to be a bit of
confusion... "Rock On", originally a stall in Soho Market
and THE place to score old records of all types, and
later a shop in Camden Town with no dimunition in
quality....also the home of Chiswick/Ace/Big Beat
Records. Phil Chevron, of The Radiators From Space and
later the Pogues indeed worked there. The operation was
run by Ted Carrol and Roger Armstrong, who had both been
involved in the Rock/R'n'B scene in Ireland (and now
operate their labels very successfully). Ted was a bit
white-haired though actually not that old! In contrast,
"Rocks Off" was a shop in Hanway St. owned by former
"Rock On" staffer Stan Brennan. Also Irish, though not at
all elderly as I remember him, he was the guy who put out
the early Nips records featuring Shane MacGowan, and
Shane worked there occasionally...and had very wide
tastes in music...not by any means a definitive history,
but a bit closer. I don't want to get into another shop
offshoot, "Sea Of Tunes", opened by another "Rock On"
staffer, the Beach Boys obsessed Barry (I don't remember
his last name)...it's no longer there, but it was a cool
shop...let's leave it there before I write a history of
London record shops, which others are more qualified to
do...
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Message: 13
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 14:28:54 -0500
From: "Paul Payton"
Subject: Various
Old business: I mentioned The New Chatauquans, "It's
Raining, It's Pouring" a while back. Its a 45 on Academy
#110 from New York, 1965, with a beautiful choral-folk
sound a la New Christy's and Serendipity Singers.
Produced by "Ed. E. Williams" (who?) and co-written by
Ersel Hickey, who did the original "Bluebirds Over The
Mountain" (Epic, 1958), later covered by the Beach Boys.
(By the way, "Bluebirds" at 1:20 was to my knowledge the
second-shortest song to make the Billboard charts; the
shortest was "Little Boxes" by the Womenfolk in the early
60's - 01 :01!)
>From Michael Greenberg:
> Jake and the Family Jewels ... Allan "Jake" Jacobs is
> one of my all time favorite musicians. He was a member
> of the Magicians with Garry Bonner (recently discussed
> on the list) and Alan Gordon, played for awhile with
> the Fugs and then went on to some wonderful recordings
> under his own name....They also later did a single of
> "Maybe" and "City Kids" (a Jake composition) on NRBQ's
> Red Rooster label.
"Maybe" is a wonderful reggae version, unlike any you've
probably heard. Well worth finding. And the history pages
you cited - one on Jake:
and one on
Peter:
- are fascinating. (Jake really looks much older, but
Peter Gallway kinda "grew into his face.") Thanks for the
reminder about some great music!
Joseph Vine: Thank you, too! The Tammy's link and the
whole Lou Christie "complex" it leads to is amazing! Some
great stuff I forgot about - like the wonderful ballad
"Make Summer Last Forever" (Lou Christie on Colpix, '64)
- and the reference to Stea-Phillips Studios, where so
many NYC hits were cut. Coincidentally, I work with Lenny
Stea periodically (he has a small studio in CT) but he
doesn't talk about that era very much these days. However,
I've let him know this group exists, and we'll see if
he's interested.
By the way, go back one step from above and the site
www.geocities.com/antlion7 has links to The Egyptian
Combo, Bonniwell Music Machine, Terry Stafford and more -
although some "weren't available temporarily" last I
checked.
A Motown note: anyone remember the Darnells' "Too Hurt To
Cry and Too Much In Love To Say Goodbye" (on Gordy)? Nice
smooth stuff as I remember (c. 1963).
Robert Conway, thanks for mentioning Christy McWilson.
She has a nice version of "Till I Die" on "The Lucky One,"
but as Jan & Dean sang, "The original's still the
greatest."
Country Paul
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Message: 14
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 05:13:34 -0000
From: "Tony Leong "
Subject: Proud Mary Female
Hey group: I have not heard the Checkmates "Proud Mary"
in a long while (I only have it on vinyl, and I haven't
played vinyl in ages). However, I used to think that the
female vocalist was Tina Turner. When was that recorded??
1967 or 8. I don't believe Darlene OR Edna had any
affiliation with Phil at that point. Is Tina even an
option for that record?? Sorry to throw another quandry
into the mix.....
Oh, here's another--on the Philles Tina Turner records I
often wonder WHO is on the background vocals. On some
tracks like "Save The Last Dance", "Ill never Need More
Than This...." "Hold On Baby", the background vocalists
sound kind of like Ronettes/Ellie. I wonder-- does
anyone else think so??????
Tony Leong
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Message: 15
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 14:14:00 +0900
From: "Spectropop Administration"
Subject: San Francisco Earthquake(s)
Posted to Spectropop Bulletin Board by Bob Rashkow
on Sun, 13 Jan 2002
Hi out there,
On the American Psychedelic artists link
Ms. Rebeschini only has one 45 listed for The San
Francisco Earthquake on Smash--is this only for released
recordings? Kenny Young & this group really are far out
and I have in my possession 2 SMASH 45s from approx. '68,
"Sophia" b/w "Hold The Night", and a really tremendous
recording which also utilizes a "Lennoesque sitar" etc.
to create that mystical sound but also has wonderful
bubblegummy lyric, "March Of The Jingle-Jangle People"
b/w "Bring Me Back A Little Water" which is decidedly
more in the folk-rock vein. Needless to say these are
both DJ copies. I understand they put out a couple more
of these 45s as well. Does anybody out there know any
more about this obscure but talented band?
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Message: 16
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 00:06:30 -0600
From: "Justin McDevitt"
Subject: Pixies Three
Hello group members,
First of all, thanks for the responses to my Pixies Three
question.
Secondly, earlier today I was listening to one of the
Cd's included in the four-vol Rock Artifacts collection.
Some great tracks on all of the Cd's, though I prefer
Vols 3 and 4, one of which includes The Crying Shames
1966 recording, "FIRST SAW HER IN A MAGAZINE, (referred
to in Chicago from whence they hail as "The Shames".
There is also a great track by the Tremelos, EVEN THE BAD
TIMES ARE GOOD. Hearing this again got me to wondering
what has become of this group. Are any of its members
still involved in the music business in the UK?
Finally, are there any Moody Blues fans out there,
particularly their earlier work, (On The Threshhold Of A
Dream, In Search Of A Lost Chord etc.) Email me privately
and we can share reminiscences about The Moodies.
Yours in peace,
Justin
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Message: 17
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 13:05:57 +0900
From: "Spectropop Administration"
Subject: Juan Garcia Esquivel
Composer/band leader/pianist Juan Garcia Esquivel died
Jan. 3 died at the age of 83 in Jiutepec, Mexico,
following a stroke. A spinal injury and broken hip
confined him to a wheelchair for the last several years
of his life, but he was still healthy enough in May 2001
at the age of 82 to marry his 25-year-old home health
care worker, Carina Osario. Several months later, he had
a stroke that caused paralysis and left him unable to
speak. A second stroke on December 30 led to his death.
Esquivel, as he was known professionally, first made a
name for himself in the 1930s as the bandleader for a
Mexico City radio station orchestra. He studied at the
prestigious Juilliard School in New York. RCA Victor
signed him to a recording contract in the U. S., where
he worked mostly in New York, Hollywood and Las Vegas.
At the time, stereo was a new medium, and Esquivel fully
explored its sonic possibilites, integrating
left-to-right panning and separation into popular
melodies.
In the 1950s and 1960s Esquivel wrote and released many
studio albums of highly arranged instrumental pop music
peppered with quirky sound effects, other-worldly noises,
airstreamed "zu-zu" background vocals and highly
innovative instrumentation.
In an Internet biography, Irwin Chusid writes: "Esquivel
scored his sets for the ballrooms of Venus. Scattered
amid the piano and trombone were whip-smart slide guitar,
dense echo and post-bebop rhythmic ricochet, a dose of
dissonance, unearthly percussion, and weird
juxtapositions of mood and volume."
The following discography is from the essential Space Age
Pop web site:
http://www.spaceagepop.com/esquivel.htm
Las tandas de Esquivel, RCA Victor (Mexico)MKL 2001
Actual!, RCA Victor (Mexico)MKL-1710
To Love Again, RCA Victor LPM-1345
Other Worlds, Other Sounds, RCA Victor LSP-1753
Four Corners of the World, RCA Victor LSP-1749
Exploring New Sounds in Hi-Fi, RCA Victor LPM-1978 ("In Stereo" on LSP-1978
)
Strings Aflame, RCA Victor LSP-1988
(with the Ames Brothers) Hello Amigos, RCA Victor LSP-2100
Infinity in Sound, RCA Victor LSP-2225
Infinity in Sound, Vol. 2, RCA Victor LSP-2296
Latin-esque, RCA Victor LSA-2418
as Living Strings, In A Mellow Mood, RCA Camden CAL/CAS-709
More of Other Worlds and Other Sounds, Reprise RS-6046
The Best of Esquivel, RCA Victor LSP-3502
The Genius of Esquivel, RCA Victor LSP-3697
--------------------------------------------
Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, Bar/None CD
Cabaret Manana, RCA/BMG CD
Music from a Sparkling Planet, Bar/None CD
Exploring New Sounds in Stereo/Strings Aflame, Bar/None CD
Other Worlds, Other Sounds/Four Corners of the World, Bar/None CD
Infinity in Sound, Vols. 1 & 2, Bar/None CD
Merry Xmas From The Space-Age Bachelor Pad
See It in Sound!, BMG/Buddah CD
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