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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 15 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: The TAMI Show
From: David Coyle
2. Re: It's Whats Happening Baby
From: Mikey
3. Re: Recent CD: Skeeter Davis
From: Phil Milstein
4. Re: Help Needed
From: Jerophonic
5. Re: Poni-Tails - Before We Say Goodnight
From: Tom Waters
6. Re: Van McCoy site
From: Simon White
7. Re: Shadows & Reflections
From: John Berg
8. Re: Recent CD: Ronnie Spector
From: David A. Young
9. Lost websites (Van McCoy etc.)
From: Kim Cooper
10. Rev-Ola and "soft-pop"
From: Chris Mondia
11. Re: Wings album
From: Frank
12. Re: Katch 22
From: Lor
13. Wings
From: Peter Richmond
14. Re: Wings
From: Paul Underwood
15. Re: The T.A.M.I. show
From: John Rausch
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 16:58:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Coyle
Subject: Re: The TAMI Show
> ...they might have wiped it because they said "the
> Rolling Stones from Liverpool"
"Gerry and the Pacemakers from Liverpool" wouldn't
have fit the melody as well...
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 21:18:17 -0400
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: It's Whats Happening Baby
Deena Canale wrote:
> The show included a bunch of lip-synched "videos" shot on location
> a la "Where the Action Is"...in addition to the aforementioned, I
> recall Jan & Dean on a beach, a whole mess of Motown artists in
> Detroit, and the Ronettes doing "Be My Baby" on a residential NYC
> street with kids playing stickball around them.
In "It's What's Happening Baby", Gary Lewis and his Playboys
lip-sync "Count Me In".
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 21:46:11 -0400
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Re: Recent CD: Skeeter Davis
Mark Frumento wrote:
> Also worthy of mention (I think) is the new Skeeter Davis comp
> on Taragon call "Pop Hits". Great idea to compile all of Skeeter's
> pop material. This is one that seems a long time in coming. Many
> many stand out tracks too.
Any chance we could get you to run down the tracks for us?
--Phil M.
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 03:49:53 -0000
From: Jerophonic
Subject: Re: Help Needed
Mike Dugo wrote:
> I'm doing some research and need help, please, identifying
> the authors of the following songs.....
> Hitchhike (often covered)
> Have Mercy (often covered)
Since you mention "Hitchhike", I'll assume you mean "Mercy Mercy",
also covered by the Stones on "Out of Our Heads". "Mercy Mercy"
was written in part by Don Covay, a great soul singer/songwriter
who would go on to write "Chain of Fools", "See-Saw", "Sookie
Sookie" and many other songs made into hits by the likes of Aretha,
Solomon Burke, Chubby Checker, Steppenwolf and J. Geils Band.
"Mercy Mercy" is always credited to "Covay-Miller"; if I had my
copy of his "See-Saw" LP (great cheesy cover) at hand, I might be
able to provide more info on Miller, such as a first name.
Hope this helps.
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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 05:14:18 -0000
From: Tom Waters
Subject: Re: Poni-Tails - Before We Say Goodnight
Don wrote:
> I came across a recording of The Poni-Tails' "Before We Say
> Goodnight" and I am trying to figure out who wrote the song.
> I know a song by that name was written by Carole King and Art
> Kaplan, but I can't figure out if this is the same song.
> Anybody out there have any info on this one? I think Tom
> Waters was our resident expert on the Poni-Tails.
Well, Don, I must say you have a good memory there! However,
I'm afraid that I can't be of much help on the writing credits.
The copy of the recording I have is from one of the Jukebox Hits
CD series (1960, either volume 2 or 3) and there are no writing
credits listed for any of the songs on the album. I've loved
that song for a long time, but I have no idea who wrote it.
Sorry.
Tom
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 07:10:15 +0100
From: Simon White
Subject: Re: Van McCoy site
Patrick Rands wrote -
> Speaking of Van McCoy, anyone know what happened to his website?
> http://www.vanmccoymusic.com/
> It now links to an Astronaut and Space Memorabilia webpage!
Seems to be working OK from the UK , Patrick !
Simon
--
How can I appear to help you ?
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Message: 7
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 11:06:34 EDT
From: John Berg
Subject: Re: Shadows & Reflections
Two questions concerning the song "Shadows & Reflections",
which I first heard via the version by The Action:
1. Has anybody out there in Spectropop land compiled all known
recordings of this song on a CD (and if so would they be willing
to dub a copy for me?)???
2. While visiting the UK recently I spent a day with a couple
who are working on the definitive book telling the story of The
Action, along with a philosophical take on the mod scene. They
played for me a demo [unreleased take] of "Shadows & Reflections
by some other UK artist -- they didn't know the name of the artist,
only that the version they played for me was not either of the
two earlier American recordings of the song.
Does anybody have a clue about what UK artist might have done
this "demo" recording?
John Berg
PS - The couple also played for me 8 songs The Action recorded
live in the studio for the BBC -- 4 by the original five member
band, 04 more by the "Rolled Gold" era band as they moved towards
"psychedelia" (the latter 4 songs are "Love Is All," "I See You"
[Byrds number from "5th Dimension" album], "India" and "Shadows
& Reflections".) These BBC tracks are apparently slated for vinyl
release -- not sure what label or when. The couple also played
for me a previously unknown song by The Action that the band
recorded on May 31, 1966 as an audition for Decca, produced by
Mike Vernon. This song will be released as a "bonus" disc
accompanying the book on The Action (look for it in late 2004.)
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 15:50:03 -0000
From: David A. Young
Subject: Re: Recent CD: Ronnie Spector
Mark Frumento asked for input about Ronnie's CD EP "Something's
Gonna Happen," available through her website at
http://www.ronniespector.com ("Recent" is relative; these '80s
recordings were released on CD for the first time a couple of
years ago.) I'm not exactly in a position to offer an unbiased
critique given my longtime devotion to her, but I thought I'd
share a third-party perspective.
I saw my doctor, a fellow record collector/Phil and Ronnie fan,
last week for routine maintenance. I asked him if he had this EP,
and he said that after buying his own, he's returned time and time
again to purchase additional copies as gifts for others, who, he
says, invariably wind up "converts." He identifies as a Marshall
Crenshaw fan himself, but says that her versions blow his away,
saying something like, "Crenshaw's a wonderful songwriter, but it
takes a great artist like Ronnie to really put his songs over."
He even went so far as to declare the disc his favorite Ronnie
Spector collection, including Ronettes material!
I'm not very Crenshaw-aware myself, but I heard his version of the
title track for the first time the other day on the radio and must
say that I agree with Dr. Shalit; hers seems much more urgent and
passionate, capturing the exhilarating exuberance of the lyric
perfectly. In any case, I'd have a hard time imagining anyone not
finding this material superior to her roughly contemporary
"Unfinished Business" album.
David
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Message: 9
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 09:05:39 -0700
From: Kim Cooper
Subject: Lost websites (Van McCoy etc.)
One of the best resources on the web is http://www.archive.org
a site that has been spidering and archiving pages for the last
few years. Just plug in the URL you're interested in and see what
old versions turn up.
The Van McCoy site reveals screen grabs going back to December '98.
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.vanmccoymusic.com
have fun,
Kim
--
Scram
PO Box 461626
Hollywood, CA 90046-1626
http://www.scrammagazine.com
Scram #18 out now with Emitt Rhodes, the Ramones, Marty Thau, Smoosh
and more.
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Message: 10
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 16:11:41 -0000
From: Chris Mondia
Subject: Rev-Ola and "soft-pop"
Just wondering if anyone here has noticed Rev-Ola's gross
misuse of the term "soft-pop". In all the promotional material
for almost each new release, they pepper this term liberally
throughout. Now, let me be the first to say that I truly love
the work that Mr. Foster and Rev-Ola have done in getting
material released and remastered that would have otherwise
stayed in the vaults. But this is really getting out of hand.
The Tokens are referred to as the "grandaddies of soft-pop."
Why? Just because they had multiple harmonies? They even tout
the Blades Of Grass album as a pure soft pop experience when
all you really get is a great version of "Happy" (a softpop
classic to be sure) and a bunch of other 60s psych songs. A
great album but this sure isn't Roger Nichols! I'm wondering
if they do this so that people typing the term "softpop" into
search engines are directed to their releases. I was just
reading a write-up of the new October Country release coming out
next month and, once again, softpop is quoted multiple times.
Now, I have the October Country album and it's one of my
favorites. But it's not softpop. It's just really good,
harmonic pysch.
Am I wrong? To me, pure softpop is Roger Nichols, the Free
Design, the Match, Four King Cousins, The Collage etc. It means
being more influenced by Pet Sounds and Bacharach than by Sgt.
Pepper.
Just had to get that off of my chest. I still love Rev-Ola and
will buy almost anything they release. How about putting that
Match LP out Mr. Foster? Then you can feel free to describe it
as softpop.
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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 20:19:05 +0200
From: Frank
Subject: Re: Wings album
Simon White wrote:
> This maybe up a Spectropopper's street - does anyone have
> a copy of the Paul Williams/Michel Colombier album "Wings"?
I know I have it somewhere... Gotta look for it...
Frank
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Message: 12
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 18:24:04 -0000
From: Lor
Subject: Re: Katch 22
Albin Lindstrom wrote:
> I found an album some time ago that i have been wondering
> about ever since. The band is called (It's) Katch 22 and it's
> their record "It's soft rock & allsorts". First i thought it
> was some new band but I later realised that the album was
> from 1968. Does the term "Soft Rock" come from this album?
I actually saw this band in 1968 in a dancehall in Sandown, Isle
of Wight. I remember them as being excellent entertainment with a
very extrovert drummer who did some great traffic noises as they
played "Summer in the City" - the things that stick in your mind!
I also have the album which was released on Saga Records which I
think was a budget label. I bought mine at a closing down sale of
a small newsagent in 1969 and thinking about the term "Soft Rock"
it seemed a fairly new expression.
I don't know if anyone in the band went on to more famous things as
there is not a lot of information available.
Cheers,
Lor
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Message: 13
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 19:33:53 +0100
From: Peter Richmond
Subject: Wings
Simon White asks;
> This maybe up a Spectropoppers street - does anyone have
> a copy of the Paul Williams/Michel Colombier album 'Wings"?
Yes, I have a copy of this rock cantata "Wings" by Michel
Colombier. Bill Medley is a featured soloist on two tracks,
"Morning" and "Freedom & Fear".
Peter
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 21:14:30 +0200
From: Paul Underwood
Subject: Re: Wings
Simon White wrote:
> This maybe up a Spectropopper's street - does anyone have
> a copy of the Paul Williams/Michel Colombier album 'Wings"?
I did wonder if this would ever come up on Spectropop. The album,
which features Bill Medley, Lani Hall, Herb Alpert and others, was
reissued on CD in 2002 and is available from the French branch of
Amazon (http://www.amazon.fr). I haven't heard the reissue, but
maybe I'll replace my CDR transfer from vinyl now that I know it's
available.
Just as good is the album Bill Medley made with Colombier around the
same time, which features superb versions of "Lovin' Feelin'" and
"Hung On You" (great songs!).
Paul
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Message: 15
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2003 14:58:48 -0500
From: John Rausch
Subject: Re: The T.A.M.I. show
All this talk of the TNT & TAMI shows.
If anyone is interested, I have a radio promo 45 from
International Pictures, with 3 different radio spots for
advertising the show. I can upload them if anyone has
interest in hearing them.
John Rausch
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