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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 9 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. RIP Thurl Ravenscroft
From: Stephane Rebeschini
2. Re: This Week's Finds
From: Bob Rashkow
3. Re: "Crystal Clear" -- NOT
From: John Hesterman
4. Re: JDS' "Sunshine Of Your Love"
From: Mark Maldwyn
5. Thanks to all for Smokey info
From: Max Weiner
6. Re: The Teardrops
From: Simon White
7. Re: "I Don't Blame You At All"
From: David Feldman
8. Re: "Living Without Love"
From: Al Pavlow
9. Busy Doin' Somethin' Else - Beach Boys fan convention information!
From: Susan Lang
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Message: 1
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 22:06:19 +0200
From: Stephane Rebeschini
Subject: RIP Thurl Ravenscroft
Thurl Ravenscroft dies at 91
'Disneyland wouldn't have been, and wouldn't be, the same without him'
from the Orange Country Register
Thurl Ravenscroft of Fullerton, whose voice was known worldwide
through his work in movies, TV and at Disneyland, died Sunday from
prostate cancer. He was 91.
Tony the Tiger? That was Ravenscroft.
The Pageant of the Masters narrator? Ravenscroft again.
Disneyland? Too many voices to mention, but Pirates of the Caribbean,
the Haunted Mansion and the Enchanted Tiki Room were all graced by
Ravenscroft's pliable, unique voice.
Movies? How about "Cinderella," "Dumbo" and "Lady and the Tramp"?
"Disneyland wouldn't have been, and wouldn't be, the same without
him," said former park President Jack Lindquist. "It's all part of the
experience. You can't go home with a ride, but you can go home with
a memory, and part of that is the audio -- the sound part of it. His
voice was one of the things that made it all come alive."
Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft was born Feb. 6, 1914, in Norfolk, Nebraska.
He moved to California in 1933 to study interior design at the Otis
College of Art and Design. While in school he was encouraged to go
into show business and auditioned at Paramount studios to be
a singer.
By the mid-1930s he was appearing regularly on radio, first on a
program titled "Goose Creek Parson." In the late 1930s he appeared
on the "The Kraft Music Hall" with Bing Crosby, singing backup in
a group called the Paul Taylor Choristers. That group eventually
became the Sportsmen Quartette.
After military service during World War II, he returned to Hollywood,
later becoming involved in the Mellomen singing group, and began
a career in radio, movies, television and commercials. The group
could sing anything from rock 'n' roll to bebop to barbershop, and
it performed with a list of stars including Danny Kaye, Rosemary
Clooney, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.
In 1952, Ravenscroft achieved a measure of immortality, thanks
to a TV commercial.
"I'm the only man in the world that has made a career with one
word: Grrrrreeeeat!," Ravenscroft roared in a 1996 interview with
the Register. "When Kellogg's brought up the idea of the tiger, they
sent me a caricature of Tony to see if I could create something for
them. After messing around for some time I came up with the 'Great!'
roar, and that's how it's been since then."
Ravenscroft's involvement with Disneyland goes back to opening
day in 1955, when he was the announcer for many of the ceremonies
and events. His voice has been heard on numerous Disneyland
attractions and rides, including Adventure Through Inner Space
(1967-1986). He was the original narrator on Submarine Voyage.
In 1966, Dr. Seuss and Chuck Jones teamed up to do "How the Grinch
Stole Christmas" for CBS. Ravenscroft recalled the Grinch fondly,
saying, "That was my chance to prove I could really sing." The success
of the Grinch led to other projects with Dr. Seuss, including "Horton
Hears a Who" and "The Cat in the Hat."
His singing career continued into the 1970s. As a member of the
Johnny Mann Singers, he sang on 28 albums, appeared on television
for three seasons and performed for President Nixon and Leonid
Brezhnev at the White House.
One of Ravenscroft's biggest local claims to fame undeniably was
his narration of Laguna Beach's Pageant of the Masters, a job that
began in 1973 and lasted for two decades. He told the Register
upon his retirement that it was his favorite gig of all time.
"I've learned more about art doing the Pageant than I ever did in
art school," he said.
Pageant scriptwriter Dan Duling remembered working with Ravenscroft
as "a wonderful collaboration.
"He was a gentleman who was beloved, and is still beloved, at the
pageant," Duling said. "He was considered the grandpa of the
pageant. Everyone backstage adored him."
Ravenscroft possessed, said Duling, "one of the great basso voices,
so distinctive. For me, it was like writing music for an instrument
that has a few tones that are absolutely unmistakable. It was so
distinctive that you had to play to its strengths. He could bring
a kind of deep, resonant reverence to something that deserved
proper respect. Also, in his folksy manner, he could be the grandpa
that everybody loved," Duling said.
Another fan with memories is Werner Weiss, webmaster of www.
yesterland.com, a popular Internet site that highlights popular
Disneyland attractions, including many that no longer exist.
"(Ravenscroft) is one of the busts in the Haunted Mansion," Weiss
said. "He's uncredited, as so many cast members at the park are,
but it's his face, and voice. It's unusual. You actually SEE him in
that attraction, a man whose voice you're heard a thousand times."
June, Ravenscroft's wife of 53 years, died in 1999 at age 80. He
is survived by two children, Ron and Nancy, and four grandchildren.
Services are pending.
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 11:37:19 EDT
From: Bob Rashkow
Subject: Re: This Week's Finds
Jimmy Botticelli wrote:
> Musicor: Teardrops -- Tears Come Tumbling / You Won't Be There
> Can you go wrong with a Musicor 45? Not in my lifetime! Anyway
> this is great girl-group pop from a group I hadn't heard of.
Jimmy Bee, congratulations, and welcome to the wonderful sound of The Teardrops
and Paul Trefzger, from Cincinnati, Ohio! It is hard to decide which side is
better, isn't it?
> Kama Sutra: The Innocence -- The Day Turns Me On / It's Not Gonna
> Take Too Long
> Gotta thank Richard Havers for turning me onto this gem a couple
> of years back. Rumored to also be The Tradewinds, I really like
> all of this group's output ... and this one is soft pop extraordinaire!
> MGM: Lou Christie -- If My Car Could Only Talk / Song Of Lita
> Produced and arranged by Jack Nitzsche. While the guy at the
> counter was cashing me out I asked him if his cash register
> could talk, what IT would say!
The Innocence and the Lou Christie 45 are also good finds.
One of my recent finds is Sandi & The Accents' "I've Got Better Things To Do" (I
think I have a copy on Challenge, although the original was on the Charter label).
This is a fabulous folk-pop tune written by Sloan and Barri.
Bobster
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 17:06:59 -0000
From: John Hesterman
Subject: Re: "Crystal Clear" -- NOT
Dan Nowicki wrote:
> What a disappointment. I have been waiting a long time for Jackie's
> cover of Mike Condello's "Crystal Clear" to make it to CD. Come to
> think of it, I've been waiting even longer for Condello's original
> version (a local hit here in Phoenix, his home town) on Scepter
> to get digitalized.
I have to agree wholeheartedly with Dan, Mike Condello's "Condello" on the
Scepter label is a '60s delight, and its CD reissue is long overdue. "Crystal
Clear" is a beautiful track, in the tradition of "Yesterday" and "Here, There
And Everywhere." It is a shame it was left off of Jackie's release.
"Condello" has other standouts, "Dr. Tarr, Professor Feather" and "The Other
Side Of You" among them. Mike is no longer with us, but it sure would be nice
to have his work released in a modern format.
John Hesterman
The Grapes of Wrath
El Cajon, CA
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 17:52:27 -0000
From: Mark Maldwyn
Subject: Re: JDS' "Sunshine Of Your Love"
Frank M. wrote:
> Spanky Wilson's version of "Sunshine Of Your Love" and another of
> "Light My Fire" are being played on the EZ lounge and Northern
> soul circuits.
Jayne Mansfield performed 'Sunshine of Your Love' live in cabaret, and
Sandie Shaw sang Led Zeppelin and 'Lay Lady Lay' amongst others.
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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 11:07:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: Max Weiner
Subject: Thanks to all for Smokey info
Once again, I would like to thank all of you for the help on my query
on Smokey Robinson. When I asked about The Vogues, you guys came out
in full force, and now again with Smokey.
Just one more reason why I love this site and all the people associated
with it!
'60s 4 ever!
max
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 20:45:16 +0000
From: Simon White
Subject: Re: The Teardrops
James Botticelli wrote:
> Musicor: Teardrops -- Tears Come Tumbling / You Won't Be There
> Can you go wrong with a Musicor 45? Not in my lifetime! Anyway this
> is great girl-group pop from a group I hadn't heard of.
The flip had some Northern attention, JimmyBee. Here's something from a
column I write in 'manifesto' magazine:
-----
December 2004:
The Teardrops: Here Comes Loneliness / Chubby Checker: You Can't Lose
Something You Never Had (Kent 6T 9 -7, 1985)
>From Ady Croasdell's always excellent series of 100 Club Anniversary 45s and
this one is from the the 14th anniversary. The Teardrops, four white girls,
had another equally great record that got Northern plays, namely "You Won't
Be There", which was released on the Saxony label before being picked up by
Musicor. "Here Comes Loneliness", actually recorded for Musicor in '66 and
unreleased at the time, is a full-on harmonised 100 mph stormer that got
its first release here on this very 45. The group get a whole chapter to
themselves in John Clemente's excellent and essential book "Girl Groups --
Fabulous Females That Rocked the World". The lead singer Linda Schroeder
sadly passed away in 2003. The flipside is really by Jimmy Radcliffe, and
surfaced first on an obscure early '60s UK album. It's a wonderful sleek
beat-ballady thing, and in fact not at all chubby or checkered.
-----
February 2005:
TheTeardrops' "Here Comes Loneliness" which featured last issue is listed
in a price guide as released on Saxony. This was a real surprise to me, as
all the Girl Group experts said "no US release". I'm waiting to see this one
and I'm curious as to what the flip was.
-----
from the March 2005 magazine:
The Teardrops mystery was cleared up pretty quickly. It turns out "Here
Comes Loneliness" was released in the 1990s on the Saxony label (who own
it) , after the Kent 45 was released.
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Message: 7
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 16:55:32 -0400
From: David Feldman
Subject: Re: "I Don't Blame You At All"
Max Weiner asked what album the Miracles' "I Don't Blame You At All" is on.
I'm a piker among the Motown experts here, but it can be found on the 1971
album, "One Dozen Roses" along with "Tears of a Clown," "Satisfaction," and
their version of "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game." It's not necessarily
their strongest period for singles, but I think the late '60s and very early
'70s marked the group's prime for albums.
Dave Feldman
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 14:26:07 -0400
From: Al Pavlow
Subject: Re: "Living Without Love"
Rob Pingel wrote:
> Would like some confirmation that the record "Living Without Love"
> by Art Smalley is Bacharach-David composition. It was released on
> Epic records in the early '60s.
Yes, "Living Without Love" by Art Smalley (1964, Epic 9707) is a Bacharach-David
composition, produced by Bob Morgan. This info comes from a book I'm about to
publish called "Pro-Files" (discogs of producers, writers, etc.). Anyone interested
in more info and hype re: this book, feel free to e-mail me for details.
Big Al Pavlow
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Message: 9
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 20:44:54 EDT
From: Susan Lang
Subject: Busy Doin' Somethin' Else - Beach Boys fan convention information!
I won't pepper the list with this again; please email for more information.
DATE: 16 July 2005
TIME: 10 am - ??
PLACE: Hilton Southbury,Southbury CT.
COST: $45 per person if registered before 24 June; $50 thereafter.
Scheduled guests:
IN PERSON - Stephen John Kalinich, Beach Boys lyricist, poet, and friend; My
Dad's Truck, acoustic trio; others to be announced as they are confirmed.
Several guests are just a confirmation away - watch this space!
ON THE PHONE - Stephen W. Desper, Beach Boys engineer and friend.
We are in the process of scheduling a full day of music, storytelling, Q&A,
and surprises. Early registration saves money!
Remember that the last day to get the group rate of $99 at the hotel is 24 June;
after that, it's $119/night. The group code is BBC.
Register by 24 June to get the $45 price; after that, registration will be $50.
Registration form, links, and further information can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/shutdownsusan/Somethin_Else.html or you can email me
directly.
Hope to see many of you there!
Susan
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