_______________________________________________________________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ S P E C T R O P O P ___________ ___________ ___________ _______________________________________________________________ Volume #0203 January 1, 1999 _______________________________________________________________ An endeavor to epitomize great stars in the recording fieldSubject: April Young Sent: 12/30/98 1:18 am Received: 12/30/98 9:20 am From: john rausch, XXXXXXXXnet To Billy Spradlin: Here`s a little info on the songs you asked about: Gonna Make Him My Baby - April Young / Columbia#43285 Produced by Jerry Ross and written by P. Andreoli, V. Poncia and J. Calvert. I'm not sure of the date though. Andreoli and Poncia also wrote some songs for Spector, for example: Best Part Of Breaking Up, Strange Love, Stumble And Fall, Do I Love You). Let Me Get Close To You - Beverly Warren / Rust#5098 Written by Goffin, King. The label says produced by "Big-Time Productions." Date unknown. Sorry about the dates but hope I have been of some help. John Rausch Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Studio/2469/ --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Re: Girls Can Tell Sent: 12/30/98 2:08 am Received: 12/30/98 9:20 am From: WILLIAM STOS, wXXXXXXXXt.com Someone mentioned another girl group covering this Spector song. The Dixie Cups recorded a version for one of their albums I believe. It is pretty weak compared to the Crystals version which I've heard. Almost like a lullabye. Still enjoyable. Will --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Girls Can Tell/Beverly/April Sent: 01/01/99 1:46 am Received: 01/01/99 2:37 am From: IAC, ianXXXXXXXXlnet.co.uk Hi Jamie: - No, the Ronettes version wasn't on their Greatest Hits Vol. 2 in the PSI Box Set. I know what you mean about assuming Phil was doing another "Hot Pastrami" or "The Twist" with that track - I think we all did until the "real" Crystals version became known - after all, just think how many different girls have appeared as leads on tracks credited to the Crystals: Barbara, Pat, Lala, Darlene, and Ronnie! Hi Billy: - The Ronettes and Crystals versions do use the same backing track. The other version you mention was by the Dixie Cups, and I agree, it does sound a bit wet next to the Spector productions. E-mail me if you want to hear the Ronettes and we'll see what we can do (same goes for anyone else). The label info you require for those two 45s is as follows: April Young Gonna Make Him My Baby (Anders/Poncia/Calvert)/Life (Madara & White) Columbia 4-43285, released 6/65. Both sides produced by Jerry Ross. I understand that April and Jerry were once an item, and that she passed away a while ago, but don't take it as gospel. All her records are worth looking for, she never made a bad one. Beverly Warren - Let Me Get Close To You (Goffin/King)/Baby Baby Hullabaloo (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel) Rust 5098, released 64. Beverly had a couple other releases on BT Puppy, and half an album - a back-to-back affair shared with Andrea Carroll (BT Puppy 1017 - produced by the Tokens) None of Beverly's other stuff quite matched the brilliance of the Rust single, I don't think. She's still performing around the NY area, I believe. Skeeter Davis also did "Let Me Get Close To You". Anyone noticed the striking similarity between this song and Mann/Weil's "I'd Be So Good For You", as done by Joanie Sommers? Also, there was a boy group called the Horizons who did a song called "Hey Now Baby" on Regina, which is also almost identical in structure to "Let Me Get Close To You", but I have no writer credits for that one, though the producers are Vega/Dreyer. And John: I echo your enthusiasm for the picture-sleeve website. There's a Robin Ward pic sleeve there of a single I never even knew existed - also the only time I have ever seen a pic of her. Happy New Year to all, Ian Chapman --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Spector, Barry, Christians & Carols Sent: 12/29/98 12:40 am Received: 12/30/98 9:20 am From: Jamie LePage, le_pageXXXXXXXXties.com Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! Billy G. Spradlin wrote: >Did the Ronettes version [of Girls Can Tell] use the same >backing track as the Crystals version...? Yes, it is the same track. >I remember hearing another girl group cover the song >(I think it was the Jelly Beans) but their simple version >pales when compared to Spector's. That would be the Dixie Cups, right? Could've been Jelly Beans, considering both groups shared essentially the same writers/ producers/sound. Still, Barry's East Coast records are charming in their own way even if they lack the power and LA groove of similar LA sides. >I would love to hear the Ronettes version. It would be interesting to compile a list of what we would consider a comprehensive set of the formerly or currently unavailable Spector tracks. Somewhere between 74 and 148 minutes of music. ;-) Any ideas for such a set? (Oops, I mean "list?") -- Re: Touch the Wall of Sound 60-track faux Spector set (TtWoS) Billy G. Spradlin wrote: >April Young-Gonna Make Him My Baby Arranged by Joe Renzetti and produced by Jerry Ross, "Gonna Make Him My Baby" was written by Anders and Poncia, along with J. Calvert and I believe M. Wecht. Also on TtWoS is "Mary Ann" by Honey Love & the Love Notes. Written by Anders and Poncia with Spector, Mary Ann is an interesting record because there seems to be no Spector version of this song anywhere (at least none that I'm aware of). April Young has one other track on the TtWoS set "To Be Loved By You" (Kenny Gamble, Jerry Ross Joe Renzetti), and it too was a Jerry Ross production. This one might be a bit wild for some (not for Doc!), and I must admit smiling as April grunts and moans through the choruses. :-) >Beverly Warren-Let Me [Get Close] To You Ah, now this is a great favorite!. A classic Goffin/King song, the "Come on Bay-be" just before the title line is a Killer! Released on Laurie subsidiary Rust Records, it's is credited to Big-Time Productions. I wonder if Bright Tunes may have something to do with this disc. Sure sounds like the Tokens; they were close with Laurie... Anyway, it sounds too embellished to be a typical Goffin production. One irritating thing about the TtWoS series is that there are no liner notes. Grrrr! Can anyone shed some light on Big-Time? CLAUDIA CUNNINGHAM wrote: >...Sonny Bono...go-phering for Spector at the time...brought >his then girlfriend.... Sonny had her audition for Spector and he >liked what he heard. Cher sang along with the voluminous "choir" >of Spector singers on "Lovin' Feelin'," amongst others Spector >productions. "Ringo I Love You" is another Spector record worth mentioning here because it is, I believe, Cher's first release (Annette 1001). It too was co-penned by Anders & Poncia (with additional writer credits to Spector and song plugger Paul Case). A Beatle novelty single, it was released under the name Bonnie Jo Mason. Another early Cher single, although it is not a Spector side, is "Dream Baby" by Cherilyn and it IS on TtWoS set mentioned above. Produced and written by Sonny Bono, the disc was engineered by Stan Ross and arranged by Gene Page. This track is as close to wall-of-sound as faux Spector can get, replete with thunderous Hal Blaine fills resounding in the Gold Star reverb chamber, Teenage Steve sax break and prominent tubular bell riff. Carol Kaye undoubtedly played on this. It's Imperial 66081; any "Liberty" stories on this, Doc? Who backed this early Sonny production? Pala, it says. Anyone? While writing this note I am listening to TtWoS and one track that always catches my ear is "My Baby Looks, but He Don't Touch" by Carol Connors. Carol co-wrote the song with LA-DJ Roger Christian; the arrangement is by Richie Podlar (sic: really Podolor?) with Marshall Lieb production credit. Castanets accent the 4th beat over a quietly droning vibraphone. Magic! I love the little aco-Spanish guitar fills (ref: Uptown). Amazingly, the first melody lines of each verse sound EXACTLY like those in Brian Wilson's Don't Worry Baby, which, surprise, was co-penned by Roger Christian! Does anyone have a Carol Connors discography? Everything I've heard is just great, and much is smack dab in a Spector-less Teddy Bears style. Finally, a big thank you to Carol Kaye for sharing your rich history with us and especially for answering all our questions so thoroughly. -- Best wishes to all for a great 1999, Jamie LePage --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Thanks, Carol Sent: 12/29/98 3:13 pm Received: 12/29/98 7:29 pm From: David Feldman, felXXXXXXXXderables.com > Anyway, hope this answers your questions. Happy New Year to you > all; you're a nice group of people We are pretty nice, come to think of it! Seriously, Carol, I can't thank you enough for these detailed posts. I was ignorant about the magnitude of Motown sessions done by West Coasters. And I'm thrilled that it was YOU on "Bernadette," one of the most beautiful Motown records ever. Dave Feldman Movie of the Week: "Babe: Pig in the City" Best Network TV Show of New Season: "Sports Night" & "Cupid" (tie) CD of the Week: "We Three Kings" (Roches) City of the Week: London Best Time Killer of the 90's: Filling out the UPDATED gender survey at "http://www.imponderables.com" --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Bobby Russell/Jerry Fuller Sent: 12/30/98 10:42 am Received: 12/30/98 6:15 pm From: CLAUDIA CUNNINGHAM, TXXXXXXXX.net I am wondering if any of you, particularly Carol Kaye, knows anything about Bobby Russell's contributions to producing music and Jerry Fuller's. Russell was married to Vicki Lawrence at the time and produced "The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia" for her in the early Seventies. I know he produced for other people. Anyone know who? And Jerry Fuller produced many acts in the early to mid Sixties. He had a song out which he sang on in '64 or '65 which was a ballad. It was very haunting and I can't recall the name. Does anyone know? One question for Carol: Did you ever play on any dates with Bobby Goldsboro or Herb Alpert? Thanks so much. Claudia --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: BOUNCE spectrXXXXXXXXties.com: Non-member su Sent: 12/31/98 3:28 am Received: 12/31/98 10:38 am ========== Start of forwarded message ============== Wednesday December 30 8:52 AM ET Love co-founder Bryan MacLean dead By Phil Gallo HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Bryan MacLean, a roadie for the Byrds who went on to co-lead the 1960s pop group Love, died Christmas Day of an apparent heart attack at a Los Angeles restaurant. He was 52. Love -- with MacLean and Arthur Lee as the key songwriters, guitarists and singers -- was one of Los Angeles' most famous bands on the Sunset Strip in 1960s, popular for its original mixture of psychedelia and show tune sensibilities with a punk-rock ethos. With MacLean, the band recorded three albums for Elektra Records, the last of which, 1967's "Forever Changes," has been critically hailed as one of the most significant records in rock history. MacLean wrote "Alone Again Or," one of the band's best-known songs, and was often credited with bringing melodic qualities and professionalism to the act. He led his own Bryan MacLean Band in the 1970s, which featured at times his half-sister Maria McKee, who went on to lead Lone Justice before embarking on a her solo career. MacLean wrote and performed Christian-oriented music after leaving Love and reunited with Lee for some L.A. gigs in the late '70s. One of MacLean's songs, ""Don't Toss Us Away," was recorded by Lone Justice in the 1980s and became a top 10 country hit for Patty Loveless in 1988. He is survived by his mother, Elizabeth McKee. Reuters/Variety --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Dusty Springfield Sent: 01/01/99 2:13 am Received: 01/01/99 2:37 am From: IAC, ianXXXXXXXXlnet.co.uk Thought readers might be interested to hear the latest on Dusty's ongoing battle with breast cancer, as there seems to be all kinds of rumours going around. In November, she issued a message via her secretary to the subscribers of the Dusty Springfield Bulletin to the effect that, although she is very ill, she is not at death's door. The chemotherapy has stopped the cancer from spreading, but that's not to be taken to mean she is on the road to recovery. Latest news appeared in today's papers (New Year's Eve) announcing the Queen's New Year Honours List. Dusty is to be awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) medal, and she issued a message saying, "I'm deeply and genuinely honoured. This is the biggest surprise of my life" It's doubtful whether she'll be well enough to collect the medal from Buckingham Palace in person, but her secretary says if she can, she will, and the award would give her added incentive to beat the disease. Here's hoping she does just that. Ian Chapman --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- Subject: Re: I Wonder Sent: 01/01/99 2:27 am Received: 01/01/98 24:20 am From: Jamie LePage, le_pageXXXXXXXXties.com In Spectropop V#0198 john rausch wrote: >Jimmie wrote: >>I was referring to the mix that has that extra "ba-RRUMP RRUMP >>RRUMP, ba-RRUMP RRUMP RRUMP" at the beginning of "I Wonder" by the >>Ronettes... >That is the stereo version. I double checked my Capitol Records Club original stereo pressing, and indeed, the extra drum fill at the top is there too. How strange! Now I realize I am more used to the stereo mix(es) than the mono on the non-single "Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes" sides. I still think the original stereo mixes (as on the Capitol Records Club pressing) are more separated than the later PSI (and Marginal) pressings. After I have the chance to A/B again, I will post my renewed findings... Still prefer the single mono mixes to both stereo mixes... -- All the best, Jamie LePage --------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]-------------------- End
