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There are 7 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Paradise lust
From: "Phil Chapman"
2. Re: Spector song
From: Frank
3. Gil Garfield
From: Kim Cooper
4. Snuff Garrett
From: Monophonius
5. Rolling Stones and Trade Winds
From: "Kingsley Abbott"
6. Re: Brian's concerts
From: Carol Kaye
7. Travis & Bob and more
From: "Paul Payton"
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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 13:43:08 +0100
From: "Phil Chapman"
Subject: Paradise lust
Paul:
>I can't say I rate Paradise that highly. The song doesn't
>really break new ground, it's too much like a rerun of
>Walking in the Rain, written to a formula.
Yep, it's the same structure OK, but then sonata form has
been around for a couple of hundred years. It could be
regarded as new-improved "Walking In The Rain", with
added imagination - but it is much more than that.........
Let me put my rantings into some kind of perspective:
Phil sent "Paradise" out in the 60s as a rough mix
acetate to a number of friends and fans. Living in the UK,
particularly industrial Manchester, walking in the rain
was nothing to sing about:-) Then, out of the blue, came
surf, seagulls, magical lands populated by lovers in
all-year-round flowering gardens (is this L.A.?) - an
utterly naive fantasy tale, narrated in song by a
tremulous young woman, set in a complementary tapestry of
rippling arpeggiated guitars (are you one of those Carol?)
with a seductive rhythm backing vocal mostly over a
tension-building pedal-bass, climaxing in a Puccinique
modulation - all first time devices for a
Spector/Nitzsche opus. Played at significant volume, the
whole listening experience was overwhelming and
infinitely more hallucinogenic than any available drug,
the likes of which had not been attempted since the
Hollywood excesses of Busby Berkeley during the Great
Depression. This was pre "River Deep..." and the only
previous 'saturation' examples were the UK-only release
of "I Wonder" by The Crystals, and RB's "Hung On You". It
is difficult to appreciate the impact some thirty plus
years later after so many recordings in between have
eclipsed the power of these.
If you think the Ronettes records are a sexy chic trio
backed by a bunch of musicians on steroids, then you're
missing the beauty of Phil's work. His recordings are not
about individual virtuosity, they are about everybody
contributing to the common ecstatic goal, with Phil as
studio Dalai Lama.
If you assembled all the musicians of one of Phil's
tracks on stage, and played the same parts, it would
sound nothing like a Philles production; they are
impossible balances, and can only be achieved and
experienced through a manufactured medium. And that is
where Phil's genius art was both ground breaking and
unique: the illusory biggest and most powerful, laying
down the staple of corporate rock.
Back to reality: I'm not really bothered who actually
wrote "Paradise", I just want to know why it was withheld.
During an incident at Olympic Studios I asked Uncle Phil
directly, disciple to God, why he didn't release it, but
the reply was incomprehensible.
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 2
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 01 13:55:08 +0200
From: Frank
Subject: Re: Spector song
Can't remember if it was mentioned but there's a recent
Helen Shapiro compilation which has been released in the
UK, including some never before released tracks. Among
these, it includes a song called : I CAN'T SAY NO TO YOUR
KISS written by Doc Pomus and Phil Spector.
Any info on this song?
Frank
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 3
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 09:34:30 -0700
From: Kim Cooper
Subject: Gil Garfield
Gil Garfield's name has been coming up here recently with
relation to songs he wrote with Perry Botkin and Harry
Nilsson. I just thrifted a very odd LP by Garfield that
has me puzzled... perhaps some of you Spectropoppers know
something about it?
It's apparently a vanity pressing from c. 1972 (no label
info on the printed gatefold sleeve, and the LP itself is
a test pressing) called "Love Me For My Legs! (An
Autobiogramaphone)." Liner notes talk about Garfield
conceiving the record in a drunken hang out session with
Botkin and Nilsson in 1970. The record seems to be a
concept piece about Garfield's family history. Ring a
bell for anyone?
Kim
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 4
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 12:50:14 -0000
From: Monophonius
Subject: Snuff Garrett
To quote Mark Ribowsky: "Garrett was, in Phil's mind,
the only L.A. producer who really mattered in Sixties
rock."
There is little mention of Garrett hereabouts and I'm
wondering why? Let's make some comparisons.
Phil produced eighteen (18) Top 10 records starting in
1958. Snuff produced twenty-two (22) Top 10 records
starting in 1960.
Both Phil and Snuff used Brill Building writers on a
regular basis.
Both were excellent at choosing hit material.
Both recorded the bulk of their hits in Los Angeles.
Both had a recognizable sound.
Granted, Phil was the more innovative producer, but
Snuff had the chops to make some pretty decent records.
Take a listen to Bobby Vee's "Sharing You" or "Night Has
a Thousand Eyes", Gene McDaniels' "Hundred Pounds Of
Clay" or "Tower Of Strength" or "Point Of No Return."
I would very much like to hear what my fellow list
members have to say about Mr. Garrett. Carol, you make
no mention of him on your web site. Did you ever play on
one of his sessions?
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 5
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 21:17:23 +0100
From: "Kingsley Abbott"
Subject: Rolling Stones and Trade Winds
Hi all
I'm interested in collection any non-British first hand
accounts from anyone on the list of any Rolling Stones
concerts/stories/particular memories they may have. If
anyone does have any thoughts to share I'd be very
grateful to hear from them directly - Thanks.
Now to return to our sort of pop, I noticed the brief
phrase 'mind excursion' used which of course reminded me
of that great Anders/Poncia Trade Winds song. Does
anyone have any info on where they are and what they're
doing at present? Record execs somewhere? Still
writing? I'd love to hear if anyone knows. Also if
there are any more Trade Winds tracks hidden away
anywhere... Their (Anders/Poncia) writing and recording
still is one of my very favourite sixties moments.
Kingsley Abbott
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 6
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 10:56:16 -0700
From: Carol Kaye
Subject: Re: Brian's concerts
> The "Pet Sounds" concert on 2000 was almost a religious
> experience for me.
Yes, you get to hear the songs sung well, and get to
watch the person who was responsible for getting those
recordings together, the great Brian Wilson....and while
he's not an entertainer (hardly any producer is),
there's something about having him there that does
something to everyone, I've seen that phenomena a few
times already, knocks me out, even tho' the "performance"
is not where it's at like what we're all used by
visually by now, it's in the music, you're right.
Carol Kaye http://www.carolkaye.com/
[ Spectropop Recommends: Brian Wilson's concert recorded
live to video on June 29, 2001 in Milwaukee, WI at:
http://www.hob.com/onlinemusic/concerts/concert.asp?conid=1093
]
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Message: 7
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 15:58:25 -0400
From: "Paul Payton"
Subject: Travis & Bob and more
Ton wrote: "... by reading the postings done by the
members of Spectropop I became more and more interested
in oldies music I have never heard of and I like the
stories behind it all." Amen - I'm thrilled to be in the
present company.
Maybe some of you can help - I'm interested in any bio
info on Travis & Bob ("Tell Him No," "Lovers' Rendezvous,"
"Little Bitty Johnny") - not really sunshine pop,
although they resemble a wonderful but poor-man's version
of the Everly Brothers. I've inquired at several
rockabilly and 50's sites with no response. They had
several 45's on Sandy out of Mobile, Alabama in the late
50's to about 1960, and have been collected with the
TwinTones a/k/a The Twins (more next paragraph) on a 1999
CD on Golden Sandy Records (no liner notes to speak of).
To date I heard from a nephew of the one of the Twins
that he'd ask his uncle to get back to be with bio info
on both groups, but he never has. Any help here?
The promised "more": as the TwinTones, John and Jim
Cunningham wrote "JoAnn," made a hit in 1957 (?) by the
Playmates (who had the superior version with that rich
Hugo & Luigi production). Later, as the Twins, they made
a gorgeous 45 on Lancer c. 1961-62 (an all-time fave song
of mine) called "Heart of Gold" (Pomus-Shuman wrote it, I
believe), whose exquisite sound IS definitely relevant to
this list (think soft girl-group ballad done by double
made lead).
Thanks, all!
Country Paul
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
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