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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Bazooka - Look At You Now
From: Peter McCray
2. Re: Feminine Complex
From: Joe Nelson
3. Re: "Baby That's Me" - Cake
From: "That" Alan Gordon
4. Roger Nichols radio show
From: Patrick Rands
5. Re: Jordan Christopher & The Wild Ones
From: Charles
6. The Crescendos
From: Jan Kristensen
7. Re: Canadian CDs -- why from vinyl?
From: Lex Cody
8. Re: Miss Toni Fisher
From: Michael Stroggoff
9. Scott Bedford Four / Elusives
From: Neil Hever
10. Re: first 50 Motown singles on iTunes music store
From: Phil X Milstein
11. Re: Roses Are Red vinyl
From: Paul Evans
12. Re: "Roses Are Red (My Love)"
From: Paul Evans
13. Re: True North
From: Michael Godin
14. Re: Ginny Arnell
From: Wes Smith
15. Re: Canadian masters
From: Lloyd Davis
16. Re: Sheldon Allman
From: Phil X Milstein
17. Re: Jordan & The Fascinations
From: Ronnie
18. Re: The Crescendos
From: Wes Smith
19. Re: Canadian masters
From: Superoldies
20. Miss Barbara Eden
From: John Hamilton
21. audible Hess
From: Charles G Hill
22. Re: An Angel responds
From: Wes Smith
23. Motown TV special
From: Karen Andrew
24. "Little Green Thing" by Dave Lewis
From: ACJ
25. Jamie & Jane
From: ACJ
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 21:49:14 +1000
From: Peter McCray
Subject: Bazooka - Look At You Now
There's been a few mentions on here in the past few months of Bazooka's
"Boo on You" single from the late 60s, with Austin having both a writing
and performing credit of course. I've not had the chance to ever hear
the track - up until now - but just picked up a copy on Ebay, so very
much something to look forward to.
I recently came across a reference to another 45 by a band called
Bazooka, Look At You Now b/w Yours Until Forever, released on the White
Whale label in around 1970. I strongly suspect this is nothing to do
with the band that Austin recorded with - though please put me straight
Austin if I'm messing with your discography!! Can anyone shed any
light on this particular release?
Thanks
Peter
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Message: 2
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 12:06:07 -0400
From: Joe Nelson
Subject: Re: Feminine Complex
I:
> RevOla is taking a stab at reissuing the band's Livin' Love album next
> month: they have to do a better job than Teen Beat did a few years
> back. Stay tuned.
Phil Milstein:
> What sort of problems are there with TeenBeat's edition? I recently
> ordered a copy directly from them, but it might not be too late for me
> to cancel it.
The music is there. It was more the packaging than anything else. I
guess I wanted something more reminiscent of the original LP.
Joe Nelson
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Message: 3
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 09:57:33 -0700
From: "That" Alan Gordon
Subject: Re: "Baby That's Me" - Cake
Can anyone give me the names of the three members of Cake?
Best, That Alan
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 16:39:27 -0000
From: Patrick Rands
Subject: Roger Nichols radio show
Be sure to tune in this Friday evening from 6-7p Eastern time to hear my one-hour spotlight show on the music of Roger Nichols. You can listen
in the local Boston area at 90.3 FM, or online at http://www.zbconline.com
-- the shows are also usually available (eventually) in our archive section
at a later date.
The radio show I did on Alzo's music has been archived recently, so give
that a listen as well:
http://www.zbconline.com/tp-archive.php
Hope you can tune in Friday night!
:Patrick
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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 17:03:09 -0000
From: Charles
Subject: Re: Jordan Christopher & The Wild Ones
previously:
> At the beginning of the 1965 movie THE FAT SPY, Jordan Christopher
> sings a song called "People Sure Are Funny", accompanied only by a
> guitarist (possibly Chuck Alden, who is credited as co-writer of the
> song in the closing credits).
I have "The Fat Spy" on DVD (it's apparently public domain), and the
opening number is a highlight, though one might argue it's downhill
from there!
"Angel, Angel, Down We Go" has been making the late night cable
scene lately on the various Showtime channels, under its alternate
title "Cult Of The Damned". I just wonder what possessed Jennifer
Jones to do the movie, anyway! Another tidbit (for the few who
don't know): Jordan was married to Sybil Williams Burton, ex-wife
of Richard. She was the owner of the 1960s NY disco "Arthur" (named
after the line from "A Hard Day's Night", when a reporter asks George
Harrison, "What do you call your haircut?"), where The Wild Ones was
the house band. I only wish their stuff were out on CD. Can anyone
play a track or two of theirs' to musica, such as"People Sure Act Funny"
or "Lord Love A Duck"?
Charles
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Message: 6
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 07:59:27 +0200
From: Jan Kristensen
Subject: The Crescendos
Country Paul wrote:
> Does anyone have anything else to add? For example, who was the female
> singer, and was she part of the group?
The wonderful female voice belonged to Janice Green. I don't think she was
a member, but she had at least one record, "Jackie" b/w "With All My Heart."
JanK
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Message: 7
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 01:06:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Lex Cody
Subject: Re: Canadian CDs -- why from vinyl?
I've transferred many of my old vinyls to CD, as it saves vinyl wear and
is also more convenient. Remstering them is also fun, as you can clean
up alot of noise nowdays. The strange thing is, in some instances the
vinyl to CD transfer has a kind of wamth to it, that is if the vinyl is clean.
Lex
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 10:47:07 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Stroggoff
Subject: Re: Miss Toni Fisher
previously:
> I didn't find anything about Toni Fisher or Wayne Shanklin on that
> site.
If you go to Harkit's website at http://www.harkitrecords.com and click
on the Latest News button, you'll find it.
Cheers!
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Message: 9
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 18:40:14 -0000
From: Neil Hever
Subject: Scott Bedford Four / Elusives
Hi folks, I just received a (privately made) CD with eight tracks from
Pennsylvania band The Scott Bedford Four. They released a handful of
45s around 1966/67, and penned one of the greatest '60s garage tunes
of all time, "You Turned Your Back On Me." Arguably, they were one of the
best rock/pop bands from Pennsylvania. Alas, greater fame eluded them.
In addition to " You Turned Your Back On Me", the CD includes "Last
Exit To Brooklyn", the superb "Manhattan Angel", and some rare tracks
I've never heard before. I'm told they may also have recorded under the
name The Elusives. Apparently, they covered a Kit-Kats tune titled "Won't
Find Better Than Me." Can anyone make the connection between the two
bands? For the record, the Scott Bedford Four included Dick Kave, John
Deproperzio, Bill Barlip and Lou Resh.
Cheers,
Neil Hever
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Message: 10
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 17:24:15 +0000
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: first 50 Motown singles on iTunes music store
Nick Archer wrote:
> I hate to keep pimping the iTunes music store, but they keep
> surprising me with new music. They've just put up the first 50 Motown
> single releases in chronological order.
Wowza! I just got drool all over my keyboard. But that's just from
looking at the list, Nick, as I've been unable to locate the site amid
the jumble of other links at apple.com -- might you be able to help
guide us to the starting point?
Since Motown's output is closer to the Spectropop ethos than any other
single important record company, I propose we change the name of the
group to reflect that influence. So what d'yall think of "Spectmopop"?
--Phil M.
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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 17:57:03 -0000
From: Paul Evans
Subject: Re: Roses Are Red vinyl
Dave O' wrote:
> And an aside to Paul Evans: I just rediscovered my radio station copy
> of Bobby Vinton's "Roses are Red," was pressed in red vinyl. Was the
> colored vinyl stronger or more wear-resistant than the black? Still
> a great song, Paul!
Yellow, green, red, orange, blue. Your choice. It's just color. Doesn't
do a thing for strength. The red vinyl you discovered "Roses" on was
probably just Epic Records' indication that the disk is a DJ copy.
Thanks for your comment on the song,
Paul Evans
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Message: 12
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 19:44:51 -0000
From: Paul Evans
Subject: Re: "Roses Are Red (My Love)"
Joe Nelson wrote:
> Vinton has said numerous times how he found that demo in a stack of
> rejects at Epic, but never mentioneed you were the singer. I wonder
> if he ever knew...
Yes, Bobby was definitely aware that I sang the demo of "Roses ...."
I've heard the Reject Pile story before, but in connection with my Kalin
Twins recording of "When". The only reason I questioned Bobby's story
at all is that his former A&R man denied it and I know that it was shown
by that same A&R man for Guy Mitchell - so I know that he liked the song!
Paul Evans
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Message: 13
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 12:24:38 -0700
From: Michael Godin
Subject: Re: True North
Mark wrote:
> ... BTW, is True North a "real" label?
True North is indeed a real label, owned by Bernie Finkelstein. True North
Records has been the home of Murray McLaughlan and Bruce Cockburn for
many years, as well as other artists.
I think part of the problem was that many labels did not have a great master
tape filing system and no database to refer to, thus no clear indication of
where a particular master was stored. Combine that with what may have
also been a lack of interest for so long on the part of consumers and music
historians inside the labels, and there are many lost masters 'out there'.
As former V.P. of A&R for A&M Records Canada, I was recently asked if I
would have any idea as to where the original Lucille Starr masters might be
located. It was assumed that because she is Canadian that her master tapes
would have been with A&M Canada. My reply was that at the time of her hits,
including The French Song, there was not even an A&M Canada company,
and all masters were licensed and pressed at the time by Quality Records.
In addition, she was signed directly to A&M in L.A.
Michael Godin
www.TreasureIslandOldies.com
The Home of Lost Treasures
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 22:08:20 -0000
From: Wes Smith
Subject: Re: Ginny Arnell
Mike McKay wrote:
> Ginny Arnell was from New Haven, CT..."Dumb Head" was her first
> solo recording as far as I know. It made #8 on WAVZ in New Haven
> in October, 1963. She did record with Gene Pitney; at least one single,
> can't recall the title off-hand.
Ginny recorded on Warwick and Decca before being on MGM. Also, her
first MGM 45 was "I'm Crying Too". It's a good one!
Wes Smith
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Message: 15
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 18:16:55 -0400
From: Lloyd Davis
Subject: Re: Canadian masters
Mark wrote:
> But the Staccatos were on EMI Canada. Don't tell me they don't have
> tapes? And what about the Guess Who? Sundazed put out a collection
> from tapes yet when True North released the first 3 LPs they are all
> off of vinyl. How come Sundazed found the tapes easily in this
> country yet a Canadian label couldn't find tapes on a Canadian group
> in Canada. BTW, is True North a "real" label?
True North is indeed a "real" label. Bernie Finkelstein founded it in 1969,
and it's still active. Probably best known for Bruce Cockburn, who still
records for the label. The also distribute the reissue label Fuel 2000.
The Canadian Guess Who reissues didn't originate on True North; it only
distributed them. They were in fact released by Legend Records, owned by
the band's guitarist, Randy Bachman. Wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that
Sundazed has more resources than Bachman.
There's also the four-year interval between Bachman's self-published
reissues (1997) and the Sundazed (2001). Lotsa time there for tapes to show
up unexpectedly. I'd assume that the master tapes Sundazed used originated
with Scepter. Who owns Scepter's masters? Might licensing fees have been
an issue?
Lloyd Davis Communications
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Message: 16
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 18:43:17 +0000
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Sheldon Allman
Bryan wrote:
> Sheldon Allman also recorded an LP called 'Sing Along
> With Drac' for Del-Fi in 1960 (DFLP 1213), which was
> released on CD in 2001. http://tinyurl.com/2qrbr
> Steve Stanley (a member on this list) produced the
> reissue. About five months after 'Drac', Sheldon did an
> album called 'Drunks'; the gimmick was that he would find
> someone at a bar who obviously had too much to drink,
> and with a hidden tape recorder, engage him in a
> conversation about some subject that would create an
> argument.
If you ask me, THAT'S the album that should've been reissued!
--Phil M.
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Message: 17
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 19:15:05 EDT
From: Ronnie
Subject: Re: Jordan & The Fascinations
I noticed that Jordan Christopher has recently been discussed here. I have
something in common with Jordan. Back in 1961 my one and only released
recording, "Flip Over You" b/w "Ronnie's Swanee", came out on Dapt
Records. Jordan was a label-mate of mine. He fronted a group called Jordan
& The Fascinations, who had a Dapt recording called "My Imagination",
which did well on the east coast.
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Message: 18
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 23:24:09 -0000
From: Wes Smith
Subject: Re: The Crescendos
Country Paul wrote:
> Does anyone have anything else to add? For example, who was the female
> singer, and was she part of the group?
The girl on "Oh Julie" was Janice Green, who had a release of her own on Nasco.
As for Dale Ward ever being in the Crescendos, it's certainly never been
documented, although such rumors have been around for years (perhaps
because he had a version of "Oh Julie" himself, on the back side of "Letter From
Sherry"). Moffat and Ball also wrote some of Dale Ward's songs, and probably
guided his career, as they with did The Crescendos earlier.
Wes Smith
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Message: 19
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 23:40:18 -0000
From: Superoldies
Subject: Re: Canadian masters
previously:
> But the Staccatos were on EMI Canada. Don't tell me they don't have
> tapes?
Apparently not, or someone was too lazy to trace them. There is also
a CD out by The Esquires (Capitol Canada), which is from vinyl too.
And what about the Guess Who?
I didn't know the True North ones were off vinyl - I believe all have come
from Bachman, who has the master tapes.
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Message: 20
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 23:40:34 -0000
From: John Hamilton
Subject: Miss Barbara Eden
Recently saw a picture of the "I Dream of Jeannie" star's solo album
on Dot Records from 1966 -- anyone have the story on this? Looks like
she did a cover of Sandy Posey's "Single Girl" on it. Would love to see
all or any of these appear on a compilation CD.
- John Hamilton
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Message: 21
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 17:56:27 -0500
From: Charles G Hill
Subject: audible Hess
says Dave O'Gara:
>On MGM, I have a DJ copy of "Dumb Head" by Ginny Arnell, written by Hess-
> Monte. Don't know those names and wonder if they did much of anything
> else.
This might well be the same David A. Hess who wrote "I Got Stung", an Elvis
zinger from 1958, and who, as "David Hill", cowrote "Speedy Gonzales", the Pat
Boone classic. He's still in the business. I remember him mostly for his work
on Mercury's classical-crossover oddity "The Naked Carmen", circa 1970.
As for Camille Monte, I've seen one other writing credit: the Browns' "You Can't
Grow Peaches On A Cherry Tree," which with a change in pronoun (to "I") was
a Top 40 hit for Just Us (including Chip Taylor and Al Gorgoni) in 1966.
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Message: 22
Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 00:11:40 -0000
From: Wes Smith
Subject: Re: An Angel responds
An Angel responded:
> I don't have time right now to go into great detail but
> here's some info on the album stuff. Caprice and Ascott
> were probably connected...
I do believe that Ascot was a subsidiary of United Artists.
There was a 45 on Ascot that contained 2 tracks from the
Caprice material, which I believe was after their tenure at
Caprice, before going on Smash. The Ascot L.P. was a straight
reissue of that FABULOUS Caprice Album (with a different cover).
Wes Smith
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Message: 23
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 17:26:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Karen Andrew
Subject: Motown TV special
Did anyone catch the Motown TV special from Monday night (May 17).
It was a big disapointment to me. Good thing I taped it and could
fast forward through some - then I just gave up. For one thing, as
is the trend everywhere else these days, they crammed in young
people every chance they got. It was an insult for them to have a
16-year old white Britsh chick singing with Smokey Robinson.
Smokey can still sing - he didn't need any help. The girl was
probably good - she just didn't belong. Gladys Knight sang by
herself - it was wonderful - a shining star! Don't get me wrong -
I'm not against the young pop singers, whether I care for their
individual music or not, but if a show is about a certain era before
their time, they do not belong on it. Or, the title should have been
- "Today's Pop Stars Join Motown stars"! (I probably wouldn't have
bothered with it at all but that might attract more of the younger
audience?) KA
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Message: 24
Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 00:04:11 -0400
From: ACJ
Subject: "Little Green Thing" by Dave Lewis
Is anyone out there familiar with an album called "Little Green Thing,"
by one Dave Lewis? (Not to be confused with "Little Green Bag." Or
"Little Black Egg." Or "Little Brown Jug.")
This album was one of A&M's first releases. I've never heard the album
and know nothing about Mr. Lewis, but the album was "advertised" on the
back covers of several other A&M albums. Judging from the cover, it
could be a jazz album; but the (brief) entry at allmusic.com calls it a
soul album.
Anyone hear it? Is it worth seeking out? Thanks.
ACJ
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Message: 25
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 23:58:48 -0400
From: ACJ
Subject: Jamie & Jane
If this question hasn't been answered already, Gene Pitney & Ginny
Arnell did two singles for Decca in 1959, under the name Jamie & Jane.
The two singles were "Snuggle Up Baby" b/w "Strolling Through the Park"
and "Classical Rock and Roll" (wr: Pitney) b/w "Faithful Our Love" (wr:
Pitney-Massaro-Kugell; Massaro was Ginny Arnell's real name, and Martin
Kugell was Gene's manager at the time). These were Gene Pitney's first
commercial recordings, after the demos he made with the Echoes.
This info is all from the Bear Family CD "Hits & Misses" by Gene Pitney,
which I highly recommend.
ACJ
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