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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 18 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Re: The Gleams / Valentinos / Shantungs / Originals
From: Mick Patrick
2. Betty Willis mania
From: David A. Young
3. Allan Toussaint and Lady Marmalade
From: Richard Gagnon
4. Steve Cropper
From: Artie Wayne
5. Jean Thomas & Lesley Gore
From: Mick Patrick
6. Re: Patti Dahlstrom
From: Anthony Parsons
7. Kell Osborne and Obrey Wilson
From: David A. Young
8. Re: "Excuse Me Baby"
From: Artie Wayne
9. Re: Lesley Gore's Backing Vocalists
From: Anthony Parsons
10. "Gone With The Wind Is My Love"
From: Simon White
11. Re: Patti Dahlstrom
From: Joop
12. Re: Allen Toussaint and Lady Marmalade
From: Joop
13. Cameo & Calla
From: Simon White
14. Re: Lesley Gore's Backing Vocalists
From: Simon White
15. Re: Cameo & Calla
From: Hans Huss
16. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" / "A Lover's Concerto"
From: Rodney Rawlings
17. Loulie Jean Norman / "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
From: Dave Monroe
18. Updates/ The Nevilles/ Toni Wine/ Tony Orlando
From: Artie Wayne
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Message: 1
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2005 22:09:44 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Re: The Gleams / Valentinos / Shantungs / Originals
Robert Indart wrote:
> ... a group called The Valentinos from New York who had a record
> in 1959 called " A Kiss From Your Lips" ... on Brunswick records
> under the name The Originals then re-released in 1960 under the
> name The Valentinos ... Then in 1960 they changed their name to
> The Gleams and recorded "Bad Boy" ... then in 1963 as The Gleams
> they recorded "Mister Magic Moon" on Kapp Records. The story ends
> with a record they recorded under the name Silky and The Shantungs
> called "He's A Fink" on Musicor ... The lead singer on all these
> records was a woman named Sonia Rivera and the other member who
> was in all the recording too was guy named Gilbert Valentin. By
> any chance if these tracks are not available on CD can some be
> posted on Musica.
Fantastic information, Robert. I have the Kapp and Musicor 45s you
mention, but I had no idea that the Gleams and Silky & the Shantungs
were the same group. Thanks to dear David, you've now heard "Mr
Magic Moon", while "He's A Fink" - a great Exciters-style deck with
lyrics worthy of the Coasters - is contained on the CD "Where The
Girls Are, Vol 2": http://tinyurl.com/9kbe4
A quick google throws up two further Gleams releases:
You Broke My Heart / I Don't Know Why (KIP 236/237, 1961)
He's A Rebel (HIT 36, 1962)
I think the Valentinos made other records too, but we should be
careful not to confuse them with the SAR outfit. The name Sonia
Rivera is very familiar to me. I'm sure she was also in other groups,
but my memory has let me down. I'll keep thinking, but in the
meantime I've posted "He's A Rebel" to musica. Enjoy:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spectropop/files/musica/
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 2
Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2005 01:03:01 -0000
From: David A. Young
Subject: Betty Willis mania
Tony, I loved your stories about Betty Willis and I hope that the
interest expressed here will motivate you to track her down again so
she can answer questions for us. We're a friendly lot, really. (And
please post the photos you described.)
While Mick's looking for his CD-R copy of Betty's Rendezvous single
"Someday You'll Need My Love" to play to musica, I've located a lo-fi
streaming Real Audio file of the song here: http://tinyurl.com/acl69
(it's a little more than halfway down the page). My research also
reveals an additional single on Rendezvous involving the lady of the
hour, this time a duet with Ray Lockhart (as by Betty and Ray). In
fact, it's on Rendezvous 189, one number before "Someday..." (both
from 1962). The titles: "Turn Your Love Lights On"/"You're Too Much."
Still more Googling turned up a second (partial) sound file, this one
of Betty's version of "Gone with the Wind Is My Love" on the Mojo
label (quite different from the Rita and the Tiaras version). It's
included in a medley of song snippets here: http://tinyurl.com/ar7kq
Another item of interest at that address is the snatch of The Sugar
Lumps' version (on the Uptown label) of The Paris Sisters' "Won't You
Help Me" (also recorded by a solo Priscilla Paris as simply "Help
Me.") Who knew that song had been covered? I see Manship has a copy
of this latter 45 for sale at GEMM for a bit over $420, if anyone's
interested. Yikes. None of the Betty Willis singles mentioned here
showed up for sale at any price. Anybody out there able to share any
of this music with the group?
David A. Young
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Message: 3
Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2005 21:12:55 -0400
From: Richard Gagnon
Subject: Allan Toussaint and Lady Marmalade
Al Kooper wrote:
> Another Rock Hall member, Toussaint wrote Patti LaBelle’s hit “Lady
> Marmalade” and Dr. John’s “Right Place, Wrong Time.”
Uh, Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan wrote "Lady Marmalade" (even
dislodging themselves from the number one position by pushing out
their "My eyes adored you"). Toussaint produced LM, though, if
memory serves.
Richard
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Message: 4
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2005 13:17:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper was happy to get the good news about Irma Thomas. He'd
like to know if anyone's heard from Willie DeVille who was living in
New Orleans?
He says that information they are getting down there is slow and
sketchy. If you have any first hand info..please pass it along.
Thanks and regards, Artie Wayne http://artiewayne.com
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Message: 5
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2005 22:35:25 +0100
From: Mick Patrick
Subject: Jean Thomas & Lesley Gore
Jean Thomas (via Ken Charmer):
> "You're right that the background vocalists are Ellie Greenwich,
> Mikie Harris and me on (Lesley Gore's) "Look Of Love". (Also on
> "Maybe I know", recorded on 11/13/64). Ellie, Mikie and I did an
> album with her (14 hours of studio time) on 7/27 and 7/29/64
> (Mercury Records), but I don't have the list of songs sung."
Lesley recorded the following titles during July 1964: "The Look
Of Love", "Wonder Boy", "Secret Love", "Maybe I Know", "Live And
Learn", "Sometimes I Wish I Were A Boy", "Hey Now", "I Died
Inside", "Movin' Away", "It's Just About That Time", "Little Girl
Go Home", "Say Goodbye", "You've Come Back", "You've Let Yourself
Go" and "Pretend".
> "We also did a 4 hr. session for her on 3/4/64, but didn't list
> the songs."
On this date Lesley recorded "That's The Way Boys Are", "Boys",
"I'm Coolin', No Foolin'" and "Don't Deny It".
> "I sang on a session for Mercury Records on 2/4/64 and one of
> the songs was "He's The Boy", but I don't know if this session
> was with Ellie and Mikie or was for Lesley Gore. I didn't write
> any name in my book."
According to the sessionography I have, the only tracks recorded
by Lesley Gore during February 1964 were "Goodbye Tony" and
"Musicant", both sung in Italian. I'd imagine Jean is referring
to either "He's The Boy" by Ann D'Andre (Philips 40182) or "He's
The Boy" by the Secrets (Philips 40222, also 1964). Philips was a
Mercury subsidiary label. It would help if Jean could let us know
the other titles she sang on that day.
Jean Thomas was one of the most prolific session singers of the
time. For instance, she sang on several tracks on Evie Sands' "Any
Way That You Want Me" LP, a much discussed item recently. Is it
your intention to compile a complete list of her session work? If
so, good luck.
Hey la,
Mick Patrick
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Message: 6
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2005 18:25:28 -0500
From: Anthony Parsons
Subject: Re: Patti Dahlstrom
Artie, thank you (and all the others) who have provided New Orleans
updates. I want to take this opportunity to mention that Patti
Dahlstrom's 20th Century 45 of 'He Did Me Wrong, But He Did It Right'
has long been one of my all-time favorites. Patti also released the
1st version I heard of a song called 'Emotion' which shortly
thereafter became a hit for song scavenger Helen Reddy, but I always
preferred Patti's version. It's nice to hear that Patti is still
around. I'd love to see a CD compilation of her work someday! She
certainly deserves more acknowledgement than she ever got.
Sincerely,
Antone
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Message: 7
Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2005 01:44:52 -0000
From: David A. Young
Subject: Kell Osborne and Obrey Wilson
Hello again, friends,
All that research about Betty Willis in my last post reminded me that
I've been wanting to nail down information about a couple of other
soulful singers' non-Spector-related records, namely, those of Obrey
Wilson and Kell Osborne. May I enlist your assistance, please,
Spectropoppers?
I'll list the non-Spector discs I have by each singer (and any known
data about things of which I'm aware but don't own). Please write and
tell me what you have (or can fill in more details about) that I
don't. Then we'll exchange mp3s that will fill in the blanks in each
other's collections. Sound fun? Here we go:
KELL OSBORNE:
Class 302 (as by Kell Osborne and the Chicks)
Little Chick-A-Dee/Do You Mind
Class 306 (as by Kel Osborne)
Eyes of Fire (Lips of Wine)/Would You Laugh
Revis 1010
Somethin' for the Books/Yaya Yaya
Loma 2023
You Can't Outsmart a Woman/That's What's Happening
NOT IN MY COLLECTION BUT KNOWN TO EXIST:
"Law Against a Heartbreaker" (Highland 1182), "Small Things" (New
Bag 101), and "Quicksand" (Titanic 5008).
OBREY WILSON:
Liberty 55394
Whipping Boy/That's Where Lonesome Lives
Epic 9764
Love Will Be Right There/She Used to Be Mine
Epic 9815
In a Woman's Eyes/I Want to Tell You (About My Girl)
Philips 40514
Headman/You Don't Love Me
Bell 830
Soul Satisfaction #1/Break Away Baby
Mercury 73266
You Were Meant for Me/Laid Back and Easy
Epic 11045
Sho Nuff You Can (You Can Count on Me)
(My promo lacks the flip side, "Searching for Love")
NOT IN MY COLLECTION BUT KNOWN TO EXIST:
"I Know I'm Lying" (UA 567) and "If You Were There" (Columbia 43944).
That's the lot. You know the rules; let the games begin, and thanks
in advance for playing.
David A. Young
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Message: 8
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2005 20:32:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: Re: "Excuse Me Baby"
Joop...How ya'doin'? Ed Silvers, who was running Scepter's publishing
company gave the sub-publishing of "Excuse me Baby" [Wayne] to Mike
Collier at Cambell-Connely music, who got top producer Steve Rowland
to record it with his new group the Magic Lanterns.
As their record was racing up to the English Top 10, Ed made another
sub-publishing deal, this time for France, with Bridgitte Bertollier
who ran French Superstar Joe Dassin's publishing companies. His record
got to #3 on the French charts.
The third cover [which Ed also got], and only American release, was
by Wayne Newton, produced by Steve Douglas.
regards, Artie Wayne http://artiewayne.com
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Message: 9
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2005 18:33:38 -0500
From: Anthony Parsons
Subject: Re: Lesley Gore's Backing Vocalists
Jean Thomas (via Ken Charmer):
> Ellie (Greenwich), Mikie (Harris) and I did do an album with
> (Lesley Gore) (14 hours of studio time) on 7/27 and 7/29/64
> (Mercury Records), but I don't have the list of songs sung. We
> also did a 4 hr. session for her on 3/4/64, but didn't list the
> songs.
According to the booklet for Lesley's Bear Family box set, which is
an incredible resource, the sessions Jean references were for
Lesley's 'Girl Talk' LP. Those notes do not indicate specific dates,
but place all the sessions for those tracks as July, 1964. This
block of sessions produced all the cuts from that LP plus the
previously unissued Secret Love and the unissued and lost tracks
"You've Let Yourself Go' written by Charles Aznavour and a track by
an unknown writer called 'Pretend'.
The book "Girl Groups - The Story Of A Sound" says that The Angels
did back-up vocals for Lesley during her heyday but do not indicate
which songs. I've always wondered if that bit of information is
actually true.
As always, I hope this info has been helpful.
Sincerely,
Antone
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Message: 10
Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2005 11:31:56 +0100
From: Simon White
Subject: "Gone With The Wind Is My Love"
Mick Patrick:
> Great story, Tony. Thanks for sharing. Am I correct in assuming that
> the record Betty was referring to is "Gone With The Wind Is My Love"
> by Rita & the Tiaras, released on the Dore label in 1967?
Seconded from this camp. A really great story.
My thoughts regards Rita And The Tiaras ran along the same lines,
Mick. If indeed it is the case and I had found myself sitting next to
her I may well have fainted. "Gone With The Wind" is a classic
Northern Soul record. It's not the best recording, but the vocal
interpretation is one of the very, very best. It gained a reissue in
the UK in 1979 when an original Dore 7" was fetching £100.00. There's
a version with more lyric too which I have somewhere. I'm not sure
if "Gone With The Wind" is legally reissued currently on CD or not.
If not, let's get it up in "Musica".
In the meantime I feel the need to reproduce the dark despair of the
lyric (except for one bit which try as I might I can't decipher:
I gave up everything
my love, my life
what things I possessed
I knew it was wrong
they said you were strange
and I did it for you babe
And now I see you leave
right out of my life
my heart cries out
I gave you love and my devotion
and I gave you my soul
Well my love love love
He's Gone with the wind
is my love
like a bird in the sky
he's gone with the wind
is my love
I thought he could weather
the storms of life's ???
Through my pains and strife
but the first sign of a breezy breeze
he fled with the wind
(with the wind)
Each night I hope and pray
For his return
My heart still burns
But all I knew was a love so good
and I break down and cry
Well my love love love
He's Gone with the wind
is my love
Like on a sail on a mast
He's Gone with the wind is my love
My baby he's gone
He's Gone with the wind
part of my life
he's out of sight
Baby he's gone
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Message: 11
Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2005 11:11:42 -0000
From: Joop
Subject: Re: Patti Dahlstrom
Anthony Parsons wrote:
> Patti Dahlstrom's 20th Century 45 of 'He Did Me Wrong, But He Did
> It Right' has long been one of my all-time favorites. Patti also
> released the 1st version I heard of a song called 'Emotion' which
> shortly thereafter became a hit for song scavenger Helen Reddy, but
> I always preferred Patti's version.
Antone, Patti may have released the first English version on
"Emotion" but the original French version is done by Véronique Sanson
in 1972 with it's original title "Amoureuse".
http://www.originals.be/eng/main.cfm?c==t_upd_show&id=2
Joop greets
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Message: 12
Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2005 11:05:22 -0000
From: Joop
Subject: Re: Allen Toussaint and Lady Marmalade
Al Kooper wrote:
> (Allen) Toussaint wrote Patti LaBelle's hit "Lady Marmalade"
Richard Gagnon:
> Uh, Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan wrote "Lady Marmalade" ... Toussaint
> produced LM, though, if memory serves.
And the original version of "Lady Marmalade" was done by composer
Kenny Nolan's studio-group in 1974.
http://www.originals.be/eng/main.cfm?c=t_upd_show&id=3564
http://www.superseventies.com/sw_ladymarmalade.html
But let's not forget that Allen Toussaint is one of the greatest
composers and producers.
Joop greets
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Message: 13
Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2005 12:26:42 +0100
From: Simon White
Subject: Cameo & Calla
S.J. Dibai:
> I thought the whole point was that The Orlons wanted to get the
> hell away from Cameo-Parkway and that "Spinning Top" was the result
> of a short-lived deal with Calla, end of story.
I was chatting with someone along similar lines just recently. Doris
Troy's "I'll Do Anything" was also released on Calla but is a Cameo
recording. The 45 came out in the UK on Cameo-Parkway. I believe Nate
McCalla owned the Calla label and he was in some way involved with
the whole Cameo set up. Calla was distributed by Cameo.
Simon White
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Message: 14
Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2005 12:33:00 +0100
From: Simon White
Subject: Re: Lesley Gore's Backing Vocalists
Ken Charmer has been:
> researching with Jean Thomas her sessions backing Lesley Gore
I wonder if you get time Ken, if you ask Jean if she is also Jeannie
Thomas on "Say Something Sweet To Me"/"My Heart Has Told Me What To
Do" on the Strand label?
Simon White
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Message: 15
Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2005 06:04:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: Hans Huss
Subject: Re: Cameo & Calla
Previously:
> Calla was distributed by Cameo.
Calla was distributed by Cameo only initially. Later, from the late
1960s, I think, Roulette took over. According to Michael Rashkow
(Spectropop 279:1), "Calla was a one room operation on the second
floor of the Roulette building--around the corner from the Brill".
(According to Bob McGrath's R&B Indies, Roulette main man Morris Levy
co-owned the label with Nate McCalla.) Later still, in the mid 1970s,
it was distributed by Columbia. The last Calla disc to chart was 'I
Need Love' by the Persuaders (Calla 3006), which made 34 R&B in 1977.
Hasse Huss
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Message: 16
Date: Sun, 04 Sep 2005 13:25:10 -0000
From: Rodney Rawlings
Subject: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" / "A Lover's Concerto"
There is massive great info about "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and "A
Lover's Concerto" in this article I have found. I don't know if it is
permissible to cut and paste the whole thing, so here's a link:
http://tinyurl.com/ba96m
Rodney
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Message: 17
Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2005 07:37:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Dave Monroe
Subject: Loulie Jean Norman / "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
Rodney Rawlings wrote:
> There is massive great info about "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and "A
> Lover's Concerto" in this article I have found. I don't know if it
> is permissible to cut and paste the whole thing, so here's a link:
> http://tinyurl.com/ba96m
Speaking of The Tokens ...
"Loulie Jean Norman, who for more than 50 years was considered the
most flawless studio soprano in the entertainment industry, passed
away on August 2. Star Trek fans may not recognize her name, but
they certainly know her voice as the soaring soprano in the theme of
the original Star Trek series. Her impressive range was also featured
in The Tokens' hit 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight.' In her distinguished
studio career she performed with numerous entertainers and musical
legends including Frank Sinatra, Henry Mancini, Ray Charles, Bing
Crosby and Elvis Presley. It is her voice you hear in the film 'Porgy
and Bess' when Clara (played by Diahann Carroll) is singing. In
addition, her talents were evident in Disneyland's 'Haunted Mansion'
as the shrieking opera-singing 'Crazy Soprano Ghost' and in her
performances with Spike Jones and his Orchestra. She appeared as a
regular on comedy-variety shows hosted by Dean Martin, Carol Burnett
and Dinah Shore."
From:
http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/13354.html
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Message: 18
Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2005 08:05:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Artie Wayne
Subject: Updates/ The Nevilles/ Toni Wine/ Tony Orlando
Sunny Monday reports that our friend and Fox news correspondent,
Arthel Neville says that her whole family is safe, but has lost 9
houses between them.
Just talked with Spectropopper Allan Rinde in New York. He asked me
to post that his wife Toni Wine will be singing and playing with Tony
Orlando during several segments on the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy
telethon.
The show starts Sunday night at 9:00 PM and ends tomorrow [please
check local time and listings]. Toni says that Lewis, who has raised
millions and millions of dollars in this annual event, will also be
asking for donations to aid the hurricane victims.
regards, Artie Wayne http://artiewayne.com
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