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SPECTROPOP - Spectacular! Retro! Pop!
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There are 15 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Gerry and Jerry and "You'll Never Walk Alone"
From: Phil X Milstein
2. One Kiss . . . Girl Group Sounds, Lost and Found
From: Martin Roberts
3. Archies reunion at the Bubblegum Achievement Awards
From: Kim Cooper
4. Joe Meek's lab rats and Linda's dead boyfriend
From: Julio Niņo
5. Re: Teddy Vann discography
From: Davie Gordon
6. Re: City Zu "Give A Little Bit"
From: John Berg
7. Jan Berry's Mother Earth 45
From: Brian Chidester
8. Joe Donovan, DJ
From: Michael Gessner
9. Jan Berry's 1970's work
From: James Cassidy
10. Re: Jan Berry's Mother Earth 45
From: Michael Thom
11. Linda Gray
From: James Cassidy
12. Chuck and Jan Berry
From: Steve Harvey
13. Re: Linda Gray
From: Martin Roberts
14. Re: Joe Donovan, DJ
From: Phil X Milstein
15. Re: Sue Lynn
From: Will Stos
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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2005 15:39:42 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Gerry and Jerry and "You'll Never Walk Alone"
Any Liverpudlians among the Spectropopulation? I'm hunting
versions of "You'll Never Walk Alone." I'm aware it is the
theme song of the Liverpool Football Club (although that is
not the reason I'm hunting versions of it). As far as I can
tell, Gerry & The Pacemakers' is the at least quasi-official
version of the LFC -- is that true?
The song is more famous in the U.S. as a theme song of another
Jerry, that being Jerry Lewis, who has long used it to climax
his annual Labor Day telethon for Muscular Dystrophy (whereas
Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" has always been his general purpose
theme). This strikes me as a little freaky, though, as doesn't
the song's message totally contradict the concept of helping
M.D. patients to achieve a better and more independent life? I
realize the telethon has become an arch-enemy of the
politically correct crowd, but I've yet to hear one of them
complain about Jerry's use of such an antithetical song to
wring closing-moment bucks from his viewership. Maybe he
really is the Devil after all. ("No," he insists, "I just
played Him in 'Damn Yankees'.")
Anyhoo, that's neither here nor there; all I'm really after
here is some confirmation that Gerry (with a "G")'s version
is the predominant one for LFC fans.
Thanks,
--Phil M.
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2005 22:42:41 +0100
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: One Kiss . . . Girl Group Sounds, Lost and Found
Two box sets in three days, well, who's a lucky boy then?! The
rather dark Joe Meek set contrasts with the fun and froth of
the Rhino Girl Group as does chalk with cheese. If Meek's set
shows the anguish behind the hits, Rhino unashamedly glorifies
them. Not all hits, a hefty lot of near misses and ones that
never even came close but they all shoulda, coulda, been. I've
not played all the CDs yet, but the ones I have sound great.
(Seemingly there is no need for the worries expressed over the
sound quality.) Neither have I done more than speed-read
Sheila's witty, informative booklet. There is plenty of time
for serious discussion of these. What has really impressed and
amazed me is the quality of the packaging, look and feel of the
set. It's unlike anything I've seen previously: camp, kitsch,
bizarre, zany, all of these and more, you've got to see it to
believe it! How, though, is a real man meant to walk up to a
record counter and buy a copy? Say it loud and say it proud
"Oooh haven't you got the hat box in pink and lilac?" And where
to put it once bought? Mine in its black and white box will sit
perfectly on my dresser, next to my gentleman's sponge bag:-)
Martin
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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2005 15:12:54 -0700
From: Kim Cooper
Subject: Archies reunion at the Bubblegum Achievement Awards
and yet more surprises, within:
http://scrammagazine.com/2005gummies.html
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 17:27:31 -0000
From: Julio Niņo
Subject: Joe Meek's lab rats and Linda's dead boyfriend
Hola everybody.
Martin Roberts wrote about The new Joe Meekīs box set:
> For serious record collectors rather than the more casual
> buyer I've yet to see a more mouth-watering compilation...
Iīve also found that box set fascinating. The notes and the
photos of the booklet are indeed very interesting, although the
paper is so thin that in some pages the words printed on the
opposite side mix with the lines you are trying to read, and
when you touch the booklet you have the impression that if
youīre not careful it can dissolve in your hands and disappear.
But I guess itīs the price you pay for the low price of the box.
The tracks are fascinating. Listening to them is like observing
the crazy pursuits of a mad scientist. I donīt think that Joe
looked for recherché artistic objectives, I think that he always
wanted to be appreciated by the public and have hits. I donīt
believe he was even very conscious of his weirdness, in musical
terms; but when you listen to his music you have the impression
that he was a prisoner in his own strange world, becoming more
and more isolated in his fantasies. Thatīs what makes some of
his tracks so unexpected and unique. Most of the artists he
worked with ended up being kind of lab rats for his experiments,
maybe that īs the reason why some of them felt alienated (and
sometimes horrified) from their own tracks.
A curious theory proposes that laughing could be a brain
mechanism for eliminate unexpected information that canīt be
properly process, in order to avoid getting blocked. I often
laugh listening to Joe Meekīs tracks , and I love that.
Iīm going to take my siesta.
Chao.
Julio Niņo.
PS: Two hour later..... I woke up to a wet tragedy : "The Sea
Took Him Away" by Linda Gray. I love it. Thank you very much to
Martin for playing it. Martin, how much must I beg to listen to
the other side?...
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2005 13:37:45 -0000
From: Davie Gordon
Subject: Re: Teddy Vann discography
Hans Huss wrote:
> Found two more...
> RASHI (RCA 10630) 1976...
> SOUNDS OF LOVE (RCA 10818) 1976...
Thanks Hasse, the Sounds of Love one was news to me.
Here are the additions all in one place. I'll give it another few
weeks then re-edit ther whole thing and post it to the files
section.
Teddy Vann is still alive and working in NY. I'm trying to find
out an e-mail address for him.
Davie
ADDITIONS * == unconfirmed
DARLENE McCRAE (Roulette 4173) BB08/17/59
You Made A Fool Of Me (Teddy Vann)
You (Teddy Vann)
Prod : Teddy Vann
TENDER SLIM (Grey Cliff 723) 12/59
Teenage Hayride (Teddy Vann)
Hey Joe
Prod : Teddy Vann
[this must be one of the most obscure records to ever chart - it
reached # 93 on Billboard's Hot 100 but other than that I haven't
been able to trace any further info. about Tender Slim]
* PRENTISS POLK (Columbia 42178) late '61
Hit Record (Teddy Vann)
Not Me
THE FOUR RIVERS (Josie 901) 10/62
I Confess (T. Vann, N. Nathan)
Sooner Or Later
Prod : Teddy Vann
[This Oakland,Ca. group were fronted by soul legend Freddie Hughes]
THE JET SET (Blaine 4000) c.06/65
Jet Set (Teddy Vann, Fred Williams)
Swing, Swing, Jet
Prod : Teddy Vann
* MARGARET ANN WILLIAMS (Sue 45-134) c08/65
The Ten Commandments Of Soul
Words
TEDDY VANN (Capitol T2597) 1967?
"The Adventures Of Colored Man" album
THE BURNING EMOTION (Bang 553) BB 01/13/68
The Whatchamacallit
New World
Prod : Teddy Vann
[reissued on ABC 11178, 02/69]
MARKE JACKSON (Diamond 237) BB 01/13/68
Ode To Otis Redding
Beautiful Place
Prod : Teddy Vann
[probably the first of the Otis Redding tribute records]
MAXIMILIAN : "Maximilian" ABC 1969
Prod : Teddy Vann
AKIM (Simtone 1223) 12/73
Santa Claus Is A Black Man (Teddy Vann)
A Natural Santa
Prod : Teddy Vann
arr : Teddy Vann
RASHI (RCA 10630) 1976
One On One (Teddy Vann)
Essence
Prod : Teddy Vann
arr : Horace Ott
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Message: 6
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2005 13:52:32 -0700
From: John Berg
Subject: Re: City Zu "Give A Little Bit"
A few more notes about City Zu. You can check out their website
to learn some of the band's history, as told in a rather cryptic/
humorous tone by "Jerry Zu" Matheson, and also listen to a
portion of "Give A Little Bit". This song was written and
produced by Jerry Fuller in LA, and was their most commercial
effort. It was a hit on Northwest radio but slightly missed the
mark at the national level. Only three band members actually
play on it -- Jerry Zu (vocals and sax in the band, to this day),
Mike Cox (bass) and Doug Heath (guitar) plus some members of the
Knickerbockers -- who had cut a demo of the song. Jerry
Fuller's involvement with City Zu waned when he discovered Gary
Puckett and the Union Gap, and as their hit-making took off the
City Zu suffered indifference and moved on. The band released
two other 45s that were harder --even slightly "psychedelic" --
in tone, with at least one on the Dot label. Doug Heath later
connected with Paul Revere and has been lead guitarist in the
Raiders for something like 20 or more years (Revere's website
will tell you the details).
City Zu still play 45 or so weeks per year in Nevada at casinos
and hotels, making a steady living for Jerry Zu and his cohorts.
His present drummer, Tim Kelliher, once played in several
seminal Spokane area '60s rock bands, then was with guitarist
Randy Hanson (who achieved some modest fame as a Hendrix
channeler) before hooking up with City Zu. There is lots of
unreleased City Zu music from the '60s and early '70s on tape;
it just takes someone willing to invest a few thousand dollars
to release a proper compilation CD. Jerry himself is always
looking forward, not back, so he will not likely undertake such
a project himself but would love to see it happen.
John Berg in Seattle
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 15:51:33 -0400
From: Brian Chidester
Subject: Jan Berry's Mother Earth 45
Previously:
> This is my first post so I hope It's suitable. After many years
> of searching I just tracked down a copy of Jan Berry's Mother
> Earth 45, which is a brilliant Surfs Up/Sunflower era soundalike.
> Does anyone out there know any of the other singles he issued in
> the '70s? Are they any good? I'm quite intrigued by the 1 JAN 1
> 45. Also, did he record any '70s solo albums?
Jan cut a song called "Sing Sang a Song" in the mid-'70s that was
really great. In fact, just about every Jan Berry single from
the '70s has the same feel, and all have excellent melodies and
arrangements. Clearly Jan did not lose his talent for writing and
producing. The vocals are often warbly and rough upon first listen.
Some people clearly feel that they know too much history to enjoy
them, and can only hear a crippled man trying to sing lead vocals
when he maybe shouldn't have been. I do not feel that way, however,
and whatever the history behind those records was, it's the music
that matters, and Jan still had some great chops during the early
'70s heaviness/hippie era. There was no '70s Jan Berry album, but
the full run of Jan's '70s singles was compiled on the stellar
(and essential) LEGENDARY MASKED SURFERS bootleg double-LP. That
was also the place where many of the CARNIVAL OF SOUND songs were
first released on an LP, and they sounded amazing in the context
of an actual album. It's a bootleg, but it was better than any 33
& 1/3 product that came out under Jan & Dean during the '70s.
Hope that helps.
Brian Chidester
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Message: 8
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 01:02:11 -0400
From: Michael Gessner
Subject: Joe Donovan, DJ
I, too, listened to Joe Donovan on WHAS Louisville. I knew him
in Denver on KOA (850AM) as Joe Douglas in the mid 70s and was
once a live guest in his studio at KOA with some trivia friends.
His own knowledgw was incredible. He knew the Whitburn Top 100
book virtually by heart. He offered prizes if you could stump
him on 1955-69 songs. I had tried for 10 yrs to ID a song from
song lyric snippets. He knew immediately it was The Present
doing "Baby The World Really Turns" on Philips. Great song.
Does anyone know his real last name? I think it was Douth or
something like that.
Mike in Philly
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Message: 9
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 20:45:21 -0400
From: James Cassidy
Subject: Jan Berry's 1970's work
Alan asked:
> Does anyone out there know any of the other singles he issued
> in the '70s? Are they any good? I'm quite intrigued by the 1
> JAN 1 45. Also, did he record any '70s solo albums?
Lou Adler, who ran Ode and was Jan & Dean's manager, pretty much
gave Jan free rein to release any material on Ode as he worked to
recover from his car accident. In addition to the three singles
you mentioned, Jan put out a version of Chuck Berry's "Little
Queenie" and a single credited to Jan & Dean, "Fun City." Of the
songs Alan mentioned, "Don't You Just Know It," the Huey Smith &
the Clowns classic, is just plain weird, with Jan clearly
struggling with his lines and Brian Wilson (who was not in great
shape at the time, either) putting in minimal effort. "Tinsel
Town" is not a bad tune with some abrupt key changes and
interesting production. "Little Queenie" was apparently an
effort to emulate the Beach Boys' success with "Rock 'n' Roll
Music." "Fun City" is OK. Later, there was a cassette-only
album credited to Jan & Dean, "Port to Paradise," that had some
other mostly-Jan material on it. Unfortunately, because of Jan's
aphasia, a lot of his singing has an "English as a second
language" quality to it.
Jim Cassidy
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Message: 10
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 17:12:38 -0500
From: Michael Thom
Subject: Re: Jan Berry's Mother Earth 45
Here's a complete list of Jan's 1970s singles, including the
Jan and Dean single on Ode:
Ode 66023-Mother Earth/Blue Moon Shuffle (as Jan Berry; promo
only with insert card stating: "Hello out there: You know that
Jan and Dean haven't done anything in a long time, But I've
been recovering, and have made my first record which is a ballad.
Play it and see if you like it. If so, then I'm back on the
scene. Thank you, (signed) Jan Berry"; B-side is instrumental)
-1972
Ode 66034-Don't You Just Know It/Blue Moon Shuffle (as Jan; promo
only, with Brian Wilson, uncredited, on backing vocals on A-side)
-1973
Ode 66050-Tinsel Town (Hitch-a-Ride to Hollywood)/Blow Up Music
(as 1 Jan 1, promo only; A-side is "Blue Moon Shuffle" with
lyrics added)-1974
Ode 66111-Fun City/Totally Wild (Jan and Dean; stock copies
pressed)-1975
Ode 66120-Sing Sang a Song/same (as Jan Berry, stereo/mono promo
only)-1976
A&M 1957-Little Queenie/That's the Way It Is (as Jan Berry;
stock copies with B-side, promos have A-side stereo/mono)-1977
A&M 2020-Skateboard Surfin' USA (Sidewalk Surfin' With Me)/How-
How I Love Her (as Jan Berry; stock copies with B-side, promos
have A-side stereo/mono)-1978
Michael Thom
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Message: 11
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 21:00:03 -0400
From: James Cassidy
Subject: Linda Gray
Martin Roberts:
> Not only a surfing girl 45, but a death disc to boot! A great
> record from Linda Gray, "The Sea Took Him Away" on Karate 813.
Classic track, Martin! Is that *the* Linda Gray of "Dallas" fame?
Jim Cassidy
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Message: 12
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 18:30:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steve Harvey
Subject: Chuck and Jan Berry
Previously:
> Does anyone out there know any of the other singles he issued in
> the '70s? Are they any good? I'm quite intrigued by the 1 JAN 1
> 45. Also, did he record any '70s solo albums?
Jan's "Girl You're Blowing My Mind" was a really cool psych take.
There is a bootleg Cd of different takes of this tune. His cover
of "Little Queenie" was also great.
Steve Harvey
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Message: 13
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 18:33:25 +0100
From: Martin Roberts
Subject: Re: Linda Gray
Jim Cassidy asked,
> Is that *the* Linda Gray of "Dallas" fame?
I'm not sure if there's actual 'proof' but I'm fairly sure that
pal Ian Chapman (remember him, ol' 'Golden Ears'?) told me it
was.
I bought the record some decades ago when records from the US
seemed to cost pennies. I was always taking a chance on a likely
label, name or even approximate year of release. Many weren't even
worth the pennies but most are still in my collection. Including
this one, which the seller even deducted from the bill because of
its poor condition. The flip, which I think was the intended
a-side, plays much better.
I've never needed telling that there are still many fine records
awaiting discovery. And I am pleased that even with the heavily
mined girl and surf records, years of collecting and the plethora
of great CD compilations, most seemingly compiled by Mick Patrick,
to have turned some folk on to a goodie,
Martin
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 10:57:19 -0400
From: Phil X Milstein
Subject: Re: Joe Donovan, DJ
Michael Gessner wrote:
> I, too, listened to Joe Donovan on WHAS Louisville. ...
"Odd And Obscure" is an intriguing name for a commercial, AM
radio show. Just how odd and obscure did Mr. Donovan's playlist
get?
--Phil M.
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Message: 15
Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2005 15:55:27 -0000
From: Will Stos
Subject: Re: Sue Lynn
Previously:
> A particular standout is the weird and wonderful "Reach For
> The Moon" by Sue Lynn.
Dave Heasman:
> Is this Sue Lynn English by any chance? There was a top-ish
> model by that name in the late 60s.
She might be English because the "Reach For The Moon" track
appears alongside other Brit Girls. Can anyone confirm if the
model was also the singer?
Will : )
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