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Jamie LePage (1953-2002)
http://www.spectropop.com/Jamie.htm
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There are 25 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. Bonnie Was a Treasure
From: Phil Milstein
2. Margo Guryan covers
From: J.H. Ket
3. Re: Sugar Shoppe/Mamma Mia!
From: Stewart Mason
4. Re: My Dad
From: Norman
5. Re: Early Motown
From: simon white
6. Re: Thoroughly Modern Millie
From: simon white
7. Gold/Deene/Jodelles
From: Kingsley Abbott
8. Catch-up notes
From: Paul Payton
9. Stu Phillips
From: Paul Payton
10. Re: Chiffons LMLYGLM
From: Will Stos
11. Re: The Carolines
From: Jack Madani
14. Re: My Dad
From: Dan Hughes
15. Re: Early Motown
From: Dan Hughes
16. Re: My Dad
From: Mikey
17. Re: Early Motown
From: simon white
18. Cancon Girl Groups
From: Vlaovic B
19. Re: Cancon Girl Groups
From: Will Stos
20. Re: Cancon Girl Groups
From: Vincent Degiorgio
21. Re: Shelley
From: Ron Buono
22. Chiffons/Toni Wine
From: Don Charles
23. Motown
From: simon white
24. Roger Nichols songs
From: laughingmood
25. Chiffons LMLYGLM
From: Mark Frumento
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________________________________________________________________________
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 16:46:00 +0000
From: Phil Milstein
Subject: Bonnie Was a Treasure
All the talk on Charlotte O'Hara recently has finally yielded the
article "Bonnie Was a Treasure," posted today to the website of the
American Song-Poem Music Archives at
http://www.aspma.com/news.htm#bonnie. The article relates the story of
the "Home Of The Brave" singer's alternate career, under the name Bonnie
Graham, doing sessions for the song-poem label Preview Records (s-p
primer: http://www.aspma.com/what_is.htm), which situated her as likely
the only singer recorded by both Phil Spector and his song-poem
counterpart, Rodd Keith. The article includes a photo of Charlotte and
her young daughter Jana (reprinted from PHILately #7), and a pop-up
discography encompassing her legit and song-poem work alike.
My thanks to all who helped out in the preparation of this piece.
--Phil Milstein
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Message: 2
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 22:49:07 +0200
From: J.H. Ket
Subject: Margo Guryan covers
Hello,
I like to add one Margo Guryan cover by a dutch male vocal harmony pop
group.
The Buffoons - Sunday morning (1967)
Hans Ket
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 16:56:11 -0400
From: Stewart Mason
Subject: Re: Sugar Shoppe/Mamma Mia!
Greg Simpson mentions:
> Another act not mentioned, largely because they were two and two
> (girls and boys) was the Sugar Shoppe who may have thought they were
> the Canadian Mamas and Papas but were, in fact, unconsciously
> supplying a template for ABBA, although it's doubtful their music
> made it as far as Sweden. The guys, by the way, were Peter Mann,
> later well known as one of the top vocal arrangers in the business
> for such as The Laurie Bower Singers, and a pretty fair producer,
> too, for The Nylons; and Tony Award winner Victor Garber, who has
> the good habit of showing up in blockbuster movies like Titanic.
Not to mention he's the only thing I've found to like about the otherwise
rather dull TV show ALIAS, on which he plays the bad-ass spy father of the
bas-ass spy heroine.
I have the Sugar Shoppe's album, and it's a little slight but really quite
good, with a nice show-tune edge that suits the material but might put some
people off. The two female singers, by the way, were Lee Harris and Laurie
Hood, who I actually think are better singers than Victor and Peter. (And,
if I may make a sidebar comment about Ms. Hood: yum.)
Speaking of show tunes and Toronto, I'm just back from my honeymoon there,
where my wife and I finally saw the ABBA musical, Mamma Mia! As an
enormous ABBA fan, I was looking forward to the music but dreading
everything else, given the current state of Broadway librettos. As it
turns out, the story was better than I expected, with some genuinely
amusing bits and (for once) an ending I didn't see coming down King Street
from a mile away. I'm not saying it's Kiss Me Kate or anything, but I had
a much better time than I was expecting.
Stewart
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Message: 4
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 06:56:54 +0930
From: Norman
Subject: Re: My Dad
Jimmy wrote;
> Awww! It's true... I defy anyone to listen to "My Dad," in all
> its innocent mawkishness, and not burst into tears. I have it
> on a CD called "Donna Reed's Dinner Party", and I lose it every
> time. So sue me.
Being a person who is easily led, I picked my copy of Paul Petersen's
"My Dad" of the shelf and played it.
Well, what can I say! Surely, this was not a hit.
I vaguely remember watching this popular show but I think I am more
familiar with Paul Petersen as the guy who nowadays supports other
ex-child stars.
My copy is released on the PYE label (Australia) via PYE England and
Colpix USA.
My Dad (Mann-Weill) / Little Boy Sad (Walker) Paul Petersen PYE
PP-188
Arranged by Stu Phillips.
Norman
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Message: 5
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 22:37:24 +0100
From: simon white
Subject: Re: Early Motown
Dan Hughes wrote
> Back in the early 60's in one of those 5-for-88 cents "Hits You
> Missed" packs (actually mostly Flops You Missed), I got an early
> Temptations single called "Check Yourself". The rhythm and the tune
> were quite off-kilter, and I found it so bad that I enjoyed
> listening to it; it was fascinating, like a train wreck.
I love this tune! There are also versions by The Intruders,
Gene Chandler and The Duprees too!
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Message: 6
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 22:37:25 +0100
From: simon white
Subject: Re: Thoroughly Modern Millie
Don Charles wrote:
> I'm extremely happy that "Millie" has won the Tony award for best
> Broadway musical of 2002. I can't wait to see it myself, and I
> hope it brings some much-deserved attention to the original 1967
> movie starring Julie Andrews, Carol Channing, Beatrice Lillie and
> Mary Tyler Moore.
Somewhere in the vault I have a 45 of a radio ad for the film, with
snippets of song and dialogue and an announcers voice. It's all jolly
good clean fun!..........unlike the one I have for "Streetgirls".....
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Message: 7
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 22:02:54 +0100
From: Kingsley Abbott
Subject: Gold/Deene/Jodelles
Ken Gold and Micky Deene are part of the long standing
East London 'harmony mafia' - to explain - it is my personal
theory, supported by Tony Rivers, that a lot of the groups/
musicians in the East of London and England were heavily
influenced by the 'pirate' radio stations that were anchored
off the east coast in the sixties. They played a lot of US
pop that didn't figure elsewhere, and consequently many of
the best harmony bands came from East London and Essex.
Gold and Deene are or have been mates with Tony, Adrian
Baker and others and have been involved with many of the
one off studio projects over the years, but also including
Real Thing's biggies. Micky Deene was on hand as one
of the accapella group that Tony organised when Brian
Wilson popped in on the UK Convention in 1988. Both
have had their own projects as well of course.
Kingsley
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Message: 8
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 19:04:19 -0400
From: Paul Payton
Subject: Catch-up notes
Stephane and company, thank you for the Don Grady/Agrati 45 discog. I have
the two on Canterbury. I believe "Children of St. Monica" was an AM hit on
the West Coast (someone have more details?) and is sweet and poppy, but
"Impressions with Syvonne" was always my outstanding favorite - very "FM"
and creative. I have commercial 45's in stereo.
Also on the same label was The New Wave - "Where Do We Go From Here" is
mournful and pretty. Any info on this duo?
John Rausch, thanks for the Stu Phillips link. I e-mailed him, complimenting
him on one of my favorite Ronettes' tracks, "Memory" (May 45-120), and
inquiring whether he (as producer) or the group came up with the Marcels'
famous bass signature on "Blue Moon". Will pass on info of note if any is
returned.
Kingley Abbott mentioned the Flying Pickets. My only exposure to them is
rthe gorgeous acapella "Only You," which Dr. Demento (!) played on his
program in the '80's. Is it availabl;e on CD in the US, please?
Rex Srother: Re: Era, according to Both Sides Now,
http://www.bsnpubs.com/era.html
Herb Newman and Lew Bedell owner the label (and subsids including Dore and
Monogram) from its inception, then sold the label to K-Tel in the 70's,
which reissued several CD's using the same Era logo in the 90's. There's a
good discography at the URL above. Re: Ava Records, I believe the company
was owned by Fred Astaire; thus, the dancing logo. I don't know what
happened to its catalog.
Thanks for the Gene Page page,
http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Gene%20Page.html It is part of a larger site
which is an excellent repository for thumbnail biographies of hundreds of
soul and soulful singers, many familiar to Spectropoppers. (This is no doubt
old news to some, but new to me....) By the way, didn't Gene Page also do
some arranging and/or producing for Chess/Checker/Argo (later Cadet)?
Still catching up,
Country Paul
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Message: 9
Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 19:26:00 -0400
From: Paul Payton
Subject: Stu Phillips
Thanks to John Rausch, I checked out Stu Phillips' site, and sent
him an e-mail inquiring about the famous hook on "Blue Moon" by
the Marcels (and confessing my love for his production of "Memory"
by the Ronettes). He wrote back:
"...The bass part on Blue Moon was a collaborative project. The
bass riff is actually from an old doo-wop record. The idea of using
the song Blue Moon over the bass line was mine. For the entire story
of the recording of Blue Moon you will have to read my book titled
"Stu Who?" which will be available in Sept. 2002. Also in the book
are stories about the Ronettes, Shelley Fabares, James Darren and
much, much more. Plus Galactica... The Monkees... Knight Rider etc.
Your idea about putting together a CD of some old 45s that did
not get into any albums has merit. I have been thinking along that
same line for some time. I definitely will now give it some serious
thought...."
That could be one heck of a CD, and the book should be a good read!
Country Paul
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Message: 10
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 00:34:36 -0000
From: Will Stos
Subject: Re: Chiffons LMLYGLM
David Bell wrote:
> ...Toni Wine sang lead on the Chiffons' "Love Me Like You're
> Gonna Lose Me"? I'm devastated!!!
What? Did I miss a post? I'm sure I hear Judy on the record (her
voice is pretty distinct, and although Sylvia's is less distinct,
I thought it was her too! I'm going to check it out again on musica!
Will
PS - David is right, either way, I'll still love it.
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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 00:22:07 -0500
From: Jack Madani
Subject: Re: The Carolines
Mick Patrick wrote about the Carolines:
>The two tracks concerned were released back-to-back on Roulette
>4709 late in 1966. "Can't Stop Lovin' The Boy" was written by
> Larry Weiss and Tom Catalano. The B-side, "You're My Baby",
> was a solo Weiss composition. Both sides were arranged by
> Artie Butler and produced by Larry Weiss for Glamorous Productions.
> To my knowledge, the group released no other records.
I just wanted to mention that, a couple of years ago on this list when we
had nothing better to do, we were suggesting songs that were the ultimate,
quintessential, defining girlgroup sound. I nominated "Can't Stop Lovin'
The Boy."
FWIW.
http://www.spectropop.com/archive/digest/m445.html
jack
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Message: 14
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 14:13:18 -0000
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Re: My Dad
Norman sez,
> I picked my copy of Paul Petersen's
> "My Dad" of the shelf and played it.
> Well, what can I say! Surely, this was not a hit.
Hard as it may be to believe, it went to number 6 in Billboard
and stayed in the top 40 for 10 weeks (Dec 62-Feb 63).
---Dan
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Message: 15
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 14:13:37 -0000
From: Dan Hughes
Subject: Re: Early Motown
Simon writes (of the Temptations' Check Yourself),
> I love this tune! There are also versions by The Intruders,
> Gene Chandler and The Duprees too!
Strangely enough, I love it too - now. It took a heap of getting
used to, though. I had no idea anyone else had ever recorded it.
Thanks for the info!
---Dan
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Message: 16
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 10:28:17 -0400
From: Mikey
Subject: Re: My Dad
dan hughes:
> Hard as it may be to believe, it went to number 6 in Billboard
> and stayed in the top 40 for 10 weeks (Dec 62-Feb 63).
>>>>>I dont know why anyone would find that hard to believe.
The record was made by a teenager FOR teenagers and had the clout
of a top rated TV show behind it.
I mean, there were a whole SLEW of those kinds of records and lots
of 'em were hits. Remember that was a much more innocent time!!
Wish we had those days back, to tell ya the truth.
Your Friend,
Mikey
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Message: 17
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 15:42:08 +0100
From: simon white
Subject: Re: Early Motown
Dan Hughes wrote
> Simon writes (of the Temptations' Check Yourself),
>> I love this tune! There are also versions by The Intruders,
>> Gene Chandler and The Duprees too!
>
> Strangely enough, I love it too - now. It took a heap of getting
> used to, though. I had no idea anyone else had ever recorded it.
> Thanks for the info!
>
> ---Dan
It's interesting this because experience has taught me that if I buy
a 45 and there's even a LITTLE bit of it I like then that I should
keep it because when I go back to it years later I'm often blown away
with how good it is !
I know exactly what you mean Dan with "Check Yourself" because it has
an.... unusual quality which sounds very different to anything else
from the time....which partly explains its non hit status!
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Message: 18
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 11:49:00 -0400
From: Vlaovic B
Subject: Cancon Girl Groups
<>
That'd be me. Sorry didn't mean to suggest that Les Filles Vernon were
Canadian, only that they charted in Canada, whereas in the States they
didn't. Someone mentioned Quebecoise late 70s disco dollies Toulouse.
Not really a girl group per se, but really a terrific group of girls who managed a small handful of minor anglo hits circa 77-78. I remember as
teen loving them, but wondering why they were never bigger than they
actually were.
Some of their songs sounded much like what Dusty Springfield might've
sounded like if she'd been doing low-level funk in Montreal in 1977. THeir
best song though 'Don't play with my Heart' which worked around a Motown
hook (Same Old Song) might have stood a better chance if KC & The Sunshine
Band hadn't come out with their revival of same song at the same time.
Come to think of I think Toulouse did back-up vocals for the aforementioned
Patsy Gallant....ah, late 70s Montreal disco music.....
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Message: 19
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 17:02:25 -0000
From: Will Stos
Subject: Re: Cancon Girl Groups
Someone mentioned Quebecoise late 70s disco dollies Toulouse.
Vlaovic B wrote:
> Not really a girl group per se, but really a terrific group of
> girls who managed a small handful of minor anglo hits circa 77-78.
> I remember as teen loving them, but wondering why they were never
> bigger than they actually were.
Did they perform in English only, or both English and French?
Will
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Message: 20
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 10:14:03 -0700
From: Vincent Degiorgio
Subject: Re: Cancon Girl Groups
Vlaovic B wrote:
> Come to think of I think Toulouse did back-up vocals for the
> aforementioned Patsy Gallant....
Toulouse's track "On A Rien" ..was also covered by LA based
female act, Saint Tropez, who did a disco record in French that
featured "Je T'Aime"...pretty controversial stuff for its time..
I remember a female trio called Peaches as well, given out by
Radio Shack of all people..this was in the Toronto area if I
recall correctly.
I had remixed Patsy's From NY to LA about seven years ago, it
became a club hit in Australia after that...
Perhaps one of the experts on this site can also advise if
Touche, a Vancouver act that had a mild hit with "Take A Look
But Don't Touch", was all female...I can't remember !
Vince
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Message: 21
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 14:24:31 EDT
From: Ron Buono
Subject: Re: Shelley
Joe Panzarella wrote:
> ...as I recall Shelley did a couple of movies with Elvis too,
> but I'm not too sure if she sang in them though.
I remember Miss Fabares appearing in a Herman's Hermits film
entitled "Hold On!". Shelley appears here as a blonde(!), and
sings a track called (I think) "Make Me Happy" while lounging
on the beach. My heart be still!
Ron
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Message: 22
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 18:58:57 +0000
From: Don Charles
Subject: Chiffons/Toni Wine
Toni Wine co-produced "Love Me Like You're Gonna Lose Me"
and she probably sings a background part. She probably even sang
the demo, but that's not her on lead. What you hear on that single
is a duet between Judy Craig and Sylvia Peterson of the REAL
Chiffons! I know Toni's voice well, and neither of those is her.
Stuffed Animal
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Message: 23
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 20:54:09 +0100
From: simon white
Subject: Motown
While I'm thinking of it, Spectrum are releasing this week a
double album of obscure and unreleased Motown tracks. Theres a
great Marvelettes track called "Poor Little Rich Girl' and the
BEST Lewis Sisters track I ever heard! It really is an essential
purchase! Honest!
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Message: 24
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 23:05:30 -0000
From: laughingmood
Subject: Roger Nichols songs
I'm trying to compile a list of songs written by Roger Nichols that
were recorded by other artists other than himself and Paul Williams.
Here is what I can think of so far:
The Sunshine Company - Just Beyond Your Smile
The Monkees - Someday Man
The American Breed - Always You
The Carpenters - We've Only Just Begun
The Carpenters - I Kept On Loving You
The Carpenters - Rainy Days And Mondays
The Collage - Can I Go
The Match - Don't Take Your Time
Harper's Bizarre - The Drifter
The Sundowners - Always You
The Sandpipers - To Put Up With You
Peppermint Trolley Company - Trust
The Parade - Kinda Wasted Without You (or maybe Nichols was in the
Parade under a different name, Smokey Roberds, I can't quite figure
that one out. The Small Circle Of Friends credits this song to
Nichols/McLeod/Riopelle. But the Parade album credits it to
Roberds/McLeod/Riopelle. And all the other songs on the Parade album
that have a writing credit for Roberds have a distinct Roger Nichols
feel. Welcome, You're In Love for example. Any insight from someone
in the know.)
That's all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure there is much more.
I'm really looking for stuff from that golden period of late '66
to '70 or '71. Any info would be appreciated.
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Message: 25
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 15:41:37 -0400
From: Mark Frumento
Subject: Chiffons LMLYGLM
> Mind you, it's still a wonderful record.
I really love LMLYGLM but, for me "Tonight I'm Gonna Dream" is
still the Chiffons' masterpiece. Perhaps I'm a bit overly
sentimental for that 60s sound?
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End
