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Volume #0371 January 16, 2000
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Proclaimed winners by viewers of with-it TV Music-Ins
Subject: Paul Leka, Lemon Pipers and Peppermint Rainbow
Received: 01/16/00 12:09 pm
From: WASE RADIO
To: Spectropop List
To Nat:
The story on "Green Tambourine" is that the vocals and
basic backing tracks were recorded at Cleveland Recording
Studios in Ohio. After listening to this track, Paul Leka
decided to overdub strings and a new drum track and did so
in New York. On the back cover of the Lemon Pipers' album
(Buddah BDS 5009), Olmstead studios was mentioned as the
New York site.
And yes, the story is true. The group was forced to record
the song-or they'd be dropped from the label.
I have the Peppermint Rainbow album on Decca, which Paul
Leka produced in 1969. Their version of "Green Tambourine"
uses the same back tracks as the Lemon Pipers' hit version.
Michael G. Marvin
WASE radio
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Soft Sunshine
Received: 01/15/00 6:48 am
From: Kingsley Abbott
To: Spectropop List
Jamie's "What is?" question has promoted a worthy
discussion to which I will add my few thoughts.
When I went to record Collector a few years ago with the
idea for what was eventually called the US Sunshine Pop
article, we spent a good lunchtime in the pub deciding
exactly what we meant, and what to and not to include.
Good people that they are, they pretty well let me define
it as it was my "taste" (??) that was driving the article.
So, I define it to myself as the the period of US pop
sounds from approx 1965- 1968 that came as an offshoot
from the softer surf vocals and remnants of neo doo-wop. I
was very drawn to the vocal sounds of the later Trade Winds,
Critters, Association, Turtles etc all of whom took and
used harmonies in a subtler way than those of the 1962-
1964 period. Anders/Poncia & Bonner/Gordon & some Sloan/
Barri pretty well started it off for me, and the chart
success led to other great one-offs like Mrs. Bluebird,
The Jet Song et al. This all meshed with the more
commercial end of hippydom and the real summer of love to
give the world happy, skippy outside imagery via Sunshine
Company, Eternitys, etc. Even the "even too sweet for me"
Love Generation.
So, in a nutshell, quality harmony vocals (less than
aggressive), summery lyrical imagery in good melodies, all
in a pure pop casing.
The sound keeps cropping up, and does of course hold all
the acts mentioned to some degree within its somewhat
elastic boundries. Great for collecting!!
To finish, may I recommend one such from a slightly
unusual source: "I'm Hypnotized" by Little Anthony & the
Imperials - pure soft sunshine as per the above!
Kingsley Abbott
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: "Before And After"
Received: 01/16/00 12:02 am
From: John Frank
To: Spectropop List
Nat wrote:
>
>>I couldn't leave on the Chad and Jeremy cut.
>>Then again, the same tune "Before and After", made the
>>grade when done by The American Breed, who also aren't
>>really soft pop.
>
And Jamie replied:
>I've never heard the American Breed recording, but have
>you ever hear this wonderful Van McCoy song as recorded
>by the Fleetwoods? I love their version!
This is a truly great song. Wasn't the Fleetwoods' version
the original? All the versions I've heard are wonderful,
including the heretofore unmentioned one by Lesley Gore.
I haven't heard the one by American Breed. Will have to
check it out. Anyone into uploading mp3s??
John
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Enya: Soft and Hard
Received: 01/16/00 12:02 am
From: Jimmy Cresitelli
To: Spectropop List
Hi... frankly, in the soft vs. hard arena: "meus mihi,
suus cuique carus." "Mine to me, its own to each is dear."
(Roma Ryan for Enya, "Afer Ventus.") As per Jake Tassell,
I'm a "Thunderpopper" myself. For a curious and beautiful
meld between soft and hard, may I suggest a thunderous cut
by Enya? "The Longships" is found on her "Watermark" CD
frrom 1988... and still as fresh as the day she cut it.
Spectorian in its layered build, the song is aptly titled:
the listener can close his or her eyes and picture a sleek
Viking longship knifing steadily along a fjord, silent,
threatening... will it come ashore and terrorize the Goths?
As the ship comes into view of the lone guardsman on
shore, the music swells and swells and crests and then
eventually becomes silent as our boatmen decide to spare
the land and fade from view... the pseudo-Gaeltacht lyrics,
presumably chanted by the Norse oarsman, translate as
"we are alive... we shall live forever." WAY cool and, like
I say, it came to mind during your all's discussion of soft
rock. And don't ANYBODY use the term "new age" in response.
Cheers to all!
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Gretchen Christopher
Received: 01/16/00 12:02 am
From: Doc Rock
To: Spectropop List
Jamie LePage wrote:
"so what is this evasive genre called soft pop"
Didn't Gretchen Christopher invent it when she wrote "Come
Softly," later renamed "Come Softly to Me?"
True, there were earlier hits, like the Teddy Bears "To
Know Him Is To Love Him," but Annette/Carol gets pretty
loud from time to time on that one.
Doc
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Re: soft
Received: 01/16/00 12:09 pm
From: Nat Kone
To: Spectropop List
>From: Keith D'Arcy
>I'm huge on soft pop, and I think it's the kind of
>category that fans have defined rather than bands
>themselves
In the best case scenario, that would always be true. But
I'm not sure soft pop is a good example of this. I think
some of my favourite soft pop bands were jumping on a
bandwagon, though the wagon may not have had a label at
the time. At least that's the impression I get from bands
like Love Generation and Sunshine Company. Or maybe I'm
just distracted by their names. But they give the
impression that one week they were a Lettermen-clone and
the next week they grew their hair and flashed peace signs.
Then again, for some the Lettermen were already soft pop.
But they weren't sunshine pop. Ay, there's the rub.
>I tend to go for the darker, moodier, slightly sad soft
>rockers, and here are a few monsters:
I'm not sure what you mean by this distinction but with
the exception of a couple of big names, this was a huge
list of artists I had never heard of:
>Toast, Mark Eric, Margo Guryan, Alzo, Chrysalis, Euphoria,
>John Summers, Sweet Charity, Excelsior, Spring, Mid Day
>Rain, Twice As Much, Saint Jacques, Nancy Priddy, Terry
>Sylvester, the Sounds of Feeling, Harmony Grass
Harmony Grass is a great sunshine pop name. Same with
Sounds of Feeling.
So who are all these people?
Nat
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Re: We've All Gone Soft...
Received: 01/16/00 12:02 am
From: Jamie LePage
To: Spectropop List
Ron Sauer wrote:
>I would add...earlier, The Chordettes (specifically
>"Soft Soft Sands" and the Poni-Tails to the list.
Exactly! "Soft Sands" by Chordettes may be the very first
record that embodies all the elements of soft pop. A great
personal favorite. In the same vein but a bit later, let's
not forget the British duo Caravelles. Neat stuff.
Keith D'Arcy wrote:
>The essential soft pop record has to be Roger Nichols and
>the Small Circle of Friends LP on A&M.
I agree. An essential album. A couple of quick comments
on the sides Keith listed up.
>"Move with the Dawn" by Mark Eric
Is this from the "Midsummer's Day Dream" album on Uni's
Revue label? I've not heard Move With the Dawn, but I have
heard "Laura's Changing" and "California Home." Both are
interesting tracks; the latter in particular reveals the
strong Brian Wilson/surf harmony influence (new sub-genre=
soft surf rock??). Others fitting this sub-genre are Ronny
& the Daytonas, Yellow Balloon and Dino, Desi & Billy (Dig
"Thru Spray Colored Glasses" by DD&B!).
>"Sun" by Margo Guryan
Do tell more about this artist.
>"That's Alright (I Don't Mind It)" by Alzo
I've not heard this either, is this from the 1970 Bob
Dorough produced LP on Ampex? Heard good things about
this album...
>"There is Now" by Euphoria
Is this from the Jerry Ross produced album on Heritage?
I've only heard "Sitting In A Rocking Chair" from that album
on a comp album, and it has a really cool "sessions" type
ending with the fade sort of falling apart at the end with
unintended talking audible through mic leakage.
Cool threads, cats!
Jamie LePage
n.p. The Absence of Lisa - Ron Dante
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Mark Eric!!
Received: 01/16/00 12:02 am
From: Luis Suarez
To: Spectropop List
I'm new to the list. I've been following the Soft Pop
thread for a few days. I'm so glad Keith D'Arcy mentioned
Mark Eric. I was about to write in asking about him. My
friend Rex turned me on to him, but he had no real
information about who Mark Eric was/is. Does anybody on
the list have any information regarding his discography
(besides the Midsummer's Daydream LP), his history, rumors,
gossip, anything.
Does anybody on the list have a copy of the aforementioned
LP that they are willing to part with? If so, please e-mail
me off-list.
Spectropop is the list that I have been looking for in all
those other lists. Thanks for the knowledgeable, inspiring
music talk.
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
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