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Volume #0384 February 7, 2000
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Out to Lunch with Bones Howe
Subject: Cake/Cher
Received: 02/05/00 4:42 am
From: John Frank
To: Spectropop!
>John Frank wrote:
>>
>>Nat Kone wrote:
>>I've always clearly heard Cher's voice in their classic,
>>"Baby That's Me?" Is it? Or did one of the group merely
>>sound like her? (I've been wondering this for years and
>>would really like to know if my suspicion is true.)
>
>None of them look like Cher and none of them are named
>Cher but that doesn't mean it isn't secretly Cher, I
>suppose.
It wasn't my contention that one of the three "official"
members of the group was Cher. I had the album, and none
of the three women resembled Cher. But one of the voices
singing in "Baby That's Me" *sounds* like her to me. And,
given the Greene-Stone-Battiste-Gold Star connections, as
well as the timeframe, Cher's presence at the recording
session doesn't seem all that unlikely.
As we've been discussing here lately, there were a lot of
uncredited activity going on in the making of 60s music.
Just as there were session players, there were session
singers as well. (Example: Little Eva's not credited as
being a member of the Cookies, although she sang on most
of their hits.
One additional thing about the Cake. It was posted to the
60s music Usenet newsgroup that they had appeared a couple
of times on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." Apparently
the lead singer's (the one with short blonde hair) schtick
was to stand stock-still, head tilted, staring
emotionlessly and directly into the camera while singing.
John
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: The Cake "Baby That's Me"
Received: 02/05/00 4:42 am
From: Robin Wills
To: Spectropop!
Hi there
I believe there was an earlier version of "Baby That's Me,"
I believe it was on Cameo Parkway, I'll hazzard a guess...
Was it by Candy &The Kisses?
I've never heard it, but I wonder if it might be the same
backing track, as The Cake's version sounds like pure 1965
to me. Anyone heard this other version?
All the best
Robin
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Greene & Stone
Received: 02/05/00 4:42 am
From: James F. Cassidy
To: Spectropop!
Alan Ackerman wrote, re: The Cake:
>Greene and Stone were not record producers, they were
>personal managers. However, they had the bucks to be
>"executive producers."
I think they *wanted* the bucks for being "producers."
They also "produced" (read: "screwed up") the first
Buffalo Springfield album. These guys were apparently a
couple of sharks who scraped enough dough together to rent
a limo and convince the gullible, young BS that they would
make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. Their lack of
production expertise became immediately evident (even to
the inexperienced BS) when they began recording. None of
the band was satisfied with the final product and Greene &
Stone were subsequently barred from even attending any BS
sessions thereafter (despite their production credit on
"BS Again").
For more information, read "For What It's Worth," the BS
book co-written by Richie Furay.
Jim Cassidy
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Re: Priscilla
Received: 02/05/00 4:42 am
From: Hillary Rodham Hussein
To: Spectropop!
Jamie wrote:
>Whatever happened to Priscilla? Anyone know?
Well, after her husband died in a heart attack/eating
frenzy in 1977, she married "Cliff Barnes" and later
"Frank Drebin." Oh waidddaminute, we are not talking
about the same Priscilla, are we?! Dang...
T.
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Curt Boettcher
Received: 02/05/00 4:42 am
From: Ron Weekes
To: Spectropop!
If anyone on this list has either the Rev-Ola "Eternity's
Children" or the ABC Records LP "Saturn Rings" by Michele,
please contact me privately.
Ron Weekes
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Re: Rock N Roll Harp
Received: 02/04/00 3:20 am
From: David Bash
To: Spectropop!
Michael Gessner wrote:
> Does anyone recall a 1967-8 group called The Present on
> Philips. They had a nice pop song that was a hit in
> central Florida caled "Many's the Slip Twixt the Cup and
> the Lip (Baby the World Really Turns)." Only song I recall
> with a rock and roll harp.
>
Hi Mike,
I'm not sure what you mean by a "rock and roll harp," but
"Abraham, Martin, and John" by Dion had a wonderful, harp
filled ending.
I'd certainly love to hear "Many's The Slip Twixt The Cup
And The Lip (Baby The World Really Turns)," though. :-)
--
Spectropop Rules!!!!!
Take Care,
David
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Re: Back up singers
Received: 02/05/00 4:42 am
From: Tom Waters
To: Spectropop!
I'm on the Bobby Rydell mailing list and I was very
suprised to find out that Bobby's recordings were backed
by the Valkaires (really can't remember how to spell it,
but it's something like that), consisting of a group of
black grandmothers! I always thought they were teenage
girls, but it's easy to be fooled, I guess. Wish I knew
who backed Del Shannon on his hits, I read somewhere that
the Ronettes backed him, so I've always wondered if it was
them, wouldn't that be something!
Tom
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Singing Grandmothers
Received: 02/05/00 4:42 am
From: Paul Urbahns
To: Spectropop!
<< Actually, what I wanted to know, was if anyone out
there knows the identities of those great gals who back up
Bobby Rydell on so many of his hits ("Volare," "Wild One."
"Swingin' School," etc.). They add such a distinction to
those tunes. I can't even imagine those songs without
them. >>
Bobby Rydell says they were four gospel singing
grandmothers. Apparently elderly.
Paul Urbahns
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Back-up Singers
Received: 02/05/00 4:42 am
From: John Frank
To: Spectropop!
Ron Buono wrote:
>
>With all this talk about session musicians, I began to
>wonder about all those uncredited back-up singers on
>countless hits (i.e. "The Cookies" backing up Ms. Gorme on
>"Blame it on the Bossa Nova," The Blossoms on "Johnny Angel"
...and on Duane Eddy's "(Dance with the) Guitar Man" and
on the early Nancy Sinatra hits, and and and... The
Blossoms sang back-up to dozens and dozens of 60s hits.
Also Martha & the Vandellas on Marvin Gaye's "Hitch Hike."
Listen closely to the back-up singing on Madeline Bell's
"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" -- you can clearly hear the
smoky tones of Dusty Springfield.
>The Marvellettes on "Pride & Joy," etc...). I recently
>read that it was actually The Angels, and not The Tammys
>who sang on Lou Christie's "Lightning Strikes"! That blew
>my mind! (By the way, what happened to the Tammys?).
The Tammys sometimes sang back-up on the early Lou
Christie sides. Sometimes it was another grouping which
included his sister (who managed the Tammys).
When Lou was on MGM, I've read, The Angels, who by now
were also recording for that label, were used to back him
up. This is after the great lead singer Peggy Santiglia
left the group and was replaced by one of the Pixies Three.
Can't remember which one. (Pixie Kay Krebs, if you're
still out there, can you help?)
>
>Actually, what I wanted to know, was if anyone out there
>knows the identities of those great gals who back up Bobby
>Rydell on so many of his hits ("Volare," "Wild One."
>"Swingin' School," etc.). They add such a distinction to
>those tunes. I can't even imagine those songs without them.
I would guess, and it's just a guess, that it was the Orlons.
John
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Fifth Dimenison
Received: 02/05/00 4:42 am
From: Paul Urbahns
To: Spectropop!
David wrote:
>was trying to do some reissue work for an indie label
>about a year and a half ago, and I approached Arista about
>licensing the 2 LP's. I was told that they were holding
>them back to push sales of the compilation, and when and
>if they did decide to license them, the fee would be quite
>expensive.
I really hate it when labels that don't have a reissue
program do this. When Arista (then Bell) had the FD on
their label they ignored a lot of great Soul City releases.
Most labels will take the old label's albums & reissue them
under new numbers. UNI, MCA have done this several times
with Neil Diamond albums, but Arista doesn't show any
interest in reissues, and when someone else does, they
don't put it out themselves, instead they jack up the
price so nobody else can afford it either.
Guess I'll keep my Soul City albums a little longer.
Great business I guess.
Paul Urbahns
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: 5th Dimension
Received: 02/05/00 4:42 am
From: Frank Youngwerth
To: Spectropop!
>I was trying to do some reissue work for an indie label
>about a year and a half ago, and I approached Arista about
>licensing the 2 LP's. I was told that they were holding
>them back to push sales of the compilation, and when and
>if they did decide to license them, the fee would be quite
>expensive.
A few months ago someone I know at BMG gave me the phone
number of a producer at the Buddha label. I called and
left a message suggesting that they look into reissuing
the individual 5th Dimension albums, as the compilaton has
been doing well.
The guy there actually called me back a few days later,
telling me that the day I called he'd been out to lunch
with Bones Howe, discussing the reissue of those very
albums.
I haven't heard anything since, but I would expect them to
come out sometime this year.
Frank Youngwerth
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Baby, Baby, Baby
Received: 02/05/00 4:42 am
From: C.C.
To: Spectropop!
OK, pros: Tell me where I can get a copy of a hot 45 that
was out in the fall of '64 or earlly '65 called, "Baby,
Baby, Baby" with a hot organ letting rip throughout. I
believe it was by Anna King and Bobby Byrd. Does anyone
recall it? Also, what was the minor hit ballad sung by
producer Jerry Fuller around the same time? It wasn't
"Ariana."...Thanks, all. Claudia
___________________________________
"We knew our limitations. The Beatles and Stones were the
creative ones and we weren't really in that league, so we
contented ourselves with doing happy, pop sounding stuff.
And I think we did pretty well."
Peter Noone, Herman's Hermits
--------------------[ archived by Spectropop ]--------------------
Subject: Sunrays
Received: 02/06/00 5:19 pm
From: David Mirich
To: Spectropop!
Nat writes:
> But I have been filling in a lot of holes and making a lot
> of discoveries. And today's featured discovery is the
> Sunrays.
>
> A bit of soft pop, a bit of Beach Boyesque "surf." The
> record's called "Andrea" and supposedly that was a "hit."
> The guy who sold it to me said the hit was "I live for the
> Sun."
The Sunrays boxed set is absolutely brilliant and received
rave reviews (including Rolling Stone) when it was released.
This is some of the tightest, most polished '60s harmony
pop ever. The Sunrays had a reunion in SF last fall, I
heard.
Dave Mirich
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