>>>The reason why the Top Notes version was left off the 4 disc Back To Mono set is really quite simple - it sucked!!!
Steve (SLK47)
Another error we corrected early on ... the CORRECT writers of the song are BERT RUSSELL (who is REALLY BERT BERNS) and PHIL MEDLEY (who is really NOT BILL MEDLEY of THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS)!!! By the way, your analysis of THE TOP NOTES' version of TWIST AND SHOUT was echoed UNANIMOUSLY by the other folks on our list!!! (kk)
Hi Kent,
Regarding your listing of records by the Top Notes, the missing title for Festival 1021 (marked as ?? in your list) is Wait For Me Baby.
A complete discography of the Top Notes in all of their various guises can be found here:
www.soulfulkindamusic.net/topnotes.htm
The above site has a great collection of artist discographies (about 600) and label discographies (about 300) of 60s soul music.
Looking forward to the next installment of Phil!
Chris Chapman
Swindon, England
Thanks for the info! (kk)
Regarding The Top Notes' version of Twist and Shout --- THAT SUCKED!!! LOL
Ron (The Womp Thang)
Toldja!!! (lol) kk
Kent:
Twist & Shout by the Top Notes has to be one of the most hideous records I've ever heard!
Wild Bill
The Top Notes' version of "Twist & Shout" was available on a Japanese import with the same title on a Phil Spector/Atlantic compilation Japanese CD from WEA-Japan back in 1989-91. Great write-up on your Phil Spector/Atlantic history. Thanks for all your great work.
rbroz598
HI KENT!
ENJOYING THE SPECTOR SERIES, AND WAS JUST WONDERING??? SINCE LESTER SILL WAS DUANE EDDY'S MANAGER, COULD THAT HAVE BEEN DUANE PLAYING GUITAR ON THE "TWIST & SHOUT" TRACK? IT SURE SOUNDS LIKE HIM!! JUST WONDERIN' ....
MICHAEL G. BUSH
I've personally never heard anything to that effect, but let's see what the REST of the list comes up with.
Meanwhile, I've deferred your question to STEVE KNUETTEL, our resident PHIL SPECTOR Expert, to see if he had ever heard anything about this before ... as well as Music Historian GARY THEROUX:
I can't help out on this one. I looked through all my Spector related books and checked their Duane Eddy and "Twist And Shout" references. None of them mention anything about the players on the Top Notes’ "Twist And Shout" sessions. I do have a magazine article which says Phil used the guy from Duane's band to do the screaming on the Ducanes "I'm So Happy" - which (believe it or not) used Jimi Hendrix on guitar. I'll keep looking and let you know if I find anything more on the "Twist And Shout" session.
Steve (SLK47)
I tend to doubt it as I've never heard any allusion to that before, but I suppose it IS possible. I had lunch with Duane in Nashville in the late ‘90s, thanks to my friend Sharon Cobb, but somehow never thought to ask him (!). Sharon sees him every once in a while; maybe I can e-mail her to check it out.
Gary Theroux
Can anybody on the list share some insight on this one? (Personally, I'd be surprised if DUANE EDDY sat in on this session but one never really knows for sure.) Can anyone shed some light on this for us??? (kk)
Thanks for sending The Top Notes' version of "Twist and Shout" and Laverne Baker's "Hey Memphis" out to your list. I was going to send these to you, as lots of collectors like answer songs and also because it is always interesting to hear the original version of songs, especially those that became big hits the second or third time around. I compare the difference between the Top Notes and the Isley Brothers to the difference between the Gladiolas and Diamonds versions of "Little Darlin’." If you grew up with the original, it isn't too often that you like the cover or remake better, but in both of these examples, the second one wins hands down!
Danny Guilfoyle
... and, speaking of HEY MEMPHIS ...
re: HEY MEMPHIS:
>>>We've thrown in HEY MEMPHIS by LAVERN BAKER ... WHY they felt a need to redo an already PERFECT record is beyond me, but this was PHIL SPECTOR's take on the ELVIS PRESLEY Hit LITTLE SISTER. Strangely enough they only changed a few words here and there ... for all intents and purposes, it's EXACTLY the same song simply retitled HEY MEMPHIS. (kk)
I'm just getting around to your comments
re: LaVern Baker's "Hey, Memphis" . . . This isn't so much a remake
as it is an answer record. The "Memphis" she sings to is,
naturally, Elvis Presley - the Memphis Cat. This response to "Little
Sister" isn't so bad if you discount the fact that hardly ANY of the
lyrics were changed. You'd think that someone somewhere in the Brill
Building could have come up with some appropriate lines of response rather than
just regurgitating the same words, only from a different point of view.
All in all, it's not that bad a track. It just comes off as a
half-hearted rush job in my mind, trying to capitalize on the success of the
original recording.
...... Ed44
I guess my BIGGEST objection is that it doesn't ANSWER anything ... it simply RECYCLES the EXACT same lyrics in (as you said) a half-hearted, rush arrangement ... it does NOTHING to improve on the original and is, at best, forgettable and unnecessary. But it IS one of the rarer tracks that we featured during this series and, if for no other reason THAN its rarity ... and its ELVIS connection ... absolutely HAD to be included!!!
re: THE NEW YORK SESSIONS:
>>>1650 Broadway was at 51st ... The Brill Building was at 47th St ... by the late 50's, the Brill Building was over and everyone except Leiber & Stoller & Burt Bachrach had migrated to 1650 B'way - Aldon Music, Alan Freed, Scepter Records, Beltone Records, April Blackwood Music, Roosevelt Music, Aaron Schroeder, Gene Pitney ALL were at 1650 B'way. So, in fact, The Brill Building "sound" was actually the 1650 sound. (Al Kooper)
DOWNSTAIRS IN THE BASEMENT AT 1650 WAS ALLEGRO STUDIOS, WHERE A LOT OF RECORDS WERE RECORDED. UPSTAIRS (I FORGET WHAT FLOOR IT WAS ON), WERE FELDMAN, GOTTERTER AND GOLDSTIEN. I WROTE A COUPLE OF SONGS WITH THEM IN THEIR OFFICE AND THEN WENT DOWNSTAIRS TO CUT A DEMO. THE DEMO WAS PATTY BABY FOR SWAN RECORDS ... IT CHARTED AROUND IN THE 40S. THE DEMO COST UNDER A HUNDRED DOLLARS ... LIKE ABOUT 85 TO 90 DOLLARS ... IT SOLD ABOUT 190,000 RECORDS! JUST A BIT OF TRIVIA.
FREDDY CANNON
re: THE WRECKING CREW:
We recently ran a piece regarding PHIL SPECTOR's infamous studio musicians, known as THE WRECKING CREW. It was suggested that these musicians were NOT known by that name at the time ... that instead Drummer HAL BLAINE came up with that moniker in the early '80's. I asked AL KOOPER (who was there at the time) if HE remembered where that nickname originated. (kk)
As far as I recall, they were just INDIVIDUALLY
known. Sonny Bono, Hal Blaine, Tommy Tedesco, Bill Piymaqn, Carol Kaye, Steve
Douglas, Leon Russell, etc. There was also an east coast band that recorded at
Mirasound in NYC engineered by Bill Macmeekan (sp?)
Al Kooper
Kent:
I sent Roger and Camilla McGuinn the pic of he and Phil Spector. Camilla emailed me back … you REALLY need to check out his blog. A great pic of Roger and the Wrecking Crew doing Mr. Tambourine Man and the story behind it … also a blow-by-blow account of how he broke his wrist … really interesting stuff. And finally, a heart-warming video of Roger and his first guitar teacher together rehearsing a version of "Finnegan's Wake" that his guitar teacher had originally taught him how to play!!
Wild Bill
Here's a link for ROGER's blog ... ALWAYS something interesting on there ... along with some info regarding his recent appearance with selected members of THE WRECKING CREW ... and be SURE to check out the "contract" linked to this story!!! (kk)
Here is part of CAMILLA's blog ... along with some remembrances of that very first BYRDS recording session (where ONLY ROGER McGUINN was allowed to perform on the recording of MR. TAMBOURINE MAN):
For months, I had been working with Denny Tedesco to arrange an interview with Roger for a documentary on the famous Los Angeles a-list of musicians, “The Wrecking Crew.” During the course of one line emails, The Musicians Hall Of Fame’s ceremony for the induction of the “The Wrecking Crew” entered into the conversation and Roger was invited to once again play with this royal court of musicians.
January 20, 1965
The “Wrecking Crew” were the top studio musicians in Los Angeles who played on
all the hits. The Byrds were signed with Columbia Records for just one single.
If the single made it, they could record an album. Jim (Roger) McGuinn was the
only musician in the Byrds who’d had professional studio experience, so Terry
Melcher, the producer assigned by Columbia, decided to call in “The Wrecking
Crew” to get the job done.
Jim had already developed a unique sound on the Rickenbacker because of his
banjo training at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago but even with
session work under his belt, he was a little nervous. He quietly entered the
studio, unpacked his guitar and was introduced to the “crew.” His hands were
cold and his confidence low. Hal Blaine, the drummer, took one look at him and
said, “Relax kid. It’s gonna be all right.”
It wasn’t only all right, it was a number one hit. Jim joined the “Wrecking Crew” for one three
hour session and, under the guiding hand of Terry Melcher, they recorded two
instrumental tracks: “Mr Tambourine Man” and “I Knew I’d Want You.” Gene Clark and David Crosby later joined
Jim to sing the vocal tracks.
The Musicians Hall of
Fame Awards show was held at the beautiful Schermerhorn Symphony Center on
November 26.
The inductees included the Nashville A-Team, The Blue Moon Boys, The Funk
Brothers, The Memphis Boys, The Tennessee Two and The Wrecking Crew. Some of
the guest artist performing with the talented gathering were Brenda Lee, Creed
Bratton, Peter Frampton, George Jones, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, B.J Thomas, Dobie
Gray, Garth Brooks, Rodney Crowell and John Carter Cash.
Roger was honored to be on the same stage with this vast pool of talent and
even more honored to play “Mr. Tambourine Man” again with The Wrecking Crew.
Roger playing with The Wrecking Crew, Hal Blaine and Larry Knechtel
(photo by Camilla)
Check THIS out ... a copy of the ORIGINAL Recording Contract pertaining to the BYRDS / MR. TAMBOURINE MAN Recording Session:
Mr. Tambourine Man Contract
Here is a copy of the contract for Mr. Tambourine Man
The details are as follows:
Session date: January 20, 1965
Stamp No. 00139
Contract No. 88548
Number of employees: 7
Tracks: Mr. Tambourine Man, I Knew I'd Want You
Employees names:
Webster, Roger, E. (Leader)
Bridges, Russell (Piano) AKA Leon Russell
Knechtel, Laurence, W. (Bass)
Blane, Hal (Drums)
Pitman, William (Guitar)
Kolbrak, Jerry (Guitar)
McGuinn, James, J. (Guitar)
Contract received Feb 1, 1965
TODAY'S MUSIC:
(all by YOUR suggestions):
Beatle Blues by Bonnie Jo Mason
When I Saw You and Girls Can Tell by The Ronettes
There's A Woman by The Righteous Brothers
re: LET'S DANCE THE SCREW (and all the OTHER THROW-AWAY INSTRUMENTAL B-SIDES):
You asked for it.... so here it is "(Let's
Dance) The Screw - Part 1
I now remember why I did not put it on the CD set other than it sucks - it's
also long nearly 4 1/2 minutes of shit! Part 2 is just as bad if not worse and
just as long - a slower version with a few instrumental breaks - yuk! It's a
real piece of trash interesting only because of its history. I recently
read that it was released to satisfy a distribution deal with Universal
Distributors (Harold Lipsius & Harry Finfer) ... prior to that I've always
heard that it was released as part of his split with Lester Sill.
Steve (SLK47)
And, believe it or not, we actually received requests for PART 2 ... so we included it with PHIL SPECTOR's Trashy Instrumental B-Side tracks in a BONUS Chapter to this series!!! (Some people are just gluttons for punishment, I guess!!!) kk
All I've got to say about this song is: YUCK! If it was indeed the Crystals, they probably didn't want to record it and did so under duress. What do you think? My cousin, who I once mentioned here, the one who was in the music business and sent me records twice a year from 1959 to 1964, invited my mother to a cocktail party in 1964, so she could meet "this genius, but a nut, PHIL SPECTOR". She had a picture taken with him.
Arlene
Would LOVE to see that picture if you can get your hands on it!!! I think back then SPECTOR was considered to be an eccentric, musical genius ... and his artists would have followed him down ANY path he chose to take ... he seemed to have The Midas Touch at the time. (kk)
GOOD MORNING, KENT!!
REGARDING SPECTOR'S "SCREW" SONG, IT'S NOT AS BAD AS PEOPLE HAVE SAID. IT'S NOT BEETHOVEN, BUT IT SURE FITS THE TIMES, COMBINING THE GIRL GROUP SOUND WITH THE DANCE CRAZE ERA WITH THE NOVELTY RECORD ALONG WITH A LITTLE STRIP (AS IN CLOTHES) FEEL. CALL ME CRAZY, BUT I SEE IT AS GREAT BACKGROUND MUSIC TO A HALLOWEEN VIDEO WITH CLIPS OF ALL THE OLD B&W MOVIE MONSTERS. ANYONE WANT TO WORK ON THAT? IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT WOULD BE AWESOME!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AND HAVE A GREAT YEAR ...
YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD PHOTOGRAPHER,
MICHAEL G. BUSH
When the topic of this song first came up, I mentioned that I didn't think it was all that bad either ... we've certainly featured WORSE over the years!!! (kk)
LOL ... the beat was great. I'll give it a 98.
CPass
So when are we going to be able to hear Part 2? -- dB
Incredibly, yours wasn't the ONLY request for this!!! That's why we had to add another chapter to this series!!! (lol) kk
The backstory to "Let's Do the Screw" can be found at the snopes.com myth-busting website. Here is the direct link: http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/spector.asp
Dave Barry
Some interesting info on here ... as well as a lo-res copy of the record label.
Sure has been a lot of controversy and discussion over this song of late!!! (lol) kk
Thanks for the inclusion of "Let's Dance the Screw - Part 2."
I believe it was I who requested it. And I was completely sober at the time!
Dave Barry
"(Let's Dance) the Screw" was better than John Lennon's version of "Be My Baby"!!!
Ping
Kent:
Forget killing someone, Phil Spector should go to jail for making all of those BAAAAAAD instrumental B-Sides, Good God Almighty!!!
"Wild" Bill Cody
re: THE RONETTES:
One nit to pick (I'm anal that way) -- the Colpix recordings of the Ronettes were all done between '61 and '63 but not released in LP format until January of '65 after their success on Philles. The Ronettes LP on Philles was a '64 release, preceded the Colpix LP by a month or so.
Allan
And these likely never would have seen the light of day were it not for their success ON the PHILLES Label!!!
>>>LOL - It's one thing for Phil to assign any artist name to his productions, but really, Kent, calling The Ronettes The Crystals! Are you trying to get into the Hall Of Fame (Shame) or something? Steve (SLK47)
>>>C'mon, these two always sounded the same anyway!!! lol (kk)
LOL it's ok to miscredit Crystals and Ronettes - Phil did it on one of the Crystals album by including a couple of Ronettes songs and again on his Rare Masters album by saying the Ronettes "Girls Can Tell" was the Crystals.
Steve (SLK47)
Quite honestly, he had SO many different people singing on EACH of their records ANYWAY, what difference did it really make?!?!? (kk)
Great series. On Be My Baby, I was only 8 years old when I wrote down my own top 10 favorites survey from what I heard on the radio. Be My Baby was #1. It virtually exploded off my pocket transistor radio. I knew it was something special.
MARK
Kent,
I originally tagged this review as Cinderella Meets The Phantom of The Opera sometime in the late 80's if I recall.
... bd
BE MY BABY: HOW I SURVIVED MASCARA, MINSKIRTS AND MADNESS
or MY LIFE AS A FABULOUS RONETTE
by Ronnie Spector with Vince Waldren (Harmony Books)
Book & Music Reviews by B.D. POE
BE MY BABY is the title of both the smash 1963 hit
single by the Ronettes and Ronnie Spector's autobiography. Full of amusing
anecdotes about John Lennon, The Rolling Stones, Bowie, Springsteen and
others. IT is a rare glimpse into the private life and character of
Rock's legendary Producer Phil Spector, the man whose WALL OF SOUND influenced
the entire music industry in the early 60's.
Sonny & Cher got their start with Phil Spector and provided backing vocals
for many of Spector's Artists' hits. Strangely, Phil and Ronnie's marriage was
even more tragic than Sonny & Cher's.
Ronnie Spector's story could be described as The rock and roll Cinderella
meets the Phantom of the Opera! It is the story of a black teenage girl's
rise to stardom at the top of the industry; her fairy tale like interracial
romance, marriage and it's horrific undoing.
Be MY BABY is about personal discovery, transition, and recovery. It is a kiss
and tell book in which Ronnie candidly recounts some of her most intimate
moments. It is a rare glimpse behind the scenes of Rock's most exciting era.
There are stories about her family playing host to The Rolling Stones when they
first came to America. How, despite their image, the Stones were not the hell
raisers that the Beatles were! How John Lennon seduced her is one of the many
highlights of the book. "John started moving his hands around in
places I didn't even know I had" she recalls.
Marrying Multimillionaire Phil Spector and moving into a palatial mansion in
Hollywood was a dream come true for a black girl from Spanish Harlem, but it
quickly turned into a nightmare. Phil stopped recording Ronnie, who was at her
peak. He grew increasingly eccentric. Phil used everything at his command
to keep Ronnie under lock and key, out of the studio and away from her family
and friends. He orchestrated her every move.
Her despair led to alcoholism and madness. The story of her escape is
compelling. Her recovery - a triumph. Her story - a candid history of the music
industry.
BE MY BABY is a must read for music fans, people in recovery, and those who
like a good romance story too!
bdpoe@aol.com
OK, I'd be curious to know just how many of us are going STRAIGHT to AMAZON.COM right now to get a copy of this!!! OUTSTANDING review ... and, most definitely, a "Must Read" for ANY serious music fan out there. Thanks! (kk)
UPDATE: I sure did!!! And then I reread it again right before permanently posting this Phil Spector Series!
re: THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS:
I was watching an episode of Cheers the other night and Bill Medley was in it ... Rebbeca's favorite song was "Lovin Feeling" so the guy she was dating hired Bill Medley to go to Cheers and sing it to her.
Mike
BILL MEDLEY was just on one of the late night talk shows, too, once they came back with current programming ... problem is, I found out about it TOO late to let anybody on the list know!!! (lol) kk
True or False? I was watching Court TV, in New York, during Phil Spector Trial. During Court breaks, they'd give you background information. They said that even though Phil made stars out of The Righteous Brothers, they had to get away from him. They broke their contract with him. He was a slave driver. They couldn't work with him.
Buonge
Steve ... have you heard that angle before??? (kk)
I don't think they broke their contract. I think they just did not renew it and switched to MGM / Verve. Did they have to get away from him? Probably yes for several reasons. Phil could be a slave driver when working for perfection on his records (any of his artists will verify that), but I think a clash of egos is more the reason for their split.
Steve (SLK47)
In some of the research that I did preparing for this series, I read that SPECTOR SOLD their contract to VERVE RECORDS ... for (long pause) One Million Dollars. (Did you notice that I said that in my VERY best DR. EVIL voice?!?!?) It sounds to me that, even in parting ways, PHIL SPECTOR still did all right for himself. As I mentioned during the series, when THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS next released SOUL AND INSPIRATION, I thought it was a virtual CLONE of their #1 Hit YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELING ... and, being all of 11 or 12 at the time, just ASSUMED that it was another SPECTOR Production ... just for a different label. (kk)
Since this question first came up, I have further researched "the split" and want to share with you what I've found out about the split between The Righteous Brothers from Philles. It seems what it all boils down to is ego. The Righteous Brothers felt they deserved more recognition than Phil. They wanted to find another label where Phil would not outshine them. MGM illegally signed them to its Verve subsidiary. Phil sued MGM and won $600,000. Everybody (except the lawyers) got hurt. Phil ended up losing the Righteous Brothers; the Righteous Brothers ended up losing their career (at least for many years), and MGM ended up losing a lot of money.
Here’s a synopsis of what Mark Ribowsky in his
book He’s A Rebel and Richard Williams in his book Phil Spector Out
Of His Head and had to say about the split. (Steve)
From Mark Ribowsky (pages 207-213): “As Medley’s self-importance ballooned, Bobby Hatfield fretted. Bobby had not lived easily with Medley’s solo vocal on the entire first verse of both ‘Lovin’ Feelin’’ and ‘Just Once In My Life,’ believing Medley was slowly eclipsing him. By the summer of 1965, Hatfield, flushed with the success of ‘Unchained Melody’, refused to sing with him.’’
“The Righteous Brothers … were now convinced that their popularity was an echo of Spector’s name. Danny Davis said ‘I remember the jockeys getting on the air and saying ‘Here’s the new Phil Spector record.’ The Righteous Brothers railed at that. They hated Phil for that.’”
[R. J. Van Hoogten was owner of Moonglow which had leased the Righteous Brothers to Philles. According to the lease agreement, Spector had the rights to Righteous Brothers recordings in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and Van Hoogten had the rights for the rest of the world. - SK]
Continuing from Ribowsky: “For months Medley and Hatfield had wanted to break from Spector. Van Hoogten provided a way to go about it.”
[The Righteous Brothers thought Van Hoogten wasn’t paying them all royalties so they had the Moonglow books audited. The audit showed that they had been shorted $28,600 by Van Hoogten. The Righteous Brothers claimed that because Van Hoogten breached their contract by not paying them royalties, their contract with Moonglow was no longer vaild and consequently Moonglow’s deal with Philles was no longer valid. Van Hoogton was also angry with Spector, who he felt had not turned over all of the Righteous Brothers masters to him for foreign markets. Van Hoogten took that as a breach of contract and terminated Moonglow’s agreement with Philles. Meanwhile, MGM / Verve was very interested in the Righteous Brothers and hastily signed them to their label. Phil released the Back To Back Righteous Brothers album in the midst of all the legal squabbling. The Righteous Brothers demanded that the album be withdrawn. It was not. Spector sued MGM for illegally signing the Righteous Brothers. The Righteous went ahead and recorded “(You’re My) Soul And Inspiration” for MGM / Verve. “(You’re My) Soul And Inspiration” soared to number one, but the Righteous brothers soon found out they could not maintain their success without Phil. By 1968 they were working as a casino act and soon broke up. - SK]
Again from Ribowsky: “Eventually, when MGM realized that the impetuous signing of the Righteous Brothers was legally indefensible, Phil got a $600,000 settlement from the company.”
From Richard Williams (page 107): “Right after ‘Ebb Tide,” the Brothers quit Philles – because, according to Danny Davis, they were sick of people talking about their records as Phil Spector creations, and not as Righteous Brothers hits. They went to MGM / Verve, where they started out very well. They cut a fine Mann / Weil song called ‘(You’re My) Soul And Inspiration,’ released it on February 26, 1966, and it tore up to number one; most people believed that Spector had produced it, which was a compliment to Bill Medley’s ability to absorb and reproduce the master’s techniques. They couldn’t follow it up, though. The next record, ‘He,’ made number 18; the next one made #30 and the one after that barely scraped into the top fifty. Eventually they split up to pursue solo careers, but that didn’t work out well, either.”
The one thing I have heard from a number of artists who worked with SPECTOR over the years was that he ALWAYS looked for artists that hadn't already established their own identity ... who could (in some way) be manipulated in the studio to do things HIS way so that he could always get the sound that HE was looking for. In effect, in HIS mind, ALL of these recordings were PHIL SPECTOR Recordings ... the artist was damn near irrelevant. What you've got here is pretty consistent with that line of thinking. No question that he made his "trademark" sound with these artists ... but, as pointed out above, folks were starting to refer to them as "the new PHIL SPECTOR record" rather than "the new RONETTES / RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS / CRYSTALS" record. (kk)
>>>The album cover for "Just Once In My Life" shows "Producers: Phil Spector / Bill Medley." The album itself shows no productions credits. The liners notes mention "the outstandingly successful and genius production talents of Phil Spector" when discussing the title cut. No other production credits are given for the other cuts.
Steve (SLK47)
I just want to make sure that we're not presenting conflicting information ... you mentioned during your series that SPECTOR only produced TWO tracks on this album yet above you state that "no productions credits" are given on the LP. What then were the two tracks??? (kk)
The two Spector productions were "Just Once In My Life" and "Unchained Melody." As such, I really don't see any conflicting information ... although there seems to be some controversy. That controversy is, of course, who produced "Unchained Melody." Both Spector and Medley have claimed to have produced it. Since both have / had out of control egos, one can easily understand one of them mistakenly recalling that he produced it. On original pressings of the single, no production credit is given for "Unchained Melody," the intended B-Side. After it was apparent that it was going to be the hit side, subsequent releases showed Spector as the producer. That's the only official documentation in writing on the issue. The controversy persists, and there are lots of opinions on the issue. By listening to all the other Medley produced Philles recording, it is a bit of a stretch to think that "Unchained Melody" was the production work of Medley. It sounds much more like a Spector production. It is also strange that Medley would produce what is essentially a Bobby Hatfield solo. In his book "He's A Rebel" on page 207, Mark Ribowsky (talking about Medley) writes "Two months later he produced all but two tracks of the second Righteous Brothers album, Just Once In My Life."
Steve
My concern in clarifying this was whether or not HUNG ON YOU (the intended A-Side of the other single) was included on this album or not ... thus making the two SPECTOR Productions JUST ONCE IN MY LIFE and HUNG ON YOU ... NOT UNCHAINED MELODY. (kk)
No, "Hung On You" was not on that album. (Steve)
>>>From what I understand, BILL MEDLEY is ALSO reading this series!!! (kk)
WOW! - that's really cool !!
UH OH - he won't be happy with me - slamming all his album fillers and talking about his ego. Maybe I'll make up for it and give him credit for writing "Twist And Shout" - Nah - I'll just be like Phil and get bodyguards.
Steve (SLK47)
Through his Road Manager TIM LEE ... I believe TIM is forwarding copies to MEDLEY ... although I no sooner SENT this to you and I had LEE ask to be removed from the list!!! (Maybe it's something you said?!?!?) kk
Really sorry if I did indeed chase Medley away. He would have been a great list member. What did he say? Think he's gonna hire a hit man? Think I should really hire that bodyguard? All I said was he had a big ego and that his songs were album fillers. Maybe he didn't like me pointing out that three of the Righteous Brothers Philles hits were really Hatfield solos. Nah - he's too big for that. I think he left because you didn't add enough comments about him. Whew, now I don't feel so bad knowing it's your fault. Steve (SLK47)
Why would BILL need to hire a Hit Man when he could just call his ol' buddy Pistol-Packin' PHIL SPECTOR up and have HIM take care of it?!?!? (Actually, TIM is now BACK on the list ... don't know for sure whether he shared any of this series with BILL MEDLEY or not!) kk
Again, great info. I'll have to admit that River Deep Mountain High is far from my favorite Spector produced record. To either clarify or actually make things more complicated, You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling is the most played BMI copyrighted song of all time. This includes all versions receiving airplay [Righteous Brothers, Dionne Warwick, Hall & Oates and many muzak versions.] Of course, the lion's share of the airplay over the years is the Righteous Brothers’ version. As FM radio developed, there were many muzak type stations playing orchestral versions of the top pop hits. These stations faded after 1975. That's why most of the top 100 BMI copyrighted songs are from the 1965-1975 era. Possibly the best competition for You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling among the ASCAP copyrighted songs are Mack The Knife and Unchained Melody. Both were big hits, received airplay over the years and were recorded by many different artists.
MARK
The appeal of IKE & TINA TURNER's version of RIVER DEEP, MOUNTAIN HIGH was lost on me. In fact, I don't remember EVER hearing it when it was out ... airplay didn't come until later. (I don't recall all the hype about it being the greatest production EVER either until GEORGE HARRISON mentioned something about it ... it almost seems as though once HARRISON talked about it, curious music fans went to check it out for themselves. Kinda like PAUL McCARTNEY citing PET SOUNDS as the inspiration for SGT. PEPPER ... up until then, PET SOUNDS was pretty much a critical and commercial failure. Big difference is, we have all come to love and embrace PET SOUNDS for the revolutionary piece of music that it was ... the biggest problem at the time was that the music fans didn't WANT THE BEACH BOYS to grow musically ... yet EVERY change THE BEATLES pursued was welcomed by fans and critics alike as trendsetting, earth shattering and innovative. I've just never really heard the "genius" in RIVER DEEP, MOUNTAIN HIGH ... to MY ears it's OVER-produced and, in SOME sections, pure noise!!!) kk
Congratulations and many thanks for this wonderful series dedicated to the greatest producer ever. But I just can't believe this "general consensus" about "River Deep, Mountain High"!!! "An OKAY record"?!?!? I remember writing the liner notes on this record when it was re-released in France in the early 80's, At the time I thought it was the greatest pop record ever made. 25 years later, I think it was an understatement. Everything is perfect in this recording. It may be because this track is still being played quite often that it has given it a sort of tepid reaction to it. If you want to really realize how great it is, listen to the fabulous Darlene Love’s version of it.
Frank
I believe this record was MUCH bigger in Europe than it EVER was here, where it's rarely played at all ... so I don't think it's a case of people having gotten TIRED of it ... it just has NEVER been embraced here the way it was in Europe. As we always say, taste is relative ... to MY ears, a LOT of PHIL SPECTOR's work sounds "over-produced" ... like once he found his own unique niche, he had to OVER-DO it to show it was his ... listen to some of his more SUBTLE productions and they're BEAUTIFUL ... I just feel like some of this OTHER stuff hammers you over the head to get your attention rather than allowing the BEAUTY of the recording to come through. Just MY opinion, of course ... doesn't make EITHER one of us right!!! (lol) And, there's NO question that the formula worked ... one look at The PHIL SPECTOR Top 100 Hit List PROVES that!!!
During the run of Philles singles, we've covered MOST of this in the series ... and, 40-some years after the fact, we'll be hard-pressed to get ANY two people to agree on the circumstances ... but certainly some interesting food for thought here!!! (kk)
WHO WROTE UNCHAINED MELODY? WHICH PRODUCER?
FREDDY CANNON
UNCHAINED MELODY (one of the MOST recorded songs of all time) dates back to the 1955 film UNCHAINED and was first a #1 Hit as an instrumental for LES BAXTER early that year. (In 1955 alone, BAXTER, AL HIBBLER, ROY HAMILTON and JUNE VALLI ALL had Top 40 Hits with the tune. In 1963, VITO AND THE SALUTATIONS did what WE have always referred to as "The God-Awful Doo-Wop Version" and then THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS revived it with their Top Five rendition in 1965. As pointed out in an earlier series, it was THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS who CHANGED the MELODY, adding the pauses that are now the ONLY way you hear the song sung today.) It was written by ALEX NORTH and HY ZARET. Notable covers were also done by HEART, ELVIS PRESLEY and LEANN RIMES, who went to #3 on BILLBOARD's Country Chart with her take back in 1997. (Probably 80% of the past seven years' AMERICAN IDOL wannabes have ALSO taken a crack at this tune!) As to who PRODUCED it, THAT has been the center of debate this past year here in FORGOTTEN HITS. Story goes that PHIL SPECTOR produced the intended A-Side of the record, HUNG ON YOU, but took NO initial credit for producing the B-Side. BILL MEDLEY produced ALL of THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS' B-Sides and album tracks while they were on the PHILLES Label. When Dee Jays flipped the record over, making UNCHAINED MELODY the Hit, new singles were pressed showing SPECTOR as the producer ... and that's where the great debate begins. BILL MEDLEY told US that HE produced the track ... but that if PHIL wants credit for it, he can have it. (See photos and quote below.) kk
ORIGINAL PRESSING
(Note NO Production Credit)
SECOND PRESSING
(with PHIL SPECTOR's name now shown as producer)
>>>You
have to remember that I was producing our stuff before Phil Spector ... I
mean, I produced "Little Latin Lupe Lu," "My Babe" and all
that stuff. Then, when we went with Phil, Phil asked me if I would produce the
albums because it was too time consuming for him to produce the entire albums.
So he was gonna do the singles and I would do the album. And so that's how that
happened and that's how I produced "Unchained Melody," which
Phil Spector apparently now takes credit for. He can have the credit. And I'm
not a producer. I know how to produce. But it's obviously not a Spector
production. "Unchained Melody" was never intended to be the
single ... it was produced to be on the album. It was put on the B side of a
Phil Spector single "Hung On You" and the minute it was released,
"Unchained Melody" just went through the roof.
--Bill Medley
Someone is looking for "There's a Woman" by the Righteous Brothers. Sez the song was on the "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" LP and since there's no CD counterpart, the song seems to be more or less forgotten and hard to find.
-- dB
Apparently only released as a B-SIDE ... but STEVE had a copy ... so it's attached to today's COMMENTS PAGE. (kk)
Kent:
Take a look at what the Righteous Brothers’ green vinyl of "You've Lost That Lovin’ Feelin" is worth! I think you'd really like talking with Mighty John Marshall, he knows records!
Wild Bill
January, 2008 list of records worth up to $100 or more:
10. 1967 UNI LP - Strawberry Alarm Clock - "Incense & Peppermint" ..... $125
9. 1976 RSO 12 inch single- Bee Gees - “You Should Be Dancing” …... $125
8. 1981 Elektra LP - The Cars- “Shake it Up” (picture disc) …………… $150
7. 1968 Ovid 45 - Archie Bell & the Drells- “Tighten Up” …………….. $225
6. 1965 Parrot LP - The Zombies- “The Zombies” ……………………... $250
5. 1970 Decca LP - The Banana Splits- “We’re the Banana Splits” ……. $250
4. 1966 Capitol LP - The Beach Boys- “Pet Sounds” (mono) …………... $250
3. 1966 Pa Go Go 45 - ? & the Mysterians- “96 Tears” ………………… $400
2. 1979 A&M LP- Supertramp- “Breakfast in America” (picture disc) ... $600
1. 1965 Phillies 45- The Righteous Bros.- “You’ve Lost That Lovin Feelin” (green vinyl) …... $1500
You can find the value of any record with our CD ROMs, available on the homepage at www.MoneyMusic.com
OK ... a little steep for MY music budget (especially when I can listen to a pristine copy on CD instead!!!) ... but maybe SOMEBODY out there will be interested!!! (DAVE THE RAVE: Have you got THIS one in YOUR collection???) By the way, MIGHTY JOHN MARSHALL has now joined our FORGOTTEN HITS Mailing List ... be sure to check out his website!
re: PHIL SPECTOR'S CHRISTMAS ALBUM:
Hi Kent,
I was disappointed this year when, because of the writer's strike, Letterman's show was in repeats during the holiday season and we couldn't enjoy another chance to see the always wonderful Darlene Love sing that now-classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," but at least Letterman's people had the good sense to re-run last year's appearance, which was an absolute KILLER performance with all sorts of backing musicians as well as Paul and the band. I'm so glad that both Letterman and Paul Schafer are such big fans of this wonderful older music and take every opportunity to showcase these artists on the show (as well as many new groups that don't get much radio play, but that's a complaint about radio in general that would be similar to your views on oldies radio … no imagination … just tired repetition of the same songs no matter what format), pardon my rant.
I know you're not too fond of the R&R Hall of Fame, but I will give credit to Paul Schafer for putting on a good show, musically, every year for the ceremony and broadcast. The attention to detail is wonderful (a few years back the show opened with The Righteous Brothers and I had chills watching because it was so good) and I'm really looking forward to seeing the Dave Clark 5 and hopefully Mike Smith. As you may recall, Mike Smith filled in as band leader on the Letterman show a few years back when Paul was on vacation or whatever and was excellent and Paul was involved in the fund-raising concert for Mike after he was injured so I'm sure the music will be first-rate.
Last year's show with the Ronettes was good (although Ronnie's speech was way too long) but I could've gotten along just fine without the Patti Smith portion. I'm not looking forward to Leonard Cohen this year, unless they have Jennifer Warnes sing some of the songs of his that she recorded.
Anyway, I'm really enjoying the Phil Spector series and Thank You for all the good work you've given us this past year.
Thanks Again,
Eddie
I watched part of THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME Induction Ceremony last year and was SHOCKED that PHIL SPECTOR's name never even came up ONCE during ANY part of THE RONETTES' acceptance speech ... that's just WRONG!!! (kk)
Kent,
Very nice job on part 5b!!! (THE PHIL SPECTOR CHRISTMAS ALBUM Segment) I still get goosebumps watching those Darlene Love video clips. It is amazing all the effort the Letterman show puts into those - almost as much as Phil put into the album back in 1963. For the record, Paul Urbahns (who wrote the segment on JOHNNY BABY PLEASE COME HOME) used to live across the hall from me back in my Louisville days in the early 70s. I guess some of my Spector fanaticism rubbed off on him. Great to hear from you again, Paul!
Steve (SLK47)
Regarding the famous Phil Spector Christmas Album ... I had the original ... It was ironically a leftover in some record store in Greenwich Village, left unopened in an oldies bin ... Mint condition ... a rare find ... I played it many times over the years but after my kids got hold of it, well, who knows what's happened to it ... Great cover by the way ...
Anyhow, my sister bought me the new version of the Christmas album that you mentioned, the cd mono version. Not quite the same but it will have to do ... It is now considered mainstream Christmas music on the oldies stations.
Hope you had a nice Christmas ....
Best wishes for this new year.
Blossmwrld
Bruce "I don't just listen to the Beatles" Spizer in the new year.
I took a LOT of flack for that comment ... and I NEVER meant to imply that NOBODY had ever given any forethought to stringing together a cohesive, collective piece of music as certainly SOME artists did. It was NOT the norm, however, and MOST albums released during that era WERE filled with throw-away "filler" material. The point I was trying to make on THE PHIL SPECTOR CHRISTMAS ALBUM was that PHIL took the approach of producing EACH track like it was his stand-alone, next hit single ... and THAT was pretty rare for that era ... typically artists (and/or producers) didn't "WASTE" top notch material on an LP if it was "marketable" in the radio / singles market. (kk)
Please don’t get the idea that before Spector, all albums were “the hit, the flip and filler.” Some, indeed, were – just like some TODAY are. But remember that LPs were originally introduced circa 1949 to allow more running time per record side to accommodate lengthy CLASSICAL works. (There was an earlier attempt to market long-playing records in 1931, but it failed due to depression economics.) Before 1949, an "album" was a scrapbook-styled binder filled with thematically linked 78 RPM singles. That’s where the term ”album” came from. A Yuletide Perry Como album, then, would consist of multiple Como Christmas singles compiled into a single package. Every track in there would be produced as a polished single side and none would be considered throwaway fillers. Early pop 33 1/3 RPM albums (many of which were 10" in diameter) were also simply collections of masters originally planned as 78 or 45 RPM singles sides. Remember: this was very much a singles-oriented era (like we have today with single track downloads!). It was really only later, when rock came along, that label executives – skeptical of the staying power of such “faddish” music – started to adopt the “hit, flip and filler” philosophy of creating instant albums around surprise hit singles. Some labels and producers firmly did believe in that philosophy (“wow, it’s a hit; quick, let’s have the kid cut a bunch of other tunes in single takes this afternoon and we’ll rush out an LP before the bubble bursts.”) However, other labels, producers and artists obviously did not. Check out, say, Sinatra’s Capitol LPs, or Gordon Jenkins’ "Manhattan Tower."
The idea that Spector's 1963 Christmas album was the first top-grade-from-beginning to-end LP is patently ridiculous – as is another error I see frequently elsewhere: that albums “didn’t matter” until The Beatles came along. To the contrary, albums have been a big deal for well more than half a century. 65 years ago, in 1943, the original cast album of "Oklahoma!" not only sold a million copies but actually reached the Top 10 on the pop SINGLES chart as a unified work! No lame filler there, as I recall -
Gary Theroux
NOTE: "Oklahoma!" fact source: Joel Whitburn's "Pop Memories 1890-1954"
Again, I NEVER meant to imply that SPECTOR was the FIRST to release a well-thought-out and planned collection of work. (I remember my parents having a number of those 78 "albums" that you refer to.) Obviously, a PERRY COMO collection of Christmas songs would be a collection of "like-themed" music as would ANY Christmas album (including SPECTOR's) ... but knowing the meticulous way that SPECTOR produced his tracks ... and the length of time he spent getting EVERY note EXACTLY the way he heard it in his head ... I doubt that ANY of the examples cited above would fall into that category. (Sure, FRANK SINATRA and NELSON RIDDLE made some GREAT albums together ... but by and large I'm guessing that the orchestra laid down their tracks over a period of several hours or days and then FRANK came in later and put his vocals on. Likewise, many of these 78 albums that contained a "collection of singles" quite often were EXACTLY that ... songs that HAD been produced ... and RELEASED ... for the singles market and then collected together later as almost a then "Various Artists' Greatest Hits" album.) ANYBODY who grew up in the '50's buying albums by teen idols like ELVIS PRESLEY, RICKY NELSON and some of the early rockers certainly didn't feel like THEY were getting a bunch of "filler" ... they absorbed EVERY single track as one more way to hear their idol sing. Artists like HARRY BELAFONTE ran up a string of million selling albums around his "Calypso" themes ... and RAY CHARLES put together his MODERN SOUNDS IN COUNTRY MUSIC albums a few years before SPECTOR was even being recognized for the talent that he was. So it was NOT meant to be taken as "general" a statement as it seems to have been interpreted. Legend has it that THE BEATLES (save for their first LP where they pretty much just recorded every song that they knew! lol) gave a WHOLE lotta thought to making sure that EVERY LP track was strong enough to stand alone and, as such, nearly EVERY LP track received airplay on the radio ... (but I dare say that Rampant BEATLEMANIA probably had just a LITTLE to do with this, too!!!) Years later, a number of radio station surveys ALSO listed the SGT. PEPPER album as #1 on THEIR charts ... certainly THE BEATLES intended this to be listened to and viewed as a collective piece of work (and that's PROBABLY one of the reasons why they never released a single from the album.)
Anyway, no harm, no foul ... you guys have CERTAINLY shown any number of examples where particular artists concentrated on making sure their albums had a cohesive theme ... and had we been doing an extensive series on any of these OTHER artists, I'm sure I would have made a similar comment regarding THEIR work ... but since this was a PHIL SPECTOR Series, the comment was directed at HIS achievement for his well-thought-out CHRISTMAS ALBUM. (kk)
Me thinks you should go back and play some pre Beatle LP’s! Two hits and some junk? .., I don’t think so.
Check out Elvis, Ricky, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, Ritchie Valens, Dale Hawkins, Eddie Cochran, Little Richard – Etc., etc., Etc.! Some Excellent LP’s from those Chaps … and many others as well.
Ken
OK, OK, I got it!!! (lol) Here ... let's do THIS ... those of you who were THERE at the time ... send me a list of your Top Ten "Must Have" albums, PRE-1964 ... we'll compile a list based on your votes and, in an upcoming issue of FORGOTTEN HITS, print a list of The Top 20 Finalists ... albums that YOU feel NO "COMPLETE" collection should be without ... albums that stand alone, cut-for-cut, NO FILLER!!! Let's see what you ALL come up with and, if nothing else, the REST of us can then expand our collections and better appreciate those that came BEFORE THE BEATLES revolutionized the way albums were made. (Just kidding ... jeez!!!!! lol) Seriously ... this would make for a VERY interesting poll! (kk)
>>>Here is the sole EP ever released on the Philles label:
Philles X-EP – Christmas EP - Darlene Love “White Christmas”, Crystals “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, Ronettes “Sleigh Ride”, Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans “The Bells Of St. Mary” Steve (SLK47)
I have this EP with a fairly nondescript paper "picture sleeve" (no artists pictures) with green writing, an outline of a Christmas decoration and a greeting. I'm going by memory as I haven't pulled it out in a long while. It actually looks like a promotional sleeve than a regular sleeve. My question is this -- did it ever come with a different cover and a cardboard sleeve?
Danny Guilfoyle
Again, I passed YOUR question along to STEVE KNUETTEL ...
I know of no other packaging other than the Danny Davis "promotional" sleeve with the Christmas ornament and promotional message and the standard Philles "Tomorrow's Sound Today" sleeve design. The good news is that sleeve and the record are both very collectable and worth a small fortune. I paid $200 several years ago just for the sleeve at an Austin Record Convention. Also, years before that, on a trip to a long out of business oldies record store in Forth Worth, I once found a dozen of the EPs in mint condition in standard Philles sleeves. The owner thought they were reissues and had them priced at $1.98. I bought them all and gave ten of them away as Christmas presents to other collectors and friends - one of whom flipped out and said "I've never seen one of these before. It's worth over $100." I don't regret giving them away (since I kept two for myself), and they were given to deserving friends and collectors, but I have not seen another copy since.
Steve (SLK47)
After the Elvis Comeback TV Special ran on NBC, I bicycled up to one of the best Mom and Pop Record Stores around to see what kind of Elvis reissues they might have so that I could add some of these songs … most new discoveries to me … to my collection.
When I got there, I was able to pick up copies of every one of Elvis’ original recordings of the hits he performed live on the TV Special.
But I also discovered a box of Elvis Eps … all sealed copies in their original cardboard sleeves. I came back the following weekend and bought every single one (for, I believe, $3.98 each!) I cannot even begin to describe the nervousness I endured that whole week in between wondering if they would still be there by the time I was able to return the following Saturday! Still have ‘em, too! (kk)
Back in 1968, while I was with Canterbury Records, the label was recording some new acts trying to get something going. One of the artists was Edna Wright, recording under the name Sandy Wynn. Eventually, she found success in a group called "Honey Cone" (Want Ads). She was an incredible singer with an awesome voice and was a gorgeous girl. I had an immediate crush.
Anyway, she is Darlene Love's sister and the vocal gift was hers as well. You Tube has some footage under Honey Cone.
My recording sessions and those of Lise Miller (Sergio Mendes Brazil 66) required many days of background vocals, and Darlene Love and whatever girls were available to work, did the work. On many occasions Darlene would bring in her sister along with others such as Brenda Holloway and her sister Patrice. Patrice was incredible as well.
She was on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen album for Joe Cocker and the coolest thing is that she sings the very last high note on Richard Harris' "Macarthur Park." If it was a high note, Patrice was called.
Those were privileged days for me. There were a lot of laughs and good times.
Alex Valdez
Yellow Balloon
re: THE SPECTOR SONG SELECTION:
>>>Today’s songs: Why Don’t They Let Us Fall In Love – Veronica; Home Of The Brave – Bonnie & The Treasures (Jerry Riopelle producer); Hold Me Tight – Treasures; You Came You Saw You Conquered – Ronettes (Steve)
>>>Without question, my favorite NEW discovery during the course of this special PHIL SPECTOR Series has been THE TREASURES' version of HOLD ME TIGHT ... I never even knew that this one existed. HOLD ME TIGHT has never been one of my favorite BEATLES' songs ... in fact, I always took this one to be one of PAUL McCARTNEY's earliest "throw-away" tracks ... until I heard THIS inventive interpretation. (Oddly enough, this song ALSO rocked me in the recent movie release ACROSS THE UNIVERSE ... quite frankly, I think BOTH these versions COMPLETELY blow THE BEATLES' original take away!!!) kk
I absolutely love the four songs featured today. I suspect many of the FH readers have never heard any of them. The comments should be really interesting. I think the hard core Beatles fans will be horrified by Hold Me Tight (and your comment about it being a throw away - that even shocked me) but I am really pleased that you like version as much as I do. It warms my heart. :-)
Steve (SLK47)
Surprisingly, not many comments pertaining to these tracks ... I think they are amongst the most obscure that we've featured ... maybe that's why (???) kk
It is weird that you got no comments on today's songs – especially since (IMHO) they are sooooo cool. Maybe they all passed out when you (self confessed Beatle fanatic) said McCartney's "Hold Me Tight" was a throw -away - I know that kinda shocked me.
Damn - first you drive away my hero Bill Medley and now you've run off all the Beatles fans <EG>
Steve (SLK47)
Some clarification on the track So Young …
During the course of this series, I have seen this track referred to as being by The Ronettes, Veronica and Ronnie Spector (which, to my mind anyway, are all essentially the same thing!)
I asked Steve if he could offer some explanation.
Phil recorded it as "I'm So Young" by the Ronettes but released it as "So Young" by Veronica on a single on Phil Spector Records - it is the exact same version. (He also released this same track as by the Ronettes on their Philles album.)
Steve
re: IKE AND TINA TURNER:
Save The Last Dance For Me blows me away - I love the Drifters’ version, too, but Ike & Tina's version really chokes me up - gives me goosebumps.
Steve
Hi Kent,
As much as I love all the Spector stuff that has been written about, I grew up with all that great music, and I'm not trying to be a wise-guy or anything, but I personally think that the Supremes-Four Tops version of River Deep-Mountain High is a much better record, performance and production included. The two groups sang their butts off and the Motown production people did a great job with the recording. It remains one of my all-time favorite Motown songs. Just my own humble opinion. I am still enjoying all the Spector stuff, especially some of the rare tracks that haven't been heard in so long. Keep it coming.
Thanks Again,
Eddie
Hey, no problem at all. Like I keep saying, there IS no right or wrong when it comes to musical tastes! I think the IKE AND TINA TURNER version is GROSSLY over-rated myself ... but OTHERS swear it's the GREATEST recording ever made. I can only assume that I'm in the MAJORITY on this one because the single totally TANKED when it was released ... yet it has grown in stature ever since. (For the record, I happen to like the Supremes / Four Tops version better, too … but our buddy Sam Tallerico took from slack when he played it and said the same on the air a few weeks back! As Rick Nelson tried to tell us, you can please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself.) kk
re: CHER:
I played "Ringo, I Love You" today as a contest to see if they knew who the singer was ... everyone was clueless!! What an AWFUL record!
Wild Bill
Pretty bad ... but pretty RARE, too!!!
Amazing that no one identified Cher's voice - it's so unique - even on that song. But cool that the jocks did it. I'm sure their Cher fans were horrified! It's great that all these jocks are digging your newsletter. Steve (SLK47)
The word is DEFINITELY getting out there!!! And, we've already been approached about putting together a PHIL SPECTOR Weekend Special based around YOUR series, too!!! (Naturally, I'll need your permission to do so ... but what a GREAT kick it is to see some of the programming that's sprung from our FORGOTTEN HITS pieces!!!) kk
No problem with the Weekend Special - you have my permission. But if he uses my name - it's pronounced Ka-Nettle not Noodle nor KaNoodle or New-Tell. You'd be surprised at some of the mispronunciations I get.
Steve (SLK47)
LOL ... believe me, I know ... (except now in radio circles I've become known as "KENT KOTAL, rhymes with NO-TELL MOTEL"!!!) kk
HI KENT!
GREAT TO SEE SOME OF YOUR IDEAS ARE CATCHING ON WITH THE RADIO CROWD - CONGRATULATIONS!!
MICHAEL BUSH
I kind of like the Bonnie Jo Mason 45. Kind of a mix of Girl Group, Beatles and Garage Rock sounds. That works for me! I think it's a bit better than stuff like Half Breed!
Ken
Kent,
Being a huge Cher fan for all of her career (even through her dreadful infomercial for Lorie Davis, or whoever), I'm prejudiced when it comes to "Ringo, I Love You." It's a totally charming record. She sounds exactly her age! Plus, it's not hard to imagine Bonnie Jo actually feeling that way about Ringo! And, it's nice to hear her sing without always shouting all the time!
Like I said, I love Cher - but she does always sound like she's just yelling it all out. I'm sure her engineers have to put down the sound on the old headphones.
PEDOND
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