 | | 680815 Posts in
27616 Topics by 4067
Members
- Latest Member: Dae Lims
| April 25, 2024, 11:08:33 AM |
|  |
|
77
|
Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Jan & Dean are terrible singers
|
on: September 22, 2021, 12:59:28 PM
|
A different version of the same problem confronted a group that still belongs in the RRHOF--the Shangri-Las, who were essentially abandoned by their svengali producer and allowed to die on the vine after a second LP that is one of the great records of the decade...but on the losing side of rock history, just as Spector was. Shadow Morton made a perfunctory effort to mold Mary Weiss into a version of the full-fledged "diva" singer that was emerging in 1966-67, but he didn't really have the arranging chops to pull off the transition, so he left them in a trash can adjacent to the Brill Building and moved on to Janis Ian and the Vanilla Fudge, signaling the exact type of phase shift that rock was undergoing at that time, a shift that made symphonic pop an endangered species literally overnight. SHANGRI-LA's '65, in its last incarnation (the label reissued it twice by adding singles) is the apex of the East Coast "symphonic pop" style and shows the range and singing group--check out their cover of the Ikettes' "I'm Blue," where its neither Mary or Betty Weiss but Mary-Ann Ganser, one of the twin "backup" singers, who gets one shot to step up to the plate and knocks it out of the stadium. Indeed, an excellent rendition. The Shangs were in a field of one. R.I.P., Mary-Ann and Marge Ganser. |
|
|
|
|
78
|
Smiley Smile Stuff / General On Topic Discussions / Re: Jan & Dean are terrible singers
|
on: September 22, 2021, 10:43:36 AM
|
"Dork music" does seem apt at times -- and that's an interesting idea worth exploring: did people appreciate the schtick at the time, or did it fall flat then?
I think (as someone who heard their music at the time) for those of us whose first earful of J&D was "Heart And Soul", well... it was hard to take them seriously, although "HAS" does have its charms. I remember "Surf City" came as quite a shock! Was this the same J&D?? (To say nothing of "Dead Man's Curve".) But then "Popslcle" was released in the wake of Jan's accident and we were back to "shtick". But I'd say it was appreciated, definitely. |
|
|
|
|
88
|
Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: Aretha Franklin
|
on: July 11, 2021, 02:13:18 AM
|
I finally got and watched "Amazing Grace" on DVD. What a movie! The real stuff!
Yes indeed. We watched it on Dutch (or was it UK?) TV a year or so ago. What an atmosphere! It's just a pity that you see so little of the musicians. |
|
|
|
|
90
|
Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: \
|
on: June 16, 2021, 12:57:40 AM
|
Wow. I just got round to reading this (I'm an infrequent visitor to these shores these days). Thank you so much for linking it, Rocker. I used to sneer at Meek at the time -- I guess I was too into US music and regarded Spector and Motown as the last word in record production. I rediscovered Joe in the early 2000s, bought his biography and the Bold Techniques book (which includes some fascinating and often hilarious anecdotes) and joined his appreciation society (until it began making unreasonable demands). The Tea Chest Tapes... I remember the Meek society regarded Cliff Cooper as a cheapskate who wanted to keep all these tapes to himself until they crumbled to dust. How wrong could they be?! Even more mind-boggling -- if that were possible -- is the discovery by Cherry Red Records of mono recordings buried between the two stereo tracks, where Joe reused the tapes. Ye gods... This is fantastic news. Thanks once again!  |
|
|
|
|
91
|
Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: The Beatles
|
on: June 08, 2021, 01:44:35 PM
|
Is it just me or does it seem as if the Beatles' overall popularity has cooled a little these days? Not that I put much stock in Rolling Stone but it was a tad eye-opening when Sgt. Pepper unceremoniously dropped off the top spot of their "500 Greatest Albums" list and fell into the teens. And besides that they just don't seem to be getting quite as much general attention they usually get. I don't have much evidence to base this off but just have noticed that vibe in the last few years. Interesting point. Maybe it's autosuggestion but I have that feeling too. Sort of a levelling-out, if they're less regarded as musical gods way up above everyone else. Food for thought, anyway... |
|
|
|
|
98
|
Non Smiley Smile Stuff / General Music Discussion / Re: R. I. P. Lloyd Price
|
on: May 13, 2021, 01:55:32 AM
|
I have been thinking - who is left of the first wave of great New Orleans r&b?
The only one I can think of who is still with us as of this writing is Clarence "Frogman" Henry. Just listened to his wonderful "But I Do."
Precious few left of the second wave - Irma Thomas and Aaron Neville. Neville announced his retirement from performing except an occasional special event.
All those wonderful singers gone. But will continue to love and listen to their joyous music. Hello, Lizzie. Yes indeed, it's getting dramatic. Gotta love the Frogman. As for Aaron Neville, I remember this beauty from way back. "Tell It Like It Is" was a US #2 for him in 1966. What a voice!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxROmtyrCxg |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|  |
|
Show Posts
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-2926960-1307668466.jpeg.jpg)