Welcome to Vol. 14 of my series
covering the Sound of Spector...
the great Wall-of-Sound
recordings of the 60s!
THE BUTTERFLYS
The song "I Wonder" was recorded by Phil Spector's girl group
The Crystals and released as a single in the U.K. It was also waxed
by Spector's Ronettes and released as an album track.
The Crystals and released as a single in the U.K. It was also waxed
by Spector's Ronettes and released as an album track.
When it comes to the version of "I Wonder" released as a single by
The Butterflys (aka Butterflies), a girl group once called the Buttons
and made up of two former Crystals, wonder is all one can do.
The Butterflys (aka Butterflies), a girl group once called the Buttons
and made up of two former Crystals, wonder is all one can do.
In the fall of 1964, the Butterflys made a run at the top 50 with "Good Night Baby."
Some believe their follow-up, "I Wonder," was merely the overdubbed voice of
Ellie Greenwich, the Brill Building vet who wrote the song and provided
female vocals for another group, the Rainbows. I wonder if it really
matters. The sound's the thing and the Butterflys' version of
"I Wonder," the only one released as a single in the
Some believe their follow-up, "I Wonder," was merely the overdubbed voice of
Ellie Greenwich, the Brill Building vet who wrote the song and provided
female vocals for another group, the Rainbows. I wonder if it really
matters. The sound's the thing and the Butterflys' version of
"I Wonder," the only one released as a single in the
U.S., is girl group nirvana!
"I Wonder" - The Butterflys
(Jan. 1965, highest chart pos. #117)
THE FURYS
In 1962 Gene Pitney had a doublesided hit with "Only Love Can Break a Heart"
backed with "If I Didn't Have a Dime (To Play the Jukebox)"
backed with "If I Didn't Have a Dime (To Play the Jukebox)"
Here's a Spectoresque cover of that fab flip arranged by Jack Nitzsche and
performed by R&B/doo-wop vet Jerome Evans and his group The Furys.
performed by R&B/doo-wop vet Jerome Evans and his group The Furys.
"If I Didn't Have a Dime" - The Furys
(September 1964, uncharted)
MAUREEN GRAY
I introduced Maureen Gray in vol. 2 of Echoes. As you might recall, Maureen
was the young singing sensation discovered by John Madara of the East Coast
songwriting/producing team of Madara & White. Maureen was only age 12
when she boldly marched into Madara's Philadelphia record store and told
him she could sing. Madara signed the confident girl to a recording
contract. Over the two years that followed Madara wrote and
produced more than a dozen of Maureen's recordings.
Here's a great one I'm posting for the first time. The moment you hear those
clacking castanets you'll know that this recording, which included budding
Philly Sound giant Leon Huff on keyboards, is an excellent example of the
East Coast Wall-Of-Sound that imitated Spector's West Coast production
style. Here is so young Maureen Gray with the flip side of "So Young,"
the splendidly Spectorian "There Is a Boy."
"There Is a Boy" - Maureen Gray
(Jan. 1962, B side of "So Young")
TOM JONES
Now here's a drama drenched Wall of Soundalike ballad
by Tom Jones that'll hit you like a ton of bricks!
by Tom Jones that'll hit you like a ton of bricks!
It's the Welshman's powerful interpretation of the Burt Bacharach -
Hal David song "I Wake Up Crying," a top 20 R&B hit
Hal David song "I Wake Up Crying," a top 20 R&B hit
for Chuck Jackson in 1961.
Awaken to Spectorian Splendor
with Mr. Tom Jones!
with Mr. Tom Jones!
"I Wake Up Crying" - Tom Jones
(from Dec. 1967 album 13 Smash Hits)
NINO TEMPO &
APRIL STEVENS
Now here are Nino Tempo & April Stevens, the Grammy Award winning duo
from Niagara Falls that you met in vol. 4 of this series. The exciting brother-sister
act captured lightning in a bottle with the recording you are about to hear.
from Niagara Falls that you met in vol. 4 of this series. The exciting brother-sister
act captured lightning in a bottle with the recording you are about to hear.
As the pictures above and below indicate, Nino & April emerged from
the deep end of the gene pool. They had the right look, the right sound
and the talent to become top recording artists.
the deep end of the gene pool. They had the right look, the right sound
and the talent to become top recording artists.
When the family moved from Niagara Falls to California, Nino, a musical
prodigy, landed gigs as a session musician and worked under Phil Spector
as a member of The Wrecking Crew. Nino signed a recording contract
and began making records singing duets with his sister Carol who
went by the name April Stevens.
prodigy, landed gigs as a session musician and worked under Phil Spector
as a member of The Wrecking Crew. Nino signed a recording contract
and began making records singing duets with his sister Carol who
went by the name April Stevens.
Nino wrote songs for the pair to record including "The Habit of Lovin' You Baby"
which the sibs waxed at the end of 1966. "Habit" was given the Spectorian studio
treatment and the single hit the street at the start of 1967. Unfortunately "Habit"
went to waste because it was released as the B side of "You'll Be Needing Me
Baby" which only Bubbled Under and never climbed above #133 on the chart.
What a shame! I hope you will agree that this killer B coulda been a killer A!
What a shame! I hope you will agree that this killer B coulda been a killer A!
"The Habit of Lovin' You Baby" - Nino Tempo & April Stevens
(Jan. 1967, B side of "You'll Be Needing Me Baby")
BILLY JOE ROYAL
Georgia born, country influenced pop singer Billy Joe Royal is best known for his hits
"Down in the Boondocks," "I Knew You When" and "Cherry Hill Park." In 1965 Royal
"Down in the Boondocks," "I Knew You When" and "Cherry Hill Park." In 1965 Royal
recorded the Joe South song "I've Got To Be Somebody." By Christmas Billy Joe's
Spectoresque single was climbing toward the top 40, helped along by this stirring
blue-eyed soul performance on the teen music TV show Shindig.
Spectoresque single was climbing toward the top 40, helped along by this stirring
blue-eyed soul performance on the teen music TV show Shindig.
"I've Got To Be Somebody" - Billy Joe Royal
(Dec. 1965/Jan. 1966, highest chart pos. #38,
live perf. on Nov. 6, 1965 ep. of Shindig)
live perf. on Nov. 6, 1965 ep. of Shindig)
REPARATA &
THE DELRONS
Gotta love those New York girl groups. Mary Aiese, stage name Reparata,
and her Brooklyn trio of Catholic school girls called the Delrons, made a name
for themselves in the U.S. and the UK doing what mid 60s girl groups
and her Brooklyn trio of Catholic school girls called the Delrons, made a name
for themselves in the U.S. and the UK doing what mid 60s girl groups
did best, singing songs about the pain of teenage love.
Reparata considers the group's RCA recording sessions to be their best work,
and she points to the single "I'm Nobody's Baby Now," written by Jeff Barry
and performed in the style of the Shangri-Las, as her favorite. Mine too!
and she points to the single "I'm Nobody's Baby Now," written by Jeff Barry
and performed in the style of the Shangri-Las, as her favorite. Mine too!
"I'm Nobody's Baby Now" - Reparata & the Delrons
(April 1966, uncharted)
I hope you enjoyed my
Echoes 14 platter party.
Stay tuned for more
splendid Spectorian sounds
coming your way in volume 15!
Have a Shady day!
Good old Tom Jones!
ReplyDeleteAlbum covers were so simple back then. The artists had to look good because they were going to be on the cover.
Hi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for being the early bird again this week, good buddy. I appreciate it!
They say video killed the radio star, but Tom Jones didn't have anything to worry about, did he. The charismatic entertainer looked as good as he sounded. Then came Disco Tex & His Sex-O-Lettes! :)
Thanks again for joining the fun, good buddy Alex, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Great post and great songs today!! I really liked Nino and April. I may be the only one to not be a Tom Jones fan with one exception- there is a video circulating where he is singing with Janis Joplin (unusual pairing there) and its so good.
ReplyDeleteI'm cracking up at the album cover of Nino not wearing a shirt with the beach babes all around.
Really liked I wonder by the Butterflys.
Hi, Holliberry!
DeleteWhat's new pussycat? :) (... a little Tom Jones humor there.) Thank you very much for coming by and sampling the songs in my latest volume of Echoes, dear friend!
It's been a while since I posted 60s girl groups sounds and this installment gives you two of the grooviest - The Butterflys and Reparata & the Delrons - plus rarely heard songs by The Furys, Maureen Gray, Tom Jones, Nino Tempo & April Stevens and Billy Joe Royal, all featuring the Spectorian Wall-of-Sound production and post production mixing technique made famous by Phil Spector.
I didn't know you are not a big fan of Tom Jones. He isn't #1 on my list either, but I like a few of his early recordings including this Chuck Jackson cover. Thanks for the tip. I just went to YouTube and watched that 1969 clip from This Is Tom Jones in which Tom sings the fiery duet "Raise Your Hand" with guest artist Janis Joplin. You're right. It is an unusual pairing, but they managed to nail the performance. I never saw that vid before and enjoyed it. The clip, which includes young people dancing in the background, gives you a good look at the flamboyant clothing styles of the period.
A few years ago I purchased three various artists CDs filled with wall-of-sound alikes - recordings made by other producers that imitated those of Phil Spector. Those Spectorian CDs included songs by Nino Tempo & April Stevens. Ever since then I have been huge fans of the brother-sister act. Consistently underrated, Nino & April gave us many fine recordings that either charted low or missed the chart entirely. "The Habit," a killer bee on the flip side of a poor selling single, is one of their best. I'm glad you like them, too! The picture on Nino's Beach Party album is something, isn't it? As I said in the text, Nino & April emerged from the deep end of the gene pool. :)
Thanks again for hustling over here early on day one, Holli. I enjoyed your comment, dear friend. Take care. I look forward to connecting with you again soon!
Mostly new artists for me this week, though once you mentioned "Down in the Boondocks" I knew who Billy Joe Royal was. I just don't always remember who recorded what. Listening to the Furys I tried to imagine Gene Pitney singing it. I only know him from Liberty Valance (a favorite of mine!). We saw Tom Jones perform in Las Vegas in the mid-80s. ;) Other blogging topics have been slow, so there will be music again at my place this Friday.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteThanks for popping in bright and early on day one, dear friend. I am very happy to see you!
Yessum, I have come to realize that you have vast knowledge of 70s and 80s music, and that the 60s is mostly uncharted territory for you. That's where Shady Del Knight comes in. I look forward to entertaining and educating you by sharing gems I have discovered along the way, great recordings that date back to the 60s and even the 50s. Stay tuned!
Truth be told, I knew Billy Joe Royal from his hits "Down in the Boonies," "I Knew You When" and "Cherry Hill - Mary Hill" but until recently I didn't know about his recording of the Joe South song "I've Got To Be Somebody." That single made the top 40 nationally but I don't think it played very often on my local radio station. That's one thrilling live performance by Billy on Shindig, in my opinion.
The late, great Gene Pitney had a long string of hit singles and I urge you to check them out. Gene's was one of the finest and most distinctive voices in music. Lucky you for going to see Tom Jones in person in Vegas! I hope he put on a great show for you even though he was already getting long in the tooth by that time.
I look forward to your next Musical Interlude, Kelly, but please be advised that Mrs. Shady and I have a pressing matter to deal with that day, and it requires us to take a trip to another city. I will do my best to listen and comment on your post later in the day, but please understand if I can't show up until Saturday. Okay?
Thank you again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Kelly!
Well, good afternoon, Shady! I was here earlier and read your post, but my little dog Carly's lunch time was calling, then I got hungry, so we took a blog break, and made our way to the kitchen!
ReplyDeleteOh, how I loved listening to Gene Pitney back in the day..."Town Without Pity", "Mecca", "Only Love Can Break a Heart", "It Hurts to Be in Love", "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". All of them. I don't remember "If I Didn't Have A Dime", though. The song is great, and I LIKE this guy Jerome's voice! Kind of reminds me of Meatloaf! I can also picture Gene Pitney doing this one.
The Butterflys, Reparata & the Delrons, and Maureen Grag, are three that I have never heard of. But, all three are pretty fantastic! They are very similar, and in line with The Crystals, Ronettes and Shangri-Las! Maureen Grag has quite a unique voice, but, to be fair, they each have their own style, which sets them apart. All of the songs are very good, "I Wonder" is probably my favorite.
I'm here to tell you, that Tom Jones can nail anything he attempts! And, attempts is not even giving him good credit! Anything he takes on is putting it better, lol! What a powerful version of "I Wake Up Crying". Powerful and emotional-I believed him!
You picked some pretty tough ones, this time Shady. I just didn't get into Nino and April, but I do remember you featuring the two on a previous post. I think this song dragged out a bit too much, although he has a great voice.
And, it seems like Billy Joe Royal has quite a variety of styles in his portfolio. I mean back when you had to really sing! "I Knew You When"! Oh gosh, I always loved that tear-jerker, it's the song we love to cry to! And, Shady, I had no idea that was Billy Joe Royal. A great song, and, would be my favorite of his!
Very good post today, Shady! I enjoyed listening to your picks, and picking at them...lol! I'm surprised at how some of them chartd at #138 and #117. Such a tough business, isn't it! You had to be singing just at the right moment, for just the right producer!
Thank you for your great presentation, and the history that we would not have been privy to without your research and hard work! Take care dear friend! We're halfway through the week, moving right along! Hope Florence doesn't do too much damage to our friends in the Carolinas and along the coast!
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteHow are you today, dear friend? Do you and your pup Carly have full tummies? :) Thank you very much for coming over for volume 14 of my Echoes series!
Thanks also for listing some of Gene Pitney's greatest hits for the benefit of readers like Kelly (above) who aren't familiar with his extensive catalog. Shady will be running Gene's version of "Dime" at some point in the future, so stay tuned. I'm glad you enjoyed the little known cover by The Furys. Lead singer Jerome Evans put a heck of a lot of soul into his rendition and I love it. Evans, who died at the age of 65, was a journeyman. In addition to this release as a member of The Furys, Jerome had been a member of several other groups including The Cyclones, The Lions, The Centennials, Vernon Green & The Medallions, and Coasters & Drifters "splinter groups."
I'm glad you enjoyed the girl groups in this set, their records cast in the same mold as Phil Spector's Crystals, Ronettes and Blossoms and similar in sound to recordings of the New York based Shangri-las. Maureen Gray was a young girl with powerful pipes, an "East Coast Girl," a big favorite in Philadelphia and the mid-Atlantic region but less well known in other parts of the country. Sadly Maureen also passed away at the age of 65.
I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the power-packed version of "I Wake Up Crying" waxed by Tom Jones. The Welshman has a way of taking a song and making it his very own and this is a good example. I'm sorry you don't like Nino & April as much as I do. They are my Pick To Click in this and other posts in which they appear. Thanks for reminding me about a Billy Joe Royal single I forgot to mention: "I Knew You When," released in 1965 after "Boonies" and before the song featured in this post "I've Got to Be Somebody." Billy died less than two years ago at age 73 - still way too young!
Yessum, many of my favorite songs merely Bubbled Under and never broke loose to climb the Hot 100 chart. So it goes in the tough and very fickle recording industry. Artists like Fabian Forte and Little Eva became instant sensations while many other deserving artists, Evie Sands, for example, spent their careers in relative obscurity.
Thank you again for joining this week's platter party, dear friend Suzanne. Prayers go out to our Carolina neighbors to the north as we here in Florida continue to sweat out the long hurricane season. Shady returns next Tuesday with another edition of his series How Sarah Got Her Groove Back, so please stick around! :)
Tom Jones is pretty good and he did have quite the voice. I wonder if he has a trophy for all the underwear that was thrown to him when he was on stage (blecchhh).I miss these songs that just seem to innocent and a time we will never get back again. You know, the first thing I think about bringing when I go to the beach is a sax.
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteThank you very much for being here on day one, my great friend. I do appreciate it!
I'm glad you enjoyed this booming cover by Tom Jones. Yessum, women were known to toss their undies at him as he crooned on stage. Does that seem "PC" to you? :)
Ha! What did you think of bare chested Nino Tempo? I guess you could say he likes to blow his own horn. :) I want to know why he rates, not one, but three women! :) Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that album cover inspired a popular drink served in bars: (wait for it... wait for it...) "Sax on the Beach."
(BA-DUM-BUMP)
It was fun chatting with you again this week, dear friend BB. Thanks again for coming over on day one. I hope you enjoy the rest of your week and the cooler weather up there in Canada. See you next time!
Thank you for the show, friend Shady … I remember Tom Jones's song very well … I was about 11 then and a bit ill … I remember wanting to sleep a lot and crying a lot as my family forced me to eat in no uncertain terms … I remember my mumme taking me to a clergy man one night in order to have me baptised … I remember somebody giving me a tiny record player with some 45 records but had no amplifier, so for sound I put a penny on the tone head thing and put a sewing needle into the tone head thing … and voila! I had sound, kind of … smiles … ya … anyway … Happy Wednesday, eh? Love, cat.
ReplyDeleteHi, cat!
DeleteI appreciate you making time for a visit, dear friend! Thank you very much for coming down and writing another interesting comment, one that ties directly to a song in the post and reveals more about your life history. I am sorry some of the memories generated by that Tom Jones recording were not particularly happy ones, but I admire you for being resourceful and finding a way to listen to 45s on your tiny record player. I started out listening to a tiny tinny record player in my basement and did not graduate to my own set of stereo components until my 15th birthday.
Thank you again for sharing details of your life as they relate to the post, dear friend cat. Take care of that bum knee and enjoy the rest of your week!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteThe only artist featured today I recognize by name is Tom Jones but I don't know your song choice. Of all the introductions, I really like the sound of Nino Tempo & April Stevens and Billy Joe Royal. The video for The Fury's "If I Didn't Have a Dime" made me think of playing the jukebox at the rollerskating rink as a kid. That was always such fun to do, you know drop your coin in the machine, make your selection, and watch it hit the turntable. I think that's sorta funny because that simple act would be regarded as nothing special by kids today. Thanks for putting a smile on my face with your latest mewsic edition. Have a tunetastic day, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteWelcome back over, dear friend! I am pleased to see you as I present another volume in my series Echoes of the Spectorian Era.
Tom Jones is probably the best known artist in the bunch. Had it been released as a single, Tom's Spector style recording "I Wake Up Crying" might have been a hit. Instead it was issued as one of the songs on his 13 Smash Hits album released during the Christmas season of 1967.
I'm delighted to know you enjoyed the smooth harmonies of the Niagara Falls brother-sister duo Nino Tempo & April Stevens along with the blue-eyed soul sound of Billy Joe Royal as he performed on Shindig.
You brought up a good point, Cathy. Those old jukeboxes with a window allowing you to watch the record being pulled from its slot and placed on the turntable were mesmerizing to teenagers. It was indeed special. It was part of the fun of going to a malt shop, diner, roller rink or juke joint. It was a simple pleasure that cannot be duplicated today by pressing a button on a tiny electronic device or clicking a link on YouTube.
Great comment, Cathy! Thank you again for joining the fun, dear friend. Have a tunetastic day and I will see you tomorrow for Friday Sillies!
Tom,
DeleteThanks for dropping in over the weekend. I'm pushing to catch up. Yesterday, I was out all day running errands. After re-reading my comment to you it made me think about a momentary glimpse back to the day before. I decided to use the city transit service to take the bus to my doctor's appointment before going home. I boarded a bit early while the driver waited to pull out. Naturally, I gravitated toward my phone for entertainment. At one point, I remember looking up for a second and the handful of people sitting around me had their heads buried in their devices. I thought on the days when I rode the same bus lines while attending college, no one had cell phones and very few had Walkmans. This left the passengers only recourse and that was to strike up a conversation with another. The bus was often filled with ideal dialogue to pass the time but it a joyful vibe that's now been replaced by technology. I miss those by-gone days when people really knew how to network and be social. Isn't that funny? We travel the superhighway every single day and folks are no where near as social as they once were. :)
Hi again, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for returning to expand our thread, dear friend, and thank you for sharing another great story that allows us to figure out where we are and how we got here. Your observations about the downside of modern technology are enlightening. With our faces buried in electronic devices so many hours each day, we are forgetting to live our lives and missing important one-on-one connections with people that promote genuine friendship, understanding, caring and compassion.
Thank you for weighing in on this important topic, dear friend Cathy, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Hi Shady,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the smile tonight, truly needed it and these songs did just that.
Have a great Thankful Thursday, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for coming over and sampling these echo-drenched Spectorian sounds, dear friend! It's good to know they made you smile. "Mission accomplished!" 99% of these songs I post are in my personal CD collection and they never fail to make me smile, too.
Thank you again for taking a look and a listen, dear friend JM. Have a good Friday and a safe and happy weekend!
Hi Shady!
DeleteThe power and gift of music! :)
I've been listening to Mac Miller a lot for the past week (I listened somewhat before he died, but really wish I got to know him before he died) and I noticed he sampled two oldies in some of his earlier works. Might be worth exploring:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmEpkztK5Lw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6lYDZ8xGVY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3GGN51_pjE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym7IOodKeWI
I know many artists do this, especially rap artists, and I think it's interesting. I know that's how I discovered a lot of the oldies when growing up!
Have a great Saturday, dear friend!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteWow, dear friend, thank you for introducing me to the late Mac Miller, the hip hop artist who tragically died a week ago at the age of 26. I thoroughly enjoyed the video created for his rap adaptation of Linda Scott's 1961 hit "I've Told Every Little Star." Mac's "Knock Knock" is respectful to Linda's original, and the retro-styled video which brings to mind West Side Story, is entertaining and fun and should not alarm parents and grandparents. I was not familiar with the second song "Party On Fifth Ave," nor was I familiar with the song of origin "Unwind Yourself" by Marva Whitney. Holy smoke - that single on King, produced by James Brown - is killer! Once again I thoroughly enjoyed Mac's "Party" song and video. As I am sure you agree his death is a tremendous loss to music.
Thanks for introducing me to a great R&B oldie from the 60s and two new rap/hip hop songs that I genuinely like. Have a safe and happy weekend, dear friend JM!
Hi, Shady,
DeleteBoth of the oldies had sound familiar, but when I look up the samples, I actually had never listened to the original song... at least, not in my memories. Since the samples sounded familiar, I guess I must have heard them at some point in life.
Yes, I am still saddened by his death. Just too young and it really is a shame what drugs can do. :( One of the libraries had his Divine Feminine album and when I went to work at the library yesterday, I picked it up. I left my walkman at my full-time job and I can't wait to listen to it tomorrow. I might write about it on my blog.
Have a great Sunday, dear friend! Glad you enjoyed the pieces I sent you. :)
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteI'll bet your dad remembers that big Linda Scott hit. You might have been exposed to it through him.
Mac had talent and his videos were more fun than confrontational which I found refreshing for a rapper. It is a terrible waste that he lost his life while still in his 20s. I hope you enjoy listening to his album tomorrow.
Thanks again for checking-in, dear friend JM, and have a terrific week!
Hi Tom. Here's "Take Two":
ReplyDeleteHow cool that you’ve showcased a singing duo who hails from my hometown of Niagara Falls! I’m not familiar with Nino and April though. I’m sure they were local stars though. I'll have to ask my Mom if she knew of them. On the album cover that you presented only Nino's name is on there. I don't see April's name anywhere on it. Was this a solo album by Nino? And I sure hope his sister isn't one of those girls on the album cover! The photo seems to be promoting how women surrounded and clamored for the hot musician with no shirt on. It would be super icky if April is one of those girls... Yikes!
My favorite of all your selections here is the last song: "I'm Nobody's Baby Now" by Reparate & the Delrons. That's an odd name: where did that come from and what are delrons?? Not only the song but I especially love the album covers! The design and color treatment in the first 'Best Of' album is fabulous and the outfits on the other 'Best Of' album cover are the beginnings of that mid 60s fashion that I so dig from that era!
I’ve also enjoyed Billy Joe Royal’s “I’ve Got to Be Somebody.” He had a great performance on Shindig. The background singers and Royal’s committed style with the song make it very much like a gospel song. The audio on that recording is very good. (I also like his “Down in the Boondocks” hit).
Tom Jones: who doesn’t love Tom Jones with his sexy baritone vocals! Apparently, I learned, when the members of Crosby, Stills and Nash were asked in an interview who they thought was best singer out there, they responded with “Tom Jones.” Tom’s vocal range is something that is greatly admired as he’s essentially a baritone and tenor in one.
That coupled with his good looks certainly made him irresistible to women the world over. I remember chatting with some of my mom’s friends who had, at the time, just been to one of Tom Jones’ concerts. They had had good seats and were telling us how women in the audience were throwing their panties on the stage for him! Haha. Crazy women!
(singing) “...Please Baby, won’t you save me from this misery...” Tom’s “I Wake Up Crying” is such a good song. I don’t remember it from back then but I sure did appreciate being introduced to it here. The lyrics pack a punch personally because they took me back to a devastating break-up I endured. Using the word ‘endure’ may sound a little dramatic but 'endure' describes how tough it was to get through. The break-up was especially hard and I remember how shocking it was to me that I could actually wake up crying. I remember telling a friend that my heart hurt so bad and my pain was so deep that I actually started crying before my eyes even opened in the mornings! “I Wake Up Crying”: I get it.
(1 of 2: comment continued below)
Hi, Michele!
DeleteI know how it feels to spend an hour or more composing a comment only to lose it when the gremlins strike. I owe you a debt of gratitude for sucking it up and taking the time to write another comment, and a two-parter at that. Thank you, dear friend!
I'm thrilled that you found so much of interest in this volume of Echoes. I knew you would be interested in the brother-sister act Nino Tempo & April Stevens. All my life, until recently, I never gave the duo much thought because I only knew them for their major hits, the adult contemporary radio friendly singles "Deep Purple," "Whispering" and "Stardust" - none of which are rendered in a style that was of interest to me then or now. Ironically, the best recordings made by Nino & April, their Spectoresque recordings "All Strung Out" and the song featured here "The Habit of Lovin' You," were among their least successful. Go figure!
In addition to being a fine singer (and child actor), Nino Tempo is a sax virtuoso. Beginning in the mid 50s, Nino released vocal and instrumental singles and albums including the 1956 "cool jazz" album Rock 'N Roll Beach Party displayed in this post. None of the three beach bunnies on the cover look like sister April. (She was more attractive than any of them.)
Regarding Nino's background, Wiki sez: << A musical prodigy, he learned to play the clarinet and the tenor saxophone as a child. He was a talent show winner at four years of age and appeared on television with Benny Goodman at age seven. When his family relocated to California, he featured on the Horace Heidt radio show, performing a Benny Goodman clarinet solo. A child actor, he worked in motion pictures in such movies as 1949's The Red Pony and in 1953's The Glenn Miller Story featuring James Stewart. He was a sought-after session musician, working as a member of the famous session band the Wrecking Crew >>
At age 19 or 20, Nino was a sideman on a 1955 Maynard Ferguson album. Still in demand as a musician, Nino played with the Modern Jazz Quartet on their 40th Anniversary Celebration album in the mid 90s. Here's a great clip showing Nino's sax solo in the opening titles of the 1957 film Bop Girl Goes Calypso:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GZEhvcne6k
As you might have noticed in the opening credits, Bop Girl starred Judy Tyler, the young woman who played Princess Summerfall Winterspring on The Howdy Doody Show and was Elvis Presley's co-star and love interest in the movie Jailhouse Rock. Tragically Judy and her husband were killed in a car crash just days after production wrapped up on Jailhouse Rock and before the film was even released in theaters. So upset was Elvis by Judy's untimely death that he could not bring himself to watch Jailhouse Rock.
I'm delighted to know that the last song, "Nobody's Baby" by Reparata and the Delrons, is your Pick To Click. I love it, too. There are conflicting accounts of how the girl group got its name. They first recorded simply as The Delrons. My theory about that part of their name is as follows. The "Ron" was chosen because The Ronettes were popular at the time, and the prefix "Del" or "Dell" was frequently adopted by singing groups (Dell Vikings, Del Satins, Del Lords, Delfonics, Delchords, etc.) for a reason I am still trying to determine. The Delrons' producers thought their name needed a more feminine touch, and they asked the girls for ideas. One explanation states that lead singer Mary Aiese O'Leary suggested her confirmation name Reparata. Another article states that lead singer Mary Ayes (different spelling) chose the name of her elementary choir leader Sister Mary Reparata.
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Hi Tom. Thanks for the great and information packed reply!
DeleteBoy, what a performance by Nino in the opening of Bop Girl Goes Calypso! That is some serious energy. I think he was working up a sweat because he sure was trying to get out of that suit jacket! I understand...I did that just the other day while unloading the back of my truck after a big Costco trip! :)
Another interesting paragraph is regarding the name of the Reparata & the Delrons. That is peculiar how so many of the groups started with the "Del" prefix.
Heading to your next section of this reply. Thanks!
Hi, Michele!
DeleteI am delighted to see you up this early (or up this late?) and replying to my replies. Thank you, dear friend!
I'm so glad you appreciated the extra info I dug up about Nino Tempo and Reparata & the Delrons.
Years ago I printed out that cool movie poster for Bop Girl Goes Calypso and used it as the cover art on one of my scrap books. Like Elvis did, I get the blues every time I think about Judy Tyler because I watched Howdy Doody as a child and loved her in the role of Princess Summerfall Winterspring.
Thanks again for coming, dearie!
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ReplyDeleteAs for Maureen Gray’s song, I wasn’t taken by it at first listen. But the more I heard the more I grew to like it. And then my appreciation for it continued to grow after learning what a ultra-confident girl she was at such a young age!
The Fury’s “If I Didn’t Have a Dime” was a great lyrical illustration of how important the jukebox used to be to folks. It was responsible for bringing so many people together as they stood and dropped dimes and chose their favorite songs. It had an allure to it. Jukeboxes drew people to one another and were the impetus to countless flirtatious meetings over the course of their time. And how it changed over the years as “record-playing” changed with the technology. I used to love watching the workings of its mechanics and marvel at how the "arm" would reach out and grab the selected record out of the stack and then drop it on the turntable...then the tone-arm would move over and rest the needle on the record disc. It was fascinating to me. And so I really dug the music video you chose to bring us “If I Had a Dime.”
“Girl group nirvana”: haha: now that’s another new Shady-phrase! I enjoyed the introduction to the Butterflys’ version of “I Wonder”. Seems to be a song filled with mystery and urban legend even!
And I also got a kick out of seeing the unmistakable Wonder Bread logo in the video. :)
Another great “platter party” here Tom!
I don’t know if I was fully able to re-create the extensive comment that I lost last night due to my laptop suddenly and unexpectedly shutting down just as I was about to hit the Publish button, but hopefully I was able to hit on all the points that I wanted to make...
And before anything happens to this one, I’ll just sign off with “Have a great weekend my friend!”...
Michele at Angels Bark
On that clip of Billy Joe Royal performing on Shindig, the gospel style female backing singers are The Blossoms, the trio led by Darlene Love. Assembled by Phil Spector, The Blossoms were heavily used on Spector's Wall-of-Sound recordings to add that extra touch of soul. The Blossoms were regular background singers on Shindig.
DeleteInteresting that CSN named Tom Jones as the best singer they would think of. That's quite a compliment for the Welsh crooner! Yessum, women in the audience tossed their knickers at Tom as he serenaded them from the stage. I recall seeing Tom pick up articles of underwear, use them to mop the sweat from his face and forehead, and toss them back into the frenzied crowd. (I wonder if women would get that excited over my sweat-soaked shorts! :) Thank you for sharing the painful story from your past that makes the song "I Wake Up Crying" relevant to you.
I'm glad you came to appreciate the young girl with the powerful pipes Maureen Gray. I can her imagine her wowing the judges today on America's Got Talent and similar televised singing contests.
Thanks for expanding the thread started by our mutual friend Cathy K about the joy of playing the jukebox. Remember the Carly Simon hit "Anticipation" used in those ketchup commercials decades ago? That was the feeling I always got at the Dell after inserting my coins and pressing the desired song button. I experienced "Anticipation" as I waited for the jukebox mechanism to do its thing and cue up and play my chosen record. Years ago I ran a post on this subject and estimated that this interval of anticipation lasted between 11 and 13 seconds. In the course of a "Shady Dell night," that period of relative quiet afforded Dell rats the opportunity to talk some trash or maybe even ask someone for a date.
I'm glad you also appreciated "I Wonder" by the mystery girl group The Butterflys. Notice the unique spelling of the groups name. It is very hard to keep track of the personnel who participated in recordings of the 60s, especially the Brill Building singles. At some point in the future I will be running a post on one famous Brill Building session singer whose voice was used on records credited to several different "studio only" girl groups.
Thank you again for another remarkable two-part comment, Michele, and sorry you lost the first draft. Thank you again for being such a wonderful friend and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Ahh, I'll have to go back up and read Cathy's comment. I didn't know you all had already discussed jukeboxes. But that doesn't surprise me: so many of us (you and your readers here) know all about the old style jukeboxes that used vinyl records and needles and I think that video that you provided for the song brought back some wonderful memories of our own jukebox experiences.
DeleteI have a fond memory of sitting in a booth at a truck stop with my Aunt and Uncle and cousin and all the booths in the restaurant had their own mini-jukeboxes and folks could choose their own songs to play just at their booth so people all over the restaurant would be listening to different songs at the same time. That used to fascinate me, that fact alone. As I'm thinking about it now, Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" was a big hit back then and I kept playing that song over and over as we ate our meals. haha
I just looked up when that song came out and it was 1970. Sounds about right...
As to your parenthesed comment in discussion of Tom Jones using the women's panties thrown up on stage to wipe his sweaty face and brow: ["(I wonder if women would get that excited over my sweat-soaked shorts! :))"]: I'm going to go out on a limb here and venture a guess: Ahh, probably not. Sad to say... :O :)
Thanks for your two-part replies to my two parter!
Happy Monday. I didn't do a battle for the 15th and I don't think I'll manage to crank out a post for today's 4M post. This month is shaping up to be mighty out-of-control busy over here...
talk soon.
Hi, Michele!
DeleteThanks for matching my second reply with another of your own. The kind of story you shared here is good as gold, exactly the type of anecdote I value most in blogging, because I learned something new from it. I remember using those individual jukebox selection boxes at booths in diners, but the music always played throughout the whole place. I didn't know they eventually developed a way to play the song you selected only at your booth for your ears. The volume must not have been very loud, I would think, or the music would have clashed with songs other people were playing at their booths (unless there was a Get Smart style "cone of silence" around every table :).
I was going to start selling my sweaty undergarments on eBay, but your lukewarm reaction is making me rethink that plan. It might not be the gold mine I envisioned. :)
Your month might be "out-of-control busy," Michele, but you have proven yourself to be an A+ friend by making time to continue our interesting discussion threads here at Shady's Place. I really appreciate that!
Thank you again for coming to chat. Get some rest when you can and have a wonderful week!
Some great finds here. I like "I'm Nobody's Baby Now" the best. I bet if it had come out a few years earlier, when that girl group sound was more in vogue, it would have been a hit.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for coming over, good buddy! I'm happy that you stepped into my echo chamber this weekend to sample more Spectorian sounds.
That's another imaginary vote for Reparata & the Delrons. Your approval pleases me because I have been neglecting U.S. girl groups of the 60s these last few years. It was nice of you to give them their props. I agree that 1966 was a little too late for the release of Wall-of-Sound recordings. The Righteous Brothers' mega-hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," released in November 1964, represents the zenith of the genre's popularity. By 1966 that production style was no longer very popular and the Motown Sound was the hot new thing with girl groups like The Supremes, The Marvelettes and Martha & The Vandellas dominating the charts.
Thanks again for joining the party, good buddy Kirk, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!
I'm sorry to be so late, but I wanted to comment on this great post, albeit at the 11th hour.
ReplyDeleteThe songs by the Butterflies and Maureen Gray somehow reminded me of Leslie Gore's "It's My Party" and Peggy March's "I Will Follow Him", in the quality of the voices and the lilting melodies, a sound taking me back to my college years. I never heard of her before, but Maureen Gray sure could belt out a song, couldn't she?
I never saw the internal mechanics of a juke box before, so that video playing during The Furys' "If I Didn't Have a Dime" fascinated me. What an amazing invention!
The only music 'selectors' I remember were the ones on table tops at diners, with lists of popular songs that you could turn like the pages of a book using a tab at the top, and into which you fed coins to play your choices. We recently had pizza at a restaurant where there was a large free standing juke box with flashing fluorescent lights, but now totally computerized of course.
This song and its lyrics also brought back the memory of that pivotal scene at the end of "Top Gun", where seeing the mysterious hand putting the coin into the juke box and selecting just the right song meant a relationship wasn't over after all. I wonder how many couples are still brought (or kept) together by letting the music do the talking!
Tom Jones' voice just is so expressive and has a lot of richness and depth to it. The instrumentals, with big drum sounds and lots of strings, blend wonderfully with his voice in that song, and the Spectorian effect adds an extra helping of drama to it.
The stairs pictured on the cover of "The Habit of Loving You" made me think of the old wooden steps in the Dell's barn that led to the loft where my mother played as a child. I'm not sure how it was done, but the smooth and expansive song by Nino and April sounds like almost hundreds voices backing them.
I enjoyed hearing and seeing Billy Joe Royal performing something other than his "Boondocks" song, popular as it was. The squealing girl's voices in the background surely mean he was a heartthrob at the time.
The bell bottoms, hairstyles and spoken lyrics with chimes in "Nobody's Baby" definitely exemplify the time period in musical and cultural history, as do all the songs you selected.
Thank you for putting this post together, Tom. It indeed "echoed" another time and place from so many years ago!
Hi, Kathleen!
DeleteWhat a wonderful surprise it is to see a comment from you, dear friend. Thank you very much for taking time to write it!
If you take a look at the label of that Red Bird 45, you will notice the odd spelling of Butterflies ("Butterflys") as the official "stylized" name of that mystery girl group. As a rule, unusual spellings of group or artist names are not a great idea, because anything that generates confusion can hinder radio play and record sales. Perhaps if the group had adopted the traditional spelling of Butterflies their record might have made the top 40. Instead it remained trapped in the Bubbling Under basement. The recording is certainly worthy of a much more successful run on the chart.
I'm glad you singled out Maureen Gray, the prodigious singer discovered by John Medora. Medora aka John Madara, was half of the hit-making songwriting and producing team of Madara-White, the guys who discovered, signed and produced records for our hometown heroines from Hanover - The Pixies Three (see my right column of pictures). Madara and White also wrote Lesley Gore's second biggest hit "You Don't Own Me."
I'm surprised you never saw the internal workings of a jukebox before today. It is mesmerizing, isn't it? Unfortunately the jukebox in the Dell dance hall did not have a window allowing rats to peek inside. As I recall it was a Seeburg model that looked something like this one:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-1960s-seeburg-lpc-1-jukebox
The other jukebox, located in Helen's snack bar, was older, and I don't recall being able to watch the mechanism pull records from their slots. Like you I well remember those coin operated music selectors in diners and how you could turn the pages to view the strips. However, unlike Michele (above), I do not remember boxes that played records you selected exclusively at the booth you occupied while people at other tables listened to other songs of their choosing. Let us also remember Scopitones, those specially made jukeboxes placed in taverns that played color film clips of various artists performing songs. Scopitone films were the forerunners of music videos.
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I'm glad you appreciated the deep, rich vocals of Mr. Tom Jones. Generations of women were so smitten by his voice and animal magnetism that during his live shows they littered the stage with their unmentionables. Shucks, they could have had SHADY!
DeleteIt would be interesting to know where Nino Tempo and April Stevens posed for that picture used for their album cover. I'd be willing to bet they were not at the Shady Dell. :) However, the stairway does bring to mind the old barn and the days you and Lis spent exploring it. Nino & April were underrated and never broke through to the major stardom they deserved. During their career they released records on a number of different labels including United Artists, Capitol, Atco, White Whale, Bell, MGM, A&M and others. The White Whale releases were their best, but I am thinking the record company was busy investing the bulk of their promotional resources in their star act, The Turtles, and might have neglected Nino & April. I don't know the particulars of the studio recording session in the making of the duo's Spectorian killer B "The Habit Of Loving You," but the effect that sounds like a chorus of hundreds was most likely produced by a few session backing singers with Nino and April going back over the song and supplying their own background vocals as well. The sound of a full chorus can be achieved by doubling those vocal tracks over and over again.
I agree that Billy Joe Royal turned in a very exciting blue-eyed soul performance on Shindig. I was so impressed with that live clip that I decided to use it instead of the studio recording.
Reparata and the Delrons were "Born Too Late." They came along at a time when the girl group sound was fading and the Motown Sound, British bands and American folk-rock and garage rock bands were hot.
I'm delighted that you got so much out of this volume of Echoes, Kathleen. Thanks again for making time to comment. Stay tuned to meet an English friend of mine in tomorrow's post. I think you'll like her. Have a good evening and a great week, dear friend!