Yesterday Once More: Meet Another Group of SPMM DJ Trainees - Vanessa, Renee, Gina, Kara and Ellie!

 Ellie Appleton - Yesterday Once More 

COLD OPEN:

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW! 

"It's Not Unusual" - Tom Jones

(May/June 1965, highest chart pos. #10 Hot 100 & Cash Box,

live perf. on June 28, 1965 TV special Murray The K –

It's What's Happening, Baby) 

Kicking off this special sneak preview, a rare clip of Welshman Tom Jones

before he became a superstar and heartthrob to millions of women all over

the world. You saw Tom at the start of summer, 1965, entertaining animals

at the zoo singing his breakthrough international hit "Its Not Unusual" on

the American TV special Murray The K – It's What's Happening, Baby.

 Hello, I'm Vanessa Kensington... 

a beautiful, determined, intelligent young woman who partners

with British spy Austin Powers in the 1997 comedy film

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

I'm sure you are familiar with Austin as the semi-regular host of the

Valentine's Day dances here at Shady's Place. I've got great news.

Austin and I are reuniting as hosts of our own radio show.

 Stay tuned for the debut of The Spy Who Shagged Me featuring the best

of Brit pop, coming soon to S-P-M-M... the station with personality. 

 I'm 

 Renee Clemons, 

a reporter working at the

San Francisco Globe on

the TV series Gracepoint,

the American remake of

the hit UK drama series

Broadchurch. I'm happy

to report that I will be

joining five other news

gathering women as

anchors of the new

S-P-M-M radio show

The I-Team. The

"I" does not stand

for "investigation."

You see, every song we

play on our show will have

an "I" word in the title.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

Here's a sample "I" song from

our series, one of the biggest

hits of the 60s, the Four Tops

reaching #1 on the pop and

soul charts with-- "I Can't

Help Myself (Sugar Pie

Honey Bunch)!" 

"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" - Four Tops

(May/June 1965, highest chart position

#1 Hot 100 & Cash Box & R&B) 

 I'm WPC Gina Dawson 

on the British period police drama TV series WPC 56. 

I'm the first WPC (woman police constable) to join the

Midlands Constabulary at Brinford Police Station in 1956.

 

Soon I'll be joining other

fetching, feisty females as

presenters on a S-P-M-M

radio show that we're going

 to call British British Swag,

and I've got a sample, a song

recorded and released 10 years

after I joined the police force.

That's around the time my

job description no longer

included making coffee

for the men. The song

is by The Rolling Stones,

a cut from their 1966

album Aftermath,

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW! 

This is one of their most popular songs from the period, yet it was never

released as a single in English-speaking countries. Here are Mick and

his mates, the kings of British swag, on the UK music TV show

Ready Steady Go! doing-- "Under My Thumb." 

"Under My Thumb" - The Rolling Stones

(from Apr. 1966 album Aftermath, perf. on

May 27, 1966, ep. of Ready Steady Go!) 

 Hi, I'm 

 Kara Danvers... 

a bright, bubbly, somewhat

shy and awkward young woman

working as a personal assistant

and later a reporter on the DC

Comics superhero TV series

Supergirl. Some people say

I look and sound almost

exactly like Supergirl...

that the only difference

between the two of us

are the glasses and

the red and blue

caped costume.

That's crazy talk! Supergirl and I are nothing alike,

so just put that notion out of your mind, mister. 

I'm here to play a song sample from

my new radio show Kara Danvers

Supertunes coming soon to SPMM

Supersonic Radio. It's a wonderful

performance by a Nashville-based

band called imy2 which, in modern

code-speak, stands for "I miss you,

too." The group is fronted by blue-

haired beauty Annalise Mahanes,

a singer with the super power of

being able to cover songs from

a variety of genres and make

it seem like they were

written just for her. 

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

Here are Annalise and imy2 with a super cover of

Michael Jackson's-- "The Way You Make Me Feel!" 

"The Way You Make Me Feel" - Michael Jackson

cover by imy2 (Sept. 2020) 

 And I'm 

 Ellie Appleton. 

Do I remind you of

Lady Rose Aldridge

on Downton Abbey?

I get that a lot.

You say goodbye

and I say hello

and welcome to my

segment giving you

a sneak peak at my

new radio show

coming soon to

Shady's Place. 

As the co-star of Yesterday...

the 2019 musical rom-com

film that's loaded with great

 covers of Beatles songs, my

show on S-P-M-M Retrosonic

Radio will be wall-to-wall

Beatles, including classic

original recordings by the

Liverpudlian mop-tops

themselves, and terrific

Beatles covers by artists

of the past and present.

Quite rightly, my new

program will be called

Yesterday Once More. 

To close today's sneak

preview special, I've got

a sensational sample for

you. It is one of the best

covers I've found of a

song written by John

Lennon and recorded

by The Beatles. It was

released as the lead

song on their 1969

album Abbey Road

and as a single that

topped the chart

in the U.S.

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW! 

Here's the Ukranian duo Sershen & Zaritskaya - Sergey on guitar, Daria on vocals -

taking it to the next level with-- "Come Together." Now this is Ellie Appleton.

Thanks for joining us and see you soon on Yesterday Once More!

"Come Together" - The Beatles cover

by Sershen & Zaritskaya (Mar. 2021) 

This Valentine's Day, Austin Powers Enquires... "What's Old, Pussycat?"

 Allow myself to introduce.....myself. 

 I'm Austin Powers, super secret spy, 

 international man of mystery, 

 bon vivant, swinging playboy 

 and irresistible babe magnet. 

 London is my home, shag is my bag, 

 planet earth is my playground and 

 danger is my middle name, baby. 

Your regular host, Shady, couldn't make it here today. The chap's
home knitting a sweater from belly button lint. Riddle: What do
you call a hula hoop with a nail in it? Answer: a navel destroyer!

 That's a gag, dove... oh go on now, 

 I saw you crack a smile just then - YEAH! 

Shady has invited me back to host his annual Valentine's Day dance
and instructed me to spin records for your enjoyment. I've got a song
by a Welsh heartthrob plus an exciting lineup of Brit birds for you,
so prepare to meet the strapping gent from Wales and
greet my fine feathered female friends.

 TOM JONES 

I'm sure you remember Tom Jones crooning the hit theme from the
1965 Woody Allen - Peter Sellers comedy film "What's New Pussycat."

If you don't please listen. If you do... please listen.

"What's New Pussycat?" - Tom Jones

(July 1965, highest chart pos. #3, theme song

from June 1965 film What's New Pussycat?)

Nicely done, master Tom. That was "What's New Pussycat?" Well now,
I would like to enquire... "What's Old, Pussycat?" It's my way of getting
you stoked for stacks 'o vintage wax by a bevy of beauteous Brit birds.

 LESLEY 

 DUNCAN 

Lesley Duncan is best remembered for her 70s
work as a singer/songwriter. In the mid and late
60s, Lesley was a backing vocalist for Dusty
Springfield and the Walker Brothers.
At the same time Lesley wrote

and recorded her own songs.

One of Lesley's finest solo singles was
released at the height of Beatlemania.
Both songs on the slab, the A side,

"Tell Me," and the fab flip side,
"You Kissed Me Boy," were
written by Lesley and her
brother Jimmy. My Pick
to Click is the killer bee.

"You Kissed Me Boy"

Lesley Duncan (Feb. 1964,
B side of "Tell Me")

 BARBARA KAY 

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, singer Barbara Kay fronted
show bands, became a session singer, signed with the Pye
record company and released singles of her own.

In the summer of 1965, Barbara released a version of "Yes I'm Ready"
covering the U.S. hit by Barbara Mason, a teenage soul singer from Philly.

Barbara Kay did a fine job with that
sweet love song, but I like the B side
even more. Listen as Barbara serves
a savory slice of Brit girl pop on the
pleasing platter "Someone Has To Cry."

"Someone Has To Cry (Why Must I)"

Barbara Kay (July 1965, B side

of "Yes I'm Ready")

 MARTHA SMITH 

I read the news today oh boy

Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire

John Lennon forgot to mention another phenomenon in Blackburn -
schoolmarm turned pop singer Martha Smith.

Martha landed a contract with Pye
and in February 1965 released one of
the great ballads of the Brit pop genre,

"As I Watch You Walk Away." I urge you
to listen to the entire drama-drenched
song which I think was deliberately
performed in a melodramatic, soap-
opera fashion. I smile and shake my
head in disbelief every time I
experience this recording.

"As I Watch You Walk Away"

Martha Smith (Feb./Mar. 1965)

 MAXINE 

 DARREN 

Manchester, England's Maxine Darren had powerful

pipes, waxed great songs written by Mitch Murray

and wore her hair in a trendy Ronettes style. None

of those factors brought the singer the success she

deserved. In 1965 Maxine released a fine double-

sider, "How Can I Hide It From My Heart" b/w

"Don't You Know." Here's the fabulous flip.

"Don't You Know" - Maxine Darren

(April/May 1965, B side of

"How Can I Hide It From My Heart")

 PETULA CLARK 

Beach Bloke Brian Wilson had his Pet Sounds, and I've got Pet sounds

of my own - two fantastic ditties warbled by English sparrow Petula Clark.

It took me 50+ years to discover this exciting recording by Pet, a cover of
"Dancing in the Street," the signature song of Martha and the Vandellas.

This fantastic dance floor filler is the lead track of Petula's hit
1965 U.S. album I Know a Place.

"Dancing in the Street" - Petula Clark
(from 1965 album I Know a Place)

In 1965 Chicano rocker Chris Montez, the fellow who had a hit in 1962 with
"Let's Dance," switched to easy listening and made a comeback with "Call Me."

Penned by UK composer Tony Hatch,

"Call Me" was first waxed by Pet Clark

and released on her 1965 EP of the

same name. The song is also found

on the above mentioned U.S. album

I Know a Place, issued in the UK as

The New Petula Clark Album. Let's

 have a listen to the original version

of "Call Me" by Miss Pet Clark!

"Call Me" - Petula Clark

(from Nov. 1965 EP Call Me

and I Know a Place aka

The New Petula Clark Album)

 I hope these super sounds put you in 

 a shagadelic mood, baby. Oh behave! 

 This is your old chum Austin Powers 

 international man of mystery 

 (and music history)... 

 saying ciao for now. 

 Let's do it again real soon, baby... 

 You know you want to... YEAH! 

Echoes of the Spectorian Era, Vol. 14: I Wake Up Crying Because I Can't Kick the Wall-of-Sound Habit!

 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.

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.

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

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)"

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.

 "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!

It's the Welshman's powerful interpretation of the Burt Bacharach -
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!

 "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.

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.

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.

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!

 "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

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.

 "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) 

 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

 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!

 "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!