I can hear music (Ellie Greenwich) (LP 2656)

Ellie Greenwich  Let It Be Written, Let It Be Sung (Vinyl, MGM Records, 1973) *** 

Genre: Pop

Places I remember: Second hand shop in Turakina (between Bulls and Palmerston North)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Medley: Goodnight Baby-Baby I Love You  

Gear costume: I Can Hear Music

Active compensatory factors: Ellie is, of course, a famous writer of classic pop songs with her partner Jeff Barry.

Among the songs she wrote or co-wrote Da Doo Ron Ron, Be My Baby, Maybe I Know, Then He Kissed Me, Do Wah Diddy Diddy, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), Hanky Panky, Chapel of Love, Leader of the Pack, and River Deep – Mountain High, among others.

Yes, we're in genius territory, plain and simple.

As a singer? She's fair to middling, with a pleasant voice but it's not a commanding voice (like say, Carole King's).

This album has her versions of songs she wrote with Barry and others. It's always lovely and while I still can't not hear the original vocalists (I Can Hear Music is The Beach Boys!) I still can enjoy the warmth and genuine quality of these songs.

Where do they all belong? A worthy addition (rubbish cover though from MGM).

My back is broad but it's a hurting (The Rolling Stones) #286-287

Bette Midler  Mother's Eyes/ Chapel Of Love (Atlantic, 45 3771, 1980)

Bette Midler  Beast Of Burden/ Come Back Jimmy Dean (Atlantic, 7-89712, 1983)

Why I have two Bette Midler singles in my collection is a mystery to me, but, have them I do. No disrespect meant to Bette - she's not very rock'n'roll though, is she? The Rose fools no one - it's a movie role!

She's got that brassy-with-a-heart-of-gold image down. A real softy. The real Bette Midler? Who knows who she was.

Mother's Eyes is the kind of thing Bette gravitates towards from time to time - she was born to sing Tom Waits songs (yes I'm aware he didn't write this one but it's very much his territory). This one walks the sentimental tightrope and mostly stays on its feet. There's zero edge to it though (unlike a Tom Waits' song).



Beast is a different, um, animal. As Stones covers go its pretty straightforward and anodyne in its approach-clearly lacking the Stones raunch. Good album track but not really a single. The presence of Jagger in the video doesn't help. His 'acting' is atrocious.


Hidden gems: She usually picks her material very carefully. Sometimes she gets it right (Shiver Me Timbers) but sometimes she strays into over sentimentality (Come Back..) and sometimes she gets into sugary schmaltz (Chapel). Chapel links to my last post as it's the classic Greenwich/Barry writing combo who created it.

Again - why I have these two singles is a mystery. But, have them I do.

Honey doggone it, I depend upon it (Robin McNamara) #285

Robin McNamara  Lay A Little Lovin' On Me/ I'll Tell You Tomorrow (Dot, ZK 3698, 1970)

Robin's big break was teaming up briefly with Jeff Barry-the well known song writing partner of Ellie Greenwich who linked with Phil Spector for a wonderful series of hits. 

Anyway Barry sprinkled just enough gold dust on McNamara in 1970 for him to have his sole hit.

It's a nifty little bubblegum style pop song. It still sounds great!



Hidden gem: No such luck - the B side is the sort of thing that a million people put out in the early 1970's trying to find a hit.