Silent Night (Phil Spector) (LP 1074)

Various  Phil Spector's Christmas Album (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1972) ****  

Genre: Pop, Apple Records

Places I remember: NZ pressing from The Music Box (Hastings), US pressing from a swap with Noel Forth

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love

Gear costume: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - The Crystals

Active compensatory factors: Something of a Christmas classic, this is another weird one for Apple to put out as it was a retitled reissue of Phillies Records album A Christmas Gift For You from 1963.

Phil's size tens are all over these tracks and the final one has him doing a weird voice over. It's hard not to factor in the strangeness of Phil Spector while listening, but Darlene Love et al manage to do that each time via their sheer force of nature-ness.

I've used 'weird' a few times in this post, but it's an apposite adjective to use on this Christmas celebration.

Where do they all belong? That completes the Apple Records corner of my collection for both CDs and vinyl.

Bye bye love (The Everly Brothers) (LP 838- 840)

George Harrison  Living In The Material World (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1973) ****  

George Harrison   Dark Horse (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1974) *** 

George Harrison   Extra Texture (Vinyl, Apple Records, 1975) **   

Genre: Beatle pop/ rock

Places I remember: Imported Material World from the US, DJ Records (Otahuhu) for the other two.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)

Gear costume: Be Here Now; You

Active compensatory factors: It's a case of diminishing returns over these three albums - his last three for Apple Records.

Sadly, 1973 to 75 were roller coaster years in his personal and musical life - a series of crises in his relationships, spiritual wavering, that US tour, and setting up Dark Horse Records all coloured these albums.

I'm a big fan of LITMW - it touches on some important subjects and although both Dark Horse and Extra Texture are really well played and produced (by George), there is something about Material World that attracts me (like no other).

I'm also not averse to Dark Horse - both of these '73 to '74 albums show a human side to George, in that he could be hurt (and he could hurt others).

Extra Texture is not an album I feel much affection for, outside of the relatively upbeat single - You. The rest of the album lacks inspiration in my opinion and is too slickly Americanised for my taste. 

There's a real downer vibe to the album (even Dark Horse has singalongs after Pattie had finally had enough and left him for Ron Wood and then Eric Clapton).

The eaten apple core on the label sums up both the label that I adore and George's career in 1975 - both were at a low ebb.

Where do they all belong? Next up - his albums for Dark Horse Records. Of those six albums, there are four crackers and two duds coming - not a bad return for the years from 1976 to 2002.

I opened my eyes and I saw you (George Harrison) #350

Ronnie Spector Try Some, Buy Some/ Tandoori Chicken (Apple, APPLE 33, 1971)

Originally, this track was given to Ronnie as part of a comeback record produced by George and Ronnie's husband at the time - one Phil Spector.

A few year's later George did a vocal track and used the song on Living In The Material World. 

I actually prefer Ronnie's vocal - she manages to convey a bucket load of emotion via her delivery, whereas George's strained version smacks of being filler for an album.

Hidden gem: Is it me or does Tandoori Chicken sound a lot like Linda McCartney's Cook Of The House (both of which rip off Buddy Holly)?

And so - to the videos: Ronnie and George's versions are followed by a mash up of the two - you can try some, you can buy some... 

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.

Let's fight for people's rights (Bill Elliott etc) #112

Bill Elliott and The Elastic Oz Band God Save Us/ Do The Oz (Apple, APPLE 36, 1971)

A Lennon side project this one. Bill Elliott would later spend time as a Dark Horse recording artist as part of soft rock duo Splinter but here he's the vocal replacement for John. Former Beatle roadie, Mal Evans, had suggested Bill and John's guide vocal was replaced with Bill's.

John and Yoko are co-credited with Mal Evans AND Phil Spector with production!!!! What the hey? This must be one of the most unique production credits ever. In case you're wondering what Mal brought to the party - he recorded/produced Bill's vocal.

The Oz of the song refers to a radical underground newspaper published in London that was targeted by the man at the time. There was an obscenity trial and John wanted to show his support. Hence the single.

I quite like it (I'm a Lennon completist so I would say that) - it's got spunk and spirit and heart and it's nicely played (Ringo on drums, Klaus Voormann on bass, John guitar) and sung. It was never going to be a hit but nevermind. Everyone's hearts were in the right place.

Hidden gem: The B side and A side were swapped around at the last minute and so the more general God Save Us became the A side with the specific Do The Oz support becoming the B side. It's Ono influenced in it's directness and reminds me of Scumbag on the Zappa collaboration.

Dance with the man with the mongoose on his back (Elephants Memory) #110-111

Elephants Memory Liberation Special/ Madness (Apple, APPLE-10095, 1972)

Elephants Memory Power Boogie/ Liberation Special (Apple, APPLE 45, 1972)

There are many things I love about these two singles. Here's a partial list:

• They were released in 1972
• They are on Apple Records
• The band is from New York City
• They were produced by John and Yoko
• John plays guitar
• There are more guitars
• They rock!!

The band often gets a bad press, if they are remembered at all. 

Okay they were REALLY lucky to be in the right place at the right time to meet the Lennons and appear on both their Approximately Infinite Universe and Sometime In New York City albums and have John/Yoko produce their own album. 

I bought other Elephants Memory (yes, no apostrophe folks) albums and trust me - this was easily their best album/ set of songs.

Hidden gem: All tracks are from the parent album so there is no rarity value. Apple 45 provides great value as a single with a double A side combo and the best sampler of the band's wares.

Expert texpert

My last post hinted at a long history of reading about music. I think it started with a great NZ music paper from the 1970s - 'Groove'. I have clippings from the time - Black Sabbath, Led Zep, Beach Boys, Beatles, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep (sadly yes - I had a thing for the Heep - Very 'Eavy/Very 'Umble and Demons and Wizards were early acquisitions). During the 70's I also collected the UK's 'Sounds' weekly. Lots of great articles and posters - Pink Floyd, Yes, and others were diligently clipped and put into scrapbooks. The 80s were a bit barren - the occasional 'Rolling Stone', 'Circus' and 'Crawdaddy' but there wasn't any weekly or monthly that I actually collected. It was more a case of whatever was on the cover drew my attention. This was until I went into a bookshop in St Lukes in the mid 1990s and saw 'Mojo' magazine The first cover I saw was of Howling Wolf. Um...eh??? Howling Wolf!!!!! This was a monthly that captured my heart and I've collected every copy since. I am the demographic - guys in their late 40s, early 50s who collected 'Sounds' and 'Groove' in their teenage years. And yes it is mainly guys. Go into Real Groovy and count the ratio of grey haired men to women of any age. Particularly if you just concentrate on the vinyl bins.

The latest Mojo had that feature on Ry Cooder I mentioned in the previous post. My top five Cooder albums:
5 Chicken Skin Music - Ry does Tex Mex and it's brill.
4 Boomer's Story - Another fantastic collection of songs. Stand outs - 'Dark end of the street' and 'Rally 'round the flag'.
3 The Border - 'Across the borderline' is one of Ry's best - it appears on at least 2 different albums with different lead singers. This one with Freddy Fender (yes that Freddy Fender) is sublime.
2 Into The Purple Valley - Every song is great and where else will you hear 'FDR in Trinidad'?
1 Showtime - one of the greatest live albums ever - deduct a point for the first song being a studio recording (even tho 'School is out' is a great song).

Looking at the showtime cover I realise that I particularly love vinyl covers that have no title attached of the artist or album title. Showtime has Ry on stage in what looks like a club setting with a weak spotlight on him. He's smiling (make no mistake - this is feelgood music - even when he's playing depression era songs like 'How can a poor man stand such times and live' and 'Dark end of the street'). A poster stuck to the wall is the only hint this is Ry's album and even then Flaco Jiminez's name is equally readable.

My top 5 album covers without title look like this:

5 Wings - Wild Life - Paul in the water with his best innocent pose. Band perched on a tree branch - great picture.
4 Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy - wow - I still remember the thrill of buying this in Sydney. The cover is better than the music inside!
3 The Beatles - Hey Jude - a collection of singles for the US market in 1970 was one of my Christmas presents in 1970. The cover is taken from the last publicity shots taken of the fabs - at John's place - Tittenhurst. They look terrific!
2 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band - the one with Yoko and John under a tree at Tittenhurst. A fantastic picture - restful and at peace - nothing like the music inside. The Yoko picture reverses the position of the two under the tree.
1 Beatles - Abbey Road - an iconic portrait that needs no words.

Finally - sad news about Phil Spector. I like his mix of Let it Be (rather than Macca's naked attempt) and he deserves credit for the awesome simple sound he got on John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. He's always been weird I guess and the various stories over the years don't paint him as a rational genius I'm afraid. On the news clips he looks like he hasn't got a clue what's going on! Very sad.