Ellie + Emily

Here’s another early Ellie Greenwich release, as a member of the Raindrops.  It feature’s her song, Hanky Panky (written with Jeff Barry), that became a hit by Tommy James and the Shondells.   I saw it performed by Mr. James, at the Carousel Teen Club, outside Yougstown Ohio, around ’66 or ’67.

About the same time we found Ellie’s LP, a friend of a friend sent along this musical conversation, touching on location, death and poetry, while in a doctor’s waiting room…

Guy: You like music?
Me: Uh, yes.
Guy: I like music! I got ah M-P3. I put all my records on it.
Me: Wow.
Guy: YEAH! Over a hundred of ’em. It’s all classic stuff. Not this new bullshit.
Me: Uh-huh.
Guy: Gram Parsons. Greatest musician ever!
Me: Really.
Guy: Born right here in Florida (points to the linoleum floor) but everyone thinks he’s from Texas.
Me: Oh, really.
Guy: YEAH! Not that I have anything against Texas. I love Texas. There’s no state like it.
Me: No argument here.
Guy: You ever been?
Me: Yes I have.
Guy: It’s a great state. No place like it! You know if it weren’t for Gram Parsons there wouldn’t be any Eagles. Yeah, you give a listen to “Burrito Deluxe” and you’ll know where that whole style of music comes from. It’s from Texas, not California.
Me: Well that’s enough damning evidence for me.
Guy: Damn right!
Me: You know that you can recite most poetry written by Emily Dickinson to “The Yellow Rose of Texas?”
Guy: NO! [long pause] Really?
Me: Really.
Guy: [Blank expression] I don’t know much of her stuff.

Me: Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.

Guy: Fuck! That’s good. Who was that?
Me: Emily Dickinson.
Guy: She’s from Texas, huh?

Board Member Ellie Greenwich Dies

A founding member of the ARChive’s Board of Advisors died today.  With sadness we report the death of songwriter Ellie Greenwich.  Pretty much a recluse for many years now, her great music lives on through classic songs like  “And Then He Kissed Me,” “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “Chapel of Love,” “River Deep, Mountain High” and “Be My Baby.”   She also sang some perfectly silly ones like “Niki Hoeky.”  Her version of this is rockin’.  Do Wah Diddy, she will be missed.

…above LP from the ARC collection :   Ellie Greenwich Composes Produces and Sings. (United Artists, USA, UAS 6648, LP, 1968).

Oh No, we gotta listen to ALL of them?

Freddie, who does the weeding @ ARC, was comparing our three copies of the LP “Combo” by  Henry Mancini and His Orchestra ( RCA Victor Records, LPM-2258 , 1961).   We sell third copies, keep two of everything.  Well why not hava listen he sez to himself he sez.  Lo, it turns out two copies of the  album play “Moanin'” as the first track on both sides, but lists “Powdered Wig” as the first track on side two.  So that means we gotta keep ’em all.  But what it really means is that we should be listening to ALL TWO MILLION RECORDINGS at ARC.  Freddie will start Aug 24, when he gets back from vacation.