“If You Could Only Be Me” 60s pop song, unknown singer on found acetate - ideas?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Urban Spaceman, Jul 2, 2012.

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  1. Urban Spaceman

    Urban Spaceman Forum Eulipion Thread Starter

    This could be a tough one. Especially since I can't post a clip of the track, but here goes............

    Over the weekend I found an acetate with this one song at a thrift store. No performer was listed on the label. Only the title of the song and “Screen Gems Columbia” is printed below it (see picture). Doing the research, I found no less than three released versions. The first by Spanky and Our Gang (1967), another early version by a singer named Norma Balagtas (unsure of date) and the most famous version done by The Girls from Petticoat Junction released in 1968. There are u-toob links for each of the above versions. None of those, however, match the performance on the acetate I found.

    One website I discovered named Roger Atkins and Carl D’errico as the writers with the publishing handled by Screen Gems – EMI Music Inc BMI. So maybe this was a demo for publishing and song-pitching purposes? But the performance is actually really good! Would anybody know of other released versions by other groups with female singers? The female vocalist on my acetate has a great voice – not overly distinctive, but certainly a cut above average. Almost like Lesley Gore, but a rounder and smoother tone. Any guesses?
     

    Attached Files:

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  2. Eli

    Eli Party Coordinator

    Location:
    Isle of Lucy
    There was also a version by the Cousins on Verve Forecast circa 1968.
     
  3. VeeFan64

    VeeFan64 A 60s Music Kind of Guy

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    I know Roger Atkins - if you can rip the acetate, I can send him a sound file, maybe he knows....
     
  4. Urban Spaceman

    Urban Spaceman Forum Eulipion Thread Starter

    @ Eli - I'll have to keep an eye out for that Cousins release. Sounds cool!

    @ VeeFan - pm on the way! :righton:
    --------- Chris
     
  5. now_sounds

    now_sounds Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Hey, Urban Spaceman,

    I would love to hear this too!

    Best,
    Steve
     
  6. VeeFan64

    VeeFan64 A 60s Music Kind of Guy

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    Roger Atkins said it's most likely session singer (and member of the Rag Dolls) Jeanne Thomas.
     
  7. billygtexas

    billygtexas Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kilgore Texas, USA
  8. Urban Spaceman

    Urban Spaceman Forum Eulipion Thread Starter

    Many thanks to VeeFan64 for super awesome detective work on this one! I never would have figured out the identity of this singer in a bazillion years. :righton::righton::wave:

    And, by popular demand, the song itself - enjoy!

    http://youtu.be/T2cjp2SZ5pQ

    ------ Chris
     
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  9. Urban Spaceman

    Urban Spaceman Forum Eulipion Thread Starter

    Wow! Great 45 there! Thanks for sharing this. Couldn't help notice Charlie Calello's arrangement & conducting credit on the 45 label right off the bat. Anything he was involved in is worth hearing for sure. I'll have to track down some of the Rag Dolls material. Wonder what became of Jeanne Thomas?
    -------- Chris
     
  10. VeeFan64

    VeeFan64 A 60s Music Kind of Guy

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    She's still alive and well. Her 60s session logs were posted on the web, I'm not sure if you can see them at this site, but they are out there somewhere...

    http://www.jeanthomas.info/
     
  11. Urban Spaceman

    Urban Spaceman Forum Eulipion Thread Starter

    Wow! Thanks for the link to her site. I'll be spending some time there checking out the info. I'm pretty psyched to "discover" another great singer from that era and region. I really eat this stuff up. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
    ---------- Chris
     
  12. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    That's pretty good! I like it a lot better than the Spanky & Our Gang or Petticoat Junction Girls' versions ...

    Thanks for posting!

    P. S. I put in the first "Like" ...
     
  13. Urban Spaceman

    Urban Spaceman Forum Eulipion Thread Starter

    Thanks for the "like"! This is the first time I ever uploaded a u-toob video. I certainly enjoyed the performance Jeanne Thomas gives on this demo more than the "official" released versions. I also thought the little 12-string guitar solo was pretty cool - none of the other versions used that idea for the solo section. But, if anything, this demo made me a fan of Jeanne Thomas. She was a first-rate singer! That's what really caught my attention with the acetate. Quite a stunning job for a demo, really!

    Once again - thanks to all who chirped in with great info - can't thank you folks enough! Cheers!
    -------- Chris
     
  14. slinkyfarm

    slinkyfarm Forum Resident

    Location:
    Winchester, KY
    Threads like this are part of why I love this forum. :cheers:
     
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  15. now_sounds

    now_sounds Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Great recording! Thanks for sharing, Urban Spaceman!
     
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  16. GroovinGarrett

    GroovinGarrett Mrs. Stately's Garden

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    I sent the Youtube video to Ken Charmer, who works with Jean Thomas. Here's his reply:

    "Yes this is Jean's demo of this great song eventually recorded by Spanky and our Gang. Another one is 'Darkest Just Before Dawn' or similar title. Surprisingly very few of her hundreds of demos have turned up......but some releases are simply her under another name...like 'Priceless Possession' by (not) Janie Grant."

    Ken compiled a lot of her session logs at www.jeanthomas.info
     
  17. Urban Spaceman

    Urban Spaceman Forum Eulipion Thread Starter

    My pleasure! It's a great find and I knew folks here would be interested.

    Thanks for sending the link along! I have been checking out her website - I want to spend more time getting to know what songs / albums / artists she sang backup for as well as Rag Dolls and solo outings. She really has a great voice in the role of a lead singer (as the acetate demo proved to me). No wonder she cut hundreds of demos - she really knew how to sell a song with such a great vocal delivery! Next time I'm in Manhattan I will be making a journey to stop by the tea room she owns with her daughters just to check it out and drink some tea!

    Bright Moments!
    ------- Chris
     
  18. rockledge

    rockledge Forum Resident

    Location:
    right here
    The acetate has no numbers, no matrix or anything like that?
    Also, rather than 91167 being a catalog number, do you suppose it could be a date code 9-11-67?
     
  19. rockledge

    rockledge Forum Resident

    Location:
    right here
    Also, have you considered trying to find the copyright date by going to the Library of Congresses web site and looking up the songwriters names? I think you can still do that.
    Knowing the date might get you a lot closer to nailing down who all did demos.
    With that perhaps you could find out who was actually working for Screen Gems at the time and doing their demo work.
    Could be somebody that later became famous, you never know.
     
  20. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    +1

    I'm always going to give a listen to a new old song if it's produced by Bob Crewe and/or arranged by Charlie Calello.

    On the 45 in question (Too Good To Be Bad / Life Of The Party) by Jeanne Thomas, there are a couple too many key changes for my liking, particularly the A side. I have Life cranked up now and I definitely prefer it to Too Good.

    There's a Shirley Matthews in the Youtube side-list I haven't heard before, so I'm off to hear that next. Her Big Town Boy is just as classic as ever 50 years later!
     
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  21. Urban Spaceman

    Urban Spaceman Forum Eulipion Thread Starter

    Wow! Thanks for bumping up my thread. I've been sidetracked with other music, but I don't want to let Jeanne Thomas slip by without further consideration. Out of all the versions of this song I've heard so far I really prefer her demo version on the acetate. This was definitely up in the top 5 most exciting discoveries for me after all the years digging in the bins. I really have to check out some more of Jeanne's work. Cheers!
    --------- Chris
     
  22. stereoguy

    stereoguy Its Gotta Be True Stereo!

    Location:
    NYC
    Wow! Thats one nice little record there. I was actually in Dick Charles Recording on a sales call many years ago. All I remember was that he had some really old tape decks and mixers in there.
     
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  23. Urban Spaceman

    Urban Spaceman Forum Eulipion Thread Starter

    Cool! I wonder how long the studio lasted. I guess it was one of the top demo studios in the city at that time. Also, according to this little article, at least one hit single was recorded there (ended up being the hit version on the radio.....). See here:
    http://cbswnewhd.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/classic-recording-studios-dick-charles-recording-service/

    Apparently more famous than I'd realized! Must have been interesting, especially in those days.......
    --------- Chris
     
  24. EasterEverywhere

    EasterEverywhere Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albuquerque
    Almost like Leslie Gore.I have this great acetate somewhere of a completely unknown 60s female soul singer.I need to dig it out and post it on YouTube myself.Maybe someone can identify it.
     
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