As exciting as today’s youth is also the Party-Sound by Peter Covent, known for his always topical hits. Who is hiding behind this musical pseudonym? Carlos Diernhammer, born in Munich, born in Buenos Aires while passing through. Together with his current producer Egon L. Frauenberger, he printed the school desk in Bavaria’s metropolis. At the age of 13, “Don Carlos”, as his friends call him, composed his first sonata. After the conservatory he jazzed with Freddie Brocksieper and with Max Greger, for whom he still works as an arranger today. Carlos turned down an offer from Woody Herman to America because he was just in love with his current wife. He later went into business for himself, arranging and composing for the best known German big bands. The musical and personal connection with his old school friend finally became “Peter Covent a la Mr. Hits a gogo” to the enthusiasm of all young people.
Label: Philips 88415 DY Front design: Helmut Shiefer Front Cover Photo: Frits Van Swoll
Maybe we’ve used the wrong title, for a start. Maybe we should have said : “Salute to Brian and Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier.” For they were the writers, composers, producers who actually put the Supremes on the map, with such fabulous songs as Where did our love go, Baby love and Stop! in the name of love.
Seven of the 12 million-sellers re-created on this album emerged from this unique trio — those above, plus Reflections, In and out of love, You keep me hangin’ on and The happening. In fact, these are the songs still most closely identified with the Supremes; these are the songs that put them in the millionaire class.
But the incredible thing about the Supremes is that, take away the original back-room boys, take away their lead singer Diana Ross, and replace her with the curiously-named Cindy Birdsong, and you still get hits! Witness Stoned love, a Top Five hit only a few months ago. Maybe, after all, we should have made this a salute to Berry Gordy Jnr. who, as founder and boss of Motown Records, thought up the whole concept in the first place, and kept it going so miraculously for so long.
If Mr. Gordy Jnr. ever gets to read these sleeve notes, we’d like to say, here and now, that if Cindy Birdsong, Mary Wilson and Jean Terrell (the present Supremes) ever decide to give up singing and take up chicken farming, we’ve got a really great trio ready and able to take their place! Just listen to them now on this album, as they excitingly re-create twelve of the Supremes’ greatest hits.
Scott Joplin was born in 1868 and died in 1917 At the time of his death, on April 1st in the Manhattan State Institute, Joplin, who had been committed to the hospital in the autumn of the previous year by the second Mrs. Joplin, was not only virtually insane, but also penniless. It is incredible to note that even during his period in the hospital, he still tried to compose — but alas the magic had gone for ever.
The story started on November 24th in 1868 when Joplin was born in Texarkana, Texas. His mother, a laundress, came from Kentucky and his father, a labourer and an ex-slave, from North Carolina. As a child, Joplin played the guitar and bugle and at the age of seven he started picking out melodies on a neighbour’s piano. At the age of eleven a local German music teacher, who recognised Joplin’s natural gifts, gave him free music lessons. After the death of his mother and following a dispute with his father over learning a trade, the fourteen year old Scott Joplin left home. He travelled the Mississippi Valley states playing in all-night cafes, bawdy houses, saloons and variety, anywhere that he could get basic wages or sometimes just tips. The new music being played at this time was Ragtime or, as it was then called, Ragged time. The man who became the Master of Ragtime as it developed from that strangely red-light world. was Scott Joplin.
He moved to St. Louis in 1885 and this was to become the centre of his activities for a number of years. He went to the Chicago Worlds’ Fair in 1893 where he formed an orchestra and worked regular hours. but out of hours it was back to the bars of the District and Ragtime. He wandered back to St. Louis, on to Sedalia and back to St. Louis, but in 1895 he returned to Sedalia and formed the Texas Medley Quartet. The Quartet took him as far as New York where he sold his first pieces for publication. Two years later he wrote Maple Leaf Rag, but such were the problems of a black musician at this time that it was not finally published until two years later. The music on this album covers over a decade of Joplin publications and is truly the best of Joplin.
About The Artist
Ronnie Price was born in Manchester and played with many local dance bands before finally forming his own sextet. Before entering the session music scene, he learned his trade by playing, for many years, with dance music greats like Teddy Foster and Sydney Lipton. He was a member of the Tito Burns Sextet for four and a half years playing alongside giants like Johnny Dankworth and Ronnie Scott. As a session musician he has played or recorded with many of the top talents around including Andy Williams, Burt Bacharach, Cliff Richard, Shirley Bassey, Judy Garland, Sammy Davis, Nelson Riddle, Henry Mancini, Michel Legrand etc. etc. etc.
Rex Oldfield.
BACK OFF BOOGALOO SON OF MY FATHER COME WHAT MAY STORM IN A TEACUP JUNGLE FEVER BLUES FOR RED COULD IT BE FOREVER RAINDANCE BLUES FRANKIE AND JOHNNY SONG SUNG BLUE
What could be better for swinging party sounds than a programme of familiar hits played by Big Jim ‘H’ and his Men of Rhythm. All the ‘Let’s Dance’ mood in the exciting pulse of the original hits dressed in the sparkling Hammond Organ colours of the keys and pedals of Big Jim ‘H’. One of Americas first organ players with big band and rhythm sections.
This is Anna’s second LP on the GEMINI label. The first LP, GMX 5002, ‘Move Into The Hammond Spectrum, With The Swingin’ Miss ANNA DELL’, enjoyed the kind of success which made us realise that we had to come up with something spectacular for a follow-up. Well, here it is! The easy swingin’ style is there, bringing you such show-stoppers as: ‘Up, Up And Away’, ‘Volare’, ‘Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head’, ‘Portrait Of My Love’ and many many more of the world’s greatest hits. Go Easy On Yourself, treat yourself to a whole evening with the sound of the Swingin’ Anna Dell and while you are at it play the first LP again. Why not? It will make your day!
TOP OF THE POP SOUNDS OF TODAY’S TOP HITS WHILE THEY ARE HOT ON THE CHARTS. THE SOUNDS YOU HEAR EVERYDAY ON YOUR RADIO AND TELEVISION. LOOK FOR AN EXCITING NEW ALBUM OF HITS EVERY MONTH. BUILD THE MOST EXCITING COLLECTION OF POP TUNES IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD.
Jim Reeves – Where Does A Broken Heart Go?, Skeeter Davis – Let’s Get Together, Hank Snow – Honey, Carroll Baker – The Need In Me, Chet Atkins – Snowbird, Digby Richards – Play Mama Play, Jim Reeves – I’m Getting Better, Skeeter Davis – A Place In The Country, Hank Snow – Gentle In My Mind, Don Gibson – Am I That Easy To Forget, George Hamilton IV – Steel Rail Blues, Ronnie Prophet – Misery Loves Company
Every single Pop fan in the country has been screaming for our next issue of ‘Top of the Pops’ (or so it seems to our hard pressed staff). Well, here it is – brighter, breezier, beatier than any of our previous issues and packed with twelve of the current hit tunes. You’ll listen to this album once, and you’ll play it over and over again. Never mind the neighbours – they’ll probably love it too’. If you have a neighbour who’s a Square, never mind again, he’s bound to be converted after you’ve played it a few hundred times.
So Hip, Hip, you hippies; and Yippee, you yippies; go grab yourself this handful of rhythm and beat its brains out on your player until our next issue comes out – and when it does, yell for it loud and clear, for they’ll be moving off the shelf – but fast.
Goin’ Out Of My Head, With A Little Love, Summer Love, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, Mame, Happiness Is, Invisible Tears, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Birds ‘N Bees ‘N Things, Somewhere My Love, Red Roses For A Blue Lady, Memories Are Made Of This
