POP CULTURE CANTINA
Presents
DESTINATION: SUGARTOWN!
THE ARCHIE RECORDS STORY
A Journey Through
THE GREAT AMERICAN
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SONG BOOK
SABRINA: THE ARCHIES’ FIRST TWO MILLION-SELLING ALBUMS FEATURED COVERS OF CLASSIC ROCK AND COUNTRY SONGS FROM BEGINNING TO END. I ADVISED VERONICA TO NOT DEVIATE FROM A CONCEPT THAT HAD PROVEN SO SUCCESSFUL; SHE AGREED WITH ME, SO FROM MARCH TO JUNE OF 2004, THE BAND RECORDED ITS THIRD SMASH HIT COVERS LP IN SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA.
JEFF + ELLIE SONGBOOK (LATER RENAMED HITS OF THE SIXTIES, VOLUME TWO) WAS MOSTLY DEVOTED TO VINTAGE GIRL GROUP MUSIC. IT WAS A NOD TO THE ARCHIES' POP ROCK ROOTS, BUT UPDATED WITH THE HARD ROCK EDGE THEY'D INTRODUCED ON THEIR ROLLING STONES TRIBUTE. RALFI CHINGAS ARRANGED MOST OF THE MUSIC BUT ARCHIE HAD BEGUN WRITING ARRANGEMENTS ON THE LAST ALBUM AND HE CONTINUED TO DO SO.
THE REST OF THE GROUP GOT INVOLVED AS CO-PRODUCERS FOR THE FIRST TIME. RALFI WASN'T TOO THRILLED ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. THE ARCHIES HAD CREATIVE CONTROL WRITTEN INTO THEIR CONTRACT! AND HAVING THEIR INPUT ARGUABLY MADE THE MUSIC EVEN BETTER: THIS ALBUM YIELDED A BUMPER CROP OF INTERNATIONAL HITS.
THE FOURTH YEAR: 2004
"BELIEVE WHAT YOU SAY"
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"JEFF + ELLIE SONGBOOK"
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
MARCH 2004
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
I'LL STILL LOVE YOU - Hip Shaker EP
(Barry, Greenwich)
YOU DON'T KNOW - Hip Shaker EP
(Barry, Greenwich, Morton)
I WONDER - Hip Shaker EP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
THEN HE KISSED ME/THEN I KISSED HER
- Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
SHE HANGS OUT - Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Leiber, Stoller)
CHAPEL OF LOVE (UNDERDUB)
- Hits Of The Sixties, Volume II LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
THAT'S ALL I EVER WANT FROM YOU, BABY
- Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP, Nobody But You EP
(Barry, Greenwich)
BE MY BABY - Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP*
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
THE ARCHIES
w/KEVIN KELLER
w/REY COCHINO + BIG-ASS BRASS
Arrangers:
ARCHIE ANDREWS, *REGGIE MANTLE
Music Director: REY COCHINO
Producers:
RALFI CHINGAS, THE ARCHIES
Sound Engineer:
TOM MOURGOS
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
The Archies began recording a tribute album to Brill Building
legends Jeff Barry + Ellie Greenwich. The Chapel of Rock,
located on the site of an abandoned church, was owned and
operated by Jeff Barry. The underdub of "Chapel Of
Love" featured a duet vocal by Veronica + Betty Jones.
PROMO FOR THE ARCHIES'
2004 EXTENDED PLAY DISC
HIP SHAKER.
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"JEFF + ELLIE SONGBOOK"
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
APRIL 2004
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
HIP SHAKER
- single, Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
LEADER OF THE PACK
- Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Morton)
DOO WAH DIDDY DIDDY (FULL-LENGTH VERSION)
- Hits Of The Sixties, Volume II LP
(Barry, Greenwich)
GOODNIGHT, BABY (FULL-LENGTH VERSION)
- Hits Of The Sixties, Volume II LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Venet)
HEAVEN ONLY KNOWS - Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich)
TRAIN FROM KANSAS CITY
- single, Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Hawkins)
THE ARCHIES
w/KEVIN KELLER
w/REY COCHINO + BIG-ASS BRASS
w/PAUL WILLIAMS
w/JEFF BARRY
Arranger/Producer:
RALFI CHINGAS
Music Director: REY COCHINO
Sound Engineer:
TOM MOURGOS
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Roni Lodge-Andrews sang all the leads @ these
sessions, which produced the hit single "Hip Shaker."
Songwriters Jeff Barry + Paul Williams played
percussion and piano, respectively. "Heaven Only
Knows" is different from a song with the same
title recorded in April of 2002.
THE ARCHIES RE-EMERGED IN THE
2000s AS A POWERHOUSE ROCK
ENSEMBLE WITH FIVE LEAD
SINGERS!
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"JEFF + ELLIE SONGBOOK"
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
MAY 2004
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
I WANT YOU FOR MY SWEETHEART
- Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Venet)
I WISH I NEVER SAW THE SUNSHINE -
single flipside, Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)*
WHAT'S A BOY SUPPOSED TO DO?
- Nobody But You EP
(Barry, Greenwich)
I CAN HEAR MUSIC
- Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)*
BABY, I LOVE YOU (FULL-LENGTH VERSION)
- Hits Of The Sixties, Volume II LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
HOLD ON, BABY - single
(Barry, Greenwich)
DA DOO RON RON (FULL-LENGTH VERSION)
- Hits Of The Sixties, Volume II LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
WHY DON'T THEY LET US FALL IN LOVE?
- single flipside, Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
THE ARCHIES
w/KEVIN KELLER
w/REY COCHINO + BIG-ASS BRASS
Arrangers:
RALFI CHINGAS, *REGGIE MANTLE
Music Director: REY COCHINO
Producer: RALFI CHINGAS
Sound Engineer: TOM MOURGOS
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
"I Want You For My Sweetheart" was issued as a
fan club single flipside. Juggy Jones sang lead.
IN THE YEAR 2169, THE POP MUSIC
INDUSTRY WILL CELEBRATE A
CENTURY OF ARCHIE-MANIA!
ARCHIE RECORDS
SINGLES SESSIONS
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
MAY/JUNE 2004
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
I'LL TAKE YOU WHERE THE MUSIC'S PLAYING
- Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Jeff Barry)
STRANGE WORLD
- single flipside (BLUE-EYED SOUL)
(Chick Carlton)
NOBODY BUT YOU
- single, Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich)
MEDLEY:
DOO WAH DIDDY DIDDY (EDIT)/
DA DOO RON RON (EDIT)
- Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
MEDLEY:
GOODNIGHT, BABY (EDIT)/
BABY, I LOVE YOU (EDIT)
- Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
CHAPEL OF LOVE (OVERDUB)
- single*,
Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
THE ARCHIES
w/KEVIN KELLER
*BLUE-EYED SOUL
w/REY COCHINO + BIG-ASS BRASS
w/AMBROSE NIXON
Arranger/Producer:
RALFI CHINGAS
Music Director: REY COCHINO
Sound Engineer: TOM MOURGOS
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
"Nobody But You" was the first international smash
hit single for The Archies since “Sugar, Sugar.”
Reggie Mantle sang lead vocals; Sabrina's cousin
Ambrose Nixon played percussion and sang harmony
vocals with Veronica + Kevin Keller. Blue-Eyed Soul
was an Archies spin-off group comprised of Juggy
Jones + Kevin Keller.
SABRINA: AS A CONDITION OF HIM COMING BACK TO THE ARCHIES, REGGIE WANTED A LEGAL AGREEMENT THAT HE SING A CERTAIN NUMBER OF LEAD VOCALS! HE NEVER GOT IT IN WRITING, BUT THERE WAS A TACIT UNDERSTANDING THAT HIS VOICE WOULD BE SHOWCASED ON EVERY ALBUM.
THIS UNOFFICIAL POLICY RESULTED IN REGGIE BEING OUT FRONT ON SEVERAL BEST-SELLING SINGLES. ONE OF THEM WAS "NOBODY BUT YOU," A SMASH HIT FROM THE JEFF + ELLIE SESSIONS. @ HER HUSBAND JUGHEAD'S INSISTENCE, BETTY HAD THE SAME UNDERSTANDING. THAT WAS TO THE ARCHIES' BENEFIT AS WELL, BECAUSE SHE WAS BORN TO SING THE BLUES! HER VOICE WAS OFTEN COMPARED TO THAT OF THE LATE, GREAT COUNTRY SINGER PATSY CLINE; OTHERS HEARD HER AS CHER'S VOCAL TWIN. AN IMPRESSIVE COMPARISON EITHER WAY! BETTY HELD FORTH ON SEVERAL TRACKS THAT SCORED HIT SINGLES, INCLUDING "HE AIN'T NO ANGEL", "DON'T EVER LEAVE ME" AND "HOLD ON, BABY."
JUGHEAD EMERGED AS A POWERFUL LEAD SINGER, TOO. AS YOU KNOW, HE WAS THE BAND'S ORIGINAL LEAD BACK WHEN IT WAS CALLED "THE JUGGZ". JEFF + ELLIE SONGBOOK FEATURED HIS BOOMING BARITONE ON THE TRACKS "I WANT YOU FOR MY SWEETHEART," "I'LL TAKE YOU WHERE THE MUSIC'S PLAYING" AND "THAT'S ALL I EVER WANT FROM YOU, BABY." THAT LAST NUMBER SCORED A MAJOR HIT IN AUSTRALIA AND BECAME ONE OF JUGGY'S SIGNATURE SONGS IN CONCERT!
PROMO FOR THE ARCHIES'
2004 EXTENDED PLAY DISC
NOBODY BUT YOU.
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"JEFF + ELLIE SONGBOOK"
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
JUNE 2004
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
TRUE, TRUE LOVE - single flipside (Thailand)
(Barry, Greenwich)
ALL GROWN UP - Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
DON'T EVER LEAVE ME
- single flipside, Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich)
HOLD ON, BABY!
- single flipside, Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
I KNOW IT'S ALL RIGHT
- Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich)
RIVER-DEEP, MOUNTAIN-HIGH
- single flipside, Jeff + Ellie Songbook LP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
THE ARCHIES
w/KEVIN KELLER
w/CHUCK CLAYTON
w/GERALDINE GRUNDY
w/BIG-ASS BRASS
w/JEFF BARRY
Arranger: GERALDINE GRUNDY
Music Director: CHUCK CLAYTON
Producer: RALFI CHINGAS
Sound Engineer: TOM MOURGOS
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
The "Hold On, Baby" title recorded @ these sessions features
Betty Jones on lead, and is an entirely different song from the
one recorded in May. That song has a lead vocal by Archie Andrews.
Outside of North America, "River-Deep, Mountain-High" became
an international smash; it featured an ensemble group vocal led by
Betty + Veronica. Chuck Clayton subbed for an ailing Rey Cochino,
conducting Big-Ass Brass in his absence; his partner Deanie
Grundy added her distinctive keyboard licks to "Don't Ever
Leave Me". Jeff Barry played percussion and sang
background vocals @ these dates.
DURING THE 2080s, TIKI GODDESS JAMETTA
AND OTHER CELEBRITY REMIXERS WILL
PRESENT CUSTOMIZED DANCE MIXES
OF ARCHIES ALBUMS. THESE RELEASES
WILL LOG BIG SALES ON THE ASIAN
CONTINENT.
ARCHIE RECORDS
SINGLES SESSION
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
SEPTEMBER 12, 2004
SPANISH EDDIE'S BAR + GRILL,
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
BEND ME, SHAPE ME - Disque D'Or (France)
(English, Weiss)
STOP! AND YOU’LL BECOME AWARE
- Glitter + Gold LP (Australia)*
(Roger Okin)
THE ARCHIES
Arrangers:
ARCHIE ANDREWS, *REGGIE MANTLE
Producers:
RALFI CHINGAS, THE ARCHIES
Sound Engineer: EDDIE ROXCHILD
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Members of The Archies and Josie + The Pussy Cats will re-record
"Stop! And You'll Become Aware" in September of 2011. This first version
features Reggie Mantle on lead vocals. Spanish Eddie's was a Gay
nightclub with a full-service recording studio on the top floor.
SABRINA: WHILE TOURING THEIR SONGBOOK ALBUM IN AUGUST OF 2004, THE ARCHIES CUT THEIR FIRST-EVER LIVE LP IN NEW ORLEANS. CHUCK CLAYTON, THEIR MUSIC DIRECTOR FROM THE KIRSHNER YEARS, WAS CALLED IN TO WORK WITH THEM ON IT, AND THEIR ORIGINAL ARRANGER DEANIE GRUNDY WROTE SOME OF THE CHARTS. HOT, SWEET + LIVE! WAS MARKETED IN BOTH EP AND LP FORMATS.
BY THE WAY, ARCHIE RELEASES WERE NEVER, EVER SOLD IN THE COMPACT DISC FORMAT! ANY THAT YOU MAY FIND ARE BOOTLEGS. ARCHIE + ESPECIALLY VERONICA FELT THAT CD TECHNOLOGY ROBBED RECORDED MUSIC OF ITS WARMTH. ALL ARCHIE TRACKS WERE MASTERED FOR VINYL PLAYBACK, AND ALTHOUGH MOST ALBUM AND EP SALES CAME FROM DIGITAL DOWNLOADS, THE LABEL BECAME KNOWN FOR SELLING LPS @ A TIME WHEN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY BELIEVED THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY MARKET FOR VINYL.
ARCHIE RECORDS ACCURATELY PREDICTED THE RESURGENCE OF THAT FORMAT, AND UNLIKE MOST OTHER VINYL RELEASES IN THE CD ERA, ITS PRESSINGS WERE PRISTINE! RECORDING MANAGER ALAN MAYBERRY WAS A FANATIC ABOUT AUDIO FIDELITY, WHICH IS WHY THE ARCHIE LABEL INVESTED IN ITS OWN PRESSING PLANT. A WOMAN NAMED JAMIE ROTANTE WAS IN CHARGE OF THAT FACILITY, AND HER QUALITY CONTROL STANDARDS WERE RIGOROUS: GOD FORBID THAT YOU EVER HEARD TELL OF AN ARCHIE RECORD SKATING OR SKIPPING DURING PLAYBACK!
PROMO FOR THE ARCHIES' 2004
DOUBLE EXTENDED PLAY DISC
HOT, SWEET + LIVE!
ARCHIE RECORDS
REMIX SESSIONS
"HOT, SWEET + LIVE!"
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
SEPTEMBER 20 - 22, 2004
SPANISH EDDIE'S BAR + GRILL,
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
SOUL DEEP - Hot, Sweet + Live! EP*
(Wayne Carson Thompson)
DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW?
- Hot, Sweet + Live! EP**
(Andersson, Ulvaeus)
TEX-MEX MEDLEY:
TAKE A LETTER, MARIA/MAMACITA/
LIVIN' LA VIDA LOCA
- Australian Singles Collection box set***
(RB Greaves/Mann, Weil/Child, Rosa)
BIG CITY MISS RUTH ANN
- Hot, Sweet + Live! EP
(Tom Lazoros)
HOLD ON, BABY
- Hot, Sweet + Live LP reissue****
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
GOOD DEAL, LUCILLE
- Hot, Sweet + Live! EP***
(Miller, Theriot)
HIP SHAKER - Hot, Sweet + Live! EP
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
THAT'S ALL I EVER WANT FROM YOU, BABY
- End Of A Century LP*
(Barry, Greenwich)
NOBODY BUT YOU - Hot, Sweet + Live! EP
(Barry, Greenwich)
LONELY WEEKENDS
- Hot, Sweet + Live LP reissue
(Charlie Rich)
WHO'S YOUR BABY?
- Hot, Sweet + Live! EP****
(Barry, Kim)
SUGAR, SUGAR
- Hot, Sweet + Live! EP****
(Barry, Kim)
HAPPY - Hot, Sweet + Live! EP*
(Jagger, Richards)
SUNSHINE
- single, Hot, Sweet + Live! EP
(Barry, Bloom)
THE ARCHIES
Arrangers:
RALFI CHINGAS, *ARCHIE ANDREWS,
**ROD MACK, ***REGGIE "GINO" MANTLE,
****GERALDINE GRUNDY
Music Director:
CHUCK CLAYTON
Remix Engineer: EDDIE ROXCHILD
The songs remixed @ these sessions were captured live
@ Congo Square in New Orleans by Alan Mayberry.
They were first released in late 2004 on a double EP set.
The LP version of The Archies' first live album, released
in early 2005, featured different edits
of these mixes.
SABRINA: THE SAME WEEK THAT THE ARCHIES CUT THEIR LIVE ALBUM, JUGHEAD SIGNED A SOLO DEAL WITH PEERLESS RECORDS. BEFORE LEAVING THE BIG EASY, HE RECORDED A COMPACT DISC OF LATIN JAZZ INSTRUMENTALS; BETTY, KEVIN KELLER + RALFI CHINGAS ASSISTED HIM, AND THE TRACKING SESSIONS FEATURED DISTINGUISHED GUESTS LIKE WYNTON MARSALIS! WYNTON ENJOYED JAMMING WITH JUGGY, AND HE PROMISED TO SIT IN ON A SESSION WITH THE ARCHIES @ SOME DATE.
RAJ PATEL WAS ALSO IN ATTENDANCE AS AN OBSERVER. JUGGY + ARCHIE HAD KNOWN RAJ IN HIGH SCHOOL; BACK THEN, HE WAS AN AVID FILM BUFF AND A BUDDING AMATEUR CINEMATOGRAPHER. NOW HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL FILM PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR BASED IN "NOLA".
DESPITE EXCELLENT TRACKS LIKE "SPANISH EDDIE", A TRIBUTE TO SOUND ENGINEER EDDIE ROXCHILD FEATURING BETTY'S VOCALS, JUGGY’S KING OF LATIN SOUL FAILED TO SELL IN SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES. HOWEVER, HIS LIVELY STUDIO INTERACTIONS WITH KELLY MADE A STRONG IMPRESSION ON RAJ. THE OLD FRIENDS WERE A NATURAL TEAM, AND HE FELT THAT THEIR STRONG CHEMISTRY HAD UNEXPLORED COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL.
AUDIO FROM THE 2004 "ECHO VALLEY
CHRISTMAS BALL" WILL BELATEDLY
BE RELEASED ON VINYL IN THE
YEAR 2129.
ARCHIE RECORDS
PODCAST SESSIONS
"ECHO VALLEY'S CHRISTMAS BALL"
A CHAPEL OF ROCK PRODUCTION
in association with
ARCHIE AMERICANA PRODUCTIONS
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
NOVEMBER 19 - 20, 2004
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY - unreleased*
(Patrick Upton)
JULIE, DO YA LOVE ME? - unreleased*
(Tom Bahler)
YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY - unreleased**
(Levine, Resnick)
JANIE, JANIE - unreleased***
(Allan, Dante)
TEMPTATION EYES - unreleased****
(Price, Walsh)
SOONER OR LATER - unreleased****
(Bottler, McNamara, Paris, Zeckley)
MY BABY LOVES LOVIN' - unreleased**
(Cook, Greenaway)
VENUS - unreleased*****
(Robbie Van Leeuwen)
CHARMER - unreleased*****
(Tim Moore)
BAND OF GOLD - unreleased******
(Dozier, Dunbar, Holland)
LAY A LITTLE LOVIN' ON ME
- unreleased******
(Barry, Cretecos, McNamara)
WE CAN'T DANCE TO YOUR MUSIC
- unreleased*
(Barry, Williams)
CHERRY, CHERRY - unreleased*****
(Neil Diamond)
CHEER ME UP - unreleased****
(Barry, Carr, Dante)
BE MY BABY (vocals only)
- unreleased*****
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
LOVE THAT LITTLE WOMAN
- unreleased*****
(Barry, Kim)
JINGLE BELL ROCK - unreleased****
(Beal, Boothe)
HAVE YOURSELF A ROCK 'N ROLL CHRISTMAS
- unreleased**
(Brooks, Kasha)
CHRISTMAS (BABY, PLEASE COME HOME)
- unreleased*****
(Barry, Greenwich, Spector)
MONY MONY- unreleased#
(Bloom, Cordell, Gentry, James)
REY COCHINO w/BIG-ASS BRASS
*w/DEVON, **w/THE BINGOS, ***w/VERONICA,
****w/BLUE-EYED SOUL,*****w/THE ARCHIES,
******w/KATY KEENE,
#w/THE ARCHIES + THE BINGOS
Music Director: JEFF BARRY
Producer/Sound Engineer:
TOM MOURGOS
Executive Producer:
PROFESSOR BUBBLEGUM
Salem da Katt: The Archies began a long string of appearances on the "Echo Valley" radio show back in the early 1990s. By 2004, it was a podcast, but they were still favorite musical guests of the host, Professor Bubblegum. Naturally, when the Prof decided to throw an online holiday bash, The Archies headlined his show!
Appearing with them were their friends The Bingos; Archies spinoff duo Blue-Eyed Soul; and two artists under consideration for Archie recording contracts: Actress and fashion model Katy Keene (who'd cut a single with The Archies in Germany, back when they were called The Juggz) and Kevin Keller's ex-fuck buddy Devon (who was opening act for the band's 2004 Summer tour)!
Both Katy + Devon had drop-dead gorgeous looks, but they also had weak-ass voices. If you listen closely to this record, you'll hear Veronica + Kelly doing most of their singing for them! Predictably, neither one ended up joining the Archie Records roster. Devon would soon switch gears and make a name for himself as a Gay porn star, using the name Devon Sweetbottom. I'll have more to say about him later on!
On every selection, all of the acts sang and played together; the only distinction was different lead vocalists. "Be My Baby" utilized a backing track recorded for The Archies' JEFF + ELLIE SONGBOOK album (see the entry for March 2004). The backing tracks for "Janie Janie" and "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" were later recycled as an unreleased album track and an Archies Fan Club single, respectively.
Professor Bubblegum hosted the festivities remotely from his home studio in Shawnee Mission KS; they were also televised @ that location, and viewers were treated to drag queens in holiday finery, wiggling and prancing to the music! "The Echo Valley Christmas Ball" aired in two parts on November 24 and December 1st, 2004. It won't be released commercially until the late 22nd century, when The Walt Disney Company controls both the Archie masters and the "Echo Valley" audio archive. Other podcast pre- recordings exist, but this is the only one that session information is available for.
HOT, SWEET + LIVE!
THE 2005 LP VERSION OF THE ARCHIES'
FIRST LIVE-IN-CONCERT RELEASE.
SABRINA: THE NARRATIVE OF ARCHIE RECORDS FEATURES A LOT OF SUPPORTING CHARACTERS; LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT A FEW OF THEM. RAJ PATEL BECAME THE ARCHIES’ GO-TO- DIRECTOR FOR MUSIC VIDEOS. I WAS ONE OF JUST A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE WHO KNEW THAT HE HAD A SECRET SIDELINE: FILMING SEX TAPES! VERY LUCRATIVE FOR HIM!
THERE’S NO TRUTH TO RUMORS THAT MIDGE MERCURY WAS ONE OF HIS “STARS.” WHEN A GIRL IS AS SEXY AS SHE WAS, PEOPLE WILL SAY ALL KINDS OF THINGS! IN THE EARLY YEARS, MIDGE ALTERNATED AS A SESSION DRUMMER WITH BUDDY LENNOX OF THE BINGOS. SHE’S BISEXUAL LIKE ME, AND WE DATED BRIEFLY; THAT WAS LONG AFTER SHE DATED ALGERNON “BIG MOOSE” MASON. OF COURSE, MOOSIE ENDED UP MARRYING BIG ETHEL!
MY HALF-TRINIDADIAN COUSIN, AMBROSE NIXON FANCIES HIMSELF A GREAT SINGER! I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT HE'S A DECENT VOCAL ARRANGER. FOR A FEW YEARS, AMBROSE WAS THE MUSIC DIRECTOR FOR CHERRY VAGINA'S ADVERTISING JINGLE DIVISION. SOMETIMES HE ALSO CONTRIBUTED BACKING VOCALS AND PERCUSSION TO ARCHIES SESSIONS. KNIGHTED BY QUEEN ELIZABETH FOR HONORABLE SERVICE IN THE FALKLANDS WAR, "ROSIE THE NIX" (HIS NICKNAME) WENT ON TO BE A SUCCESSFUL THEATRE DIRECTOR, AND AS SUCH HE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE FORTUNES OF THE NEW ARCHIES!
FORMERLY KNOWN AS JELLYBEAN, ANJELICA “JELLI” JONES-TORRES WAS A MEMBER OF THE VIXENS. THAT'S THE GIRL GROUP THAT BIG ETHEL FOUNDED AFTER GIVING UP HER RAP CAREER. MAYBE YOU REMEMBER JELLI AS JUGHEAD’S LITTLE SISTER? WELL, THAT SCRAWNY TEENAGER GREW UP TO BE A BIG, BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, AND HER SINGING VOICE WAS BIG AND BEAUTIFUL, TOO! SHE WAS ANOTHER ONE OF ARCHIE’S REGULAR DEMO SINGERS.
TERRY “POP” TATE WAS A VETERAN JAZZ MUSICIAN WHO TOOK A BREAK FROM MUSIC FOR SEVERAL YEARS. HE RAN A POPULAR DINER IN RIVERDALE WHEN ARCHIE AND HIS FRIENDS WERE TEENAGERS. LATER, POP DECIDED TO SELL HIS BUSINESS (TO JUGHEAD + BETTY, WHO TURNED IT INTO A SUCCESSFUL RESTAURANT CHAIN) AND RETURN TO SESSION WORK. HE TOOK PART IN AN AWFUL LOT OF ARCHIE SESSIONS, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, HE WAS ALSO A STAFF SONGWRITER.
ARCHIE'S MEANS OF SUPPORT:
RAJ PATEL, BIG ETHEL, MIDGE MERCURY,
ALEXANDRA, ALAN MAYBERRY, SIR
AMBROSE NIXON, BREE SPELLMAN, JELLI
JONES-TORRES, JOSIE JAMES, DILTON
DOILEY BRISEÑO, TERRY "POP" TATE
AND CHUCK CLAYTON.
ASIDE FROM ARCHIE, VERONICA, ALAN M, BIG NIPSY FREUND + CHUCK CLAYTON, DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO WAS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN ARCHIE RECORDS’ SUCCESS. HE WAS MY MENTOR AS WELL AS A DEAR FRIEND! A GENIUS IN BOTH THE MUSICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL FIELDS, TONY INEVITABLY CHOSE TO CONCENTRATE ON MUSIC, WHICH WAS ALWAYS HIS GREATER LOVE.
HE WAS WITH THE ARCHIES WHEN THEY WERE CALLED THE JUGGZ, AND GOT TREATED BADLY WHEN DON KIRSHNER TOOK OVER THE GROUP’S MANAGEMENT. TONY WAS FORCED OUT, BUT HE DIDN’T HOLD A GRUDGE. HE WAS A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR TO ARCHIE SESSIONS AND A PROLIFIC SONGWRITER, AND HE CO-PRODUCED SEVERAL IMPORTANT RECORDING DATES FOR THE ARCHIES. PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, HIS DAUGHTER GARCY WAS DESTINED TO BECOME PRINCIPAL LEAD SINGER FOR THE NEW ARCHIES!
PRODUCER RALFI CHINGAS IN THE
STUDIO WITH THE ARCHIES.
RALFI CHINGAS WAS ARCHIE’S DE FACTO A + R CHIEF FOR A WHILE, BUT HE HAD LOTS OF IRONS IN THE FIRE OUTSIDE THE COMPANY. WHEN HE DIDN’T HAVE TO BE THERE, HE USUALLY WASN’T! I DIDN’T GET TO KNOW RALFI TOO WELL, BUT I DID BEFRIEND HIS ENGINEERING STAFF, WHICH INCLUDED TOM MOURGOS, TAYE FAXTOTUM, VIRGIL BRADLEY + ESPECIALLY “SPANISH” EDDIE ROXCHILD, WHOM RALFI LATER MARRIED. I ALSO BECAME CLOSE TO JONNIEMAE TROUTEN, THE PHENOMENAL FLAMENCO GUITARIST HE DISCOVERED. MAE MAE WAS A PROUD TRANSWOMAN AND LOTS OF FUN TO WORK WITH! SHE AND I LATER BECAME BANDMATES, AND I’LL TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN I DOCUMENT THE FINAL YEARS OF ARCHIE RECORDS.
"LITTLE WILLY"
BRITISH SESSION GUITARIST MADAME AXE
OBJECTS TO THE MALE MEMBER
IN THE YEAR
2 0 0 5 !