POP CULTURE CANTINA
Presents
DESTINATION: SUGARTOWN!
THE ARCHIE RECORDS STORY
A Journey Through
THE GREAT AMERICAN
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SONG BOOK
FROM ROD MACK'S ORAL HISTORY
OF ARCHIE RECORDS
IN THE EARLY 1990s, I WAS LEAD GUITAR IN THE HOUSE BAND @ THE APOLLO THEATER. THAT WAS ONE OF MY FIRST JOBS AS A BAND MUSICIAN! NO, I WASN'T A NOVICE; I'D BEEN IN THE BUSINESS FOR A WHILE, AND I'D EVEN CUT A RECORD; BUT THIS WAS THE BIG TIME! NEW-YORK-FUCKING-CITY, WITH HOLLYWOOD NEXT ON MY ITINERARY. I WAS YOUNG AND COCKY, AS FULL OF PISS AND VINEGAR AS I COULD BE!
MAY OF 1990 IS WHEN I FIRST MET THE ARCHIES. NOT THE WHOLE GROUP; JUST ARCHIE, BETTY, VERONICA + JUGHEAD. CHUCK CLAYTON WAS SUBBING FOR REGGIE “GINO” MANTLE. I WOULDN'T MEET GINO UNTIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR AND, MUCH LATER, I GOT ACQUAINTED WITH KEVIN KELLER AND TREVOR SANTIAGO; BUT LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT ONE DAY I'D BE PRODUCING THE ARCHIES! AND THAT CHUCKII + I WOULD BE JAMMING TOGETHER FOR YEARS, BOTH IN AND OUTSIDE OF RECORDING STUDIOS.
THE GROUP HAD COME DOWN FROM NEW ENGLAND TO HEADLINE A MOTOWN SONG FESTIVAL. I REMEMBER SHAKING MY HEAD IN DISBELIEF WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THEM. I TOLD NICKY ÁLVAREZ, MY BOSS AT THE TIME: "THESE WHITE KIDS ARE WET BEHIND THE EARS AND EVERYWHERE ELSE. WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE, TRYING TO PLAY A HARDCORE SOUL MUSIC VENUE LIKE THE APOLLO? THEY'LL BE EATEN ALIVE!"
WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IF
ROD MACK HAD JOINED THE ARCHIES:
AN ALBUM DEVOTED TO THE HIT
SONGS OF BOB CREWE!
SO I WASN'T IMPRESSED WITH THEM @ ALL, BUT NICKY PREDICTED THAT THEY'D SURPRISE ME. DID THEY EVER! THOSE CHILDREN COULD SING THEIR OFAY ASSES OFF, AND THEY PLAYED THEIR INSTRUMENTS LIKE BITCHES IN HEAT! ARCHIE, BETTY + JUGHEAD IN PARTICULAR HAD MAJOR STAR QUALITY. THOSE FINICKY APOLLO REGULARS ATE THEM UP, ALL RIGHT - WITH A SPOON!
THE ARCHIES EVEN ENDED UP SURPRISING NICKY. DUDE WOULD NEVER HAVE GUESSED THAT HE'D LEAVE THE APOLLO, RECLAIM HIS ORIGINAL NAME (NICHOLAS FREUND), AND BECOME THEIR MANAGER; BUT HE HAD YET TO RECKON WITH THE PERSUASIVE POWERS OF A CERTAIN MS. VERONICA LODGE!
SO WE BECAME COLLEAGUES AND THEN FRIENDS. AFTER THAT FESTIVAL, WE STAYED IN TOUCH. THE ARCHIES PLAYED ON ONE OF MY SOLO ALBUMS, AND I OCCASIONALLY HOOKED ARCHIE AND JUGHEAD UP WITH SESSION WORK. THEN, WHEN ARCHIE RECORDS LAUNCHED IN EARLY 2001, ARCHIE ASKED ME TO PLAY GUITAR ON THE FIRST RECORD DATE. I CAME UP TO MAMARONECK AND NEVER LEFT!
IT WAS SUCH A STIMULATING CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE PAY WAS FANTASTIC. EVEN THOUGH I MOVED TO LONDON IN 2006, I STAYED ON CALL: THE LABEL STARTED CUTTING SESSIONS OVER THERE, AND I WAS ON MOST OF THOSE RECORDS.
SO I WAS THERE FOR BOTH THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF ARCHIE RECORDS: FOR FOURTEEN FUN YEARS, I TRACKED GUITAR AND VOCALS, ARRANGED, COMPOSED AND PRODUCED MUSIC FOR ALL KINDS OF TALENTED ACTS. THAT SHOULD MORE THAN QUALIFY ME TO WRITE A HISTORY OF THE LABEL WE USED TO CALL . . .
SUGARTOWN!
THE SIXTH YEAR: 2006
"TEAR DROP CITY"
ARCHIE RECORDS
SOUNDTRACK SESSIONS
“BLACK BELT SMACKDOWN!”
A MAMARONECK PRODUCTION
(VOCALS + INSTRUMENTALS)
JANUARY 15 - 17, 2006
ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS
LONDON, UK
GOODBYE, JESSE - soundtrack LP
KICK A MAN’S ASS - soundtrack LP
DON’T PISS ME OFF! - soundtrack LP
BLACK BELT SMACKDOWN THEME
- soundtrack LP
(Archie Andrews)
ARCHIE
w/THE SUGARTOWN PIPERS
w/THE ROSCOE SHIRLEY STRINGS
w/BIG ETHEL + THE VIXENS,
Arranger/Conductor:
ARCHIE ANDREWS
Producer: LAURA PINTO
Sound Engineers:
RONNIE + BUDDY SHELBY
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Salem da Katt: Archie’s starring role in BLACK BELT SMACKDOWN was a sensational way to both begin and end a movie career! The film’s promotional campaign saturated the media, spreading his freckle-faced image far and wide. Later on, that same publicity blitz made him a sitting duck for critics: The throwback Blaxploitation flick opened to dismal reviews in early 2007!
Rolling Stone's reviewer wrote: "The question isn't 'does it suck?' The question is 'how HARD does it suck?'" Archie would later joke: “I won the Golden Raspberry Award that year for Worst Actor. You think I’m not proud of that? I’ve got the fucking trophy mounted on my office wall, right next to my Gold and Platinum records!”
Whenever BLACK BELT SMACKDOWN was mentioned in later years, it had nothing to do with bad acting. It was about gossip that romantically linked Archie with his leading lady, Benazir Bhooty! Those false rumors would persist right up to the year 2029. That's when the Middle Eastern starlet would murder her billionaire husband, Jason Blossom!
And would you believe that, after serving time in jail, Benazir would become a film director and helm a hit biopic of The Archies? This shit is so scandalous, you couldn't make it up! Archie, Benazir + Jason were destined to play pivotal roles in each other’s lives, in a series of events that spanned three decades.
Whenever Archie himself remembered BLACK BELT SMACKDOWN, he’d talk about scoring the soundtrack, which got altogether decent reviews. These dates, where he cut vocals for original songs that he'd written, were his favorites of all the sessions he logged over the years. Judi “Madame Axe” Parisella played lead guitar, and she also remembers those sessions fondly: “Nobody believes me when I say Archie could sing Soul like a White Curtis Mayfield; but anybody who’s heard that soundtrack album knows it's true!”
HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE POSTER
FOR THE INDIE ACTION FLICK
BLACK BELT SMACKDOWN
STARRING ARCHIE!
SABRINA: IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH OF 2006, THE ARCHIES RECORDED THEIR SIXTH ARCHIE ALBUM GET IT ON TODAY. TRACKING STARTED IN LONDON @ THE FAMOUS ABBEY ROAD STUDIO COMPLEX. FEATURING SONGS WRITTEN BY RON DANTE, THEIR FORMER VOCAL COACH AND PRODUCER, IT LEANED TOWARD A PSYCHEDELIC ROCK SOUND.
BACKDROP TO THE RECORDING SESSIONS WAS BETTY’S DISCOVERY THAT VERONICA + HER HUSBAND JUGHEAD HAD SLEPT TOGETHER! THE ATMOSPHERE BECAME UNBELIEVABLY VOLATILE: ARCHIE + JUGHEAD WERE SHOUTING @ EACH OTHER, BETTY WAS CRYING AND EVERYBODY WAS THROWING ACCUSATIONS AROUND. THERE WAS EVEN A SHOVING MATCH! SESSION GUITARIST ROD MACK WAS THERE, AND LATER ON HE FILLED ME IN ON THE SORDID DETAILS.
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"GET IT ON TODAY!"
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
FEBRUARY 2006
ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS,
LONDON, UK
IT'S RAINING SUNSHINE (UNDERDUB) - lost
(Allan, Dante)
SAYONARA, BABY (UNDERDUB) - lost
(Allan, Dante)
incomplete
GOD BLESS ROCK 'N' ROLL
- Get It On Today LP
(Dante, Greenfield)
HEY, BOY (THE GIRL'S IN LOVE WITH YOU)
- Get It On Today LP
(Allan, Dante)
incomplete
A MILLION LIGHTS - Get It On Today LP
(Allan, Dante)
RAINING IN MY SUNSHINE
- single flipside, Get It On Today LP
(Allan, Dante)
THE ARCHIES
w/RON DANTE
w/ROD MACK
Arranger: ARCHIE ANDREWS
Music Director: ROD MACK
Producers:
RALFI CHINGAS, THE ARCHIES
Sound Engineers:
ALAN MAYBERRY, BUDDY SHELBY
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
The Archies began cutting a Psychedelic Rock album.
Every song was written by Ron Dante; their former producer,
studio mentor and vocal coach also played guitar and sang
background vocals @ the sessions. Archie's old friend
Rod Mack subbed for Nicholas Freund as music director.
(Both Rod + Nicholas were alumni of the Apollo Theatre
house band.) "Hey, Boy (The Girl's In Love With You)!"
was issued as a fan club single; Archie Andrews
+ Reggie Mantle sang a duet lead.
BY THE 2070s, ORIGINAL PRESSINGS
FROM THE ARCHIE LABEL GROUP WILL
HAVE BECOME SO COLLECTIBLE, A PRICE
GUIDE WILL BE DEVOTED TO THEM.
SABRINA: THERE WAS A RUMOR THAT ARCHIE TRIED TO KILL JUGHEAD AFTER HIS AFFAIR WITH VERONICA WAS REVEALED; ANOTHER RUMOR HAD BETTY GOING AFTER VERONICA WITH A BUTCHER KNIFE! I WON'T SAY WHETHER THEY'RE TRUE OR NOT; WHAT PURPOSE WOULD THAT SERVE? JUST KNOW THAT THE HURT THE TWO COUPLES SUFFERED WAS ALL BUT UNBEARABLE!
ARCHIE, BETTY + JUGHEAD MET IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND THEIR FRIENDSHIP WAS ONE OF THE STRONGEST I'VE EVER SEEN. WHEN VERONICA'S FAMILY MOVED TO RIVERDALE, SHE BECAME PART OF THEIR CIRCLE. THE FOUR OF THEM WERE AS CLOSE AS PEOPLE CAN BE, BUT WE ALL CHANGE AS WE MATURE. OLD FRIENDS CAN REACH A POINT WHERE THEY FEEL THEY DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER ANYMORE! IN THEIR CASE, THAT HAPPENED IN THE MOST UNPLEASANT WAY IMAGINABLE.
WOUNDS (OLD WOUNDS WHERE BETTY WAS CONCERNED) WERE OPENED THAT WOULD NEVER FULLY HEAL. JUGGY + RONI'S INDISCRETION WAS DEFINITELY GOING TO LEAVE CASUALTIES IN ITS WAKE; AND IN EARLY 2006 THERE WAS EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE ARCHIES WOULD BE ONE OF THEM!
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"GET IT ON TODAY!"
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
MARCH 2006
ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS,
LONDON, UK
LET'S GET IT ON TODAY!
- single, Get It On Today LP
(Adams, Dante)
IT TAKES THE RAIN
(TO MAKE THE FLOWERS GROW) -
Get It On Today LP reissue
(Allan, Dante)
YELLOW VAN (UNDERDUB) - lost
(Allan, Dante)
BUILDING WITH A STEEPLE - Get It On Today LP
(Allan, Dante)
DON'T CALL IT LOVE!
- single (withdrawn from sale),
single flipside, Get It On Today LP
(Allan, Dante)
incomplete
THE ARCHIES
w/ROD MACK
w/THEEDA MAHARAJ
Arranger: ARCHIE ANDREWS
Music Director: ROD MACK
Producers:
RALFI CHINGAS, THE ARCHIES
Sound Engineers:
ALAN MAYBERRY, BUDDY SHELBY
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Guitarist Rod Mack and sitar master Theeda Maharaj took
part in these March dates and witnessed their descent
into chaos! Roni Lodge-Andrews' love affair with Juggy
Jones was accidentally revealed. The members of The
Archies divided into screaming factions, and work
on their new album ground to a dead halt! Theeda
was so traumatized, she wouldn't agree to work
with The Archies again for many years.
SABRINA: WHEN WORK ON THE NEW ALBUM RESUMED @ ARCHIE SOUND STUDIOS, THE ONLY GROUP MEMBER IN ATTENDANCE WAS REGGIE MANTLE! WITH HELP FROM RON DANTE, THE ARCHIES’ CONDUCTOR/MANAGER BIG NIPSY FREUND + SOUND MAN ALAN MAYBERRY, HE MANAGED TO COBBLE TOGETHER A FINISHED MASTER. GET IT ON TODAY: THE SONGS OF RON DANTE ONLY WON A GOLD RECORD, IN PART BECAUSE THE ARCHIES REFUSED TO PROMOTE IT. A MAJORITY OF BAND MEMBERS WERE HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH EACH OTHER!
"WOMEN OF THE ARCHIES,"
A HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE
POSTER PHOTOGRAPHED
BY AMISHA PATEL.
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"GET IT ON TODAY!"
AN ARCHIE AMERICANA PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
MARCH 2006
ARCHIE SOUND STUDIOS (ASS),
MAMARONECK, NEW YORK
**A CHAPEL OF ROCK PRODUCTION
in association with
ARCHIE AMERICANA PRODUCTIONS
(INSTRUMENTAL)
NOVEMBER 2004
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
MIDNIGHT SHOW
- single flipside, Get It On Today LP*
(Allan, Dante)
FOLLOW A DREAM - Get It On Today LP*
(Allan, Dante)
YELLOW VAN (OVERDUB)
- single, Get It On Today LP
HEY, MOM! HEY, POP! - Retro box set
(Dante, Rossi)
JANIE, JANIE - Get It On Today LP reissue**
(Allan, Dante)
THINK! - Get It On Today LP reissue
(Levinson, Selig)
SAYONARA, BABY (OVERDUB)
- Get It On Today LP reissue
(Allan, Dante)
IT'S RAINING SUNSHINE (OVERDUB)
- Get It On Today LP reissue
(Allan, Dante)
THE ARCHIES
w/RON DANTE
w/ALAN MAYBERRY
Arrangers:
ARCHIE ANDREWS, *REGGIE MANTLE
Music Director: RON DANTE
Producer: ALAN MAYBERRY
Sound Engineers:
ALAN MAYBERRY, TOM MOURGOS
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Reggie Mantle was the only Archies member
in attendance @ these sessions. Alan Mayberry
took a rare turn on keyboards. Ron Dante sang
uncredited lead vocals on "Hey, Mom! Hey, Pop!",
"Janie, Janie" and "Think." A Tom Mourgos-
produced backing track was used on
"Janie, Janie."
SABRINA: "LET'S GET IT ON TODAY", THE LEAD SINGLE FROM THE ARCHIES' FORTHCOMING LP SCORED ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL SMASH; BUT BY THE TIME IT MADE THE CHARTS, ARCHIE OFFICE STAFF WERE IN A STATE OF ALARM. WOULD THIS BE THE LAST SINGLE? WHY HAD THE ABBEY ROAD SESSIONS BEEN SHUT DOWN? WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE GROUP? INFORMATION WAS SCANT AND THE RUMOR MILL WAS SPINNING! OFFICIALLY, THE ARCHIES HAD GONE ON HIATUS. THAT STATUS WOULD LAST FOR NEARLY A WHOLE YEAR - THE TIME IT TOOK FOR BROKEN FRIENDSHIPS AND STRAINED MARRIAGES TO MEND! NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS CRISIS PUT THE FUTURE OF ARCHIE RECORDS IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY.
KEVIN KELLER + TREVOR SMITH
BOTH TOOK PART IN ARCHIES
RECORDING SESSIONS BEFORE
BECOMING MEMBERS OF THE
BAND.
ARCHIE FAN CLUB RECORDS
REMIX SESSIONS
"RARE MASTERS, VOLUME ONE"
A BIG ETHEL MIX
MARCH 17 - 19, 2006
ARCHIE SOUND STUDIOS (ASS)
MAMARONECK, NEW YORK
BLESS MY SOUL - Rare Masters I EP
WE NEED EACH OTHER
- Rare Masters I EP
YOUR MUSIC AND MY MUSIC
- Rare Masters I EP
A LITTLE ON THE HEAVY SIDE
- Rare Masters I EP
(Barry, Bloom)
THE ARCHIES
Remix Producer:
FAWN ETHEL MASON
Remix Engineer: TAYE FAXTOTUM
Salem da Katt: If there was anything Archie + Veronica wanted as much as they wanted their indie label to be successful, it was to own The Archies’ early masters. They were able to realize both goals! After purchasing most of the Kirshner Records catalog in late 2005, they turned the tapes over to Fawn “Big Ethel” Mason (by then, Archie’s executive secretary) for cataloguing. As just-named president of the Archies Fan Club label, Ethel had the option of releasing the Kirshner material on AFC Records. The series of ARCHIES RARE MASTERS that she curated would be that label’s most collectible product! Volume One launched its EP line.
ARCHIE RECORDS
DEMO SESSION
AN ARCHIE AMERICANA PRODUCTION
JUNE 7, 2006
ARCHIE SOUND STUDIOS (ASS),
MAMARONECK, NEW YORK
(I’M YOUR) BACK DOOR DADDY
- single flipside (THE ARCHIES), cancelled
(Clayton, Tate)
REGGIE "GINO" MANTLE
w/CHUCK CLAYTON
Arranger: REGGIE MANTLE
Music Director: CHUCK CLAYTON
Producers:
CHUCK CLAYTON, ALAN MAYBERRY
Sound Engineer: ALAN MAYBERRY
The other sides recorded @ this session
were demos written by songwriters contracted
to Cherry Vagina Music. "Back Door Daddy" is a
Cherry Vagina copyright written by Chuck Clayton
+ Terry "Pop" Tate; the profanity-laden ditty was
pressed on the flipside of a cancelled Archies
single, "Don't Call It Love." While the yet-to-
be-released "Titty Twister" is very provocative,
this was the only Archies record that can truly
be called "dirty" . . . and it wasn’t really by
The Archies! Needless to say, Archie was not
amused.
PROMO FOR REGGIE'S SMASH
HIT AUSTRALIAN EP
SUGAR DADDY.
ARCHIE RECORDS AUSTRALIA
EP SESSION
"SUGAR DADDY"
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(VOCALS + INSTRUMENTALS)
SEPTEMBER 2 - 27, 2006
SPLENDID MEDIA,
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
(REMIXES)
OCTOBER 9, DECEMBER 13 - 15, 2006,
FEBRUARY 4 - 7, APRIL 19, 20, 2007
ARCHIE SOUND STUDIOS (ASS)
MAMARONECK, NEW YORK
SUGAR DADDY - Sugar Daddy EP (Australia)
NOBODY - Sugar Daddy EP (Australia)
THE LOVE YOU SAVE - Sugar Daddy EP (Australia)
MAMA’S PEARL - Sugar Daddy EP (Australia)
ONE MORE CHANCE - Sugar Daddy EP (Australia)
I WANT YOU BACK - Sugar Daddy EP (Australia)
(Gordy, Mizelle, Perren, Richards)
REGGIE
w/THE JUMP CHILDREN
w/THE EDEN DAWN STRINGS
Arrangers:
REGGIE "GINO" MANTLE, THE JUMP CHILDREN
Music Director: EVA NAMAZZI
Producer: RALFI CHINGAS
Sound Engineer:
CHEVY TIDINGS HOWARD
Remix Engineers:
ALAN MAYBERRY, TAYE FAXTOTUM
Executive Producer:
REGGIE "GINO" MANTLE
Salem da Katt: In different countries, different members of The Archies were fan favorites. For example, Europe favored Jughead; South America loved Veronica; and Betty was adored across Asia. Australia was crazy about its native son Gino Mantle - yes, he was born in New South Wales - but Aussies always preferred to call him “Reggie!”
Word reached Gino through sound engineer Alan Mayberry that the Australian Archie label was planning a compilation of his lead vocals. Gino sent word back that he had a much better idea: Dude would cut an EP of all-new solo material for exclusive release “down under!”
By 2006, Gino was no longer the Elvis Presley fanatic he’d been in college. His current obsession was vintage recordings by Motown's teenage supergroup: The Jackson Five! Dude was in awe of the young Michael Jackson and, under his influence, he was singing in falsetto more often.
However, there’s no truth to rumors that Michael himself urged Gino to cut a Jackson Five tribute; the SUGAR DADDY EP was entirely his own concept. It wasn’t just a tribute record, though: Gino wanted to prove that he didn’t need The Archies to make hits! And this project would provide the evidence.
What’s more, it was the perfect excuse for staging his first solo concert tour. Veronica’s affair with Jughead had thrown The Archies into a state of flux, and Gino had no idea when or if they’d regroup. “This could the solo opportunity I’ve been waiting for,” he told Alan M.
Flying down to Newcastle with a bevy of beautiful girls, dude showed off his talent for generating publicity! Gino hired a backing band called The Jump Children and performed a repertoire of Motown oldies; in addition to The Jackson Five, he sang covers of hits by The Commodores, Stevie Wonder, Thelma Houston and The Undisputed Truth. Gino staged a series of sold-out shows along the Eastern and Southern coasts, ending in Melbourne. There he booked Splendid Media with the intention of arranging, producing and playing all the instruments on his J5 tribute EP.
The early Jackson Five records are Pop/Soul masterpieces: They've got stunning vocals, amazing arrangements and bitchin' instrumentation! Frankly, Gino lacked the chops to re-create them all by himself; dude could do a lot of things musically, but he sucked @ doing some of them! He spent nearly the entire month of September trying to capture “I Want You Back”, “The Love You Save” and other J5 classics without success. Adding Eva Namazzi’s string section made no difference: Playbacks sounded hopelessly mediocre!
EVA NAMAZZI WAS THE CONDUCTOR
FOR ARCHIE RECORDING SESSIONS
HELD IN AUSTRALIA.
Out of desperation, he flew Ralfi Chingas down to help him. @ Ralfi’s suggestion, The Jump Children joined the sessions and Gino’s synergy with them made the project spring to life. Still, the perfectionist in him wasn’t satisfied; he took the tapes back to Archie Sound Studios (ASS) and huddled @ the mixing board with Alan M + Taye Faxtotum. "Reginald can be a total pain in the ass to work with," Alan told me later. "Unlike Veronica, he doesn't always know what he wants! There's a lot of trial-and-error involved." It took the better part of a year, but Alan + Taye eventually came up with sound mixes that Gino could live with.
He’d made Archie Records Australia wait for his music, so they returned the favor: Much to his irritation, SUGAR DADDY wasn’t issued until January of 2009! The wait was worth it, though: Although critical reaction was mixed, his J5 tribute scored a “down under” dance club smash! Its success cemented his resolve to break away from The Archies, even though that wouldn’t happen for three more years.
Gino had yet to accept the limits of his musical skills! The solo album LOVE TO LOVE, issued by Fantasy Records that same year would be another attempt by him to go it alone. However, during that project his stubborn Aussie ass finally realized that he needed collaborators in order to make good music. The most important one was a lady named Olga San Quentín.
SABRINA: EVEN BEFORE THEY MARRIED IN 1994, ARCHIE + VERONICA HAD TRIED TO CONCEIVE A CHILD, BUT THOSE ATTEMPTS ALWAYS FAILED. IN THE FALL OF 2006, RONI STRUGGLED TO COPE WITH THE LATEST IN A SERIES OF MISCARRIAGES. THIS ONE WAS ARGUABLY THE MOST PAINFUL OF ALL: THE BABY WASN’T FATHERED BY ARCHIE BUT BY JUGHEAD! THE FETUS THAT RONI WOULD LATER NAME "HIRAM" AFTER HER LATE FATHER WAS THE PRODUCT OF THEIR BRIEF AFFAIR.
"MEN OF THE ARCHIES,"
A COLLECTIBLE POSTER
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
VERONICA.
ARCHIE RECORDS
SINGLES SESSIONS
UNA PRODUCCIÓN RALFI CHINGAS
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
NOVEMBER 4 - 8, 2006
SPANISH EDDIE'S BAR + GRILL,
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
TELL ME, WHAT CAN I DO?
- Retro box set
(Poliakoff, Pomus, Shuman)
BOBBY, DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE TONIGHT!
- Retro box set
(Jeff Barry)
THE ARCHIES
w/REY COCHINO + BIG-ASS BRASS
Vocal Arranger:
REGGIE MANTLE
Arranger:
DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Music Director: REY COCHINO
Producer: RALFI CHINGAS
Sound Engineer: EDDIE ROXCHILD
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Salem da Katt: Gino + Juggy got together in late 2006 to cut a new Archies single . . . by themselves! Gino sang lead on a salsa-tinged Tony Orlando cover, and Jug did the honors on a Rock ballad originally waxed by Tommy James. The pair hoped that their bandmates would do overdubs later on, after they reconciled. While the reconciliation did happen, the overdubbing never did; so what might’ve been one of The Archies' finest singles ever was left in an unfinished state. As for harmonious relations in the group, things would get worse before they got better!
ARCHIES FAN CLUB RECORDS
REMIX SESSIONS
"HOUSE OF GOLD"
A MACK DADDY MIX
(INSTRUMENTALS)
DECEMBER 27 - 30, 2006
ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS
LONDON, UK
*A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(VOCALS + INSTRUMENTALS)
JANUARY, 2002
RANCHO CHINGAS,
BAYAMON, PUERTO RICO
**FEBRUARY 2002
WARNER BROTHERS RANCH,
BURBANK, CALIFORNIA
***FEBRUARY 2003
ARCHIE SOUND STUDIOS,
MAMARONECK, NEW YORK
****MAY/JUNE, 2004
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
*****SEPTEMBER, 2004
SPANISH EDDIE'S BAR + GRILL,
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
******AN ARCHIE AMERICANA PRODUCTION
APRIL/MAY, 2005
SUN STUDIOS,
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
#A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
JUNE, 2005
DISCOS FUENTES,
MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA
##A STEED-PINTO PROUCTION
AUGUST, 2005
RED BUS STUDIOS,
LONDON UK
###A STUDIO "B" PRODUCTION
NOVEMBER, 2005
STUDIO "B",
EL PASO, TEXAS
WALK WITH A WINNER
- Disque D'Or (France)*
(Colley, Jones, Mannering)
CAN'T ESCAPE FROM YOU, BABY
- Disque D'Or (France)*
(Adams, Ragovoy)
COME UNTO ME
- Disque D'Or (France)**
(Raúl Malo)
MARYANN
- Disque D'Or (France)***
(Anders, Poncia, Spector)
LOVELY LINDSAY
- Disque D'Or (France)***
(Kimberly Rew)
STRANGE WORLD
- Disque D'Or (France)****
(Chick Carlton)
TRUE, TRUE LOVE
- Disque D'Or (France)****
(Barry, Greenwich)
BEND ME, SHAPE ME
- Disque D'Or (France) *****
(English, Weiss)
I'M INTO LOOKIN' FOR SOMEONE TO LOVE ME
- Disque D'Or (France)******
(Bayer-Sager, Wine)
THINGS 2 COME
- Disque D'Or (France)#
(Mann, Weil)
BRING A LITTLE LOVIN'
- Disque D'Or (France)##
(Vanda, Young)
ANGELIQUE
- Disque D'Or (France) ###
(Mann, Weil)
HOUSE OF GOLD
- Disque D'Or (France) ###
(Barkan, Phillips)
IT NEVER RAINS IN CALIFORNIA
- Disque D'Or (France)###
(Hammond, Hazlewood)
THE ARCHIES
w/ROD MACK, guitar
Remix Producer:
ROD MACK
Remix Engineer:
TAYE FAXTOTUM
Salem da Katt: When Rod Mack relocated from New York to London for residency @ the Scotch of St. James, he devoted much of his free time to checking out British dance clubs. Before long, dude was deep into the legendary Northern Soul discotheque scene! Taking note of how popular "Let's Get It On Today" was with dancers, he alerted Archie. "Why don't you tailor a whole Archies album for Northern Soul fans?" he suggested. "There are plenty of unreleased tracks to choose from." Preoccupied with relationship chaos in the aftermath of the hella disastrous GET IT ON TODAY sessions, Archie begged off. However, he agreed that it was a good idea so he assigned Rod the task of creating a compilation tailored for UK sensibilities. The album, meant to be titled HOUSE OF GOLD, was remixed and overdubbed @ these post-Christmas Abbey Road sessions; it was Rod's first documented production work for Archie Records. Ultimately destined for release in France under the title DISQUE D'OR, its début will be delayed for 25 fucking years! However, the platter will score a solid cult hit on both sides of the English Channel.
SABRINA: THE REVELATION OF VERONICA’S INFIDELITY THREATENED TO DRIVE HER HUSBAND AWAY, BUT HER EXTREME FRAGILITY AFTER LOSING YET ANOTHER BABY DREW ARCHIE CLOSER. AS HE WRAPPED PROTECTIVE ARMS AROUND HIS WIFE AND STRUGGLED TO REPAIR THE BROKEN THREADS OF THEIR LOVE, THEIR FRIEND AND BANDMATE BETTY JONES DEALT WITH A MATERNITY CRISIS OF HER OWN.
EARLIER IN 2006, BETTY HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT! FORTUNATELY SHE WASN'T SERIOUSLY HURT BUT DURING HER CONVALESCENCE IN THE HOSPITAL, SHE GOT SOME SHOCKING NEWS: SHE WAS PREGNANT! THAT REVELATION PROVED TO BE MORE TRAUMATIC FOR HER THAN JUGHEAD'S INFIDELITY AND THE CAR CRASH COMBINED - SHE AND JUGGY HADN'T HAD CONJUGAL RELATIONS FOR A LONG TIME, SO THERE WAS ONLY ONE EXPLANATION.
ALONE ON THE WEST COAST IN THE FALL OF 2006, OSTENSIBLY ON A “LONG” VACATION, BETTY AWAITED THE SUCCESSFUL BIRTH OF ARCHIE’S BABY. THEIR MARCH AFFAIR HAD BEEN RETALIATORY IN NATURE. THE EXISTENCE OF DEAN CHRISTOPHER ANDREWS - WHO WAS PUT UP FOR ADOPTION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING HIS BIRTH IN DECEMBER - WAS A SECRET THAT BETTY + JUGHEAD WOULD KEEP FROM EVERYONE FOR OVER TWO DECADES!
"YOU CAN'T GO HALFWAY"
THE ARCHIES MOVE TENTATIVELY TOWARD
A GROUP REUNION IN THE YEAR
2 0 0 7 !