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
MOTOWN WAS THE FIRST INDIE LABEL TO SUCCESSFULLY MARKET ITSELF AS A BRAND, WITH AN INSTANTLY IDENTIFIABLE SOUND. THAT BRAND AND THAT SOUND PROVED IRRESISTIBLE TO MUSIC CONSUMERS OF ALL AGES, ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS AND NATIONALITIES. MOTOWN'S FAMOUS ARTISTS: DIANA ROSS + THE SUPREMES, THE TEMPTATIONS, SMOKEY ROBINSON + THE MIRACLES, MARY WELLS, MARVIN GAYE, STEVIE WONDER, THE FOUR TOPS, MARTHA REEVES + THE VANDELLAS . . . THEY WERE AMBASSADORS OF SOUL! THEY TOOK AN EXCITING NEW KIND OF GOSPEL-BASED DANCE MUSIC TO UNPRECEDENTED PEOPLE AND PLACES. IN THE PROCESS, THEY REDEFINED AMERICAN POPULAR MUSIC.
SIX DECADES LATER, THE INFLUENCE OF THE MOTOWN SOUND IS STILL STRONG! BERRY GORDY, JR’S DETROIT START-UP BECAME THE MOST SUCCESSFUL INDIE OF THE 1960s, AND THE ONE ALL SUBSEQUENT INDIES ARE MEASURED BY. BOTH ARCHIE + VERONICA IDOLIZED MR. GORDY AND LOVED VINTAGE MOTOWN MUSIC! THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT HIS "HITSVILLE USA" WAS THEIR TEMPLATE FOR
SUGARTOWN.
THE EIGHTH YEAR: 2008
"CAT TALK"
SABRINA: IN JANUARY OF 2008, THE ARCHIES REMADE THEIR BIGGEST EARLY HIT IN SPANISH. THEY CALLED IT “SUGAR, SUGAR EN ESPAÑOL” (DUH)! I WAS ONE OF THE KEYBOARD PLAYERS ON THAT RECORD, WHICH WAS TRACKED IN NEW ORLEANS. I PREDICTED THAT IT WOULD BREAK OPEN THE LATIN MUSIC MARKET FOR THEM, AND HOW RIGHT I WAS! THE SINGLE TOPPED THE PAN-AMERICAN CHARTS AND SOLD LIKE HOTCAKES EVERYWHERE SPANISH IS SPOKEN. FROM LATE JANUARY THROUGH THE ENTIRE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, THE BAND TOURED SPAIN, PORTUGAL, THE PHILIPPINES AND THE CARIBBEAN TO PROMOTE THEIR BILINGUAL BEST-SELLER.
HOWEVER, THE STUDIO SESSION THAT PRODUCED IT WAS TURBULENT! THE REASON? TONY BRISEÑO'S PROPOSED B-SIDE, A MEDLEY OF TWO SIXTIES ROCK CLASSICS TRANSLATED INTO SPANISH. REGGIE AND BETTY SANG THE "FLAMENCO ROCK MEDLEY" AS A DUET, AND ARCHIE WAS FIT TO BE TIED! A FEW MONTHS EARLIER, REGGIE HAD TORPEDOED HIS FIFTY SHADES OF SOUL ALBUM CONCEPT BECAUSE OF ITS MEDLEY FORMAT; BUT NOW, HERE HE WAS LEADING A SONG MEDLEY WITH NARY A GRUMBLING WORD! ARCHIE'S RESENTMENT IS WHAT KEPT IT OFF THE FLIPSIDE OF "SUGAR, SUGAR EN ESPAÑOL". AN OLD ENGLISH-LANGUAGE TRACK WAS CHOSEN INSTEAD. THIS WAS A HARBINGER OF MORE SERIOUS CONFLICT LATER ON!
DISCOS FUENTES
SINGLES SESSIONS
UNA PRODUCCIÓN RALFI CHINGAS
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
JANUARY 16 - 17, 2008
SPANISH EDDIE'S BAR + GRILL,
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
SUGAR, SUGAR EN ESPAÑOL
- single, Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, Kim, Milstein)
FLAMENCO ROCK MEDLEY:
BIENESTAR (Holmes, San Quentín)/
¿QUIEN LLAMA? (San Quentín/Van Leeuwen)
- Archie On Broadway EP
THE ARCHIES
w/DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
w/BREE SPELLMAN
Arranger/Conductor:
DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Producers:
RALFI CHINGAS, THE ARCHIES
Sound Engineer: EDDIE ROXCHILD
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Their Spanish remake of "Sugar, Sugar" was The Archies'
top-selling hit in the Spanish-speaking world! Archie +
Veronica repeated their duet lead from the original single,
but with Roni singing more of the lyric. The "Flamenco
Rock Medley" is a Spanish translation of two classic
rockers from the late Sixties: "Timothy" and "Venus." The
former tune is sung by Reggie Mantle, and the latter
features Betty Jones's lead voice. Misfiled and
believed lost for many years, the master will be located
in the late 2090s. When finally issued on a dance
EP in 2111, it will score a sizable hit.
ROD MACK WROTE THE SONG
ARRANGEMENTS FOR
JOSIE + THE PUSSY
CATS' 2008 COMEBACK
ALBUM.
SABRINA: FOR SIX YEARS, THE ARCHIES HAD BEEN THE ONLY MAJOR ACT SIGNED TO ARCHIE RECORDS. THAT WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE! I WAS THRILLED TO MEET JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS; ARCHIE INTRODUCED ME TO THEM @ THE AWESOME VENUE, THE ROCK CLUB IN RIVERDALE WHERE THE ARCHIES OFTEN PERFORMED. THOSE WOMEN PUT ON ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING SHOWS I'D EVER SEEN! THE NEXT DAY, THEY CAME DOWN TO THE MAMARONECK OFFICE WITH THEIR MANAGER AND MET THE STAFF. (ALAN MAYBERRY WAS CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT THAT DAY; THE REASON WOULD BECOME APPARENT SOON ENOUGH!) THE PUSSY CATS WERE THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL ALL-FEMALE ROCK BAND, WITH HITS STRETCHING BACK TO THE EARLY 1970s! JOSIE, MELODY + VALERIE WERE FEMINIST ICONS; I CRAVED THE CHANCE TO WORK WITH THEM IN THE STUDIO, AND I DID! BUT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY.
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"SOUL GALORE"
A KOOLTYME PRODUCTION
(VOCALS + INSTRUMENTALS)
FEBRUARY 11 - 28, 2008
ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS, LONDON UK
ARCHIE SOUND STUDIOS,
MAMARONECK, NEW YORK
HEARTBEAT - single A-side
(Rowe, Somerville, Stannard)
STOLEN HOURS - single B-side
(Billy Page)
LOVE’S GONE BAD - Soul Galore LP
(Dozier, Holland)
I HURT ON THE OTHER SIDE
- Soul Galore LP
(Barnes, Jackson)
CRUMBS OFF THE TABLE
- Soul Galore LP
(Dunbar, Payne, Wayne)
FUGITIVE FROM LOVE - Soul Galore LP
(Harris, Kerr)
TAKE THIS HEART OF MINE
- Soul Galore LP
(Moore, Robinson, Tarplin)
A BIRD IN THE HAND - Soul Galore LP
(Holland, Whitfield)
I’LL COME RUNNING OVER - single B-side
(Berns, Stuart)
SOULFUL DRESS - Soul Galore LP
(Maurice McAlister)
SEXY MF - Soul Galore LP
(Prince, New Power Generation)
JUST KEEP ON LOVIN’ ME - Soul Galore LP
(Deborah, Goehring, Martin)
THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE
- Soul Galore LP
(John Loudermilk)
HEAVY MUSIC - single A-side
(Bob Seger)
JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS
Arranger: ROD MACK
Music Director: JOSIE JAMES
Producer: ALEXANDRA
Sound Engineers:
ALAN MAYBERRY, TAYE FAXTOTUM
Executive Producer:
LEX CABOT
Salem da Katt: By early 2008, Josie + The Pussy Cats had been on the Pop music scene for nearly 40 years. They had a loyal fan base, but their heyday seemed long past. Their sound had evolved from Pop/Soul to Punk Rock to Pop/Punk, but many Rock critics were calling them has-beens! Joan Jett was quoted as saying: "I'll always love them, but lately their stuff just sounds kind of stale!" Josie James, Melody Munro-Jones and Valerie Smith-Cabot found themselves at a career crossroads.
When their recording contract with a major label wasn’t renewed, a longtime fan came to their rescue: Archie! He promised The Pussy Cats that, as artists on his indie label, they’d experience a renaissance. With a new repertoire of songs carefully chosen from the Soul music canon, he sent them to London to cut their next album. Much to her shock and displeasure, Josie found Alexandra Cabot-Mayberry waiting for them @ Abbey Road Studios: Archie had hired her old nemesis to be their new producer! Equally shocking, Xandie’s ex-husband Alan Mayberry had flown over to engineer the sessions.
Let me unpack this situation for you: Xandie + Alan M had worked with The Pussy Cats at the start of their career, during which time Josie became involved in a love triangle with them. She was devastated when Alan married up Xandie! Subsequently, Josie kicked both of them hard to the curb.
Unaware of this, Archie had innocently thrown them all together again. Alan M (who never liked to talk about past relationships) was now his label’s recording manager, and since stepping down as Archie Records’ A & R Chief, Alexandra had distinguished herself as a neo-Soul producer. Only aware that they were former colleagues, Arch had decided to stage a surprise reunion: Neither Josie nor Xandie knew who’d be @ the session until they arrived. Talk about the shit hitting the fan!
The women immediately started clashing, and both of them ended up giving Alan M a cold shoulder. Dude deserved it, too: His failure to give Archie a heads-up was largely responsible for the problem! The sessions grew so stormy that Arch had to do damage control while on tour in Spain. He dialed up his longtime friend Rod Mack, also a friend of Josie and more recently, a session guitarist for Xandie. Archie persuaded Rod to join the sessions, hoping that he could act as peacemaker; but unfortunately, his presence wasn’t enough to restore calm. That's when Arch resorted to drastic measures: He flew The Pussy Cats back to Mamaroneck and set up remote recording sessions with Josie in charge.
So their new album was cut with the band working hundreds of miles away from the producer, arranger and sound engineer! That was the only way to proceed; but the inconvenience ended up being well worth the trouble. Josie + The Pussy Cats’ SOUL GALORE LP was the comeback album of the year 2008; it nearly sold Double-Platinum!
You'd best believe champagne corks started popping, both in Mamaroneck and in the Hollywood offices of Pussy Cats manager Lex Cabot; but little did Archie know that a pattern had been set. Recording session uproar would be the norm during the brief time the iconic trio were an Archie Records act!
REGGIE MANTLE PERFORMED A
DIFFICULT AERIAL DANCE IN THE
MUSIC VIDEO FOR HIS 2008
SOLO SINGLE "PAPICHULO
MAMBO."
SABRINA: THE STAGE WAS SET FOR THE ARCHIES TO RECORD THEIR BEST-SELLING LP OF ALL-TIME. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS EACH HAD THEIR FAVORITE ALBUMS; FOR INSTANCE, BETTY LOVED ARCHIE COUNTRY. REGGIE FAVORED JEFF + ELLIE SONGBOOK. ARCHIE SWORE BY AN UNRELEASED SOUL ALBUM THAT THE GROUP HAD RECORDED FOR DON KIRSHNER. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY CUT ÉXITOS EN ESPAÑOL, IT WAS A SPECIAL EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
LATIN MUSIC IS THE FORGOTTEN THIRD ROOT OF ROCK 'N' ROLL, AND THIS TWO-RECORD SET EXPLORED ALL OF ITS MAIN BRANCHES: MEXICAN RANCHERA, CUBAN SON AND BOLERO, DOMINICAN MERENGUE AND BACHATA, COLOMBIAN CUMBIA, PANAMANIAN REGGAETÓN, BRAZILIAN SAMBA AND BOSSA NOVA, AND PUERTO RICAN SALSA. DURING THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2008, RALFI CHINGAS + TONY BRISEÑO INTRODUCED THE ARCHIES TO A BRAND NEW WORLD OF POPULAR SONG!
IT WASN'T THAT THESE INFLUENCES WERE ABSENT FROM THEIR PREVIOUS MUSIC - DON'T FORGET, JUGHEAD WAS A LATIN JAZZ AFICIONADO! AND IT WASN'T THAT THE GROUP HAD NO HISPANIC FOLLOWING PRIOR TO SINGING IN SPANISH; BUT GOING FORWARD, BOTH LATIN POP SOUNDS AND LATINO FANS BECAME PROMINENT IN THEIR INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS STORY. THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND: THIS DOUBLE-LENGTH LATIN ROCK ALBUM ACCELERATED THE ARCHIES' TRANSFORMATION FROM AMERICAN ROCK STARS INTO WORLD-CLASS SUPERSTARS!
REGGIE STILL HAD SOLO STARDOM ON HIS MIND, AND DURING THE SOUTHERN EUROPEAN LEG OF THE BAND'S TOUR, HIS PUBLICITY-HUNGRY ANTICS WENT INTO OVERDRIVE - MUCH TO ARCHIE’S DISPLEASURE! HE POSED NUDE (AND LEWD!) FOR A TABLOID CENTERFOLD SPREAD; THREW A WILD PARTY THAT WAS RAIDED BY THE PORTUGUESE POLICE; AND PURSUED HIGH-PROFILE LOVE AFFAIRS WITH CELEBRITIES OF DIFFERENT SEXES INCLUDING RICKY MARTIN! IF GINO'S PLAN WAS TO ALL BUT OVERSHADOW HIS BANDMATES, HE SUCCEEDED . . . AND THERE WOULD BE CONSEQUENCES.
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"DESTINATION LOVE"
AN ARCHIE AMERICANA PRODUCTION
(VOCALS + INSTRUMENTALS)
MARCH 3 - 7, 2008
ARCHIE SOUND STUDIOS
MAMARONECK, NEW YORK
LOVE ME- Destination Love LP
(Leiber, Stoller)
TROUBLE - Destination Love LP
(Leiber, Stoller)
I KEEP FORGETTIN'
- Destination Love LP
(Garfield, Leiber, Stoller)
incomplete
ARCHIE + VERONICA
w/THE BINGOS
w/REY COCHINO + BIG-ASS BRASS
w/THE COCHINADA BROTHERS
Arranger: GERALDINE GRUNDY
Music Director: REY COCHINO
Producer: CHUCK CLAYTON
Sound Engineer: ALAN MAYBERRY
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Salem da Katt: In early 2008, Veronica’s aborted second solo album was re-imagined as an Archie/Veronica duet project. The Bingos were engaged again, Rey Cochino assembled his horn section, and Rey's talented nephews The Cochinada Brothers came in to sing background vocals. These songs were tracked right after The Archies completed their 2008 tour of southern Europe and Latin America.
Chuck Clayton succeeded Ralfi Chingas + Jeff Barry @ the project’s production helm. Unfortunately, Archie Sound Studios (ASS) was the only audio facility available to book @ this time. "We modeled the design of ASS on Gold Star Studios," Alan Mayberry recalled. "That was the legendary Hollywood facility where Phil Spector cut his hits. We tried really hard to duplicate his Wall of Sound."
Despite ongoing renovations, the acoustics were never to Roni’s liking! Years later, she’d tell an interviewer: “Everything we recorded there sounded like shit!” Three songs were all she could stand to finish before calling a halt to the proceedings. Once again, Archie’s Leiber-Stoller album concept was shelved, but this time indefinitely; eight long years would pass before Roni agreed to take it up again!
SABRINA: ALSO IN EARLY MARCH, REGGIE MANTLE CUT A HIT SOLO SINGLE. “PAPICHULO MAMBO” WAS TRACKED IN NEW ORLEANS FOLLOWING ANOTHER FIGHT HE HAD WITH ARCHIE! HE'D FOUND THIS GREAT DANCE NUMBER IN SPAIN AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT FOLLOW-UP TO "SUGAR, SUGAR EN ESPAÑOL." WHEN ARCHIE DISAGREED, REGGIE THREATENED TO RECORD IT ON HIS OWN. "JUMP TO IT, DOG!" ARCH RESPONDED, WITH A SNEER ON HIS FACE. "GO CUT THAT BOMB BY YOUR DAMN SELF!"
INFURIATED, REGGIE BOOKED A SOLO SESSION WITH RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCING AND TONY BRISEÑO WRITING THE ARRANGEMENTS. "I'LL EMBARRASS ARCHIE'S GINGER ASS SO BAD," HE PROMISED, "DUDE WON'T WANT TO SHOW THAT UGLY FRECKLED FACE OF HIS IN PUBLIC!" HE WAS TRUE TO HIS WORD, TOO: RELEASED ON THE FANTASY LABEL, "PAPICHULO MAMBO" SCORED BIG ON THE DANCE CHARTS!
TEQUILA Y LIMÓN WAS A BROTHER-AND-SISTER
GUITAR ACT THAT PLAYED LATIN ROCK IN THE
EARLY 1980s. ROD MACK AND MARCIA PARADISE
WERE PROMINENTLY FEATURED ON REGGIE "GINO"
MANTLE'S FIRST SALSA HIT.
REGGIE LAID DOWN A FINE VOCAL - ONE OF HIS BEST EVER- BUT IN MY OPINION, THE KEY TO HIS SINGLE'S SUCCESS WAS THE SIZZLING TANDEM LEAD GUITAR PARTS PLAYED BY ROD MACK AND HIS SISTER, MARCIA PARADISE. DECADES EARLIER, THEY'D WORKED AS A TEENAGE LATIN ROCK DUO CALLED TEQUILA AND LEMON! RALFI REMEMBERED THEIR UNIQUE SOUND AND DECIDED THAT NOTHING ELSE WOULD DO FOR THIS PARTICULAR SONG.
@ HIS URGING, TEQUILA Y LIMÓN (AS THEY WERE KNOWN IN THE SALSA WORLD) REUNITED FOR REGGIE'S SOLO SESSION; AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, MARCIA JUST HAPPENED TO BE VISITING ROD IN LONDON. THEY LAID DOWN THEIR TRACKS @ ABBEY ROAD AND RALFI FLEW OVER THERE TO PERSONALLY SUPERVISE THE TRACKING. I GOT TO HEAR AN EARLY MIX OF "PAPICHULO MAMBO", AND IT WAS OUTSTANDING! SO MUCH SO THAT I WORRIED IT MIGHT SIGNAL THE END OF REGGIE'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE ARCHIES. THOSE WORRIES PROVED TO BE WELL-FOUNDED!
REGGIE CULTIVATED A BAD BOY REPUTATION. HE USED TO BRAG ABOUT HIMSELF: "YOU CAN'T TIE A MUSTANG DOWN!" WILD AS THAT HORSE WAS, IT WAS ABOUT TO GET TAMED! WHILE TRACKING HIS SOLO SINGLE @ SPANISH EDDIE'S, HE MET THE WOMAN HE WAS DESTINED TO MARRY. TONY BRISENO WANTED REGGIE TO SING "PAPICHULO MAMBO" BILINGUALLY, JUST LIKE ARCHIE + VERONICA HAD SUNG THE NEW VERSION OF "SUGAR, SUGAR." HE COMMISSIONED SINGER/SONGWRITER OLGA SAN QUENTÍN TO TRANSLATE PORTIONS OF THE SONG INTO ENGLISH; PREVIOUSLY, SHE'D WRITTEN SPANISH LYRICS FOR THE UNRELEASED FLAMENCO ROCK MEDLEY THAT THE ARCHIES CUT IN JANUARY.
PROMO FOR LOVE TO LOVE, REGGIE'S
SOLO ALBUM ON FANTASY RECORDS.
OLGUITA CAME TO REGGIE'S RECORDING SESSION, BOTH TO DO THE TRANSLATION AND SING HARMONY VOCALS. THE BUXOM CHICANA ATTRACTED HIS ATTENTION WHEN SHE STARTED DANCING TO THE PLAYBACK. "BABE, YOU CAN REALLY SHAKE THAT GROOVE THING," HE EXCLAIMED. SHE BLUSHED, HE LAUGHED, AND THEIR ROMANCE BEGAN RIGHT ON THE SPOT! AS WELL AS BEING A FINE MUSICIAN, OLGUITA WAS AN EXCELLENT DANCER AND CHOREOGRAPHER. SHE STAGED THE DANCING FOR HIS "PAPICHULO" MUSIC VIDEO AND PERFORMED THE FIRST OF MANY DANCE DUETS WITH HIM.
SHE WAS ALSO ONE OF SEVERAL WRITERS THAT DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO HIRED TO TRANSLATE VINTAGE ARCHIES HITS. THE BAND HAD DECIDED TO UPDATE THEIR EARLY CATALOG WITH LATIN ARRANGEMENTS! UNDER THE AUSPICES OF ARCHIE'S CHERRY VAGINA MUSIC, TONY SET UP CHUPACABRA MUSIC AS A PUBLISHER OF ORIGINAL SPANISH SONGS. HE, OLGUITA + TREVOR SANTIAGO WERE THE FIRST WRITERS SIGNED TO CHUPACABRA, AND THEIR FIRST COPYRIGHTS WERE SPANISH LYRICS WRITTEN FOR THIS PROJECT.
REGGIE WAS CHERRY VAGINA MUSIC'S MAIN DEMO SINGER. WHILE NEVER AS TALENTED A VOCALIST AS ARCHIE OR JUGHEAD, BY 2008 HE'D LEARNED HOW TO PHRASE SONG LYRICS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. UNDER TONY’S SUPERVISION, REGGIE + OLGUITA CUT DEMOS FOR THE FORTHCOMING ÉXITOS EN ESPAÑOL LP. THEY WERE SUPERB, SO MUCH SO THAT THEY’D EVENTUALLY BE RELEASED AS THEIR OWN ALBUM; BUT NOBODY SUSPECTED HOW DEEP ARCHIE’S RIFT WITH REGGIE HAD BECOME. EVERYONE WAS SHOCKED WHEN, DURING THE FINAL DEMO DATE IN SANTA BARBARA, HE SUSPENDED HIS LONGTIME NEMESIS FROM THE BAND!
THE ARCHIES' SPANISH-LANGUAGE
RECORDINGS WERE NOT ORIGINALLY
INTENDED FOR RELEASE OUTSIDE
OF LATIN AMERICA!
ARCHIE RECORDS
EP SESSIONS
"ANGELITO MÍO"
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
in association with
A LO LATINO PRODUCTIONS
MARCH 2008
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
VEN BAILAR CONMIGO/
YOU MAKE ME WANNA DANCE
- Angelito Mìo EP
JUVENTUD NO ES JOVEN/
SEVENTEEN AIN’T YOUNG
- Angelito Mìo EP
CHICOS Y CHICAS/BOYS AND GIRLS
- Angelito Mìo EP
LA MÙSICA ROCK/ROCK 'N' ROLL MUSIC
- Angelito Mìo EP
ANGELITO MÌO/YOU LITTLE ANGEL, YOU
- Angelito Mìo EP
PASEO/RIDE, RIDE, RIDE
- Angelito Mìo EP
(Barry, San Quentín)
THE ARCHIES
w/DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
w/TREVOR SANTIAGO
w/OLGA SAN QUENTÍN
Arranger:
DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Music Director:
FOOLKILLER
Producers:
RALFI CHINGAS, DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Sound Engineer: TOM MOURGOS
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
The success of "Sugar, Sugar en Español" resulted
in a whole album of Archies oldies sung in Spanish
and updated with tropical arrangements. Lyricist
Olga San Quentín played acoustic guitar and sang
backing vocals, and bass guitarist Trevor Santiago
subbed for Reggie Mantle, who was suspended
from The Archies in March of 2008. Archie Andrews
sang lead on all sides of this EP, which was only
released in North America; the forthcoming album
was intended for Central and South America.
The version of "Angelito Mìo" cut @ these
dates was a hit single in Spain.
THE "SWEET SATURDAY KNIGHTS"
SANG BACKGROUND VOCALS ON
ARCHIES RECORDINGS IN THE
LATE 2000'S + EARLY 2010'S.
SABRINA: ÉXITOS EN ESPAÑOL WAS AN IMMEDIATE SMASH HIT SOUTH OF THE BORDER! EXCEPT FOR "SUGAR, SUGAR", "WHO'S YOUR BABY?" AND "SUNSHINE", ARCHIE HAD CONSIDERED THE ARCHIES' EARLY CATALOG DEAD AND BURIED; BUT REMAKING THE SONGS IN SPANISH GAVE THEM A NEW LEASE ON LIFE. IN FACT, THEY WERE MORE POPULAR THAN EVER BEFORE! DISCOS FUENTES PUT MAXIMUM PROMOTION RESOURCES BEHIND ÉXITOS, BUT WORD-OF-MOUTH IS WHAT REALLY SOLD THIS ALBUM.
IT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE RELEASED IN LATIN AMERICA, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, BUT POPULAR DEMAND FOR IT IN OTHER TERRITORIES REACHED A FEVER PITCH! THERE WERE ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT RELEASE DATES: IN JULY ON DISCOS FUENTES AND A WORLDWIDE RELEASE IN SEPTEMBER ON THE ARCHIE LABEL. SALES IN NORTH AMERICA BUILT MORE SLOWLY THAN ELSEWHERE, BUT THERE WAS NO PLACE IN THE WORLD WHERE ÉXITOS EN ESPAÑOL DIDN'T BECOME A BLOCKBUSTER! IT WAS THE ARCHIES' TOP-SELLING RECORD UNTIL THEIR FAREWELL CONCERT ALBUM TOPPED THE CHARTS IN 2031.
DISCOS FUENTES
ALBUM SESSIONS
"ÉXITOS EN ESPAÑOL"
UNA PRODUCCIÓN RALFI CHINGAS
asociada con
PRODUCCIONES A LO LATINO
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
APRIL 2008
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
SEÑORITA RITA - Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, San Quentin)
SKOOBY-DOO/FEELIN' SO GOOD
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, Kim, Milstein)
DISFRUTANDO TÙ/CATCHIN' UP ON FUN
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Adams, Barkan, Santiago)
DULCE Y PICANTE/SUGAR + SPICE
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Allan, Dante, Santiago)
LUZ DE AMOR/LOVE LIGHT
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, San Quentin)
CANDIDA - Retro box set
(Levine, Wine)
THE ARCHIES
w/EL MARIACHI LOWRIDER
w/TREVOR SANTIAGO
w/OLGA SAN QUENTÍN
Arranger:
DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Music Director:
FOOLKILLER
Producers:
RALFI CHINGAS, DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Sound Engineer: TOM MOURGOS
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
"Luz de Amor" was issued as a fan club single flipside.
"Candida" was briefly considered for single release. Both
sides featured Juggy Jones' lead vocals.
MEANT FOR RELEASE IN SPANISH-
SPEAKING COUNTRIES ONLY, THE
ÉXITOS EN ESPAÑOL ALBUM WAS
ISSUED IN NORTH AMERICA BY
POPULAR DEMAND!
DISCOS FUENTES
ALBUM SESSIONS
"ÉXITOS EN ESPAÑOL"
UNA PRODUCCIÓN RALFI CHINGAS
asociada con
PRODUCCIONES A LO LATINO
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
MAY 2008
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
WONDERFUL WORLD, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE*
- fan club single
(Jimmy Cliff)
SONRISA/SUNSHINE - Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, Bloom, Briseño)
BANG-SHANG-A-LANG EN ESPAÑOL
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, San Quentin)
JUNTOS DOS/TOGETHER WE TWO
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, Kim, Milstein)
JINGLE JANGLE EN ESPAÑOL
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, Kim, Milstein)
SEÑOR FÀBRICA/MISTER FACTORY
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Cal Cagno, Goldberg, Santiago)
THE ARCHIES
*TREVOR SMITH + THE ARCHIES
w/EL MARIACHI LOWRIDER
w/TREVOR SANTIAGO
w/JEFF BARRY
Arranger:
DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Music Director:
FOOLKILLER
Producers:
RALFI CHINGAS, DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Sound Engineer: TOM MOURGOS
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Trevor Santiago's lead vocal on "Wonderful
World, Beautiful People" was his first on
an Archies single; the single was only ever
released to Fan Club members. @ this early
stage, he was billed as a "guest vocalist".
Trev adopted the surname "Smith" to match
that of his older sister, Valerie; she was the
lead singer of Josie + The Pussy Cats! Jeff
Barry, who wrote most of these songs and
co-owned The Chapel Of Rock with audio
engineer Tom Mourgos sang background
vocals and played percussion @ these
dates.
SPANISH-LANGUAGE ARCHIES SINGLES
RELEASED IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES
WERE COLLECTED FOR US FANS
ON AN EXTENDED-PLAY DISC.
IN 2011, THE ARCHIES PERFORMED EVERY SONG FROM THEIR HITS OF THE SIXTIES ALBUM ON TOUR, BUT ÉXITOS WAS THE FIRST ALBUM THEY PERFORMED FROM BEGINNING TO END ON STAGE. IT HAPPENED JUST ONCE, ON THE 4th OF JULY IN MÉXICO CITY. MANY MEXICANS CELEBRATE OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY, SO THE WORLD-FAMOUS CLUB TENAMPA IN PLAZA GARIBALDI BOOKED THE ARCHIES FOR A SPECIAL APPEARANCE.
THE PLAZA IS A MARIACHI SHOWPLACE, SO MARIACHI LOWRIDER FLEW DOWN FROM EL PASO TO AUGMENT THE GROUP. TONY BRISEÑO AND I ADAPTED THE ÉXITOS ARRANGEMENTS FOR A LIVE SETTING, AND TONY WAS GOING TO BE MUSIC DIRECTOR. @ THE LAST MINUTE, HE COULDN'T MAKE IT SO I SUBBED FOR HIM WITHOUT TAKING CREDIT. TREVOR SMITH, WHO STOOD IN FOR REGGIE @ THE STUDIO DATES COULDN'T MAKE IT, EITHER; HE HAD A PRIOR COMMITMENT, SO VERONICA SECURED KEVIN KELLER'S SERVICES.
THE ARCHIES HAD SPECIAL INVITED GUESTS, TOO: RITA PHOENIX, WITH WHOM THEY'D APPEARED IN A SMASH HIT COLOMBIAN TELENOVELA, DID A SPECIALTY NUMBER. JUGHEAD'S COUSIN BINGO, WHOSE LATIN POP SINGLE "¡DÁMELO!" WAS RECORDED @ THE ÉXITOS SESSIONS PERFORMED HIS HIT LIVE; AND ROD MACK FLEW IN FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM TO CATCH THE CONCERT. @ ARCHIE'S REQUEST, HE ENDED UP SITTING IN WITH THE BAND!
RECORDED IN MÉXICO CITY ON JULY
THE 4th, THIS STUNNING LIVE VERSION
OF THE ARCHIES' SMASH HIT SPANISH-
LANGUAGE LP WON'T BE RELEASED
UNTIL THE YEAR 2083!
I MEAN TO TELL YOU: IT WAS A SCENE RIGHT OUT OF BEATLEMANIA! COLOMBIAN DIVA RITA PHOENIX AND JUGHEAD'S COUSIN BINGO APPEARED AS SPECIAL GUESTS, BUT THEY COULDN'T UPSTAGE THE ARCHIES. THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE SCREAMING, CRYING AND FAINTING! ALL OF THEM CHEERING AND APPLAUDING @ BOTH THE START AND FINISH OF EVERY SONG!
THE BAND OPTED TO PLAY TRADITIONAL LATIN INSTRUMENTS INSTEAD OF THEIR USUAL EQUIPMENT, AND THEY DISPLAYED IMPRESSIVE SKILLS. BETTY DID HERSELF PROUD ON A MARIACHI VIOLIN, ARCHIE PLAYED A MEXICAN GUITARRÓN MASTERFULLY, KELLY WAS NO SLOUCH ON LATIN PIANO, AND VERONICA'S SPANISH GUITAR SOUNDED SO AUTHENTIC, SHE'D HAVE GIVEN CHARO A RUN FOR THE MONEY! NEEDLESS TO SAY, JUGHEAD'S CONGA PERCUSSION WAS FABULOUS. EXCEPT FOR A STUNNING ELECTRIC GUITAR SOLO BY ROD AND SOME SNATCHES OF ORGAN THAT I PLAYED, IT WAS AN ENTIRELY ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE. I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT SHOW.
DISCOS FUENTES CAPTURED IT ON TAPE, AND THERE WAS TALK OF RELEASING ÉXITOS EN VIVO AL TENAMPA TO ARCHIES FAN CLUB MEMBERS. INSTEAD, THEY RELEASED U.S. OF ARCHIE, THE CONCERT I TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT WAS RECORDED ON A MILITARY BASE. IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE BETTER CHOICE SONICALLY, BUT THAT MEXICAN ALBUM WAS TOO GOOD TO HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE CRACKS THE WAY IT DID. THE MASTER TAPE WILL BE PRESUMED LOST FOR MANY YEARS!
DISCOS FUENTES
ALBUM SESSIONS
"ÉXITOS EN ESPAÑOL"
UNA PRODUCCIÓN RALFI CHINGAS
asociada con
PRODUCCIONES A LO LATINO
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
JUNE 2008
CHAPEL OF ROCK,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
UNA Y OTRA VEZ/OVER AND OVER
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, Dante, Santiago)
JUVENTUD NO ES JOVEN/
SEVENTEEN AIN'T YOUNG
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, San Quentin)
¿QUIÈN ES TU NOVIA?/
WHO'S YOUR BABY?
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, Kim, Milstein)
A LA LINEA/GET ON THE LINE
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, San Quentin, Santiago)
ANGELITO MÌO/YOU LITTLE ANGEL, YOU
- Èxitos en Español LP
(Barry, San Quentin)
POPURRÍ:
¡DÁMELO!/MAKIN' IT! y
¡DÁMELO DE NUEVO!/STILL MAKIN' IT!
- single*
(Fekaris, Perren, Santiago)
THE ARCHIES
*BINGO
w/DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
w/TREVOR SANTIAGO
w/OLGA SAN QUENTÍN
Arranger:
DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Music Director:
FOOLKILLER
Producers:
RALFI CHINGAS, DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Sound Engineer: TOM MOURGOS
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
The version of "Juventud No Es Joven" cut @ this date
featured Betty on lead vocals. "A La Linea" and
"Angelito Mio" were major hit singles in South America;
Archie sang lead on both sides. "¡Dámelo!" (with its
sequel "Dámelo de Nuevo" on the flipside) was
the only solo single by Jughead's cousin Bingo
Wilkin; marketed on the one-off Chismosa label,
it was a major hit in the Spanish-speaking
Caribbean but never charted in the USA.
IN THE EARLY 2000s, UNRELEASED
SONGS FROM THE ARCHIES'
KIRSHNER RECORDS CATALOG
FINALLY SAW LIGHT OF DAY.
ARCHIES FAN CLUB RECORDS
REMIX SESSIONS
"RARE MASTERS, VOLUME THREE"
A BIG ETHEL MIX
AUGUST 23 - 28, 2008
ARCHIE SOUND STUDIOS (ASS),
MAMARONECK, NEW YORK
I JUST WANNA MAKE YOU DANCE
(Jeff Barry)
- Rare Masters III EP
I FEEL BETTER (Barry, Davis)
- Rare Masters III EP
WE GOT A THING GOIN’, BABY (Jeff Barry)
- Rare Masters III EP
CHEER ME UP (Barry, Carr, Dante)
- Rare Masters III EP
THE ARCHIES
Remix Producer:
FAWN ETHEL MASON
Remix Engineer: TAYE FAXTOTUM
Salem Saberhagen: All of The Archies’ releases on Kirshner Records featured Archie and/or Veronica’s vocals; Don Kirshner designated them as not only lead singers but the only singers in the group! Except for an occasional bass cameo by Jughead, none of the other members were allowed to cut vocal tracks (and contrary to rumor, it was Archie and not Gino who sang the falsetto lead on “Jingle Jangle”).
However, producer Jeff Barry as well as voice coaches Toni Wine + Ron Dante agitated to end that restriction. These unissued tracks featuring Juggy, Gino + Betty on lead are evidence of their efforts. The man Veronica called "Donniekins" damn sure missed the boat when he chose to ignore their vocal talents: Volume Three was by far the most popular of the ARCHIES RARE MASTERS EPs!
BINGO WILKIN'S SOLO CAREER
WILL BE SPECTACULAR
BUT SHORT-LIVED!
DISCOS CHISMOSA
ALBUM SESSIONS
"BOLEROS BY BINGO"
UNA PRODUCCIÓN RALFI CHINGAS
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008
RANCHO CHINGAS,
BAYAMÓN, PUERTO RICO
ESTA NOCHE - Boleros by Bingo
MANOS SOBRE LA MESA - Boleros by Bingo
SU CABEZA EN MI HOMBRO - Boleros by Bingo
ABRAZÁNDOTE - Boleros by Bingo
CALIENTE PARA TÍ - unreleased
DIME QUE ME QUIERES - Boleros by Bingo
HACE MUCHO TIEMPO - unreleased
SOSTENIÉNDOTE - Boleros by Bingo
QUIERO AMARTE - Boleros by Bingo
VAMOS A COJER - Boleros by Bingo
¿CUÁNTO TIEMPO HA PASADO?
- Boleros by Bingo
MIS DULCES SUEÑOS - Boleros by Bingo
(Olga San Quentín)
BINGO
w/REY COCHINO + BIG-ASS BRASS
w/LOS HERMANOS COCHINADA
w/OLGA SAN QUENTÍN
Arranger/Producer:
RALFI CHINGAS
Music Director: REY COCHINO
Sound Engineer: MIGUELITO SKEEN
Executive Producer:
BUFFY CHINGAS
SABRINA: BINGO WILKIN, THE LEADER OF ARCHIE RECORDS' HOUSE BAND, WAS THE ONLY ARTIST TO RECORD FOR BUFFY CHINGAS' SHORT-LIVED CHISMOSA LABEL. HER SON RALFI ARRANGED FOR CHISMOSA TO BECOME AN ARCHIE SUBSIDIARY AND, NATURALLY, HE PRODUCED THE SESSIONS. BINGO, RALFI + OLGA SAN QUENTÍN OVERDUBBED ALL THE RHYTHM INSTRUMENTS, AND OLGUITA ALSO JOINED THE COCHINADA BROTHERS ON BACKING VOCALS.
BOLEROS BY BINGO WAS ARCHIE'S SECOND PROJECT WITH OLGUITA, WHO'D RECENTLY COME ON BOARD AS A CHERRY VAGINA SONGWRITER. RALFI WAS SO ENTHUSED ABOUT HER BALLADS - WHICH WERE FABULOUS - THAT HE MADE BINGO'S SOLO ALBUM A SHOWCASE FOR THEM. THAT WASN'T A SMART MOVE, SINCE HIS HIT SINGLE "¡DÁMELO!" WAS A HI-ENERGY DANCE RECORD! AND FRANKLY, WHILE BINGO WAS A DECENT SINGER OF UP TEMPO TUNES, HE WAS NOT A BOLERISTA BY
ANY MEANS.
I WAS DISAPPOINTED BUT NOT SURPRISED WHEN THE ALBUM TANKED; BUT LATER ON, IT BECAME THIS HUGE COLLECTOR'S ITEM! THAT DIDN'T SUPRISE ME, EITHER, BECAUSE THE SONGS AND THE PRODUCTION WERE SO OUTSTANDING. BINGO SAW THE WRITING ON THE WALL AND DECIDED TO GIVE UP HIS SOLO AMBITIONS; BUT A PATH TO STARDOM WAS BEING PAVED FOR OLGUITA! TONY BRISEÑO WAS SO IMPRESSED BY HER TALENTS, HE RECRUITED HER FOR A SPECIAL PROJECT THAT HE AND I WERE WORKING ON.
THE ARCHIES' 2003 BEACH HOUSE
CONCERT WAS RELEASED TO
ARCHIES FAN CLUB MEMBERS
IN DECEMBER OF 2008.
ARCHIES FAN CLUB RECORDS
REMIX SESSIONS
"U.S. OF ARCHIE"
AN ALAN M MIX
OCTOBER 2008
ARCHIE SOUND STUDIOS (ASS),
MAMARONECK, NEW YORK
DRAGSTER'S MEDLEY:
DRAGGIN' WAGON (Berry, Taylor)/
RED CORVETTE (Barry, Raleigh)/
LITTLE DEUCE COUPE (Christian, Wilson)/
LITTLE HONDA (Love, Wilson)/
YELLOW VAN (Allan, Dante)
- unreleased
TIME IS ON MY SIDE
-US of Archie soundtrack
(Norman, Ragovoy)
JUMPIN' JACK FLASH
- US of Archie soundtrack
(Jagger, Richards)*
IN THE DARK
- unreleased
(Billy Squier)
DOWN ON THE CORNER
- Armed Forces Radio EP
(John Fogerty)**
GREEN RIVER
- Armed Forces Radio EP
(John Fogerty)**
WHO'S YOUR BABY?
- US of Archie soundtrack
(Barry, Kim)
TRAVELIN' BAND
- Armed Forces Radio EP
(John Fogerty)**
PROUD MARY
- Armed Forces Radio EP
(John Fogerty)**
MEDLEY:
Instrumental - BLAXICAN SHUFFLE/
LONELY WEEKENDS
- US of Archie soundtrack
(Sol Lake/Charlie Rich)*
BAD MOON RISING
- Armed Forces Radio EP
(John Fogerty)**
LODI - US of Archie soundtrack
(John Fogerty)**
SUGAR, SUGAR
- US of Archie soundtrack
(Barry, Kim)
FORTUNATE SON
- Armed Forces Radio EP
(John Fogerty)**
ROLL OVER, BEETHOVEN
- US of Archie soundtrack
(Chuck Berry)
BOY FROM CROSSTOWN
- unreleased
(Feldman, Goldstein, Gottehrer)
MEDLEY:
RIP IT UP/UP AROUND THE BEND
- Armed Forces Radio EP
(Blackwell, Marascalco/John Fogerty)**
NADINE (HONEY, IS THAT YOU?)
- US of Archie soundtrack
(Chuck Berry)
START ME UP! - US of Archie soundtrack
(Jagger, Richards)***
WHEN I STOP LEAVIN', I'LL BE GONE
- US of Archie soundtrack
(Kent Robbins)****
SURFER'S MEDLEY:
DANCE TO THE SURFIN' BAND (Hal Blaine)/
ON THE BEACH (Marvin, Richard, Welch)/
SHOOT THE CURL (Blake, Rovell)/
BEACH GIRL (Johnston, Melcher)/
Instrumental - HAWAII 5.0 (Hilton, Stevens)
- unreleased
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN?
- Armed Forces Radio EP
(John Fogerty)**
SIMON SAYS
- US of Archie soundtrack
(Tony Michaels)*
LOOKIN' OUT MY BACK DOOR
- Armed Forces Radio EP
(John Fogerty)**
FINALE:
AS LONG AS I CAN SEE THE LIGHT
- US of Archie soundtrack
(John Fogerty)**
THE ARCHIES
w/CHUCK CLAYTON,
BIG ETHEL + THE VIXENS +
REY COCHINO w/BIG-ASS BRASS
Vocal Arrangers:
CHUCK CLAYTON, VERONICA
Arrangers:
GERALDINE GRUNDY, *BREE SPELLMAN,
**JOHN FOGERTY,***ARCHIE ANDREWS,
****RALFI CHINGAS
Music Director: CHUCK CLAYTON
Remix Engineer: ALAN MAYBERRY
These tracks date from July of 2003 and were recorded live
@ Patrick AFB Beach House in Florida. Most were telecast
on an Independence Day cable TV special. While the
concert was very well-received (it has achieved
legendary status over the years), ratings were dismal!
Archie Records serviced Armed Forces Radio with an eight-
track promotional EP, but no thought was given to a
soundtrack album. That didn't change until five years
later, when delighted Archies Fan Club members were
offered a limited-edition 2LP set for Christmas. As
a concert document, many fans consider US OF ARCHIE
superior to the band's 2004 HOT, SWEET + LIVE! album.
Big-Ass Brass and Big Ethel's Vixens were accompanists
on every number; Chuck Clayton had featured solos
and sang a duet with Betty on the big ballad finale. John
Fogerty was slated to be a special guest but had to cancel;
he graciously gave permission for his classic songs to be
performed in his absence. The Archies will later cut studio
versions of "Little Honda" (in Japanese) and "Yellow Van"
and in 2038, The New Archies will cover "Bad Moon Rising"
and "Green River" for their début album.
SABRINA: NATURALLY, CHEATING WITH EACH OTHER'S HUSBANDS CAUSED A DEEP RIFT BETWEEN BETTY + VERONICA. THE TWO OF THEM RE-AFFIRMED THEIR FRIENDSHIP IN 2007, BUT IT WAS TOO SOON! THEIR HEARTS WEREN'T IN THE RECONCILATION. IN THE EARLY FALL OF 2008, THEY DECIDED TO BURY THE HATCHET FOR REAL. TO SYMBOLIZE THEIR ENDURING BOND, BETTY + RONI BEGAN RECORDING A JOINT PROJECT: AN ALBUM TRIBUTE TO MADONNA! ARCHIE WAS VERY EXCITED. HE ENVISIONED THEM BECOMING AN ARCHIES SPIN-OFF ACT LIKE JUGHEAD + KEVIN KELLER, BUT THAT
WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!
ON THE CONTRARY, THE ALBUM SESSIONS WERE TENSE, NEEDLESSLY COMPETITIVE AND OCCASIONALLY EXPLOSIVE. @ TIMES, BETTY GOT SO UPSET THAT SHE WANTED TO ABANDON THE PROJECT! FORTUNATELY, CO-PRODUCER CHUCK CLAYTON ALWAYS MANAGED TO CALM HER DOWN. NOT WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY, SHE + RONI WERE ABLE TO FINISH WHAT THEY STARTED.
PROMO FOR THE RARE 2008 BETTY
+ VERONICA DUET ALBUM
BEAUTIFUL STRANGER.
ARCHIE FAN CLUB RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"BEAUTIFUL STRANGER"
AN ARCHIE AMERICANA PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
OCTOBER 2008
FAME RECORDING STUDIOS,
MUSCLE SHOALS, ALABAMA
WHO'S THAT GIRL? - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Ciccone, Leonard)
RESCUE ME - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Ciccone, Pettibone)
GIVE IT 2 ME - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Ciccone, Williams)
SIDEWALK TALK - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Madonna Louise Ciccone)
JUMP - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Ciccone, Henry, Price)
WHY'S IT SO HARD? - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Ciccone, Pettibone)
VOGUE - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Ciccone, Pettibone)
OPEN YOUR HEART - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Ciccone, Cole, Rafelson)
BETTY + VERONICA
w/BIG ETHEL + THE VIXENS
w/GERALDINE GRUNDY
w/MATTY CARMINE
Arrangers:
BETTY + VERONICA w/GERALDINE GRUNDY
Music Director:
CHUCK CLAYTON
Producers:
BETTY + VERONICA
Sound Engineers:
EDDIE ROXCHILD, CADE MURPHY
Executive Producer:
FAWN ETHEL MASON
Between them, Roni Lodge-Andrews + Betty Jones
played nearly every musical instrument @ this and the
following record date. Deanie Grundy played keyboards,
helped out with arrangements and sang backing vocals
with Big Ethel + The Vixens. Matty Carmine, a member of
Katz + The Fiddles was the session drummer. In later years,
Matty will found his own family group; The Carmines
will record and tour with New Archies member Ramsay
Khalid Sharma.
VINYL ARCHIES SINGLES WEREN'T
SOLD TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC
UNTIL 2010, WHEN THEY WERE
MAIL-ORDER MARKETED IN
"POP ARCHIE BUNDLES."
ARCHIE FAN CLUB RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"BEAUTIFUL STRANGER"
AN ARCHIE AMERICANA PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
NOVEMBER 2008
MUSCLE SHOALS SOUND STUDIOS,
MUSCLE SHOALS, ALABAMA
FOUR MINUTES - Beautiful Stranger LP*
(Ciccone, Hills, Moseley, Timberlake)
SHOO-BEE-DOO - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Madonna Louise Ciccone)
RAY OF LIGHT - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Ciccone, Curtis, Leach, Muldoon, Wainwright)
DON'T STOP! - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Austin, Ciccone, Wolfe)
I'LL REMEMBER - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Ciccone, Leonard, Page)
BURNIN' UP - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Madonna Louise Ciccone)
LIKE A PRAYER - Beautiful Stranger LP
(Ciccone, Leonard)
BEAUTIFUL STRANGER
- Beautiful Stranger LP
(Ciccone, Wainwright)
BETTY + VERONICA
w/BIG ETHEL + THE VIXENS
*w/CHUCK CLAYTON
w/GERALDINE GRUNDY
w/CORKY CLAYTON
Arrangers:
BETTY + VERONICA w/GERALDINE GRUNDY
Music Director:
CHUCK CLAYTON
Producers:
BETTY + VERONICA
Sound Engineers:
EDDIE ROXCHILD, CADE MURPHY
Executive Producer:
FAWN ETHEL MASON
Chuck Clayton sang duet vocals with Veronica on “Four Minutes”.
Deanie Grundy sang the high harmony vocal on “Shoo-Bee-Doo”.
Chuck Clayton's younger brother Corky made his début as a
sideman at these dates, playing bass. Corky Clayton will
become a member of Jozetta, the successor band to Josie
+ The Pussy Cats.
SABRINA: BEAUTIFUL STRANGER WAS SCHEDULED TO BE THE FIRST ALBUM RELEASED UNDER A REVIVED CHERRY VAGINA LOGO, AND TEST PRESSINGS DO EXIST ON THAT LABEL. HOWEVER, THE RECORDING SESSIONS GREW MORE AND MORE COMBATIVE; BY NOVEMBER, RONI + BETTY WERE TRACKING THEIR PARTS SEPARATELY!
WHEN BETTY REFUSED TO MAKE ANY PROMOTIONAL APPEARANCES FOR THE ALBUM, A FRUSTRATED ARCHIE WAS READY TO SCRAP THE WHOLE PROJECT. FORTUNATELY, BIG ETHEL CONVINCED HIM TO RELEASE IT AS A FAN CLUB ALBUM, AND THAT'S HOW THE SESSIONS WERE LOGGED. HAD IT GAINED A WIDER RELEASE, BEAUTIFUL STRANGER WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN A BEST-SELLER; PERSONALLY, I ADORE THAT RECORD!
OWNERSHIP OF ARCHIES FAN CLUB MASTERS WAS ALWAYS CEDED TO THE ARTISTS WHO CUT THEM, BUT BETTY SIGNED AWAY HER RIGHTS; SHE CALLED HER COLLABORATION WITH RONI "A CREATIVE MISSTEP" AND CHOSE TO WASH HER HANDS OF IT! AS FOR VERONICA, SHE NEVER WANTED TO TALK ABOUT BEAUTIFUL STRANGER. TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD, THOSE TWO ALWAYS APPEARED TO BE BFFs, BUT THE REALITY OF THEIR FRIENDSHIP - WHICH, DESPITE THE TENSIONS, WAS GENUINE - WAS FAR MORE COMPLICATED.
BY DECEMBER OF 2008, THE ARCHIES'
ÉXITOS EN ESPAÑOL ALBUM HAD
BROKEN FOR A SOLID SMASH IN
BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH-
SPEAKING MARKETS!
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"DANCING QUEEN"
AN ARCHIE AMERICANA PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS)
DECEMBER 16 - 20, 2008
SPLENDID MEDIA,
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
WATERLOO - incomplete
HONEY HONEY - incomplete
SOS - incomplete
DANCING QUEEN - incomplete
(Anderson, Andersson, Ulvaeus)
VERONICA
w/LES GIGOLETTES
w/THE EDEN DAWN STRINGS
w/BIG ETHEL + THE VIXENS,
Vocal Arrangements:
VERONICA
Arrangers:
GERALDINE GRUNDY, BREE SPELLMAN
Music Director:
EVA NAMAZZI
Producer: VERONICA
Sound Engineer:
CHEVY TIDINGS HOWARD
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Salem da Katt: As far as Archie knew, Veronica had no interest in cutting a second solo album. That wasn’t true! She just wanted to realize her own concept instead of his. In late 2008, Roni acted to make a long-held dream come true: Recording a tribute to ABBA, her favorite band of all-time!
It was to be an all-woman project: She booked Splendid Media, the Australian nightclub/recording studio owned and operated by Eva Namazzi. Then she recruited Geraldine Grundy, Midge Mercury's band Les Gigolettes + Sabrina to play and sing on the record with her. Roni also hoped to involve Australian superstar Deb Delman at some point. She envisioned DANCING QUEEN as a feminist-empowerment Disco music extravaganza!
Somehow, Polar Music, publisher of ABBA’s songs and the gatekeeper of all things pertaining to the Swedish quartet, got wind of her intentions. In her email one morning, Veronica found a message from the high-powered European law firm that represented Polar. The attorneys strongly cautioned her against proceeding with the album, expressing reservations about projects that might “disparage” the supergroup’s legacy.
Naturally, Roni was furious! She’d barely begun cutting her backing tracks. Babe wasn’t afraid of legal action, but she’d learned from her late father Ram Lodge to choose her battles wisely. Her ABBA tribute album was postponed but not abandoned! One way or another, a DANCING QUEEN LP was going to happen. When it was finally tracked six years later, the title would be ABBA-NORMALITY and the artist would be The Archies.
BEGINNING IN 2008, DISCOS FUENTES
BEGAN SERVICING SPANISH, ITALIAN
AND PORTUGUESE RADIO STATIONS
WITH ONE-SIDED PROMOTIONAL
EPs! SEVERAL OF THESE HIGHLY
COLLECTIBLE VINYL DISCS
FEATURED THE ARCHIES.
SABRINA: MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT ARCHIE RECORDS LAUNCHED A SUBSIDIARY LABEL CALLED FALCON IN LATE 2012. HOWEVER, FEW KNOW WHO OWNED IT BEFORE ARCHIE + VERONICA DID: NONE OTHER THAN THEIR OLD FRIEND DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO! IN NOVEMBER OF 2008, TONY USED MOST OF HIS SAVINGS TO BUY UP THE REMNANTS OF FALCON, WHICH HAD ONCE BEEN A FAMOUS TEJANO MUSIC OUTLET. HE CHOSE TO RELAUNCH IT IN A MOST AMBITIOUS WAY: WITH THE WORLD'S FIRST TEX-MEX ROCK MUSICAL!
THE BOOK FOR MEXOTICA WAS WRITTEN BY CARIDAD "BUFFY" CHINGAS, MOTHER OF ARCHIES PRODUCER RALFI CHINGAS. RALFI WAS THE SHOW'S MUSIC DIRECTOR BUT DILTON WAS FULLY IN CHARGE OF THE PRODUCTION. I WROTE THE MUSIC TO HIS LYRICS AND WAS AN ASSOCIATE PRODUCER OF THE MUSICAL. THOUGH PRIMARILY A VEHICLE FOR QUIXOTIC DANCERS, THE SHOW CONVEYED A STRONG CHICANO PRIDE MESSAGE.
IRONICALLY, VERY FEW CHICANOS WERE INVOLVED IN ITS CREATION: BUFFY, THE WRITER/DIRECTOR WAS OF CUBAN HERITAGE! HER SON RALFI WAS BORN IN MÉXICO CITY, BUT HE GREW UP IN PUERTO RICO. THE CHOREOGRAPHER, TONI TOPAZ, WAS JAMAICAN; AND I HAVE FRENCH, ENGLISH AND JEWISH ROOTS. ONLY TONY, THE LYRICIST AND PRODUCER, WAS A FULL-BLOODED MEXICAN-AMERICAN.
A HIGHLY-COLLECTIBLE POSTER
FOR THE CHICANO PRIDE MUSICAL
MEXOTICA, WRITTEN BY BREE
SPELLMAN + TONY BRISEÑO.
NO MATTER: FROM ITS OPENING NIGHT @ THE EL TORREON BALLROOM IN McALLEN, TEXAS, MEXOTICA WAS A SOLID SMASH! PEOPLE TURNED OUT IN DROVES TO SEE THE SHOW, AND IT RAN FOR OVER 50 PERFORMANCES! I HELPED TONY PRODUCE A SUPERB CAST ALBUM AND IT WAS GOING TO BE THE FIRST NEW RELEASE ON FALCON; BUT BUFFY + RALFI CHINGAS URGED HIM TO LICENCE IT TO ANOTHER LABEL. THEY DOUBTED THAT HIS INDIE LABEL HAD THE MARKET CLOUT TO MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL! NATURALLY, ARCHIE RECORDS WAS A POSSIBILITY BUT BUFFY BLAMED ARCHIE FOR THE FAILURE OF HER CHISMOSA IMPRINT. SHE WAS ADAMANT THAT IT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE "BIG THREE" - SONY, WARNER BROTHERS OR UNIVERSAL MUSIC.
ULTIMATELY, SHE CONVINCED TONY TO SELL THE CAST ALBUM TO SONY MUSIC. IT WAS RELEASED ON THEIR EPIC SUBSIDIARY BUT MUCH TO EVERYONE'S DISAPPOINTMENT, IT ONLY DID WELL REGIONALLY: ON THE GULF COAST, AND IN PARTS OF THE CARIBBEAN. I'M STILL PROUD OF OUR WORK ON IT, THOUGH, AND DURING THE TRACKING SESSIONS, TONY BECAME MY MENTOR. (WE WERE ALSO LOVERS FOR A VERY SHORT TIME.) HE TAUGHT ME MOST OF WHAT I KNOW ABOUT MUSIC PRODUCTION!
THERE WAS TALK OF TAKING THE SHOW ON TOUR BUT EVEN AFTER MAKING THEIR DEAL WITH SONY, BUFFY, RALFI, TONY + I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO KEEP IT GOING. MEXOTICA WAS VERY EXPENSIVE TO PRODUCE! WE TRIED DESPERATELY TO FIND BACKERS, BUT OUR EFFORTS WERE FUTILE. TEXAS HAS PLENTY OF OIL MILLIONAIRES, BUT NONE OF THEM WANTED TO BACK A BILINGUAL MUSICAL STARRING MOSTLY UNKNOWN MEXICAN-AMERICANS. TONY COULD’VE SOLICITED ARCHIE + VERONICA'S HELP, AND I SUGGESTED IT; BUT HE WAS TOO PROUD TO DO THAT!
HOWEVER, FOUR YEARS LATER HE DID AGREE TO SELL THEM THE FALCON LABEL, @ WHICH TIME THE HALLOWED TEJANO MUSIC IMPRINT WAS FINALLY REACTIVATED. IT IMMEDIATELY BECAME A COMMERCIAL JUGGERNAUT POWERED BY SUPERSTAR SONG + DANCE DUO OLGUITA + REGINALD. FITTINGLY, OLGA SAN QUENTÍN HAD BEEN ONE OF THE LEAD ACTORS IN MEXOTICA!
AS FOR THE SHOW ITSELF, IT WILL LAY DORMANT UNTIL TONY AND HIS FUTURE PRODUCTION/LIFE PARTNER ROD MACK SUCCESSFULLY REVIVE IT. LONG BEFORE THAT HAPPENS, THE ARCHIES WILL PUT THEIR STAMP ON SOME OF THE SONGS WE WROTE.
"KING CREOLE"
THE ARCHIES ATTEMPT TO RECORD
CAJUN STYLE COUNTRY MUSIC
IN THE YEAR
2 0 0 9 !