ARCHIE IN THE STUDIO: THE YEAR 2010
POP CULTURE CANTINA
Presents
DESTINATION: SUGARTOWN!
THE ARCHIE RECORDS STORY
A Journey Through
THE GREAT AMERICAN
ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SONG BOOK
Salem da Katt: Since attempting a solo album back in 2001, Archie had let the prospect slip his mind. However, it remained top of mind for his wife Veronica, who knew exactly what kind of solo record she wanted from him. "If you can conceive a project for me, Archiekins," she purred, "why can't I conceive one for you? Turnabout is fair play, you know." Much to his surprise, dude learned in late 2009 that she had arranged for him to cut an album with none other than . . . BURT BACHARACH!
It wasn’t something that Archie’s fans would ever expect from him; nor was it the kind of project that Archie would conceive for himself. “That’s exactly the point,” Roni declared. “This will be a worthwhile challenge for both you + them.”
Ralfi Chingas was a longtime friend of Burt; when he mentioned this to Roni in 2008, babe naturally wanted to meet him. “He’s my favorite songwriter of all-time!” she squealed. That meeting didn’t happen until late 2009, after she + Ralfi had buried the hatchet; but once he introduced her to the lounge music legend, they became friends right away. “Veronica's so sassy and gutsy!” Burt told Ralfi. “She kinda reminds me of Angie." Dude was talking about his ex-wife, Angie Dickinson! Not every woman rates a comparison like that!
The Archies had intended to sample the Bacharach song catalog on their aborted medley album FIFTY SHADES OF SOUL. Now the idea for an ARCHIES SING BACHARACH album took root in Roni’s imagination! Burt wasn’t interested when she first proposed it; but when she re-imagined the record as an Archie solo project he was intrigued.
"I really dig the arrangements Archie wrote for the movie Black Belt Smackdown," Burt revealed, adding with a chuckle: "If only his acting had been half as good!" When Ralfi reminded his old homie that they'd talked about co-producing an album, a deal came together.
Salem da Katt: Just two days after the deal was finalized, Veronica had chosen all the songs. Babe wasn’t lying when she said Bacharach was her favorite composer: She knew his catalog from front to back! The sessions took place in France, where Burt was scoring a film; the movie orchestra actually played on some of the tracks.
Ralfi Chingas did co-produce the sessions, and Archie wrote all the song arrangements. Except for the French backing vocalists, who he thought sounded stiff, dude was ecstatic: he bonded strongly with the material, and he loved working with Burt: "The most complete musician I ever met!"
Also, he had a happy reunion with Harris Gardner, the second artist to cut an album for Archie Records. Now a famous French balladeer, Harris cut short a concert tour in order to lead the orchestra @ Archie’s initial album sessions.
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT, ARCHIE?"
A BURT BACHARACH PRODUCTION
in association with
RALFI CHINGAS
(VOCALS + INSTRUMENTALS)
JANUARY 9 - 14, 16 - 21, 2010
THE HONKY CHÂTEAU,
DEAUVILLE, FRANCE
LOST HORIZON
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, David)
WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT, ARCHIE?
- What’s It All About, Archie LP*
(Bacharach, David)
MEXICAN DIVORCE
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, Hilliard)
LITTLE BETTY, FALLING STAR
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, Hilliard)
PROMISE HER ANYTHING
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, David)
I’M A BETTER MAN
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, David)
THERE GOES THE FORGOTTEN MAN
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, David)
MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, David)
ARCHIE
*ARCHIE + VERONICA
w/L'ORCHÈSTRE DES PAYS DE SAVOIE
w/LES PLASTIQUES
Vocal Arrangements:
VERONICA
Arranger: ARCHIE ANDREWS
Music Director:
HARRIS GARDNER
Producers:
BURT BACHARACH, RALFI CHINGAS
Sound Engineers:
ALAN MAYBERRY, OCTAVIA G
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Salem da Katt: Archie would remember this session as "intimidating!" Burt Bacharach was known to be a studio taskmaster, but his work ethic had nothing to do with how Archie felt. "It's as if the spirits of Dionne Warwick, Gene Pitney, Gene McDaniels, Tom Jones and all the other great singers who had put their stamp on Burt's tunes were staring down @ me," he confided to Ralfi. "No shit . . . I can feel them judging my performances!"
Ralfi told Archie to stay focused and not let his imagination get the best of him - good advice! There were a few false starts due to nerves, but dude more than rose to the challenge. Every note that Archie sang was true, and his phrasing would've done Frank Sinatra proud! IMO, the highlight of this session was the movie ballad "Alfie", rebranded with his name and sung as a duet with Veronica.
SABRINA: ALMOST TWO YEARS HAD PASSED SINCE JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS’ COMEBACK ALBUM BLEW EVERYBODY AWAY. A FOLLOW-UP WAS LONG OVERDUE. I WANTED TO WORK WITH THEM SO BAD, I WAS HUNGRY FOR IT! I’M NOT THE KIND TO BEG FOR ANYTHING, BUT I LOBBIED VERY HARD TO SUPERVISE THE PUSSY CATS’ NEXT RECORD. IT TOOK THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR, BUT THEIR MANAGER, LEX CABOT, FINALLY GAVE ME THE NOD. THE ONLY REASON I DIDN'T USE A MAGIC SPELL TO LAND THE GIG IS BECAUSE HE WAS THE BROTHER OF MY FRIEND ALEXANDRA!
SOUL GALORE WAS THE ONLY ALBUM
THAT JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS
RELEASED ON THE ARCHIE
LABEL.
ARCHIE RECORDS
EP SESSIONS
"DRIVING WHEEL"
A WITCH QUEEN PRODUCTION
(VOCALS + INSTRUMENTALS)
FEBRUARY 6 - 8, 17 - 19, 2010
SPANISH EDDIE’S BAR + GRILL,
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
NATHAN JONES - unreleased
(Caston, Wakefield)
HE’S MY MAN, second version
- unreleased
(Patterson, Wright)
YOU’RE MY DRIVING WHEEL
- unreleased
(Beatty, Brown, Holland, Stafford)
WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?
- unreleased
(Brian + Eddie Holland)
LET YOURSELF GO
- unreleased
(Beatty, Holland)
I’M GONNA LET MY HEART DO THE WALKING
- unreleased
(Beatty, Holland)
JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS
Vocal Arranger:
FAWN ETHEL MASON
Arranger: ROD MACK
Music Director: JOSIE JAMES
Producer: BREE SPELLMAN
Sound Engineer: EDDIE ROXCHILD
Executive Producer:
LEX CABOT
Salem da Katt: Archie was determined to put together a date for Josie + The Pussy Cats that was chaos-proof! In February of 2010, he thought he had just the right combination: A great studio, Spanish Eddie’s in New Orleans; a great album concept, focusing on the 1970s hits of The Supremes; great sidemen in Big Ethel, Rod Mack + Rey Cochino; and Sabrina “Bree” Spellman, an inexperienced but highly competent producer with no problematic track record. Josie got along with all of them, and her nemeses Alexandra + Alan M were nowhere in sight! So Archie Records’ third Pussy Cats recording session was the charm . . . until it wasn’t!
As you know, Spanish Eddie’s Bar + Grill was a nightclub with a recording studio on the top floor. Usually, sessions took place during the daytime when the downstairs area was closed, but The Pussy Cats always liked to cut their tracks @ night. No biggie: The studio was completely soundproof. No problems were anticipated, and none occurred until the evening of February 18th. A gang of robbers overcame the club bouncer and held up the patrons and downstairs staff!
The musicians upstairs didn’t know what was going on until three of the thugs crashed the session. Little did they suspect who they were waving their guns at: Sabrina, secretly a kick-ass sorceress! Not to mention ex-roller derby queen Josie James! Valerie Smith-Cabot + Melody Munro-Jones weren’t pushovers, either, and Big Ethel held a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu! Even before Bree made their guns explode in their hands, these petty criminals got the message: They'd fucked with the wrong pussy!
As the male musicians stood awestruck, the ladies made short work of the thugs: In less than five minutes, all of them were restrained and helpless! Another one of Bree’s discreet magic spells disarmed the gangsters who remained downstairs; the robbery was thwarted, and nobody but the bouncer got hurt. His injury was serious but with prompt medical attention he had a quick recovery. The recording sessions resumed the following evening, and six masters were completed.
All’s well that ends well, right? Wrong! When The Pussy Cats’ manager (and Valerie’s husband) Lex Cabot learned of the incident, he fucking hit the roof! Lex had the reputation of being a hot-tempered bad-ass, and he was also fiercely protective of his clients. Archie was the unfortunate recipient of his outrage, which got communicated in no uncertain terms: “My legendary ladies, threatened with firearms? WTAF? We signed a contract that guaranteed their safety on any and all premises used for recording. Dude, you’ve got some explaining to do!”
The explanations didn’t satisfy Lex, and his relationship with Archie + Veronica never got back on track; nothing they subsequently said or did could meet his expectations. The Pussy Cats' Supremes tribute was never finished, but they would later re-record some of these songs @ another label. For that reason, Archie Records graciously kept the (far superior) original versions off the market. Just before that decision was made, the DRIVING WHEEL album was re-imagined as an extended-play disc; that’s why, in the Archie session log, the LP sessions are notated as EP sessions.
ALBUM TO BURT BACHARACH WAS
CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, INCLUDING
THE FEATURE-LENGTH PROMOTIONAL
VIDEO DIRECTED BY RAJ PATEL.
ARCHIE RECORDS
ALBUM SESSIONS
"WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT, ARCHIE?"
A BURT BACHARACH PRODUCTION
in association with
RALFI CHINGAS
(VOCALS + INSTRUMENTALS)
APRIL 11 - 17, 23, 2010
WILLIAM TELL STUDIOS
SURESNES, FRANCE
PROMISES, PROMISES
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, David)
YOU’LL NEVER GET TO HEAVEN
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, David)
A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, David)
LONG AGO TOMORROW
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, David)
24 HOURS FROM TULSA - lost*
(Bacharach, David)
MESSAGE TO MARTHA
- What’s It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, David)
MADE IN PARIS - single A-side
(Bacharach, David)
THIS EMPTY PLACE - unreleased
(Bacharach, David)
CASINO ROYALE
- What's It All About, Archie LP
(Bacharach, David)
HOT SPELL
- unreleased**
(Bacharach, David)
ARCHIE
*w/VERONICA
**BIG ETHEL
w/THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
w/BIG ETHEL + THE VIXENS
w/MADAME AXE
Vocal Arranger: VERONICA
Arranger: ARCHIE ANDREWS
Music Director: KEVIN BOYLE
Producers:
BURT BACHARACH, RALFI CHINGAS
Sound Engineers:
ALAN MAYBERRY, NOËLLE GLADSTONE
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Burt Bacharach completed his film work before Archie’s solo album was finished. Sessions then moved from The Honky Château to William Tell Studios, where the full London Symphony Orchestra and some of Archie + Veronica’s favorite British session musicians joined the crew. Also, Big Ethel + The Vixens flew over to sing the kind of background harmonies Archie liked. Burt loved Big Ethel’s voice, so much so that one track was set aside for her to sing lead vocals on. “Hot Spell” was supposed to be a single but somehow never got scheduled for release; it later surfaced in southeast Asia as a bootleg credited to "Pink Dragon!"
MUSIC SCHOOL WORKING AS AN
ARTIST'S MODEL AND PART-
TIME PORN STAR!
SABRINA: THE ARCHIES WELCOMED TREVOR SMITH AS A PERMANENT MEMBER IN EARLY 2010. THAT YEAR, THEY TOURED THEIR RETURN TO ARCHIE COUNTRY ALBUM FROM APRIL TO JUNE. AWAY FROM THE BAND, ARCHIE, BETTY, JUGHEAD + TREVOR DEMONSTRATED THEIR SKILL @ WRITING COUNTRY MUSIC: ALL FOUR OF THEM SCORED BMI AWARDS, HAVING PENNED HITS FOR CHRIS YOUNG, LAURA BELL BUNDY + VERONICA’S GODMOTHER, DOLLY PARTON! HOWEVER, THE ARCHIES CHOSE NOT TO RELEASE ANY OF THEIR OWN COMPOSITIONS; INSTEAD, WITH MY ENCOURAGEMENT THEY KEPT MINING THE VEIN OF CLASSIC ROCK AND POP OLDIES.
THE GROUP WAS A SENSATION ALL OVER EUROPE, WITH ONE GLARING EXCEPTION: FRANCE! AIRPLAY FOR THEIR RELEASES WAS SPORADIC @ BEST AND SALES WERE SLUGGISH. EVEN SO, THE BAND'S LIVE PERFORMANCES WERE ALWAYS WELL-RECEIVED. ONE OF THEIR MOST SUCCESSFUL CONCERT SERIES WAS STAGED IN PARIS DURING THE SPRING OF 2010.
NICHOLAS FREUND BOOKED THEM A WEEK-LONG RESIDENCY @ THE WORLD-FAMOUS MOULIN ROUGE CABARET. IN ADDITION TO THEIR OWN MATERIAL, THEY PERFORMED HITS BY ICONIC FRENCH ROCK STARS LIKE JOHNNY HALLYDAY, LES CHATS SAUVAGES AND SERGE GAINSBOURG. I'M A BIG FAN OF FRENCH POP AND AM FLUENT IN THE LANGUAGE, SO I TAUGHT THEM THOSE NUMBERS. I ALSO WROTE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THAT SHOW. BY THE THIRD NIGHT, THEY WERE DRAWING SRO CROWDS TO THE VENUE!
DUET ON STAGE "AU MOULIN
ROUGE" IN EARLY 2010.
ROD MACK WAS IN TOWN, SENT ON A PROMOTIONAL TOUR OF THE CONTINTENT BY ESSEX RECORDS UK. HE CAME BACKSTAGE TO VISIT US, NEVER SUSPECTING THAT HE'D SOON BE ON STAGE AGAIN WITH HIS OLD FRIENDS! ON CLOSING NIGHT, THE ARCHIES DID BRING ROD OUT; IT WAS THEIR FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE TOGETHER SINCE 1990! THAT WAS THE YEAR THEY MET HIM, WHILE HEADLINING A SONG FESTIVAL @ HARLEM'S APOLLO THEATER.
AFTER JAMMING WITH HIM ON "JET AIRLINER", THE ARCHIES GRACIOUSLY ALLOWED ROD TO SING HIS LATEST RELEASE, "LOVED ONE". HE ALSO PERFORMED HIS PREVIOUS SINGLE "TIGHTER" AND SANG TWO DUETS WITH VERONICA: "SAYIN' SOMETHING" (INTENDED FOR ROD'S NEXT SINGLE BUT NEVER RELEASED) AND "STATE OF SHOCK."
THE LATTER PERFORMANCE, SUNG BILINGUALLY IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH, RESURFACED IN A BIG WAY FOUR YEARS LATER: THE MICHAEL JACKSON/MICK JAGGER COVER SCORED A SURPRISE HIT SINGLE IN ARGENTINA! FRENCH IS SPOKEN THERE AS WELL AS SPANISH, YOU KNOW; BUT IT WILL TAKE THE ARCHIES UNTIL THE YEAR 2034 TO HAVE A MAJOR HIT RECORD IN FRANCE - ONE FULL YEAR AFTER THEY DISBAND!
ALBUM FIFTY SHADES OF SOUL
WOULD HAVE CONTAINED AN
ARCHIES SONG TRIBUTE TO
BURT BACHARACH.
ARCHIE RECORDS
SINGLES SESSIONS
AN ARCHIE AMERICANA PRODUCTION
(VOCALS + INSTRUMENTALS)
MAY 27, 28, 2010
DISCOS FUENTES,
MEDELLÍN, COLOMBIA
(INSTRUMENTALS)
JUNE 15, 2010
BEL CANTO STUDIOS,
LONDON, ENGLAND
EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL - single B-side
(Bailey, Clark, Williams)
TELL ME LIKE IT IS - Pop Art LP*
(Brass, Kooper, Levine)
LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT - single B-side**
(Kolber, Titleman)
LAND OF MILK AND HONEY - single A-side
(Hurley, Wilkins)
ARCHIE
*VERONICA
**ARCHIE + VERONICA
w/SAVOY SOUND
w/MADAME AXE
Arranger:
JUSTIN STRICKLAND
Music Director:
DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Producers:
VERONICA w/BLUE-EYED SOUL
Sound Engineers:
MIRABELLA de ORGANZA, THORNE TEWKSBURY
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Salem da Katt: While on tour with The Archies in South America, Veronica decided that Archie should cut a single. He agreed! Dude didn’t intend to preview anything from his Bacharach tribute album, but he wanted to have a solo 45 out by summer.
Savoy Sound was The Archies’ opening act, so The Andrews engaged their services for a singles date in Medellín, Columbia. The date was held @ the in-house studio of Discos Fuentes, Archie's South American distributor. It became a joint session when Veronica contributed duet vocals to “Little Things Like That” and sang solo on “Tell Me Like It Is.” Tony Briseño, touring music director for The Archies, played drums.
This was the very first time that Savoy Sound’s pianist Justin Strickland arranged music for members of The Archies. Two months later, Jussie would work with the full group on an unreleased tribute to Cliff Richard. BTW, that record is fucking superb! I'll never understand why they held it back.
Near the end of this South-American record date, The Archies’ newest member Trevor Smith dropped to his knees and surprised Savoy Sound's Cristina Angel with a wedding proposal! The subsequent joyous celebration burned up the rest of their studio time, and the single was left unfinished.
When The Archies’ tour stopped in London, Arch + Roni took the unfinished tracks to Bel Canto Studios. Their favorite British guitarist Judi Parisella was called in to do overdubs. Kevin Keller joined the tour in England, and with Jughead (as Blue-Eyed Soul) he helped Veronica produce master tapes.
“Land Of Milk And Honey” was tagged for single release; everybody agreed that it had the most hit potential. But then, after going to so much trouble, Archie decided to shelve it! Dude reconsidered the decision to not pull his début single from the Bacharach sessions. “Made In Paris” was released instead, but that record bombed bigger than Kanye West @ a Jewish wedding reception!
Sadly, the album WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT, ARCHIE? suffered the same fate, although it drew beaucoup critical praise. "Don't judge a book by its cover," Bleeding Cool's reviewer advised. "A Bacharach tribute album by Archie Andrews may seem like a must-to-avoid; but you'll be sorry if you do!" In Veronica's opinion, the Archie label had never put out a finer Pop collection, and never would.
“Land Of Milk And Honey” was the follow-up single, and they promoted the bee Jesus out of that record! Popularized by an action-packed music video with Arch + Blue-Eyed Soul riding skateboards, it cracked the Top Thirty. Can you believe that would be the only solo hit Archie had? “Made In Paris” was too good a song to give up on, though: Re-recorded in French, it scored a Canadian hit for Jughead in early 2011.
GRAND PRIX STUDIOS IN
MILAN WITH PRODUCER
D'ANGELO WONG.
ARCHIE RECORDS
OVERDUB SESSION
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(VOCALS)
JUNE 3, 2010
ARCHIE SOUND STUDIOS (ASS),
MAMARONECK, NEW YORK
*AN ISLAND PACIFIC PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTAL)
NOVEMBER, 2009
VOX POPULI STUDIOS,
TOKYO JAPAN
ST. KEVIN, APOSTROPHE (ENGLISH OVERDUB)
- single flipside*
THE ARCHIES
w/BIG ETHEL + THE VIXENS
Vocal Arranger:
KEVIN KELLER
Producers:
RALFI CHINGAS, BLUE-EYED SOUL
Sound Engineers:
ALAN MAYBERRY, GO TAKESHI
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Trevor Smith + Juggy Jones were the only group
members in attendance @ this one-day session.
Trev had written this song about Kevin Keller's
finicky habits, so who more appropriate to sing
it but Kelly himself? Originally tracked in
Japanese, the English version of "St. Kevin,
Apostrophe" will be released as an Archies single
in the 22nd century. It's destined to become as
big a hit as its flipside, "Titty Twister!" The remainder
of songs cut @ this date were demos written by
songwriters contracted to Cherry Vagina Music.
RALFI CHINGAS'S SOLO ALBUM
WAS A SMASH HIT ACROSS
LATIN AMERICA, BUT ESPECIALLY
IN HIS ADOPTED HOME OF
PUERTO RICO.
SABRINA: DURING THE SUMMER OF 2010, RALFI CHINGAS CUT A SOLO LP WITH LAURA PINTO PRODUCING; IT WAS A DISCOS FUENTES RELEASE, BUT DISTRIBUTED IN NORTH AMERICA BY MIAMI RECORDS. THE ARCHIE LABEL COULD'VE HAD IT BUT AS YOU KNOW, VERONICA COULDN'T STAND LAURA! SHE PASSED UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO MARKET RALFI'S MUSIC AND THAT PROVED TO BE A MISTAKE: MAMBITO BECAME A TOP TWENTY LATIN POP RECORD! IT BELONGED IN THE ARCHIE CATALOG, IF ONLY BECAUSE BETTY, JUGHEAD + REGGIE WERE FEATURED AS GUEST VOCALISTS. MEANWHILE, ARCHIE + RONI WERE IN MILAN, ITALY, OVERDUBBING TRACKS THAT RALFI HAD CO-PRODUCED FOR HIS BACHARACH TRIBUTE ALBUM.
ARCHIES FAN CLUB RECORDS
OVERDUB SESSIONS
"BACHARACH ITALIANO"
UNA PRODUZIONE GRAND PRIX
(VOCALS)
JULY 6 - 9, 2010
GRAND PRIX STUDIOS,
MILAN, ITALY
UNA PRODUZIONE GRAND PRIX
*UNA PRODUZIONE BURT BACHARACH
(INSTRUMENTALS)
associata a
PRODUZIONI RALFI CHINGAS
APRIL, 2010
ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS,
LONDON, ENGLAND
A POCHE ORE DA TE/24 HOURS FROM TULSA
- What’s It All About, Archie LP*
(Bacharach, David, Rapetti)
UNA BELLA VACANZA/LONG AGO TOMORROW
- unreleased*
(Bacharach, David, Wong)
UNA CASA NON È UNA CASA/A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME
- unreleased*
(Bacharach, David, Tate)
VORREI PARLARE CON MARTA/MESSAGE TO MARTHA
- unreleased*
(Bacharach, David, Cassia)
ARCHIE
w/VERONICA
Vocal Arrangements:
VERONICA
Producers:
BURT BACHARACH, RALFI CHINGAS,
*D’ANGELO WONG
Sound Engineers:
THORNE TEWKSBURY, FRANCESCO NALDI
Executive Producer:
FAWN ETHEL MASON
Archie arguably sang Bacharach tunes even better in
Italian than he did in English! Unfortunately, poor album
sales scuttled plans to make spinoff EP BACHARACH
ITALIANO a deluxe Christmas release. Only one of
these D’Angelo Wong-produced vocal tracks surfaced
during the 21st century; it replaced an English-language
performance of “Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa” on
WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT, ARCHIE? The complete EP
won’t appear on vinyl until the year 2137!
SABRINA: AFTER COMPLETING THEIR SUMMER TOUR, THE ARCHIES FLEW TO NEW ORLEANS AND TRACKED A TRIBUTE TO BRITISH ROCKER CLIFF RICHARD; THAT WAS IN LATE JULY AND EARLY AUGUST OF 2O1O. RALFI CHINGAS WAS ON HAND TO PRODUCE THIS UNRELEASED DOUBLE EP, WHICH WAS TO BE TITLED MOVE IT! VERONICA WAS CONFLICTED ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL OF THIS RECORD, AND ULTIMATELY TURNED THUMBS DOWN ON A RELEASE. I ALWAYS TRUSTED HER JUDGMENT, BUT THIS ONE TIME I THINK SHE WAS OVER-CAUTIOUS. WITH BOTH REGGIE MANTLE + TREVOR SMITH NOW IN THE BAND, THE ARCHIES WERE @ OPTIMUM STRENGTH. THEY NEVER SOUNDED BETTER!
NEW ORLEANS, CIRCA 2007
ARCHIE RECORDS
EP SESSIONS
"MOVE IT!"
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
JULY 28-31, 2010
SPANISH EDDIE'S BAR + GRILL,
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
I COULD EASILY FALL
- Archie in New Orleans LP
(The Shadows)
THE ONLY WAY OUT
- Archie in New Orleans LP
(Ray Martinez)
WE DON'T TALK ANYMORE
- Archie in New Orleans LP
(Alan Tarney)
THROW DOWN A LINE
- Archie in New Orleans LP
(Hank Marvin)
THE ARCHIES
Arranger/Conductor:
JUSTIN STRICKLAND
Producer: RALFI CHINGAS
Sound Engineer: EDDIE ROXCHILD
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
Reggie Mantle came back as a full-fledged member
@ these sessions, taking over keyboards from Roni Lodge-
Andrews. She officially moved into the lead guitar spot
(she'd been playing lead for a while) and Archie
switched to rhythm guitar.
CLIFF RICHARD: THE ALBUM THAT
SHOULD HAVE BEEN!
ARCHIE RECORDS
EP SESSIONS
"MOVE IT!"
A RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCTION
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
AUGUST 1-4, 2010
THE CAPITOL TOWER,
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
MOVE IT!
- Archie in New Orleans LP
(Ian Ralph Samwell)
MY KINDA LIFE
- Archie in New Orleans LP
(Chris East)
THE TIME IN-BETWEEN
- Archie in New Orleans LP
(Aber, Brown, Jones)
GOOD TIMES/BETTER TIMES
- Lite Av Allt LP (Scandinavia)
(Cook, Greenaway, Lordan)
THE ARCHIES
w/AMBROSE NIXON
Arranger/Conductor:
JUSTIN STRICKLAND
Producer: RALFI CHINGAS
Sound Engineer: PHYLLIS MILLS
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
The Cliff Richard tribute sessions moved to
Hollywood so that The Archies could rehearse
for a show @ the legendary Greek Theater.
Sabrina's cousin Ambrose joined Archie,
Jughead + Trevor Smith on backing vocals
and percussion instruments. In the year
2046, The New Archies will cut their own
version of "The Time In-Between". Archie +
Veronica had intended the MOVE IT! EP as a
comeback release in the UK, where The
Archies' recent recordings had made little
impact. However, they changed their minds and
cancelled it. Decades from now, these tracks will
belatedly appear in both EP and LP format.
SABRINA: DURING THE MOVE IT! SESSIONS, JUGHEAD AGREED TO CUT A SOLO ALBUM FOR ARCHIE RECORDS. IT WOULD BE MARKETED EXCLUSIVELY IN FRENCH-SPEAKING TERRITORIES! JUGGY WAS CHOSEN TO SPEARHEAD A MASTER PLAN THAT ARCHIE, VERONICA + PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR DUFFY OVERTON HAD DEVISED TO FINALLY CONQUER FRANCE. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2010, I HELPED HIM TRACK A FRENCH DISCO LP CALLED TOUT CE QU’ILS DIRENT DE MOI. IT WAS ALL ORIGINAL SONGS, WRITTEN BY HIM, ME + OTHER CHERRY VAGINA MUSIC STAFFERS.
I'LL NEVER FORGET CUTTING THAT RECORD! IT WAS RECORDED @ THE FAMOUS HONKY CHÂTEAU IN DEAUVILLE, WHERE ELTON JOHN CUT HIS SMASH HIT ALBUM OF THAT NAME. I WAS LABEL-CREDITED AS THE ARRANGER, BUT I ACTUALLY CO-PRODUCED THE SESSIONS! IT TURNED OUT THAT THE FRENCH PRODUCER VERONICA HAD HIRED HATED DISCO MUSIC WITH A PASSION; HE WAS TRYING TO PUSH JUGGY IN A PUNK ROCK DIRECTION. WELL, JUGGY WASN'T HAVING IT!
JUGHEAD'S SOLO ALBUM, RECORDED
IN FRANCE DURING THE FALL OF
2010.
DISQUES PATHÉ
ALBUM SESSIONS
"TOUT CE QU'ILS DIRENT DE MOI"
UNE PRODUCTION JM de LUXE
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
SEPTEMBER 6 - 8, 2010
HONKY CHÂTEAU,
HÉROUVILLE, FRANCE
MATAHARI
- Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Garland, Jones, Spellman)
AU COURANT DE L'AMOUR
- Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Garland, Jones, Spellman)
TOUT CE QU'ILS DIRENT DE MOI
- Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Jones, Spellman)
PERSONNE!
- Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Andrews, Garland, Jones)
ACHETONS DES BIJOUX
- Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Clayton, Jones, Spellman)
BAL AUX MÈCHANTES
- Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Garland, Jones, Spellman)
FIRE! BABY, I'M ON FIRE
- Big Noise From Riverdale box set*
(Andy Kim)
JUMP THE GUN - fan club single*
(Faltermeyer, Forsey)
JUGGY avec LES ARCHIES
*LES ARCHIES
w/SIMONE et LES PUTAINS
Vocal Arranger:
REGGIE MANTLE
Arrangers:
BREE SPELLMAN, *ARCHIE ANDREWS
Music Director: JUGHEAD
Producer:
JEAN-EMANUEL de LUXE
Sound Engineers:
OCTAVIA G, MARC-PAUL
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
These were split sessions for Archies + Juggy solo tracks,
all targeted @ the French market. Jughead's recordings
were all original tunes with French lyrics written by
Sabrina and/or Timothy Garland. Originally, the group
the group had no plans to back Jug on his solo album;
he engaged their services @ the last minute! They ended
up replacing French Punk Rock musicians that weren't
playing his music the way he wanted them to. Simone
led the female backing vocal group; she was a
member of Marseilles Punk band Plastic Salopard.
Mysteriously, they scored a major hit with "Fire!
Baby, I'm On Fire" a month after these dates,
using Archie’s arrangement. This resulted
in a major falling-out between Veronica +
Disques Pathé CEO Claude Canaille!
OR THE ARCHIES' NAME, ALL OF JUGGY'S
SINGLES ARE ARCHIES RECORDINGS.
ARCHIES FAN CLUB RECORDS
REMIX SESSIONS
"MACK DADDY BOOGALOO"
A BIG ETHEL MIX
SEPTEMBER 9 - 12, 2010
BEL CANTO STUDIOS,
LONDON, UK
STANDING IN THE NEED OF PRAYER
(traditional)
- Mack Daddy Boogaloo EP
CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION
(James, Vale)
- Mack Daddy Boogaloo EP
OH, HAPPY DAY!
(Doddridge, Hawkins, Rimbault)
- Mack Daddy Boogaloo EP
THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT
(Sam Cooke)
- Mack Daddy Boogaloo EP
ONE TIN SOLDIER
(Lambert, Potter)*
- Mack Daddy Boogaloo EP
RIVERS OF BABYLON
(Dowe, Farian, McNaughton, Reyam)*
- Mack Daddy Boogaloo EP
THROW DOWN A LINE
(Hank Marvin)
- Mack Daddy Boogaloo EP
SING HALLELUJAH!
(Mike Settle)*
- Mack Daddy Boogaloo EP
MY SWEET LORD
(Harrison, Mack)
- Mack Daddy Boogaloo EP
DAY BY DAY
(Steven Schwartz)*
- Mack Daddy Boogaloo EP
THE MACK DADDYS
*w/BIG ETHEL
w/FROGGY DOGGY
Producer: ROD MACK
Remix Engineer: MYRIAM FORERO
Executive Producer:
FAWN ETHEL MASON
Salem da Katt: When Archie’s BACHARACH ITALIANO EP was pulled from AFC Records’ Christmas release schedule, Big Ethel asked Rod Mack to record a substitute. Dude was hesitant until she suggested an EP devoted to Christian Rock. “We should work on it together,” he insisted. “You’re Protestant and I’m Catholic, but I’d be honored to host your début as a Christian rapper!”
Rod scheduled a live recording of his weekly show @ London’s Scotch of Saint-James club; The date was 19 June 2010. With her preacher husband’s blessing, Ethel flew over to take part! New England’s former Hip-Hop Queen came out of retirement to perform Rap lyrics she wrote for Rod's live cover of “Rivers Of Babylon.”
Also joining him onstage were several Rock and Jazz musicians who were devout Christians; he’d befriended them all since moving to London in 2006. There was bassist Curzon Reese, his percussionist brother Darnell Reese, guitarists Hollis Ferguson + Orlando Longoria, + Indo-British vocal group Froggy Doggy. The only exception was a Jewish keyboard player named Donna Steinberg!
For this one-off date, the band was billed as The Mack Daddys. They would never appear together in public again; but going forward, Donna, Holly, Landy + the Reese brothers would be fixtures @ British studio dates booked for Archie Records artists.
BAND FOR NEARLY FOUR YEARS,
BUT THEY ONLY PLAYED
ONCE IN PUBLIC.
An explicit Gospel record awash with Heavy Metal guitars and funky rhythms à la Sly + The Family Stone, MACK DADDY BOOGALOO was Big Ethel's favorite AFC release. No surprise there, because in addition to rapping she was Rod's duet partner on "One Tin Soldier", "Sing Hallelujah!" and "Day By Day." What's more, her first double-EP production was pressed on amber-colored “Scotch” vinyl! That was in honor of the concert venue: Scotch of Saint-James.
Unfortunately, fan club members found BOOGALOO's overt Christian message too preachy; this live set is the closest thing to a flop that Big Ethel ever released. Time has increased demand for it, though: Copies are now rare and hella expensive!
SABRINA: EVERYONE WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR "FIRE! BABY, I'M ON FIRE" ON RADIO LUXEMBOURG, BARELY A MONTH AFTER THE ARCHIES HAD RECORDED IT! NOTE FOR NOTE, IT WAS ARCHIE'S ARRANGEMENT BUT THE ARCHIES WEREN'T SINGING IT; "FIRE" BECAME THE BREAKTHROUGH HIT FOR A PUNK BAND CALLED PLASTIC SALOPARD. WHEN I TOLD VERONICA THAT SESSION BACKGROUND SINGER SIMONE WAS IN THAT BAND, AND THAT DISQUES PATHÉ CEO CLAUDE CANAILLE WAS HER LOVER, SHE QUICKLY PUT 2 + 2 TOGETHER.
I'D SEEN RONI GET ANGRY BEFORE, BUT THIS TIME SHE WAS SEETHING WITH RAGE! CONSULTING HER SMARTPHONE ROLODEX, SHE GOT BUSY CONTACTING KEY MUSIC INDUSTRY CONTACTS IN EUROPE. THE LAST PERSON SHE TELEPHONED WAS CLAUDE CANAILLE. THE LANGUAGE RONI USED ON HIM WAS SO SPICY, I WOULDN'T DARE REPEAT IT EVEN IN TRANSLATION! SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT FRENCH BILLBOARD ANNOUNCED CLAUDE'S RESIGNATION THE VERY NEXT WEEK! HE NEVER WORKED FOR ANOTHER RECORD COMPANY.
I ALSO SAW JUGHEAD LOSE HIS COOL DURING THAT SOJOURN IN FRANCE. JUGGY WAS A VERY LAID-BACK MAN, EXCEPT WHEN HE WASN'T GETTING WHAT HE WANTED! HE TOOK CONTROL OF HIS ALBUM SESSIONS, PAID OFF THE CONTRACTED FRENCH MUSICIANS AND SENT THEM PACKING. THEN HE CONTACTED HIS BANDMATES AND ASKED THEM TO CUT HIS BACKING TRACKS. THEY WERE GOING TO DO IT REMOTELY BUT ENDED UP FLYING OVER FROM THEIR VARIOUS HOMES IN THE US. IT WAS WONDERFUL FOR THE ARCHIES TO DO THAT ON SHORT NOTICE!
WHILE THAT DISCO-HATING FRENCH PRODUCER SAT IN A CORNER AND FUMED, JUGGY AND I SALVAGED THE PROJECT. WITH HELP FROM REGGIE, WHO COULDN'T MAKE THE TRIP TO FRANCE BUT SENT OVER SOME EXCELLENT VOCAL ARRANGEMENTS, WE CREATED A DANCE RECORD THAT WOULD'VE DONE THE BEE GEES PROUD! TOUT CE QU'ILS DIRENT DE MOI BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL BEST-SELLER AND MY FIRST SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTION! I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT MANY MORE WOULD FOLLOW.
THE SAME NEW ORLEANS SESSION THAT PRODUCED
"SUGAR, SUGAR EN ESPAÑOL".
DISQUES PATHÉ
ALBUM SESSIONS
"TOUT CE QU'ILS DIRENT DE MOI"
UNE PRODUCTION JM de LUXE
(INSTRUMENTALS + VOCALS)
SEPTEMBER 21 - 29, 2010
HONKY CHÂTEAU,
HÉROUVILLE, FRANCE
THEY DON'T KNOW bilingual
- unreleased*
(MacColl, Spellman)
MADE IN PARIS in French, single (Canada)
(Bacharach, David, Spellman)
PRESQUE DÉCEMBRE
Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Jones, Spellman)
SEPT TEMPS AU REVOIR
- Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Garland, Smith, Spellman)
PLUS DE SILENCE SUR LA SEXUALITÉ!
- Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Garland, Keller, Lodge-Andrews)
SAMEDIS, APRÈS-MIDI
- Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Jones, Smith, Spellman)
TANT QUE JE TE VEUX
- Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Jones, Mason, Spellman)
PETITS MORTS
- Tout Ce Qu'Ils Dirent De Moi LP (France)
(Cooper, Garland, Spellman)
JUGGY avec LES ARCHIES
*LES ARCHIES
Vocal Arranger:
REGGIE MANTLE
Arrangers:
BREE SPELLMAN, *GUY FRECHETTE
Music Director: JUGHEAD
Producer:
JEAN-EMANUEL de LUXE
Sound Engineer: MARC-PAUL
Executive Producer:
NICHOLAS FREUND
More French-language split sessions for Juggy
+ The Archies. These "solo" recordings hit
the market in early 2011. Sales and airplay in
France were negligible, but Jughead's sophomore LP
(his first was for the Peerless label) found an avid
audience on the international Gay dance club circuit.
What's more, his Francophone version of "Made
In Paris" broke for a smash in French-speaking
Canada! (Earlier in the year, Archie had released
his unsuccessful English-language solo version.)
"They Don't Know", led by Veronica, was featured in
LE TWIST SAUVAGE, a French TV special; the
early September album sessions were
interrupted so that The Archies could
rehearse and film their guest-star
segments.
ARCHIE RECORDS
EP SESSIONS
"LATIN SOUL SAUCE"
AN A LO LATINO PRODUCTION
(VOCALS + INSTRUMENTALS)
OCTOBER 19, 20, 2010
STUDIO “B”,
EL PASO, TEXAS
RUM AND COCA-COLA
- Begin The Beguine LP
(Amsterdam, Baron, Grant, Sullivan)
JUNGLE DRUMS
- Begin The Beguine LP
(Lecuona, Lombardo, O’Flynn, Sánchez)
SOUL SAUCE
- Latin Soul Sauce EP*
(Gillespie, Pozo, Santiago)
BEGIN THE BEGUINE - EP Version
- Latin Soul Sauce EP
(Cole Porter)
SAVOY SOUND
featuring CRISTINA ANGEL
*TREVOR SMITH + SAVOY SOUND
w/MARIACHI LOWRIDER
Arranger:
JUSTIN STRICKLAND
Music Director:
FOOLKILLER
Producer:
DILTON DOILEY BRISEÑO
Sound Engineer: PUNK E. GUTIÉRREZ
Executive Producer:
CHERYLANNE PETRUNTI
Savoy Sound's LATIN SOUL SAUCE dates had a
far more rootsy Latin flavor than their album
sessions; here the quartet was augmented by
Mariachi Lowrider. Although every selection was
intended for release on an EP, half of the tracks
got duplicated on BEGIN THE BEGUINE. Surprisingly,
given that fans seemed to dislike Trevor Smith's
vocals on that album, what little airplay
LATIN SOUL SAUCE got was mostly due to its
title track: A stand-alone recording that
featured him! It became a very popular sample for
rappers, but only in later years. Although
Archie + Veronica had hoped to penetrate the
Latin music market with Savoy Sound's releases,
the group just couldn't spin much revenue.
Archie Records would have to wait three years for
an act strong enough to storm Spanish-language
radio playlists!
CONSIDERED CANDIDATES TO REPLACE
SAVOY SOUND AS ARCHIE'S LATIN
VOCAL GROUP.
SABRINA: IN NOVEMBER OF 2010, BETTY JONES RECORDED HER FIRST AND ONLY SOLO ALBUM IN MEMPHIS. PATSY, JACKIE AND ME WAS A COLLECTION OF JACKIE DeSHANNON SONGS RECORDED IN THE SINGING STYLE OF PATSY CLINE! BETTY
ADORED JACKIE'S WORK AND MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT SHE SANG LIKE PATSY. SHE CAME UP WITH THE UNUSUAL CONCEPT HERSELF AND HAD ALREADY ATTEMPTED IT SEVERAL TIMES; BUT THE PROJECT DIDN'T COME TOGETHER UNTIL JACKIE GOT PERSONALLY INVOLVED. ALTHOUGH THE ALBUM FAILED COMMERCIALLY, IT HAS SINCE BECOME A MUCH-CELEBRATED CULT FAVORITE OF VINTAGE COUNTRY MUSIC FANS. THE CD WAS RELEASED BY JAMIE RECORDS, WITH RALFI CHINGAS PRODUCING.
RELEASED TO ARCHIES FAN CLUB
MEMBERS IN DECEMBER 2010.
ARCHIE FAN CLUB RECORDS
REMIX SESSIONS
"SONGS FROM THE GIANT JUKEBOX"
A BIG ETHEL MIX
NOVEMBER 3 - 4, 2010
SPANISH EDDIE'S BAR + GRILL
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
DAVE CLARK FIVE MEDLEY:
GLAD ALL OVER/ANY WAY YOU WANT IT/
CATCH US IF YOU CAN/BECAUSE
- Giant Jukebox LP
(Clark, Smith/Clark/Clark, Davidson/Clark)
SWEET SATURDAY NIGHT - Giant Jukebox LP
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
THE BIG BOAT - Giant Jukebox LP
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
OH, SWEET SUZY - Giant Jukebox LP
(Foster, Goldberg)
LOVE VIBRATIONS - Giant Jukebox LP
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
ANYONE CAN BE ANYTHING - Giant Jukebox LP
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
(I'M JUST) YOUR PUPPET ON A STRING
- Giant Jukebox LP
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
SOMEBODY LIKES YOU - unreleased
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
HEY! LITTLE ONE - Giant Jukebox LP
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
LITTLE BY LITTLE - Giant Jukebox LP
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
JUNGLE GEORGE - Giant Jukebox LP
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
OH, BABY (DON'T LET IT GET YOU DOWN)!
- Giant Jukebox LP
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
ROWBOAT RIDE - Giant Jukebox LP
(Goldberg, Lyle)
THE WAYS I LOVE YOU - Giant Jukebox LP
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
FALLIN' IN LOVE IS FUN - Giant Jukebox LP
(Neil Brian Goldberg)
THE ARCHIES
Producers:
NEIL BRIAN GOLDBERG, NANCY CAL CAGNO
Remix Producer:
CHUCK CLAYTON
Remix Engineer: EDDIE ROXCHILD
Executive Producer:
FAWN ETHEL MASON
Don Kirshner promoted The Archies with a series of
animated shows that ran on the Cartoon Network,
starting in 1988 and extending into the mid-Nineties.
SONGS FROM THE GIANT JUKEBOX is a selection
of live recordings taken from "Archie's Funhouse,"
which aired in 1990 and 1991. That show, recorded
@ Filmation Studios in Reseda, California, mixed
cartoons with live-action concert footage. This
previously-unreleased soundtrack album was made
available to Archies Fan Club members, and among
its fifteen live cuts was a never-telecast medley of
Dave Clark Five hits. Fondly recalled by studio
audience members, they were the only ones who
heard it @ the time! In the year 2086, Hepzibah
Baumgartner, catalog A & R producer for Vox Sound
+ Image will deconstruct the medley and create
four distinct song performances. These "new"
recordings will subsequently feature on END
OF A CENTURY, The Archies' 100th
anniversary album.
SABRINA: PROFIT-WISE, 2010 WAS ONE OF ARCHIE RECORDS’ WORST YEARS! NO BEST-SELLING ARCHIES ALBUM WAS MARKETED, AND THERE WAS NOTHING NEW FROM JOSIE + THE PUSSY CATS, EITHER. JUGHEAD'S "SOLO" ALBUM WOULD EARN A GOLD RECORD AWARD, BUT ITS RELEASE GOT HELD BACK UNTIL JANUARY. BEHIND THE SCENES, ARCHIE + VERONICA LOST MONEY ON SESSIONS FROM WHICH NOTHING GOT RELEASED. NOBODY KNEW THAT VERONICA BRIEFLY CONSIDERED SHUTTING THE LABEL DOWN IN ORDER TO CONCENTRATE ON SONG PUBLISHING AND AD JINGLES! IT MADE SENSE, BECAUSE CHERRY VAGINA MUSIC COPYRIGHTS BROUGHT IN A LOT OF MONEY THAT YEAR.
KEVIN KELLER WILL NOT OFFICIALLY
JOIN THE ARCHIES UNTIL THE
YEAR 2027.
BUT NO WAY WAS ARCHIE READY TO THROW IN THE TOWEL! THE ARCHIES WERE ABOUT TO SIGN ANOTHER MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF MUSIC HE STILL WANTED TO RECORD WITH THEM. ARCH COUNSELED HIS WIFE TO BE PATIENT, AND THAT PATIENCE WAS RICHLY REWARDED THE FOLLOWING YEAR. NOT ONLY WOULD THE PARADE OF HIT SINGLES AND ALBUMS RESUME, BUT A BLOCKBUSTER NEW ACT WOULD BE SIGNED; AND THE DAMNDEST THING ABOUT IT WAS: THIS SUPERSTAR HAD BEEN RIGHT UNDER OUR NOSES ALL THE TIME!
ARCHIE RECORDS RACKS UP HIT
AFTER HIT IN THE YEAR
2 0 1 1 !!!
