On the Town with Buddy Beaverhausen: Matt Beckoff Brings Sixties Girls to NYC's Metropolitan Room

Me & La La Brooks of the original Crystals

What an awesome afternoon delight this Saturday when three of the great girl-group divas of the 1960s appeared together at the Metropolitan Room. I met with La La Brooks in the lobby, ahead of her being onstage. I've interviewed La La and also reviewed her album from late last year. I was so happy she remembered Buddy Beaverhausen and showed such love! "Buddy Beaverhausen! I really enjoy your little sarcasms and that your blog has an edge to it," La La said to me. I can die happy now.

My friend Ron Giles and I went inside and were seated at one of the comfy booths at the back of the room. Matt Beckoff was a wonderful host to Ms Brooks (original lead singer of Phil Spector's The Crystals), Barbara Harris (of The Toys) and Margaret Ross Williams (lead singer of The Cookies). All were native New Yorkers. The Chantels' Arlene Smith was to be part of this but had to cancel over purported safety issues. Ms Smith uses a motorized wheelchair and thunderstorms were predicted (though failed to develop, gratefully, until much, much later) that could possibly spell danger. May-aybe.

with Barbara Harris and Margaret Ross Williams

What incredible true recollections were discussed by the ladies who lived through it all, however. Racism and segregation -- especially when touring in the South -- was a major focus, most of it harrowing and tragic, as well as the conditions under which the girls had to change and do their make-up and hair during that era.

Influences for this trio? Frankie Lyman and Brenda Lee were cited. Gospel music was a huge part of these women's early foundations and singing. Of course, the backstage stories were especially fabulous. The ladies talked about Phil Spector, Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Sam Cooke, Dick Clark, Little Eva, the Mob, Tony Orlando, Eydie Gorme among others.

Am I a pygmy? Is Matt a giant?

La La was, if nothing else, very outspoken. Our Ms Brooks is from Brooklyn, after all, and has the attitude and outspokenness to prove it. She referred to Darlene Love as a "sicko" (i.e., pathological liar and phony). In my Q&A with La La on this blog, I intentionally avoided asking her about Ms. Love. But Matt was fearless; he went there! "If she were here," the soft-spoken Books added tersely, "I'd tell her that to her face." Thankfully, the fellow Phil Spector alumnus wasn't present.

But La La really brought down the house when she gossiped about being on tour with Diana Ross (then of the Supremes) and how Miss Ross' diva attitude and prissiness pissed the young singer of The Crystals off. She also mentioned how today's divas, like Beyonce and Rihanna, don't know what girls in the Sixties went through, paving the way. "If it weren't for us, there wouldn't be them."

Matt, thank you so much for getting these ladies to talk. Brilliant work! We all loved hearing these amazing backstage stories. When the three women sang "Da Doo Ron Ron" at finale, it brought down the house. Can the Metropolitan Room take any more authentic girl-group power? We shall see.

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Exclusive Q&A with Musical Director Tracy Stark about her Tribute to Lesley Gore

With Tracy and Nick Lion

I had already approached Ms Stark about doing a Q&A with regards to her forthcoming Lesley Gore show at 54 Below. At the tme, the performers list had yet to come together, so we postponed it. Well. it developed into quite an interesting ensemble and I look forward to the show. Here, then, is our conversation. The shows are tonight at 7 and 9 pm. I met Ms Stark in person for the first time when she was musical director in April for Gretchen Reinhagen. Thank you so much, Tracy, and see you tonight.

Buddy Beaverhausen: Hello, Tracey, and thank you for doing this Q&A with me. You recently celebrated your birthday (another fellow Taurus; we're the best)! Did you do anything fun or exciting?

Tracy Stark: On my birthday, I did arrangements and band charts for this show!  So, basically I worked on my birthday. But, I took a birthday nap!

BB: It was so nice to meet you at Gretchen Reinhagen's show last month and hope to be at 54 Below Wednesday night for the Lesley Gore tribute. I recently saw the line-up. Wow! How did you get The Marvelettes and Sarah Dash on-board?

TS: I met, and played with Denise Spann-Morgan, (who is in the "Marvelous" Marvelettes) some years ago. And, I've recently been doing shows with Sarah Dash. Both of those women are so talented and generous, and they eagerly agreed to hop on board.

BB: Was the show your idea from its original inception?

TS:Not at all. 54 Below does a whole series of shows, honoring various artists and shows.   It's a wonderful series, and the shows are always extremely high quality.  I'm actually not sure who had the original idea to do this tribute. Scott Coulter was asked to direct it, and he called me, because he knew I had worked with Lesley in the past.  I said yes immediately, and I gathered some of the musicians I had worked with, when I worked with her.

BB: What was it about Ms Gore that attracted you to doing this show celebrating her music?

TS: I just really admired her as a strong, funny, down-to-earth human being.   As a musician, she was so versatile.  In her live shows, she'd do a lot of different styles of music - her hits, of course, but she'd also do rock, jazz, disco, etc. - and do them all extremely well.   And, she wrote such incredible songs. I've been re-immersing myself in her music for this show, and finding an entirely new level of respect.

BB: Her birthday was May 2nd (another Taurus). Was it your idea to plan the show close to that date?
TS:  I think it might have been a coincidence!   You can ask the producers this question.

BB: When I last talked to you, you were just starting to put together the singers/cast for 54 Celebrates Lesley Gore. How did you choose the performers who will be in the show?"

TS: Sarah Dash and Denise Spann-Morgan had both known Lesley. And, they are both incredible vocalists.   Lorraine Ferro had sung with Lesley for over 10 years.   (Lesley had referred to Lorraine as "the best rock vocalist around" and I might be inclined to agree.) Some of the other vocalists, are people whom I just love.  For example, I will take any opportunity to play music with Gabrielle Stravelli, and Molly Pope.   Both Scott Coulter and I know and love a lot of the same vocalists, so there was a lot of agreement in our choices.

BB: You were Lesleyy's musical director. What are your favorite or most outstanding memories of her?   

TS: My musical memories range from the sublime to the bizarre, mostly depending on whether we got to play with our own hand-picked musicians, or if we had to do 1-nighters with a local pick-up band, that was chosen for us, by the producers. Although, no matter what the quality (or lack thereof), the audience always had a great time. They were there to see Lesley, who was ALWAYS a superb performer.  

BB: Your hometown is Philadelphia. What was growing up in Philly like?

TS: My best memories of Philadelphia, were of high school. I went to the Philadelphia Creative and Performing Arts.   I was in the very 1st graduating class.   At that time, the school was so new, there was not even a building for us. We were using 3 floors in the College of Art building.  And, some of the classes took place in the hallway. So, you'd have people writing in 1 area, dancing in another, and you'd hear singing coming from the stairwell.   It was such a great place to be, as a budding musician.

BB: What's the best part, for you, about being self-employed as an artist?

TS: Other than a couple of months of survival jobs in my 20's, making my living as a musician, is all I've known.   The best part, is being able to be exactly who I am.   I feel like this is what I was born to do.  It is my own responsibility. Although, being self-employed absolutely has its difficulties.  Most of the difficulties come because there are so many great vocalists I love to play with, that I end up with too much on my plate.  That's when music meets stress.

BB  Besides Ms Gore, who were the voices that most inspired you throughout your life?

TS  Oh my god.  I'm not sure I can answer this question without listing a thousand names...So, I'll just list the first few who influenced me as a teenager. Janis Ian was the first musician whose songs I analyzed within an inch of their existence. I knew every note, orchestration, lyric, and phrase of her first 7 or 8 albums. Of course, Joni Mitchell has to be on this list.  Genius. Innovative. Poet. Inventor. Musician. Painter.  She was the first artist for me, who had albums that were completely different genres from each other.  Each song inspired me, and the fact that she could go from one genre to another, so effortlessly, was illuminating for me. Rickie Lee Jones inspired groove for me. Phoebe Snow has the most other-worldly voice, that I could not stop listening to.

The Girl Group Sound Spectacular

Girls no more, these women still rock out! What a night it was at BB King's NYC!

Nine women took to the stage with a full orchestra (keyboards, guitars, sax, trumpets, percussion), a bevy of back-up girls and, against that full-volume background, belted out their songs as powerfully as ever in an electrifying evening of great music and memories. It wasn't just a night of nostalgia, however, but a reminder of what solid songwriting, arrangements, instrumentation and vibrant vocals are capable of. These women need no auto-tuning to say the very least. And they have long mastered the art of the diva hand gestures!

Barbara Harris of The Toys opened the act, still able to energetically shake a tail feather. She opened with the group's top-ten pop hit, "Attack," followed by "Can't Get Enough of You, Baby." Ms Harris explained this cult phenom was not a '60s hit for The Toys but was later one for ? and the Mysterians. Harris moved on, then, to "May My Heart Be Cast into Stone" before ending her set with The Toys' smash sensation, "Lover's Concerto."



Beverly Warren wonderfully took over lead vocal from the late Ellie Greenwich, whom she praised as "manager, mentor and friend." Her set included classics "What a Guy" and "He's the Kind of Boy You Can't Forget."

Described by the dj/announcer with the words "There's nothing scarier than a Catholic school girl from Brooklyn," Nanette Licari appeared to belt out "Whenever a Teenager Cries." What? No "Captain of the Ship"?! I was hoping Ms Reparata and the Delrons would do a little more.

But, no, we were off with Louise Murray of The Jaynettes, electrifying with "perhaps the first girl-group song," "Lonely Nights" (1955, recorded under the girl-group name The Hearts) before she got to the group's biggest hit in 1963, "Sally Go Round the Roses." This lovely, lanky woman, now age 74, appeared in eyeglasses, a shimmery flapper-style gown, giant daisy in her hair and chandelier earrings! What a voice!

Baby Washington performed "That's How Heartaches Are Made," Toni Wine mesmerized with her rendition of "A Groovy Kind of Love" (which she co-wrote with Carole Bayer Sager; a hit for The Mindbenders). Lillian Walker appeared in a sleek white gown with black-beaded design to deliver The Exciters' "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy," "He's Got the Power" and "Tell him."

Margaret Ross-Williams of The Cookies ("four fabulous girls who rocked the world," this Miss Ross said proudly) performed "I Never Dreamed," "Chains," "Don't Say Nothing Bad About My Baby" and "Baby Baby I Still Love You" (which was recorded by The Cookies under the name The Cinderellas).

The show culminated in the divine performance of the still soulful Ms Maxine Brown, her crimson pants suit as vibrant as her voice. She began with her self-penned classic, "Maybe It's All in My Mind."  She continued with a couple of Carole King tunes, including Brown's hit, "Oh, No, Not My Baby."

For a finale, the other divas joined Maxine for the joyous, Cajun-styled soul-stomper, "Cuz of My Sin."

It was a packed house with an adoring audience. Multitudes of bouqets were handed to the divas whose voices were remarkably undiminished by time. Although many of the recorded versions of the songs ended in the classic pop fade-out, these live performances gave us boffo vocal endings all. It was pure heaven re-living this golden era of music at BB King's.

John Clemente, author of Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World was in the audience, as pointed out by Margaret Ross-Williams. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Groups-Fabulous-Females-Rocked/dp/0873418166  It's now on my must-read list. Meanwhile, the nine women performing tonight certainly rocked my world. And more "girl"-power to them!

New Facebook Group: '60s Girls!

Hey, Facebook gang, visit '60s Girls, a new, happening Facebook group! It's keen! And all about the international girl-group sound, sensation and style of the 1960s and its influence in music through '70s Disco, '80s Punk & New Wave, '90s House, up till today's happening sounds! Lots of cool pictures, videos, music, and -- like, you know! -- gossip! Ain't that the coolest? And feel free to contribute or just post your comments on all the really groovy stuff you will come across. You never know who or what you'll find on the group, but you're sure to have fun! So rat your beehive up really high and get on over there and have a hell of a hullabaloo!


http://www.facebook.com/groups/139551149525146/