Chris & Craig / Craig & Michael

[chas_kit]

Teen Beat Mayhem says that Chris & Craig ("Isha" on Capitol) had an earlier 45 on Downey 140, which lists the artists as Craig & Michael. Both songs, "Drifty" and "That Kind of Girl" were written by Brian Carman and Steve Crawford, and I see it mentioned, accurately or not, that Craig was Brian Carman of the Chantays.

What's the full story here? Was this Chris and Craig?

 

[chas_kit]

By the way, as I check into this, I notice the Chris Ducey "Songs of Protest and Anti-Protest" mp3 album on Amazon sure seems to be the original Chris Ducey version, not the Bobby Jameson one which most of us know and like or love. (If you don't know the story, Jameson was hired to write songs that matched Ducey's titles. Ducey couldn't or wouldn't sign a contract with the label, which had already printed the covers with his name and song titles on it).

http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Protest-Anti-Protest-Digitally-Remastered/dp/B00843RRCE

 

[Frantic]

also is it really Brian Jones on the cover?

or Michael Clarke?

not that I ever heard of Michael Clarke playing harmonica, but somehow I'm not sure that's Brian on the cover

It is indeed Brian Jones. 100%

 

[chas_kit]

cool. guess the Byrds copped that offa him

 

[chas_kit]

I've been listening to the original Chris Ducey version via Amazon. There are only 30 second snippets but it gives a good idea of the whole thing. It's much more typical folk in style than Bobby Jameson's version.

http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Protest-Anti-Protest-Digitally-Remastered/dp/B00843RRCE

Has this ever seen release before?

From what I understand of the story, I doubt this company truly has the rights to release this, but just came across the tapes in Mira's vaults and released it blindly.

 

[depravedskippy66]

The original version was never released as Chris Ducey was apparently already contractually tied up. Henceforth Bobby Jameson coming in to save the day, in a manner of speaking.

Who owns the Mira material these days? Supposedly there are several Family Tree tracks done at the same time as the "Prince Of Dreams"/"Live Your Life" 45. Would love to see those get a release at some point but am not holding my breath.

 

[Frantic]

The original version was never released as Chris Ducey was apparently already contractually tied up. Henceforth Bobby Jameson coming in to save the day, in a manner of speaking.

Who owns the Mira material these days? Supposedly there are several Family Tree tracks done at the same time as the "Prince Of Dreams"/"Live Your Life" 45. Would love to see those get a release at some point but am not holding my breath.

Ace Records bought all the Mira stuff.

 

[chas_kit]

The original version was never released as Chris Ducey was apparently already contractually tied up.

Right but it has been released now on those mp3s on Amazon as I posted above. The cover and titles are the same, but if you listen to the samples, it's a very different album.

If Ace owns the Mira stuff they should look into this release.

 

[massb]

Rev-Ola released this on CD in 2002 (now it seems out of print) but the name on the cover is changed from Chris Ducey to Chris Lucey:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Songs-Prote...1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1359645254&sr=1-1-catcorr

It includes the original version of "Girl Of The East", later covered by the Leaves.

More details from Bobby Jameson himself:

http://bobbyjameson2.blogspot.it/search?q=Chris+Lucey+

Ugly Things #21 contains a review of the CD above.

 

[Mr.Segment]

Rev-Ola released this on CD in 2002 (now it seems out of print) but the name on the cover is changed from Chris Ducey to Chris Lucey:

.

Yes, but the original recording by Chris Ducey have never been heard until now. I think.

The Bobby Jameson blog story is clearly just screaming for a book deal. Though I don´t think Jameson would consent to that given his dubious experiences with the, ehem, establishment. Too bad. But a good read.

 

[axel]

By the way, as I check into this, I notice the Chris Ducey "Songs of Protest and Anti-Protest" mp3 album on Amazon sure seems to be the original Chris Ducey version, not the Bobby Jameson one which most of us know and like or love.

That is outrageous!! I can't believe it. How ON EARTH did those recordings end up on Amazon??!!!
I didn't know that Chris Ducey even recorded anything for that project. And who is Chris Ducey anyway...?

I do like Bobby Jameson and the stories on his blog are amazing. What a life! Interesting how clearly he distinguishes between the "good" and the "bad" guys. His great respect for people like Curt Boettcher for example. And his disgust towards people at the other end of the scale. Of course the story around the making of the Chris Lucey album is just crazy.
What turned up on Amazon now and might actually be the original Chris Ducey material adds another crazy twist to the weird scenario behind this record.

Here is a funny little video of Bobby Jameson in his trailer from two years ago. He surely went through some dark shit in his life, but it's good to see him in such a good mood:

 

[franku]

Fascinating, bizarre story I hadn't heard before. One thing I am curious about, how many copies are out there with the original "Ducey" lettering on the cover, as opposed to the revised "Lucey" version (created by re-running the Ducey version through the printing press to alter the D to an L)?

According to the story, the LP was a budget label release mostly intended for rackjobber sales in Europe - do these actually turn up overseas more often than the States? And was the practice of sending quantities of US-pressed discs abroad common at this time?

One hears about the Liverpool kids getting 45s brought back by sailors, but I wasn't aware that US LPs turned up abroad much.

 

[gregk25]

Bought my copy at a local record fair about 8 years ago from a seller who always brings stacks of bad US country LPs. I flipped through his box just for the feel of thick US-sleeves when the Chris Ducey in NM turned up w/ a 10 Euro price sticker. Check his boxes every time I see him, but after that it was always just: bad country...

 

[Mr.Segment]

According to the story, the LP was a budget label release mostly intended for rackjobber sales in Europe - do these actually turn up overseas more often than the States? And was the practice of sending quantities of US-pressed discs abroad common at this time?

I do not think Euro import at the time of release was very likely. European countries already pumped countless rip-off budget label releases into the market. Studio jobs by made-up band names covering the hits of today.

What happened later though, was that probably thousands of containers with unsold stock of US titles was shipped over to Europe in the early to mid seventies, bought for peanuts from the States with the sole purpose of filling up bargain bins. That is why, fer instance, certain titles have been almost common over here at one time or another that at the same time were harder to find in the US. Fifty Foot Hose, Marva Whitney´s 2 first King albums and Litter Emerge are just a few examples of titles obviously having arrived in quantity at one time or another since they were findable early in Norwegian bins, always in M- shape and drilled. I also found Lucey here, CSD. Cheap, sealed and drilled

 

[axel]

Same thing here. I found my copy for 10 € in some blues section. Obviously some people didn't quite know what to make of it...
I just realized that the download that's sold on Amazon is actually announced as Chris Ducey and not Lucey. (I thought the Chris Ducey songs somewhat mysteriously popped up at the Chris Lucey release, hence my exaggerated reaction...) So it's an official release of the Chris Ducey material? I can't find anything about the background of this release.

 

[depravedskippy66]

What happened later though, was that probably thousands of containers with unsold stock of US titles was shipped over to Europe in the early to mid seventies, bought for peanuts from the States with the sole purpose of filling up bargain bins. That is why, fer instance, certain titles have been almost common over here at one time or another that at the same time were harder to find in the US. Fifty Foot Hose, Marva Whitney´s 2 first King albums and Litter Emerge are just a few examples of titles obviously having arrived in quantity at one time or another since they were findable early in Norwegian bins, always in M- shape and drilled. I also found Lucey here, CSD. Cheap, sealed and drilled

This might also explain how Finjarn & Jensen were able to cover two tracks off of A Gift From Euphoria.

 

[Mr.Segment]

This might also explain how Finjarn & Jensen were able to cover two tracks off of A Gift From Euphoria.

Hadn't thought about that! Yes, that is very likely. I once borrowed a heap of albums from an old co-worker. He heard I collected records and suddenly one day he sent a huge load of 60/70s albums over to my house so that I could have a listen. Both A Gift From Euphoria, Yankee Dollar and loads of other lps from bands and performers I had never heard of (at that point). They were all US and all drilled. Sadly he was a raging alcoholic and died not long after this. I had returned the records at that point. Wonder what happened to his collection. Probably thrown away.

Re: Lucey/Ducey. Wasn't this also released in Canada with Ducey as the artist name on the cover but Jameson's songs on it?

 

[depravedskippy66]

Re: Lucey/Ducey. Wasn't this also released in Canada with Ducey as the artist name on the cover but Jameson's songs on it?

Yes, the Canadian release credits Ducey. The UK issue, on Joy, properly credits Bobby Jameson and the LP is titled One Too Many Mornings.

 

[franku]

Interesting about the import of so many US cutouts to Europe. I wonder if Jameson's recollections that the Ducey/Lucey LP was going to be sold to Europe was part of the con job by Randy Wood - perhaps he was told that it was going to Europe, but the real intention was simply for US rack job sales all along. On his site he claims with great certainty that Randy Wood's would-be European customers 'loved the cover', which was the justification for re-recording the songs using existing titles.

 

[franku]

In yet another of the seemingly endless twists on the Bobby Jameson/Ducey/Lucey story, I found a very odd US-released variation of it last week in a thrift store. One side of a five-LP set on VJ that purports to offer "100 Hall of Fame Oldies" contains the entire Ducey album! I just found a single disc (with no cover), but it apparently came out no later than 1966, as VJ folded in the middle of that year. The other side of the disc is 50s doo-wop material from VJ and Chance (I think), except for a great Mirwood label Northern Soul stomper, "I Can't Stop You" by the Performers.



Speaking of Mirwood/Mira and Jamison, a label shot of the the 45 of "Vietnam" finally surfaced here: http://www.45cat.com/record/nc359234us

There's an incredible color "live in studio" performance of the topside of that 45 on Youtube, from the exploitation classic Mondo Hollywood. Dig the lineup of Leaves/Love guys backing him, plus the vintage audio gear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyXbC0ZmWdc