Tag Archives: Johnny Marks

Marlena Shaw: The Spice Of Life

In November 1969, “Cadet” label released “The Spice of Life”, the second Marlena Shaw studio album. It was recorded February – July 1969, at “Ter Mar Studios” in Chicago, Illinois, and was produced by Richard Evans and Charles Stepney.

Personnel:

  • Marlena Shaw – vocal
  • Richard Evans – arrangements
  • Charles Stepney – arrangements
  • Stu Black – engineer
  • Dave Purple – engineer
  • Jerry Griffin – design
  • Bob Crawford – photography
  • Bobby Miller – album supervision
  • Loonis McGlohon – liner notes
  • Ken Druker – executive producer

Track listing:

  1. Woman of the Ghetto – Bobby Miller, Marlena Shaw, Richard Evans
  2. Call it Stormy Monday – T-Bone Walker
  3. Where Can I Go? – Leo Fuld, Sigment Berland, Sonny Miller
  4. I’m Satisfied – Morris Dollison
  5. I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free) – Billy Taylor, Dick Dallas
  6. Liberation Conversation – Bobby Miller, Marlena Shaw
  7. California Soul – Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
  8. Go Away Little Boy – Gerry Goffin, Carole King
  9. Looking Through the Eyes of Love – Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil
  10. Anyone Can Move a Mountain – Johnny Marks

V.A.: A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records

On November 22, 1963, “Philles” label released “A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records”, an album of Christmas songs. It was recorded September – October 1963, at “Gold Star” in Hollywood, and was produced by Phil Spector. In 2003, the album was ranked at no. 142 on “Rolling Stone” magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, and in 2019, it was ranked the greatest “Christmas Album of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Darlen Love – performer (White Christmas, Marshmallow World, Winter Wonderland, Christmas, Baby Please Come Home)
  • The Ronettes – performer (Frosty the Snowman, Sleigh Ride, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus)
  • Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans – performer (The Bells of St. Mary’s, Here Comes Santa Claus)  
  • The Crystals – performer (Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers)
  • Phil Spector – performer (Silent Night)
  • Barney Kessel – guitar
  • Bill Pitman – guitar
  • Tommy Tedesco – guitar
  • Nino Tempo – guitar
  • Irv Rubins – guitar
  • Leon Russell – piano
  • Al De Lory – piano
  • Don Randi – piano
  • Ray Pohlman – bass
  • Jimmy Bond – bass
  • Hal Blaine – drums
  • Sonny Bono – percussion
  • Frank Capp – percussion
  • Jack Nitzsche – percussion, arrangements
  • Jay Migliori – saxophone
  • Steve Douglas – baritone saxophone
  • Roy Caton – trumpet
  • Lou Blackburn – horns
  • Johnny Vidor – strings
  • Larry Levine – engineer

Track listing:

  1. White Christmas – Irving Berlin
  2. Frosty the Snowman – Steve Nelson, Walter Rollins
  3. The bells of St. Mary’s – A. Emmet Adams, Douglas Furber
  4. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
  5. Sleigh Ride – Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
  6. Marshmallow World – Carl Sigman, Peter DeRose
  7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Tommie Connor
  8. Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer – Johnny Marks
  9. Winter Wonderland – Felix Bernard, Dick Smith
  10. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers – Leon Jessel
  11. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home – Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector
  12. Here Comes Santa Claus – Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman
  13. Silent Night – Josef Mohr, Franz X. Gruber