Here's a Song! (You Might Have Missed) Vol. 3

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Here's A Song (You Might Have Missed): Great Record Finds Vol. 3 This is the third in the continuing series of great obscure record-finds by artists in various stages of their careers, all produced and arranged by veteran record producer/arranger/artist, Alan Lorber. The following is a brief synopsis of the songs contained in this compilation: (1) This first cut, “I’m Gonna Change” by the great doo-wop group The Velours was made late in their career in 1967, and is probably one of their last recordings. Under full modern backing it features their still perfect street corner harmonies and emotional vocal readings; (2) “A Phone Call Away” was made on the same Velours session but with an overdub vocal by newcomer Greg Harris. The original Velours piano/group demo of the same song will be showcased in an upcoming demo/master collection of the Velours on the Iris Music Group label; (3) Velours sister group, Brooklyn, NY born artist, The Invitations, drives “Watch Out Little Girl” in their 1966 only MGM recording. The group featured Gary Gant along with Richie Pitts who later joined the Velours in the late 60s. They gained great popularity touring in the UK and throughout Europe; (4) This Alan Lorber Orchestra 1963 recording of the Lorber/Haber classical/pop fusion composition, “Serenata Bossa Nova features a lush Latin orchestral settings of brass, strings and mandolin; (5) Lorber’s left field orchestration of the Warren Schatz composition “Knowin’” was recorded in early 1967 with Goldie & The Gingerbreads (featuring Genya Ravan) during the same session in which Lorber produced “Walking In Different Circles”; (6) The Toys get carried away in a delicious “mellow yellow” version of their “I Got Carried Away”; (7) The David Winters’ 1965 folk-parody “Anti-Protest Song” produced by Lorber for Mercury is the very least of the credits that belongs to this mega talented choreographer, dancer, director, writer, actor, movie producer with a list too long for these notes, but which include his early days as choreographer/dancer for TV’s Hullabaloo, Shindig, the Monkeys, West Side Story, multi acting/directing/producing roles in TV and film, and staging credits which include those for Diana Ross and other top artists; (8) Naturally is it followed by a (light) protest song, Erik’s “Blind Street Singer” made in the time of the “Great Society”; (9) “A Kiss To Remember You By” by Susan Rafey continues Lorber’s exploration in the recordings of Rafey. Her album “Hurt So Bad/The Big Hurt” is currently in CD reissue on the Iris Music Group label; (10) Vinnie Monte, the man of many voices made this most unusual recording “Camera” in 1966 for MGM Records; (11) Could it be that Peter Jarett and the Fifth Circle is another of Monte’s voices? Perhaps! More importantly, the song, “Let’s Dance Close”, a kind of orchestrated doo-wop, was written for the group by Ernie Maresca, the man behind the great Dion and the Belmonts hits; (12) The Corporate Image in this 1966 MGM recording adds a new rhythm twist to the great Buddy Holly song, “Not Fade Away”. The song, first recorded with Buddy Holly's band The Crickets in Clovis, New Mexico in May 1957, was later covered by the Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead and many others. Moreover it stands as a Holly memoriam being the last song he ever played before he was lost in the fatal plane crash that also took Richie Valens and the Big Bopper.