Springsteen, Chancellors, Little Latin Lupe Lu!

All in the same breath, who would have ever thought!

CRAZY FANS SPARK RARITY FEST IN FOXBOROUGH

Pushing it farther than at any show so far, a mad Boston-area fan requested and received a performance of "Little Latin Lupe Lu," played only a handful of times by Bruce Springsteen with the E Street Band. This cover was originally recorded by The Righteous Brothers and later by the Chancellors, the Kingsmen, and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels.
Bruce and the band also played John Fogerty's great "Who'll Stop The Rain" tonight.
http://www.brucespringsteen.net/news/index.html

Central Booking alliance Agency

May, 1967 Advertisement

The Connie Awards

John was in the Army and David was with the “Highspirits”, but “The Chancellors” was still a band to be reckoned with in 1967. That year heralded the first “Connie Awards”. Connie Hechter was a jazz drummer and editor of Connie’s Insider, a newsletter for Trestman Music Center.
“The Chancellors” were nominated for Best Show Group and Best Vocal Group. Ralph Burger was nominated for Best Lead Guitar, Mike Judge for Best Rhythm Guitar, Dan Holm for Best Bass Guitar and Jim Faragher for Best Drums. We didn’t win.
The “Connie Hechter Award” given by the Minnesota Music Academy is bestowed on a non-musician. It recognizes, managers, promoters, music teachers, those that create the infrastructure for the musicians.
This is not the same as the “Connie Awards”. I don’t know if the award is still presented.

TWIN CITY 'a Go Go Premier Issue

Exerpt from the interview:The Chancellors have just returned from an engagement in Chicago where they were a fantastic hit. In the near future they have a quite impressive schedule, with a job lined up in Kansas for May.

Clothing was a huge issue and we always dressed alike. Early on it was clean-cut 1950’s style. Suits, probably what we already had or the white dinner jackets, bought at the local second-hand clothing store, and bow ties.
With the R&B influence, our hair was greased and combed. We all dressed alike in white shirts and ties, collarless Continental-style sweaters, narrow-legged slacks and pointy-toed boots.
“The Beach Boys” brought the California look, khaki pants, Gant shirts and penny-loafers but the hairstyle didn’t change.
1964, “The Beatles” showed up and the hair changed over night along with the music but the clothing remained the same. We were wearing Pendleton jackets and saddle shoes with our Beach Boys uniform for the cover of “Little Latin Lupe Lu”.

As we found our voices, we also found our natural singing styles. Mike could sing “rock-a-billy” and ballads. His “Unchained Melody” could make the girls cry.Dave brought his own special touch to the blues and Dan had a flare for the dramatic. John didn’t sing much lead but he was solid in the harmonies.

What'd I Say

At first, not much, “The Continentals” was mostly an instrumental group. Our first vocal song was “What’d I Say” by Ray Charles. David sang lead and John and I would shout back at him.
The reason we wanted Mike Judge was because he could sing. That, and he had a car. Gradually we trained our voices and our ear to the point where “The Chancellors” became known for tight four-part harmonies.

YoYo By Mike Judge

Little Latin Lupe Lu was the most requested song when the Chancellors recorded it in 1964. On the “B” side was “YoYo”, our second most requested song. Mike Judge is credited with writing the lyrics but what is missing is the organic process that Mike brought to the song.

Through the dynamics of a live performance, Mike would create and change the verses of “YoYo” to fit the personality of that evening’s crowd. A rendition performed in a North Minneapolis Club would have more of an edge than one played in a suburban high school.
Mike could make it even more personal by pointing at someone on the floor and making up a verse about that individual. Kids loved it!

Besides the original 45 rpm, “YoYo” is included in the Soma compilations and on the German album, “Eagle 301”, 1975, and the Belgium album, “Inferno 1001”, 1988 (reissued on CD in 1996). It is often referred to as “Rock-a-billy”, Mike’s specialty.

Lyrics For "Little Latin Lupe Lu" By The Chancellors

Talk’n bout my baby
Little Latin Lupe Lu
She’s a high footen baby
There ain’t no dance she couldn’t do
She’s my groovy little baby, hey, hey!
Little Latin Lupe Lu

Papa Papa Lupe Lu
Shake it, Shake it, Shake it Lupe
Watusi pretty baby
Come on and do the hoochee coo
Mashed potato pretty baby, hey, hey!
Little Latin Lupe Lu

If you wanna do the dog
Lupe Lu can show you how
If you wanna watusi
She’s the best for miles around.
She’s my mashed potato baby, hey, hey!
Little Latin Lupe Lu

Papa Papa Lupe Lu
Shake it, Shake it, Shake it Lupe
Watusi pretty baby
Come on and do the hoochee coo
Mashed potato pretty baby, hey, hey!
Little Latin Lupe Lu

Shake it, Shake it, Shake it Lupe
Watusi pretty baby
Come on and do the hoochee coo
Mashed potato pretty baby, hey, hey!
Little Latin Lupe Lu

If you wanna do the dog
Lupe Lu can show you how
If you wanna watusi
She’s the best for miles around.
She’s my mashed potato baby, hey, hey!
Little Latin Lupe Lu

Papa Papa Lupe Lu
Shake it, Shake it, Shake it Lupe
Watusi pretty baby
Come on and do the hoochee coo
Mashed potato pretty baby, hey, hey!
Little Latin Lupe Lu

Little Latin Lupe Lu
Little Latin Lupe Lu

Little Latin Lupe Lu By Special Request

Little Latin Lupe Lu was written by Bill Medley and performed by the Righteous Brothers in 1963. Path Musical Productions presented it to “The Chancellors” and we made it our own. The “Twist” became the “Dog”, the tempo picked up and John Hughes’ fantastic drumming pounded out a beat that carried us on a ride that lasted for months, a lifetime in teen-age years.
Other bands recorded the song including The Kingsmen and Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. It’s a classic tune for any band’s repetoire. What a thrill is was though to watch Bruce Springsteen’s August 2 concert at Foxboro MA on YouTube and hear that familiar arrangement performed by “The Boss!” himself. It’s fun to listen to all five renditions and hear the similarities and differences.

Path Musical Production Company

Dick Shapiro and Ira Heilicher formed Path Musical Productions Company while still in college. "The Chancellors" were the first new band they approached and by January of 1965 they were booking 36 bands.
When Path Musical Productions dissolved, Dick Shapiro went in partnership with Bill Diehl of WDGY as The Central Booking Alliance Agency.

Central Booking Alliance Agency Bands

The Accents, Gregory Dee & The Avanties, The Chancellors, The Underbeats, Highspirits, The Castaways, The Gestures and The Deacons

Coronados, Suzy Q and the Originals, T. C. Atlantics, Victors, Sages, Froggie and his Friends, Bad Omens, Xpessmen, Reactions, Mercymen, Amazers, Argons, Bluejays, Chesheres, Chanticleers, Escorts, Frenchmen, Henchmen, Malibu 2, 2 Nobles, Sir Raleighs, Road Runners and many more.

St. Anthony Main

Down along the river is a cool place called St. Anthony Main. In an impeccably restored warehouse I found Ira Heilicher. Ira and Dick Shapiro were booking agents for "The Chancellors" and accompanied us on some wild road trips.
Ira and I had a good chat about the band days and his projects at St. Anthony Main. He still uses live music to promote St. Anthony Main and the Riverfront.
http://www.saintanthonymain.com/

Zip Caplan and Cast of Thousands

Zip had a great idea to redo the old monster movie soundtracks in rock and roll style. It's called "MONSTERS and HEROES". http://www.zipcaplan.com/

Zip Caplan & The Surf Dawgs

I ran into a number of band buddies at the “Sounds of Mid-America” fundraiser July 13 at e.p. atelier. I knew Larry Weigand as the bass player in the “Rave-Ons’” and later “South 40”, it was great hearing him play with “Crow” that afternoon. Dennis Libbey, the original drummer with "The Castaway's", was MC.
Tom (Zip) Caplan and "The Surf Dawgs", carried on the tradition of playing surf music in Minnesota. The Beach Boys, The Ventures and Jan & Dean, these were the early influences of our youth. A perfect afternoon was to be stretched out on the shores of the lake with your transistor radio playing “Wipe Out”.

Jim Johnson or Calvin James, still cool in shades.

I bought a cd at e.p. atelier by an old friend from “The Underbeats”. I knew him as Jim Johnson but he goes as Calvin James now. The cd is “It Ain’t Over”. I remember Jim being a big Chuck Berry fan, “The Underbeats” did a lot of Chuck Berry material. Jim was a very good guitarist then but I have to say listening to “It Ain’t Over”, he is a great guitarist now.

http://www.calvinjames.com/

e.p. atelier, keeper of the artistic soul of Elliot Park

I finally found Diane Ingram and Shar Kanan’s, e.p. atelier, at 609 So. 10th St., in the Elliot Park neighborhood of Minneapolis. An oasis of not only good coffee, tea and food but a venue for musicians and poets to perform their art.
Di and Shar introduced the community to Shar’s brainchild, SOMA, the “Sounds of Mid-America” in July and host fundraisers on behalf of the organization. The coffee house also provides an outlet for local musicians and artists to sell their cds and books.
http://www.epatelier.com/

Minneapolis, I thought I knew you well...

The streets of my youth have somehow changed, unfamiliar avenues , unrecognised parkways, memories lost and then found.

Video by ShingleCreek. Music is "Rucksuck"by Kraftwerk.

Sounds Of Mid-America Inc... from Polka to Punk!

Backstage at the 2008 "Mid-America Music Hall of Fame" induction show, Diane Ingram introduced herself as a loyal Chancellor fan of many years. Di filled me in on a project near and dear to her heart, a charitable trust newly established by an Elliot Park businesswoman, Shar Kanan, called "The Sounds of Mid-America, Inc.".
Di invited me to the SOMA fundraiser scheduled for July at her coffeehouse, e.p. atelier, for the program launch, chat with old friends and listen to good local music.
http://www.soundsofmidamerica.org/

Will The Real Chancellors Please Stand Up!

Our first band "The Continentals" turned out to be a fairly common band name. In the Twin Cities was us, the Minneapolis "Continentals", the St. Paul "Continentals", and an all girl band, "Continental Co-ets" out of Pipestone/Fulda, MN.
A quick search of the Internet added "Jerry & The Continentals" from Milwaukee, WI, and "Billy John & The Continentals" from Texas.

We became "The Chancellors".

Curious to see if we were unique, a subsequent search provided "The Chancellors", Lansing, MI, "The Chancellors", David City, NB, "The Chancellors", Potsdam, NY, and Houston, TX had "The Chancellors, Ltd.".
Boise, ID "The Chancellors" was the home band to "Fang", bass player for "Paul Revere & The Raiders". They are still playing as "The Fabulous Chancellors".
And finally, there is "The Chancellor Marching Band" of Chatsworth H.S. in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, CA.

With the possible exception of the marching band, all of us were performing and recording songs on various labels during the mid 1960's.
Unique, maybe not, but certainly in good company.

Here's another photo from Medina in May showing Chancellor members, Ron Butwin, John Hughes, Dan Holm and David Rivkin.

Ron also belonged to a band named "The Continentals". Not the same band as Dan and John, but another from St. Paul with Tom (Zippy) Caplan.

Ron went on to play in Hawaii with Don Ho's band, talk about a dream gig.

http://www.thelitter-lightning.com/html/body_zippybio.html

Today I play a d'Angelico New Yorker. It is the finest instrument I have ever possessed. When I play it, the tone is so soft and gentle that I don't know how there could be any guitar that is better than this one.