http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...stardom-679014
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I sure hope the Crystals will be portrayed accurately.A great group who always gave a great LIVE performance.
YES! This is excellent news! Not only would Darlene's career get another good kick out of this, but all of the music and groups in which she sang would get a good revival, too.
I actually saw a musical in the 1980's based
on Doris Troy Just One Look
where Doris Troy played her mother.
It was very good
edafan
I wonder if the movie will spread Darlene's lie that she sang Da Do Run Run?
I would much rather see a film about[dinah washington].
She has an outstanding story. I saw an off-broadway play called Dinah Was in 1999 or 2000. Loved the music and story. The scene that stands out in my mind is Dinah's 1959 arrival at the Sahara Hotel, where she is to become the first black performer to headline a show on the Strip. But when a flunky tells her that she'll have "special accommodations"' in a trailer out back, and must use the kitchen entrance to the hotel, she angrily sits down on a suitcase and refuses to budge. The hotel, she declares angrily, "`ain't nuthin' but a plantation with slot machines."'
I'd love to see this on film, or expanded and brought to Broadway.
Other than Oprah's involvment in this, this looks promising.
In a link that Brother Love posted in another thread
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/darlen...-from-stardom/ ,
at about 2:50, Darlene says that she even sings Da Doo Run Run in her shows , even though it is not her voice on the record . Doesn't sound like Darlene is spreading a lie about who wound up actually singing on the released record.
Is Oprah personally producing it? OR is it just her cable channel OWN? There's a difference.
With regards to Darlene Love and LaLa Brooks: Here's a link to La La Brooks' Facebook page [[open to public viewing). Check her post from January 31 calling out Darlene Love. A couple of weeks later Darlene goes on TV and admits she wasn't on the recorded version. https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-La...32764673447464
This past Monday Darlene appeared on CBS Morning News and said she didn't record Da Doo Ron Ron that she just likes singing it. The hit recording from 1963 is La La Brooks, no question.
Here's the link [[hope this time it won't break) and this is what she posted on her Facebook January 31:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-La...32764673447464
Hi Facebook Family,
You know that I always keep you up to date as to what's going on! On my previous post, I shared a message from my Facebook Friend, Ray Poshadlo. Ray told me that he had just purchased a copy of the DVD version of "20 Feet From Stardom" with bonus material which wasn't in the theatrical release. In this material there is an interview with Darlene Love where she claims that she had wanted to be friends with The Crystals, but that they weren't friendly toward her. She made us look as though we were not nice girls.
Again, Darlene continues to LIE! She never met The Crystals. We only became aware of a certain female singer, when we--The Crystals--were in a car traveling to an engagement, and we heard "He's A Rebel" on the radio. Naturally we were shocked. All we could do was to find out information from our manager as to who this singer was.
Once we found out about what had happened with the recording of this song, we could only concentrate on Barbara Alston learning and singing it during our live shows. [[Barbara was the lead singer at the time). Listening the recording, we could see that the vocal was more suited to my strong voice rather than Barbara's softer sound. So I began to sing it live on stage.
After that, in 1963, I was flown out to California to record "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me." So then the actual Crystals were back on the map as a group with these big hits--with me on lead vocals.
Then Mary Thomas didn't want to sing anymore and she left the group. That left Barbara, Dee Dee, Patsy and myself. Then Patsy left; she was replaced by Fran Collins. As time went on, the group eventually consisted of Fran, Dee Dee and myself.
THERE IS NO TRUTH IN DARLENE LOVE'S COMMENTS THAT SHE EVER MET THE CRYSTALS! The only one who she met out in California was ME. Years later, when Dee Dee was about 38 years old, she met Darlene for the first time in her life. I was living in England at the time. This was around 1984.
Periodically, Dee Dee would call me in England. She told me that Darlene was going around claiming that she had recorded "Da Doo Ron Ron." Dee Dee was upset as she was holding the group's name, and she had been attempting to counter Darlene's lies by doing radio interviews. When I put everything together, I realized that Darlene had started making these false claims in around 1984, when I had left for England. This was the year that the Broadway play "Leader of the Pack" debuted, and Darlene sang "Da Doo Ron Ron" in that play. She began lying in her bio and later in her book, switching things around, to give weight to her lie.
So lying about us is what she continues to do in the DVD version of the film. She creates the impression that she knew The Crystals and had spoken with us, when in fact, she had NEVER, EVER MET US when "He's A Rebel" was out. As I've previously mentioned, when I'd be flown out to California to record, I would try to connect with Darlene as I had admired her voice so much. But she was always aloof toward me. Fanita James [[of The Blossoms) was always nice. [[It was Fanita who actually started The Blossoms but Darlene took over in time).
Darlene claims that she and The Blossoms did background vocals on "It's In His Kiss" by Betty Everett. Actually a group by the name of The Opals did that background. The Blossoms did do the background for Merry Clayton's version of the same song--which did not become a hit. But Darlene will try to create the impression that she did the vocals on the hit version by Betty Everett. LIES!
The saddest part is that Darlene threw Morgan Neville [["20 Feet's..." director) 'under the bus.' And by him wishing to badly to receive an Oscar for Best Documentary, he will not come forward publicly to acknowledge the truth.
Darlene continues to obsessively lie to enhance her own image at someone else's expense. At the end of the day, if it weren't for The Crystals being a group and having a famous name prior to Darlene, she would not have had the vehicle to bring her success with "He's A Rebel." To continue lying about The Crystals and "Da Doo Ron Ron" [[for which I recorded lead vocals), speaks of the sickness which runs around in her head.
Feel free to share this post far and wide.......Love to all, La La
Spoke to Fanita James to clear some of these issues at hand. First of all the background vocals on DDRR were sung by Gloria Jones, Cher, Bobby Sheen, Gracia Nitzsche, Darlene and Fanita. Another thing Fanita mentioned was that it was Darlene and Fanita who recorded the background vocals on "It's In His Kiss" and not the Opals. She said it that they both over dubed their vocals on that track.
Oh man get a grip! The Da Doo Ron Ron was only sung by La La Brooks. Even your girl Darlene Love admitted on 17 Feb 2014, CBS's Today Show, that her [[Darlene) voice IS NOT on the DDRR. I purchased from CBS a license in perpetuity for that interview segment so that I would have forever proof that she finally told the truth. Yeah, I got the truth. It was MY research on Darlene Love that I provided to Darlene's publicist and lawyer that prompted her to tell the truth after 30 years of claiming she sang the DDRR. They acknowledged my research and they wanted no controversy right before the Oscars. The documentary field was so weak that it was certain that TFFS would win. That nonsense about Darlene laying down a track for the DDRR, then overwritten with La La's voice. That was another lie initiated by Darlene and she ran with that before the truth came out.
So if you have something to say - remember, Darlene said it herself on 17 Feb 2014 that her voice is not on the DDRR.
I know she said that its not her voice on it. I've heard her say it, I've seen her say it - I'm not denying it. What I AM saying is that there IS a possibility that she might have recorded a vocal, or possibly was going to learn it and mixed up facts over the years, and that vocal might have gotten erased - something that happened all the time back in those days. She has said that she was initially given the track but then was given to the Crystals. Not sure why that is so controversial. Phil did that all the time. Until you can provide incontrovertible truth that eliminates all possibility that it ISN'T a possibility, why should I believe you? I've done my research, too, and you are the only one I have come across to support these highly defensive claims of yours. I have no reason to harbor negative feelings against Darlene. She hasn't hurt me, and as far as I'm concerned, La La's not doing too bad for herself, either. If you want to fixate on these kind of things, go ahead. That's your business. But stop attacking other people who chose to ignore the drama and enjoy the music.
According to Dee Dee Kenniebrew, the Crystals met Darlene when she came to NYC to pose for the photo cover of the Christmas lp. She says they were all there together at Three Lions Photography Studio. She saw her again years later at Micki Harris' memorial service [[Micki of the Shirelles).
Also, Cher has always said the first record she sang on was the Ronettes' Be My Baby, recorded about 5 months after Da Do Ron Ron.
Phil may block any of his songs from being used in the movie.
I too would like to see a movie on Dinah Washington.
Hey Oprah,don't forget the scene where Darlene[CLAIMS]that Eddie Kendricks tried to rape her,that should be good for a laugh..not that rape is funny but the idea that Eddie would force himself on her.
I have the proof. Darlene Love stated on CBS's This Morning Show, 17 Feb 2014 that her voice IS NOT on the DDRR. I purchased a license in perpetuity of this interview from CBS. But to get it to you faster here is the video clip still good from CBS.
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/darlen...-from-stardom/
If you want to call someone a liar, try Darlene. Anything you ever heard about her singing a track on the DDRR later to be overwritten by La La's voice was a lie Darlene started herself.
That is not true Randy. In the book "Cher, If You Believe" a biography of Cher written by Mark Bego, credit is given twice for Cher singing background on the Da Doo Ron Ron, Be My Baby and You've Lost That Loving Feeling. Cher credits the launch of her career by singing background on the DDRR, BMB and YLTLF. She sang background on the DDRR first. Hard to go against her when she endorsed the book.
La La Brooks in an interview with SongFacts:
Songfacts: Who would sing backup with you at the Los Angeles sessions?
La La: It varied. Now, that's another thing: when Phil would put down the tracks, he would not have the background singers there. The Blossoms wouldn't be there. He'd use the Blossoms most of the time, but on one of the Christmas songs - "Wooden Soldiers" - those were white girls, they were not black girls.
Songfacts: I was going to ask you about the Christmas songs. That means you're the only Crystal that appears on the Christmas songs that you did on that album - is that correct?
La La: Yeah. I'm the only one that did "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town," "Wooden Soldiers" and "Rudolph." I did the three.
Songfacts: On the cover of that album there are four Crystals - the whole group is appearing there. But you were the only one that was actually singing on it.
http://www.songfacts.com/bjpg.php?i=973:300La La: I'm the only one actually singing on it. And when we did the cover for that Christmas album where Darlene is up at the top, we never saw each other.
Songfacts: So you didn't cross paths with her at all during the Christmas album?
La La: No. We did the pictures in New York, and Phil had all the sweaters for us. We went into this room, and he took the box of sweaters out. He gave me that green one - I liked that one the best of all.
I think Darlene was flown in later because she was coming from California. The Ronettes were already in New York, and we were already in New York. We went into the studio, and a man was taking the pictures. We put on our sweaters and he took our pictures. Then he brought in The Ronettes, who did their thing; we must have waved a pinkie wave to them. The next thing you know it looks on the album that we had seen each other, talked to each other, and hollered and said hello. No, it wasn't like that.
Another story to clear up is that The Blossoms sang background on the Shoop, Shoop [[It's In His Kiss) song. The Blossoms DID NOT sing background on Betty Everett's version. Betty was from Chicago and The Opals of Chicago sang background on Betty's version and Calvin Carter, the chief A&R man for the Chicago-based Vee-Jay Records had the song recorded in Chicago. The Blossoms had never been to Chicago at this time. This song was originally recorded by Merry Clayton and The Blossoms sang background on this version which was a flop. On the TV show The Blossoms regularly appeared on, they sang background for Aretha Franklin on her cover ofthe SSS song however there was no recording of this on a vinyl. I like Fanita James, she is a good person, but she is having some senior moments from the past.
I'm aware of what Darlene said on the CBS interview. That means that she has said from her lips that she's not on DDRR. It's over, it's done with. I have no reason to harbor any ill will against any of these ladies. They have both provided me with wonderful music, and to fixate on the negative means ignoring the glorious music produced by both. I refuse to become entangled in the private matters of Miss Love and Miss Brooks. You are a friend of Miss Brooks, so it is more of your business than it is of mine. Feel free to say your piece about the facts - I enjoyed the interview posted above - but don't judge or attack anyone who is a fan of Darlene and her music.
I am not judging anyone. I provide the facts that I gather from MULTIPLE sources. You need to understand that since 1984, Darlene Love claimed OUTRIGHT that she sang the DDRR. No one could stop her. How do you think La La felt about this? If someone took your glory, you wouldn't defend yourself? I am not ashamed to say that I am a retired federal criminal investigative special agent. I know how to go about gathering information and separating fact from fiction. It worked. My summary of these events I provided to Darlene's publicist and lawyer - it obviously was believable and those two along with Morgan Neville advised Darlene to tell the truth. Now did it hurt Darlene to tell the truth? It may have hurt her pride but she was able to go about her business. Truth may hurt but it is always the best way to go for anyone on any subject.
Here is an example of research that proves my point about Darlene Love and the Da Doo Ron Ron. You can view the whole video or jump to mark 1:46. The interviewer asks her for the record, what songs she sang lead on. I will let you hear it from her own mouth.
http://youtu.be/b8R6yj6NnRc
Interesting...again, Dee Dee says they met Darlene at the photo shoot for the Christmas lp.
Also, Cher wrote the forward to Ronnie Spector's book in 1990. In her words she writes on meeting the Ronettes..."That was around the time I started my own singing career. In fact, 'Be My Baby' was the first record I ever sang on." She goes on to write how she'd wanted to sing since the first time Sonny took her to Gold Star, but never had the nerve to tell anyone except Sonny. Then one day Darlene or someone didn't show up and Phil told her to get out there and sing and that she sang "Be my, Be my Baby" with the Ronettes and all these other singers.
This isn't the only time she has told this story. She has said it in TV interviews too.
Well I guess this could go on forever, I have alot of these references bookmarked so I will use just one that should hold some weight since it came from Cher's own website and then I will call it a day.
And he did. It was through Sonny that Cher sang background vocals on some of the era’s biggest hits. These included The Crystals’ “Da Doo Ron Ron,” the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” the classic Spector Christmas Album and perhaps most memorable of all, the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,”— on which Cher’s powerful vocal can be distinctly discerned from all six other male backing singers.
La La sounds delusional.
I'm sorry, but why is this being dug up again? We all know some people chose to believe La La, and some chose to believe Darlene, regardless of the fact that there's no proof and its none of our business to fight over their dirty laundry. No one knows who Darlene slept with, who tried to or didn't try to sleep with her, whatever. WHO CARES? Both ladies are responsible for much-loved, iconic music. Just enjoy the music and leave the drama between the two ladies where it belongs.
I love Ronnie, Darlene, and LaLa equally. Through their Philles recordings, they’ve given me 50+ years of immense musical pleasure, so I’m not taking sides with anybody. But Darlene isn’t lying. She DID record the first version of "Da Doo Ron Ron", but Phil chose to use LaLa’s version instead. They say that Phil erased Darlene’s lead vocals, but I doubt that very much. Phil didn’t throw anything away! He was too cheap! [[Just ask LaLa about her turkey sandwich!)
Oh, and it wasn’t Eddie Kendricks who Darlene said tried to force himself on her. It was Obie Benson of the Four Tops.
No that isn't right. Darlene Love WAS NOT in the State of California at the recording time of the DDRR. It was Darlene herself that initiated that lie. So here is Darlene's latest lie, along with an older one.
"Love, now 73, made her mark in the early 1960s, climbing to the top of the charts with her group, The Crystals, on the Phil Spector-produced classic
..."
http://www.northjersey.com/news/ever...-day-1.1270092
Her group The Crystals, yeah, right. Also her birthday is 26 July 1938. See her bio on the R&R HOF as one example. There are many more on the internet. She even stated last year June that she was 75.
As far as you go antceleb12, how many of the characters involved do you know personally? There is plenty of proof. The character that keeps this crap going is Darlene Love herself. She can't sleep at night since Paul Shaeffer got La La Brooks on the David Letterman show and was further incensed when Letterman re-broadcast La La's performance. Letterman was thrilled with La La's performance and that drives Darlene nuts. One proof is listed above - that The Crystals were Darlene's group. That is an insult to The Crystals. Darlene can STOP this nonsense by being truthful in her constant interviews that she had anything to do with the DDRR. Caphiche?
And once again the background singers are Cher, Fanita James and Gracia Nitzsche to the DDRR. Darlene was not in the state, Gloria was not performing at that same time and there has never been any credit given to Bobby Sheen for singing background, and no way to ask him since he has passed on.
Philles/Motown Gary, you are correct, Phil Spector did not over-write or throw away any tapes. That is common knowledge.