The Cake
Band members Related acts
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line-up 1 (1966-69) - Eleanore Barooshian
(aka Chelsea Lee) (RIP 2016) --
vocals -- vocals
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- Ginger Baker's Air Force (Eleanore Barooshian and Jeanette Jacobs) - Eleanore Barooshian (solo efforts) - Barbara Morillo and the Shrine - Tetsu Yamauchi |
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Genre: pop Rating: ** (2 stars) Title: The Cake Company: Decca Catalog: DL 74927 Year: 1967 Country/State: New York, US Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: edge and corner wear; minor soiling on white surfaces Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD Price: $25.00 SOLD
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Jeanette Jacobs and Barbara Morillo met while teenagers living in Queens. Morillo ended up moving in with Jacobs and her father and the two started writing and recording material on a tape recorded Mr. Jacobs owned. Looking for a third voice to join them, the pair met Eleanore Barooshian (aka Chelsea Lee) at Steve Paul's Manhattan club The Scene. Only sixteen, Barooshian had befriended Paul who allowed her in the club; even giving her occasional opportunities to perform. Among those performances was a duet with an act by the name of Tiny Tim. YouTube has a clip of the two performing Sonny & Cher's 'I Got You Babe.' Warning, it's an acquired taste, though you can tell the young Barooshian has some chops: I Got You Babe - YouTube Having seen Barooshian and Tiny Tim duet, the pair asked her to join them in forming a singing trio. She did; also moving in with the Jacobs. Young, attractive, and fashionable, club owner Paul gave the trio an opportunity to perform at The Scene where their quirky acapella repertoire gained a following, eventually including a young Jimi Hendrix and The Animals Hilton Valentine. They also attracted the attention of managers/producers Charles Greene and Brian Stone. Having enjoyed considerable success with Sonny & Cher, The Buffalo Springfield and Iron Butterfly, the pair latched on to the girls, recording a couple of demos; signing them to a contract with Decca Records and relocated them to Los Angeles.
With Greene and Stone producing and Harold Battiste arranging, 1967's "The Cake" was different on a number of levels. At a time when most bands struggled to get original material on an album, the fact Decca allowed this trio to include several original compositions on their debut album was simply unheard of. Their sound was also unique. Green and Stone clearly didn't know what to do with the trio. The end result was an album that was truly schizophrenic. The original compositions 'Medieval Love,' 'Fire Fly' and 'Rainbow Wood' reflected a mixture of "medieval" influence (perhaps showcasing their acappella roots) and what folks would term Baroque-pop. There simply were not a lot of mid-'60s American groups working in this musical niche so it was very unique. 'Baby That's Me,' 'World of Dreams' and 'You Can Have Him' were noteworthy for reflecting the infamous Phil Spector "wall of sound" production approach. The rest of the album found the producers playing it safe with an unimaginative collection of soul and pop covers. Morillo was featured on all of the soul covered; the performances recorded live in a single six hour session with an assist from Jessie Hill on his 'Ooh Poo Pah Doo.' Give the situation, Morillo's performances were sterling - easily the best singer of the three. Their young, attractive and hip component went a long way to making up performance shortcomings.
1.) Baby That's Me (Jack Nitzsche - Jackie DeShannon) - 2:40 rating: *** stars 'Baby
That's Me' opened the album with a classic slice of '60s girl group
pop. The Fashions originally recorded 'Baby That's Me' back in 1964,
but since most folks have never heard of the group, imagine The Shangris-Las
and you'll get a feel for the Spector-ish sound. And while the
performance was nice enough it sounds surprisingly old-fashion.
Amazing how much culture can change over a three year period.
- 1967's 'Baby That's Me' b/w 'Mockingbird' (Decca catalog number 32179) 2.) World of Dreams (Malcolm Rebbenack) - 2:15 rating: **** stars Wow if you want to hear a good example of the Phil Spector-styled "wall of sound" production their cover of Dr. John's 'World of Dreams' would be a good place to start. One of the album's most commercial tracks, the Green and Stone production and Harold Battiste's arrangements on this one were simply stunning. You had to wonder how the trio managed to make themselves heard above all the instrumentation. 3.) You Can Have Him (William S. Cook) - 2:50 rating: *** stars With Morillo handling lead vocals, 'You Can Have Him' was another classic track that had been recorded by the likes of Dinah Shore and Doris Day, Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson and countless others. Those versions provided a high bar for comparison. The trio responded with a folk-rock take that was again cloaked in a Spector styled wall of sound arrangement. Not bad. Not great. YouTube has a fascinating clip of the trio lip-synching the song on an October, 1967 appearance on The Smothers Brothers Show. Barooshian (the blond) and Morillo are the two women actually singing and dancing. Jacobs is the girl in green velvet. In Jacob's defense, she appears to hurt her leg when stepping of the rotating stage, or she may have suffered some stage fright, sort of adverse drug reaction, just mad at the other two members, or it's some strange part of their act. Regardless, there's something fascinating watching this completely dysfunctional performance. You Can Have Him - The Cake (1967) - YouTube 4.) Medieval Love (Barbara Morillo - Jeanette Jacobs) - 2:43 rating: ** stars The orchestra warm-up intro left me wondering what was happening. When the actual song kicked after 30 seconds the aptly titled 'Medieval Love' sounded like ... well a medieval ballad. Their group vocals actually sounded nice on this one, though the concept was simply too precious for my tastes. 5.) Fire Fly (Barbara Morillo - Jeanette Jacobs) - 2:05 rating: ** stars Fans love their harmony vocals and their quirky, Baroque-pop melodies. Judging by 'Fire Fly' I don't get it. Their vocals don't strike me as blending very well and when paired with a song as quirky as this ballad and Nitzsche's overwhelming orchestration, the magic is simply lost on me. 6.) Rainbow Wood (Barbara Morillo - Jeanette Jacobs) - 2:15 rating: **** stars 'Rainbow Wood' was another original composition reflecting a traditional English folk flavor. The song had a pretty melody and this was one of the songs where their voices blended well. It's even odder when you start to wonder how three young girls from Queens managed to conjure up a song that sounded like it could fit on a Fairport Convention, or Steeleye Span set. It was also an odd choice for the album's third and final single:
- 1968's 'Rainbow Wood' /w 'Fire Fly' (Decca catalog number 32235)
(side 2) 1.) I Know (Barbara George) - 2:19 rating: *** stars I'm guessing the soul covers were included to give the album a more commercial sheen. Their cover of the Barbara George tune was nice but hardly a radical difference from the original. Nice horn charts.
- 1967's 'I Know' b/w 'You Can Have Him' (Decca catalog number ) 2.) Mockingbird (Inez Foxx - Charles Foxx) - 2:25 rating: ** stars Well Charles and Inez Foxx's 'Mockingbird' has been subjected to dozens of covers. Unfortunately these ladies go down as turning in a cover that is completely forgettable, or worse. Morillo and Barooshian sharing lead vocals. The video and sound quality are poor, but YouTube has a clip of the trio lip-synching the song during a November 1967 appearance on ABC's Popendipity television special. Positioned in the center of the group Jacobs was a little more active this time out. The Cake - Mockingbird (live) - YouTube 3.) Ooh Poo Pah Doo (Jessie Hill) - 3:57 rating: *** stars Their slinky cover of Jessie Hill's 'Ooh Poo Pah Doo' was probably the best of the soul remakes on the album. Interestingly Morillo had never heard the song before. Hill was in the studio and literally had to help her with the words. If you listen closely, you can hear his vocals on the backing track. 4.) Stand by Me (Ben E. King - Elmo Glick) - 2:33 rating: *** stars Another classic tune that's been done so often you have to wonder why anyone would bother. And surprisingly this was one of their best covers. Not sure which lady was on lead vocals, but her voice was clear and strong - nice delivery. 5.) What'd I Say (Ray Charles) - 4:03 rating: *** stars Another Morillo lead. Not sure what her association is with the group, but YouTube also has a June 2017 performance of the song by Morillo at the Stonewall Veterans Association Annual Conference. She sounded pretty good: The Cake - What'd I Say - Live at SVA 2017 Conference - YouTube
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Genre: pop Rating: ** (2 stars) Title: A Slice of Cake Company: Decca Catalog: DL 75039 Year: 1968 Country/State: New York, US Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: edge and corner wear; minor soiling on white surfaces Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD Price: $25.00 SOLD
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I probably should have started exploring their recording catalog chronologically, rather than listing to the second album before hearing the 1967 debut "The Cake." Oh well ...
I'll admit to having picked this one up
at a yard sale for the dated '60s cover (courtesy of artist Jonanna Laine). The drawing of three mod '60s
women left me hoping this might be something along the lines of The Feminine Complex.
An even bigger source of surprise and hope was the unprecedented fact the
three women were responsible for writing much of the material. How
often did you see that in an industry where female singers were typically
views as little more than tools for producers. 1.) Have You Heard the News 'Bout Miss Molly (Carol Connors - M. McGinnis) - 2:44 rating: *** stars One of the songs recorded by Jacobs and sessions backup singers, the album opened up with a weird mash-up of folk and Baroque pop styles. I remember thinking this is what Fairport Convention would sound like if they ever wanted to record a Toytown styled pop number. I'm guessing the lyrics (girl getting pregnant out of wedlock) were pretty cutting edge for 1968. Today it just sounds kind of fey. It made for an odd choice as a single:
- 1968's 'Have You Heard the News 'Bout Miss Molly' b/w 'P.T. 280' (Decca catalog number 32347)
2.) P.T. 280 (Eleanore Barooshian - Barbara Morillo) - 2:15 rating: *** stars Opening
up with some Mantovani-styled piano, 'P.T. 280' revealed itself as a quirky
pop tune. It took me years to find out what the track was about.
Reportedly the title reflected the cost of taxi fare for the trio to drive
to a Beverly Hills hotel where they were to have met The Who. The Who
apparently didn't answer the door. Judging by the lyrics, they
experience left the women less than impressed by Townshend and
company. With
Jacobs on lead vocals, 'Sadie' was a pretty, if lyrically depressing folk
flavored ballad. The tune was actually written by Morillo after
attending the Monterey Pop Festival. She planned on singing the lead,
but returned to the recording sessions to discover the track had been
completed with Jacobs on lead. The resulting confrontation saw Morillo
and Greene get into a physical confrontation with Morillo leabing the
recording sessions and returning to New York. I
can only take so many sensitive ballads before I lose interest.
Admittedly 'Tides of Time'
was probably the album's prettiest composition, but it was just sooooo
sensitive ... This was apparently one of the songs recorded as a
Jacobs solo effort. The song was co-written by former Rose Garden
singer Diana Di Rose. She may also be singing on the track. Medleys
are seldom a good thing and this one's not an exception. Desperate to
pad the album, the medley was the first demo the girls had recorded
for Greene and Stone prior to being signed to Decca. It shows.
Interestingly their slowed down, slinky cover of 'Walking the Dog' sounded a
bit like Dusty Springfield and was surprisingly enjoyable - I even liked the
backing vocals..
If you weren't paying
attention you wouldn't even realize they'd sequed into Etta James' 'Something Got a Hold of Me.'
The melody and vocal delivery didn't really seem to change. At least you could tell when they switched into 'Big Boy Pete' though the vocal was a bit on the raw side. 1.) Extroverted Introvert (Eleanore Barooshian - Barbara Morillo) - 2:26 rating: ** stars Another
track that suffered from group lead vocals and a week melody. I guess steel
drums were exotic in 1968, but they didn't do anything to improve this
Carribean-tinged tune. The heavy instrumentation drown them out
towards the end of the song. The
pretty acapella ballad
'Under the Tree of Love and Laughter' was the prettiest performance and
quite different given their harmonizing actually sounded sweet.
Shame it was such a short song. Written
by Morillo, 'Annabelle Clark' also featured her on lead vocals.
Perhaps it's my old man ears, but Morillo's delivery has always reminded me
a bit of Nico - stiff and not particularly melodic, she even sounded like
she had a Caribbean accent. Short
on material, 'Who Will Wear the Crown' was a track left over from the first
album. While Barooshian's
voice wasn't great, hearing her take lead vocals was certainly better than
the group signing harmonies.
It also helped to give her a strong, funky song
(Rebbenack provided the Hammond B-3 organ),
though the horn arrangement threatened to drown her. As much I've tried to like 'Island of Plenty' I just can't get there. The song's folk-ish melody was totally forgettable and their harmonizing was just plain irritating.
Following the release of their second album the trio called it quits.
Baroosian and Jacobs signed up to tour with Dr. John. After the tour they moved to the UK where they ended up recording and touring as members of Ginger Baker's Air Force.
Barooshian moved to Japan where she recorded an album with former Free bassist Tetsu Yamauchi - 1972's "Tetsu" (Propeller Records catalog JDX 7044). The liner notes only listed her by first name and managed to misspell her name as "Eleanor".
I've only heard a couple of the songs on YouTube, but in 2006 Morillo reappear with a self-financed album credited to Barbara Morillo & Shrine.
38 years after their breakup Barooshian and Morillo reformed Cake for a one-off 2006 Jimi Hendrix tribute concert at the BB King Blues Club in New York). The performance was dedicated to Jacobs.
Only 32, Jacobs died in January, 1982. Barooshian died in August, 2016
For anyone interested in the group, RIchard Metger posted an amazinglu detailed overview of their career on the Dangerous Minds webste You can find the article at: The Cake: A real life ‘Beyond the Valley of the Dolls’ | Dangerous Minds
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