
The Crystals was originally a quintet consisting of Barbara Alston (born 1945), Dee Dee Kennibrew (born 1945), Mary Thomas (born 1946), Patricia Wright, and Myrna Gerrard, organized by Benny Wells while they were still in high school. They chanced to be heard by Phil Spector, who at that time was just starting up his own label, Philles Records. He was in the market for new talent and the Crystals -- who, by that time, had lost Gerrard and added La La Brooks to their lineup as lead singer -- were just what he was looking for, sort of. He liked their sound and their range, but he didn't initially like Brooks' voice and insisted on Alston taking the lead, somewhat reluctantly on her part. In September of 1961, the slightly reconfigured group cut their first hit, "There's No Other Like My Baby," which rose to number 20 nationally. It was a promising beginning, putting the group, Spector, and his new label on the map; although another song cut at about the same time, "Oh, Yeah, Maybe, Baby" (which featured Patricia Wright on lead), pointed the way to the group's future, with its understated yet boldly played string accompaniment. It wasn't until June of 1962 that they had another single ready to go, "He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)" (co-authored by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, no less. Barbara Alston and company gave it everything they had, and Spector came up with a surprisingly subtle, bolero-like arrangement, but it was a lost cause. Radio stations simply wouldn't play it, and the public didn't like the song, period. The following month, Spector , as the owner of the Crystals' name and, as their producer, possessing the right to record anyone he wanted (or anything he wanted) and label it as being from "the Crystals," decided to forego using the group entirely for "He's a Rebel." It was recorded by Darlene Love and The Blossoms but credited to The Crystals and became a number one hit. Darlene Love was the lead singer on the next hit by "the Crystals," "He's Sure the Boy I Love," as well. It wasn't until early 1963 that the group again sang on one of their own records, "Da Doo Ron Ron," with La La Brooks in lieu of Alston as lead singer. That record rose to number three in America and became their second biggest British hit, reaching the number five spot in the U.K. That placement, along with the U.K. number two position for "Then He Kissed Me" (which also got to number six in America), was very important, because at the time a lot of major British bands were about to break onto the charts at home, before coming to dominate American music a year later. "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then He Kissed Me" became among the most popular American rock & roll songs of the period in England, covered by all manner of acts on-stage and on-record. The Crystals were in a seemingly enviable position, except for the fact that they and Spector were increasingly at odds over what he was doing with them. They'd been unhappy from the time when Spector began using their name on behalf of records made by Darlene Love, and every time they were obliged to perform those songs on-stage it grated against them, and in 1963 they were almost constantly touring and performing. By 1964, they also perceived Spector's growing inattention; he had lately discovered a girl trio called the Ronettes on whose music and lead singer, Veronica Bennett, he was lavishing ever more of his time and energy. Meanwhile, the Crystals were making good and interesting songs, such as the beautiful "Another Country, Another World," "Please Hurt Me," and "Look in My Eyes," the latter a bluesy ballad that showed a side of their sound that Spector seldom tried to explore. The group had released two LPs hooked around their major hits, Twist Uptown and He's a Rebel, in 1962 and 1963, respectively, that had some good songs on them, but Spector's attention and enthusiasm was increasingly directed elsewhere. By 1964, following the failure of two consecutive, the group -- with Frances Collins replacing Patricia Wright -- was no longer interested in working with Spector. The following year they bought out their contract and headed to the seemingly greener pastures of the Imperial label, where they found no success; by that time, the only girl groups that were still competitive in the music marketplace were associated with Motown. By 1966, the Crystals had disbanded.

A team of scientists explore a Mexican cave filled with giant crystals; some of the largest ever discovered. With temperatures near 120 degrees and over 80 percent humidity, the cave is one of the deadliest environments on earth. Giant Crystal Cave : SUN OCTOBER 12 9P et/pt : http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/giant-crystal-cave-3569/Overview/?source=4003

The Naica Mine of Chihuahua, Mexico, is a working mine that is known for its extraordinary crystals. Naica is a lead, zinc and silver mine in which large voids have been found, containing crystals of selenite (gypsum) as large as 4 feet in diameter and 50 feet long. The chamber holding these crystals is known as the Crystal Cave of Giants, and is approximately 1000 feet down in the limestone host rock of the mine. The crystals were formed by hydrothermal fluids emanating from the magma chambers below. The cavern was discovered while the miners were drilling through the Naica fault, which they were worried would flood the mine. The Cave of Swords is another chamber in the Naica Mine, containing similar large crystals. The Naica mine was first discovered by early prospectors in 1794 south of Chihuahua City. They struck a vein of silver at the base of a range of hills called Naica by the Tarahumara Indians. The origin in the Tarahumara language seems to mean "a shady place". Perhaps here in the small canyon there was a grove of trees tucked away by a small canyon spring. From that discovery, until around 1900, the primary interest was silver and gold. Around 1900 large-scale mining began as zinc and lead became more valuable. During the Mexican Revolution the mine was producing a great deal of wealth. Revolutionary troops entered the town and demanded money from the owners. One of them was assassinated when he refused to pay, causing the mine to shut down from 1911 to 1922. Just before the mine was closed, the famous Cave of Swords was discovered at a depth of 400 feet. Due to the incredible crystals, it was decided to try to preserve this cave. While many of the crystals have been collected, this is still a fascinating cave to visit. In one part there are so many crystals on one of the walls, they appear to be like an underwater reef moving in a gentle undulating motion in an ocean current. In April 2000, brothers Juan and Pedro Sanchez were drilling a new tunnel when they made a truly spectacular discovery. While Naica miners are accustomed to finding crystals, Juan and Pedro were absolutely amazed by the cavern that they found. The brothers immediately informed the engineer in charge, Roberto Gonzalez. Ing. Gonzalez realized that they had discovered a natural treasure and quickly rerouted the tunnel. During this phase some damage was done as several miners tried to remove pieces of the mega-crystals, so the mining company soon installed an iron door to protect the find. Later, one of the workers, with the intention of stealing crystals, managed to get in through a narrow hole. He tried to take some plastic bags filled with fresh air inside, but the strategy didn't work. He lost consciousness and later was found thoroughly baked.

http://www.vanguardsciences.biz/dvds.htm - Excellent video provides insights into Pyramidal and Tetrahedral Geometry. How they work and how to use them for novel effects. Incredible, information packed, over 2 Hour long DVD describing many unusual and original experiments including transmutation of elements, energy extraction, increasing plant growth, healing the body and more. Also check out our other DVDs and our ebooks at; http://www.vanguardsciences.biz/ebooks.htm
Final Fantasy Dissidia - Legacy: Episode 1 - The Ten Crystals
8th January 2009
Categorized Under: Videos

Here it is, Episode 1 of an upcoming ongoing series known as Final Fantasy Dissidia Legacy. This series has been approved by Sinnesspiel for the use of his translation and subtitles. I hope you enjoy, and before I leave here are some editing notes I'd like to add. Music: 1st Song - Dissidia Open 2nd Song - Dissidia 3rd Song - The Chaotic Order (Originally composed for FFDL) Replay Edit Notes: The editing for this replay look rather off, and for the main reason that the it's meant to look like Warrior of Light is taking on four ghosts at the same time. This is the only ghost battle that will appear in the game. There is no sound effects with this one mainly because the song is a default force choice so it's replaced with the Dissidia Main Theme. Error Notes: "Meanwhile..." Took up the entire screen, way bigger then I expected it to be, I apologize for that. Audio Error - There were times when the audio cut off more suddenly then it should have, mainly the villains theme.
San Jacinto College Wind Symphony, Karen Marston Crystals
8th January 2009
Categorized Under: Videos

































