Doo wop / Vocal groups - 1960-luku
Result of your query: 506 products
| Marvelettes - Playboy By the time Playboy was released in July 1962, it was the third Marvelettes album in just eight months, althoughboth of the predecessors had struggled for acceptance.Playboy is a much more consistent album than Please Mr Postman, despite lacking that number one smash,and unlike Smash Hits of 62 features an abundance of material written with the group in mind, such as Playboy,Beechwood 4-5789 and Someday Someway.Whilst the achievements of The Marvelettes would eventually be surpassed by The Supremes, this album showsthey were worthy of their lofty mantle in 1962 - Motowns first breakthrough act. |
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Hallmark Music 2013 | CD | 6.00 € |
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| VA: - Finders Keepers - Motown Girls 1961-67 It was Ace Records’ good fortune in 2009 to become the first independent record company in the world to acquire the rights to release previously unissued Motown material from the 1960s. Our tenth and latest Motown project is “Finders Keeper”, a compilation titled for the Marvelettes’ 1964 recording that first surfaced on the British Tamla Motown logo in 1980. Women were a fundamental part of Motown’s early success: Raynoma Gordy was contributing harmonies and arranging skills before the company even got going; Janie Bradford co-wrote what became Motown’s most covered song, ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’; Mable John was Berry Gordy’s chauffeur as well as the first female artist he signed; Mary Wells was the first to take a Motown label record into the charts ... and the list goes on. In this, Ace’s first various artists Motown CD, we focus on the company’s female acts – the well-known ones, the not-so-famous but much loved and a couple about whom we know next to nothing at all. It’s a half-and-half mixture of previously issued and unreleased titles. In the case of the reissued titles, we’ve taken the road less travelled and selected tracks which we feel haven’t had the attention they deserve down the years, amongst them very rare 45s from the Andantes and Saundra Mallett. Collectors will particularly relish the dozen unissued tunes, which include superb offerings from Motown heroines Brenda Holloway, Martha and the Vandellas, Gladys Knight and Kim Weston and gems by the lesser-known Carolyn Crawford, Hattie Littles, LaBrenda Ben, Liz Lands and Linda Griner. We’ve even managed to dig up tracks by a couple of girls who’ve never had a track out before: Thelma Brown and Anita Knorl. To spotlight just one track of special interest, ‘When Somebody Loves You (You’re Never Alone)’ by Gladys Knight and the Pips is so well-known to Motown fans that it’s hard to believe it’s never been released before. One of the first songs completed by the group after they signed to Motown in early 1966, it sat on the shelf for over a year before they returned to it and re-recorded their vocals in the summer of ’67. Then it was put back on the shelf where it’s been ever since – apart from numerous outings on collectors’ cassettes and CDs, sourced from an acetate that found its way into the public domain. We are delighted to be able to offer a legitimate issue of this classic mid-60s Motown track for the very first time, fully re-mastered from the original tape and sounding better than ever. Elsewhere, the set includes some prime Motown stompers (‘Let Love Live’), torchy ballads (‘It’s Too Soon To Know’), R&B (‘My Black Belt’) and jazz (‘I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues’) – something for everyone, we hope. By Keith Hughes and Mick Patrick (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2013 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Jim Jam Gems Vol. 1 |
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Stag-O-Lee Records 2013 | 10" LP | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Jim Jam Gems Vol. 2 |
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Stag-O-Lee Records 2013 | 10" LP | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Street Corner Symphonies Vol. 12: 1960 Doo-Wop music was an urban American art-form. It was sung on street-corners, in stairwells of tenement apartments, in high school toilets ... and it was preserved for posterity in recording studios. Most of the performers were African-American, and many of the songs were romantic - in sharp contrast to the bleak reality of urban African-American life at the time. Doo-Wop had its origins in the black pop and gospel groups of the pre-World War II era, but it flourished in the years after World War II and became a major contributing force to the evolution of Rock 'n' Roll. In fact, some eminent cultural historians cite records like 'Sixty Minute Man' and 'Gee' are among the first Rock 'n' Roll records. Both of those classics, along with many more, are on BEAR FAMILY's definitive history of Doo-Wop, 'Street Corner Symphonies.' As always, you can trust BEAR FAMILY to get it right. Starting in 1939 with pre-Doo-Wop acts like the Golden Gate Quartet, the Ink Spots, and the Mills Brothers, 'Street Corner Symphonies' will take the story until the end of the Doo-Wop era in 1963. The final five volumes cover the years 1959 to 1963. There are simply too many hits to list - just look at the track listing! Suffice to say that these were the records that provided the soundtrack to the Rock 'n' Roll revolution ... and the records that changed American and global popular music forever. This series has been compiled and annotated by R&B music's foremost scholar, Chicago's Bill Dahl, and every song comes with detailed notes and illustrations. There have been plenty of Doo-Wop compilations, even a few Doo-Wop boxed sets, but this series is the last word on the genre. Truly definitive! Every hit, every underground classic, every song that lit up the airwaves at the dawn of Rock 'n' Roll. Every shoop, every doop, every doo-doo-wah! |
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Bear Family 2013 | CD | 20.00 € |
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| VA: - Street Corner Symphonies Vol. 13: 1961 Doo-Wop is one of the foundation stones of Rock 'n' Roll. BEAR FAMILY will issue the definitive story of Doo-Wop from 1939-1963! The final five volumes covering 1959-1963 are out now! Every Doo-Wop hit! Every neglected classic! Every ground-breaking record! Detailed song-by-song notes and amazing rare photos from the golden era! Like Rap, Doo-Wop music was an urban American art-form. It was sung on street-corners, in stairwells of tenement apartments, in high school toilets ... and it was preserved for posterity in recording studios. Most of the performers were African-American, and many of the songs were romantic - in sharp contrast to the bleak reality of urban African-American life at the time. Doo-Wop had its origins in the black pop and gospel groups of the pre-World War II era, but it flourished in the years after World War II and became a major contributing force to the evolution of Rock 'n' Roll. In fact, some eminent cultural historians cite records like 'Sixty Minute Man' and 'Gee' are among the first Rock 'n' Roll records. Both of those classics, along with many more, are on BEAR FAMILY's definitive history of Doo-Wop, 'Street Corner Symphonies.' As always, you can trust BEAR FAMILY to get it right. Starting in 1939 with pre-Doo-Wop acts like the Golden Gate Quartet, the Ink Spots, and the Mills Brothers, 'Street Corner Symphonies' will take the story until the end of the Doo-Wop era in 1963. The final five volumes cover the years 1959 to 1963. There are simply too many hits to list - just look at the track listing! Suffice to say that these were the records that provided the soundtrack to the Rock 'n' Roll revolution ... and the records that changed American and global popular music forever. This series has been compiled and annotated by R&B music's foremost scholar, Chicago's Bill Dahl, and every song comes with detailed notes and illustrations. There have been plenty of Doo-Wop compilations, even a few Doo-Wop boxed sets, but this series is the last word on the genre. Truly definitive! Every hit, every underground classic, every song that lit up the airwaves at the dawn of Rock 'n' Roll. Every shoop, every doop, every doo-doo-wah! |
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Bear Family 2013 | CD | 20.00 € |
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| VA: - Street Corner Symphonies Vol. 14: 1962 Doo-Wop is one of the foundation stones of Rock 'n' Roll. BEAR FAMILY will issue the definitive story of Doo-Wop from 1939-1963! The final five volumes covering 1959-1963 are out now! Every Doo-Wop hit! Every neglected classic! Every ground-breaking record! Detailed song-by-song notes and amazing rare photos from the golden era! Like Rap, Doo-Wop music was an urban American art-form. It was sung on street-corners, in stairwells of tenement apartments, in high school toilets ... and it was preserved for posterity in recording studios. Most of the performers were African-American, and many of the songs were romantic - in sharp contrast to the bleak reality of urban African-American life at the time. Doo-Wop had its origins in the black pop and gospel groups of the pre-World War II era, but it flourished in the years after World War II and became a major contributing force to the evolution of Rock 'n' Roll. In fact, some eminent cultural historians cite records like 'Sixty Minute Man' and 'Gee' are among the first Rock 'n' Roll records. Both of those classics, along with many more, are on BEAR FAMILY's definitive history of Doo-Wop, 'Street Corner Symphonies.' As always, you can trust BEAR FAMILY to get it right. Starting in 1939 with pre-Doo-Wop acts like the Golden Gate Quartet, the Ink Spots, and the Mills Brothers, 'Street Corner Symphonies' will take the story until the end of the Doo-Wop era in 1963. The final five volumes cover the years 1959 to 1963. There are simply too many hits to list - just look at the track listing! Suffice to say that these were the records that provided the soundtrack to the Rock 'n' Roll revolution ... and the records that changed American and global popular music forever. This series has been compiled and annotated by R&B music's foremost scholar, Chicago's Bill Dahl, and every song comes with detailed notes and illustrations. There have been plenty of Doo-Wop compilations, even a few Doo-Wop boxed sets, but this series is the last word on the genre. Truly definitive! Every hit, every underground classic, every song that lit up the airwaves at the dawn of Rock 'n' Roll. Every shoop, every doop, every doo-doo-wah! |
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Bear Family 2013 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Street Corner Symphonies Vol. 15: 1963 Doo-Wop is one of the foundation stones of Rock 'n' Roll. BEAR FAMILY will issue the definitive story of Doo-Wop from 1939-1963! The final five volumes covering 1959-1963 are out now! Every Doo-Wop hit! Every neglected classic! Every ground-breaking record! Detailed song-by-song notes and amazing rare photos from the golden era! Like Rap, Doo-Wop music was an urban American art-form. It was sung on street-corners, in stairwells of tenement apartments, in high school toilets ... and it was preserved for posterity in recording studios. Most of the performers were African-American, and many of the songs were romantic - in sharp contrast to the bleak reality of urban African-American life at the time. Doo-Wop had its origins in the black pop and gospel groups of the pre-World War II era, but it flourished in the years after World War II and became a major contributing force to the evolution of Rock 'n' Roll. In fact, some eminent cultural historians cite records like 'Sixty Minute Man' and 'Gee' are among the first Rock 'n' Roll records. Both of those classics, along with many more, are on BEAR FAMILY's definitive history of Doo-Wop, 'Street Corner Symphonies.' As always, you can trust BEAR FAMILY to get it right. Starting in 1939 with pre-Doo-Wop acts like the Golden Gate Quartet, the Ink Spots, and the Mills Brothers, 'Street Corner Symphonies' will take the story until the end of the Doo-Wop era in 1963. The final five volumes cover the years 1959 to 1963. There are simply too many hits to list - just look at the track listing! Suffice to say that these were the records that provided the soundtrack to the Rock 'n' Roll revolution ... and the records that changed American and global popular music forever. This series has been compiled and annotated by R&B music's foremost scholar, Chicago's Bill Dahl, and every song comes with detailed notes and illustrations. There have been plenty of Doo-Wop compilations, even a few Doo-Wop boxed sets, but this series is the last word on the genre. Truly definitive! Every hit, every underground classic, every song that lit up the airwaves at the dawn of Rock 'n' Roll. Every shoop, every doop, every doo-doo-wah! |
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Bear Family 2013 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Swampbilly Shindig 2CD Swampabilly Shindig leaps deep into the bayous and plantations of the Deep South. Here, although racial segregation remained law, black and white music mixed with country and rockabilly taking beautiful shape as the hillbilly cats learnt from their blues playing and gospel singing neighbours. Gathered here are 50 tunes with Southern roots from artists as legendary (and as different) as The Staple Singers, Elmore James and Jerry Lee Lewis. |
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Union Square Music 2013 | 2-CD | 10.00 € |
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| Chantels - Maybe - Their Greatest Recordings |
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Jasmine Records 2012 | CD | 12.00 € |
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| Dells - Time Makes You Change 1954-1961 2CD 1954-1961 Recordings. The Dells are one of the finest R&B vocal groups and the only one to survive with pretty much the same line up to this day and were a viable act until the '90s! Features every A & B side of all their singles through to 1961 including, 'Dreams of Contentment' and the Doo Wop classic, 'Oh What a Night'. Also included on this superb set is the CD debut of their 1961 recordings with the legendary Dinah Washington. The Dells were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and one listen to this collection will confirm why! |
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Jasmine Records 2012 | CD | 13.00 € |
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| Falcons - You're So Fine Recordings - 1956-1961 - FEATURING: EDDIE FLOYD, SIR MACK RICE, JOE STUBBS & WILSON PICKETT All the early singles and hits from one of Detroit's greatest vocal groups, The Falcons. One of the acts that was most influential in the coming of soul music and often credited for cutting the first true soul record with 'You're So Fine'. Members of The Falcons included the soon to be major soul stars, Wilson Picket, Eddie Floyd and Sir Mack Rice who went on to write 'Mustang Sally'. Fully detailed liner notes cover their entire career. |
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Jasmine Records 2012 | CD | 13.00 € |
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| Heartbeats - Daddy's Home 2CD The Great Recordings of The Heartbeats/Shep and The Limelites This is the first ever 2CD set to feature all the hits and recordings of The Heartbeats and Shep & The Limelites both of whom featured lead singer James Sheppard. Includes their hits: 'Crazy for You', 'Darling How Long' and their big R&B seller 'A Thousand Miles Away'. Also featured is 'Daddy's Home' by Shep & The Limelites which was later revived as a major hit for Cliff Richard. If you're a fan of silky smooth doo wop ballads then look no further that this superb collection. The dulcet tones of James Sheppard with The Heartbeats and Shep & The Limelites will have you singing and swaying along in no time! |
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Jasmine Records 2012 | CD | 13.00 € |
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| Jeanne And The Darlings / The Charmels - We're The Soul Girls ! - The Complete Volt Recordings This Stax distaff double-header anthologises two underrated teams of ladies whose voices were utilised behind the scenes at McLemore Avenue as well as in their own right. Both were with the company for a number of years and neither ever had a long-playing vinyl release, which makes this new CD extremely welcome. “We’re The Soul Girls” features everything released on Volt by Jeanne and the Darlings and the Charmels, as well as eleven tracks that were not issued at the time. Their original 45s are admired by girl group fans, and both the Darlings’ ‘Soul Girl’ and the Charmels’ ‘As Long As I Have You’ are also cherished by collectors of original breakbeats. The Charmels were at Stax throughout the Atlantic-distributed years. As the Tonettes, theirs were the first voices to be heard on the Volt label when ‘No Tears’ became Volt 101 in early 1962 (#100 was an instrumental by the Triumphs). The Tonettes had a second single a few months later, and recorded enough material to fill four more 45s, but they caught an unexpected break when Nashville label Sound Stage 7 needed a black female group to go out as the Dixiebelles to promote a studio-created Hot 100 hit called ‘Down At Papa Joe’s’. The Tonettes masqueraded as the Dixiebelles until that concept had run its course, and returned to the Volt roster in late 1966 as the Charmels (and, on their final Volt 45, the Charmells). Working with Isaac Hayes and David Porter they rolled out four exemplary 45s over an 18 month period that extended into the early days of the post-Atlantic era. They also backed up a number of Stax’ solo artists during part of that period, a role they shared with a trio of equally estimable ladies led by Arkansan Jeanne Dolphus – or Jeanne Darling as she was known professionally. Jeanne and her fellow Darlings would quickly become Stax’ equivalent of Motown’s Andantes, lending their vocal backups to an increasing number of sessions featuring solo Stax acts. Unlike the Andantes, who managed just one single in their own name during the years they were with Motown, Jeanne and the Darlings saw six singles issued over a three-year period with Volt. They too started their own career under the supervision of Hayes and Porter, before moving on to work with other great Stax writer-producers, including Don Davis and the celebrated ‘We Three’ trio of Bettye Crutcher, Homer Banks and Raymond Jackson. None of the unissued tracks by either group is inferior, and just about all of them could have been considered for singles. You might think that there can’t be much left to do with Stax, given how many great CDs have preceded these two on the Ace catalogue. That’s not the case and, even as these two are finding their way into your collections, I’m mining the tape vaults for yet more exciting projects by both familiar and fairly obscure Stax acts. The ‘clicks’ just keep on coming…. By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 23.00 € |
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| Little Anthony & The Imperials - Tears On My Pillow 2CD Tears On My Pillow and All Their Greatest Recordings - Singles As & Bs Plus Two Complete Original Albums 1956-1961 Little Anthony & The Imperials were one of the greatest Doo Wop groups of all time. This package features their two original '50s LPs plus the majority of their single and EP releases, including, the original version of 'Tears on My Pillow', which was a No. 1 hit for Kylie Minogue in 1990. Still performing today, and one of the few groups to enjoy success into the '70s, Little Anthony & The Imperials are definitely worth a listen and fully detailed liner notes covering their entire career top this set off nicely. |
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Jasmine Records 2012 | CD | 12.00 € |
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| Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman |
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Hallmark Music 2012 | CD | 6.90 € |
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| NOW DIG THIS NO. 347 - February 2012 |
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Now Dig This 2012 | Lehdet | 8.00 € |
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| NOW DIG THIS NO. 348 - March 2012 Bumps Blackwell - Unsung Rock n Roll Hero Cliff Richard: Kingston, 50 Years On The Johnny Otis Show - France, 1985 Country Comment I Shall Be Released - March 1962 |
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Now Dig This 2012 | Lehdet | 8.00 € |
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| NOW DIG THIS NO. 357 - December 2012 Big Beat, Ballads, R&B, Instrumentals, Pop And...Chipmunks! - The 'Billboard' Hot 100 for December 29th 1958 Rollin' The Rock In The UK - Memories Of '77 Where The Hell Is Hemsby? Part Four Visiting With The Crickets In Tennessee I Shall Be Released - December 1962 CD & Book Reviews |
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Now Dig This 2012 | Lehdet | 8.00 € |
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| Olympics - Western Movies And Private Eyes -The Singles As & Bs 1958-61 Well here it is, 'Twenty-Twelve' and the poor UK tax payers have already coughed up for the 'wonderful' Olympic Games. However this is also the year that Jasmine is releasing a great CD from the hit R&B vocal group, The Olympics. A mere coincidence? Yes. However this is one Olympics purchase that isn't a waste of money. Super value 32 track CD that features all of their 45s from 1958 through to 1961 plus six bonus tracks including the rock and roll classic 'Western Movies'. This is the most comprehensive Olympics CD yet! Included fully detailed liner notes that cover the entire history of the group. |
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Jasmine Records 2012 | CD | 13.00 € |
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| Phil Spector - Designing The Wall Of Sound 2CD Designing The Wall of Sound - "I Love How You Love Me" and 47 Other Bricks in the Wall Following on from the success of 'Building the Wall of Sound - JASCD 582' Jasmine are proud to continue charting the early career of rock's greatest producer, Phil Spector. 48 tracks across 2 CDs with early work by, Ben E. King, Johnny Nash, Gene Pitney and more! Don't miss the first releases on Phil Spector's own label by The Crystals and the first ever version of 'Twist & Shout'! Fully detailed liner notes continue to cover his entire history. |
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Jasmine Records 2012 | CD | 13.00 € |
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| Ronettes - Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes featuring Veronica |
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Sundazed Music 2012 | LP | 20.00 € |
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| VA: - A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector 2CD uusi upea tuplaversio. Ykköslevyllä se "klassikko" joululevy ja kakkoslevyllä samojen artistien hittibiisejä. Yhteensä 31 biisiä. Loistava paketti ! |
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Phil Spector Records 2012 | CD | 22.00 € |
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| VA: - Ace Story Vol. 4 The five original volumes of “The Ace (MS) Story” were part of the backbone of our catalogue during our early days. They disappeared for a long while after our licensing agreement with Johnny Vincent expired, but we were delighted to restore three of the original five to catalogue in 2010 and 2011. Judging by their sales figures, we were not the only ones to be delighted. This fourth volume more than matches the quality of the first three. Some of its inclusions are among the rarest singles on any of Vincent’s labels. The advent of eBay and GEMM might have made some of them a little more accessible than they used to be, but the tracks by Johnny Angel, Dicky Williams, Albert Scott and Jesse Allen still command high prices. Among the less rare (but no less good) sides are seldom reissued cuts by New Orleans mainstays Huey Smith, Alvin “Red” Tyler and Eddie Bo, as well as no less than three classic Joe Tex cuts in best-ever sound! As with previous volumes in this series, the original 16 tracks of the vinyl edition have been augmented by eight other gems from Vincent’s vaults. These include Ace’s debut release (and the original of Little Richard’s ‘Slippin’ And Slidin’’), Al Collins’ ‘I Got The Blues For You’ and the label’s first-ever hit in Earl King’s ‘Those Lonely, Lonely Nights’. Collectors will also be thrilled to hear Huey Smith’s ‘Don’t You Know Yockomo’ at the same speed as the vinyl 45 for the first time on CD and the single master of Bobby Marchan’s ‘You Can’t Stop Her’ from a recently located tape source. In fact, all but three of these tracks are appearing here from transfers of the original tapes, some of which have only previously appeared from second or third-generation copy tapes. Great music in its greatest ever fidelity – what’s not to love? The original vinyl series concluded with a fifth volume, the expanded version of which should be with you towards the end of this year. The good news is that the CD series will be extended to incorporate a sixth and final volume containing rarities and unissued material that was not available to the compilers of the original vinyl series. Betcha can’t wait for that! By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Action ! The Songs Of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart The latest in our popular songwriter series spotlights Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, the duo whose instinctive marriage of folk-rock and pre-bubblegum teen pop created and defined the Monkees sound. Boyce and Hart each started out as teenage rock’n’rollers in late 1950s Los Angeles and first met in 1960. Their formative years are represented here with ‘Be My Guest’, written by Boyce for Fats Domino in 1959, ‘Beverly Jean’, one of the handful of Boyce compositions recorded by Curtis Lee and ‘Too Many Teardrops’, an early Bobby Hart solo single. By 1963 both had relocated toNew York, where they began writing as a team. They made their big breakthrough the following year with ‘Come A Little Bit Closer’, a Top 3 hit for Jay & the Americans, which helped land the twosome a contract with leading music publishers Screen Gems. They reached the peak of their success and creativity in 1966, writing for and producing the Monkees. Three of the group’s best recordings are here, and a further six songs popularised by them are featured in less-frequently heard, but equally good, mostly pre-Monkees versions, including ‘(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone’ by UK fuzz-beat combo the Flies and ‘She', an almost hit for Del Shannon. By the end of 1966 the Monkees had recorded nearly 50 titles, 21 of them Boyce and Hart songs – quite an achievement considering they were in competition with Carole King, Gerry Goffin and the rest of the Screen Gems stable. Apart from the duo’s joint compositions, the collection also features examples of their work with other co-writers. ‘Never Again’ by the Royalettes and ‘Hurt So Bad’, as defined by Little Anthony & the Imperials, stem from Bobby Hart’s spell collaborating with Teddy Randazzo. ‘Action’ – the theme for TV’s Where The Action Is, here by Paul Revere & the Raiders – and ‘Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day’ by Sir Raleigh & the Cupons represent Tommy Boyce’s brief partnership with Steve Venet. And Wes Farrell gets a look-in via three songs co-written with Boyce and Hart. Come 1969 Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were stars in their own right, with four hit singles and three albums to their name. This CD kicks off with ‘I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight’, a power-pop precursor from 1967 and the pair’s biggest hit as performers. By Mick Patrick (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 20.00 € |
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| VA: - Boys Can Be Mean 2CD 60 Fabulous Femme Pop recordings 1961-67 featuring The Shangri-Las, Gladys Knight, The Dixie Cups, Betty Everett, Ellie Greenwich, Shelley Fabares and many more. Package includes a 20-page memorabilia-laden booklet, informative liner notes plus a hidden bonus track. Following on the kitten heels of Charly’s critically acclaimed Shangri-Las: Remember… [SNAX625CD] and Red Bird Story [SNAX626CD], comes a stunning 2CD compilation of US Femme Pop gems from the Red Bird, Vee-Jay, Sound Stage 7, Black Pearl, Fire and Fury labels. Comprising solo thrushes and girl groups, R&B divas and teen angels, Boys Can Be Mean is as sensational a set of 60s songbirds as one could hope to find. The genre continues to influence and captivate contemporary pop and fashion; the late Amy Winehouse cited The Shangri-Las among her favourites, while Grammy Award-winning Adele’s musical bloodline has much in common with white Soul singers such as Evie Sands and deep soul greats like Bessie Banks. Boys Can Be Mean runs the gamut of teen emotion from despair to elation with stone classics such as ‘Gettin’ Mighty Crowded’ (Betty Everett), ‘Letter Full Of Tears’ (Gladys Knight & The Pips), ‘Please Don’t Go’ (Yvonne Carroll) with lesser-heard but no less-angsty contributions from Tracey Dey, Melinda Marx and The Clinger Sisters . Combining collector’s favourites with a helping of Hot 100 hits, this set also includes 14 rare recordings not previously available on CD plus several making their first official reissue release, among them Barbara Green, The Angelos and Judy Thomas. The set also features a hidden bonus track new-to-CD. |
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Snapper Music 2012 | CD | 10.00 € |
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| VA: - Criminal Records Ello, ’Ello, ’Ello, what’s all this, then Crime and punishment have always gone hand in hand in the worlds of rock’n’roll, R&B and country and western music. For decades, goodies and baddies have provided us with a life sentence of chronicling of man’s misdemeanours and subsequent incarceration. When top Ace fan Tony Watson suggested that a compilation of songs about obeying and breaking the law would be right up the street of most of those who buy our CDs, we didn’t need to be read our reissue rights to agree. With that in mind, your honours, I hereby present the case for “Criminal Records” Our line-up of heroes and villains runs the whole gamut of lawbreaking and law enforcement. Within its 60 minute audio sentence (and no time off for good behaviour) we cheer western heroes such as Gunsmoke’s “Mister” Matt Dillon and boo villains such as the fictitious (and let’s be very glad he is) ‘Bad Dan McGoon’. Our helmets are doffed to radio and TV ’tecs of the calibre of Dragnet’s Sgt Joe Friday and the legendary iron-jawed Dick Tracy, as well as some of those smoother newer fellas that came later such as 77 Sunset Strips Stu Bailey and, from the TV show of the same name, Peter Gunn. Bob Luman tells us how much he wishes he was a ‘Private Eye’ which a pre-twistin’ Chubby Checker moans that he can’t get any girl reaction, because his lady love is too busy drooling over the kind of ruggedly handsome television PIs that Luman aspires to be. Other legendary enforcers of the TV screen from the years between Friday and Bailey are also on your case and on your trail, from Alaska (Sgt Preston Of the Yukon) to Chinatown (Charlie Chan, in the Coasters’ ‘Bad Detective’). If you grew up watching the small screen when it really was a small screen, you’ll remember most of these upstanding lawmen and their relentless pursuit of justice at all costs as they came into your homes on a weekly basis. Less savoury characters that we hear from include alimony dodgers Richard Berry and Wynonie Harris; hardened lifers Jumpin’ Gene Simmons, George Jones and Hylo Brown; denizens of DWI Benjamin “Scat Man” Crothers and, with some help from Cliff “King” Solomon’s orchestra, Gigi Gryce; chain gang toiler Billy Boy Arnold and the perpetually in-the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong time Bobby Nunn of the Robins. And lest anyone think we’ve gone soft on lady lawbreakers, vivacious Vicki Young puts a Prisoner Of Cell Block H perspective on what it’s like to ‘Riot In Cell Block #9’. Personally I reckon that at least some of these guys and gals ought to have been let off with a caution. Failure to support this project will result in a visit from the no-fun police and a lifetime of listening to R and B (that’s Rihanna and Bieber) for your sins. It’s a fair cop, guv, but society is to blame. Evenin’ all. By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Da Doo Ron Ron New York’s famed Brill Building housed many talented teams of songwriters whose names are immortalised in the realm of popular music. Brooklyn natives Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry each had budding careers as composers before they joined up in 1962, at which point the fruits of their labours became spectacular. Ace’s second collection of the couple’s output is proof that there are no words to describe their talent. There are some beautiful confections here. The girl group phenomenon of the early 1960s was the duo’s area of expertise. Take New York’s most famous female groups of the day – the Shangri-Las, the Crystals, the Chiffons, the Jelly Beans, the Ronettes, the Dixie Cups, the Exciters (and even the elusive Butterflys); their best-remembered songs and biggest hits came from the pens of Greenwich and Barry. The Exciters’ ‘All Grown Up’, once confined to the vaults, makes the earlier Phil Spector-produced versions sound anaemic. The Chiffons track comes from their most difficult to track down album. Connie Francis released her perfect contribution to the girl group sound with the stomping ‘Don’t Ever Leave Me’ in the same year that Lesley Gore’s equally compelling ‘Look Of Love’ hit the charts. Greenwich and Barry were so good at supplying material to groups that they even recorded as one of their own, calling themselves the Raindrops. All the above-named are represented on this stuffed-to-bursting-with-pop-classics collection. Greenwich and Barry were mainstays of the Philles label and Red Bird Records. It was no mean feat to be amongst the preferred purveyors of material to moguls such as Phil Spector, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and it would be impossible to put together a collection of either label’s hits without embracing an armful of songs from the husband and wife team. After Philles and Red Bird, the duo went on to Bert Berns’ Bang Records, where Jeff Barry had a hand in a hit for the McCoys, also here. Amongst the other male acts on this set are Jay & the Americans, the Monkees and the Tokens; the latter just happens to be the earliest known recording of a Greenwich and Barry song. And there’s a song by Manfred Mann for which an American original version has yet to be discovered. The Shangri-Las may have had the bigger chart hit with ‘Give Us Your Blessing’ but this CD includes the original version by Ray Peterson. A track each from the composers finishes off this exuberant collection. By Eric Charge (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Doo Wop Across America 2CD -New York & Connecticut 2CD This is the first release in our series showcasing R&B vocal groups from different parts of the USA. This collection features The Willows, The Valentines and The Fiestas from New York and The Nutmegs from New Haven, Connecticut. Includes all the hits the four groups enjoyed including 'Church Bells May Ring' by The Willows, 'Lily Maebelle' & 'Woo Woo Train' by The Valentines, 'A Story Untold' & 'Ship of Love' by The Nutmegs and 'So Fine' & 'You Could Be My Girlfriend' by The Fiestas. Fully detailed liner notes with biography and career achievements. |
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Jasmine Records 2012 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| VA: - Handy Man - The Otis Blackwell Songbook Arguments over who the greatest rock’n’roll songwriter is will abound long after those reading this have gone to meet their maker. But surely near the top of everyone’s list of contenders would have to be Otis Blackwell, a one-man hit factory whose catalogue includes more classic rock’n’roll songs than any other single songwriter of his time. His compositions for Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis alone would guarantee his entry into every music Hall Of Fame. “Handy Man”, named after the song that brought worldwide chart fame to Jimmy Jones in 1959, is a worthy tribute to a man who, if he’d only written ‘Fever’, would still be regarded as one of the foremost composers of the rock’n’roll era. Compiled in the spirit of previous entries in our songwriter series, it’s much more than merely a collection of Otis’ 24 greatest hits, sung by those who recorded them first. We like to mix it up a bit, so the title track is heard in Del Shannon’s stomping 1964 version, while Jimmy Jones is represented with another fine Otis Blackwell song. Those interested enough to purchase will have more than a passing familiarity with Elvis’ version of ‘All Shook Up’, so rather than reissue that for the gazillionth time, we instead bring the song to you by David Hill, whose rare original makes its first legitimate CD appearance here. Likewise ‘Don’t Be Cruel’: rather than Elvis we bring you Jerry Lee Lewis’ uproarious take, in preference to any of the Otis Blackwell compositions generally associated with him. As for Elvis, being spoilt for choice made us opt for his first, and one of his very best, post-Army recordings; ‘Make Me Know It’ reignited his recording career and was deemed potent enough to kick off his “Elvis Is Back” album. The songs featured in “Handy Man” cover roughly from around 1953 to 1963. Later offerings by Solomon Burke and Sam Butera show that, unlike some of his peers, Otis easily adapted to the changes in music as the 1960s unfolded. How durable his compositions were are demonstrated by Derek Martin’s classic 1962 cut of ‘Daddy Rollin’ Stone’, which Otis had recorded as a menacing blues almost a decade earlier. Via Martin, the song became a boastful declaration of intent for a new generation of sharp boys, and of English mods in particular. Brace yourself for a masterclass in rock’n’roll songwriting by a man who was much more than merely handy with a pen and paper. By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2012 | CD | 18.00 € |
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| VA: - Red Bird Story Vol. 1 2LP 60 original recordings from the celebrated New York label including classic tracks from The Shangri-Las, The Dixie Cups and more. Founded in 1964 by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Red Bird Records may only have been operational for three years but during that time the label became synonymous with the 60s girl group sound, particularly due to the success of The Shangri-Las and The Dixie Cups – both of whom scored No.1 hits for Red Bird in its fledgling year. Rising Phoenix-like from earlier try-outs with Tiger (founded in 1962) and later Daisy (in 1963), Red Bird was unique among indie labels in that its output was of a consistently high standard and almost half of its releases made a commercial impact. The secret to Red Bird’s “hit factory” lay in no small part with the chart-topping Brill Building songwriting team of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry who’d previously penned hits for producer Phil Spector’s Ronettes and Crystals. In the years prior to the British Invasion, the husband and wife wrote prolifically for most of the label’s biggest names including the aforementioned Shangri-Las (‘Leader Of The Pack’, ‘Out In The Streets’) and Dixie Cups (‘Chapel Of Love’) The Butterflys (‘Goodnight Baby’), Sam Hawkins (‘Hold On Baby’), The Ad Libs (‘He Ain’t No Angel’) and Andy Kim (‘I Hear You Say’), as well as occasionally recording in their own right. This deluxe two disc set draws together the best of Red Bird along with tracks from its Blue Cat Soul/R&B subsidiary and material from the short-lived Tiger and Daisy affiliates. Carefully compiled and annotated by Roger Dopson, this compilation is a worthy successor to previous volumes incorporating lesser-heard gems alongside the major hits. |
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Charly 2012 | LP | 28.00 € |
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| VA: - Red Bird Story Vol. 2 2LP |
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Charly 2012 | LP | 28.00 € |
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| VA: - Road To Soul 2CD A selection of 55 songs which present the intensity of African American church music and R&B sounds which helped to shape soul music in the '60s. Includes such major stars as: James Brown, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Etta James, Tina Turner and more! Features hit singles like: 'What'd I Say', 'You Send Me', 'Money' and 'Hit the Road Jack'. Fully detailed liner notes on the roots of soul with even more extensive notes available here. |
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Jasmine Records 2012 | CD | 13.00 € |
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| VA: - Roots Of British Beat 2CD |
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Fantastic Voyage 2012 | CD | 15.00 € |
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| Coasters - One By One |
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Rumble Records 2011 | LP | 17.00 € |
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| Contours - Dance With The Contours Featuring unissued Motown Recordings 1963-1964. They may not have had the silky skills of some of my later Motown favourites, but their raucous invitations to dance remain as potent now as they did almost 50 years ago. It goes without saying that I’m delighted to have been involved in Kent’s new expanded version of their never-issued 1964 Gordy album “Dance With The Contours” featuring the 12 originally-scheduled tracks and a further dozen from the vaults, all recorded during the same time frame. Of the 26 tracks, 24 have never been issued in any form until now. How great is that? There’s nothing subtle about lead Contour Billy Gordon’s gargles-with-razorblades holler, and songs about the Uncle Willie, Crossfire, Limbo, See Saw and other fly-by-night dance crazes are hardly going to win Ivor Novello Awards, but factor in some agreeably rough and ready vocal harmonies and season with a bunch of cracking vintage Motown backing tracks and you have 66 minutes of dancefloor fun that just won’t quit (although the tempo occasionally slows a bit, in order to let you and the group get your breath back). A few of these cuts have circulated as poor quality bootlegs and mp3s, but everything here is drawn from fresh transfers of original Motown mastertapes – even the two previously issued sides, ‘Can You Do It’ and ‘Can You Jerk Like Me’. “Dance With The Contours” is the first of several officially approved Motown releases that are coming your way on Kent. Forget art. Let’s dance! By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron - The Very Best Of The Cyrstals |
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Emi 2011 | CD | 10.00 € |
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| Darlene Love - The Very Best Of 15 original phil spctor hits |
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Emi 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| Diamonds - The Stroll 2CD 4 Original LPs Plus 17 Bonus Tracks on 2CD ! The Diamonds were the most commercially successful white vocal group of the R&R era. This compilation features fifteen US hits, including their million selling international hit 'Little Darlin'' as well as 'Silhouettes', 'Daddy Cool' and 'The Stroll'. Also included in their entirety are their albums 'America's No. 1 Singing Stylists', 'The Diamonds Meet Pete Rugolo' and 'Songs From The Old West', which have never previously appeared on CD. This is a unique set, wholly unlike any other Diamonds collection. 4 Original LPs Plus 17 Bonus Tracks The Diamonds were the most commercially successful white vocal group of the R&R era. This compilation features fifteen US hits, including their million selling international hit 'Little Darlin'' as well as 'Silhouettes', 'Daddy Cool' and 'The Stroll'. Also included in their entirety are their albums 'America's No. 1 Singing Stylists', 'The Diamonds Meet Pete Rugolo' and 'Songs From The Old West', which have never previously appeared on CD. This is a unique set, wholly unlike any other Diamonds collection. |
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Jasmine Records 2011 | CD | 12.00 € |
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| NOW DIG THIS NO. 335 - February 2011 Joys To Share Part 1 - The Story of John Beecher & Rollercoaster Records Bill Haley Day-by-Day - 1953 Rick Nelson Furious Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Fats & Dave Tribute I Shall Be Released - February 1961 |
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Now Dig This 2011 | Lehdet | 8.00 € |
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| NOW DIG THIS NO. 337 - April 2011 You Don't Know Me - They Started Out As Rock n Rollers! Si Cranstoun Interview - He's A Dynamo! Confessions - Expressions From Records Part 2 I Shall Be Released - April 1961 Country Comment CD, DVD & Vinyl Reviews |
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Now Dig This 2011 | Lehdet | 8.00 € |
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| NOW DIG THIS NO. 339 - June 2011 Bill Haley: My Dad - Gina Haley Interview Duane Eddy - When The Twang Came Back To Town The Killer In Vegas You Don't Know Me Part 3 Juke Boxes, Rock n Roll, Milk Bars & Teenage Delinquents I Shall be Released - June 1961 |
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Now Dig This 2011 | Lehdet | 8.00 € |
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| NOW DIG THIS NO. 342 - September 2011 The Colour Photography Of Tommy Edwards - Rare and Unseen images of The Big Bopper, Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, Dale Hawkins etc. One Foot In The Groove Reminiscing - Buddy Holly & The Crickets in the UK Ronnie Bennett - Swam Pop Alive And Rockin' Americana & Wildest Cats In Town - Reviews & Pix I Shall Be Released - September 1961 |
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Now Dig This 2011 | Lehdet | 8.00 € |
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| NOW DIG THIS NO. 345 - December 2011 The Clyde Stacy Story Hit Or Miss? - Juke Box Jury Part 3 Rockin' & Doo-Woppin' In Rhode Island Ponderosa Stomp - Report & Pix Country Comment The Return of The Great NDT Christmas Quiz! I Shall Be Released - December 1961 |
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Now Dig This 2011 | Lehdet | 8.00 € |
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| Penguins - Earth Angel 2CD The Penguins are best known for their all time classic hit, 'Earth Angel' which is undoubtedly one of the most famous 'oldie' records of all time, and an important link to R&B music's acceptability to white audiences and the growth of rock and roll between 1953 and 1958. This is the first multi label career spanning compilation for the group and along with 'Earth Angel' contains all of their most famous recordings including the hit 'Pledge of Love'. This collection should prove that the group were more than a one hit wonder with this collection of exceptional recordings along with fully detailed liner notes covering their entire career. |
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Jasmine Records 2011 | CD | 12.00 € |
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| Solitaires - Walking Along - The Best Of The Solitaires 2CD Walking Along - The Best of the Solitaires: The Solitaires were one of the greatest New York based vocal groups and considering they never had anything like a national or international hit it is remarkable to consider their fame! This set features the A and B sides of all their singles through to 1960. Best known for their hit 'Walking Along', this superb set also includes the lushly atmospheric, 'Wonder Why', 'Blue Valentine' and 'I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance' plus the hits, 'The Wedding' and 'The Angels Sang'. Fully detailed liner notes covering the groups entire career. |
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Jasmine Records 2011 | CD | 13.00 € |
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| VA. - Postcards From Los Angeles 1958-1964 - The Dore Story A one-man operation run at street level for more than two decades, Hollywood’s Dore label launched the careers of Phil Spector and Jan & Dean in the late 1950s and built upon these early triumphs with an extensive catalogue of pop, rock and soul 45s during the 60s before branching successfully into comedy in the early 1970s. The story of Doré records is inextricably linked with that of its owner, Lew Bedell, who entered the music business in 1955 having worked as a minor professional entertainer in the preceding years. Pop music was different back then and never more so than in California, where Hollywood’s dominance of the entertainment scene meant that Los Angeles was scarcely aware of its music industry until hotshot producers such as Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Snuff Garrett and Lou Adler finally put the town on the recording map in the mid-1960s. Individualists such as Bedell were usually referred to as “characters” or as being “larger than life”, suggesting they were caricatures of some sort, but Bedell, for all his eccentricities, was somehow too pragmatic a man to fit that description. Doré began as a subsidiary of Era, a Hollywood label best known for mainstream pop hits such as ‘Chanson D’Amour’ and ‘The Wayward Wind’. Bedell had founded Era with his cousin Herb Newman before breaking away to run Doré alone. In 1958, it got off to a flying start with ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’ by the Teddy Bears, a worldwide hit, followed a few months later by Jan & Dean’s ‘Baby Talk’. The major labels had lost touch with the street and it was largely left to LA’s scattering of independents to set teenagers’ turntables spinning on the West Coast. It was the age of the walk-in deal on LA’s so-called record row, an area of Hollywood populated by small labels wheeling and dealing from storefronts or backrooms. Some went in the blink of an eye but Doré stayed, moving seamlessly from rock and pop into soul music in the mid-60s. In this climate of spontaneous deal-making and low recording costs, Bedell was regularly approached by would-be’s and wanna-be’s, some of whom may have had something on the ball. Herb Alpert, Shel Talmy and Mike Curb were just a few who brought their first productions to Doré and there are some interesting connections: aside from Spector and Jan & Dean, the Walker Brothers and Vince Taylor all come into the story. 25 of the 28 tunes on this first volume of “The Doré Story” appear on legitimate CD for the first time, all taken from the original masters, including previously unissued rockabilly from cult figure Joel Scott Hill, two ultra-rare rock instrumentals by Bobby Fry, the guitarist Vince Taylor brought over with him from America in 1958. There’s exquisite doo wop, some featuring that cherished East LA “Barrio” sound, early teen rock from John Maus of the Walker Brothers and a rare instro featuring Scott Walker himself. Doré is becoming a collected label. Many of the original Doré 45s are now beginning to fetch quite big money, helped by the aura of mystique that surrounds the label and its distinctive logo. The generously proportioned, specially designed package includes a 18,000-word newly researched profile of Doré and Lew Bedell, artist biographies and many never-before seen photographs and illustrations. “The Doré Story” is an engaging snapshot of that moment in time before lawyers and accounts took over the music biz and things were simpler and probably more fun. By Rob Finnis (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Come Together - Black America Sings Lennon & McCartney The unanimous acclaim for and success of Ace’s recent ‘How Many Roads: Black America Sings Bob Dylan” project pretty much guaranteed a follow-up at some point. Its release immediately instigated a high level of consumer interest in whether or not we were planning any further volumes in the series. Truth to tell, it wasn’t meant to be a series originally, but the suggestion of Black America singing other notable rock icons of the 60s was too good to ignore. So it is that we now present a selection of interpretations by leading black American artists of the compositions of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. John and Paul’s songs perhaps did not carry the same degree of social significance for black Americans as those of Mr Zimmerman, but their superlative knack for words and music inevitably made each new Beatles album a potential source of future hits for others. It’s therefore no surprise to find enough superb examples to fill a few volumes. Here we present two dozen of their best-known songs sung by many of the leading names in soul from the 60s and 70s. As with the Dylan set, you’ll find the obvious (Otis Redding’s reconstruction of ‘Day Tripper’ and Aretha’s from-the-heart essay on ‘Let It Be’) rubbing shoulders with the blindingly obscure (West Coast blues giant Lowell Fulson wondering ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road’ and sweet soul quartet the Moments’ totally unexpected take on ‘Rocky Raccoon’). Unlike many pop songwriters, Lennon and McCartney reached out to a broad spectrum of black artists; you won’t find too many compilations where New Orleans’ rockin’ R&B man Fats Domino and his 60s near-namesake Chubby Checker feature alongside Motown’s first lady Mary Wells and king of 70s soul Al Green, and do so in such a seamless way. The common factor among all these covers is that they are never less than interesting. John and Paul are not on record as having expressed an opinion on too many versions of their songs, but we’d be willing to bet that the ones included here would have entertained them more than most. As always, the CD comes to you with a booklet featuring a huge amount of illustrative material and generous song-by-song annotations covering who wrote what (or most of what). We had originally thought that we might include versions of some Harrisongs as well, but in the end there was more than enough Lennon and McCartney material to fill this disc and more besides, so George will have to wait until another day and another CD. By Tony Rounce (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - Downey Story - Landlocked 24 of the best Downey records, including some unissued treasures, that present a snapshot of this important Californian independent label’s catalogue. Which record label brought us one of the two biggest surf instrumental hits of the early 60s? The same label that issued a couple of future Northern Soul collector’s items. Not to mention a clutch of the best garage rockers, and some New Orleans R&B by the cream of the Crescent City’s ex-pat musicians living in Southern California in the mid-60s. Together with, of course, a plethora of instrumental rock and a fair smattering of Sunshine Pop. All this before I even mention the early work of Barry White and one of his first solo efforts. The huge surf hit was ‘Pipeline’ by the Chantays. The label, Downey. Previous compilations in the five year-old Downey series have concentrated on instrumentals, early 60s pop, R&B, garage rockers and surf. This time out I have gathered tracks that proved hard to pin down to any of those genres, together with some previously unreleased gems and alternate takes, while revisiting a few important sides essential for a label overview such as this. Following ‘Pipeline’ comes that great garage rocker ‘I Don’t Need You No More’, the flipside of ‘Boss’, the first Downey single by the Rumblers. Other, later, garage goodies include Bud & Kathy’s ‘Hang It Out To Dry’ (once the title of a collector’s LP), ‘Edge Of Nowhere’ by the Sunday Group and our old friends the Last Word, of ‘Sleepy Hollow’ fame, with ‘Freeway’, an unreleased 1966 recording. A smattering of doo wop comes in the shape of the Invictas and the Debonaires, while the Invictas’ original lead singer, Sonny Patterson, delivers a bluesy ‘Troubles’ in an alternate take from his single. The great Little Johnny Taylor makes a welcome return, as does New Orleans veteran Jessie Hill with an alternate take of ‘TV Guide’. The Sunshine Pop element is present in Craig & Michael (another Chantays-related side), the Slipped Discs and the enigmatic E.S.P Limited. The Northern Soul sides are ‘Do It’ by Pat Powdrill and ‘Jerk Baby Jerk’ by Carl Burnett. A future contender in that area might be Margaret Williams, whose ‘My Love’ makes its Ace CD debut here. The song was arranged by Barry White, who also appears as Lee Barry with ‘I Don’t Need It’, a solo 45 issued on Downey in 1966. Rockin’ instrumentals are represented by the Rivaires doing ‘The Bug’, a previously unissued version of surf hit ‘Penetration’ by Ed Burkey and the great Revels’ ‘Comanche’. Interestingly, this compilation coincides with the issue on DVD of The Exiles, the Los Angeles cult film of 1961 for which ‘Comanche’ was written. By Brian Nevill (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
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| VA: - London American Label Year By Year 1963 The USA was the first country in which a London label appeared. It was the flagship of British Decca’s American operations as far back as 1934. In 1949 the first batch of these American records was made available in the UK on the new London American imprint. In 2009 Ace launched its “London American Label Year By Year” series, which with this volume devoted to 1963, stands at five volumes. 1963 was a very good year for Phil Spector, the releases on whose Philles label appeared on London American in the UK. Until very recently, Philles recordings were out of bounds for compilations such as this one, but with the record producer presently out of circulation, his catalogue has very recently become available for license. Every cloud, eh? Let’s face it, this particular edition would not have been an accurate representation of 1963 without the Ronettes, the Crystals, Darlene Love and Bob B Soxx & the Blue Jeans, all of whom are present and correct. Yay! The inclusion of Darlene Love’s ‘A Fine Fine Boy’ here marks the first time the original 45 version has been legally available on CD. (All other digital issues contain a re-edit that is the result of irreparable damage to the original master.) Spector owed a lot of his success to Ellie Greenwich and her husband Jeff Barry, with whom he collaborated almost exclusively throughout 1963. The threesome co-wrote ‘A Fine Fine Boy’, ‘Then He Kissed Me’, ‘Be My Baby’ that year, and many more besides. Greenwich and Barry also penned bathos specialist Ray Peterson’s death-disc ‘Give Us Your Blessing’ and the Raindrops’ ‘What A Guy’, included here too. (Ellie and Jeff were the Raindrops, but you knew that.) 1963 was also a prime year for girl groups and female singers in general, a fact reflected here via the Sherrys, Little Eva, Marcie Blane, Robin Ward, Shirley Ellis and Ruby & the Romantics, not forgetting 50s R&B star LaVern Baker and South African ex-pat Miriam Makeba. There’s a lot more to this CD than Phil Spector, girl groups and Brill Building songwriters, but hey, that’s me for you. In all, this collection contains the A-sides of 28 of the 178 singles released on the London American label in 1963. As the series is expanding in two directions, we’re unsure if the next volume will focus on 1964 or 1958, both of which were very good years for American music. Watch this space to find out. Either way, it’ll be a winner. By Mick Patrick (Ace Records) |
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Ace Records 2011 | CD | 17.00 € |
