A few weeks ago I posted about Women & Songs: Beginnings (you can read my review here) and now I’ve listened to the sequel: Women & Songs: Beginnings 2. Like the first collection of songs, the choices include several musical eras. It’s not often that I hear “Johnny Angel” by Shelly Fabares (who I had a crush on back in 1961). I want to get up and dance whenever I hear “The Loco-Motion” by Little Eva. And who can resist “Your Precious Love” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell!
Women & Songs: Beginnings 2 presents several hit songs like Carly Simon’s “Anticipation” which was the theme song for Heinz Ketchup commercials from the 1970s to the 1980s. “You Made Me Feel Like a Natural Woman” was one of Aretha Franklin’s biggest hits. And Dionne Warwick’s version of “Walk On By” has always been one of my favorites.
On the minus side, I was never an Edith Piaf fan. Do you remember these songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST:
Disc 1
- You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman
- (performed by Aretha Franklin)
- Walk On By
- (performed by Dionne Warwick)
- You’ve Changed
- (performed by Billie Holiday)
- I’m Sorry
- (performed by Brenda Lee)
- You Don’t Own Me
- (performed by Leslie Gore)
- You Don’t Know How Glad I Am
- (performed by Nancy Wilson)
- End Of The World
- (performed by Skeeter Davis)
- Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
- (performed by Crystal Gayle)
- Private Dancer
- (performed by Tina Turner)
- MacArthur Park
- (performed by Donna Summer)
- Love Is Like A Heatwave
- (performed by Martha Reeves)
- Release Me
- (performed by Esther Phillips)
- Who’s Sorry Now
- (performed by Connie Francis)
- It That All There Is
- (performed by Peggy Lee)
- Whatever Will Be Will Be
- (performed by Doris Day)
- Mister Sandman
- (performed by Emmylou Harris)
Disc 2
- Anticipation
- (performed by Carly Simon)
- Rose Garden
- (performed by Lynne Anderson)
- Baby Don’t Go
- (performed by Sonny & Cher)
- What The World Needs Now Is Love
- (performed by Jackie DeShannon)
- Goldfinger
- (performed by Shirley Bassey)
- Mangos
- (performed by Rosemary Clooney)
- Johnny Get Angry
- (performed by Joanie Sommers)
- I Cried A Tear
- (performed by Lavern Baker)
- The Loco-Motion
- (performed by Little Eva)
- Easier Said Than Done
- (performed by The Essex)
- Johnny Angel
- (performed by Shelley Fabares)
- Your Precious Love (with Tammi Terrell)
- (performed by Marvin Gaye)
- What’s New
- (performed by Linda Ronstadt)
- Cry Me A River
- (performed by Julie London)
- Love Me Or Leave Me
- (performed by Lena Horne)
- La Vie En Rose
- (performed by Edith Piaf)
What a weird combination! Edith Piaf to Lynn Anderson to Lena Horne to Skeeter Davis. Some songs from the fifties, some from the sixties, some from the seventies, even from the eighties. I don’t see how a four-decade span of music gets to label itself “The Beginnings” of anything…but I guess the label came up with the packaging idea and they were going to use it regardless of the music they could get the rights to. I like quite a few of the songs here including “Natural Women,” “Walk On By,” “Anticipation,” and “Cry Me A River.”
Deb, I’m with you on the marketing concept. The song choices in this collection extend all over the musical map. But, like you, I like many of these women singers and their songs. And, these songs will take your attention away from the Drew Brees kerfuffle.
Just saw Drew trying to apologize for his “insensitive” comments.
Calling this the beginnings is strange – but the songs are great!
Fond memories:
My first wife and I enjoyed a performance by Tina Turner in Frankfurt (Germany) – i think it was her Private Dancer tour.
Funny fact:
Every few songs there was a short intermittance when the band continued and Tina disappeared – returning after a short time in new clothes …
Just found the date – the tour has its own wiki: May 2 1985
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_Dancer_Tour
But I don’t remember whether it was Bryan Adams or David Bowie who accompanied her then at this date – she worked together with both of them.
Great music!
Wolf, I have to look around for my Tina Turner live in Europe CD. I think it was recorded after the PRIVATE DANCER tour.
This may be the best compilation you’ve featured here, with nearly half of them being either classics or at least songs I loved. A few I just haven’t heard, like “MacArthur Park” covered by Donna Summer–love the song but can’t imagine Summer singing it. “I’m Sorry” by Brenda Lee–a good song by a terrific singer who’s been mostly forgotten except for a couple of godawful Christmas songs. Two more that I love, “You Don’t Own Me” and “The End of the World” by two more nearly forgotten singers, Lesley Gore and Skeeter Davis respectively. And though I didn’t care for “Johnny Angel”, I most definitely remember Shelly Fabares.
Michael, back around 1961 I was falling in love almost every day. Shelly Fabares sent my heart a-flutter whenever I saw her on TV (in black-and-white!). Later, I had a crush on Lesley Gore. And who could forget Skeeter Davis! There’s a lot of good music in this box set.
What a weird collection, but mostly good this time. I have never liked Donna Summers’ version of “MacArthur Park” but most of the others are better. We have many of these (even though they are solo singers) on one of our three or four GIRL GROUPS collections (you should do that next) – one that Jackie always makes fun of is “Johnny Get Angry,” whose theme seems to be that she wants her boyfriend to get possessive, act like “a caveman” and, presumably, beat the crap out of her! “You Don’t Own Me” was the only one of Lesley Gore’s hits where she wasn’t a doormat. Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger” was probably the best James Bond theme song ever. Michael mentioned Brenda Lee. We saw her do a free concert (opening for Neil Sedaka) maybe 15-20 years ago, outdoors in Brighton Beach. Former State Senator turned Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz put on free summer concerts every year for decades, and we saw many stars there, including Dion, Dionne Warwick, George Thorogood & the Destroyers (they were the ones who prompted the end of the shows, as neighbors complained they were too loud), Jay & the Americans, Little Anthony, and a show for Deb – Disco Divas.
Favorites – Natural Woman, Walk on By, Heat Wave.
Deb, I’m sure you are like me in that whenever I hear “Who’s Sorry Now” I immediately picture Greg and Babs in her pink bedroom, making the call to set up Otter.
Jeff, I like your suggestion of GIRL GROUPS. I’ll have to root around in the basement and find a couple of those compilation CDs.
“Do you know the Rainbow Motel on Old Mill Road? Well, I’m sure I don’t know, Otter. Mandy just asked me to tell you to meet her there.” And then Greg tries to strangle her teddy bear until she rips it out of his hand with a cry of “Teddy!”
/This is what happens when you’ve watched Animal House about, oh, a thousand times.
Brilliant!
Exactly. In 1983, we went to our one and only PulpCon in Dayton, Ohio. I spent much of the first evening there quoting the entire ANIMAL HOUSE start to finish (“Greg, what is the worst fraternity on this campus?”), to the amazement of all (except Jackie, already subjected to it before).
“See if you can guess what I am now. I’m a zit. Get it?”
I like a lot of these and the lyrics are embedded in my brain. Funny how words put to music last longer.
Patti, I listened to many of these songs hundreds of times in the Sixties when radio was much more popular than it is today. The lyrics were drilled into my brain through repetition.
I like most of these songs, but I really prefer “fast” songs, so Heat Wave is my favorite from this collection. I like “bouncy” music
While waiting for my library to open for holds, I’ve been listening to the 2 disc cd of the Country Music PBS show. Disc 2 is my favorite with Why Not Me by the Judds my former favorite. I’ve just converted to Pancho & Lefty (or Lefty & Pancho) by Willie & Merle as the fav (followed by you aint going nowhere by the Byrds, Bobby McGee by Kris Kristoffersen, and Above your station by Ricky Skaggs.
Yes, it’s Pancho & Lefty.
Maggie, I’m going to visit our Library today. I’ve heard rumors it’s open on a limited basis. I need to investigate.
In 2004, we took my mother in law to see Linda Ronstadt do a free concert of her ‘big band’ stuff in Seaside Park (Brighton Beach). Later that summer we saw Frankie Valli, Dion, and Kenny Vance. Great concert.
Jeff, Diane and I only saw Linda Ronstadt in concert once when she came to Buffalo in the 1980s. She played Toronto many times and I regret we didn’t travel north to see her. Like the concert you attended, our concert was great, too!
George, I wouldn’t need to buy this CD compilation if I saw it anywhere. For most of these songs, as soon as I see their titles, I hear them in my head.
Steve, you’re right about the iconic nature of some of these songs. I feel I listened to them so many times during my youth that they’re part of my DNA!
I agree with the tribe, a good if weirdly varied collection. “La Vie en Rose” and “Johnny Angel” on the same playlist. I’d advise people not to listen to the uber-depressing “Is That All There Is” this week, a stone downer in the best of times.
Fred, I share your opinion of “Is That All There Is.” Ultimate downer of a song. By the way, in a couple of weeks, you’ll see a book reviewed here that you indirectly suggested.
Lots of good stuff here, George.
And I love MacArthur Park – no matter who sings it!
Beth, Richard Harris probably owns “MacArthur Park” but Donna Summer’s version is special in many ways.
Very weird compilation. A lot of good stuff like Dionne and Aretha. A lot of stuff I can’t stand like Shelley Fabares (sorry George), Joannie Summers, Rosemary Clooney, Connie Francis and Doris Day. The Peggy Lee track remains on my top ten all time unlistenable list (with such goodies as Having My Baby and Feelings). I find the Donna Summer and Linda Ronstadt tracks to be odd choices. Also never liked Lesley Gore who couldn’t sing a lick in real life. She was a rich kid whose daddy bought her a record deal. (He was the Gore of Gore-Tex and made his money in swimwear). I must admit a dislike of teenage oriented songs (Fabrares, Gore, Jeannie Summers). I never liked them when I was a kid and don’t like them any better now. A very odd collection. If it was pruned down to one cd of the best stuff it would be a great cd but way too many tracks I find unlistenable.
And George, while I’m writing this I am listening to Buffalo’s own Willie Nile’s newest The Streets of New York.
Steve, we love Willie Nile here in Buffalo! You’re right about the odd mix of songs. I confess my crush on Shelley Fabares may have clouded my judgement of “Johnny Angel.” Hormones swayed a lot of my behavior when I was a teenager. I think Leslie Gore’s success was due to Quincy Jones who produced many of her songs.
Many good memories from my high school days.
Rick, same here. A lot of these songs were the soundtrack of my HIGH SCHOOL days.
My High School memories are of Motown, Stax, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dylan, The Kinks, The Animals, The Who, Beach Boys. I never liked the teen stuff of the early 60’s like Fabian, James Darren, Four Seasons, Frankie Avalon, Lesley Gore. My first records were Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Duane Eddy, Sandy Nelson, Everly Brothers, Brenda Lee (before she went country).
Steve, one of my Birthday presents when I was 10 years old was a transistor radio. I listened to it constantly. That’s when I discovered Rock & Roll in 1959. I listened to songs all day long so Frankie Avalon, Fabian, the Everly Brothers, Elvis, and the Drifters were imprinted on my brain. I loved Brenda Lee’s “Coming on Strong.”
Steve, I would consider Fabian and Frankie Avalon and the rest of the white wannabes as very late ’50s, after Chuck Berry got arrested, Little Richard “retired” for the first time, Jerry Lee Lewis married his cousin, and Buddy Holly died. Early ’60s to me was more dance music like Chubby Checker and the like – Twist, Mashed Potatoes, Hully Gully, etc. Not that I was ever a good dancer.
Otherwise I agree with you (we’re pretty much the same age) on the music of high school days – Motown, Beach Boys, British Invasion. But I always had eclectic taste and enjoyed a lot of the teen music of the age.