Jeff Meyerson suggested that I post about Girl Groups so here is a volume from the Women & Songs series that fits the bill. If you were around in the Sixties, most of these songs should be familiar to you. How many of these songs do you remember? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+
TRACK LIST:
- Chapel of Love (Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich/Phil Spector) [2:49]
- (performed by The Dixie Cups)
- The Loco-Motion (Gerry Goffin/Carole King) [2:27]
- (performed by Little Eva)
- Baby It’s You (Burt Bacharach/Hal David/B. Williams) [2:40]
- (performed by The Shirelles)
- He’s So Fine (Ronald Mack) [1:54]
- (performed by The Chiffons)
- The Shoop Shoop Song (Rudy Clark) [2:16]
- (performed by Betty Everett)
- The Boy from New York City (George Davis/John T. Taylor) [3:08]
- (performed by Ad Libs)
- Tell Him (Bert Russell) [2:38]
- (performed by Exciters)
- Remember (Shadow Morton) [2:20]
- (performed by Shangri-Las)
- Johnny Angel (Lyn Duddy/Lee Pockriss) [2:22]
- (performed by Shelley Fabares)
- Easier Said Than Done (Larry Huff/William Linton) [2:10]
- (performed by Essex)
- Chains (Gerry Goffin/Carole King) [2:32]
- (performed by Cookies)
- A Lover’s Concerto (Sandy Linzer/Denny Randell) [2:42]
- (performed by Toys)
I do remember, and mostly liked, many of these songs, although in many cases I don’t remember the performing groups. And several of them aren’t groups at all, Shelley Fabares for instance. Guess they couldn’t afford The Supremes.
Michael, you’re right. The Supremes would have cost too much. Costs impact these compilation CDs and the decisions on song selections.
All of them! Nice group. We have three Girl Groups CDs and I’m sure all of these are on one or the other.
These are from Rhino Records;
The Best of The Girl Groups Volume 1:
Leader of the Pack – The Shangri-Las
He’s So Fine – The Chiffons
Chapel of Love – The Dixie Cups
The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss) – Betty Everett
Sally, Go Round the Roses – The Jaynetts
Will You Love Me Tomorrow – The Shirelles (Carole King/Gerry Goffin)
Remember (Walkin’ in the Sand) – The Shangri-Las
One Fine Day – The Chiffons (King & Goffin; this has always been Jackie’s favorite Chiffons song, though One Fine Day was the bigger hit)’
Party Lights – Claudine Clark
People Say – The Dixie Cups
He’s Got the Power – The Exciters
I Can’t Stay Mad at You – Skeeter Davis (Goffin & King again)
I Wanna Love Him So Bad – The Jelly Beans (Jeff Barry/Ellie Greemwich)
Dream Baby – Cher (not the Roy Orbinson song; this was written by Sonny)
Baby It’s You – The Shirelles (Burt Bachrach/Hal David)
Give Him a Great Big Kiss – The Shangri-Las
I Can’t Let Go – Evie Sands (Linda Ronstadt did a great cover of this, with basically the same arrangement)
Jeff, I have these RHINO CDs somewhere. I’ll have to look for them.
A lot of these collections did not want to pay to use the Motown songs.
The Best of The Girl Groups – Volume 2:
My Boyfriend’s Back – The Angels
Sweet Talkin’ Guy – The Chiffons
The Loco-Motion – Little Eva (Goffin/King)
A Lover’s Concerto – The Toys
The Kind of Boy You Can’t Forget – The Raindrops (Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich, who were The Raindrops, with Greenwich doing the lead)
You Don’t Know – Ellie Greenwich
Chains – The Cookies (King/Goffin)
Popsicles and Icicles – The Murmaids (David Gates, long before his Bread days)
The One You Can’t Have – The Honeys (Brian Wilson; group was his wife, her sister, and her cousin)
Tell Him – The Exciters
Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby) – The Cookies (Goffin/King)
I Met Him on a Sunday – The Shirelles
Wonderful Summer – Robin Ward
It Might as Well Rain Until September – Carole King
You Don’t Have to Be a Baby to Cry – The Caravelles
Easier Said Than Done – The Essex
I Love How You Love Me – The Paris Sisters
Johnny Get Angry – Joanie Sommers
I could sing any of them to you. Not that you’d want that.
Patti, same here! I loved these songs when I was a teenager. I must have heard them a 100 times each!
Same here!
Well, not all of them but most …
I remember copying them from AFN and Radio Luxemburg to my tape recorder and later to the cassette drive (not really a perfect quality …) – couldn’t afford to buy the disks.
Much later I also read as much info as I could get on the Brill Building writers Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich, Goffin/King etc – really interesting though the story of Phil Spector was sad.
OT re singing:
At school once our classical music teacher had everybody sing a few lines – then he looked at me and said:
We don’t need you in the choir …
I was so happy!
But my wife says my renditions of Rock&Roll ain’t so bad – though I’ve never tried these girl songs.
PS:
Just realised that the Ronettes are missing!
Strange.
Be my baby I could sing …
Wolf, these Girl Group songs were very popular in the Sixties. Of course, the Supremes outsold them all.
Remember every one, can sorta hear them in my head, or bits of them. Of those, probably The Loco-Motion would be the favorite.
Rick, I’ve heard several versions of “The Loco-Motion” but Little Eva’s rendition is the best.
Not a bad collection. No Motown but they probably wanted to much money. Only a couple songs here I don’t care for-Shelley Fabares, The Essex, The Toys.
Steve, you’re probably right about Motown wanting mucho dinero for their songs.
Lots of good stuff here.
I don’t remember Easier Said Than Done though.
Beth, just go to YOUTUBE.COM and type in “Easier Said Than Done.” I’m sure you heard it way back when! It was in heavy rotation on our radio stations.
“Well. I know (I know)
That I love him so,
I’m afraid that he’ll never know.
Because I (I-I) get so timid and shy
Each time I look him in the eye.”
Jeff, it’s always easier said than done. Just look at Trump and his promises.
I didn’t remember this song but looked up its history, a bit crazy!
Written and performed by active on duty marines – who were soon transferred to different bases, so the group existed only a short time!
https://www.stereogum.com/1997642/the-number-ones-the-essexs-easier-said-than-done/news/