The Best Of The Girl Groups, Vol. 2

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Free Music Notes for The Best Of The Girl Groups, Vol. 2

Free Music Review: A neat encapsulation of a unique sound!
Hit: 5 Stars

Recorded by savvy, independent record producers in the (then) multitude of recording studios in NYC, the girl group members were considered dispensable, much like their music at the time. However, their music has stood the test of time.

Whilst Volume 1 of "Best Of The Girl Groups" is certainly a great CD, it is really overshadowed by Volume 2, which contains an embarrassment of riches in terms of the great singles contained within its coating (I much preferred the term "grooves", which related to the old 45's).

From the handclapping intro of "My Boyfriend's Back" (which corresponds to the pounding the guy's going to get when the boyfriend finally does get home) through to Joannie Sommers' classic ploy of a girl saying something something she doesn't really mean (in this case, saying they were through) in order to find out how the boy really feels, the songs run the gamut of boy-girl range relationships, hopes, desires and confrontations (the recording of the singles, like the latter, being almost an art in itself, in having your say in 2-3 minutes and getting out of there!).

For those who still remain somewhat unconvinced, let's look at (listen to) some of the songs:-

The Loco-Motion: Surely one of the greatest invitations (commands) ever given to get up on the dance floor! With the combined intro of New York session drummer Buddy Saltzman and sax player Artie Kaplan (veteran guitar player Charlie Macey was the only other player on the session), Little Eva really had no choice but to get up and "swing your hips now, come on baby, jump up, jump back" and do it with "a little bit of rhythm and a lot of soul". In any event, Saltzman's machine-gun drum fills and Kaplan's sax solo are worth the price of admission!

A Lover's Concerto: Before teaming up with Denny Randell, Sandy Linzer co-wrote a great Four Seasons song, namely "Dawn (Go Away)". After teaming up, Linzer and Randell wrote hits for The Four Seasons and others, but really wanted to write and produce records. In this case, they not only did both, but also found a perfect vehicle in The Toys. With its Supremes-style intro (a la Stop! In The Name Of Love), classical melody and great lead vocal by a shy Barbara Harris, the record climbed all the way to Number 2 on the charts.

The Kind Of Boy You Can't Forget: What a great vocal intro!....Diddle diddle diddle dip, you say? It certainly compares favourably with song co-writer/performers Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich's simple (but great) song titles (Da Doo Ron Ron and Do Wah Diddy Diddy). That's not the only reason it's a great song though - listen to Ellie's enthusiastic, exhuberant lead vocal , as she competes with (and very nearly defeats) the drumming barrage going on behind her (this has to be where Dave Clark got his inspiration for his drumming style!).

You Don't Know: Forget (for the moment, at least) the crisp, atmospheric production on the record. Listening to this song, you realise that Ellie Greenwich could have been one of the great solo singers, if only she hadn't been too busy co-writing (and co-producing) and singing demos (and also backing vocals on masters) on heaps of girl group records. Ellie has provided a lasting legacy through her songs as performed by other artists, but didn't venture to the spotlight herself very often (more's the pity).

Tell Him: One listen to this record not only makes you firmly believe lead singer Brenda Reid when she states "I know something about love", but the way she sings it makes you wish you were on the receiving end! A powerful record indeed!

Easier Said Than Done: The distinctive shuffle-style melody line and the delicate but insistent backbeat preserved for posterity, courtesy of master studio recording engineer Eddie Smith of Bell Sound in NYC) set up a perfect background for lead singer Anita Humes, whose vocal style and delivery helped make it a unique-sounding song for mid-year 1963 (unique, that is, until they released their next single "A Walkin' Miracle", a near-perfect knockoff of "Easier Said Than Done").

The girl group sound strode the charts for a 6-7 year period (1958-1965) and during that time, saw many other musical styles come and go, including doo wop, the first batch of male teen idols (Fabian, Bobby Vee, Bobby Rydell,, Frankie Avalaon), the emergence of American vocal groups with sustained recording careers (The Beach Boys, The Four Seasons) and the first wave of the British Invasion (The Animals, Dave Clark Five et al). The fact that the girl group sound was not only able to compete with such formidable competitors (girl group records held the number 1 position on the charts for 25% of 1963 and, remarkably, almost the same in 1964) speaks volumes for not only the quality of the records, but of the artists, producers, arrangers, sound engineers and musicians who comprised the "Girl Group Sound".

The Best Of The Girl Groups, Vol. 2 Poster