Search - Boy Trouble-Garpax Girls :: Boy Trouble: Garpax Girls

Keep the untapped older greats coming!

uthungus | San Francisco, CA | 07/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you've ever heard the "Sharades" (Joe Meek's Girls) cover of the album title track on this collection you practically have to make the comparison of the Rev-lons version of "Boy Trouble" being "the way the song should sound"!! Not that I don't love the campy "Petticoat Junction Girl Band" sound of Meek's take for the novelty value, but it's always nice to hear a well-composed tune like this done without "joking" about it! I'm pleased to have come across more thoughtfully complied collections like this one someone took the time to re-release on CD, because there really is a wealth of untapped talent here even in the "demos". There was only one other track of the Rev-lons I've ever come across ("After Last Night" on a WB 60's release - a great Jackie DeShannon song). Here is a wonderful mix of other things they did quite nicely blended together with other "California girls" of the era!



Too many to compliment all, so I site my own favorites among many really unique tunes: Diana Dawn's "Back Street Girl" has a crying "early Eydie Gorme" vocal quality; "Losin' Control" (The Fashionettes) is like the "lost" Dusty Springfield tune (the lead sounding somewhat like her at times); Mary Saenz shines in one of my favorite styles popular for the era utilizing melodic bells, multiple beat sequences and "Wall of Sound" especially in "It's Too Late Now" and "My Kind of Boy"; Although there are liner self-criticisms of the "low budget" production of Beatrice Kay's contributions ("Boy You Better Watch it Girl" and "Keep a Hold on Him") it only goes to show that you don't need to have the Philharmonic backing a belty, talented singer like Kay; Sweet-voiced Beverly Williams not only did a thoroughly enjoyable upbeat version of "Till There Was You", but also seemed to be moving in the Diane Renay direction with "Dutch Treat". You just don't find cute songs like that written any more! Lastly, the only real "dud" on this collection, IMO would be Doris Webb's "He's the Most" only because the tune is a pretty basic "Shoo-wop" number. But out of a collection of 26 tracks that's a pretty good average of better to great by comparison overall!"