Search - Paris Sisters :: The Paris Sisters Sing Everything Under the Sun!!!

Superb attention to details!

David A. Young | 08/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Eric Records has just released on CD, for the first time in its entirety, the 1967 masterpiece 'The Paris Sisters Sing Everything Under The Sun' . . . and it's a treat not to be missed. From Greg Adams' in-depth notes describing the Sisters' often heartbreaking story as well as the individual tracks, to Albeth and Sherrell's moving tribute to recently deceased lead singer Priscilla, to the sound of the brilliantly remastered songs themselves, the package bursts with lavish details. Girl group fans would have been grateful to have had this rare LP (make that hideously rare if you're talking stereo) reissued under any circumstances. But being spoiled with a 16-page booklet popping with seldom-if-ever seen photos, along with a powerful stereo mix that blows the original one, muddy and narrow, out of the water, is, in the words of one of the songs' titles, 'Too Good To Be True'.



That song is one of four on the album written by Priscilla Paris that prefigure her first solo LP, released not long after this one, and show her to be a talented composer as well as a sensitive and versatile vocalist. In the hands of producers Jack Nitzsche and Jimmy Bowen (who also collaborated on the former's 'The Lonely Surfer' album), she really comes into her own on 'Everything Under The Sun', so it's no surprise that she split the group after this material was recorded.



As would be expected (and hoped), there is more than a passing similarity to the Spector sound on the tracks, recorded mainly as singles over a two-year period. That's appropriate both because it was Phil that found the sound that gave the Paris Sisters their first hits after years of releasing flops, and because Nitzsche's arrangements are defining elements of so many Spector smashes. There's even a nod to the girls' minor Spector-produced hit 'Be My Boy': the version of 'Sincerely' here begins exactly the same way, and ends with backing vocalists Sherrell and Albeth Paris cooing 'be my boy'.



There's another Spector connection in the album's closer, 'Born To Be With You', the first cover version of the Chordettes' 1956 hit to sport a Wall Of Sound production treatment. In 1975, Dave Edmunds released another impressive rendition in the Spector style, giving Phil himself the final say that same year with his production of Dion's interpretation, which boasted a radically different arrangement.



My own particular favorite on the album has always been 'See That Boy', a retooling of Mann and Weil's 'See That Girl' as recorded by the Righteous Brothers and others. The brooding backing track is stupendous, beginning with a rumble that becomes downright ominous thanks to the efforts of the CD's sound producers, Tom Daly and Mark Mathews. But it's Priscilla's tour-de-force performance, full of heartfelt tragedy and drama, that sells the song. In less than two and a half minutes, she explores, without a hint of contrivance, the entire rich range of her vocal possibility; it's a breathtaking moment.



In the end, it's just one on an album chock full of breathtaking moments. Even at collector prices, this LP has always offered good value for the money; there's not a clinker to be found among the songs, and your favorite may well be different than mine. If you enjoy the girl group/Phil Spector sound, there's no way you will fail to fall in love with the album. Now that you have a chance to own it for $15.98 - with jaw-dropping upgrades in detail to the sounds, the words and the pictures - you really have no excuse not to."

Everything Under the Sun is RIGHT!

David Holder | Martinsville, IN USA | 09/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a joy to see Paris Sisters material finally makeing it to CD, on a legit level. This original LP has been a favourite of mine for years, and on CD...it sounds beyond fantastic. Cheers to ERIC records. Special mention to songs, "See That Boy", "My Good Friend" and "Born To Be With You" they are fabulous, and also were connected to the genius of the late "Specs" Nitzsche. Now, I hope to sometime see their GREGMARK, MERCURY, and MGM recordings re-mastered...and their later ones I'm not as familiar with, on CD. The 4 MERCURY recordings they made were works of art. I believe most fans would agree. And who wouldn't wanna hear, "Yes, I Love You" cleaned up for CD? You know you'd love it. Was this song one of the lost GREGMARK tapes? I highly recommend this CD, the booklet alone is also a true gem . Sherrell and Albeth contributed many wonderful photos and notes. Their tribute the the late "Prissy" is also very touching. True angels in harmony, these girls!"

Not Much Bang For Yer Buck

Rick | Sydney Australia | 10/11/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Jack Nitzsche and Jimmy Bowen inadvertedly created a lovely album when the Paris Sisters' flop 1965/66 singles were harvested for this collection. And it's worth owning for the fact that it really holds its own as a snapshot of the exquisite talents of artists and producers. It's cohesive and highly listenable. And that's where the hype stops.



Eric Records can't be congratulated for anything about this CD. Only ten tracks totalling 26 minutes and 10 seconds is only one-third of a CD. Eric could have marketed a 5-star product with the inclusion of the Spector/Gregmark 45 sessions, as well as the MGM 45 sessions. Or they could have included Priscilla's superb and more-collectable "Priscilla Sings Paris" solo LP. More Paris Sisters (or more Priscilla Paris) in this instance would be better value-for-money Paris Sisters; as well as underscoring the girls' impressive body of mid-60's recordings.



The backliner proudly touts this re-issue as "True Stereo" but it's not: it's just the sixties dual-track which served as the LP master, and the instrumental track isn't even consistently on the same channel. Radical remixing of the master was required here - the brilliant lead-off "My Best Friend" has little impact in this decidedly un-dynamic version of "stereo".



Reissue producer Bill Buster celebrates his efforts in the same typeface as Nitzsche & Bowen: more's the pity those efforts aren't able to speak for themselves with the really worthwhile digital product this re-issue could have been."