Search - Susan Maughan :: Best of

Sensational Susan!

uthungus | San Francisco, CA | 11/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sometimes there are certain drawbacks to being a collector in America and often having to rely on American market-driven music sellers; but I'm glad to have finally gone down the right avenues to find more work by Susan Maughan released since she's worth looking up, IMO! I was first exposed to her singing from a Bear Family Release "1000 Nadel Stiche" the British/American girl pop singers doing hits in German. From the moment I heard her German version of "Dream Boy" I knew there was a talent that should never have been wasted if that was her only hit! In the search for an English version, little shows up to date unfortunately. One minor disappointment from this collection and a few others out is the omission of this tune!



But that said, I'm thoroughly delighted to have come across what I have of hers so far. To me she's another of powerhouse 60s female Brit singers with a belty voice right up there with Julie Grant and Glenda Collins (if "similar artists" had to be categorized with her). From the bio notes what put her on the charts was a cover of Marcie Blaine's "Bobby's Girl". Although I do love the Blaine version, this is not simply a "cover" done by another artist. The huge tempo intro blended well with Maughan's powerful voice is definitely a tune she made her own overseas! To not as big an extent, her version on this collection of Diane Renay's "Kiss Me Sailor" is pretty enjoyable too. Susan avoided the high and trebling notes unlike Renay did (and the "growling" of lyrics that were uniquely Renay's style). But for a song not really in Maughan's niche she did well with it.



Also taking a sweet, sentimental love song standard like "Little Things Mean a Lot" and elevating it almost over the top in bravado like she did shows she had the makings of a major star even at a young age! This one makes me think of Petula Clark's "With Every Beat of Your Heart" or Dusty Springfield's "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" as a performance piece. On this collection considered "best of" by another's vision of what that definition is, I'm happy to say there isn't a thing on it I dislike, novel or serious of the tunes selected. What also pleases me to know as a music lover was that (also according to the liner notes) even "Beatlemania" didn't keep Susan Maughan down and she went on to share her beautiful voice on the cabaret circuit!



I really look forward to obtaining more of her work as it comes out!

"

Susan wanted to be Bobby's girl

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 08/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Born Marion Susan Maughan but dropping her first name, Susan's big hit was a cover of Bobby's girl. Originally an American hit for Marcie Blane, Susan took the song to the top three in the British charts. Neither singer had much success after that although as I explained in a review of a Marcie Blane compilation, Marcie really wasn't interested in a recording career, or indeed a singing career of any kind, and contented herself with a normal life away from the spotlight. As a contrast, Susan has built a singing career on the strength of Bobby's girl, performing on cruise liners, at seaside resorts and elsewhere on the cabaret circuit.



Following the success of Bobby's girl, Susan had the chance of to cover Tell him, which had been a huge success for the Exciters in America. Susan's manager turned it down so Billie Davis recorded the song instead and took it into the UK top ten. Susan did manage to scrape into the lower end of the UK charts with her next two singles (Hand a handkerchief to Helen, She's near to you) but subsequent singles failed even to do that.



This compilation, containing the three hits and the best of the rest, provides a reminder of what a great singer Susan was in the sixties. While she deserved to have more than one major hit, it's great to know that even just one big hit was enough to allow Susan to pursue a career spanning several decades doing what she enjoys - singing to her fans."

Susan Maughan

Patricia Pinkus | Los Angeles, CA USA | 01/06/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Susan Maughan was voted best female singer in England in 1963. Listening to this CD will prove what a great singer she is. She was also featured as one of the acts in the movie Pop Gear. This CD has all her hits and then some. Her vocal style is mature sounding for a young lady her age. Her songs range from bouncy pop hits to soft ballads of the times. A definite addition for those interested in British Pop during the mid sixties."