Gary, Please Don't Sell My Diamond Ring - Wendy Hill
You Should Know I'm Still Your Baby - Sammi Lynn
I'll Believe It When I See It - Sierras
Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight - Dodie Stevens
Not Just Tomorrow, But Always - Bertell Dache
I'll Be There - Damita Jo
Don't Let Him Shop Around - Debbie Dean
Son-In-Law - Blossoms
He'll Have to Stay - Jeanne Black
Duchess of Earl - Pearlettes
Well, I Told You - Chantels
When a Woman Loves a Man - Esther Phillips
Long as the Rose Is Red - Florraine Darlin
Tell Tommy I Miss Him - Marilyn Michaels
(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling, Too - Skeeter Davis
You Don't Have to Be a Tower of Strength - Gloria Lynne
I'll Bring It on Home to You - Carla Thomas
I'll Just Walk on By - Margie Singleton
(Chain Gang) The Sound of My Man - Theola Kilgore
Sorry, Daddy - Sweethearts
I Don't Like It Like That - Bobbettes
There Is Nothing on My Mind, Pts. 1 & 2 - Teen Queens
They Took You Away - I'm Glad, I'm Glad - Josephine
For every major hit that posed a lover's question, or had you crying in your beer back in the sixties, there was the reassuring certainty of the 'answer' song. Answer records were a prevailing American phenomenon. Usually ... more »rendered by female artists, they were an expedient way to hitch a ride on the coat tails of an existing hit. Deejays favored them for their topical value and many answer records from the Golden Age made the charts in their own right. Here are 28 of the best, all by female performers save for one tune by 'guest boy' Bertelle Dache whose 'Not Just Tomorrow, But Always', a riposte to the Shirelles' smash 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow', is among the sought-after highlights of the set. Others include Gerri Granger's sinewy 'Just Tell Him Jane Said Hello', produced by Leiber and Stoller in the wake of Elvis' 'Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello', Tracey Dey's 'Jerry (I'm Your Sherry)', which features a couple of the 4 Seasons on background vocals and Jody Miller's Grammy award winning 'Queen Of The House', which became a smash to rival 'King Of The Road'. Even wackier than the original is 'They Took You Away - I'm Glad, I'm Glad' by Josephine, a timely 'answer' to 'They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!' by Napoleon XIV. Regarded as the better of the two records, this suffered a radio ban and is extremely rare. Many of the titles on this extremely potent and novel compilation appear on CD for the first time and all are sourced from the best master tapes. It is the only comprehensive answer song compilation on the market and we have given it our best attention. Compiled and annotated by Rob Finnis, it comes with a gorgeous booklet full to bursting with a reviews, ads and label shots that evoke the phenomenon almost as much as the music itself.« less
For every major hit that posed a lover's question, or had you crying in your beer back in the sixties, there was the reassuring certainty of the 'answer' song. Answer records were a prevailing American phenomenon. Usually rendered by female artists, they were an expedient way to hitch a ride on the coat tails of an existing hit. Deejays favored them for their topical value and many answer records from the Golden Age made the charts in their own right. Here are 28 of the best, all by female performers save for one tune by 'guest boy' Bertelle Dache whose 'Not Just Tomorrow, But Always', a riposte to the Shirelles' smash 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow', is among the sought-after highlights of the set. Others include Gerri Granger's sinewy 'Just Tell Him Jane Said Hello', produced by Leiber and Stoller in the wake of Elvis' 'Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello', Tracey Dey's 'Jerry (I'm Your Sherry)', which features a couple of the 4 Seasons on background vocals and Jody Miller's Grammy award winning 'Queen Of The House', which became a smash to rival 'King Of The Road'. Even wackier than the original is 'They Took You Away - I'm Glad, I'm Glad' by Josephine, a timely 'answer' to 'They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!' by Napoleon XIV. Regarded as the better of the two records, this suffered a radio ban and is extremely rare. Many of the titles on this extremely potent and novel compilation appear on CD for the first time and all are sourced from the best master tapes. It is the only comprehensive answer song compilation on the market and we have given it our best attention. Compiled and annotated by Rob Finnis, it comes with a gorgeous booklet full to bursting with a reviews, ads and label shots that evoke the phenomenon almost as much as the music itself.
CD Reviews
We DO like it like this
Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 01/10/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In the early days of rock 'n' roll, in an attempt to capitalize on a successful tune or rejuvenate the waning fortunes of a recording artist, the concept of "answer songs" often filled the bill and not infrequently made it onto pop radio's playlists. While many were inferior sound-alikes, some were well-constructed and executed tunes that stood on their own and made substantial progress on the charts. Here, in this new compilation from the esteemed Ace Records of the U.K., we are offered a significant sampling of these answer songs, some of which were hits in their own right and some which were relegated to the bargain bins. Included are hits such as Jeanne Black's "He'll Have To Stay", the top-5 response to Jim Reeves' "He'll Have To Go", Jody Miller's "Queen of the House" and Skeeter Davis' (of "End of the World" fame) "I Can't Help You I'm Falling Too". As has come to be expected (yet something we collectors should never take for granted), Ace has done a superb production job with this piece. The massive 28 tracks, several of which appear in stereo (tracks 4,9-11,14-16,19,20,23,24,27 specifically), are presented in the highest-quality sound given the vintage of these recordings. Beyond the recordings, what makes this piece that much more outstanding is the 24-page liner notes booklet, loaded with fascinating backround on the featured artists and music, and punctuated with pics and illustrations. Though while the music CD market is a fading enterprise, Ace continues to raise the bar on the medium. This latest offering is a fine example of how worthwhile the effort can be for us fans of the medium and the music of the era. A definite keeper."
What a great idea!
Ronald Van Scherpenzeel | Madrid, Spain | 10/31/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"To have all the important answer songs on one CD is another
great idea by the people at ACE records and whatever they do
turns into success. Many of these answer songs were never heard of
in Europe except for "chartered" ones like "Yes I'm Lonesome Tonight",
"He'll Have To Stay", "Tell Tommy I Miss Him" and "I'm Falling Too".
The musicians on a lot of these answer songs seem to be the same if
you compare them to the original recordings which sometimes leads to
the question "Were they recorded on the same session"? Besides the
titles mentioned above, the real highlights of this CD are "Just Tell
Him Jane Said Hello", "Queen of the House", "Not Just Tomorrow But
Always", "Duchess of Earl", and the incredible "I'll Just Walk On By",
which is one of the 4 superb country answer songs.
As always, a real treat by ACE.
"
Missing Song
L. Morrell | 11/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A great CD, however, beware of one omission: The track titles say that "Oh Neil" by Carol King is included on this CD, however, my copy does NOT have this song, but instead has Skeeter Davis "I Can't Help You I'm Falling, Too". Let the buyer beware!"
Astonishingly good collection
Vinnie Silvagio | Telluride, CO USA | 12/22/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Every track is a high quality production-- not a clunker among them. Almost every cut mimics the original musically. The lyrics are usually clever, sometimes amazing, often hilarious. A truly entertaining listen. Of course, it helps to be intimately familiar with the originals!"
Track Listings (28) - Disc #1