Search - Various Artists :: The Best Of The Girl Groups, Vol. 2

A Time of Innocence, Pt. II

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 07/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is only a slight drop off in overall song selection with volume two of Rhino's excellent Best of the Girl Groups series. Yes, there's still the problem of there not being any of the classic Phil Spector hits or any of the Motown or Cameo/Parkway artists, but this is still powerful music.There are classics like the Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back," the Toys "A Lover's Concerto" and Essex' "Easier Said Than Done"--all No. 1 hits. There are also lesser hits like "Wonderful Summer" by Robin Ward and the Shirelles' "I Met Him on Sunday," which didn't even crack the Top 40. [Which raises the question: Why was this song included when "Soldier Boy" and "Dedicated to the One I Love" were left off? Another odd choice is the inclusion of the non-hit "The One You Can't Have" by the Honeys in favor of Little Eva's follow-up hit "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby."] On volume two Carole King is featured as an artist with her lone Sixties hit "It Might As Well Rain Until September," but she's better represented as the songwriter (with husband Gerry Goffin) of the classic "The Loco-Motion" by Little Eva and the Cookies' only Top 20 hits, "Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)" and "Chains."Ellie Greenwich also shows up as a performer on volume two, both as a solo and with husband Jeff Barry as the Raindrops. While the British Invasion led to the demise of the girl group phenomenon, from 1961 to 1965 these were some of the most charming and infectious songs on the radio. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"

A neat encapsulation of a unique sound!

Brock R. White | 02/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The "Girl Group Sound" was primarily a New York City sound and like that city, it still jumps right out and grabs you.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"."

Songs are alright but.....

Christian Chua | Ang Mo Kio, Singapore Singapore | 10/01/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I was disappointed in the sound quality.. i have bought similar CDs of by-gone era and i know good quality sound is achievable.I guess you don't expect too much from it , it is a good buy."