Customer Reviews

Do-Wah-Diddy: Words And Music By Ellie Greenwich And Jeff Barry

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I got this shortly after it was released last year, being addicted to the Ace Songwriter series of CDs (all highly recommended) and I've been listening to it almost non-stop since hearing of Ellie's passing yesterday (26 Aug 2009). It's a fabulous compilation (lacking only the Spector masters, e.g., "Be My Baby" and "Baby I Love You" by the Ronettes, Tina's "River Deep" etc.). In addition to the songs most people know, there are many hidden and/or obscure songs. 100% good stuff, lots of it great.

Another, earlier collection of Ellie & Jeff's songs is the 1997 (promo only) compilation issued by Polygram Music Publishing, I Can Hear Music: The Songs of Greenwich & Barry. Very little duplication of individual tracks (only the Beach Boys and the Shangri-Las, and again no Ronettes, etc.), plus this one has modern artists cover some of the tracks, like Beth Orton's sublime version of "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine" not to mention classic tracks like the Supremes/Four Tops cover of "River Deep Mountain High" instead of Tina's. Plus 1965's "You Don't Know" by Ellie herself. This CD will take a little tracking down, but it's well worth it.

And of course, the Spector stuff is available elsewhere, which means you get to hear other versions of those songs, like Nilsson's version of "River Deep" on the CD reviewed here. Other gems here include the original version of "Hanky Panky" by the Summits, and the original of "Do-Wah-Diddy" by the Exciters, both from 1963.

I never met Ellie but feel like I know her a little from listening to her songs. "I had a tremendous innocence about me that shows in the songs I wrote. When I found out what life was really all about, I had nervous breakdowns. I really did. I don't like reality. How's that for a quote?" This is just one sample of Ellie's commentary on the songs in the (as usual) great and thoroughly annotated booklet.

I Can Hear Music, and it's wonderful!

As one of the husband-and-wife songwriting teams from the famed Brill Building in New York City, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich wrote their way into pop music-writing history in the early and mid-60's. Many of the top-100 songs of the day came from the pens of Barry and Greenwich and were popularized by the artists of Phil Spector's Philles label and later, by way of Leiber and Stoller's Red Bird Label's cadre of performers.

Here, in this new installment in Ace Records' salute to these prolific songwriting teams of the golden age of American rock and roll, is gathered a mere sampling, by necessity, of Barry and Greenwich's monumental output from the few years of their collaboration. And, rather than a "greatest-hits" collection, included here is a mix of a few major hits, some minor hits and quite a few obscurities. While Lesley Gore's "Maybe I Know" heads up the most recognizable tunes, there is a wealth of recordings that, in spite of their strength, were lost in the shadow of even larger hits that came before - compositions many times also the product of Barry and Greenwich. Coming on the heels of top-10 hits, the Dixie Cups' third Barry-Greenwich single "You Should Have Seen the Way He Looked at Me", the Jelly Beans' "Baby Be Mine", the Shangri-Las' "Out in the Streets" and the Chiffons' "I Have a Boyfriend" all had to vie for the attention of the fickle teenage market.

About half of the recordings in this collection are either failed singles or tunes that, when reworked by other performers, had extraordinary success. "Hanky Panky", first issued on a single by the Summits sank without a trace but two years later the tune was recycled by Tommy James and the Shondells into a number one hit. "Do Wah Diddy" was only a minor hit by the Exciters but again, somewhat frustratingly for Barry and Greenwich, it was recycled by Manfred Mann into a massive hit. And while everything they wrote didn't turn to gold, much of the top-100 music of the era was a product of this prolific pair of songwriters.

As one would expect of Ace, the production quality here is outstanding. Sound quality is first-rate with tracks 1,2,4,5,7,13,14 and 24 appearing in stereo. The 20-page liner notes booklet provides lots of illustrations, photos and fascinating background on each of the tracks on the CD. So why only four stars? Nothing from the Phil Spector artists is included and these songs are an integral part of the Barry-Greenwich musical library. Licensing restrictions prevented their inclusion and Ace certainly would have presented at least a few of the Crystals', Ronettes' or Bobby Sox and the Bluejeans' recordings had they been available. Nonetheless, without any of them, this collection can't be all that it would have been had the owners of the Philles catalog been more cooperative.

Shortcomings aside however, this is an outstanding addition to Ace's series on the Brill Building songwriters of the era and deserves a space in the collection of fans everywhere.

Among the all-too-many musical makers and shakers who have left us in the last twelve months or so, one departure that was keenly felt by me was that of Ellie Greenwich. Along with other women writer pioneers like Jackie DeShannon, Sharon Sheeley, Cynthia Weil and Carole King she paved the way for the likes of Blondie, Eurythmics, Madonna and Lady Gaga at a time when women were second class citizens within the recording industry.

Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry wrote hits in the famous Brill Building for the Ronettes (including Be My Baby, which contribution alone ensures their "greatness" status), the Crystals, Darlene Love, the Shangri-Las, the Chiffons, the Drifters, the Dixie Cups and Ike and Tina Turner (River Deep - Mountain High, for Heaven's sake!) and for countless others. They also had hits as the Raindrops, and Ellie made albums under her own name too.

This 2008 compilation is part of Ace's continuing exploration of Brill Building songwriter partnerships and has brought to CD for the first time a number of fascinating rarities. Licensing rights probably prevented the inclusion of some Phil Spector productions but it means instead we hear less well known productions of the songs by such as Karen Verros and Nilsson. However, the work they did for Leiber and Stoller is well represented.

The liner notes can't be faulted either, a model of concision and authorative facts and illustration.

From the pen of Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry, this collection of tracks demonstrates the talent of two of pop music's most talented individuals. After Ellie & Jeff met and decided to merge their talents, both had forged a line of hits not only for others, but inadvertantly for themselves (The Raindrops). Though their vocal abilities are not shown in this collection, what we have here is what they literally gave others to hit with. There are omissions (The Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron" etc.), but the material here is more that sufficient, most notably the obscure ones.

What we have is a few pop masterpieces (the Beach Boys' "I Can Hear Music" as opposed to The Ronette's version which was recorded a year previous, 1966). We have Lesley Gore's 'Maybe I Know' in which Ellie sang back-up to before this track was created. Ellie does back-ups on that track as well. Pure 'girl group' heaven!

We also have another version of 'Hanky Panky' by the Summits. Not exactly as good as Tommy James's version, and not as goofy as The Raindrop's, but is still interesting to hear how many interpretations this song had.

Bobby Sheen, one of the lead vocalists of Phil Spector's phantom group Bobby Soxx & The Blue Jeans gets his 'I Want You For My Sweetheart'. One of the better tracks. His voice virtually leaps!

There are familiar tracks by the Shangri-las, and The Dixie Cups, as Red Bird Records had to be represented as the company was Ellie & Jeff's home for a few years before they left the company (and divorced).

The sound quality is excellent, as only Ace can and has always done, presented superb sounds for those who crave good product!

This collection of songs written by Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry is amazing for the great engineering and re-mastering. From the opening Beach Boys' track "I Can Hear Music," the set cooks. I've been having a Lesley Gore resurgence since the release of her delightful new set Ever Since sent repeated tracks to the top of my personal top ten. Her "Maybe I Know" that liner notes tell us was written in a taxi cab has a great energy. The Ad Libs' "He Ain't No Angel" bops with cheerful innocence. The Exciters' version of the title track may not be as well known as the Manfred Mann smash, but it pulses & sticks in your head. "Everybody Clap Your Hands" by Moody & the Deltas is new to me, a great soul workout. Sam Hawkins' "Hold On Baby" throbs with seductive energy, "Hold on baby while I pour some coffee in your cup." Jack Nitzche recorded Karen Verros' version of "Little Boy," an obscure orchestral gem. "I Want You for My Sweetheart" by Bobby Sheen pounds with a classic good-time feel. The set ends with Nilsson's dynamic version of "River Deep, Mountain High," the sound pristine and clear. "Do-Wah-Diddy" is an excellent set highlighting the work of this excellent songwriting team. Enjoy!