Customer Reviews

Hal Lifson's Sex and the 60s

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With a wink to HBO's popular series "Sex and the City," Varese Sarabande has compiled nearly an hour's worth of terrific songs and guilty pleasures. While few of these songs were bona fide hits ("Music to Watch Girls By," "Remember (Walkin' In the Sand)," "How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?" and "Goldfinger" charted in the US; "Alfie" and "Girl Don't Come" were UK top ten hits), what Baby Boomer won't recognize the theme music from The Avengers or The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.?

But the real treats are the TV commercial songs like Edie Adams' "Hey Big Spender" (for Muriel Cigars) and "Take It off! Take It All Off!" (for Noxema Shaving Cream). Also, several of these songs are making their CD debut, like Twiggy's 1967 rare debut single "Over and Over" and Donna Loren's "Love's a Secret Weapon" from the 1964 film Bikini Beach. This could quite possibly be the party album of the year! RECOMMENDED

This is one of those CD's where you will scratch your head remembering tunes and commercials from the 60's. Some you will never have heard before, as they were never released in the states, others were minor hits, and then there are the blockbusters, such as "Goldfinger." "Girl Don't Tell Me," by Sandy Shaw, "Come and Stay With Me," by Jacke DeShannon, and the Bob Crewe stuff are particular standouts. Add to this mix these zany, sorta sexy commercials and voila, instant party classic for swingers of all age. I got a big kick out of this record. It is fun and amusing, and kinda sexy.

Hal Lifson has done it again. This is a great trip down memory lane. I have so many visuals to the songs. Fran Jeffries singing Sex and the Single Girl....Edie Adams doing Big Spender with a cigar. Noxema and Take It All Off made me want to shave at the age of nine. And then there is Ann-Margret....is there anyone better? I say NO!!! Hal - this might sound corny - but Thanks For The Memories

This compilation reminded me how much fun music can be. The songs really seemed to raise my energy level and I found the whole CD a great workout accessory. I also enjoy it while relaxing. Some of the songs are familiar--others seemed more obscure but still catchy and definitely a reminder of the 60s.

There's not much more to say other than I have over 1500 cds, and this is the one I find myself listening to over and over. It's fun, nostalgic and well-worth repeated listening. Could there be any higher praise?

This CD is a fabulous collection of cool & sexy '60s music of singles, TV themes and commercials.
Although I was a '70s kid, this collection really did give me a taste of how great the '60s must have been. I wish that I had lived it.
This CD put together by Hal Lifson is probably the closest I'll ever get to living the '60s without me actually having to go back there in a time machine.

There is only a very small number of songs here that I already have on various CDs, but about 80% of the disc is all new.
Most of the material here I have never heard before.

To kick-off this splendid CD, Shirley Bassey's ultimate Bond tune "Goldfinger" (single version) puts you in the picture from the start.
Then we are treated to the first of two Bob Crewe tunes, "Music To Watch Girls Go By." I'm so used to hearing the Andy Williams hit, and this version without the vocals is great.

After Sandie Shaw's "Girl Don't Come" we hear the first of the original commercial spots, "Big Spender" from Muriel Cigars.
The commercial tracks which appear after every three or four songs is a great idea and adds a lot of fun to this listening experience.

The very first time I heard the Twiggy single "Over And Over" I didn't think that much of it. But after repeated listening it has grown on me, it's quite pleasant.

I'm a big fan of Donna Loren and the Beach Party movies and it is a very welcome bonus to have the song "Loves A Secret Weapon" included in this set.
Donna Loren's recordings are very hard to come by on CD and this is one of my favourites.
Actually, Hal Lifson's "Sex and the '60s" contains many rare and hard-to-find recordings that you will have a hard job to find elsewhere, such as; "Little Things Mean A Lot" by Jayne Mansfield.
It's the first time I have ever heard a Jayne Mansfield song and I was very pleasantly surprised. This is definitely one of the many highlights on this CD. Many thanks and well done to Hal for including it.

The next major highlight on this CD for me was the commercial for the Noxema Shaving Cream featuring "Take It Off! Take It All Off!", this is a very cool and sexy piece of the '60s. Again, It's the first time I have heard this, thanks to Hal.

Ann-Margret's "The Swinger" is a real groovy number with a cool beat. Reminds me a little of Nancy Sinatra's "Boots".

Avengers fans will be very happy. Included here is the super cool main title theme from the TV series and another very welcome rarity "Bad Time To Stop Loving Me" sung by Linda Thorson.

The second of the Bob Crewe tracks, the theme from "Barbarella" is my most favourite of the two on this compilation. I really love these groovy brassy instrumental numbers. I want to hear more of this stuff.

Cilla Black's "Alfie" makes a nice addition here. I much prefer Cilla's recording over Cher's version which I believe replaced Cilla's in the US release of the Michael Caine movie classic.

Nancy Sinatra's No.7 Billboard Hit "How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?" is the perfect and grooviest way to end this awesome package. "bye, bye."

I really hope our pal Hal follows this up with another volume of sexy goodness.
Dear Hal, if you are reading this, for the next volume how about Baby Jane Holzer's "You're Gonna Hurt Yourself" and Hullabaloo's very own Go-Go-Girl Lada Edmund Jr. debut single "I Know Something" (both 1966), two cool songs I can't find anywhere.

If you haven't already bought this CD purely on the basis of the extremely sexy girl on the cover (which had me dribbling), then you must waste no more time. Buy it now while it's Hot!!!, or depending upon the way you look at it.....very cool.

In putting together the tracks for "Sex and The '60s" with my co-producer Cary E. Mansfield, we wanted to pay tribute to the glorious sex symbols of the 1960's, whom we loved watching on TV, in movies, and listening to on radio stations like 93 KHJ.

Sex and pop culture merged head-on during the 20th Century's most colorful and progressive era. Women were slyly positioned in the media as fantasy figures for the "Man Who Reads Playboy" and warm memories of Barbara Feldon on "Get Smart," the Swedish babe in the Moxema shaving cream commercial pleading, "Take It Off, Take It All Off!" and the cover of the "Whipped Cream And Other Delights" album linger like the scent of Vitalis.

"Sex and The '60s" offers such rarities as: "Music To Watch Girls By," "Sex And The Single Girl," Twiggy's debut "Over and Over," "The Swinger" movie theme by Ann-Margret, and the radio single of "Goldfinger," by Shirley Bassey. I hope you enjoy our sonic scrapbook to the first decade of 'cool'... sorry, I mean COOL WHIP.

Thank You Mr. Lifson! Finally someone has compiled some of the music that I grew up with...the jingles and best of all a version of Goldfinger that I hadn't heard before. I am going to host a 60's Party with this on continuous loop! Is there any way I can get some more songs from you that take me back to my youth? Goosebumps with the Avengers theme and raucous belly laughter with the Noxema Shave Cream commercial! Thanks again Hal, you're a Prince...not to mention a Mensch!

There is a wide variety of material here,from blaring,campy commercials and radio spots to pop classics (Sandie Shaw,Nancy Sinatra) to riot-endusing "vocals" (Donna Loren,Linda Thorson,Barbara Feldon) The perverse,playful and sheer cool & strange are all represented here in a 60's cocktail for the cool collector.A bonafide guilty pleasure, for sure.

This collection is a dream. If you want to put a smile on you, your friends, or your kids faces then grab Hal's Sex and the 60s cd. My only regret is it is only 1 disc -but every track is so cool and evokes the best feelings from the 60s. Plus- like everyone else has said- the accompanying book is the single best coffee table book for both children of the 60's and their kids. This soundtrack and the book are like personal scrapbooks that my mom threw out 30 years ago and now they're found!
Just don't let anyone borrow it-I'm telling you I've had so many friends who want to "borrow" this book and cd- not these- I've sent them to Amazon!