Customer Reviews

My Boyfriend's Back

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If Collectables is going to continue putting out CD versions of old vinyl LPs at a time when Ace, Jasmine, Eric, Bear, and others like that are giving us CDs with upwards of 25-30 tracks for almost the same money, then they need to "expand" those releases by more than 2 tracks.

Where, for example, is I Adore Him, which made it to # 25 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in late 1963? What makes this especially annoying is their inclusion of the B-side, Thank You And Goodnight, which only made it to # 84! Also missing is their final charted hit, Wow Wow Wee (He's The Boy For Me), which just missed the Top 40 in 1964, settling for # 41, and its flipside, Snowflakes And Teardrops, as well as (Love Me) Now which backed their only # 1 hit, My Boyfriend's Back, in 1963.

To leave these off and include, instead, weak entries like And The Angels Sing, Blow Joe, and Cotton Fields just doesn't cut it, despite the fact these may have been part of the initial LP.

A much better choice is The Best Of The Angels, a 21-track 1996 release from Mercury/Chronicles/PolyGram which contains ALL their hits plus 4 of the six B-sides.

Some of the Angels best hits are included here among some good original 60's album tracks.
This album doesn't have as much juvenile overtone as the 'PolyGram' c.d. does.
It is nice to hear the Angels on some 'standards' like "Sentimental journey", "Cotton feilds",
and "Everybody loves a lover".
They do a good job with these, and it's nice to also hear this side of their music.

Four of their six hits are here, and 2 b-sides,
they are:
"Till" b/w "A moment ago" 1961.
"Cry baby cry" b/w "Thats all I ask of you" 1962.
"My boyfriends back" 1963.
"Thank you and goodnight" 1963.

Between 1961 to 1964 the Angels had six hits, and four b-sides.
This is a very nice album to have.
Producded by collectables label in 1990, this is original recordings, and sounds great.

Footnote: It's true this album is not as comprehensive,
as the 21 track "Mercury Chronicles" compilation by PolyGram.
But another thing that's nice about this Collectables c.d. is that,
here are the two b-sides that are NOT on the "PolyGram" album.
Plus there are 10 additional different songs.
Together the two c.d.'s give ALL of the Angels A & B sides,
and gives a better overveiw of their musical abilities.
There isn't much to be found of the original 60's Angels recordings.
This is a great addition to an oldies collection!
All original recordings.

P.S. - I'm curious if any one knows if this album is actually,
the Angels first L.P. re-issued with two extra hits added?
I am suspicious that may be what this album is.
It fits the typical format of having the A and B sides of an artists first couple of releases,
and a few original tunes among some covers of some well known songs.
Also, the flavor of the album cuts mingle well the their first release "Till".
I think this is a hidden treasure for more reasons than one.

The Angels started out singing doo-wop ballads on the low budget Caprice label. Linda Jansen sang lead on these songs. Then she left the group to get married and the remaining two Angels moved to a new label and got a new lead singer, the stage actress Peggy Santiglia. Her voice lent something that was sorely missing from the group: attitude. Her voice could save even the weakest song simply because of its pure sassiness. After she joined the group they made many great songs including the smash hit "My Boyfriend's Back".

Unfortunately none of those songs are included on this cd, except the previously mentioned hit, which the producers have tacked on so they can call it a "classics edition". What we have here are the songs they made at Caprice with Linda singing lead. The liner note doesn't even mention this. It leads you to believe that Peggy is the lead on these songs. They're all boring ballads or dance songs that don't really make you want to dance. And the sound quality is horrible, as with most CD's put out by Collectables. The only good songs here, besides "My Boyfriend's Back", are "Till" and "Cry Baby Cry" two doo-wop ballads that managed to make the top 40 in 1962. If you want to hear some fantastic music by the Angels then buy the best of album put out by Polygram, the one that has 21 tracks. It has all of their hits, gloriously restored.

I don't understand why "Some Day my Prince will Come" is left out of this album! I have been looking for an MP3 download from them for this song (it is on the album). I had to record this song from the album I had and it's scratchy.

Seems lots of artists have recorded this song in mp3 form except from this group. I loved this song. Would love to know why it is omitted.

I am pleased to the max. Now I can listen to the recording "Till". It has to be one of the most beautiful recordings ever produced.

I first heard "'Til" from a 45 RPM record given to me by my first, one and only "true love" in high school (1962). She said this song expressed her feelings toward me better than anything else, which of course blew my young, impressionable mind. Well, I guess the tropic sands turned cold and this young world grew old because she dumped me after about three years. Still, when I listen to this tune, I remember the happy, care-free times we shared, oblivious to the burdens of reality as we were so much in love. I wish life could have been that simple!

I bought the album lately to reminisce about 'Til, but was delighted to hear and remember several other nice tunes from that era including "A Moment Ago" and "Cry, Baby Cry". The Angels were quite good, adept at tweaking my teenage heart-strings. I wish the idyllic life I envisioned while envolved with my first true love could have become a reality!

This CD brought back many memories for me. They were great memories of when I was a teenager.

THE ANGELS WERE ONE OF THE VERY BEST GIRL GROUPS EVER. I WISH THEY HAD RECORDED MORE OF THE CLASSIC STANDARDS. THEY DID A SENSATIONAL JOB WITH "TIL" AND I LOVE "CRY BABY,CRY". WHEN "MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK" WAS PLAYED ON "AMERICAN BANDSTAND", EVERYONE JUMPED OUT OF THEIR SEATS AND RAN TO THE DANCE FLOOR.IT WAS A REAL "SMASH".THE ANGELS HAD A BEAUTIFUL VOICE AND HARMONIZED IN A DREAMY, ANGELIC PITCH. I GOT GOOSE BUMPS WHEN I FIRST HEARD "TIL".THIS C.D. IS A MUST! I KEEP HOPING THAT MORE STUFF BY THEM WILL RESURFACE.I'D LOVE TO HEAR THEIR RENDITIONS OF "WHERE OR WHEN" AND "OVER THE RAINBOW". BUY IT!!

I am writing this review to correct the impression left by the other review. The Angels sound good. Peggy Santiglia, the lead singer, has a lovely voice, which is in great form on this album. there are a couple of Mitch Miller style numbers on this CD, which is why I left it at four rather than five stars.

The best song was My Boyfriend's Back Then Cotton Fields
The whole CD was great. Need more like it.