Customer Reviews

Where The Girls Are, Volume 4

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This fourth volume in Ace Records' series of girl-group sound rarity compilations mines the vaults of Atlantic Records. These are not hit records. Only one of the 26 tracks included (Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles' "All Or Nothing") managed to break into the top-100. Most of the recordings here are very obscure. Some of these artists did have success at different times on different labels - the aforementioned Patti LaBelle along with April Stevens and Doris Troy to name a few. Ellie Greenwich of the Barry and Greenwich Brill Building song-writing team is also found here performing under the moniker of Meantime. A few of these artists did have some chart recognition regionally such as Shirley Matthews whose "Big Town Boy" did well in Canada and in the New York region and may be a find for local fans who remember. But this is certainly not a hits compilation and is aimed at the collector of truly rare and obscure recordings of the genre.

Production-wise, Ace has done a respectable job here with decent sound quality overall though all tracks appear in mono. The ten-page liner notes booklet does shed some interesting light on many of these rare recordings.

Though not geared for the casual fan of girl-group-style music of the era, this is a quality piece and may be of interest to the more intense collector.

In common with the other volumes in this series, this collection consists of rare tracks that didn't make any significant impression when they were released and have largely been forgotten. If you are a casual fan of sixties music just looking for hits, you should look elsewhere. You won't find them here. There are a few familiar names here, but their famous songs are not included. This volume is sub-titled Atlantic's feminine side, which tells us that these tracks were recorded for Atlantic records.

Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles are represented by two tracks including A groovy kind of love. Patti was not the first to record this song (see my review of Volume 2), but her version was recorded before the Mindbenders - sadly, it was only released as a B-side. The A-side, a cover of Over the rainbow, is not included here. Patti's other track here, All or nothing, was an American hit (something of a rarity for tracks included in this series of compilations), peaking at 68.

Doris Troy had a huge American hit with Just one look, which was covered by the Hollies who had the British hit. Doris had a minor British hit of her own with What'cha gonna do about it. Neither of those tracks are included here, but the two tracks here are brilliant and one can only wonder why Doris didn't have more hits.

Goldie and the Gingerbreads are represented by Walking in different circles, while Carol Shaw is represented here by a solo track (Jimmy boy) recorded before she became a member of that group.

The Cookies are represented by a very early track from 1955 (by far the oldest track here). The line-up was different then. Two of those Cookies later became backup singers for Ray Charles, while the third looked for replacements, eventually re-emerging in the early sixties with the line-up most people recognize.

April Stevens, best known for her cover of Deep Purple (a duet with her brother Nino Tempo), had a minor American hit in 1959 with Teach me tiger. April is represented here by two rare mid-sixties tracks including a re-recording of Teach me tiger. The original recording can be found on one of the volumes of Early Girls, another excellent series of girl-group music.

The overall sound of this collection is early sixties girl-group. If you are already familiar with this type of music and you have a significant collection of such music, you may find this fascinating. If not, you are probably not ready for this.

As New York Yankees' broadcaster Michael Kay might say, the ballgame was "manageable" under 3 hours; he might also say, after listening to this album, that all the tracks were manageable, as they were under 3 minutes! (A literal stretch but I'm working out my NYY post-season trauma...). Under 3 minutes is terrific for pop-soul sounds of the '60s, songs for sitting out in the backyard and daydreaming, tunes to accompany you on that first walk together with that special someone you daydreamed about *in* that lawnchair, tunes to make you wanna dance with that person later on that night in the go-go downtown.
Here we have 26 tracks from Atlantic records, mostly pre-Motown /raw Soul era numbers by solo and group women, who could sing out, sing soft, phrase exquisitely...write the song!
And to those artists: Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles with a pre-Mindbenders' Groovy Kind of Love, better than the version by the drummer from Genesis and more danceable than the "hit" version; we have avery early Cookies' number, "In Paradise" from late 1955!, with a sound I thought at first was possibly 1965!! A closer listen and I changed it in my head to 1962, then 1960. Point is, a progressive "doo-wop", if you will, in mid-tempo.
Probably the rarest number is by Tami Lynn, "At The Party", off a French Extended Play. It's boo-ga-loo time, underlined by a exceptional, expressive voice. (A presumptive reference disc for the writers of Little Richard's "Scuba Party" from a 1967 film).
How about another presumptive Penniman reference disc with Doris Troy's "You'd Better Stop", with some of the feel of Richard's great, unreleased for 9 years, rockin' go-go number by the same title. (aka by LR as "You Better Stop"). Troy was especially outstanding during those years, writing, singing, performing. And don't gimme no "one-hit wonder" jazz...her big hit is a stone Classic. (And it's under 3 minutes!).
Goldie & the Gingerbreads offer "Walking In Different Circles", an interesting melody and beat. (Presumptive refrence disc for English and Weiss: Ludwig Von Beethoven. Miquel Rios' "Song Of Joy" happened about two years alter. Guess *his* reference disc was Goldie.....).
The Meantime (aka Ellie Greenwich) has track 24, "Friday Kind Of Monday", a poignant reflection, not destined to affect the Earth's gravity, but like Tami Lynn's entry, a true collector's item.
The CD closes with two by April Stevens, whose sensuality sends the listener on "Lovin' Valentine" and "Teach Me Tiger '65". The last title I'd take even if it was *4* minutes!