Best Ever Albums

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

baystateoftheart — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 17:52:47 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 03/28/2018 21:52

So while I was still in the thick of this project (someday I will return), I made a girl group playlist. It has every song in the genre I've rated 5/5, plus one 4.5/5 for each artist who had no 5/5s. It's organized first by year of release and second by artist, but it's meant to be shuffled. The one 5/5 that wasn't available on Apple Music was "Nothing But A Heartache" by The Flirtations (early music video embedded below). Hope you enjoy!

The Playlist In Question

Link

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

bobbyb5 — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 04:13:41 GMT

Author: bobbyb5

Posted: 02/27/2018 09:13

baystateoftheart wrote:

Tonight's The Night by The Shirelles

Overall Rating: 76.2

Baby It's You by The Shirelles

Overall Rating: 70.6

I checked out these albums because as Gowi pointed out in Tilly's diary, there is more to The Shirelles than just a greatest hits compilation. They're both worth listening to, with some standout album cuts that fly below the radar. Tonight's The Night in particular is incredibly consistent, and I gave no track below a 3.5/5. Even by 1960, the transition from pronounced doo-wop influences to straight-up pop soul was already fairly complete. Baby It's You is spottier, with two mediocre tracks and one awful track ("Putty In Your Hands", almost certainly the worst and most regressive material they ever put out). Lyrically, these are usually pretty standard love songs on both albums, and instrumentally they're of mixed quality and uniqueness, so this material most often leans on strong, expressive vocals to reach its potential. I already wrote about some of the standout singles in the prior post, so I'll just pick one deep cut from each album:

1. Make The Night A Little Longer (1962) 4/5
By Carole King & Gerry Goffin

Great use of drums, strings, and backing vocals make this yearning tune shine.

2. The Dance Is Over (1960) 4/5
By Luther Dixon

This mini tragedy employs pathos effectively in its tale of perceived infidelity and dashed love.

Great reviews. I like how you use empirical evidence to support your your opinions rather than just gushing about how awesome something is without giving any evidence of why it's so awesome. Ha ha

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

baystateoftheart — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 16:19:54 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 02/26/2018 21:19

Tonight's The Night by The Shirelles

Overall Rating: 76.2

Baby It's You by The Shirelles

Overall Rating: 70.6

I checked out these albums because as Gowi pointed out in Tilly's diary, there is more to The Shirelles than just a greatest hits compilation. They're both worth listening to, with some standout album cuts that fly below the radar. Tonight's The Night in particular is incredibly consistent, and I gave no track below a 3.5/5. Even by 1960, the transition from pronounced doo-wop influences to straight-up pop soul was already fairly complete. Baby It's You is spottier, with two mediocre tracks and one awful track ("Putty In Your Hands", almost certainly the worst and most regressive material they ever put out). Lyrically, these are usually pretty standard love songs on both albums, and instrumentally they're of mixed quality and uniqueness, so this material most often leans on strong, expressive vocals to reach its potential. I already wrote about some of the standout singles in the prior post, so I'll just pick one deep cut from each album:

1. Make The Night A Little Longer (1962) 4/5
By Carole King & Gerry Goffin

Great use of drums, strings, and backing vocals make this yearning tune shine.

2. The Dance Is Over (1960) 4/5
By Luther Dixon

This mini tragedy employs pathos effectively in its tale of perceived infidelity and dashed love.

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

baystateoftheart — Fri, 5 Jan 2018 21:39:49 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 01/06/2018 02:39

I have changed my scoring system and added to my listening list, so here's a little ranking and recap of where things are in the project. I'm doing this a lot more thoroughly than I expected to haha.

Albums Scored:

1. Spring Fever! by The Pussywillows (1988) 94.4*
2. Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica by The Ronettes (1964) 93.0*
3. Myrmidons Of Melodrama by The Shangri-Las (1964-1966) 91.6*
4. Shangri-Las - 65! by The Shangri-Las (1965) 90.2*
5. The Best Of The Girl Groups Volume 1 by Various Artists (1960-1966) 89.2
6. 25 All-Time Greatest Hits by The Shirelles (1958-1964) 80.2
7. Leader Of The Pack by The Shangri-Las (1965) 79.8*
8. Da Doo Ron Ron: The Very Best Of The Crystals by The Crystals (1961-1964) 79.7
9. The Best Of The Girl Groups Volume 2 by Various Artists (1958-1966) 79.4
10. Tonight's The Night by The Shirelles (1960) 76.2
11. He's A Rebel by The Crystals (1963) 72.4
12. Baby It's You by The Shirelles (1962) 70.6

* = writeup pending

Albums Listened, To Score:

We Are The Chantels by The Chantels (1958)
Please Mr. Postman by The Marvelettes (1961)
The Ultimate Collection by The Marvelettes (1961-1969)
One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost And Found by Various Artists (1961-1969)
Playboy by The Marvelettes (1962)
Meet The Supremes by The Supremes (1962)
Heat Wave by Martha And The Vandellas (1963)
A Christmas Gift For You by Various Artists (1963)
Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows: The Best Of Lesley Gore by Lesley Gore (1963-1967)
The Ultimate Collection by Martha And The Vandellas (1963-1972)
Gold by The Supremes (1963-1976)
Chapel Of Love by The Dixie Cups (1964)
Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes (1964)
Girls In The Garage, Vol. 1 by Various Artists (1964-1967)
Dance Party by Martha And The Vandellas (1965)
Whenever A Teenager Cries by Reparata And The Delrons (1965)
More Hits By The Supremes by The Supremes (1965)
Truth Gotta Stand by The Luv'd Ones (1966)
Watchout! by Martha And The Vandellas (1966)
I Hear A Symphony by The Supremes (1966)
The Supremes A' Go-Go by The Supremes (1966)
The Toys Sing "A Lover's Concerto" And "Attack!" by The Toys (1966)
The Marvelettes by The Marvelettes (1967)
The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland by The Supremes (1967)
A Go Go by Dara Puspita (1968)
Love Child by Diana Ross & The Supremes (1968)
Composes, Produces And Sings by Ellie Greenwich (1968)
Honey Ltd. by Honey Ltd. (1968)
Sophisticated Soul by The Marvelettes (1968)
Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations (1969)
New Ways But Love Stays by The Supremes (1970)
Spring by American Spring (1972)
We Are The Pipettes by The Pipettes (2006)

Albums To Listen To, Digital Or Physical Copy Available:

The Cake by The Cake (1967)
A Slice Of Cake by The Cake (1968)

Albums To Listen To, Digital Or Physical Copy Unavailable For Now:

The Chordettes by The Chordettes (1957)
You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry by The Caravelles (1963)
He's So Fine by The Chiffons (1963)
Sweet Talkin' Guy by The Chiffons (1966)
Sinbad by Yanti Bersaudara (1968)

EDIT: Updated 2/25/18

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

baystateoftheart — Fri, 5 Jan 2018 20:53:45 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 01/06/2018 01:53

He's A Rebel by The Crystals

The Crystals were largely a studio group that served as a vehicle for Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, perhaps more so than other groups on Phillies Records. For example, several of their songs were actually performed by other artists and released under The Crystals' moniker. "He's A Rebel," the title track of this album and their biggest hit, is actually The Blossoms, led by Darlene Love. In any case, what a Wall of Sound it was! The signature booming drums and soaring strings make Spector-produced music some of the most enjoyable girl group ever produced. Behind it all, artists were exploited and women were abused by the future murderer. When the boundary between the abuse and the music is laid bare, the record is at its worst. The nadir of this album and the total output of Phillies Records appears as track eleven, the appalling "He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)." The lyrics were inspired by Little Eva's justification of her boyfriend's abuse, and disgustingly romanticize an awful social problem. The single was so repulsive, even for the time, that it was pulled from radio and distribution after a torrent of public anger. In contrast, the record is at its best with the pair of 1962 singles that lead off the album, which combine immaculate production with sweet lyrics (although "Uptown" is still dated in terms of sexual politics). While love songs about bad boys would become a girl group trope, the title track seems to be the origin point (please correct me if I'm wrong). Nine of the twelve songs here were a-sides or b-sides, so this album is pretty stacked. And one of the album-only tracks, "Another Country - Another World," is lyrically unique, as it finds its narrator struggling against the limits of society's xenophobia.

Overall Rating: 3.62

Da Doo Ron Ron: The Very Best Of The Crystals by The Crystals

Like The Shirelles disc I wrote up earlier, this is a fairly comprehensive single-disc best of compilation. It features ten out of the twelve tracks from He's A Rebel, plus eight more. Most of these eight appeared on singles, but two, "Heartbreaker" and "Woman In Love (With You)", are previously unreleased tracks. Sadly, they were unreleased for a reason, and are two of the weakest tracks on the compilation, aside from the aforementioned He Hit Me. Da Doo Ron Ron cherrypicks the best from He's A Rebel, leaving off only "Frankenstein Twist," a rote dance number, and "On Broadway," a Drifters cover that fails to improve on the original. Their omission, combined with the additional quality tracks (especially "Then He Kissed Me" and the title track), make the compilation a better bet if you're only going to listen to one disc by The Crystals. However, if you're an album purist like Gowi (a legitimate position to have), He's A Rebel is a very solid listen.

Overall Rating: 3.99

Top 3 Crystals Tracks:

1. He's A Rebel (1962) 5/5
Author: Gene Pitney
Billboard Chart Position: #1
Note: The epitome of cool.

2. Then He Kissed Me (1963) 5/5
Authors: Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector
Billboard Chart Position: #6
Note: Perfectly saccharine pop.

3. Da Doo Ron Ron (1963) 4.5/5
Authors: Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector
Billboard Chart Position: #3
Note: What drags this down from a perfect score is the corny part about his name being Bill.

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

baystateoftheart — Fri, 5 Jan 2018 20:04:09 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 01/06/2018 01:04

Gowi wrote:

https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=42686

*coughs*

^Everyone should check this chart out.

Writeup on The Crystals coming soon.

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

mickilennial — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 21:31:34 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 12/30/2017 02:31

https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=42686

*coughs*

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 21:25:56 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 12/30/2017 02:25

Jimmy Mack by Martha and the Vandellas
Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes
Tell Him by the Exciter's
He's a Rebel by the Crystals
He's So Fine By the Chiffons
Don't Mess With Bill by The Marvelettes
The Happening by Diana Ross and The Supremes
Mama Said by The Shirelles

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

mickilennial — Sun, 24 Dec 2017 03:55:21 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 12/24/2017 08:55

Those early punk bands and garage groups were influenced by rockabilly, doo wop, and girl group standards, so it isn't really that much of a surprise is it?

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

Repo — Sat, 23 Dec 2017 23:32:26 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 12/24/2017 04:32

baystateoftheart wrote:

Tilly wrote:

Thanks for introducing me to this great band. I couldn't find this particular album, but I found this...

https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=496177#496177

... And it may work even better for me. I think 25 tracks is too long for this kind of sound whereas the 14 or 15 on this, is pretty much a perfect length. Plus, it's "all killer no filler."

Glad I could help. Your writeup was awesome by the way! Calling The Shirelles proto-punk might be a stretch. But you're absolutely right that it was influential (as were bubblegum pop, surf rock, etc.). I just listened to New York Dolls for the first time last week and noticed they copied an intro from The Shangri-Las.

I know! I heard that song by The Shangdi-Las for the first time two years ago & was floored.

lol. You're probably right that The Shirelles are not photo-punk per se, but it's a lot closer than I ever thought. And totally essential stuff if you're into port-punk imo.

Going to check out those Rhino albums next. 😁

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

baystateoftheart — Sat, 23 Dec 2017 23:12:41 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 12/24/2017 04:12

Tilly wrote:

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

Repo — Sat, 23 Dec 2017 22:52:04 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 12/24/2017 03:52

baystateoftheart wrote:

Thanks for all the recs, bobby! I will pick a few of them to add to my new listening list when I get there. I have and love that Lesley Gore comp, but excluded it because it's solo.

25 All-Time Greatest Hits by The Shirelles

First up in my re-listening list, this is probably the best and most comprehensive Shirelles collection, arranged mostly in chronological order and selected mostly based on chart success. This comprehensiveness, while an asset, can work against the compilation. Some fairly mediocre material finds its way on, especially toward the end. Whenever things fall short, it is usually not the fault of the vocal or instrumental performances, but rather weak or cliched songwriting. One exception is the shrill organ solo in "Baby, It's You", which mars an otherwise near-perfect song. The Shirelles started out as a female doo-wop group in 1957, releasing their debut single in 1958. Stylistically, they changed with the times toward a more pop soul sound. In contrast to many other girl groups, Spector-produced and otherwise, the arrangements are not colossal walls of sound, but generally more understated, although there are some nice string sections. The most interesting arrangement comes on "It's Love That Really Counts (In The Long Run)." To summarize, the highs on this collection are phenomenal - some of the best songs of the girl group movement, and some of the best songs period. The lows are fairly middling, but never below average.

Top 3 Tracks:

1. Will You Love Me Tomorrow (1960) 5/5
An utter masterpiece about an eternal human question. One of the greatest songs ever made. Written by Carole King & Gerry Goffin, it was the first girl group song to go to #1.

2. Mama Said (1961) 5/5
Maybe the hardest rocking single they made, but one that is also emotionally potent, with its reassurance that even the now-lonely will one day find love. Written by Luther Dixon & Willie Denson, it went to #4.

3. Baby, It's You (1961) 4.5/5
Both the single and album versions appear here, with minor differences. Sadly, that piercing organ is in both. A soulful, slow burning song that's almost perfect. Written by Burt Bacharach, Luther Dixon & Mack David, it went to #8.

Unweighted Track Average: 3.85
Time-Weighted Track Average: 3.86
Top 40 Minutes Track Average: 4.16
Overall Rating: 3.96

This was a very good re-listen. I'm unsure about whether to subsequently delve into their albums or not, as I'm concerned there may be a lot of filler.

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

baystateoftheart — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 14:31:07 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 12/16/2017 19:31

Quick update - I'm drowning in schoolwork because finals. I've listened to a lot more stuff for this project but I'm not sure when I'll be able to post about it. I will ASAP.

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

Repo — Sat, 2 Dec 2017 20:25:52 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 12/03/2017 01:25

baystateoftheart wrote:

Good lists, but I'm going to hold off on mine until I've reached the end.

Instead of splitting it up into old stuff and new stuff, I've decided just to do the project totally in chronological order. Here is my master list, featuring four recs from bobby and one from Jimmy. Italics and asterisks indicate I'm having a hard time finding it so far (don't already have, not on music streaming or YouTube as an LP, and can't find a download). These may take me a long time to get to if physical copies are required.

1. **We Are The Chantels by The Chantels (1958)
2. 25 All-Time Greatest Hits by The Shirelles (1958-1964) writeup complete
3. The Best Of The Girl Groups Volume 2 by Various Artists (1958-1966) writeup complete
4. The Best Of The Girl Groups Volume 1 by Various Artists (1960-1966) writeup complete
5. Da Doo Ron Ron: The Very Best Of The Crystals by The Crystals (1961-1964)
6. The Ultimate Collection by The Marvelettes (1961-1969)
7. One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost And Found by Various Artists (1961-1969)
8. **You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry by The Caravelles (1963)
9. A Christmas Gift For You by Various Artists (1963)
10. Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows: The Best Of Lesley Gore by Lesley Gore (1963-1967)
11. Chapel Of Love by The Dixie Cups (1964)
12. Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica by The Ronettes (1964)
13. Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes (1964)
14. Girls In The Garage, Vol. 1 by Various Artists (1964-1967)
15. Dance Party by Martha And The Vandellas (1965)
16. Leader Of The Pack by The Shangri-Las (1965)
17. Shangri-Las - 65! by The Shangri-Las (1965)
18. More Hits By The Supremes by The Supremes (1965)
19. **Sweet Talkin' Guy by The Chiffons (1966)
20. Truth Gotta Stand by The Luv'd Ones (1966)
21. Watchout! by Martha And The Vandellas (1966)
22. The Supremes A' Go-Go by The Supremes (1966)
23. The Toys Sing "A Lover's Concerto" And "Attack!" by The Toys (1966)
24. **The Cake by The Cake (1967)
25. The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland by The Supremes (1967)
26. **A Slice Of Cake by The Cake (1968)
27. A Go Go by Dara Puspita (1968)
28. Composes, Produces And Sings by Ellie Greenwich (1968)
29. Honey Ltd. by Honey Ltd. (1968)
30. *Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations (1969)
31. New Ways But Love Stays by The Supremes (1970)
32. Spring by American Spring (1972)
33. Spring Fever! by The Pussywillows (1988)
34. We Are The Pipettes by The Pipettes (2006)

Nice! Love how you're tackling this. �'�

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

baystateoftheart — Sat, 2 Dec 2017 18:51:17 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 12/02/2017 23:51

Good lists, but I'm going to hold off on mine until I've reached the end.

Instead of splitting it up into old stuff and new stuff, I've decided just to do the project totally in chronological order. Here is my master list, featuring four recs from bobby and one from Jimmy. Italics and asterisks indicate I'm having a hard time finding it so far (don't already have, not on music streaming or YouTube as an LP, and can't find a download). These may take me a long time to get to if physical copies are required.

1. **We Are The Chantels by The Chantels (1958)
2. 25 All-Time Greatest Hits by The Shirelles (1958-1964) writeup complete
3. The Best Of The Girl Groups Volume 2 by Various Artists (1958-1966) writeup complete
4. The Best Of The Girl Groups Volume 1 by Various Artists (1960-1966) writeup complete
5. Da Doo Ron Ron: The Very Best Of The Crystals by The Crystals (1961-1964)
6. The Ultimate Collection by The Marvelettes (1961-1969)
7. One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost And Found by Various Artists (1961-1969)
8. **You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry by The Caravelles (1963)
9. A Christmas Gift For You by Various Artists (1963)
10. Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows: The Best Of Lesley Gore by Lesley Gore (1963-1967)
11. Chapel Of Love by The Dixie Cups (1964)
12. Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica by The Ronettes (1964)
13. Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes (1964)
14. Girls In The Garage, Vol. 1 by Various Artists (1964-1967)
15. Dance Party by Martha And The Vandellas (1965)
16. Leader Of The Pack by The Shangri-Las (1965)
17. Shangri-Las - 65! by The Shangri-Las (1965)
18. More Hits By The Supremes by The Supremes (1965)
19. **Sweet Talkin' Guy by The Chiffons (1966)
20. Truth Gotta Stand by The Luv'd Ones (1966)
21. Watchout! by Martha And The Vandellas (1966)
22. The Supremes A' Go-Go by The Supremes (1966)
23. The Toys Sing "A Lover's Concerto" And "Attack!" by The Toys (1966)
24. **The Cake by The Cake (1967)
25. The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland by The Supremes (1967)
26. **A Slice Of Cake by The Cake (1968)
27. A Go Go by Dara Puspita (1968)
28. Composes, Produces And Sings by Ellie Greenwich (1968)
29. Honey Ltd. by Honey Ltd. (1968)
30. *Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations (1969)
31. New Ways But Love Stays by The Supremes (1970)
32. Spring by American Spring (1972)
33. Spring Fever! by The Pussywillows (1988)
34. We Are The Pipettes by The Pipettes (2006)

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

bobbyb5 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 10:55:00 GMT

Author: bobbyb5

Posted: 11/29/2017 15:55

[quote="Jimmy Dread"]Any list of greatest girl group hits that fails to mention [i]Be My Baby[/i] really needs to hang its head in shame. So here's 5 obvious and 5 lesser-known girl group zingers from the head of Dread...

Be My Baby - The Ronettes
Leader Of The Pack - The Shangri-Las
Sweet Talkin' Guy - The Chiffons
My Boyfriend's Back - The Angels
Da Doo Ron Ron - The Crystals
______

Egyptian Shumba - The Tammys
Black & White Thunderbird - The Delicates
Quite A Reputation - The Chymes
Cryin' Inside - The Heartbeats
About My Baby (I Could Write A Book) - The Pandoras[/quote]

Man, I couldn't decide between Be My Baby, Then He Kissed Me, or Walking in the Rain. But I like Walking in the Rain best, so I picked that. I thought three was too many for The Ronettes. 2 would be reasonable though.
I love how you got My Boyfriend's Back. I forgot all about it.

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

Jimmy Dread — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 10:27:28 GMT

Author: Jimmy Dread

Posted: 11/29/2017 15:27

Any list of greatest girl group hits that fails to mention Be My Baby really needs to hang its head in shame. So here's 5 obvious and 5 lesser-known girl group zingers from the head of Dread...

Be My Baby - The Ronettes
Leader Of The Pack - The Shangri-Las
Sweet Talkin' Guy - The Chiffons
My Boyfriend's Back - The Angels
Da Doo Ron Ron - The Crystals
______

Egyptian Shumba - The Tammys
Black & White Thunderbird - The Delicates
Quite A Reputation - The Chymes
Cryin' Inside - The Heartbeats
About My Baby (I Could Write A Book) - The Pandoras

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

bobbyb5 — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 17:48:04 GMT

Author: bobbyb5

Posted: 11/27/2017 22:48

Can't wait to hear that Caravelles one. I never heard of it. Sounds awesome.
I like how you picked the Paris Sisters as number two. Some people consider them part of 50s pop rather than girl group, but it's a great record. Another one I love that really isn't girl group sound but rather 50s pop is the McGuire Sisters Sincerely. They did that kind of precision singing that I love, but was really part of a different era. And they were awesome. Though hardly rock and roll.

And you can't argue with Sally Go Round the Roses or Locomotion. And The Toys Lover's Concerto I agree with you, it's one of the greatest ever. Or the Shangri-las either.

Off the top of my head I'm gonna try to make up my Top 10 all time greatest girl group hits right now. If I thought about a bit more would probably be different, but just off the top of my head.

1. Lover's Concerto....The Toys
2. Come See About Me... The Supremes
3. Sweet Talking Guy... The Chiffons
4. Walking in the Rain...The Ronettes
5. Maybe I Know ...Lesley Gore
6. Dedicated to The One I Love ...The Shirelles
7. Mr Lee... The Bobbettes
8. Someday We'll Be Together ... Diana Ross and The Supremes
9. I'm Into Something Good..The Cookies
10. The Loco-Motion.. Little Eva

Okay, I'm gonna keep going with a 70s girl group Top 10.

1. Up the Ladder to the Roof... Supremes
2. When Will I See You Again... The Three Degrees
3. I Met Him On a Sunday... Laura Nyro w/ LaBelle
4. One Monkey Don't Stop No Show... Honey Cone
5. Arabian Nights Medley...The Ritchie Family
6. Floy Joy.. The Supremes
7. Armed and Extremely Dangerous.. First Choice
8. Chapel of Love ...Bette Midler
9. Stone Love.. The Supremes
10. Leader of the Pack... Bette Midler

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

baystateoftheart — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 14:39:31 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 11/27/2017 19:39

Rhino makes the best compilations, and these two are no exception. They cover a broad range of girl group and girl group adjacent music, placing singles from obscure artists alongside smash hits from more established stars. If you could only have two discs to represent the genre, these would be solid choices. There's no Motown here, and almost no Phil Spector (exception: The Paris Sisters), and the absence of those giants leaves room for the exploration that ensues. The first disc is markedly stronger than the second, as one might expect, but both have essential material. When the material is at its strongest, it has inspired, sugary pop production (such as the Bach flip of "A Lover's Concerto" by The Toys or the booming drums of "The Kind Of Boy You Can't Forget" by The Raindrops). When the material is at its weakest, the chief cause is dramatically regressive politics of gender and sexuality. The chief offenders in this category are "He's Got The Power" by The Exciters and "Johnny Get Angry" by Joanie Sommers. The latter, which also includes an abominable kazoo solo, is the only comprehensively awful song among the two discs. While these are not perfect collections, they are nonetheless essential listening for anyone interested in the girl group phenomenon.

The Best Of The Girl Groups, Volume 1 by Various Artists

Unweighted Track Average: 4.33
Time-Weighted Track Average: 4.35
Top 40 Minutes Track Average: 4.57
Overall Rating: 4.42

Top 3 Tracks (excluding Will You Love Me Tomorrow, previously awarded):

1. Remember (Walking In The Sand) by The Shangri-Las (1964) 5/5
In their work with Shadow Morton, the Shangri-Las created symphonies of heartbreak, and this might be the best one. Everything is in its ideal place, from the cascading opening chords, to the backing vocals, to the bird sounds. It tells a story of profound loss, and reached #5.

2. One Fine Day by The Chiffons (1963) 5/5
On the emotional flip side comes this optimistic and up-tempo tune, which is an absolute jam from the second its torrential piano intro begins. Written by King and Goffin, it went to #5.

3. Sally, Go 'Round The Roses by The Jaynetts (1963) 5/5
One of the most interesting and high-value singles production-wise (at a reported cost of $60,000), this features a spacey, atmospheric soundscape that complements the unique lyrics. Written by Lona Stevens and Zell Sanders, it peaked at #2.

The Best Of The Girl Groups, Volume 2 by Various Artists

Unweighted Track Average: 3.89
Time-Weighted Track Average: 3.85
Top 40 Minutes Track Average: 4.09
Overall Rating: 3.94

Top 3 Tracks:

1. You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry by The Caravelles (1963) 5/5
Soft-focus and plodding, with a slight twang that belies their British origin. It's a simple song done very beautifully. Written by Bob Merrill and Terry Shand, it went to #3 in the States.

2. I Love How You Love Me by The Paris Sisters (1961) 5/5
Another track with rounded sonic edges. With its delicate vocals and production, this one feels like sinking into a mound of blankets and pillows. Written by Barry Mann and Larry Kolber, it was a #5 hit.

3. The Loco-Motion by Little Eva (1962) 4.5/5
The most propulsive, danceable hit of the girl group sound would probably be this tune. The saxophone train noises take it to the next level. Another King and Goffin song, this was a #1 smash.

Re: Choose Your Own Genre Adventure: Adventure #1, Girl Group

baystateoftheart — Sun, 26 Nov 2017 12:00:10 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 11/26/2017 17:00

Jimmy Dread wrote:

Really think you should check this LP out for your girl groups thread - produced by Lee Hazlewood, sunk without a trace due to some awful marketing and then (once one of the members left) disappeared into the mists of time. It's a really good listen, especially if Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls is your kind of film:

Honey Ltd. by Honey Ltd.

I've never watched that film, but thanks for the album rec - I'll add it to the list. I'm intrigued that it's listed under psychedelic pop as well as girl group.