California Nights
by Lesley Gore

The 1967 release ”California Nights” was the last Mercury album with Lesley Gore from her golden period. An eighth album "Magic Colors" remained unreleased until 1994, despite several fine songs. The title track, "California Nights" was Gore's last top 20 hit. This version of the album contains 15 bonus tracks, most of which originate from her slightly overlooked (perhaps deservedly) 1965 album "All About Love".
Compared to her other Mercury albums, "California Nights" has a more modern sound with musical influence from many genres and a sound not unlike European colleagues such as Lulu, Marianne Faithful og Dusty Springfield There are many fine songs, of which more are written by producer Bob Crewe in collaboration with Gary Knight. The hit song, "California Nights", is not a Crewe / Knight song, but written by Hamlisch / Liebling. It is a catchy song and a nice opening number. Two really fine Crewe / Knight songs "Treat Me Like a Lady" and "I'm Going Out", were in fact pretty big hits for the Swedish group, Tages in 1967. Other favorites on the album are the two upbeat "Off and Running" and "The Bubble Broke" as well as the ballads "Lilacs and Violets" and "Cry Like a Baby".

The general level drops a bit on the bonus numbers; Especially the songs from "All About Love" may seem somewhat over-arranged and missing the simpler pop-rock sound that suits Gore best. Best among the bonus numbers I find "My Town and Me" and the outtake "That's What Ill Do" best.

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