Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I've been getting quite a few comments over the last week, and I really just wanted to say thank you for all the support! I love music and spend lots of time finding and collecting music, and it's nice to know people appreciate the blog :)

I've been planing quite a few treats for you but it's the end of the month and been busy just staying alive 'til the next pay cheque comes ^^ But come friday, there will be some new posts I think you'll enjoy... some Three Degrees, some early R&B divas, a few more obscure girl groups - and if I have the time, a collection of girl group christmas tunes :)

Hm, I think that's all I wanted to say. Keep visiting the blog and if you like the music, please comment :)

Love
//Mielikki

Monday, November 16, 2009

MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS - COMPLETE SINGLES


For reasons unknown there haven't been a box set gathering both the A's and B's of their singles, despite being one of the greatest groups in soul ever. Being a bit annoyed by the fact that their first singles and many B-sides never shows up on any compilations I decided to gather them myself. So here you have it, a whooping 58 tracks - the COMPLETE singles, A and B-sides including their first singles billed as The Vells and The Del-Phis respectively with Gloria Williams on lead. Also included is Martha's first solo single released on Motown before she headed for Arista.

Martha & The Vandellas - Complete Singles 1

Martha & The Vandellas - Complete singles 2

THE RONETTES - COMPLETE SINGLES


You should know how this works by know... 30 songs, what I believe to be all of their singles (except - as for the Crystals - some instrumental B-sides).

THE CRYSTALS - COMPLETE SINGLES

I'm not gonna waste my time introducing these girls, most of you know them (and probably love them) already. Responsible for a few of Phil Spectors greatest musical achievements, they are guaranteed a place in the history books.

21 songs here, which I believe to be all sides of all their singles (except for three instrumental flips used by Spector to prevent the flip becoming a hit instead of the intended A side), including all three singles released on United Artists and Michelle Records

The Crystals - Complete Singles

TEEN QUEENS - THE SINGLES


Wikipedia:
"The Teen Queens were an
American musical group from the 1950s, most remembered for their hit single "Eddie My Love", which reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 1956.
The group consisted of
sisters Betty and Rosie Collins, sisters of Aaron Collins, a singer with the doo wop group The Cadets. It was Aaron who wrote their debut song, and the single that became their biggest hit. "Eddie My Love" was released by RPM Records, and following its success, was followed by a string of other releases. These included "Baby Mine", "Billy Boy", "Red Top", "Rock Everybody" and "I Miss You". But none of these achieved the success of their debut song.
Consequently, the group left RPM in 1958 and signed a one
record recording contract with RCA Records, who released "Dear Tommy". This also failed to make much of an impact on the charts. There then followed a later contract with Antler Records and a further two singles, "There Is Nothing on Your Mind" (an answer to "There's Something on Your Mind") and "I Heard Violins". Again, however, these songs enjoyed little success and by 1961, the group decided to call it a day."

Here I compiled most sides they cut RPM, RCA, Arista and Press (incl. I Hear Violines, their best song if you ask me), 24 tracks.

Friday, November 13, 2009

THE CHANTELS - COMPLETE SINGLES


Wikipedia:

"The Chantels were the second black girl group to have nationwide success in the United States. The group was established in the early 1950s at St. Anthony of Padua school in the Bronx. The group consisted of Arlene Smith (lead), Sonia Goring, Rene Minus, Jackie Landry Jackson and Lois Harris. They got their name from a rival school, St. Frances de Chantal.
They were discovered by Richard Barrett, lead singer of
The Valentines and eventually signed to End Records. Their first single was "He's Gone" (Pop #71) in August 1957. In January 1958 they released their second single, "Maybe" (#15 Billboard Hot 100; #2 R & B chart). Several other singles were released on End, though none as successful as "Maybe."
The group was dropped by End in 1959, and Arlene Smith decided to go
solo. Harris left to pursue a college education. In 1960, Annette Smith (no relation) replaced Arlene Smith, and the group went to Carlton Records, where they had their second huge hit with "Look in My Eyes" (#14 pop, #6 R&B). Several other singles followed and the group switched record labels several times. Personnel changed throughout the 1960s, with their final single released in 1970."


Now this is a real treat! Except for their last single you will find every last A and B-side of all their singles here. Starting with their first singles on End where they found their biggest success, moving on to the 60's singles without Arlene and in my honest opionion MUCH better. Lots of northern soul stompers in the making! I've also included the single that was billed as by The Veneers, the four songs they recorded with Richard Barrett as well as a few solo cuts by Arlene - 45 songs all together! Enjoy, and please comment!


THE COOKIES - 54-64


Yet another Cookies post - I can't get enough of these here gals!

This is the most complete collection so far, 36 tracks. Except for all singles by both incarnations of the group (except their last, which seems impossible to find) there's also solo cuts by Margie Hendrix before she left to become a Raelette; the flip to Dorothy Jones' sole single in 1961 and four song each by Darlene and Earl-Jean McCrea. The singles recorded by the later Cookies under other names are included as well.

THE CHIFFONS - COMPLETE SINGLES


Wikipedia:

"The Chiffons was an all girl group originating from the Bronx area of New York in 1960.

The Chiffons’ sassy flair made them one of the top Girl Groups of the early ’60s. With their trademark tight harmonies, high-stepping confidence and the hit machine of Goffin and King writing songs such as “One Fine Day,” the Chiffons made music that helped define the Girl Group sound of the era.
The group was originally a trio comprising
Judy Craig (lead singer), Patricia Bennett and Barbara Lee. They formed at James Monroe High School in The Bronx in 1960. At the suggestion of songwriter Ronnie Mack, Sylvia Peterson was added to the group in 1962. Peterson had previously sung with Little Jimmy & The Tops in 1959 when she was fourteen years old. This group had a local hit with "Puppy Love" (V-Tone). Sylvia shared the lead with Jimmy on the single's B-Side, "Say You Love Me". Peterson would later lend her leads to Chiffons' "Why Am I So Shy", "Strange, Strange Feeling", "The Real Thing" and the pseudonym sides as The Four Pennies, "My Block" and "When The Boy's Happy".
Another group from California also used the name "Chiffons" and recorded three singles, including a version of
the Shirelles' "Tonight's The Night". According to Craig and Bennett, the New York Chiffons have no connection to the other group.
The group hit the number one spot in the
United States with their first single "He's So Fine", written by Ronnie Mack, and released on Laurie. George Harrison's 1970 song "My Sweet Lord" was musically similar, prompting a copyright infringement claim. The Chiffons went on to record "My Sweet Lord" in 1975. A judge later found that Harrison had unintentionally plagiarized the earlier song.
Their first hit was followed by other notable tunes such as
Gerry Goffin and Carole King's "One Fine Day", "Sweet Talkin' Guy" and "I Have A Boyfriend". Their Top 40 single "I Have A Boyfriend" was playing on Dallas station KLIF on November 22, 1963 and was interrupted by the first radio bulletins of the JFK assassination. The group also released two singles in 1963 as The Four Pennies on the Laurie subsidiary, Rust Label."


In this post you have ALL of The Chiffons A-sides as well as most B-sides. I also included the pre-63 singles which may or may not have been recorded by the 'real' Chiffons. You will find both side of Little Jimmy & The Tops' single with Sylvia on background on the A-side and on a duet with Jimmy on the flip - 49 tracks in all!


THE JELLY BEANS - COMPLETE


Allmusic:
"The Jelly Beans were a mixed voice quintet (later a quartet) comprised of one man (Charles Thomas) and four women (Alma Brewer, Diane Taylor, Elyse Herbert, Maxine Herbert) who got together while attending high school in Jersey City, NJ. That was where their manager discovered them in 1963, and he brought them to the attention of songwriters Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, who were starting up a record label, Red Bird, in association with End/Gone Records founder George Goldner.

The group was put into the hands of songwriters Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, then near the peak of their output together, who gave them "I Wanna Love Him So Bad." The third single issued by Red Bird, it reached number ten on the Billboard charts. The Jelly Beans' second single, "Baby Be Mine," didn't reach the Top 50, however, and although the Jelly Beans left behind enough songs for an album, none was forthcoming. By 1964, Red Bird had bigger acts to worry about, including The Shangri-Las and The Dixie Cups, and the group was gone from the label by the end of that year. A final single release on Eskee failed to chart, and the Jelly Beans had broken up by 1965."

Included here are both Red Bird singles, a few other tracks cut for the label and their final single for Eskee.

The Complete Jelly Beans

Thursday, November 12, 2009

FAYE ADAMS


Faye Adams was a R&B singer in the 50's/early 60's, most famous for her 1954 chart topper Shake A Hand. Still in her teens she was chosen to replace Laurie Tate as the singer with Joe Morris' Orchestra. She released one single for Atlantic, That's What Makes My Baby Fat b/w I'm Going To Leave You (billed as Fay Scruggs) which didn't go anywhere, and so she and Joe Morris left for independent NY label Herald (although Atlantic later released to other sides to cash in on the success of Shake A Hand).

Her first single for Herald was the gospeltinged blues ballad Shake A Hand, still one of the defining songs of early R&B. She later recorded a few minor hit singles (eg. I'll Be True, The Hammer etc.). However the hits soon dried up and in 1957 she left for Imperial where she recordes eight songs of which only one managed any chart action, Keeper Of My Heart.

She later cut sides for Lido, Warwick, Savoy and Prestige, none which managed to hit the charts. After her last single in 1962 for Prestige she left the world of secular music and recorded a few gospel albums and never speaking about her R&B years again.

(If anyone has any information about her whereabouts now, please share!)

Here you have ALL of her Atlantic, Herald, Imperial, Lido and Savoy sides incl. several at the time unreleased tracks - many of these have never been released on CD. Unfortunately I haven't been abled to track down her singles or the album she released on Warwick. I have however ordered two gospel albums on vinyl which I hope to recieve early next year, shipping from the States to Europe takes some time apparently. Please enjoy these songs and check back in a few week for more rare Faye Adams!


1952, Atlantic 985, I'm Going To Leave You b/w That's What Makes My Baby Fat
1952, Atlantic 1007, Watch Out, I Told You b/w Sweet Talk

1953, Herald 416, Shake A Hand b/w I’ve Gotta Leave You
1953, Herald 419, Happiness To My Soul b/w I’ll Be True
1954, Herald 423, Say A Prayer b/w Everyday
1954, Herald 429, Somebody Somewhere b/w Crazy Mixed-Up World
1954, Herald 434, Hurts Me To My Heart b/w Ain’t Gonna Tell
1954, Herald 439, I Owe My Heart To You b/w Love Ain’t Nothin’ To Play With
1955, Herald 444, Anything For A Friend b/w Your Love (Has My Heart Burning)
1955, Herald 450, You Ain’t Been True b/w My Greatest Desire
1955, Herald 457, Angels Tell Me b/w Tag Along
1955, Herald 462, No Way Out b/w Same Old Me
1956, Herald 470, Teenage Heart b/w (Guilty) Witness To The Crime
1956, Herald 480, Takin’ You Back b/w Don’t Forget To Smile
1956, Herald 489, Anytime Anyplace Anywhere b/w The Hammer (Keeps A Knockin’)
+ Welcome Home (unissued, 1955)



1957, Imperial 5443, Keeper Of My Heart b/w So Much
1957, Imperial 5456, Johnny Lee b/w You’re Crazy
1957, Imperial 5471, I Have A Twinkle In My Eye b/w Someone Like You
1958, Imperial 5525, When We Kiss b/w Everything

1960, Lido 603, That’s Alright b/w It Made Me Cry

1961, Savoy 1606, Step Up And Rescue Me b/w Cry You Crazy Heart
+ Sunrise Sunset Or Midnight and It Hurts To Be In Love (unissued, 1961 for Savoy)

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

THE TASSELS minipost


Early Girls Vol. 4 liner notes:
“The mighty Arista Records? It could be said that they owe it all to a quartet from New Jersey comprising lead singer Rochelle Gaudet, her brother John, Leo Joyce and Joe Intelisano. For prior to Arista there was Bell Records, and before Larry Uttal bought into that label there wer his Mala and Amy imprints. But the logo that started it all was Madison, whose first chart hit was ‘TO A SOLDIER BOY’ by The Tassels, #55 on the Hot 100 in August 1959. The group’s soundalike follow-up, ‘To A Young Lover’, failed to chart, as did a subsequent 45 on Golddisc and a 1966 reissue of ‘To A Soldier Boy’ on the Amy Label, But from little acorns…”

The Tassels
My Guy And I – Teresa – The Boy For Me – To A Soldier Boy – To A Young Lover

MARGIE RAYBURN minipost


Wikipedia:
"Marjorie Helen Orwig (June 3, 1924, Madera, California – June 14, 2000, Oceanside, California,better known as Margie Rayburn) was an American singer.
Rayburn was born in
Madera, California and sang as a member of The Sunnysiders, who had a Top 40 hit in the United States in 1955 with the song "Hey! Mr. Banjo". Rayburn married Norman Milkin, also a member of the Sunnysiders. She also had a Top Ten hit of her own in 1957 with the song "I'm Available", which was written by Dave Burgess. The single, released on Liberty Records, reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November of 1957."

Margie Rayburn

Bobby Is My Hobby - Every Minute Of The Day - I'm Available - Make Me A Queen Again - Try Me

LILLIAN BRIGGS minipost


Wikipedia:
"Lillian Briggs (b. Lillian Biggs, June 3, 1932 - d. Apr. 11, 1998) was an American rockabilly musician.
Briggs was raised in
Allentown, Pennsylvania. In the early 1950s she worked as a truck driver and played trombone in Joy Cayler's All-Girl Orchestra. In 1952 Alan Freed asked her to appear in his New York City stage shows, and her popularity in these shows led to her signing with Epic Records in 1954. Her first single was 1955's "I Want You to Be My Baby"; the song sold over 1 million copies and hit #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following this she appeared on The Tonight Show and The Steve Allen Show, and won a part in the 1961 Jerry Lewis movie The Ladies Man. Later singles, however, were unsuccessful, though she continued to record into the early 1970s."


Can't Stop - Delilah - Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop - I Want You To Be My Baby - I - I'll Be Gone - Rock'n'Roll Y Poly Santa Clause - She Sells Seashells - That's The Way To Live

GAYLA PEEVEY/JAMIE HORTON minipost


Wikipedia:
"Gayla Peevey (born 1943) is perhaps best known for her song, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" (Columbia, 1953). A child star from Ponca City, Oklahoma, she was ten years old when she recorded the novelty song, which had been written by John Rox in 1950.
The
Oklahoma City Zoo capitalized upon the popularity of the song in 1953 through a fundraising campaign to "buy a hippo for Gayla" in order to bring a hippo to the zoo. (They had no hippopotamus at the time.) The song raised $3,000. A baby hippo, named Matilda, was procured and flown in to Oklahoma City and presented by Peevey to the zoo.[1].
Gayla went on to record other
children's songs for Columbia, such as "Got A Cold In The Node For Christmas" and "Angel in the Christmas Play". She also recorded a duet with Columbia's other child singer Jimmy Boyd (who had the hit recording of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"), entitled "I'm So Glad", and "Kitty in a Basket".
In
1959, Gayla Peevey adopted the pseudonym Jamie Horton and recorded a series of pop singles for Joy Records. One of them, "My Little Marine," reached a peak position of #84 in 1960 and was song #507 for that year. It was her only song that reached the Charts. Under the pseudonym, she also recorded "Robot Man" which was popular in Australia in 1960, and was later recorded by Connie Francis."


Gayla Peevey: I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas
Jamie Horton: Hearbreakin' Doll - Missin' - My Little Marine -Robot Man - They're Playing Our Song - When It Comes To Love - Where's My Love

BABS TINO minipost



Early Girls Vol 2. liner notes:
“Babs Tino hade the looks and the talent but failed to get the breaks and therefore barely qualifies as a footnote to a footnote in the history books. Having made a solitary single for Cameo Records in 1957, it seems she did not record again until 1961 when she signed with Kapp Records and had six singles released between then and 1963. Owner Dave Kapp was a pillar of New York’s musical establishment, a man with strongly held views on the linear alignment of musical notes in relation to pitch and tempo, and no-one got through the door at Kapp unless they could count bars and sing in tune. The best arrangers/songwriters (including Bacharach and Leiber & Stoller) were assigned to Tino’s sessions but only her third single, ‘Forgive me’, made any sort of impression ‘bubbling’ under the Hot 100 for one week in 1962 and gaining a UK release. Her fifth single, ‘Keep Away From Other Girls’, was successfully covered in the UK by Helen Shapiro.”

Babs Tino

Call Of The Wedding – Dr. Jekyll Or Mr. Hyde – Forgive Me – If Only For Tonight – Keep Away From Other Girls – My Honey Bun – Too Late To Worry – What’s Wrong With You And Me

MARCIE BLANE minipost



Wikipedia:

"Marcie Blane (born Marcia Blank, 21 May 1944, Brooklyn, New York) was a female singer who recorded pop music. The Seville record label issued a demo performed by the high school student as a favor for a friend. The song was "Bobby's Girl", which was followed by "What Does a Girl Do" and several other singles. Recently, a CD was issued of her entire output, although no original album was ever issued.
Released in the fall of 1962, "Bobby's Girl" made No. 2 on the
Cash Box chart and No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was later recorded for the German market in their language. In the United Kingdom the song was covered by Susan Maughan who had the hit. "What Does A Girl Do?", the follow-up single, rose no higher than No. 82 on the Hot 100 list in early 1963, and was Blane's only other appearance on any Billboard chart."



After The Laughter - Bobbie's Girl - She'll Break The String - So Ist Das Leben - Wer Einmal "A" Gesagt - What Does A Girl Do