RONNIE SPECTOR - SOMETHING'S GONNA HAPPEN (2003)

Amazon user review:
'I've never submitted a review previously and seldom do I rave. So take a leap of faith and trust me when I say that this brief CD provides fifteen minutes (5 songs)of multiple, aural orgasms so intense as to be only comparable to the greatest sex. Musical magic is achieved here by matching perhaps the finest diva of the 60's girl-group with the most exhuberantly romantic songs of early Marshall Crenshaw, a modern master of Rock and Roll classical forms, with an uncanny ability to "channel" the spirit of the greatest mid-60's tunes without slipping into cheap pastiche. These recordings are so joyful, so transporting, as to achieve the very same heights as the Ronettes' best songs. The backing musicians consist of Crenshaw himself on guitar, his brother Robert on drums and the virtuosic bassist, Graham Maby (See early Joe Jackson) and they rock like hell. The explanation why these outstanding 1989 recordings were not released until 2001 is a complicated and tragic tale involving a record label bankruptcy and the seizing of the master tapes as assets of the various creditors. Not knowing this history when I bought this CD, I was cynical about whether it would be any good, however, my curiosity got the better of my common sense and so I set aside my skepticism. I'm now jubilant I did so. From the opening bars of the first track, "Something's Gonna Happen" I was simply overwhelmed with the sublime nature of this CD. Don't let the brevity of the CD deter you from purchasing it. What wouldn't you be willing to pay to hear five lost classics of the Beatles, Beach Boys or Who, if they existed? '

Ronnie Spector - Something's Gonna Happen

RONNIE SPECTOR - SHE TALKS TO RAINBOWS (1999)

AMG Review:
'This EP was originally issued by Creation Records in the U.K. With that in mind, though it's a little weird to hear the original teenager singing her songs through a Jesus and Mary Chain-style wall of sound filter, it works like a charm. The Joey Ramone-penned "She Talks to Rainbows" and the "Be My Baby"-ish "Bye-Bye Baby," a duet with Ramone, is perfect for the pair. What a a thrill to hear Spector sing the Brian Wilson song she inspired, "Don't Worry Baby." This one might just be the version of Johnny Thunders' "You Can't Put Your Arm Around A Memory" that his fans have hoped would materialize. Daniel Rey uses the same heavy hand he used on the Ramones and White Zombie but original tough chick Spector can handle it. "I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine," recorded for English television tops-off this extraordinary "comeback." '

Ronnie Spector - She Talks To Rainbows

RONNIE SPECTOR - UNFINISHED BUSINESS (1987)

Here we go, the last of the true rockstars ;)

In this album, "Unfinished Business" she has a sexy duet with country singer Eddie Money, Desmond Child and Diane Warren wrote the haunting "Love On A Rooftop" for her; Desmond Child produced. There's also a very nice "When We Danced," on which Paul Shaffer collaborated. "Dangerous" is where the Go-Go's should've gone to reinvent themselves, and that Spector tips her hat to the new gals on the block is impressive, being backed by Bangle Susanna Hoffs.Elvis Presley's "Burnin' Love" is put to a dance beat, and it works. What's important about this cover is that it takes Spector away from the elements producers and fans had locked her into.

Ronnie Spector - Unfinished Business

UPCOMING: Ronnie Spector MEGAPOST ;)

Two full albums, two EPs and fourteen other tracks - singles, unreleased songs, duets, soundtracks + One side of her sister Estelle Bennetts only single!

Stay tuned!

EARTHA KITT - THE 50'S SINGLES

Here's a homemade compilation of the incomparable Eartha Kitt. It features what I believe to be ALL her singles from the fifties, 46 tracks in all.

You will find some of her most famous songs here: Mink Schmink, I Want To Be Evil, Uska Dara and of course Santa Baby. A lot of gems to discover as well, like two songs she recorded in 1956 in my native swedish! Not a bad feat!

Eartha Kitt - The 50's Singles

HELLO SAFERIDE - WOULD YOU LET ME PLAY THIS EP 10 TIMES A DAY (2006)

Pure swedish pop at its best! This was the debut of an extremely talented singer named Annika Norlin who have recorded under a few aliases as well as her own name for a few years, and have really left a mark on the swedish music scene. When this was released in 2006 I played it non-stop, it really was the soundtrack of my life that year. Give it a listen, I can guarantee you will like it!

1. The Quiz.
('Can you at all times wear socks because I'm still scared of feet' has got to be one of the greatest line in pop music ever!)
2. 2006
3. The Best Night Of Your Life
4. Last Bitter Song
5. Leaving You Behind

Hello Saferide - Would You Let Me Play This EP 10 Times A Day

NINA SIMONE - BALTIMORE (1978)

'Man, ain't it hard just to live?'

I thought I would start of my Nina Simone posts with my all time favourite album by her. This is a masterpiece all the way through, and the songs that bookend this album are her two songs ever!

AMG Review:

'After an uncharacteristic (for her) four-year hiatus from recording, Nina Simone returned to the fringes of the pop world with Baltimore, the only album she recorded for the CTI label. While it bears some of the musical stylings of the period — light reggae inflections that hint of Steely Dan's "Haitian Divorce" — the vocals are unmistakably Simone's. Like many of her albums, the content is wildly uneven; Simone simply covers too much ground and there's too little attention paid to how songs flow together. As a result, a robust torch piano ballad like "Music for Lovers" is followed immediately by one of Simone's more awkward moments, an attempt to keep up with a jaunty rhythm track on a cover of Hall & Oates' "Rich Girl." Still, one must give her credit for always being provocative in her cover song choices, as she clearly scores on the Randy Newman-penned title track and a dramatic reading of Judy Collins' "My Father." Her voice throughout is in fine form, even when she phones it in on the album-closing traditional gospel tunes, but arranger David Matthews is a mismatch for her: He blows the arrangements with excessive string overlays and needlessly blaring background vocals. Simone herself all but disavowed the album shortly after its release, testament to her eternally contrarian, iconic nature. Despite her misgivings, though, Baltimore is an occasionally spellbinding if erratic album, a challenging and worthwhile listen for people ready to dip into the lesser-known entries in Nina Simone's vast catalog.'

Nina Simone - Baltimore

GRACE JONES - MUSE (1979)

AMG Review:
'A fine dance and club album, Grace Jones was still essentially a disco act when she recorded this album at the end of the '70s. The campy tendencies and flat vocals were subordinated to the array of cross-rhythms, textures, and production devices buttressing the tracks. Jones did some outstanding numbers during this era, but seldom utilized her voice beyond either a decorative or supporting role. She wasn't (and still isn't) a soulful or great singer, but future albums would demonstrate that she could do more things than mouth lines and insert herself into rhythm tracks. '

I must say, In my opinion this is her greatest album except for Hurricane (2008).

Grace Jones - Muse

Tomorrow, her early eighties albums.

GRACE JONES - FAME (1978)

Amazon customer review:

'Grace's sophomore album hit the stores in 1978, and it was a hit on the club charts. Her debut album the year before presented her to legions of fans, and she even managed to pile of some songs that have become classics over the years, such as: I Need a Man, That's the Trouble and of course, La Vie en Rose. Her second album was also produced by Tom Moulton. Fame continues the tradition of a medley on Side A, and this time is no different. The nearly twenty-minute long medley on Fame starts with the lead single of the album Do or Die and ends with the second single Fame, with Pride stacked in between. Both Do or Die and Fame reached number #3 on the Dance charts. By this time, Grace ruled as the Queen of Gay Discos, and she was even the first performer to sing live at the prestigious Studio 54 in 1977. Fame is without a doubt an improvement of Portfolio, with stronger vocals and overall stronger songs, such as the dreamy: Am I Ever Going to Fall in Love in New York City? The hopelessly romantic All on a Summer's Night and the Rocky-influenced Below the Belt (you have to see a live performance of this song to understand what I'm saying, it's just awesome). Grace would further improve on her skills as a disco entertainer, and she would reach her disco peak in 1979 with the stunning album Muse. '

Grace Jones - Fame

GRACE JONES - PORTFOLIO (1977)

AMG Review:
'Disco mix king Tom Moulton produced these tracks at Sigma Sound in Philadelphia using the same musicians Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff held hostage for their sessions. The results are quite different: though polished, these tracks don't jump out at you. It's really a producer's album. Moulton probably had these tracks completed long before he knew who was going to sing them. Give Grace Jones credit though, she gives credence to old fuddies like "Send in the Clowns," "La Vie en Rose" is lilting, and "I Need a Man," displays a vulnerable Jones. '

Grace Jones - Portfolio

Saturday sweets

Coming up tomorrow:

1. Nina Simone, a few select albums.
2. Eartha Kitt - the 50's singles
3. The one, the only - Grace Jones! I'm planning to post her three 70's albums + a few bonus track. The rest will pop up some time next week.

And there will be a few miniposts with some decently rare tracks.

One of my harddrives is still in hizzy fit-mode, so some soul sisters I promised will have to wait.

//Mielikki

MARY WELLS - The rest

Singles, non-album B-sides, unreleased tracks etc - here you have it all. 50 songs covering 20 years, from 1962's When Your Lover Comes Back to 1983's I'm A Lady. Enjoy and please comment!

Mary Wells - Assorted track

MARY WELLS - EASY TOUCH (1982)

An interesting album, in lack of other words. Only covers of songs from the 50's up to the 80's, and a few curious choices. Not one of her best albums is the nicest way I can put it.

Includes Fame, I've Never Been To Me, Boy From New York City etc.

Mary Wells - Easy Touch

MARY WELLS - IN & OUT OF LOVE (1981)

AMG Review:

'What happened to Mary Wells was one of Motown's greatest disgraces. She was way past her prime on this early-'80s album, and was also hampered by poor material and unimaginative production. Someone who had made such marvelous music for Motown in its formative years shouldn't even have been working at that point, and certainly shouldn't have suffered the humiliation of churning out unrepresentative material to earn a living'

I must say that I disagree - Gigolo, Indian Giver and These Arms are some of the best songs she's ever cut, and the rest ain't that bad despite she had begun to lose some of her vocal prowess.

Mary Wells - In & Out Of Love

MARY WELLS - LOVE & TRANQUILITY (1969, unreleased)

Here is a planned follow up to her 1968 album, but that was eventually scraped. Some of the songs were released as singles, but the rest of the tracks didn't show up until 1993 on The Complete Jubilee Sessions. The albums sounds like a slicker continuation of Servin' Up Some Soul and is a strong album but without any standout tracks.

Mary Wells - Love & Tranquility (unreleased)

MARY WELLS - SERVIN' UP SOME SOUL (1968)

AMG Review:
'The success of "The Doctor" and its flip, "Two Lovers History," prompted Jubilee Records to rush-release Servin' Up Some Soul, an album consisting of six originals, written by Mary Wells-Womack and Cecil Womack, and some bland remakes. The bluesy, deep soul inspired "Woman in Love," is saddled with brazen Memphis horns that nearly overpower her lead. "Two Lovers History" is better, more mainstream R&B, Mary's vocal is self assuring and alluring, and the horns aren't intrusive. "Bye Bye Baby," her first Motown release, gets an appreciated update, but lacks the stark, rawness of the original. A rendition of Betty Swann's "Make Me Yours" is as creamy as whipped butter. but schlock versions of "Sunny," and "Stag-o-lee" are unimpressive. Womacks' soulful guitar introduces "The Doctor," a pleasant mid-tempo number that reached #65 on Billboards' Pop 100 Chart and #22 R&B — her biggest Jubilee single. Unfortunately, it was the last time a Mary Wells single would crack the Pop 100. Cecil, now known as Zekkariyas, plays guitar and supplies backing vocals. '

Mary Wells - Servin' Up Some Soul

MARY WELLS - THE TWO SIDES OF (1966)

AMG Review:

'Mary Wells will forever be known as a Motown artist, but after she left the label in 1964 she cut some very good singles for 20th Century and Atco. Her only album for Atco, The Two Sides of Mary Wells, was cut in 1966 and does indeed feature two sides of Mary Wells. Side one is covers of soul and rock hits of the day (plus the single "Dear Lover"); side two is made up of jazz standards and show tunes. On side one producer Carl Davis doesn't stray far from the Motown sound Wells was associated with; her cover of Deon Jackson's "Love Makes the World Go Round" and the Supremes' "My World Is Empty Without You Babe" hew the closest to that label's punchy and compressed style, but "Good Lovin'" and "Satisfaction" aren't far off. Only her raw take on "In the Midnight Hour" and the lovely ballad "Dear Lover," which is a very New York-sounding slice of sophisticated soul powered by Wells' best vocal on the album, stray very far. Fair enough, everyone involved had to know that the only hope Wells had of selling records was to capture some "My Guy" magic in a bottle, and the best way to catch it was to follow the formula. The standards side is semi-interesting; Wells can sing the songs chosen well enough, but ultimately the tunes are too slickly produced and she's no Carmen McRae or Dinah Washington. Not even Nancy Wilson. Better to let her stick to the sweet soul and leave the standards to the pros. The failure of this record to be satisfying falls directly on the head of whoever had the idea for Wells to sing standards. Better to track down Ichiban's Dear Lover: The Atco Sessions, which has all the soul sides from The Two Sides of Mary Wells, plus all four of her Atco singles and a couple of unreleased tracks, to boot. '

Mary Wells - The Two Sides Of

MARY WELLS - MARY WELLS (1965)

Mary's first album for 20th Century. It contains the minor hit Use Your Head, and one of the songs I love most by Mary, Never Never Leave Me.

Mary Wells - Mary Wells

MARY WELLS - LOVE SONGS TO THE BEATLES (1965)

This is exactly what it sounds like, a cover album of songs made famous by The Beatles. Since I don't very much care for The Beatles, this is my least favourite album by Mary... Eight Days A Week is a very good song though, suits Mary to a tee.

Mary Wells - Love Songs To The Beatles

MARY WELLS - SINGS MY GUY (1965)

AMG Review:

'On this album, Smokey Robinson demonstrated his ability to craft and hone great material for female acts, something he would later repeat with The Marvelettes. Besides the title track, which became Motown's first Top Ten and #1 pop hit, there were other strong tunes, such as "He's the One I Love" and "At Last," that weren't hits but certainly should have been. '

Mary Wells - Sings My Guy

MARY WELLS & MARVIN GAYE - TOGETHER (1964)

AMG Review:

'Motown mogul Berry Gordy Jr. decided to increase his chances for sales by recording his male and female stars together, and the public went for it too. Together trekked up the pop charts, finally stopping at #42, a good showing for an R&B album in 1964. A two-sided hit and the only single released, "Once Upon a Time" and "What's the Matter With You Baby," helped the cause by charting in the upper echelons of the R&B and pop charts. The former is a slow, floating ballad, while the latter is an accusing, jump-beat number. A rendition of Sam Cooke's "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" doesn't measure up to their talents or the song involved, while "Deed I Do" fits the mold of songs done by male/female duos of the early '60s. For the most part, the material is different than what Mary or Marvin normally cut; Marvin probably felt more comfortable with these songs than Mary, since they were closer to the MOR tunes that he preferred doing — at the time — anyway. '

Mary Wells & Marvin Gaye - Together

MARY WELLS - TWO LOVERS (1963)

Notable tracks on this one includes the title track, Laughing Boy, Was It Worth It and Operator.

Mary Wells - Two Lovers

MARY WELLS - THE ONE WHO REALLY WANTS YOU (1962)

AMG Review:
'Fairly solid effort, with most of the songs penned by Motown mainstays like Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, and Mickey Stevenson. Includes the Top 10 hits "The One Who Really Loves You" and "You Beat Me To The Punch," as well as one of the few Wells originals she recorded while at Motown, "Drifting Love." But considering that seven of the ten songs appear on Looking Back, only Wells collectors need to pick this up. '

Mary Wells - The One Who Really Wants You

MARY WELLS - BYE BYE BABY (1961)

AMG Review:
'Mary Wells wasn't yet a polished vocalist when she first signed with Motown in the early '60s, and she later became the first performer to score a Number One single and Top Ten pop hit for the label. But that didn't happen with these songs, although they have an edge, toughness, and spark, that wasn't always evident in the slicker hits that Wells made. '

Mary Wells - Bye Bye Baby

VERDELLE SMITH - (ALONE) IN MY ROOM (1966)

Verdelle Smith had one minor hit in 1966 with the english version of Il Ragazzo Della Via Glück, Tar & Cement. Before that she had released this very under rated album, Alone In My Room.
Verdelle sounds like a subdued Shirley Bassey, very dramatic voice but never over the top. The album as a whole also comes of as sounding very European and very sixties.

1. In My Room
Her first single, a very stiring ballad that sounds like something Dionne Warwick or Shirley Bassey could have recorded. For me, this is the best track.

2. You Only See Her
A soulful midtempo number, inspired vocals.

3. Oh How Much I Love You
A faithful english rendition of yet another italian classic, Dio Come Ti Amo.

4. Autumn Leaves
Verdelle's voice on one of the most beautiful melodies ever written, this is sheer perfection! She also sings a few words in the original french (Les Feuilles Mortes)

5. Over The Rainbow
This rendition rivals even Judy's! It starts very low key but builds up to a dramatic climax before settling down again.

6. Toot Toot Tootsie
Not sure how I feel about this one... It doesn't fit in, but other than that, a decent track.

7. A Piece Of The Sky
Grittier vocals on one of the prettier melodies, but somehow she pulls it off. Also a standout track!

8. Catch A Falling Star
Catchy filler, that's about it...

9. Don't Get Around Much More
A Northern Soul favourite in the makings.

10. Sexy
The title says it all - a sly, sexy song with sultry vocals.

11. Walk Tall
Very Reparata-esque. An excellent way to round of this album.

To the album I have added a few bonus tracks. First of are two version of Tar & Cement, one with additional lyrics than the version you often hear. Then are two latter days singles that are a little more pop than the album (Baby Baby - If You Can't Say Anything Nice). To complete the package is an interview with Verdelle, courtesy of Bald Brothers (www.abc.au.net)

Verdelle Smith - (Alone) In My Room

ELEANOR BODEL - ONE WAY TICKET

If you're a girl group fan this is a MUST!

Eleanor Bodel is a Swedish one hit wonder who hit the charts big time with the title track of this album, a cover of Neil Sedaka's One Way Ticket. She released four albums but never managed another hit. She has a voice somewhat reminiscent of both Mary Weiss and Mary Aiese (of the Shangri-Las and Delrons respectively)

This is her second album, mixing both english and swedish songs with almost no weak tracks.
She opens with the infectious One Way Ticket which is absolutely irresistible. Then comes a somewhat annoying ditty which you can skip before listening to three absolutely gorgeous tracks! Just take a look at some of the lyrics:

From Now On:
'From now on there'll be music and dancing and moonlight romancing'

The Girls Want The Boys:
'The girls want the boys for the money, the boys want the girls just for fun' - I mean, how can you not love it?!

To Love Somebody:
'To love somebody is to hurt somebody, to tear someone's heart in two'

The rest of the album comes of as filler in comparison but there a few good tunes - though for some reason her pronounciation is markedly worse in the later songs...

Eleanor Bodel - One Way Ticket

FLORENCE BALLARD - THE SUPREME + BONUS

Yet another Supreme gone solo. This time it is founding member (and original lead) Florence Ballard! Believe me, even though you may not hear her a lot on The Supremes recordings, this girl CAN sing!

I won't repeat her story here, instead I recommend you to go to youtube, and there you will find a special on her life.

This post consists of the album finally released in 2001, with her ABC recordings and a few Supremes songs with Flo on lead. I added seven (!) bonus tracks:

1. After All - an early recording with Barbara Martin on it. Each girl sings one verse, Flo does the first.

2. Buttered Popcorn - A longer version than the one found here. I got it of The Complete Motown Singles.

3. I Saw Him Standing There

4. Oh Holy Night

5. Silent Night

6. Save Me A Star

7. People - a live rendition of the Barbra Streisand standard that used to be Flo's moment in the spotlight in the Supremes live shows.

This is an absolutely MUST HAVE!

Florence Ballard - The Supreme + Bonus tracks

MARTHA REEVES - GOTTA KEEP MOVING (1980)

The first half of her 1980 album Gotta Keep Moving, I couldn't find the other tracks. If anyone out there has them please let me know!

Martha Reeves - Gotta Keep Moving (incomplete)

Really Like Your Rap - Skating In The Streets - That's What I Want

MARTHA REEVES - WE MEET AGAIN (1978)

Somewhat better than the previous, only because the opening track Free Again equals and even rivals anything she ever recorded with The Vandellas. The rest, well... I usually skip it. Some of you might like it though...

AMG Review:
"As post-Motown Martha Reeves albums go, this one's OK. The title signifies Martha's reunion with former Motown producer Henry Cosby (who, in reality, played an insignificant role in her Motown success). Fantasy gave Martha more creative control than she had enjoyed at Motown, allowing her to pen four of the eight songs here. But for some reason, ex-Motown producers, with few exceptions, lose their magic after leaving Berry-land. "Free Again" and "Love Don't Come No Stronger" are adequate dance numbers, but poor sisters to Martha's Motown stuff, and the three ballads are merely decent. Cosby failed to properly capture Martha's reedy soprano; at Motown it was full and vibrant, while at other companies it's thin and shrill. Maybe it's the studio, the musicians, the mastering, who knows? Whatever the reason, Martha Reeves' post-Motown recordings have been less than scintillating. "

Martha Reeves - We Meet Again

MARTHA REEVES - THE REST OF MY LIFE (1977)

No introduction necessary. Her second solo album, not one I listen to often - you can clearly hear the start of the decline of her voice. Her vibrato just sounds shrill, not soulful. Solid vocal effort otherwise, and decent songs. I would rate it at 2.5/5.

AMG Review:
"Four producers — Tony Silvester, General Johnson, Tony Camillo, and Bert DeCoteaux — working independently resulted in the best post-Motown LP for Martha Reeves to date. The material and arrangements suit her voice and style more than Richard Perry's earlier extravaganza that flopped. While this didn't fare much better commercially, it's more of what you expect from the Detroit diva, and it cost less to produce. Included is Martha's original version of Gwen Guthrie and Pat Grant's "This Time I'll Be Sweeter," a song later popularized by Angela Bofill. Reeves' version of Gamble & Huff's "Now That We Found Love" is one of the better cuts; Martha sings it with as much conviction as the O'Jays, who first waxed it. "Thank You" is an uptempo romp produced by General Johnson, who has Reeves reaching for notes like her former producers at Motown did. Disappointing sales caused Reeves to leave Arista Records after this sole release to take a shot with Fantasy Records and the opportunity to work with ex-Motown producer Henry Cosby. "

Martha Reeves - The Rest Of My Life

MARY WILSON - MARY WILSON (1979)

Another solo Supreme outing, this time by founding member Mary Wilson, likewise the only constant member through all the line-ups.

Just as with Jean Terrell, this is late-seventies 'dancefloor soul'. It kicks off with the delicious Red Hot, but eventhough the rest of tracks are more than decent, the album kinda loses momentum. Warm Summer Night, Pick Up The Pieces and Midnight Dancer are the best tracks, and you can't go wrong with Red Hot at parties.

Well worth a listen!

Mary Wilson - Mary Wilson

JEAN TERRELL - I HAD TO FALL IN LOVE (1978)

Jean Terrell may not be a household name for most, but she once fronted THE girl group. When Diana Ross left The Supremes to pursue a solo carrier, Jean filled her place in the group. Despite releasing a few charting singles in the beginning, the hits soon dried up and Jean and fellow Supreme Lynda Laurence left the label in 1973. She then got a record deal with A&M Records and in 1978 she released I Had To Fall In Love. To my knowledge it didn't chart, but it does contain decent uptempo soul music, bordering on disco. Jean has a very good and distinct voice, and if you liked the post-Ross Supremes you're gonna like this. The second track on the album, No One Like My Baby, is the best track on here and it could have been a hit single had it been released.

(update: apparently fellow Supreme Lynda Laurence is on back-up)

Jean Terrell - I Had To Fall In Love

DARLENE MCCREA

Ever heard of Darlene McCrea? Not likely, huh? But I'll bet you'll at least have heard of either The Raelettes or The Cookies, both of which she was a founding member. The Cookies had two distinct versions of the group, with Darlene in the first (and later in the second, after her little sister Earl-Jean left the group) which later become The Raelettes. She also released a few solo cuts, and here I have gathered four of them + the 1956 top ten R&B hit she had with The Cookies, In Paradise.

Darlene McCrea

Dont Worry Baby - My Heart's Not In It - You - You Made A Fool Of Me
+ The Cookies - In Paradise

THE TAMMYS

'EEH EEH AAH!' - Can you guess what song that line is from? Yup, that's right, the incomparable Egyptian Shumba! Released in -63 it failed to chart, but has since become a cult favorite. The Tammys were three girls who by chance got to be Lou Christie's background singers for a while, but none of their singles lifted of the ground and the group decided to call it quits.

Here are all songs they recorded that was made avaible on CD for the first time on Lou Christie Egyptian Shumba: The Singles and Rare Recordings 1962-1964, which I believe now to be out of print.

The Tammys :

Take Back Your Ring/Part Of Growing Up 1963 United Artists 632
Egyptian Shumba/What's So Sweet About Sweet Sixteen 1963 United artists 678
Hold Back The Light Of Dawn/Gypsy 1965 Veep 1210
Blue Sixteen/His Actions Speak Louder Than Words 1965 Veep 1220

+ Egyptian Shumba (alternate version)

DORIS DUKE - WOMAN (1975)

Doris' third (and last?) album is pretty far from her previous efforts... First of all. it's all over the place! Sometimes it sounds like something coming from Motown (not just the H-D-H penned Love Is Here And Now You're Gone), and then she skips to more of a grittier Stax sound. Throw in a pinch of Atlantic plus some mid-seventies schmaltz and there you have Woman. The only decent songs on this are those bookending the album: Woman Of The Ghetto is an 8-minute epic with socially aware lyrics, while Full Time Woman is a soft ballad which could have been on A Legend In Her Own Time. Doris sings wonderful throughout the album of course, and she does the best of the sub-standard material. It's worth a listen or two, but not much more...

Doris Duke - Woman

DORIS DUKE - A LEGEND IN HER OWN TIME (1971)

While not reaching the same heights as the predecessor, Doris Duke's sophomore album is still a decent soul album. A Legend In Her Own Time is heavier in the string section and has a more commercial sound about it, but Doris is in good voice troughout the album. The coarsness of her voice works against her though on some of the more uptempo tunes, but there are plenty of midtempo numbers where her voice really shines. If judged against I'm A Loser, this album fades into oblivion immediatly, but on it own it stands as an above average showcase of a competent vocalist who deserves more attention than she got.

Doris Duke - A Legend In Her Own Time

LITTLE EVA

My last post before I resume the Doris Duke postings, I swear! ;)

Anyway, I don't think anybody needs to hear the story of Carole King babysitter turned Star once again. Despite being remembered as a one hit wonder, Little Eva had a lot to offer! Here are her complete Dimension recordings plus a few bonus tracks; a duett with Jimmy Jones, two songs credited under her married name (Little Eva HARRIS), a few later days tracks and BOTH sides of her sister Idalia Boyd's sole single, Hula Hoopin'/Some Kinda Wonderful.

Little Eva - The Complete Dimension Recordings
Little Eva - Bonus tracks

DODIE STEVENS

Now something completely different between my Doris Duke posts...

Dodie Stevens was born as Geraldine Pasquale in Chicago in the mid-40s. She rose to national fame with the oft-covered novelty song Pink Shoe Laces when she was only 13. She subsequently released three LPs on Dot Records, but except perhaps Merry Merry Christmas Baby, none of her songs are remembered today by the general public. After three years in the spotlight she married and moved to a farm. She later resumed her carrier but never again reached the charts despite recording with music legend Sergio Mendes.

Here I've gathered 18 of her songs, which is all I've managed to track down. Among the highlights are No, Let Me Tell You About Johnny and Yes I'm Lonesome Tonight.

Dodie Stevens

If someone out there have her full length albums, please leave a comment with your email!

DORIS DUKE - I'M A LOSER (1969)

As this kind of deep soul isn't usually what I listen to I'm fighting my conscience a little bit... this may actually be THE best album EVER! Heavy stuff...

The first twenty seconds of the album is so ethereal, almost unreal - then BAM! - reality hits you right in the face about half an hour! And it isn't a light slap on the cheek, it's a Heavy Weight champion knock out!

Doris isn't a singer in the league of some of the super soul sisters, but that only adds to the drama. This is a real woman, living in reality - joys, tears, successes, hardships. Her voice has an earthy quality which makes every single word believable, and the warmth of her tone can bring a tear to your eyes when it conflicts with the harsh lyrics. You better believe her, this IS life, for better or worse. And 'I'm A Loser' is in my book THE GREATEST ALBUM EVER!

Have a listen and judge for yourself!

Doris Duke - I'm A Loser

DORIS DUKE / WILLINGHAM

The following is adapted from Wikipedia:

Doris Duke is an American gospel and soul singer. She was born in Sandersville, Georgia.
She started singing with gospel groups and by 1963 she was working in New York City on sessions and as a backing singer at the Apollo. Under her then married name of Doris Willingham, she recorded her first single, "Running Away from Loneliness" in 1966. This and later releases were unsuccessful, and she continued working as a session singer, mainly in Philadelphia. In 1969, producer Jerry 'Swamp Dogg' Williams signed her as a solo artist, renaming her Doris Duke and recording the album I’m A Loser. The album was eventually issued on Canyon Records, and over the years became regarded, by Dave Godin and others, as one of the finest deep soul records of all time. The first single, "To the Other Woman", reached the R&B top ten, but success was cut short when the record company collapsed. Subsequent records, including some with Swamp Dogg, had little success, and she retired into obscurity.

I'm gonna post three of her albums, but I thought I would kick it off with three sides she cut as Doris Willingham - though unfortunately not her debut single.

Doris Willingham - Lost Again, Too Much To Bear & You Can't Do That

Stay tuned for her three first albums!

Here we go again, some more Maria. Eleven of her solo songs, which I believe would be approximately half of her recorded solo output. Sorry for the sometimes lousy quality, these songs are heavily bootlegged and it's hard to find them in decent quality. Anyways, enjoy!

Maria Mendiola solo!


COMING UP: DORIS DUKE - 3 ALBUMS!

Jazz, Soul, Blues, Schlager, Country, Pop, World, R'n'B, Disco... that's pretty much what you're gonna find here!

I have recently found many excellent music blogs out there, and I thought to myself why not share some of my favourite music? I've got quite an eclectic taste and much of the music I listen to isn't readily available commercially, if at all!

So, why is the blog called Sugar Boom Boom? Well, I've always fancied disco music, and Baccara was one of the best groups out there. When one half of Baccara, Maria Mendiola, went solo for a while she recorded a europop masterpiece called Sugar Boom Boom! Catchy lyrics, memorable hooks, poor english, somewhat less than adequate singing... what more could you want?

So, to start of this blog, here you have

Maria Mendiola - Sugar Boom Boom!

Hope you'll enjoy this music as much as I do, and please comment! :)

//Mielikki