The Less Obvious List: Girl Groups

 

The Girl Group era produced some of the greatest and most enduring pop music ever.  No doubt about that.  "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "The Leader of the Pack", "Be My Baby", "Tell Him", "The Loco-Motion", "It's My Party", I Only Want to be With You", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Do Wah Diddy".  The list of classic pop songs in the genre is literally endless.  Nonetheless, in any era and genre, there always are a select few of the should've been kind.  And this here is my Girl Groups "Less Obvious" shortlist then. 

 

 

The Flirtations/"Nothing But a Heartache" (1968)  

 

Failed U.S. Girl Group The Flirtations emigrated to the U.K. in a desperate last ditch attempt at a commercial success.  And, after having met up with Scouse writing/production team Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington, formerly of the Pete Best Four and much later a successful songwriting duo behind the '70s success of The Rubettes, and brother-sister act Mac and Katie Kissoon, their "Sounds Like The Flirtations" LP was recorded and released to a lukewarm public response.  However, containing a classic of monumental portions in the single cut "Nothing But a Heartache", a semi-legendary status was assured...albeit 40 years later.  A soundtrack to a KFC TV advert in 2008 cemented just that.  Still, generally - in spite of that KFC thing, it's boggling just how little known this gem remains.

 



 

 

Beverley/"Happy New Year" (1966)

 

Beverley Kutner was an up-and-coming Brit songstress when she recorded this little ditty by then a little known U.S. songwriter named Randy Newman, backed by the likes of Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.  Later on she married - and recorded with - John Martyn.  The stellar Brit-girl-pop of "Happy New Year" was the inaugural release on Decca's Deram subsidiary in 1966. 

 

 

 

 

Jackie DeShannon/"Backstreet Girl" (Officially unreleased demo, 1965)

 

 

The multi-talented Ms. DeShannon, along with her co-writer at the time Sharon Sheeley (Eddie Cochran's fiancée at the time of his death), wrote this for Carpax signee Diana Dawn, although, arguably, it is Jackie's original demo which remains the ultimate version...

 



 

 

Renarata & the Delrons/"Look in My Diary" (Recorded circa 1967/Released 1997) 

 

Probably best known in their native U.S. for the minor hit "Whenever a Teenager Cries" (1964), while in the U.K. they made the Top 20 in 1968 with "Captain of Your Ship".  All the while "Panic" (1968), as well as a seemingly tailor-made cover of the Four Seasons "Bye Bye Baby" (1965) should've hit big and hard, it is their inexplicably late release of "Look in My Diary" which is the winner in my book.

 



 

 

The Blossoms/"Stoney End" (1967)

 

Why The Blossoms never made it on their own is a mystery of gigantic proportions.  "That's When the Tears Start" (1965) should've made big waves, but instead it just made ripples.  The Blossoms had Darlene Love, and they had Gloria Jones.  At the same time!  But instead of hitting the big time on their own they "merely" sang back-up for the very best of them, from Elvis to Aretha, via Dionne, and Tom Jones.  And why their version of Laura Nyro's "Stoney End" is less well known than, say, Barbra Streisand's vast inferior interpretation, is the biggest mystery of them all. 

 



 

 

Madeline Bell/"Picture Me Gone" (1965)

 

U.S. born Madeline Bell arrived in the U.K. in the mid '60s and immediately became a sought-after backing vocalist for, most notably, Dusty Springfield.  It is, however, an enigma why her own solo recordings never found flavour with the record buying public since they invariably were of the highest quality.  One case in point is this Chip Taylor-penned and Dusty Springfield backed-up epic from her long playing solo debut, "Bell's a Poppin'".  Several years later though, Ms. Bell found long awaited and deserved fame with the "melting pot" of a group that was Blue Mink.

 



 

Recommended listening:

 

Reparata & the Delrons/"The Best of" (ACE CDCHD 1066) 2005 Ace Records.

Darlene Love and others/"So Much Love; The Darlene Love Anthology 1958 - 1998" (ACE CDCHD 1169)  2008 Ace Records.

Madeline Bell/"Bell's a Poppin'" (W/bonus tracks) (RPM 281)  2004 RPM Records.

The Flirtations/"Sounds Like The Flirtations" (W/bonus tracks) (RPM Retro 839)  2008 RPM Records.

Various Artists/"Break-A-Way; The Songs of Jackie DeShannon 1961 - 1967" (ACE CDCHD 1208)  2008 Ace Records.

Various Artists/"On Vine Street; The Early Songs of Randy Newman" ACE CDCHD 1186) 2008 Ace Records.

The Less Obvious List: British Bubblegum

Needless to say, when it comes to British Bubblegum Tony Burrows is the undisputed king of the genre.  But for every "Yellow River", "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)", or even "Gimme Dat Ding", there inevitably is another gem or two of the undervalued and undiscovered kind.  Thus, although Burrows features heavily he isn't all-inclusive, let the countdown begin....

White Plains/"Carolina's Coming Home" (1971)
 

 

Previously - inferiorly - recorded by Vanity Fare ("Early in the Morning", "Hitchin' a Ride"), this Tony Hiller (Mr. Brotherhood of Man), Roger Cook & Roger Greenaway-penned pop confection is irresistible at every turn.  The White Plains' best known and loved moment, "My Baby Loves Lovin'" (1970) is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but "Carolina", in my book, is their crowning achievement.  Covered by U.S. teen idol Shaun Cassidy in the late '70s.

 

Butterscotch/"Don't You Know (She Said Hello)" (1970)

 





Another implausibly infectious pop-perfection.  I, however, know absolutely nothing about this act.  A one hit wonder, it appears, reaching #17 in the U.K. charts in the summer of 1970.  Should have been bigger, though.

Kincade/"Dreams Are Ten a Penny" (1973)

 

 

Written by British Bubblegum stalwarts and husband/wife team of John Carter and Gillian Shakespeare, this was a year later re-recorded by First Class ("Beach Baby"), but this non-hit version, albeit popular in Europe, is far superior to the latter Tony Burrows-led venture, which did though hit the lower regions of the U.S. Top 100 singles chart.

 

Flowerpot Men/"In a Moment of Madness" (1969)

 



 

A usually ever reliable Cook/Greenaway collaboration, for some reason this Tony Burrows-led venture fell flat chartwise.  Their "Let's Go to San Fransisco" (1967), of course, was a huge world wide hit, but perhaps their sound by the late '60s was out of time and place, but it's a bloody good effort all the same.

First Class/"Too Many Golden Oldies" (1977)

 

 

A quite remarkable production job, and a very worthy Johnny-come-lately follow-up to their amazing "Beach Baby" (1974) mega hit, this, another Carter/Shakespeare co-write is the ultimate lost-pop-classic in my book.  But, needless to add, it didn't chart and isn't very well known as a result.  Nonetheless, a stone cold classic! 

 

The Symbols/"Bye Bye Baby" (1967)

 



 

The Bay City Rollers modelled their 1975 U.K. hit (#1 for six weeks) on this 1967 cover version (#44 U.K. hit) of the Four Seasons' 1965 original.  'Nuff said... 

 

Recommended listening:

 

"Bubblegum Classics, Volume Five: The Voice of Tony Burrows"

(1996, Varese Sarabande Records. U.S.A.)