My Girl Groups blog post!

[antceleb12]

Hi all!

Over the last couple of months I've been reviewing my collection of girl group albums and making a list of what I believe to be the definitive girl group albums of the 1960's.

Basically, I tried to limit my list to ten...then it grew to fifteen...ultimately ending up with seventeen! I take each album and review the background of that group, the album, and review the best tracks on the album. I have tried my hardest to be as factually and historically accurate as possible when talking about these groups and their work, so if anything is off, please let me know!

It's a rather long read, but I would greatly appreciate some readers and feedback.

I have written other posts, as well, including artists like Billie Holiday and the Exciters.

Thanks!!

http://recordrewind.blogspot.com/

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Antceleb12, great thread! 1960's Girl Groups are right up my alley! You’ve included some heavy-hitters in your Best-Of Girl-Group LP releases. I’m not sure if you’re asking us to critique your list, or to create a list of our own. I’ll attempt to do both. The only thing I would do differently with your list is to consolidate. For example, unless you really love all three of those Chiffons albums, you might want to include "Everything You’ve Always Wanted To Hear By The Chiffons [[But Couldn’t Get)" instead. It was a greatest hits compilation which had 16 tracks, if I remember correctly. That way, you can squeeze more artists/groups into your maximum-limit list, if there is a limit. Normally, as much as I love Honey Cone [[led by Edna Wright, who is Darlene Love’s sister), I would never compare a 1970's group with a 1960's group, as they’re somewhat worlds apart, style-wise. Honey Cone is a perfect contender for a 1970's girl-group list, though. [[Love 'em!) And, if left to my own devices, I would never include Motown’s girl groups in a list of non-Motown 1960's girl groups, either, simply because Motown was a category all its own, whose quality, when compared to other girl groups in general, would somewhat put the non-Motown girl groups to shame, or, at the very least, make them pale in comparison. But, in keeping with the existing trend you’ve started, I’ll lump them all in together. Off the top my head, this would be my list [[in no particular order, except for #1 below):

1. VARIOUS ARTISTS - "A Christmas Gift For You From Philles Records" [[Philles)
[[The Crystals, The Ronettes, Darlene Love, Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans) [[IMO, the BEST girl-group album AND the best Christmas album – EVER!)
2. THE CRYSTALS - "He’s A Rebel" [[Philles)
3. THE RONETTES - "Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes" [[Philles)
4. VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Philles Records Presents Today’s Hits" [[Philles)
[[The Crystals, The Ronettes, Darlene Love, Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans)
5. DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES - "Greatest Hits" [[Vol. 1 & 2) [[Motown)
6. MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS - "Greatest Hits" [[Gordy)
7. THE MARVELETTES - "Greatest Hits" [[Tamla)
8. MARY WELLS - "My Guy" [[Motown)
9. VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Dimension Dolls" [[Dimension Records) [[Little Eva, The Cookies, Carole King)
10. VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Red Bird Goldies" [[Red Bird) [[The Dixie Cups, The Shangri-las, The Jelly Beans, The Butterflys)
11. THE CHIFFONS - "Everything You’ve Always Wanted To Hear By The Chiffons [[But Couldn’t Get)" [[Greatest-Hits compilation) [[Laurie)
12. LESLEY GORE - "Sings Of Mixed-Up Hearts" [[Mercury)
13. LESLEY GORE - "Boys, Boys, Boys" [[Mercury)
14. LESLEY GORE - "Girl Talk" [[Mercury)
15. DUSTY SPRINGFIELD - "Golden Hits" [[Philips)
16. DIONNE WARWICK - "Anyone Who Had A Heart" [[Scepter)
17. THE ANGELS - "A Halo To You" [[Smash)
18. CONNIE FRANCIS - "Very Best Of Connie Francis" [[MGM)
19. DEE DEE SHARP - "All The Hits And More" [[Cameo)
20. THE ORLONS - "All The Hits And More [[Cameo)

Again, this is a fun thread, antceleb12. Thanks!

[antceleb12]

Hi Gary! I really appreciate you reading my article and giving me feedback! I realized when writing this that it might be tricky including a 70's group, Motown groups, and all three Chiffons albums. However, I think it was important, for me at least, to include these to sort of tie in the connections all of these girl groups had with each other.

Especially with the Vandellas' "Ridin' High" and Honey Cone's "Soulful Tapestry," one can see both the similarities and the growth in the girl group genre between 1968 and 1971. The inclusion of Honey Cone is kind of a "this is where the girl group sound went in the 1970's."

As for the Chiffons, I was very tempted to place in a "greatest hits" album, but I felt like that would have defeated the purpose of my article. I decided to stick with original albums only because the great albums are more than just hit singles, but of material that is high-quality all around. For the most part, a lot of this "filler" material is not included on greatest hits compilations. I thought a lot about whether or not I should take up space with all three Chiffons albums, but for me, there is no weakness in all of these albums, and the solidarity and strength in the group's musicality and harmonic blend was enough for me to justify including all three.

The Motown inclusion was a little bit more tricky. I tried to be wary of including Motown albums that strayed drastically from the 'girl group' sound [["I Hear a Symphony," for example, as great as it is, is far from that sound). However, I felt it was important to include these groups because they did help define the girl group sound. The inclusion of Motown albums was, again, to tie-in all the many different qualities of what the 'girl group' sound is.

Thank you for your list, too! Some I know very well and definitely consider top contenders. Others I have either completely forgotten about or don't know at all, so I will definitely have to check those out!

Again, thank you so much for your feedback. It really made me think about why I included these albums in the first place, as well as other groups and albums I could include.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Hi Gary! I really appreciate you reading my article and giving me feedback! I realized when writing this that it might be tricky including a 70's group, Motown groups, and all three Chiffons albums. However, I think it was important, for me at least, to include these to sort of tie in the connections all of these girl groups had with each other.

Especially with the Vandellas' "Ridin' High" and Honey Cone's "Soulful Tapestry," one can see both the similarities and the growth in the girl group genre between 1968 and 1971. The inclusion of Honey Cone is kind of a "this is where the girl group sound went in the 1970's."

As for the Chiffons, I was very tempted to place in a "greatest hits" album, but I felt like that would have defeated the purpose of my article. I decided to stick with original albums only because the great albums are more than just hit singles, but of material that is high-quality all around. For the most part, a lot of this "filler" material is not included on greatest hits compilations. I thought a lot about whether or not I should take up space with all three Chiffons albums, but for me, there is no weakness in all of these albums, and the solidarity and strength in the group's musicality and harmonic blend was enough for me to justify including all three.

The Motown inclusion was a little bit more tricky. I tried to be wary of including Motown albums that strayed drastically from the 'girl group' sound [["I Hear a Symphony," for example, as great as it is, is far from that sound). However, I felt it was important to include these groups because they did help define the girl group sound. The inclusion of Motown albums was, again, to tie-in all the many different qualities of what the 'girl group' sound is.

Thank you for your list, too! Some I know very well and definitely consider top contenders. Others I have either completely forgotten about or don't know at all, so I will definitely have to check those out!

Again, thank you so much for your feedback. It really made me think about why I included these albums in the first place, as well as other groups and albums I could include.

Well, you’re very welcome, antceleb12. It was my pleasure. I’m kinda disappointed, as I’m sure you are, that nobody else participated in your thread. Surely, you and I can’t be the only Girl-Group Era enthusiasts on this forum, especially since the girl-group hits ran concurrently with Phil Spector and the Motown era. They were intertwined -- all three of them.

If you’re wondering why I suggested condensing the three Chiffons albums into one greatest-hits package, but then turned around and included three separate albums by Lesley Gore, the reason is simply because, as much as I love The Chiffons hit singles, I, personally, was never crazy about their album filler. Their producer included too many remakes of other girl-group hits which came off sounding quick, cheap, and weak to my ear, whereas I grew up loving each and every track on those Quincy Jones-produced Lesley Gore albums. [[I still can’t believe she’s gone, but anyway.....)

It might be fun to compile a Top 100 Girl-Group 45 list. There were literally hundreds and hundreds – and countless more – 45's in that genre than there were albums, including a ton of them which were never hits but should have been [[i.e., The Cinderellas’ "Baby Baby [[I Still Love You)" on Dimension Records which was really The Cookies using one of the back-up Cookies on lead vocals instead of Earl-Jean McCrea. You ever hear that one? It should have flown up the charts in 1963/64 but barely made a dent. Here, give a listen: [[posted by Fujii James Yasunari):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pel_lHviXQ

And, this one in particular which I just discovered a couple years ago – The Emeralds’ "Did You Ever Love A Guy" on the Jubilee label [[1964). This record could have fit very comfortably on the Philles label, especially during the second verse when the strings come in. And that lead singer, man – she reminds me so much of Lala Brooks. Why on earth wasn’t this record a hit? See what you think: [[posted by ILMJXXX)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Djtf19F8K4

With any luck at all, maybe another forum member will still add a post to your thread. I hope so. I love this musical genre. The records were tough and powerful – hip-and-street, yet emotionally tender as can be. - Gary