Various Rock'N Roll Party Vol.5 (LP)

(ACE Records) 14 tracks

Ace Records has been the go-to source of 1960s US girl group compilations since the release of our “Where The Girls Are”, “Girls About Town” and “Stop, Look & Listen” vinyl albums back in the 1980s. The 10-volume “Where The Girls Are” CD series followed over the next few decades, along with a batch of standalone CD collections. These days, however, the vinyl long-player is back in favour as the format of choice for discerning collectors.
“A Good Thing Goin’!”, the latest in our current series of gorgeously packaged 12-inchers, drops this month. The album opens in fine style with ‘What About You’ by the great sounding Mousie & the Traps. Darlene Love kicks off the second side with ‘Let Him Walk Away’, a song written by Jackie DeShannon with noted arranger Jack Nitzsche, no less. Darlene Love, one of the most beloved vocalists of the classic girl group era, also sings lead on the Blossoms’ terrific previously unissued ‘You Had A Good Thing Goin’’, while Jack Nitzsche produced the Satisfactions’ lush ‘Baby I’m So Glad It’s Raining’ and Karen Verros’ castanets-driven version of the Crystals’ ‘Little Boy’.
Other highlights include Brenda Holloway’s silky pre-Motown gem ‘Constant Love’, the Puffs’ hip dancer ‘I Only Cry Once A Day Now’, the Fran-cettes’ latin-flavoured ‘Late In The Evening’ and Linda & the Vistas’ Shrine Records rarity ‘Bad Apple’. As usual in the series, the swanky inner sleeve features a picture-packed 3,000-word track commentary by long-serving compiler Mick Patrick.