Various Early Girls Vol.2 (CD)

(Ace Records) 28 tracks

The first thing you notice is the mouth-watering cover: as soon as you flip open the lid, you half expect to find delicately sculpted Swiss chocolate: wrapped in gold foil rather than the digital storage medium that is a compact disc. However, the music it contains is equally delicious and not nearly as ephemeral. Brought to you by the professorial team behind the Golden Age Of American Rock'n'Roll (plus input from Mick Patrick), Early Girls Vol 2 continues our exploration of female pop in the early rock era and encompasses solo artists, girl groups and male vocalists fronted by a female lead. In common with the first volume, the emphasis is on Hot 100 hits, such as Ruby & the Romantics' stylish Our Day Will Come (a US no. 1), Lesley Gore's cry for independence You Don't Own Me, Peggy Lee's truly timeless Fever (heard here in phenomenal stereo), Dinah Washington's irresistible September In The Rain and The Exciters' torrid pop-soul innocence, Bobby's Girl, a Top 3 US hit in 1962.

 Incidentally, another goodie, April Stevens' kitsch Teach Me Tiger is being featured in a TV ad for a well- known cat food, and will probably receive a wider audience than when it first out (in the States only) in 1959 Ann-Margret's I just Don't Understand was a particular favourite of John Lennon's and a Beatles' version, recorded for the BBC 1963, was recently released on one of the "Anthology" volumes. Rockabilly singer Kent Westberry originally wrote I Just 1963, was recently released on one of the "Anthology" volumes.

 Rockabilly singer Kent Westberry originally wrote I Just Dont Understand as a harmonica instrumental for his friend Charlie McCoy but nothing came of it. Songwriter Marijohn Wilkin put words to the melody and Ann-Margret cut the song in Nashville, with McCoy on harmonica and Jerry Kennedy playing the first fuzz guitar licks-heard on a hit record. Damita Jo recorded the engaging answer record I'll Save The Last Dance For You, which reached the US Top 30 in the wake of the Drifters #1 Save The Last Dance For Me. Both records utilised the same arranger, Stan Applebaum, who astutely ensured that Jo's version was sufficiently different to merit airplay in its own right. In fact, there are those who prefer it to the Drifters' original. We leave you to decide. This sparkling set also contains several significant non-hits, most notably the little known original version of My Boy Lollipop by 16 year old Barbie Gaye, recorded some 7 years prior to Millie Small's million seller. 

We feel this alone is worth the price of the CD. Songwriter Ellie Greenwich (heard elsewhere on this CD as a member of the Raindrops), was so taken by the record that she named herself Ellie Gaye when she began making records in 1958. Also included is the rare Highland label version of Lonely Blue Nights, Rosie &The Originals' lost' follow-up to Angel Baby and Forgive Me by Babs Tino -surely a record that deserved a better fate than its minuscule chart placing. As always, we bring you premium audio quality and presentation to match.