Warner Girl Group Nuggets 5: A Boy Like You

“A Boy Like You – Warner Girl Group Nuggets – Vol 5”Ronettes / I’m Gonna Quit While I’m AheadShelley Fabares / Telephone (Won’t You Ring)Shelley Fabares / Big StarBarry Sisters / Too Smart (For My Own Good)Girlfriends / My One And Only Jimmy BoyGirlfriends / For My SakeToni Wine / My Boyfriend’s Coming Home For ChristmasShelley Fabares / Football Season’s OverShelley Fabares / He Don’t Love MeBarry Sisters / I Must Be DreamingEarl-Jean / I’m Into Something GoodEarl-Jean / We Love And LearnJackie & The Raindrops / Down Our StreetToni Wine / A Boy Like YouBernadette Castro / His Lips Get In The WayBernadette Castro / Sports Car SallyEarl-Jean / RandyEarl-Jean / They’re Jealous Of MeToni Wine / A Girl Is Not A GirlBernadette Castro / A Girl In Love ForgivesOne part of a 5 part Japanese series bringing together girl/girl group gems from the 60s that were originally released on one of the labels attached to Warner Brothers’ Records, although the selections on this volume are heavy on Colpix releases.Often the success of a series such as this depends on how many of the titles collectors already have. In the CD era, Colpix titles have been re-issued by Sequel and Westside in the UK and Rhino in the US. So, for example, Rhino’s “The Best of Shelley Fabares” is still out there; obtainable for around $10.This is not to denigrate the quality of the music here, which captures the poppier side of the girl/girl group genre very well. There’s some big time talent behind many of these songs. Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote all four of former Cookie, Earl-Jean’s tracks. “I’m Into Something Good” was covered by Herman’s Hermits and became a #1 UK hit for them. The UK’s Kenny Lynch covered “They’re Jealous Of Me”.David Gates wrote and produced both titles by the Girlfriends and achieved a US hit with “My One And Only Jimmy Boy”. He also produced the double sider for Shelley Fabares, “Football Season’s Over” (which he also wrote) / “He Don’t Love Me”. Toni Wine, with three excellent titles here as a singer, went on to write some of the best 60s/70s’ pop, with songs such as “A Groovy Kind Of Love” and “Candida” to her credit. Elsewhere we find Stu Phillips as a producer, Mann-Weil and Sedaka-Greenfield as writers.The Bernadette Castro tracks are nice acquisitions. Hailing from Miami, Bernadette entered US politics and served in the cabinet of New York Governor, George Pataki. The great 4 Seasons’ arranger, Charlie Callelo arranged both sides of her “Get Rid Of Him” / “A Girl In Love Forgives”; the latter is included in this set. Three of Bernadette’s Colpix sides were produced by “Brill Building” stalwarts, Helen Miller and Howard Greenfield, while future Woodstock organizer, Artie Kornfeld wrote and produced “Sports Car Sally”.The set opens with a pre-Spector Ronettes’ song, “I’m Gonna Quit While I’m Ahead” from January of 1962, which reminds us that the group did lay down some solid tracks with Stu Phillips before “Be My Baby”.The sound quality is good and if you don’t have most of these titles, this is a 5 star disc, as there’s not really a dud here. For the rest of us, the heavy duplication and the parsimonious 20 tracks lead to the loss of a star and a half – but I’ll settle for 4.

古き良きアメリカの懐かしいオールディズが楽しい！

収録曲1.I'm Gonna Quit While I'm Ahead/The Ronettes 1962 Colpix-6462.Telephone/Shelley Fabares 1962 Colpix-6673.Big Star/Shelley Fabares 1962 Colpix-6674.Too Smart/The Barry Sisters 1963 Colpix-7065.My One And Only, Jimmy Boy/The Girlfriends 1963 Colpix-7126.For My Sake/The Girlfriends 1963 Colpix-7217.My Boyfriend's Coming home For Christmas/Toni Wine 1963 Colpix-7158.Football Seasons Over/Shelley Fabares 1964 Colpix-7219.He Don't Love Me/Shelley Fabares 1964 Colpix-72110.I Must Be Dreaming/The Barry Sisters 1964 Colpix-72211.I'm Into Something Good/Earl-Jean　　1964　Colpix-729　　POP38位12.We Love And Learn/Earl-Jean 1964 Colpix-72913.Down Our Street/Jackie And The Raindrops 1964 Colpix-73814.A Boy Like You/Toni Wine 1964 Colpix-74215.His Lips Get In The Way/Bernadette Castro 1964 Colpix-74716.Sports Car Sally/Bernadette Castro 1964 Colpix-74717.Randy/Earl-Jean 1964 Colpix-74818.Ther're Jealous Of Me/Earl-Jean 1964 Colpix-74819.A Girl Is Not A Girl/Toni Wine 1964 Colpix-75620.A Girl In Love Forgives/Bernadette Castro 1964 Colpix-7591958年にニュー・ヨークで設立されたColpix（コルピックス）レコードは、映画会社のColumbia Pictures（コロンビア・ピクチャーズ）のレコード部門でした。そのため、Columbia Pictures を縮めてColpixとなったわけです。このレーベルには内容の良い作品が多く残されており、昔からティーン・ポップスや、ガールズ・サウンドのファンから人気のレーベルでした。それもそのはずで、アルドン系のライターやスタッフがそのレコード制作の多くに携わっておりました。本CDは、そのコルピックスに残されたガールズ・サウンドの日本編集盤。4.と7.が世界初のCD化、そして1.以外は日本初CD化だそうです。その4.「Too Smart」は初めて聴きましたが、ジ・エクサイターズの大ヒット曲、「Tell Him」を彷彿させるグレート・チューンで、大変気に入りました。また同じくバリー・シスターズの10.「I Must Be Dreaming」は、ニール・セダカのヒット曲、「Little Devil」のＢ面曲のカヴァーですが、こちらもなかなかの出来。他にもマニアに人気のバーナデット・カストロや、トニ・ワイン、ザ・ガールフレンズ、そしてザ・クーキーズのメンバーだったアール・ジーンのソロ、さらにロネッツやシェリー・フェブレーなど、この手のサウンドのファンの琴線に触れること間違いなしのキュートでチャーミングな楽曲が目白押しです。これを聴かずは大損と断言できる、素晴らしい内容のCDです。例によって、詳しい解説もありがたい。これを眺めながらCDを聴けば、至福の時間を過ごせますよ。