Wednesday, October 08, 2008

A GIRL FOR ME, AND A GIRL FOR YOU

Seems every time when I buy my umpteenth 1960s girl-group LP or CD, and go through it to pick out the invariable small number of winners, I become frustrated and I go back to the compilations that got me into this sound to begin with – “EARLY GIRLS”; “WHERE THE GIRLS ARE”; “ULTRA CHICKS” etc. Even those are fully packed with duds, leading one to conclude that this vaunted boom-ch-boom, thumping aural candy was really the provenance of a very select group of producers and singers. I think it’s possible, though not likely, that I’ve already heard every great girl-group song of the 1960s. I certainly hope to stand corrected.

Want to hear two of the very best? I thought that you might. JOEY HEATHERTON was an American actress and singer that I seem to remember from really bad TV in the 1970s; her Wikipedia page seems to confirm my suspicions. However this young lass cut the ultimate big-time booming slice of sugar-coated wall of sound in “Live And Learn”, the B-side of her 1966 single, “When I Call You Baby”. This song is just about perfect…..almost as perfect as “Wishing Well” by the SHANGRI-LA’S, who need little or no introduction. I’m pretty much positive that this is the finest of many fine Shangri-La’s numbers, though I do welcome dissent. The A-side of their very first 45, released in 1964. More from other long-ago girls in the near future.

Play or Download JOEY HEATHERTON - "Live and Learn"
Play or Download THE SHANGRI-LA'S - "Wishing Well"

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i think you forgot to put the download link in here?

Dr. D said...

nice Heatherton track. i picked up her LP when Village Music had their fire sale and it sucks, save for the cover art.