ODAY : 20 FAVORITE FEMME RECORDS OF....1963
1. HELLO STRANGER – BARBARA LEWIS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k0wveWxF2w
Here’s one I fell in love with from moment #1 I first heard Babs’
delicate
breathy vocals on her self penned classic Recorded for Atlantic at Chess Studios in Chicago with the Dells providing the vocal backing and the
whole
caboodle conducted by Riley Hampton. Charted #3 BBpop #1 BBr&b..Issued
on London in UK but failed to chart (a later version from Yvonne Elliman scraped the UK chart in 1977)
2. HEAT WAVE – MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs9d4Uakwzw
The Motown phenomenon gets into top gear this year as a huge percentage
of the company’s output starts dominating the charts with this Holland & Dozier production on the subsid Gordy label hitting #4 BBpop and #1 BB
r&b. Released on Stateside in UK but unbelievably failed to chart (!)
3. THAT’S HOW HEARTACHES ARE MADE – BABY WASHINGTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNlYASAdPJ4
Now firmly ensconced on Juggy Murray’s Sue label in NYC this is one of
my
very favorite numbers that Jeanette ever did (and inspiring a
by-the-numbers
identikit copy version later from Dusty Springfield). Anyone know who
the
backing vocal group is here? Charted #40 BBpop and #10BBr&b. Released in
UK on Sue but failed to chart despite decent club play
4. THE LOVE OF MY MAN – THEOLA KILGORE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk-jT2n66ig
Wonderful soul ballad penned by Ed Townsend (of “For You Love” fame) who also produced the record for Serock label (a subsidiary of Scepter)
Charted at #21 BB pop #3 BBr&b.. Not released in UK
5. CRY TO ME – BETTY HARRIS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQcFHX0nKEE
Revival of the ultra-soulful “Cry To Me” ballad originated the previous year in a masterly version by Solomon Burke. IMO the powerful Betty
Harris version recorded for Jubilee in 1963 is equally great. Charted
#23
BBpop #10 BBr&b (re-charted BBr&b in 1969 #44 on a Jubilee reissue)
6. BE MY BABY – THE RONETTES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdMCAaC8EI0
In tandem with the meteoric rise of Motown also came the rise in
prominence
of master producer Phil Spector and his famed “Wall Of Sound”
productions
personified by The Ronettes here and their first (and biggest) hit “Be
My
Baby” on Spector’s own Philles label, Charted at #2 BBpop #4 BBr&b. On London label in UK this reached #3
7. SLEIGH RIDE – THE RONETTES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkTVWplJ6zk
THE standout track—a reworking of the Christmas oldie---on a brilliant
album
--“A Christmas Gift For You” on the Philles label featuring various
artists and
groups signed to Spector’s label all doing famous Christmas songs.
Released
in time for Christmas on both sides of the pond (UK release on London)
8. DA DOO RON RON – THE CRYSTALS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ2b9-IjlvM
At the risk of turning this into “The Phil Spector Show” we now come to the
other multi-hit Spector group of the time in The Crystals with their
year’s
biggest hit for Philles in “Da Doo Ron Ron”. Charted #3 BBpop #5 BBr&b Released UK on London charted #4. On reissue (on Warner-Spector in 1974)
it charted again this time making #13
9. YOU’RE NO GOOD – BETTY EVERETT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym1z1zB1fyg
As far as I’m concerned La Betty owns this song---over the Dee Dee
Warwick
original even the surprisingly decent later Linda Ronstadt hit
version.The Swinging Blue Jeans? Don’t be silly! (I may even do a 1964
post in this series just so I can give Betty’s “The Shoop Shoop Song” a mention 😊 ) OK “You’re No Good” made #51 for her BBpop and #5 BBr&b. Here in UK it was on Stateside but did not chart
10. RULER OF MY HEART – IRMA THOMAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-S94xoVvWE
Recorded in New Orleans by Irma with backing assistance from Allen
Toussaint and
Roy Montrell and released as the last single issued on the original
Minit label in the city (pending the sale of its parent company to
Liberty Records).The actual song was shortly afterwards appropriated by
one Otis Redding who swiftly turned it into “Pain My Heart”. Like
several excellent Irma recordings from this period there was no chart
action at all and no UK release
11. CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME) – DARLENE LOVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EvZOXEoJ84
Like the Ronettes “Sleigh Ride” above here is another absolute STANDOUT track
from the great “A Christmas Gift For You” on the Philles label featuring various artists on well remembered Christmas songs.This track has been
reissued several times since (including on 45rpm) but never charted in
its own right.Same situation here in UK
12. HE’S GONE – MARVA ALLEN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hBeT8UVVpQ
A great unknown to some but a long time fave of mine since I first heard
it in the 70’s here’s Marva Allen on Excello and here’s what “Cash Box”
had to say :-
“MARVA ALLEN (Excello 2233) (B) “HE’S GONE” (2:31) [Excellorec BMI— Allen, West, Allen] The lark could get some quick spins with this
top-drawer, slow-shufflin’ tradition-oriented r&b affair all about a
broken romance. Good bet for ops and deejays.
13. COME AND GET THESE MEMORIES – MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S75yUJI8FKs
From Marva to Martha….impossible to get very far in 1963 without
returning to
the eternal Motown---which we now do with one of Martha & The V’s best
ever
tracks. Only their second Gordy single (just preceding “Heat Wave” – see #2 above).Charted #29 BBpop #6 BBr&b. Released on Oriole-American in UK
but didn’t chart
14. HERE COMES THE NIGHT OWL – MARVA ALLEN (UNRELEASED)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGFBQjOGB64
Here’s an unreleased side from Ms Marva Allen which may—or maybe not—be from
her session for Excello that produced “He’s Gone” above. Sounding like she had the 1955 Tony Allen & The Champs “Nite Owl” classic in mind
which it resembles somewhat the track was left unissued---appearing only
later on a Ju-Ju-Bee label bootleg (sometime in the 70’s I think? )
15. WHEN THE LOVELIGHT STARTS SHINING THROUGH HIS EYES – THE SUPREMES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diEllyM59s0
Back to the inevitable Motown here with the track from 1963 that I
figured might really break them BIG TIME!! But I was wrong then ---and
we had to wait another year—and for “Where Did Our Love Go”---for that
to happen. But meantime “Lovelight” charted #23BBpop and a respectable
#2 BBr&b. It was their debut single in the UK on Stateside but did not
chart
16. MAKE THE WORLD GO AWAY – TIMI YURO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yP-4HOij8s
First release of the famous Hank Cochran song (yeah I know Ray Price had
the original version as recorded but Timi had the first version
RELEASED). Terrific treatment of the country classic tho the chorus is a
bit top heavy.Timi was a long time big favorite of mine--right from
“Hurt” then a whole series of decent performances on record since.On Liberty in both US and UK it charted US #24BBpop. Failed to chart in UK
17. HE’S SO FINE – THE CHIFFONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPr1Wc1U560
“Doo lang doo lang doo lang”……
Femme foursome from the Bronx led by Judy Craig signed to Laurie label
and not to be confused with the earlier different West Coast Chiffons
group who covered The Shirelles on “Tonight’s The Night”. HUGE hit in 1963 topping both Billboard charts. In UK reached #11 on Stateside
18. JUST ONE LOOK – DORIS TROY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzcCXSiyvwM
Her earliest records were as “Doris Payne” or as half of “Jay & Dee” (no prizes for guessing which one) but she had to wait until 1963 to
finally break through with her first outing for Atlantic “Just One Look” which charted at #10 BBpop and #3 BBr&b. Released on London but did not
chart (tho The Hollies did well with a tiresome version in 1964)
19. ONE FINE DAY – THE CHIFFONS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paBz4LMyf-w
Okay so how do you follow a smash hit like “He’s So Fine” with another 100% absolutely guaranteed hit? Simple---just record the latest offering
from the Gerry Goffin/Carole King hit factory and you’re away!! And just
sit back and watch “One Fine Day” on Laurie soar to #5 BB pop and #6 BB r&b. Some folk prefer this one to “He’s So Fine” and I agree its close —but I’ll stay with their first hit. Surprisingly the UK Stateside issue
of this failed to chart
20. PUSHOVER – ETTA JAMES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aajzBU0Jeg4
Great soul number from Etta—her latest on the Argo label gave her the
biggest hit she’d had in a while since “Stop The Wedding” the previous year. “Pushover” charted at #25 BB pop and #7 BBr&b. In UK it appeared
on Pye-International but did not chart
BUBBLING UNDER
21. I CAN’T STAND IT – THE SOUL SISTERS
22. WHAT’S EASY FOR TWO IS SO HARD FOR ONE – MARY WELLS
23. BABY I LOVE YOU -THE RONETTES
24. YOU LOST THE SWEETEST BOY – MARY WELLS
25. LOSING YOU – BRENDA LEE
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