The Best of the Girl Groups is a 2-volume compilation series released by Rhino Records in 1990. The collection, compiling 36 of the better known tracks by girl groups of the 1960s, is listed at #421 in Rolling Stones list of "Greatest Albums of All Time".The Best of the Girl Groups: Volumes 1 and 2 Rolling Stone online. (November 1, 2003). Accessed November 1, 2007. Music journalist Robert Christgau includes the compilation in his "core collection" for an essential rock library of music preceding 1980.Christgau, Robert. (1990) Rock library before 1980 Excerpted from Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Christgau official website. Accessed November 1, 2007. Entertainment Weekly described the first volume as "a veritable catalog of the era's romantic attitudes".Recordings at a glance EW.com. (September 28, 1990). Accessed November 1, 2007. The New York Times recommends both volumes, in conjunction with Rhino's Girl Group Greats, for listeners seeking "the biggest girl-group hits".Staff. (November 25, 2005). The good, the rare and the nostalgic in boxed sets The New York Times. Accessed November 1, 2007.
Song selection The compilation collects a broad range of the era's well-known hits, featuring seven #1 hit singles and an additional 14 top ten hits among its 36 tracks, but it includes lesser-known material as well, enough—according to AllMusic—to "keep the collection interesting for more serious fans of girl group pop". The collection includes two representative tracks of Ellie Greenwich, a prolific charting songwriter whose own material both solo and with The Raindrops was often overlooked. The included solo single "You Don't Know" was described by journalist Alan Betrock in his book Girl Groups: The Story of a Sound as "the kind of record that not only transcends and expands the boundaries that come to mind when someone says, 'Girl-group record,' but...also can stand alone, totally unique and unmatched by any other competition". "I Can't Let Go", a 1965 song by Evie Sands which did not chart, was critically described as "superb" though the song failed to capture popular interest until covered by The Hollies a year later. "The One You Can't Have" is one of several "outstanding" singles by popular backing vocalists The Honeys that failed to achieve commercial success. Cher's brush with the girl group genre is also represented, by the 1965 "Dream Baby", a "girl group classic" if not a charting single.
Track listing
The Best of the Girl Groups, Volume 1 # Title Composer Performer Chart Position Time1"Leader of the Pack"(Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Shadow Morton)The Shangri-Las#1 Black Singles#1 Pop Singles2:542"He's So Fine"(Ronnie Mack)The Chiffons#1 Black Singles#1 Pop Singles1:543"Chapel of Love"(Barry, Greenwich, Phil Spector)The Dixie Cups#1 Black Singles#1 Pop Singles2:504"The Boy from New York City"(George Davis, John T. Taylor)The Ad Libs#6 Black Singles#8 Pop Singles3:025"The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)"(Rudy Clark)Betty Everett#6 Black Singles#6 Pop Singles2:166"Sally Go 'Round the Roses"(Zell Sanders, Abner Spector)The Jaynetts#4 Black Singles#2 Pop Singles3:167"Will You Love Me Tomorrow"(Gerry Goffin, Carole King)The Shirelles#2 Black Singles#1 Pop Singles2:448"Remember (Walking in the Sand)"(Morton)The Shangri-Las#5 Black Singles#5 Pop Singles2:209"One Fine Day"(Goffin, King)The Chiffons#6 Black Singles#5 Pop Singles2:1010"Party Lights"(Claudine Clark)Claudine Clark#3 Black Singles#5 Pop Singles2:2411"People Say"(Barry, Greenwich)The Dixie Cups#12 Black Singles#12 Pop Singles2:4612"He's Got the Power"(Elle Greenwich, Tony Powers)The Exciters#57 Pop Singles2:2413"I Can't Stay Mad at You"(Goffin, King)Skeeter Davis#2 Adult Contemporary#14 Country Singles#7 Pop Singles2:0914"I Wanna Love Him So Bad"(Barry, Elle Greenwich)The Jelly Beans#9 Black Singles#9 Pop Singles2:4515"Dream Baby"(Sonny Bono)Cher—2:5916"Baby It's You"(Burt Bacharach, Hal David, B. Williams)The Shirelles#3 Black Singles#8 Pop Singles2:4017"Give Him a Great Big Kiss"(Morton)The Shangri-Las#18 Pop Singles2:1218"I Can't Let Go"(Al Gorgoni, Chip Taylor)Evie Sands—2:08
The Best of the Girl Groups, Volume 2 # Title Composer Performer Chart Position Time1"My Boyfriend's Back"(Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer)The Angels#2 Black Singles#1 Pop Singles2:392"Sweet Talkin' Guy"(Elliot Greenberg, Doug Morris)The Chiffons#10 Pop Singles2:273"The Loco-Motion"(Goffin, King)Little Eva#1 Black Singles#1 Pop Singles2:274"A Lover's Concerto"(Sandy Linzer, Denny Randell)The Toys#4 Black Singles#2 Pop Singles2:425"The Kind of Boy You Can't Forget"(Barry, Greenwich)The Raindrops#27 Black Singles#17 Pop Singles2:116"You Don't Know"(Barry, Greenwich, Morton)Ellie Greenwich—3:177"Chains"(Goffin, King)The Cookies#17 Black Singles#6 Pop Singles2:328"Popsicles and Icicles"(David Gates)The Murmaids#2 Adult Contemporary#3 Pop Singles2:339"The One You Can't Have"(Brian Wilson)The Honeys—2:0010"Tell Him"(Bert Russell)The Exciters#5 Black Singles#4 Pop Singles2:3911"Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)"(Goffin, King)The Cookies#3 Black Singles#7 Pop Singles2:4512"I Met Him on a Sunday (Ronde-Ronde)"(Doris Coley, Addie Harris, Beverley Lee, Shirley Owens)The Shirelles#49 Pop Singles2:1613"Wonderful Summer"(Perry Botkin, Jr., Gil Garfield)Robin Ward#23 Black Singles#14 Pop Singles2:2914"It Might As Well Rain Until September"(Goffin, King)Carole King#22 Pop Singles2:2515"You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry"(Bob Merrill, Terry Shand)The Caravelles#2 Adult Contemporary#3 Pop Singles2:0216"Easier Said Than Done"(Larry Huff, William Linton)The Essex#1 Black Singles#1 Pop Singles2:1217"I Love How You Love Me"(Larry Kolber, Barry Mann)The Paris Sisters#5 Pop Singles2:0918"Johnny Get Angry"(Hal David, Sherman Edwards, Donald Meyer)Joanie Sommers#7 Pop Singles2:32
Personnel
Performance
The Ad Libs – performer Hugh Harris Danny Austin Norman Donegan Mary Ann Thomas Dave Watt Michael Powers The Angels – performer Barb Allbut Phyllis "Jiggs" Allbut Peggy Santiglia Linda Jansen The Caravelles – performer Andrea Simpson Lois Wilkinson Cher – performer The Chiffons – performer Patricia Bennett Judy Craig Barbara Lee Jones Sylvia Peterson Claudine Clark – performer The Cookies – performer Margie Hendrix Dorothy Jones Ethel "Earl-Jean" McCrea Patricia Lyles Margaret Ross Skeeter Davis – performer The Dixie Cups – performer Barbara Anne Hawkins Rosa Lee Hawkins Joan Marie Johnson Dale Mickle The Essex – performer Rodney Taylor Rudolph Johnson Anita Humes Walter Vickers Billy Hill Betty Everett – performer The Exciters – performer Carol Johnson Skip McPhee Ronnie Pace Brenda Reid Lillian Walker Sylvia Wilbur Herb Rooney Ellie Greenwich – performer The Honeys – performer Ginger Blake Diane Rovell Marilyn Rovell Barbara Rovell The Jaynetts – performer Yvonne Bushnell Ethel Davis Ada Ray Johnnie Louise Richardson Mary Sue Wells Zelma Sanders The Jelly Beans – performer Charles Thomas Alma Brewer Elyse Herbert Maxine Herbert Diane Taylor Carole King – performer Little Eva – performer The Murmaids – performer Carol Fischer Terry Fischer Sally Gordon The Paris Sisters – performer Albeth Paris Priscilla Paris The Raindrops – performer Ellie Greenwich Jeff Barry Evie Sands – performer The Shangri-Las – performer Marge Ganser Mary Anne Ganser Betty Weiss Mary Weiss The Shirelles – performer Doris Coley Addie Harris Beverley Lee Shirley Owens Joanie Sommers – performer The Toys – performer June Montiero Barbara Parritt Barbara Harris Robin Ward – performer
Production Sevie Bates – design Irwin Chusid – liner notes Geoff Gans – art direction Bill Inglot – producer, transfers, digital preparation Michael Ochs – photography Ken Perry – transfers, digital preparation Gary Stewart – compilation
References