Sweet Things from the Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry Songbook

by N/A

Overview

Unlike Hung on You, Ace's third dip into the Gerry Goffin & Carole King catalog, Sweet Things from the Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry Songbook -- the label's third compilation of the duo's songs -- contains a pretty heavy dose of big hits. Chalk this up to the label being able to secure licensing for Phil Spector and Shadow Morton productions, an achievement that eluded them in 2008 when they released Do-Wah-Diddy: Words and Music by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. Here, the Crystals' "Then He Kissed Me" and the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack" anchor a disc of 24 tracks that celebrate the heyday of the Brill Building, usually via the mid-'60s singles that provided all the glory but also through a few '70s reflections. The latter provides some variety at the end of the collection -- the Strangeloves pounding away through the trashy teen anthem "Honey Do," Freddie Scott getting funky on "Am I Grooving You," Wilson Pickett grooving through the bubblegum "Sugar, Sugar," giving it more grit than it needs, Dusty Springfield's soulful "What Good Is I Love You," Andy Kim turning "Be My Baby" into a tinny AM pop sensation, and the Paley Brothers reviving Spectorisms as power pop -- but the appeal of Sweet Things rests in those exquisitely sculpted pieces or professional pop, so finely made that even the non-hits seem like testaments to the glory days of the 7" single. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	05/05/2015
Label:	Ace
UPC:	0029667070621
Rank:	87244

Tracks

1. Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart?  -  Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans  - Ellie Greenwich  - Jack Nitzsche  - Tony Powers  - Phil Spector
2. He's Got the Power  -  Exciters  - Ellie Greenwich  - Jerry Leiber  - Tony Powers  - Mike Stoller  - Teacho Wiltshire
3. Friday  - Ellie Greenwich  -  Jay & the Americans  - Jerry Leiber  - Tony Powers  - Garry Sherman  - Mike Stoller
4. (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry  - Ellie Greenwich  - Darlene Love  - Jack Nitzsche  - Tony Powers  - Phil Spector
5. Then He Kissed Me  - Jeff Barry  -  Crystals  - Ellie Greenwich  - Jack Nitzsche  - Phil Spector
6. Dance Marie  - Jeff Barry  - Vic Donna  - Ellie Greenwich
7. Another Boy Like Mine  - Jeff Barry  - Ellie Greenwich  -  Raindrops
8. Little Bell  - Jeff Barry  -  Dixie Cups  - Ellie Greenwich  - Jerry Leiber  - Mike Stoller
9. Whisper Sweet Things  - Jeff Barry  - Artie Butler  - Ellie Greenwich  -  Jelly Beans  - Steve Venet
10. Leader of the Pack  - Jeff Barry  - Ellie Greenwich  - George Morton  - Shadow Morton  -  Shangri-Las
11. Gee Baby Gee  - Jeff Barry  -  Butterflys  - Ellie Greenwich  - Steve Venet
12. What's a Girl Supposed to Do  - Jeff Barry  - Lesley Gore  - Ellie Greenwich  - Quincy Jones  - Claus Ogerman
13. Heaven Only Knows  - Jeff Barry  - Ellie Greenwich  - Shadow Morton  -  Shangri-Las
14. You Don't Know  - Jeff Barry  - Ellie Greenwich  - George Morton  - Shadow Morton
15. Our Love Can Still Be Saved  - Jeff Barry  - Ellie Greenwich
16. I'm Nobody's Baby Now  - John Abbott  - Jeff Barry  -  Hash Brown & His Orchestra  -  Reparata & the Delrons
17. I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine  - Jeff Barry  - Perry Jr. Botkin  - Ellie Greenwich  -  Ronettes  - Phil Spector
18. Spring Fever  - Jeff Barry  - Ellie Greenwich  - Tony Pass
19. Honey Do  - Jeff Barry  - Marty Sanders  -  Strangeloves
20. Am I Grooving You  - Jeff Barry  - Bert Berns  - Freddie Scott  - Garry Sherman
21. Sugar, Sugar  - Jeff Barry  - Tom Dowd  - Andy Kim  - Wilson Pickett  - Jerry Wexler
22. What Good Is I Love You  - Ellie Greenwich  - Mike Rashkow  - Stanley Schwartz  - Dusty Springfield
23. Be My Baby  - Jeff Barry  - Ellie Greenwich  - Andy Kim  - Phil Spector
24. Baby, Let's Stick Together  - Jeff Barry  -  Paley Brothers  - Phil Spector

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Ronettes   Primary Artist
The Strangeloves   Primary Artist
Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans   Primary Artist
The Jelly Beans   Primary Artist
Darlene Love   Primary Artist
The Butterflys   Primary Artist
Wilson Pickett   Primary Artist
The Exciters   Primary Artist
Freddie Scott   Primary Artist
Jay & the Americans   Primary Artist
Jeff Barry   Primary Artist
The Raindrops   Primary Artist
Tony Pass   Primary Artist
Hash Brown & His Orchestra   Primary Artist
The Crystals   Primary Artist
The Dixie Cups   Primary Artist
Ellie Greenwich   Primary Artist,Conductor
Dusty Springfield   Primary Artist
Vic Donna   Primary Artist
Lesley Gore   Primary Artist
Reparata & the Delrons   Primary Artist
Paley Brothers   Primary Artist
The Shangri-Las   Primary Artist
Andy Kim   Primary Artist
Teacho Wiltshire   Conductor

Technical Credits

Mike Stoller   Producer,Arranger
Mike Rashkow   Composer,Producer
Andy Kim   Composer
Shadow Morton   Producer
Eddie Smith   Photography
Myrna Giraud Rhodes   Photo Courtesy
Mick Patrick   Liner Notes
Jack Nitzsche   Arranger
Claus Ogerman   Arranger
Duncan Cowell   Mastering
Phil Spector   Composer,Producer
Bert Berns   Composer,Producer
John Abbott   Arranger
Jeff Barry   Composer,Producer
Tom Dowd   Producer
Artie Butler   Arranger
Teacho Wiltshire   Arranger
Marty Sanders   Composer
Nanette Licari   Photo Courtesy
Steve Venet   Composer,Producer
Steve Richards   Photography
Garry Sherman   Arranger
Tony Powers   Composer
Eric Charge   Photo Courtesy
Niall McCormack   Package Design
George Morton   Composer
Don Charles Hampton   Photo Courtesy
Ellie Greenwich   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Photo Courtesy
Perry Botkin, Jr.   Arranger
Jerry Leiber   Producer
Jerry Wexler   Producer
Stanley Schwartz   Arranger
Quincy Jones   Producer