The Best of Spanky & Our Gang: 20th Century Masters the Millennium Collection

by Spanky & Our Gang

Overview

Spanky & Our Gang is one of the great overlooked bands of the '60s. As in the case of other groups like the Monkees or Paul Revere & the Raiders, their chart success seemingly blinded people as to just how good they were. Like a more baroque Mamas & Papas, their strength was their amazingly constructed harmonies. They also boasted impressive songwriting from sources as diverse as Bob Dorough, Margo Guryan and Terry Cashman, wonderfully brassy lead vocals by Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane and charming blend of hippie sensibilities and old time show biz attitudes. This collection boils their short career (three albums in three years between 1966 and 1969) down to ten tracks and includes all their best songs, like "Sunday Will Never Be the Same," "Lazy Day," "Sunday Mornin'," "Like to Get to Know You," "And She's Mine" and "Give a Damn." It delivers quite a knockout punch, but the short format of the series doesn't allow for much exploration of the different aspects of the group. For a more expanded view of Spanky & Our Gang's talents, you might pick up their 1999 collection Greatest Hits as it has five more tracks, including their wild cover of "Brother Can You Spare a Dime" and a moving rendition of "Stardust." It also has all the tracks this disc does and is roughly the same price, leading one to wonder why the label felt the need to release this collection at all. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	04/12/2005
Label:	Island Mercury / Mercury
UPC:	0602498627914
Rank:	1637

Tracks

1. Sunday Will Never Be the Same
2. Making Every Minute Count
3. Lazy Day
4. Sunday Mornin'
5. Like to Get to Know You [Single Version]
6. Give a Damn
7. Yesterday's Rain [Stereo Single Mix]
8. Anything You Choose
9. And She's Mine
10. Echoes (Everybody's Talkin')

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Spanky & Our Gang   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Bob Dorough   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Jimmy Wisner   Arranger
Gene Pistilli   Composer
Fred Neil   Composer
Stuart Scharf   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Kenny Hodges   Composer
Margo Guryan   Composer
George Fischoff   Composer
Robert Dorough   Composer
Richard Campbell   Tray Photo
Bill Levenson   Compilation Producer
Ellen Fitton   Mastering
Lefty Baker   Composer
Tom Gundelfinger   Photography
Scott Schinder   Liner Notes
Air Edel   Producer
Ute Friesleben   Production Coordination
Tony Powers   Composer
Ryan Null   Photo Coordination
Jerry Ross   Producer
Terry Cashman   Composer