VA - The Songs Of Jackie DeShannon Vol 1-2 (2008/2014)

Jackie DeShannon’s status as a singer is assured. Her vocal range, diversity and skill, as exemplified by her original and stunning performances of ‘Needles And Pins’, ‘When You Walk In The Room’, Bacharach and David’s ‘What The World Needs Now Is Love’ and the generational anthem ‘Put A Little Love In Your Heart’, will be well known to readers of this article. But her status as a songwriter also deserves to be celebrated – something that Ace have done for us with this 27-track cracker, “Break-A-Way”.

Jackie’s talent for writing words and music emerged at a young age, and by 1958 she had successfully sold her song ‘My Baby Likes Western Guys’ to her contemporary, little Brenda Lee. Her abilities were recognised while she was still a teenager by Hollywood’s Liberty Records, who signed her to their publishing company Metric Music in 1961, where she was allowed to flourish alongside writers Sharon Sheeley, Randy Newman and J M Smith (later P J Proby). In this supportive West Coast environment Jackie came up with great song after great song, combining with Sharon Sheeley to write a series of hit records for Brenda Lee, the Fleetwoods and many more, inspiring the legendary Jack Nitzsche to some great co-writes and memorable productions, and striking out on her own to inspire the Searchers and other British bands to conquer the world.

Following this period of success Jackie briefly re-located to the UK, where a dynamic partnership with boy wonder session guitarist and Yardbird Jimmy Page resulted in a fabulous set of guitar-driven songs, folk-rock ballads and sublime soul (if you haven’t heard Barbara Lewis’ ‘Stop That Girl’ before, it will certainly stop you in your tracks).

In the period covered by this collection, 1961 to 1967, Jackie wrote a selection of songs which represent the very best in pop music of the day. The variety of styles is breathtaking – from the Merseybeat of ‘When You Walk In The Room’ by the Searchers, to the doo wop of ‘Should I Cry’ by the Concords (one of Jackie’s personal favourites), to the guitar raunch of Duane Eddy’s ‘Guitar Child’ and the girl-group sound of the Fashionettes’ ‘Day Dreamin’ Of You’. Jackie has written and co-written some 600 songs (and shows no sign of stopping!), and there are some rarities to give us enormous pleasure on this CD. Try the Bandits’ US garage take on ‘I Remember The Girl’, or, for a contrast, gospel chanteuse Wynona Carr’s slow and sexy interpretation of ‘Carrying A Torch’.

Every track here is a winner: from the obscure Jane Canada on the dimly-remembered Magic Lamp label, to household names such as Rick Nelson, Bobby Vee and indeed the Byrds. And Ace would not be Ace if they did not have a very special treat for us as a bonus – the collection concludes with a wonderful and previously unheard demo of Jackie performing her own lovely song ‘Only You Can Free My Mind’. So much talent, so much more to discover. I’m looking forward to Volume 2.

BY PETER LERNER

Vol 2
Stars from the 60s, 70s and 80s perform numbers by the acclaimed singer-songwriter, plus an exclusive Jackie demo.

Everyone in the Ace A&R division will tell you there’s nothing better than working with someone whose music you have long admired, on a project that demonstrates your reasons for that long-standing admiration. Particularly if that person is someone likeJackie DeShannon. Jackie has been an Ace friend and fan through three compilations of her Liberty and Imperial singles and also “Break-A-Way: The Songs Of Jackie DeShannon”, one of the best sellers in our acclaimed Songwriter series. Six years have gone by since that collection debuted in 2008, so Mick Patrick, Peter Lerner and I decided it was about time we compiled a follow-up.

While “Break-A-Way” focused on the 1960s, “She Did It!” also embraces the 70s and early 80s – years when Jackie was just as prolific and, arguably, even more successful, thanks to classics such as ‘Put A Little Love In Your Heart’ and ‘Bette Davis Eyes’, heard here by Dorothy Morrison and Kim Carnes, respectively. Early gems from Brenda Lee, the Ronettes, the Kalin Twins and P.J. Proby and obscurities from Gerri Diamond, Delaney Bramlett, Joe & Eddie and an unissued Jack Nitzsche-produced masterpiece by Tammy Grimes are sure to please all buyers. The appreciation non-US artists have always had for Jackie’s songs is apparent in selections by the Searchers, Kiki Dee, Dave Berry, Peter & Gordon, Marianne Faithfull and a very young Olivia Newton-John.

Closer to home, Jackie’s fellow L.A. residents the Righteous Brothers and Darlene Love (singing lead with Bob B Soxx & the Blue Jeans) make extremely good fists of fine numbers. Given that Jackie is an honorary member of the Ace family, it’s only right we have included songs by members of her real-life family – brother Randy Myers’ band Raga & the Talas and husband Randy Edelman.

“She Did It!” was put together with the full co-operation of Jackie, who was interviewed specifically for the project by Mick and has again provided unseen photographs and a previously unheard song from her personal cache of 1960s demos, with which we close another essential selection of her finest songwriting moments.

By Tony Rounce

Tracklist
Vol1 Break-A-Way (The Songs Of Jackie DeShannon 1961-1967)
01. Irma Thomas - Break-A-Way 2:45
02. The Searchers - When You Walk in the Room 2:22
03. P.J. Proby - Just Like Him 3:14
04. Cher - Come and Stay with Me 2:47
05. Helen Shapiro - Woe Is Me 2:03
06. Thurston Harris - Dancing Silhouettes 2:19
07. The Fleetwoods - (He's) The Great Impostor 2:13
08. Dick Lory - There's Gonna Be a Fight 2:14
09. Brenda Lee - So Deep 2:06
10. Peter James - You Won't Forget Me 2:10
11. Sister Wynona Carr - Carrying a Torch 2:41
12. Dobie Gray - Blue Ribbons 2:29
13. Barbara Lewis - Stop That Girl 2:33
14. Gay Shingleton - In My Time of Sorrow 2:27
15. The Bandits - I Remember the Girl 2:36
16. Diana Dawn - Back Street Girl 2:48
17. Jack Canada - Am I Dreaming 2:06
18. The Boys - Splendor in the Grass 2:20
19. Duane Eddy & The Rebelettes - Guitar Child 2:35
20. The Concords - Should I Cry 2:08
21. Rick Nelson - Thank You Darlin' 1:40
22. Eddie Hodges - Would You Come Back 1:55
23. The Fashionettes - Daydreamin' of You 2:35
24. Peggy March - Takin' the Long Way Home 2:25
25. Bobby Vee - If I'm Right or Wrong 1:58
26. The Byrds - Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe 3:01
27. Jackie DeShannon - Only You Can Free My Mind 3:56


Vol2 She Did It! (The Songs Of Jackie DeShannon Volume 2)
01. Bad Water
02. Bette Davis Eyes
03. Yesterday Died
04. Put A Little Love In Your Heart
05. You Don't Understand Him Like I Do
06. It's Just Terrible
07. I've Got My Tears To Remind Me
08. My Baby Likes Western Guys
09. Don't Put Your Heart In His Hand
10. He Did It
11. Depend On Yourself
12. With You In Mind
13. Burn On Love
14. I'm Breaking The Law
15. Each Time
16. The Greener Side
17. Colour Blue
18. The Other Side of Town
19. Till You Saw You'll Be Mine
20. I Shook The World
21. My Group And Me
22. You Have No Choice
23. I Wanted It All
24. Boat To Sail
25. Nobody Made Me
26. Love Forever Stay