Da Doo Ron Ron: More from the Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry Songbook

by N/A

Overview

Following 2008's Do-Wah-Diddy collection on Ace Records, Da Doo Ron Ron offers up another installment of high points and relative obscurities from the power duo of early girl group songwriting, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry. On the first collection, many fans noticed the absence of any of the hits the pair penned for artists on Phil Spector's Phillies label, which were tied up in licensing issues at the time. With those issues rectified, Da Doo Ron Ron opens up with the definitive girl group standard "Baby I Love You" by the Ronettes. This song, along with hits by other Phillies artists like Darlene Love and the Crystals, as well as ubiquitous chart-toppers by the Shangri-Las, the Dixie-Cups, and Lesley Gore, can lend the collection a girl group anthology/best-of feel. This is offset by the inclusion of far lesser-known tracks such as the soulful "I Know It's All Right" by Sam Hawkins and girl group stomper "When the Boy's Happy (The Girl's Happy Too)" by the Four Pennies. One of the best rarities on Da Doo Ron Ron is an electric version of "All Grown Up" by the Exciters, a short-lived vocal group best known for its Northern soul sides. This song sat unissued in the vaults for years while a less-inspired interpretation by the Crystals lingered in B-side mediocrity. While Greenwich and Barry reached the summit of their success as songwriters in the booming early-'60s avalanche of girl group sounds, they continued producing hits long past their Brill Building heyday. The collection is rounded out by a handful of later-'60s compositions for the increasingly groovy love generation, including the Monkees' inspired 1967 softly sleazy dance party jam "She Hangs Out" and respectable submissions from Manfred Mann and the McCoys. Neither songwriter made resounding waves as recording artists, though both Barry and Greenwich tried their hands as pop stars. Da Doo Ron Ron closes out with one solo song each from the songwriting team. Hearing the two as artists highlights the personal connection inextricable from writers performing their own material. Running the gambit from universally popular smash hits to lesser-known readings of songs that were huge hits for other artists, this compilation is even more evidence of a golden era of hit songwriting, and a testament to the malleable pop perfection of Greenwich and Barry's enduringly amazing creative hot streak in the early '60s. ~ Fred Thomas

Product Details

Release Date:	05/08/2012
Label:	Ace
UPC:	0029667049924
Rank:	89767

Tracks

1. Baby I Love You
2. The Train from Kansas City
3. Look of Love
4. She Hangs Out
5. Not Too Young to Get Married
6. I Wanna Love Him So Bad
7. Don't Ever Leave Me
8. Sweet Laurie, Fair Laurie
9. Chapel of Love
10. Wait 'Til My Bobby Gets Home
11. Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love
12. I Know It's All Right
13. Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)
14. I Wonder
15. That Boy John
16. When the Boy's Happy (The Girl's Happy Too)
17. Give Us Your Blessing
18. This Is It
19. Every Boy and Every Girl
20. All Grown Up
21. That's All I Ever Want from You Baby
22. I Got to Go Back (And Watch That Little Girl Dance)
23. I'll Still Love You
24. Goodnight, Goodnight (What's So Good About It)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Shangri-Las   Primary Artist
The Monkees   Primary Artist
Ray Peterson   Primary Artist
The Crystals   Primary Artist
The Jelly Beans   Primary Artist
The Chiffons   Primary Artist
Connie Francis   Primary Artist
The Tokens   Primary Artist
The Raindrops   Primary Artist
The McCoys   Primary Artist
Jeff Barry   Primary Artist
Sam Hawkins   Primary Artist
Lesley Gore   Primary Artist
Jay & the Americans   Primary Artist
The Exciters   Primary Artist
Ellie Greenwich   Primary Artist
Sonny & Cher   Primary Artist
Paul Jones   Primary Artist
Manfred Mann   Primary Artist
The Butterflys   Primary Artist
Darlene Love   Primary Artist
Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans   Primary Artist
The Ronettes   Primary Artist
The Dixie Cups   Primary Artist
The Four Pennies   Primary Artist
Garry Sherman   Conductor
Sammy Lowe   Conductor

Technical Credits

Steve Venet   Producer
Tony Powers   Composer
Niall McCormack   Package Design
Hutch Davie   Arranger
Artie Butler   Arranger
Jeff Barry   Producer,Composer
Bert Berns   Composer
Phil Spector   Producer,Composer
Duncan Cowell   Mastering
Mike Stoller   Producer
Quincy Jones   Producer
Jerry Leiber   Producer
Hugo & Luigi   Producer
Ellie Greenwich   Producer,Composer,Arranger
Joe Jones   Producer
Claus Ogerman   Arranger
Chip Douglas   Producer
Jack Nitzsche   Arranger
Mick Patrick   Liner Notes
Bob Crewe   Producer,Composer
Sonny Bono   Producer,Arranger
Shadow Morton   Producer