Gigi & The Charmaines - Gigi & The Charmaines (@320)

 

Gigi & The Charmaines - Gigi & The Charmaines (@320)

AllMusic Review by Mark Deming.

The back-cover blurb to this disc describes Gigi & the Charmaines as "Cincinnati's top 1960s girl group," which sounds like the very definition of a dubious distinction, but this thorough overview of the R&B trio's recorded output from 1960 to 1967 shows they had the stuff to compete on a bigger field if they'd had a bit more luck. Gigi Griffin (aka Marian Jackson), the group's lead singer, was able to meld passion with vocal precision in a manner that suggests a more sophisticated Diana Ross, and her partners Dee Watkins and Irene Vinegar brought some superb harmonies and backing vocals to their sessions. Add some memorable production smarts (from Norman Lewis and, of all people, Bobby Bare) and quality material (including "G.I. Joe," "Poor Unfortunate Me," "On the Wagon," and an offbeat cover of "Brazil"), and you have one of the better soul vocal acts of the era. This set not only collects Gigi & the Charmaines' best near-hits but rare sides in which they performed backing vocals for the likes of Lonnie Mack, Kenny Smith, and Carl Edmondson (though sadly none of the material where they sang behind James Brown made the cut). Northern soul obsessives and folks interested in unsung soul queens of the '60s will eat this up, and more casual R&B enthusiasts will find Gigi & the Charmaines fun listening as well.

 

Tracklist:

 

1.1 Guilty (Gigi ; the Charmaines)

1.2 Poor Unfortunate Me (Gigi ; the Charmaines)

1.3 I Don't Wanna Lose Him (The Charmaines)

1.4 Eternally (The Charmaines)

1.5 Girl Crazy (Gigi ; the Charmaines)

1.6 If You Ever (The Charmaines)

1.7 Brazil (Gigi ; the Charmaines)

1.8 Gi Joe (Fast Version) (The Charmaines)

1.9 Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu (The Charmaines)

1.10 I Idolize You (The Charmaines)

1.11 Goodbye Baby Goodbye (The Charmaines)

1.12 On the Wagon (The Charmaines)

1.13 Rockin' Old Man (The Charmaines)

1.14 What Kind of Girl (Do You Think I Am) (The Charmaines)

1.15 I Can't Go on This Way (The Charmaines)

1.16 Where Is the Boy Tonight (The Charmaines)

1.17 All You Gotta Do (The Charmaines)

1.18 Gi Joe (Original Version) (The Charmaines)

1.19 Baby What's Wrong (Lonnie Mack)

1.20 All the Time (Kenny Smith ; Jerri Jackson)

1.21 Say Something Nice to Me (Lonnie Mack)

1.22 Baby Please Don't Go (Carl Edmondson)

1.23 Oh I Apologize (Lonnie Mack)

1.24 I'm So Satisfied (Max Falcon)

1.25 Lucy Miloo (Kenny Smith)

1.26 Don't Take Away Your Love (The Charmaines)

1.27 If You Were Mine (The Charmaines)

1.28 Only Love (The Charmaines)

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