Various Artists - Glitter and Gold Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil (@320)

 

Review by Richie Unterberger.

In common with Ace's numerous other anthologies devoted to compositions by major 1960s pop/rock songwriters, Glitter and Gold: Words and Music by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil is neither quite a best-of nor a rarities compilation. Instead, it mixes some big and small hits with collectors' items, with just one of the 26 tracks (Dion's "Make the Woman Love Me") postdating 1970, and a few songs in which they didn't collaborate, or other songwriters were also involved, though most of them are pure Barry Mann-Cynthia Weil creations. The average Brill Building pop fan will notice right away that a few of their signature hits are absent, particularly the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," and "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration," the Animals' "We Gotta Get out of This Place," the Ronettes' "Walking in the Rain," and the Crystals' "He's Sure the Boy I Love." Working on the assumption that the core audience for this reissue already has those songs elsewhere, however, this is an expectedly (given the standards Ace always brings to these collections) fine roundup of the best and rarest of the rest, even if the determination to include some collectors' items ensures a somewhat erratic listen.

As for the big hits that are included, you do get Mama Cass' "It's Getting Better," Gene Pitney's "I'm Gonna Be Strong," Paul Revere & the Raiders' "Hungry," B.J. Thomas' "I Just Can't Help Believing," and the Vogues' "Magic Town," and if some might be disappointed that the version of "Kicks" is by Del Shannon and not the Paul Revere hit, at least it's more off the beaten track. As for the outstanding tunes that weren't smashes, Arthur Alexander's "Where Have You Been (All My Life)" is a soulful ballad covered by the Beatles in their early days; the Girls' sinister Shangri-Las-like "Chico's Girl" is one of the greatest girl group rarities; Nino Tempo & April Stevens' "The Coldest Night of the Year" is a nice whispery, sexy number; and the Righteous Brothers' "See That Girl" has the same Phil Spector-ish sweep of their big hits. Beyond that, things get spotty, if usually interesting, some of the more notable cuts including Joanie Sommers' "I'd Be So Good for You" (even if it sounds a lot like Skeeter Davis' "Let Me Get Close to You"); the uplifting "Girl, It's Alright Now" by Bruce & Terry, aka Beach Boy Bruce Johnston with producer Terry Melcher; and Bill Medley's small 1968 hit "Brown Eyed Woman," a veiled reference to an interracial romance. A bunch of the other selections are minor footnotes to Mann and Weil's greatest material, whether they're non-hits by stars like the Tokens, the Marcels, the Chiffons, and the Turtles, or just plain obscurities by the likes of Bergen White and the 2 of Clubs. At almost all times, however, Mann-Weil's attentiveness to melodic detail and thoughtful song construction are in evidence, making this an illuminating anthology for all fans of one of the great Brill Building songwriting teams.

 

Tracklist:

1 –Mama Cass - It’s Getting Better

2 –Del Shannon - Kicks

3 –Tippie & The Clovers - The Bossa Nova (My Heart Said)

4 –Joanie Sommers - I’d Be So Good For You

5 –Gene Pitney - I’m Gonna Be Strong

6 –Arthur Alexander - Where Have You Been (All My Life)

7 –Paul Revere & The Raiders - Hungry

8 –The Cinderellas - Please Don’t Wake Me

9 –The Tokens - It’s A Happening World

10 –The Girls - Chico’s Girl

11 –B.J. Thomas - I Just Can’t Help Believing

12 –Bill Medley - Brown Eyed Woman

13 –Bruce & Terry - Girl, It’s Alright Now

14 –The Turtles - Glitter And Gold

15 –The Drifters - In The Park

16 –The Marcels - Find Another Fool

17 –The Chiffons - Remember Me Baby

18 –The Vogues - Magic Town

19 –Donna Loren - That’s The Boy

20 –Nino Tempo, April Stevens - The Coldest Night Of The Year

21 –Calvin Grayson - Where Do I Belong

22 –2 Of Clubs - Let Me Walk With You

23 –Bergen White - She Is Today

24 –The Sweet Inspirations - It’s Not Easy

25 –The Righteous Brothers - See That Girl

26 –Dion - Make The Woman Love Me

***