Jackie DeShannon had been recording and performing for no less
than 8 years when something momentous happened to her in 1964… The erstwhile
Sherry Lee, Jackie Dee and Jackie Shannon, still a youngster just out of her
teens, was invited to tour the Now the Fab Four had great musical taste
in those days, and would have heard at least some of Jackie’s amazing OK, “Needles
And Pins” and “When You Walk In The
Room” you would expect to find on any DeShannon compilation album and here
they are, but listen to them. Don’t the hairs just stand up on the back of your
neck? Listen to the way she lives the words of “Needles And Pins”. Listen to
that full, satisfying sound that Jack Nitzsche magics on “When You Walk…”.
Then there are two songs that Jackie co-wrote with Randy Newman, from the time
when Randy and Jackie were both contracted to write for Jackie’s previous writing partner was
Sharon Sheeley, and they contribute a couple of passionate and wonderful
teen ballads, “You Won’t Forget Me”
and “The Prince”. The folky
all-join-in “He’s Got The Whole
World In His Hands” and two stormers, “It’s
Love Baby (24 Hours A Day)” and the New Orleans classic “Over You” round the album off, not
forgetting the only song which may well have been especially recorded for
the album, a pounding version of Buddy Holly’s “Oh Boy”. In those days people didn’t record covers of Buddy’s songs
and this may have been a first for Jackie, decorated with some shrill
“ooohs” as a tribute to her touring co-stars. Great fun. Anyway, this wonderful slab of early 60s
LA music making, with Jackie’s sexy voice thrown in, would be sufficient
in itself for a re-release. But those nice guys at RPM have gone and added
some bonus tracks. Tempted they may have been to throw in a few more hits,
but no, they have gone and found eight more contemporary tracks, and
wonderful they are. “I’m Looking For
Someone To Love” and “Maybe
Baby” are more from the Holly repertoire, with Jackie greatly at ease
singing the songs of her 50s hero. “Breakaway”,
as covered years later by Tracey Ullman, is a gem, unheard until it snook out
on an EMI CD a few years ago, but why oh why was it hidden? A top 10 hit
if ever there was one. “Try To Forget
Him” is another wonderful curling, pulsing teen tune, tailor made for Bobby
Vee and with that unmistakeable early 60s Nice insert with lots of pics of Jackie,
wonderful remastering of the original tapes, I do think you will enjoy this, I
really do. If you need more tempting, Jack Nitzsche arranged all but one of the
tracks. And great work Jim Pierson, who did all the unearthing and
compiling. More please.
Performing on the Beatles tour may not have given
anyone, other than the moptops, any artistic satisfaction. You would sing two
or three songs, be completely drowned out by young females screaming “We want
the Beatles”, leave the stage and collect your money. The Righteous
Brothers, another support act, reputedly walked away from the tour long before
it ended. But Jackie stayed the course, knowing that exposure on this
scale could make her career skyrocket.
Predictably,
I haven’t finished yet! The best news for us admirers
of Miss DeShannon is the three previously unheard tracks. And they are treats.
“Mean Old Frisco” allows me to put
Jackie and Muddy Waters into the same sentence for the first time, although I
have previously written a fair amount about Jackie. Here Jackie sings the blues
like I’ve never ever heard her before. Recorded in 1963 when still in her
teens. D’ya hear, Joss Stone? “Give Me A
Break” is a shuffling country tinged song with a slight Sam Cooke feel, not
unsurprising, since Jackie co-wrote it with Sam’s associate, Zelda Samuels. I
wonder if they wrote it with Sam in mind? And finally…… “Today Will Have No Night”. Some of us have heard Jackie’s LA demo
of this; but the finished job is quite different. Buzzing with life and
activity, girl backing singers, bouncing strings, hand clapping - a
creation of wonder. And recorded in