This week's song list is dedicated to ladies of the 1960s. Enjoy!
1. Happy Heart. Petula Clark (1969): I first heard this song in 1994 watching Shallow Grave (Danny Boyle's directorial debut). Great movie, by the way. Chilling. I should watch it again! I love this song because of the movie, and because of my sister. She (unrelated to the movie) bought the album Portrait of Petula (also in the mid-90s) and played it in her car all the time.
2. The Time Has Come To Choose. Janie Jones (1968): From Dream Babes Volume 4. I collect these Dream Babes compilations. I got my first in 2001 or 2002? They're awesome compilations of British female singers/song writers from the 60s. Highly recommended. This Janie Jones track is one of my faves.
3. He's a Rebel. The Crystals (1962): Written by Gene Pitney and produced by Phil Spector. One of my all time favorite girl group songs. Love it!
4. Without Him. Lulu (1968): Written as "Without Her" by Harry Nilsson in 1967. I saw Lulu in To Sir With Love when I was in high school, but it wasn't until college that I started listening to her music. Her voice is one of the best ever. And her singing seems so natural and effortless. Love her. She was also an amazing mentor on American Idol a few years back.
5. I Can Never Go Home Anymore. The Shangri-Las (1965): What's not to love about The Shangri-Las. First off, their name. The best. The melodrama of most of their songs. Outrageous. This song is particularly melodramatic and sad.
6. The Crying Game. Brenda Lee (1965): One of the greatest songs ever written as far as I'm concerned. I loved the Boy George version from the 90s (which he did for the movie soundtrack of The Crying Game) and sought out this Brenda Lee version more recently. Gorgeous. Haunting. Perfect.
7. Train Song. Vashti Bunyan (1966): Vashti Bunyan is one of my all time favorites. I love all of her music, so it was hard to choose one song to include here. "Train Song" might be her most famous? It's been covered by Ben Gibbard & Feist (on the Dark Was the Night compilation) and by Ren Harvieu & Karen Elson more recently. Beautiful song. Bittersweet (as most of her songs are) and the production is very gritty and low-fi.
Photo: Vashti Bunyan Just Another Diamond Day album cover
