BOY TROUBLE: GARPAX GIRLS VARIOUS CD

SKU/Barcode: 029667001120

In the early and mid-'60s, Hollywood producer Gary Paxton was trying his hand at just about every style of popular music going in a quest to land hits, even though he rarely found many commercial returns for his efforts. Boy Trouble: Garpax Girls collects 26 girl group-oriented tracks from his vaults, some of which found release on various small labels, though over half of them were previously unissued. None of these artists found much success, either with Paxton or elsewhere (if they were even recorded elsewhere). And, to be honest, it's easy enough to tell why none of these recordings made it big: they're not on the same level as the most memorable girl group smashes, in terms of either the vocals or the material, and are often derivative of girl group-styled records being made by other artists, songwriters, and producers. That doesn't mean, however, that there isn't some enjoyable and imaginative stuff here, albeit of the kind that will appeal to specialists rather than collectors who want to focus on top-rank girl group music. Mary Saenz, the Rev-Lons, Mary Saxton, and Sandi Shore all cut likable girl group sides with a Motown touch, for instance, and Beverly Williams' 'They Say Big Girls Don't Cry' almost sounds like Carole King trying to do a follow-up to 'It Might As Well Rain Until September.' The Jackie DeShannon-Sharon Sheeley composition 'Back Street Girl,' done here by Diana Dawn, is a terrific song, though unfortunately done far better by DeShannon herself on an unreleased demo (not included here, natch). The eerie echoing kazoo of 'Boy You Better Watch It Girl' is a good example of a producer making budgetary limitations work for rather than against a record. At other times, however, the songs are on the dull and imitative side -- Jan Paxton's 'I've Had Enough Heartaches,' for instance, is an obvious attempt to follow in the steps of the Dixie Cups.

1. Boy Trouble
2. Would She Do That For You
3. They Say Big Girls Dont Cry
4. Ill Know Better Next Time
5. Back Street Girl
6. Losin Control
7. Boy You Better Watch It Girl
8. One Way Street
9. You Call Yourself A Man
10. Hes The Most
11. Its Too Late Now
12. Road To Nowhere
13. Whirlwind
14. Big City Guy
15. Love Cant Be A One Way Deal
16. Plain Simple Ordinary Wondeful Guy
17. Dutch Treat
18. Give Me One More Chance
19. My Kind Of Boy
20. Blame It On Johnny
21. How Can You Keep From Loving A Boy Like That
22. Till There Was You
23. Ive Had Enough Heartaches
24. Every Boy Any Boy
25. Keep A Hold On Him
26. I Cant Forget About You