favorite songs by '60s girl groups/singers

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Everything's Gonna Be Alright - PP Arnold
He's A Rebel - the Shangri-Las
Someday We'll Be Together - the Supremes
Oo Chang-A-Lang - the Blue Orchids
Laisse Tomber les Filles - France Gall
Popsicles & Icicles - the Murmaids
Angel of the Morning - Skeeter Davis
Heart - 2 of Clubs
Dancing in the Street - Martha & the Vandellas
Le Coeur Au Bout Des Doigts - Jacqueline Taïeb
Chico's Girl - the Girls
Walking Back To Happiness - Helen Shapiro
(probably forgetting a shitload)

― babyalive (babyalive), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:24 (twenty years ago)

yeah...

+Nothin' But a Heartache - the Flirtations
+These Boots Are Made for Walkin' - Nancy Sinatra

― babyalive (babyalive), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:26 (twenty years ago)

"i won't run" by the feminine complex

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:29 (twenty years ago)

"What's It Gonna Be," Dusty Springfield, or anything else she ever did; recently I've also developed a real love for The Goodees' blissfully idiotic "Jilted" (as in "I've been jilted, J-I-L-T-E-D!!!!")

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:46 (twenty years ago)

don't sleep in the subway - petula clark
past, present and future - the shangri-las

― whenuweremine (whenuweremine), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:48 (twenty years ago)

Also, Francoise Hardy's "Comme Tant d'Autres"

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:50 (twenty years ago)

And then there's Jackie DeShannon's mighty "When You Walk in the Room."

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 05:52 (twenty years ago)

I Can't Let Go, Evie Sands
So Long Babe, Nancy Sinatra
When You Walk in the Room, Jackie DeShannon [xpost!]
Hide All Emotion, Sandie Shaw
The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game and I'll Keep Holding On, Marvelettes
You've Made Me So Very Happy, Brenda Holloway
Easier Said Than Done, The Essex
He Was Really Saying Something, Velvelettes
Any single by Dionne Warwick
It Might As Well Rain Until September, Carole King
What's a Matter Baby, Timi Yuro
You Keep Me Hangin' On, Supremes
The Gal Costa album with "Lost in the Paradise"
Don't Rain On My Parade, Barbra Streisand
Aretha

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 06:05 (twenty years ago)

Oh!

Piece of My Heart, Erma Franklin
Go Now, Bessie Banks
Baby Don't Stop Now, Annette Funicello (sssasssy!)
Love Me, Love Me, Pixies Three

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 06:13 (twenty years ago)

River Deep Mountain High, of course.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 06:15 (twenty years ago)

Sorry, forgot Etta.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 06:18 (twenty years ago)

"Sally Go 'Round the Roses," the Jaynetts

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 06:20 (twenty years ago)

The Shangri Las - I can never go home anymore
Dusty Springfield - I close my eyes and count to ten
The Chiffons - Sweet talking guy
The Jaynetts - Sally go around the roses
The Cookies - Girls grow up faster than the boys

and always always always Nancy's boots...

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 06:24 (twenty years ago)

nightmare - the whyte boots

― whenuweremine (whenuweremine), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 06:26 (twenty years ago)

nearly everything on here come the girls vol. 1 and girls go zonk.

― Cynthia Nixon Now More Than Ever (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 08:08 (twenty years ago)

L'Amour, C'est Comme Le Cafe - Mick Micheyl.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 09:12 (twenty years ago)

I bought a Sandy Posey 7" at the weekend. It creeped me out when I played it. I thought "He Hit Me (it felt like a kiss)" was pretty close to the knuckle, but this...

― zebedee (zebedee), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 09:29 (twenty years ago)

My top 5:

5."The Big Hurt", Toni Fisher
4."The Loco-Motion", Little Eva
3."Come See About Me", Supremes
2."Let's Have A Party", Wanda Jackson

And, serious contender for my favourite song EVER!...

1."The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)", Betty Everett

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 09:36 (twenty years ago)

I've Told Every Little Star - Linda Scott
Party Lights - Claudine Clark

― AaronK (AaronK), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 11:48 (twenty years ago)

Rrricky, great list(s) -- can't believe I left off Bessie Bank's "Go Now"

― babyalive (babyalive), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 13:15 (twenty years ago)

1. Supremes - "Forever Came Today"
2. Dionne Warwick - "Make It Easy On Yourself" (though I prefer the Walker Brothers version)
3. a seconded vote for the Flirtations, "Nothin' But a Heartache"
4. a seconded vote for the Chiffons - "Sweet Talkin' Guy"
5. Dusty - "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"
6. Velvelettes - "Needle in a Haystack"
7. Martha & the Vandellas - "Nowhere to Run" (p.s.: what's a Vandella?)
8. Dionne again - "Walk on By"
9. Dusty again - "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself"
10. Supremes again - "I Hear a Symphony"

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 13:21 (twenty years ago)

the flirtations "need your lovin'"

― Cynthia Nixon Now More Than Ever (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 15:32 (twenty years ago)

Diana Ross & The Supremes - "Where Did Our Love Go"--my favorite by some margin.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 15:33 (twenty years ago)

Be my Baby- Ronettes

― Rachel Hella Myles, Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:19 (twenty years ago)

Jackie Ross - Jerk and Twine

― briania (briania), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:22 (twenty years ago)

if i could only listen to one song ever again, it would be ok with me if it were "he's a rebel".

― peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 19:23 (twenty years ago)

train from kansas city - the shangri-la's

and an honorable mention to diane renay's cheesily produced but still brilliant "navy blue." i'm pretty sure that almost all pop music can be boiled down to 11 or 12 basic melodies, and "navy blue" is one of them in its entirety.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 21:14 (twenty years ago)

then he kissed me - the crystals

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 21:16 (twenty years ago)

Very nice ... we're getting into the Spector box set with the last few posts.
"He's A Rebel" is by the Crystals, not the Shangri-Las.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 21:19 (twenty years ago)

i adore 'then he kissed me'

loads mentioned above but also the shirelles!! tell mama (and more)

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 21:21 (twenty years ago)

reparata and the delrons "captain of your ship"

― Cynthia Nixon Now More Than Ever (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 21:39 (twenty years ago)

"baby love" supremes
"baby, it's you" shirelles
"give him a great big kiss" shangri-las

lots of tunes by etta james, tina turner, and wanda jackson.

― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 21:59 (twenty years ago)

oh shit how could i forget:

irma thomas, "two winters long."

girl group music the new orleans way. pure allen toussaintified bliss.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 22:32 (twenty years ago)

Wasn't "Captain...," a brilliant single, from the 1970s?

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 23:18 (twenty years ago)

Thanks, babyalive. I was embarrassed to list so much stuff (and now I can think of even more), but this is a huge soft spot for me.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 23:48 (twenty years ago)

Zebedee, which single?

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 October 2004 23:49 (twenty years ago)

Wasn't "Captain...," a brilliant single, from the 1970s?

'68.

― Cynthia Nixon Now More Than Ever (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 14 October 2004 00:42 (twenty years ago)

i feel like i should be posting in this thread..

sandie shaw - as long as your happy baby
plus just about the shangri-la's entire recorded output

― chris andrews (fraew), Thursday, 14 October 2004 00:53 (twenty years ago)

Supremes "Chain gang"

posted here

― Jacob (Jacob), Thursday, 14 October 2004 01:14 (twenty years ago)

Speaking of thinking of even more... Maxine Brown's "One in a Million."

"He's A Rebel" is by the Crystals, not the Shangri-Las.

Shit, that's right..

― babyalive (babyalive), Thursday, 14 October 2004 03:54 (twenty years ago)

Sandie Shaw's "Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now" because I love the Smiths so much lol.

― Atnevon (Atnevon), Thursday, 14 October 2004 05:04 (twenty years ago)

Zebedee, which single?
"Single Girl" was on one side, but it was the flipside that really got (to) me. Can't remember title, but it had the word "Woman" in it.

― zebedee (zebedee), Thursday, 14 October 2004 10:34 (twenty years ago)

"Girl Don't Come" is my favorite by Sandie Shaw, partly because its third-person POV is so ambiguous.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 14 October 2004 11:56 (twenty years ago)

Girl from Cincinnati--Bobbie Gentry
I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine--Ronettes
Divine Marvelous--Gal Costa
Zazueira--Elis Regina

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:19 (twenty years ago)

Shangri-La's-The Dum-Dum Ditty (Shadow Morton's really cool knock-off of both "He's A Rebel" & "Then He Kissed Me")
Shirelles-Soldier Boy (didn't like this much at first, but reading Marsh's essayin his singles book made me think twice)

We really need some Lesley Gore on this list, ergo:
"Maybe I Know" b/w "Wonder Boy"

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:30 (twenty years ago)

Ah, here's some more:

Dionne-The Windows of The World
Angels-Wow Wow Wee
Shangs-The Sweet Sounds of Summer (somebody oughta sample that break)
Supremes-Reflections
Royalettes-It's Gonna Take A Miracle
Ketty Lester-Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid
Lesley Gore-The Look of Love (not the Bacharach/David song)
Evie Sands-I Can't Let Go
Nancy & Lee-Some Velvet Morning b/w Oh Lonesome Me

and much ditto to all the Spector, Dusty, & Shangs stuff mentioned.

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Thursday, 14 October 2004 16:42 (twenty years ago)

Adding "Walking In The Rain" in the case of Ronettes.

Other than that, "Leader Of The Pack" sooooo to thread!

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 October 2004 00:52 (twenty years ago)

xpost to Zebedee: Was it "Born a Woman"? Both of those were hits.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 15 October 2004 07:04 (twenty years ago)

"stolen angel" by the tonettes is incredible.
the harmonies are pretty far off, but these girls sound so bad-ass, i doubt anyone in the studio had the balls to ask for another take.
sounds like they just cut the song quick so they could get some cash to make bail.

― m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 23:15 (twenty years ago)

all the hot nederlander beat chixors on the beatmeisjes collection. shout out to wanda's "de kelder van billy"!

― motown modown (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 23:23 (twenty years ago)

and mariska veres' "is het waar," of course.

― motown modown (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 23:32 (twenty years ago)

Please add:

Patty Duke - Don't just Stand There
Leslie Gore - You Don't Own Me
Shirelles - Soldier Boy
Shelly Fabares - Johnny Angel
Chiffons - One Fine Day

― jim wentworth (wench), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 01:52 (twenty years ago)

I think "Don't just stand there" and "You don't own me" are secretly the same song.

― Vampire Submarine (VampireSubmarine), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 02:01 (twenty years ago)

little eva - just a little girl
shirelles - will you love me tomorrow

etc
etc
etc

― Amateurist (Travis Blue), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 02:19 (twenty years ago)

V.S.: I never thought of it until now, but wow! Minor key coordinates and really the same melody. Yeah, they're pretty close. No lawsuits though.

― jim wentworth (wench), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 02:54 (twenty years ago)

How has Home Of The Brave by Bonnie & the Treasures not been mentioned here yet?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 27 October 2004 19:46 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

I've also developed a real love for The Goodees' blissfully idiotic "Jilted" (as in "I've been jilted, J-I-L-T-E-D!!!!")

I just got a comp with this on it - IT IS THE GREATEST SONG EVER RECORDED, CONTEMPLATED, OR DANCED TO, BY MAN OR BEAST!

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Monday, 30 January 2006 16:52 (nineteen years ago)

"I think "Don't just stand there" and "You don't own me" are secretly the same song."

Also, "You Don't Own Me" and "Goodbye Tony" are quite open about being the same song.

― everything, Monday, 30 January 2006 18:38 (nineteen years ago)

don't forget Linda Rondstadt's "Different Drum"

― marc h. (marc h.), Monday, 30 January 2006 18:42 (nineteen years ago)

four months pass...

Angels - My Boyfriend's Back
Lesley Gore - It's My Party

― Aditya (dan138zig), Thursday, 1 June 2006 03:57 (eighteen years ago)

Three Exciters songs:

Tell Him
Blowing Up My Mind
He's Got the Power (this was on the One Kiss girl group comp...it's utterly perfect)

and of course all the Supremes hits. Love Is Like an Itching In My Heart isn't on their greatest hit comps usually, but it's fabulous.

― musically (musically), Thursday, 1 June 2006 04:06 (eighteen years ago)

Not mentioned yet:

Lesley Gore - Maybe I Know
The Chiffons - I Have a Boyfriend

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 1 June 2006 04:11 (eighteen years ago)

Wendy Rene's "After Laughter (Comes Tears)" is one of my all time favorite songs, EVER

― jäxøñ (jaxon), Thursday, 1 June 2006 04:15 (eighteen years ago)

What's the most annoying girl-group song?

― Aditya (dan138zig), Thursday, 1 June 2006 05:44 (eighteen years ago)

I'm not much into 'Lollipop' by The Chordettes but that's the fifties. Then there's 'Summertime, Summertime' by The Jamies. Wasn't sure when it came out and turns out it was recorded twice, first in 1958 and then in 1962. I'll go with that. The chorus is used so much in commercials and anything that wants to ram the fact that it's summer down your throat.

― Carlos Keith (Buck_Wilde), Thursday, 1 June 2006 06:20 (eighteen years ago)

Musically, that's why the Supremes' "Ultimate Collection" is so ace . . . something like 27 singles and it does have "Love is Like an Itching in My Heart."

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 1 June 2006 06:26 (eighteen years ago)

I like "Lollipop"! :)

― Aditya (dan138zig), Thursday, 1 June 2006 06:58 (eighteen years ago)

five years pass...

i think that girl group records are pretty much the gravitational center of my musical tastes -- at their best they are so direct, so melodious, so unaffected.

― by another name (amateurist), Saturday, 20 August 2011 07:50 (thirteen years ago)

More than once I've plugged my phone into my stereo playing Wendy Rene's "After Laughter" and then clicking all the "Related Videos" with her name on it. I wish I had this CD:

http://jinkzmusings.blogspot.com/2008/04/va-you-thrill-my-soul-female-girl.html

I like Mary Wells too. I have an ex-girlfriend who looked like Mary Wells. Different color, though.

― bamcquern, Saturday, 20 August 2011 08:12 (thirteen years ago)

Sweet Talking Guy by the Chiffons, I love the way the lead and answer lines weave together with the little instrumental flourishes. The arrangement is perfect

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Sunday, 21 August 2011 11:44 (thirteen years ago)

Besides several that have already been mentioned,

Barbara Mason - "Yes, I'm Ready"
Dusty Springfield - "The Look Of Love"

This may be slightly out of genre, but one of the first records I had was a handed-down 45 of Judy Collins "Both Sides Now" b/w "Who Knows Where The Time Goes", songs written by Joni Mitchell and Sandy Denny respectively, both who were unknowns at the time but went on to be towering figures of folk/pop. This was the first songwriting hit for both.

― Lee547 (Lee626), Sunday, 21 August 2011 12:47 (thirteen years ago)

six years pass...

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-crystals-singer-barbara-ann-alston-dead-at-74-w517091

Lead on “Uptown “ and “He Hit me (felt like a kiss)”

― curmudgeon, Saturday, 24 February 2018 23:04 (seven years ago)

RIP! the flu! that sucks.

― andrew m., Tuesday, 27 February 2018 15:11 (seven years ago)

i have a new favorite from the shangri-las. i'd heard the a-side before, "he cried," but not the flip. it's fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrbDc9vZQ2E

― andrew m., Tuesday, 27 February 2018 15:12 (seven years ago)

if you are an old r.e.m. fan, a true distiple, and you haven't ever heard lesley gore's "i won't love you anymore (sorry)," prepare to have your mind blown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkcZKkouD_c

― andrew m., Tuesday, 27 February 2018 15:23 (seven years ago)

Shangri-Las - out in the streets, paradise

Feminine complex - I won't run

― kolakube (Ross), Tuesday, 27 February 2018 15:30 (seven years ago)

Every song that's been mentioned here!

Barbara Lewis - "Hello Stranger"

― henry s, Tuesday, 27 February 2018 15:34 (seven years ago)

Murmaids - Popsicles and icicles

Glenda Collins - something to tell you

Dionne Warwick - walk on by

― kolakube (Ross), Tuesday, 27 February 2018 15:42 (seven years ago)

Andrew m., thanks for posting that but I confess I'm skeptical about that being the precursor to "So Central Rain."

― oklahomie don't play that (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 27 February 2018 15:47 (seven years ago)

I'm regularly tempted to start a 'create a tracklisting for One Kiss Can Lead to Another Vol. 2' thread. I'm sure I could fill four or five discs with top-tier girl group sounds.

― Here Comes The Brain Event (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 27 February 2018 15:53 (seven years ago)

Ode to Billie Joe - Bobbie Gentry

― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 27 February 2018 15:55 (seven years ago)

Do it old lunch!

Love this music. This era seems in conflict to the romantic disconnect we have nowadays. Sometimes I feel like it cuts deeper than anything

― kolakube (Ross), Tuesday, 27 February 2018 15:57 (seven years ago)

Seriously. 'Dressed in Black' by the Pussycats is a prime example. It elevates thwarted teenage romance to the level of a cosmic epic.

― Here Comes The Brain Event (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 27 February 2018 16:01 (seven years ago)

I will have to remember to start that thread sometime when I'm not at work. It'll require some serious thinking and effort.

― Here Comes The Brain Event (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 27 February 2018 16:01 (seven years ago)

(Another girl group-related thread idea which I haven't pulled the trigger on yet: a poll of the various brilliant + insane ululations during the coda of 'Peanut Duck'.)

― Here Comes The Brain Event (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 27 February 2018 16:22 (seven years ago)

(I have no idea how I would even transcribe some of them. WACK-I-KEE)

― Here Comes The Brain Event (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 27 February 2018 16:23 (seven years ago)

another one i just recently heard. sends chills! heartache plus empowerment plus rocking gamble & huff production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-cEtBvXuB0

― andrew m., Tuesday, 27 February 2018 16:30 (seven years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM-TKH5rxxs

― oklahomie don't play that (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 27 February 2018 16:50 (seven years ago)

I guess by way of a shortcut I'd advise anyone who's a fan of girl groups generally and the One Kiss Can Lead to Another box specifically to pick up the Dream Girls comps if you haven't already because they're mostly just as magical.

― Here Comes The Brain Event (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 27 February 2018 16:59 (seven years ago)

seven years pass...

Around 1990, 6 years after my girl group obsession started from renting the documentary "Girl Groups: The Story of a Sound" and about 100 albums later (thank you, Motown, Impact and Ace compilations; Vintage Vinyl in NJ and Tower at 4th & Broadway; and oh so many flea markets in local train station parking lots), I put together four 90-minute mixtapes, 147 of the best songs.

I just recreated them on Spotify (minus the dozen or so songs they didn't have).

Girls!

Girls Girls!!

Girls Girls Girls!!!

Girls Girls Girls Girls!!!!

Come and get these memories!

(I haven't listed to the playlists yet; I hope these are all the originals and not some bogus re-recordings.)

― Hideous Lump, Friday, 23 May 2025 05:21 (eighteen hours ago)

(Apologies for the almost complete lack of Dusty Springfield--I had only just picked up my first Dusty comp while I was making the original tapes, so I hadn't gone head over heels for her yet.)

― Hideous Lump, Friday, 23 May 2025 05:36 (seventeen hours ago)

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