Trouble with Jackie Dee
Jackie DeShannon
Teenager Records 609
1991
I bought this Danish import in a used records store that does not generally carry bootlegs and I see it is also available on Discogs which prohibits the sale of bootlegs, but I find it hard to believe that this is a legitimate release. This is mostly a collection of DeShannon's early singles many of which were issued by Liberty Records but there is no mention of any licensing agreement with EMI who owned the label at the time. Also the cover artwork is a straight ripoff from DeShannon's debut album "Jackie DeShannon" including the liner notes which makes no sense since none of the songs mentioned in them are on this album. So this may be considered "legal" in Denmark but I consider it a bootleg. Nonetheless I also consider it a very useful album and even if JDS is not collecting royalties from it, I'm still happy to have it. The record begins with her self-composed first single for Liberty "Buddy" backed with "Strolypso Dance" from 1958 when she was still billing herself as Jackie Dee. The rockabilly style "Buddy" is lots of fun and the album is worth purchasing for that song alone. JDS rocks out big time with lots of passion. The flipside is more subdued but I love the hiccupy vocal. The single seems very influenced by Brenda Lee. This is also true of JDS's cover of the Leiber and Stoller song "Trouble" which was the b-side of a 1959 single for P. J. Records where she was billed as Jackie Shannon. JDS has a pronounced southern accent on the song and I find her performance very charming. JDS leaves rockabilly behind with her own "So Warm" which was a 1960 single on Edison International. It is a lively song but more in the vein of a girl group sound. The self-penned "I Wanna Go Home" was the b-side and it is similar in style. "Teach Me" by D. Abrams and B. Helms and JDS's "Lonely Girl" was a 1960 single for Liberty. "Lonely Girl" is the better of the two and has a rhythm and blues flavor with a delightfully husky vocal from JDS. "Teach Me" is a romantic doo-wop style ballad that JDS sings with a lot of feeling. Side one concludes with "Back-Talk" (listed as "Back Track") which JDS recorded with Bobby Vee for the 1966 film "C'mon Let's Live a Little." It is a rocking little number that JDS sings a lot more convincingly than Vee. Despite its late recording date it fits in with the early 60s rock and roll vibe on the rest of side one. Side two opens with the JDS composition "Try To Forget Him" which was recorded in 1961 but first released on JDS's 1965 album "You Won't Forget Me." It features a big vocal from JDS that cuts through an overly fussy arrangement. It is followed by the 1962 single "You Won't Forget Me" written by JDS and Shari Sheeley. I consider it one of the best early songs in the JDS discography and her vocal is delivered with a lot of spirit. JDS's cover of the Goffin-King classic "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" is taken from the 1966 album "Are You Ready For This?" The song is taken at a faster tempo than normal and JDS has a very smooth and sweet vocal that reminds me of Diana Ross. It is a little too slick for my taste, I prefer the earnestness of the Shirelles' hit version. "After Last Night" was written by P. J. Proby and appeared on JDS's 1965 album "This is Jackie DeShannon." It is pure girl group with an appealing vocal from JDS. The Buddy Holly covers "Maybe Baby" and "Oh Boy" both appeared on "You Won't Forget Me." I think Holly was probably an influence on JDS and her covers are respectful of his originals. I like them both but neither adds anything interesting to the originals. Randy Newman's "Did He Call Today, Mama?" was the b-side to the 1963 "Needles and Pins" single. It is another girl group type song but JDS doesn't sound very engaged by it. The album concludes with another soundtrack song, "Glory Wave" by William Dunham and Jimmy Haskell from the 1964 film "Surf Party." It is a rocker with a gospel flavor that JDS delivers with verve. Given that the soundtrack album is pricey and hard to find, I'm happy that the album's curator decided to add it to the collection. This is a real hodgepodge of a collection but it does have a consistent sound since it focuses on the pop music styles of the early 1960s. I would have preferred that it feature more of her early singles and fewer album tracks but overall I find it very satisfying. Fans of the more sophisticated pop styles JDS employed later in the decade might find this collection a bit primitive or crude, but personally I love everything she sings. Recommended to fans of Brenda Lee.
