That's the Way Boys Are - Lesley Gore, Barkan, Mark
I Don't Wanna Be a Loser - Lesley Gore, Barkan, Mark
Maybe I Know - Lesley Gore, Barry, Jeff
Hey Now - Lesley Gore, Gordon, S.
Sometimes I Wish I Was a Boy - Lesley Gore, Donroy, S.
Look of Love - Lesley Gore, Barry, Jeff
All of My Life - Lesley Gore, Miller, H.
Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows - Lesley Gore, Hamlisch, Marvin
My Town, My Guy and Me - Lesley Gore, Elgin, Bob
I Won't Love You Anymore (Sorry) - Lesley Gore, Gore, L.
We Know We're in Love - Lesley Gore, Gore, L.
Young Love - Lesley Gore, Cartey, R.
California Nights - Lesley Gore, Hamlisch, Marvin
Summer and Sandy - Lesley Gore, Bloodworth, R.
The pop vocalist's first 18 chart hits for Mercury from 1963-67, and in chronological order. Includes 'It's My Party', 'You Don't Own Me', 'Judy's Turn To Cry' & 'Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows'. 1998 release.
The pop vocalist's first 18 chart hits for Mercury from 1963-67, and in chronological order. Includes 'It's My Party', 'You Don't Own Me', 'Judy's Turn To Cry' & 'Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows'. 1998 release.
CD Reviews
All the essential hits and most of the minor ones
Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 09/27/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Even in her American homeland, Lesley didn't have many hits. In Britain, she only had two hits (It's my party and Maybe I know) and only the first of them is famous. Nevertheless, compilations of her music continue to be released at regular intervals.
This particular compilation has all the essential hits, these being It's my party, Judy's turn to cry, She's a fool, Maybe I know, You don't own me, Sunshine lollipops and rainbows, Look of love and my personal favorite, California nights. Most of the other songs here were minor American hits -minor in terms of chart placement but major in quality. You know the way pop music goes - once singers are deemed unfashionable, radio schedulers ignore their music.
Selecting a compilation among a choice of several is normally a tricky business. With Lesley, it's simple - the cheapest is the worst and the most expensive is the best, with the prices of those in between reflecting their quality. So (for example), this compilation is superior to the 12-track 20th century Millenium compilation but not quite as strong as the 30-track compilation, Start the party again, which one of my friends has reviewed. The only way to improve on that is to go for the double-CD (Anthology, now apparently out of print) or the 5-CD boxed set, both of which I reviewed a long time ago.
With 18 tracks, this compilation is probably just right for most people seeking Lesley's hits of the sixties."
Pure Talent
Peter Durward Harris | 12/04/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This Lesley Gore collection really shows that even in her early teens, this girl could sing! Besides her choice of materials to record, all the arrangements are full and compliment Miss Lesley's voice and style.This collection reflects her hits but she was and is so much more then just the hits. Any recording by Lesley showcases a gifted and talented singer and a superb master of her voice. I feel that in today's market, she can show these new arrivals what it is all about. All they really have to do is listen and they will learn. I give this CD collection 5 stars!"
Sweet Innocence
Bobby Underwood | Manly NSW, Australia | 10/02/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Lesley Gore embodied the teen angst of growing up and navigating the turbulent waters of young love. She was hugely popular with girls and boys. She was either your friend or your girlfriend and everybody felt they knew her. Her wonderful songs captured an innocence that would soon be lost for the youth that adored her as Vietnam loomed like a dark cloud on the horizon.
I've had several of Lesley's albums over the years and almost everything that was great about her is here on this one. It is the perfect blend of bubblegum and teen sincerity. I pop Lesley in whenever I'm feeling a little nostalgic and it never let's me down. She was beach parties and surfers riding the big wave, going steady and having your heart broke for the first time. From the upbeat and melancholy to the sweet, this one covers it all.
Good music can come in a lot of forms, and this is definitely good music. It's easy to listen to and will leave you feeling better than you did when you put it on. How much music do you own you can say that about? We'll surely never see this blend of youth and innocence ever again, but it certainly is nice to know we can go back and remind ourselves what was great about the 60's.
You'll have difficulty finding anyone who doesn't like Lesley and you will also if this is your first listen to her. It's more than worth the purchase price for this much enjoyment. You don't want to miss this terrific music."
Great CD
Dale | Warren, PA. | 04/07/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you haven't heard Lesley Gore before then this CD is for you. She has a great voice. The pop singers today don't even come close. If this lady isn't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame she should be! In the '60's she was the teenage princess of rock and roll."
Bubblegum? Sez Who?
Stephanie DePue | Carolina Beach, NC USA | 04/22/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Lesley Gore had her first hit in 1963, at sixteen, with "It's My Party, and I'll Cry If I Want To." (The president of the studio where she'd been working had warned her not to be too disappointed if it wasn't released.) But "It's My Party" was a great big, instantaneous hit, being played on New York's WINS, WMCA, its most popular rock and roll radio stations, one short week after it was recorded/released, and hitting #1 on the national charts six short weeks later. It was quickly followed by "Judy's Turn to Cry," "That's The Way Boys Are," "She's a Fool," and "Maybe I Know." And, before you knew it, Gore was the biggest solo female hitmaker of the early 1960's. And, seemingly, she was chronicling a high school girl's angst. So a lot of people considered her music to be bubblegum. Nevertheless, she had, still has, a big, beautiful pure voice, with a lovely, soaring upper register, and a dynamic delivery. Just was lucky enough to catch her in person; she still has that great delivery.
And she was already an accomplished musician at 16; she was discovered, through several piano demos of hers that were circulating, by none other than celebrated jazz master Quincy Jones, who acted as her producer for the first several years of her career. So let me remind you, Quincy Jones is not generally considered a bubble gum kind of guy. For your further consideration, this collection includes the melodic "California Nights," and "Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows," from this early phase of her career; their intonation and phrasing are clean and crisp, almost jazzy. You'll also find "You Don't Own Me," collected here; generations of high school girls have had to grow into this one. The scope of her music, in fact, solidly illustrates the fact that Lesley Gore never was strictly a bubblegum chronicler of high school heartbreak: she always had more on her mind."
Track Listings (18) - Disc #1