The Complete Nella Dodds
wrbtu | Long Island Motor Parkway | 11/10/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD contains all of Nella Dodds' released singles (all on the Wand label), plus some unreleased songs. The liner notes are well-written, & give the reader a good sense of who she was (and is). As Mary Wilson mentioned in her first book, Nella released "Come See About Me" before the Supremes released it, even though the song was written for the Supremes by the Motown in-house Holland-Dozier-Holland combination. The versions are quite similar. Nella's version has a bit stronger lead vocal, but Diana certainly had more "style." Despite all the talk of where the Rolling Stones got the idea/inspiration for "Honkey Tonk Women", has anyone else noticed how The Stones basically "lifted" the drum intro from Nella's "Your Love Back" (1965), & used it for the cowbell intro on "Honkey Tonk Women"? Check it out, you'll hear the similarity. A worthwhile CD for soul & Girl Group fans of the 1960s, Nella had some really good songs that are not very well known."
Nella's a Hidden Treasure!!
B. Scott | New York, NY United States | 02/03/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I came across Nella Dodds completely by accident, but I am glad I did. The recordings on this album are fun and reminiscent of the girl-group 60's sound with songs revolving around the familiar theme of love: How to find the man? How to get the man? How to keep the man? What to do to get over the man?
"Come Back Baby Come Back"- Is a nice, light fun opener for the album with the typical K. Gamble 60's girl sound with Nella asking her man to come back.
"A Girl's Life"- The opener on this tune reminds me of "Too Many Fish In Th Sea" by the Marvelettes,a Smokey inspired tune, which is why it may sound familiar. However it is a very catchy song,and found its way on the Billboard charts.
"Finders Keepers" (K. Gamble) and "P's and Q's" (definitely a "Come See About Me" sound alike) are both message songs on how to keep the "man" once you get him. It is easy to see how teenages at the time may have gravitated towards these cute, innocent songs about love.
The Motown sound factory tried out many songs on a variety of artists, always looking for that special something that would spell H-I-T! Songs like "Honey Boy", "Maybe Baby", "I Just Gotta Have You", were no different and Nella does each song justice.
Another K. Gamble tune, "You Don't Love Me Anymore" has a more melancholy sound, but everyone can relate to the familiar scenario of sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, hoping to hear from that special person. It's simple melody lends itself to this familiar situation.
This collection also contains several unissued Wand recordings such as: "First Date," "One Love Not Two," "Whisper You Love Me Boy." She gives a good rendition of Carla Thomas' "Gee Whiz" which really displays her fine vocal ability.
I actually preferred Nella's version of "Come See About Me" to that of the Supremes. Despite the fact that Diana's sound was more playful, Nella's voice was stronger and the background harmony screams "supremes" to me, it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if they both were allowwed to stay on the charts. Nella's version did appear on the Billboards Hot 100 where the song climbed to #74 before fading away.
Nella Dodds is one of those artists whose, name may not be on the tip of your tongue, but after listening to this album, you are unlikely to forget it. This CD has terrific liner notes and is really enjoyable! The overall sound quality is okay, although at times there may be a bit too much treble, but this probably has more to to with the master and production at the time.
As Nella says, "Finders Keepers," and I say this album is a keeper! Enjoy!
"
It grows on you
T. A. Shepherd | Palmdale, Ca. 93550 | 10/13/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"That Ms. Dodds released her version of "Come See About Me" just days before The Supremes, is well documented. But the story neither starts nor ends here. Initially, Dodds may sound like a Diana Ross clone, but with each new listening, she reveals a confidence not often found in young singers (she was 14 when she first started recording these songs). Apart from the Supremes' cover, she also handled "Honey Boy" and "Whisper You Love Me Boy" with grace and charm. Showcased as well, is the Carla Thomas stalwart, "Gee Whiz". To be sure, a lot of these tracks ("P's And Q's", "A Girl's Life" and "Finders Keepers") are Motown-influenced, as are Maxine Brown and The Shirelles' recordings from the same era. Rather than call in the writers from the Brill Building, though, many of these tunes were written by some of the best R&B writers outside the Motown stables. No, it may not move you at first, but give it some time and you'll keep it around."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1