Search - Samantha Jones :: Surrounded By Ray of Sun

For Fans of 1960's Singers

12/14/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being from the USA, I had never heard of Samantha Jones. Released on the always interesting RPM label, this album contains some great records. My favorites: "How Do You Say Goodbye", "It's All Beacause of You", "I Deserve It", "Surrounded By A Ray of Sunshine" and particularly "Ford Leads The Way" from a car commercial. Varied material, well produced. The reference to being a singer somewhere between Timi Yuro and Petula Clark is accurate. I'm fans of both, with Samantha added as a new favorite. I do, however, agree with the previous reviewer who stated more singles (rather than album cuts) should have been selected. Perhaps a future RPM compilation?"

Good Anthology of Obscure British Dolly Bird

Randall E. Adams | Los Angeles, CA United States | 04/17/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For Americans, Samantha Jones will be a total unknown. In the United Kingdom, the situation is not a lot better except for Northern Soul aficianados who will recognize her as the source of a couple of popular records revived in the 1970s ("Surrounded by a Ray of Sunshine," "And Suddenly"). She deserved better. Originally one of the four Vernons Girls (of "We Love the Beatles" fame), she went solo in 1964 under the expert and inspired auspices of producer/arranger/songwriter Charles Blackwell. Her early tracks with Blackwell include an archetypal classic("Don't Come Any Closer"). Thereafter she recorded in the U.S. for a couple of years (1965/6), yielding a fine wall-of-sound effort ("I Deserve It") arranged by Phil Spector's recently estranged arranger, and a neat anti-war song ("Shoes") produced in Nashville by Bill Justis. When she returned to the U.K., Charles Blackwell resumed production duties until psychedelia wiz Mark Wirtz took over. This collection sweeps together a good number of rare and wonderful single a-sides plus a few well-chosen b-sides. It also includes a handful of tracks from her only LP from the years covered by this anthology. My personal gripe is that more of the tracks released on 45s should have been included and fewer of the LP tracks. The excellent liner notes refer to a frustrating number of singles which are not included here. Surely there is never any reason to include a version of the execrable "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You." And while her cover of the Association's "Never My Love" is pleasant, one of the omitted singles would have been more interesting. As is always the case with RPM releases, the sound is excellent, having been taken from the finished masters. For any fan of mid-60s female pop singers, this release is recommended."

A must for brit girl sound lovers

Noelia Almenara López | Madrid, Spain | 07/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of my very last nice surprises from the brit girl sound -which I am very much into, even though it is not a passion you can share with everybody in my country.
Powerful, sexy an warm, if you like the freshness and innocence of Sandie Shaw or Tammy St. John and, at the same time, can't stop loving the roughness and intensity of Lulu, Emma Rede or Barbara Ruskin, you will definitly love Sam Jones, who has got the best of them all.
Between this one and "Sam leads the way" (which I already bought), I certainly choose the first one, that comprehends her previous and -in my opinion- best period.
So, all I can say is : BUY IT!!! You won't regret, believe me."