LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Sharon Sheeley is often referred to in pop music history as Eddie Cochrans girl friend, and that's it. In fact she has been a highly successful songwriter who currently has 194 active songs on the BMI register. She was indeed for a time Eddie Cochrans girl friend but then she also dated Ricky Nelson (for whom she wrote the hit 'Poor Little Fool'), and was part of a whole scene of people in pop/rock'n'roll music, around California during the late 50's- early 60's . This was her most prolific writing period and she particularly connected with co writer Jackie De Shannon, becoming the first female writing team to have significant success in the emerging pop world . Hits sprang forth such as Somethin' Else (Eddie Chochran , later Sex Pistols) , Dum Dum (Brenda Lee) , Breakaway (Irma Thomas , Billie Davis , later Tracey Ullman) , He's The Great Imposter (the Fleetwoods) . A great number of songs were demo'd at Liberty Music s studio in Los Angeles using in house session musicians, with some vocals further provided by the co writers . From the surviving tapes come these 28 songs collected together as Sharon Sheeley: Songwriter , as recorded between approximately 1959-1962 with the following famous players: Plas Johnson (sax) , Hal Blaine (drums) , David Gates (bass) , Leon Russell (Keys), and Glen Campbell (guitar). A further 25 songs were recorded with Jackie De Shannon as vocalist and they form part two of this extraordinary archive to be released at a later date. The recordings are of a high quality as you would expect from a major studio and such professional musicians, and listening to the songs you can hear who they might have been written and recorded for . In all a fascinating glimpse into the pre Beatles world of pop music, writing and recording.
Track listing: Blue Dreams /Blue Ribbons / Don't Wait Too Long / Dream On /Guitar Child - Glen Campbell / Heartbreak You're Calling Me / He's The Great Imposter / I'd Weaken / It's A Good Thing / It's Just Terrible / Look Into The Mirror / Mrs Mac / My Woman Needs Me /Other Side Of Town/ See The Hills / She'll Be There / Something Different / Sun Never Shines /Thank Heavens For Tears /Trouble / Baby What Went Wrong / Don't Dress The World In Black/ The Dream Of The Year/ Cheers Love / Forgot to Forget / Mr Guitar Man / What A Groovy World