Female Pop

From the minds behind the two volumes of Funky Fräuleins, Beat Fräuleins winds the clock back slightly further, focusing on the mid-'60s and a parade of solo German females with a variety of arrangements – most of them pretty sophisticated for the '60s. Whether the performers are pursuing the prevalent beat sound, indulging in a Motown pastiche or two, snarling like garage rockers, or covering Western hits (Sonny & Cher's "The Beat Goes On," the Hollies' "Bus Stop," and the Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love" receive the Germanic treatment), all of these tracks are worth the unearthing.

A Thousand Beautiful Things is a song by Annie Lennox, released as the second promotional-only single from her album Bare. Ex-Factor is the second single from American recording artist Lauryn Hill from her debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a song by English singer Paloma Faith, written by Diane Warren. Say My Name is a song by the girl group Destinys Child from their second studio album The Writings on the Wall. Jolene is a song written and performed by country music artist Dolly Parton. It was released as the first single and title track from her album of the same name, produced by Bob Ferguson. Total Eclipse of the Heart is a song recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler.

Queens of British Pop' is a two-part documentary series, exploring dynamic female pop figures in Britain.

Over the last few years Ace has built up a series of prime British female pop releases, with individual collections drawn from four of the country's leading record companies of the 1960s: Decca, Pye, EMI and, most recently, Philips. With this latest compilation, rather than spotlight a particular company, the focus is on a location: the music hotbed of Merseyside. While male beat groups ruled the Merseyside roost in the 60s, the area was also home to its fair share of female talent. To illustrate the point, here are 25 hand-picked girl-pop artefacts from thereabouts. Liverpool's pop queen Cilla Black is featured with her two most Merseybeat-oriented tracks, including a terrific version of A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues, the first song she ever recorded at Abbey Road. Guitar-toting cover girls the Liverbirds, who released no records in the UK but were stars in Germany where their repertoire of Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry numbers made them favourites at the Star-Club also appear twice.

Over the last few years Ace has built up a series of prime British female pop releases, with individual collections drawn from four of the country's leading record companies of the 1960s: Decca, Pye, EMI and, most recently, Philips. With this latest compilation, rather than spotlight a particular company, the focus is on a location: the music hotbed of Merseyside. While male beat groups ruled the Merseyside roost in the 60s, the area was also home to its fair share of female talent. To illustrate the point, here are 25 hand-picked girl-pop artefacts from thereabouts. Liverpool's pop queen Cilla Black is featured with her two most Merseybeat-oriented tracks, including a terrific version of A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues, the first song she ever recorded at Abbey Road. Guitar-toting cover girls the Liverbirds, who released no records in the UK but were stars in Germany where their repertoire of Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry numbers made them favourites at the Star-Club also appear twice.