The Boy I Love

DARLENE LOVE: THE MANY SIDES OF LOVE - COMPLETE 50 years of criminally overlooked recordings by one of the greatest R&B and rock vocalists ever! Darlene Love's work for Phil Spector gets most of the ink, and understandably so, but this 15-track collection captures her rare singles for the Reprise label with the vocal groups The Blossoms and The Wildcats, plus her own solo work, all newly remastered by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision. And the bonus tracks are priceless: you get her 1985 Elektra recording of "River Deep, Mountain High," her 2014 duet with Bette Midler on "He's Sure the Boy I Love," and two 1990 recordings for the Sire label! Almost none of the early material has ever been on CD here in the States, and this release comes with photos and extensive liner notes by Joe Marchese of The Second Disc. An essential addition to the Darlene Love discography!

This 1982 Darlene Love performance highlights her triumphant re-emergence as a solo artist and features many of her best-known hits from the 1960s. In her early career, Darlene Love was one of pop music's all-time busiest and most respected backup singers. But by the 1980s she had emerged under her own name as an accomplished actress and concert performer. This previously unavailable 1982 concert makes its debut on CD, DVD and digital, documenting a series of shows that affected her career transition. \n\nDarlene was heard on countless 1960's hit recordings, ranging from Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash" to Frank Sinatra's "That's Life," and performed live with headliners on the scale of Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, and Dionne Warwick. She lent her voice to a series of hits, including the Crystals' "He's A Rebel" and "Da Doo Ron Ron," The Ronettes' "Be My Baby," and Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans' "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", as well as releasing singles under her own name. \n\nAfter appearing in 1981 at Righteous Brother Bill Medley's club, Darlene was invited to perform at a private Hollywood New Year's Eve party, with a band, the Monte Carlos, formed specifically to back her. As a result of the buzz, an engagement was made for April 21, 1982, at the prestigious L.A. area jazz club Hop Singh's, from which this set is taken.

Among aficionados of the girl group sound, there can't be five acts more beloved than the Crystals. Their best-known songs, which include "He's a Rebel," "Uptown," "Da Doo Ron Ron," "Then He Kissed Me," and "There's No Other Like My Baby," are among the finest examples of the best that American rock & roll had to offer in the period before the British Invasion; and decades into the digital era, the group's records are still prized in their original vinyl pressings even by non-collectors, who seem to recognize that there was something special about the Crystals' work.

I Love Rock-n-Roll, Joan Jett's first record with the Blackhearts, was a tougher, louder album than Bad Reputation, primarily because her new backing band gave her a more coherent sound. That dynamic, hard rock crunch is what made the title track into an international hit, but it also gives the album dimension not only can Jett & the Blackhearts tear up heavy glam rockers, but they also pull off the mock psychedelia of Tommy James & the Shondells' "Crimson and Clover" with aplomb. On the whole, I Love Rock-n-Roll doesn't have as many strong songs as its predecessor, but the band's muscular, gritty sound makes the album just as good as Bad Reputation.

The 60s was the decade of peace and love, and while Bob Dylan, John Lennon and many others would fly the flag for peace, artists like PP Arnold, The Searchers, Petula Clark, The Foundataions, The Overlanders (all featured here) sang about love. In the 60s, the accent was on the younger generation having fun. It was time to let your hair down and have a good time, and this superb 2CD collection brings you the love-seeking ladies and the romantic guys who sang from their heart.

The 60s was the decade of peace and love, and while Bob Dylan, John Lennon and many others would fly the flag for peace, artists like PP Arnold, The Searchers, Petula Clark, The Foundataions, The Overlanders (all featured here) sang about love. In the 60s, the accent was on the younger generation having fun. It was time to let your hair down and have a good time, and this superb 2CD collection brings you the love-seeking ladies and the romantic guys who sang from their heart.