SHIRELLES, "DON'T GO HOME (MY LITTLE DARLIN')" C/W "NOBODY BABY AFTER YOU," SCEPTER SCE-12185 (REL. 1/1967)

 

The Shirelles were at the end of their long tenure with Scepter Records as 1967 began. They had three more singles to go after today's record, and their last Top 30 release, "Don't Say Goodnight and Mean Goodbye," was almost five years old. Though they continued to release great singles, the public cooled towards them after three years of fealty.                                                                                                 

One promising release, "Sha La La," was hijacked by UK band Manfred Mann, whose cover just missed the US Top Ten in 1965 as the original floundered in the 60s. Many of the prominent British groups of the day, from The Beatles on down, listed The Shirelles' records as major influences on their style and repertoire. Fat lot of good that did Shirley Owens (later Alston) and her group; they didn't write their own songs, so cover versions benefitted everyone but them.

Like The Everly Brothers, who were abandoned by their fans around the same time, The Shirelles got better and better as their sales lessened. They'd cycled through the first generation of rock 'n' roll fans; the next group of buyers and listeners didn't continue the enthusiasm. Both acts, I imagine, felt taken for granted. People enjoyed hearing them on the radio or seeing them on TV variety shows, but few were moved to seek out the records.

Flo Greenberg stood by The Shirelles, whose hits had helped build her musical fiefdom, and made sure they got good songs, arrangements and productions. Many of the non-hit singles of this era sound like classics now, but 60 years ago they were just another record by a group who people liked but no longer loved, outside of a small core of devoted fans. She didn't ask them to change their style; in the wake of The Supremes' pop success, their punchy, streamlined approach became the template for other female groups. Greenberg had faith in the attractive, sincere voice of Shirley Owens, and kept pushing. One of their records had to break through somehow!

That hope had no doubt paled in early 1967. The choice to do a cover version of a 1958 hit by a male group was a curious one. "Don't Go Home (My Little Darlin')" was first recorded by white pop group the Playmates for Roulette Records. Their rigid, oppressively Caucasian performance is a world away from the relaxed, soulful approach of The Shirelles, who bring a worthy song to life with their revival. A faster, looser beat, with vibraphone accents and strummed folk guitars, drives this fresh-sounding account of a partygoer who's stumbled upon the person of their dreams. When that fellow makes noise about leaving, she becomes panicked. This connection can't be lost!

With democratic interplay of Owens and her fellow Shirelles, this remake of "Don't Go Home" brings out the full pop potential of an appealing song. It was a quaint choice beside such songs as "So You Wanna Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" by The Byrds, to name another single issued the same week. A good song is a good song, no matter its source, but this was perhaps too retro a choice in a year of major musical change.

Amidst a brace of now-classic rock and soul singles on  the January 21, 1967 Cash Box  Picks of the Week, The Shirelles' latest single fared far worse than those of The Byrds, Young Rascals, Supremes, The Who and Neil Diamond.

"Nobody Baby but You," penned by Danny Jordan and James Shaw, is another retro-feeling song. An excellent vehicle for Owens, it feels like a song from 1964. Its simple production (again with the vibraphone and chugging guitars) showcases a Latin melody reminiscent of some of The Drifters' songs with a touch of bubblegum pop. Hardly soul music, this, though it's pleasant and a bit haunting. Such songs might have reassured those yet uncertain about pop's constant changes, but they weren't contenders for airplay or sales. Writer Shaw penned some much harder-edged soul items for a variety of performers, including Detroit soloists and groups. One wishes a bit more of that feeling were present here; what we have is likeable enough.

For their last three Scepter releases, The Shirelles went for a more contemporary sound, with proto-psychedelia ("Bright Shiny Colors"), full-on Northern Soul ("Last Minute Miracle") and full-on funky soul ("Wild and Sweet.) Alas, no one took note of these effective changes in style; these three singles are among the group's most sought-after by modern collectors.

Tomorrow: John D. Loudermilk is back with one of his finest singles. The A-side accidentally tapped into South African railway culture and gave the Nashville cleffer a surprise hit on that continent! B-side is a showcase for Nashville harmonica huffer Charlie McCoy and an unusual fusion of sounds and styles. A 1964 RCA-Victor classic.