Hearts For Sale! Girl Group Sounds USA 1961-1967

“Hearts For Sale” is the fifth and latest in Ace's series of 12-inch vinyl albums spotlighting the US girl group sound of the 1960s. The collection opens with ‘Street Dance’ by Bonnie Jean, a little-known must-have for collectors of the genre, with Darlene Love and the Blossoms clearly audible on background vocals. Issued on Lew Bedell’s Doré label, this exciting faux-live deck in the style of Shirley Ellis’ ‘The Nitty Gritty’ was written by Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner, a hip team known for supplying songs for the soundtracks of B movies such as Muscle Beach Party and Thunder Alley.

The Hollywood-based Doré imprint is also the source of ‘You Really Never Know Till It’s Over’ by the Vel-Vetts (which shares a backing track with the Superbs’ ‘I Was Born When You Kissed Me’), ‘One Way Street’ by the Swans, a soulful update of the Teddy Bears’ ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’ by the Darlings and – featuring lead vocals by Sheilah Page, a former member of groups such as the Bermudas, Becky & the Lollipops, the Majorettes, Joanne & the Triangles and Beverly & the Motor Scooters – ‘He’s Groovy’ by the Front Page & Her.

Other highlights include the Sweethearts’ Supremes-influenced ‘No More Tears’, the sophisticated slowie ‘Lonely Girl’ by the Lovettes (that’s them on the front sleeve), ‘My Heart Tells Me So’ by the Del-Phis (an early incarnation of Martha & the Vandellas), Brenda Holloway’s lovely pre-Motown ‘Constant Love’ and the Fran-Cettes’ terrific recording of ‘Heart For Sale’. As with the earlier volumes in the series, the album comes with a fully-illustrated inner bag featuring a 2,500-word track commentary by compiler Mick Patrick.

Tracklist

SIDE ONE
1. STREET DANCE – Bonnie Jean
2. THAT'S NO WAY TO SPEND MY TIME - The Pen Etts
3. BOY TROUBLE - The Rev-Lons
4. I CAN TELL (I'M LOSING YOUR LOVE) – Lena Calhoun & The Emotions
5. YOU REALLY NEVER KNOW TILL IT'S OVER – The Vel-Vetts
6. HEART FOR SALE - The Fran-Cettes
7. ONE WAY STREET - The Swans

SIDE TWO
1. NO MORE TEARS - The Sweethearts
2. TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM - The Darlings
3. BOY YOU MOVE ME - Joan Moody
4. LONELY GIRL - The Lovettes
5. MY HEART TELLS ME SO (aka I Know It's You) – The Del-Phis
6. SURFERS MEMORIES - The Fashions
7. HE'S GROOVY - The Front Page & Her