The Best of Lesley Gore

1. It's My Party

2. You Don't Own Me

3. Look Of Love

4. That's The Way Boys Are

5. Brink Of Disaster

6. All Of My Life

7. Magic Colors

8. California Nights

9. Maybe I Know

10. Off And Running

11. What Am I Gonna Do With You

Tracks:

It's My Party
Judy's Turn To Cry
She's A Fool
You Don't Own Me
That's The Way Boys Are
I Don't Want To Be A Loser
Maybe I Know
Hey Now
Look Of Love
Sunshine Lollipops And Rainbows
My Town, My Guy And Me
California Nights

Customer Reviews:

Leslie Gore: The Best of Lesley Gore.......2007-05-21

Best memories in this one. Johnny's Girl loves Leslie's music....how can she not? The Best! And California Nights tops it off.

Wonderful.......2007-05-15

Many years ago, I would have never even considered purchasing this collection, but a broadening of musical horizons can be a good thing. Not sure what's going on but lately the 50's and 60's, plus every pioneering band or artist in many genres of music I have been seeking out.

Everyone knows "It's My Party", but it was a couple songs "I Don't Wanna Be A Loser", and "Judy's Turn To Cry", and then one day I heard "You Don't Own Me" on the radio and that was all it took for me seek out this best of set from Gore; and really I believe I like or love every song on here. I guess it's her vocal delivery, her voice is fine, but it's just the style...it almost fits into an early alternative perhaps vibe that struck me, like something fresh even in the years 2006 and 07 since I first starting to really listen to her music. To be honest I'm pretty much fed up with todays female pop and/or top 40....nothing really grabs me other than a handful like KT Tunstall, Amy Winehouse, Beth Hart, Alanis Morissette, Aimee Mann to name a few. I'm a fan of Liz Phair, and of course some old school like Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Suzi Quatro also, so female singers and musicians is a big musical interest also of course.

That Lesley was so young when she made these records is indeed a major factor, and her views seem cut right from todays world, these songs seem written especially for her, and she does make them her own even there were the songwriting teams even back then even, that was probably the thing that spoiled it a bit for me, but Lesley was something like 16 or 17 years old around the time of these recordings I think and it's classic stuff from the 60's, and I just can't get enough so I'll take it over many of todays acts. Do yourself a favor and check her out, and hear some influential music from a different and sometimes not so different era, I did and really I'm glad I did.

Everything on here is amazing I think, not a subpar track to be found, all major hits for her, perfect if you want her chart toppers only, if you are brave I guess you could get an expanded version of her greatest all time minor hits also on another CD, but for my money this is all I need. 3 or 4 years ago I only new one song by her, and now I have 9 or 10 other favorites!

Splendid!.......2007-03-29

Lesley Gore had the ability to hit every note and make us long for her insight into love's complexity. All are worthwhile, but "Look of Love" is the cream of the crop "Here I stand, all by myself, watching him with someone else - bet he doesn't even know I'm here - wish I could hold back my tears ..." is right on target. The Phil Spector-like arrangement is over the top and adds to this superior song. But really, "She's a Fool" and "Maybe I Know" are classics in their own right - well sung, well phrased and, well, just perfect. This is a must-have for anyone longing for the days where the most thorny problem we faced was "who should I take to the sock hop."

Not just bubblegum!.......2007-03-10

The songs & the performer are from "my" era. I liked the music then & several of the songs have very well stood the test of time. All of them bring back great memories. You Don't Own Me could be considered an anthem by all of us girls of the '60s who were discovering that our mothers' lives didn't necessarily have to be patterns for the lives we were going to forge. A great walk down memory lane & my grown kids enjoy the music too: they grew up hearing it in our house.

Music Worth Listening To.......2006-10-19

I can honestly say that I made a good choice when I decided to buy this CD. Originally I got it because of one song, but after listening to the whole thing a few times, I ended up loving all the songs. And my dad loves this CD every bit as much. The quality of the sound is very good, and the only complaint I have is that these songs are too short. They are wonderful, but they just end too soon.

Some of the best songs on here are "It's My Party", "Judy's Turn to Cry", "Maybe I Know", "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows", and "My Town, My Guy, and Me". This CD is a must-have for those who are fond of the oldies, and who have an ear for good music in general.

Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows: The Best of Lesley Gore

Average customer rating:

Rhino Records does it again!
Good selection
A collection you can live without....lots of mediocre filler
Lesley Gore: the Sixties Queen of Adolescent Yearning
Unfairly derided aspect of rock history

Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows: The Best of Lesley Gore
Lesley Gore
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ultimate Collection

ASIN: B000006OJ8
Release Date: 1998-07-14

Tracks:

It's My Party
Judy's Turn To Cry
She's A Fool
The Old Crowd
You Don't Own Me
That's The Way Boys Are
I Don't Wanna Be A Loser
Maybe I Know
Wonder boy
Hey Now
Look Of Love
Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows
My Town, My Guy And Me
What Am I Gonna Do With You
I Won't Love You Anymore (Sorry)
Start The Party Again
Off And Running
California Nights
Summer And Sandy
Brink Of Disaster

Customer Reviews:

Rhino Records does it again!.......2005-04-08

Rhino and Hear Music are the best labels out there today. Period. The packaging, the liner notes, the photos, and their niche in the music industry have proven time and time again that a quality "greatest hits" package can be done well.

Lesley Gore was pure bubblegum pop of the times. The production with the likes of a Mr. Quincy Jones, combined with excellent song talent date stamp most of this period perfectly. The collection is great, and the packaging makes the voyage back to this time more special.

If you want a greatest hits comp that is done well, remastered perfectly, and packaged in a mature, sophisticated way. This is it. Excellent bargin too. Well done Rhino. Thanks!

Good selection.......2005-01-24

With so many albums to select from, I chose this for the title and a selection that I could relate to. In the case of Lesley it would be impossible not pick something of her best. You will find each song has a different pace and still have the sound that makes it Lesley.

Unless you are making a Gore collection this album will do fine as an example of the person and time. However for me is much more as I lived through the era and each song bring back a memory. I spent a few California Nights on the beach in the 60's. Of course there were other singers of the time and they were more popular. Yet I would not count on them as substitutes for the uniqueness of Lesley Gore.

A collection you can live without....lots of mediocre filler.......2004-11-10

No one will deny that this New York City native made some pretty peppy and enjoyable pop music in the early to mid 1960's. Under the watchful eye of talented producers like Quincy Jones, Shelby Singleton and Bob Crewe, Lesley Gore made an immediate impact on the pop charts with smash hits like "It's My Party", "Judy's Turn To Cry" and "You Don't Own Me". But as it turned out these three chartbusters from 1963 turned out to be the pinnacle of Lesley Gores career. And while she continued to hit the charts on a regular basis for the next four years she would never again have a Top Ten record.
In 1998, Rhino released "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows: The Best of Lesley Gore." Listening to this collection made it clear to me why her career began to decline as the sixties progressed. For one thing, "It's My Party" was and remains one of the most overplayed songs on the radio. I cringe when I hear it and even today I change the station when that tune comes on. I cannot argue that Lesley continued to make a few pretty darn good records in 1964 and 1965. I always loved "Maybe I Know" and most especially "Look of Love" from 1964 and her big hit from the summer of '65 and the title cut of this collection "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows." Unfortunately as time went by there would me more and more forgettable releases. This collection includes a few too many of those for my taste. In 1967, Lesley Gore recorded her last big hit "California Nights". I have always felt it was her best record and I expected bigger and better things from her. But it never happened. After a couple of more minor hits Lesley Gore would vanish from the Billboard charts forever.
Whenever I rate an anthology I try to use as a major criterion if there was ever a reason for me to listen to the entire CD. In this case the answer is an emphatic NO! I have no arguments with Rhino here. They did a nice job putting this one together but in my judgement a bit less Gore would have been better than more Gore.

Lesley Gore: the Sixties Queen of Adolescent Yearning.......2003-06-07

I saw Lesley Gore described as a "one-hit wonder," and while she hit #1 with her very first release "It's My Party" in 1963, she was had a lot more hits. Her follow-up song, "Judy's Turn To Cry" made it to #5 that same year and in 1967 she made it back to the Top 20 with "Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows" and "California Nights." You should not be surprised because Leslie Gore was one of the dominant female singers associated with the "girl group" sound in the early 1960s, who had Quincy Jones producing most of her early sessions and doing double-track vocals of songs written by Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry, and Marvin Hamlisch. In addition to the three aforementioned hits there's "Maybe I Know," "I Don't Wanna Be a Loser," "She's a Fool," "that's the Way Boy's Are," and the song that should endear Gore to the proto-feminists, "You Don't Own Me." The result is that Gore was as commercially successful a female solo singer as there was on the face of the planet during this period. Obviously we are not talking about the lady singing soul, but while other practitioners of the angst of adolescent yearning would come and go (e.g., Shelley Faberas and "Johnny Angel"), Gore personified the idea for several profitable years. The problem was that "It's My Party" and "Judy's Turn to Cry" started Gore out with the image of a whinny teenybopper and when you consider her entire catalogue those songs do not define the mainstream of her work which goes in the other direction as this hits collection amply proves. There are several equally strong Lesley Gore hits collections out there, but this one is from Rhino and you know they go the extra yard in putting these things together.

Unfairly derided aspect of rock history.......2003-03-03

Got this disc in a never-ending quest to own a complete history of rock 'n' roll on CD beginning with the late 40's and going at least until the early 70's, by which time I'll be broke but undoubtably satisfied with that wasted life.

Going in I thoroughly knew Gore's biggest hits (tracks 1, 2, 5, 8 & 18), plus the collection's sugary title track from her appearance in "Ski Party" (a hoot of a film in which James Brown appears out of the snow to sing "I Got You" and afterwards is promptly ushered out the door to fend for himself against wolves and the elements). These songs were all well written, produced (by Quincy Jones) and sung, but like so many songs from that era were overplayed on radio, TV and in the movies in recent decades, as well as being included far too often on those generic "Hits of the 60's" compilations. Thus it was more out of historical obligation and completist mania I got this than anything.

So what a revelation it was to hear the rest of her output, which was consistantly strong as well as musically diverse, too often a rarity in many careers, as these songs run the stylistic gamut, from the downcast "I Don't Want To Be A Loser" to the raucus, Spector-like "Look Of Love". While the themes may be similar, mostly revolving around love, especially dealing with untrue boys, the perspectives and outlooks contained within constantly change from song to song, as does the musical atmosphere behind them, making the disc refreshingly non-repetitive. Gore's double tracked vocals shimmer and she manages to throw in some effective growls, especially on the infectious "That's The Way Boys Are", that belie her clean cut image. There truly isn't a bad song to be found, and in fact, the first two cuts, by far her biggest hits, are comparatively the weakest of the lot, which is saying something.

As for the packaging and notes, while containing no bells and whistles, they are uniformly solid, with 6 pages of biographical information and song by song summary, plus the requisite chart and release info and a few pictures, while the sound quality of the disc is immpecible. The one complaint is the lack of 5 lower charted songs from '65 & '66, while not essential, would give a complete overview of her career. What Mercury & Rhino see in withholding them is anyone's guess. Other than that, all of her charted records are here, plus a few B-sides, and the picture these songs paint is a vibrant one of an underappriciated singer and style.

The "girl group" sound of the early to mid-60's is often put down by those seeking something more earth-shaking in their rock 'n' roll, but as long as one of the roles of music is to provide aural enjoyment for those listening, there will always be a place for catchy, simple, but not simplistic, songs like these. The real mark of just how well Gore fulfilled that need is evidenced by the fact she burst upon the scene in 1963, at the pinnical of the girl group era, yet unlike so many of the time who quickly faded away, she wracked up 19 hits through 1967. Meaning she surivived and thrived amidst the surf-rock tidal wave of '63, the British Invasion of early '64 and subsequent blues-rock imports from later that year, the folk-rock explosion of '65, the avant garde experiments of '66 and the psychedelic Summer of Love in '67, not to mention the steady presence of Motown and southern soul, plus all the momentary trends that came and went during those five years.

Tracks:

It's My Party
You Don't Own Me
Look Of love
That's The Way Boys Are
Brink Of Disaster
All Of My Life
Magic Colors
California Nights
Maybe I Know
Off And Running
What Am I Gonna Do With You

Customer Reviews:

An interesting cd with/ An important sixtie's symbol.......1999-04-13

IN SPITE OF SOME COMMENTS ABOUT HER AND THIS C.D, I THINK IT WAS A GOOD APPROACHMENT TO KNOW SOMETHING MORE ABOUT ONE OF THE MOST CHARACTERISTIC SYMBOLS OF THE SIXTIES DECADE. THE BEST OF THIS EDITION IS THE FIDELITY OF SOUND AND THE POSSIBILITY TO HAVE "IT`S MY PARTY"- "YOU DON'T OWN ME" AND MANY OTHERS.

Excellent introduction to Lesley Gore's 60s material........1999-02-17

"Best of Lesley Gore" is an excellent introduction to the mid-sixties teen queen, as it contains several of her rhythmic, Quincy Jones hits that fall squarely into the girl group sound ("It's My Party," "Look of Love," "That's the Way Boys Are"),alongside some less well known but sought after tracks showing her range and versatility (the Bacharach-influenced "All of My Life," Brit-pop "Off and Running" and psychedelic riff, "Magic Colors"). A real bonus is Lesley's proto-feminist anthem, "You Don't Own Me," still unmatched for its impassioned vocals full of rage and its stark arrangements. If you want to check Lesley Gore out, this is a good place to start...You'll move on to the hard stuff soon after!

Doesn't Live Up to The Title.......1998-06-22

Leaves out a lot of her hits, but does include the original versions of "It's My Party," "You Don't Own Me," "That's the Way Boys Are," "Look of Love," "California Nights," and "Maybe I Know." The rest is awful filler material that should never have made it onto a CD with this title.