A dozen first-rate examples of Spector’s influence. Pressed on 180g red vinyl, with fully illustrated track commentary on inner bag.

Phil Spector did not produce any of the tracks on this album. They all just sound as if he might have. Given Spector’s great success recording the Crystals, Darlene Love, the Ronettes, Bob B Soxx & the Blue Jeans and the Righteous Brothers for his Philles label between 1962 and 1965, it was inevitable his distinctive sound would be emulated by other producers, frequently those from within his orbit.

Super-dramatic blue-eyed soul opener ‘Who Am I’ by Jerry Ganey, for example, was produced by Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers, not long after Medley had freed himself from his contract with Spector, proving he could hold his own against his former boss. ‘Wishful Thinking’, a not dissimilar opus by the Knickerbockers, was produced by Wrecking Crew keyboard ace Leon Russell, a regular participant in Spector sessions. Long-time Spector buddy Nino Tempo, sax player on many Philles recordings, is represented with ‘All Strung Out’, a duet with his sister April Stevens, and ‘Why Can’t A Boy And Girl Just Stay In Love’, a breathy Paris Sisters-style number by actress Noreen Corcoran. The latter, by the way, is the only track here not featured on our “Phil’s Spectre” CD series.

Elsewhere, never did a guy sound more like a Ronette than Johnny Caswell does on ‘My Girl’, ‘Good-Bye Baby’ by Maureen Gray – also written and produced by the John Madara and David White team – shows someone had been playing close attention to Darlene Love’s ‘Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)’, Timmy & the Persianettes give the Bob B Soxx treatment to ‘Timmy Boy’ and Lorraine & the Delights sound like the Ronettes meet Madam Butterfly on ‘I Just Couldn’t Say’. Top-notch decks by Bobby Coleman, Kane & Abel, Dorothy Berry and Dan Folger complete the collection. All in all, you’d be hard pressed to found a dozen better examples of Spector’s influence.

Mick Patrick