Honey And Wine: Another Gerry Goffin And Carole King Song Collection Various Artists (Songwriter Series)

£11.70

Genre:
Pop
Label:
Ace Records
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDCHD 1216

Over the last couple of years Ace has have built up an impressive series of songwriter-based compilations. Burt Bacharach, Jackie DeShannon, Randy Newman and the Leiber & Stoller, Pomus & Shuman, Greenwich & Barry, Mann & Weil and Goffin & King teams are amongst those spotlit so far. A second volume of Randy Newman’s early numbers is in the pipeline, as are sets devoted to the songs of Ashford & Simpson, Neil Diamond and Chip Taylor. Meanwhile, “Honey & Wine” marks our second foray into the folio of Gerry Goffin and Carole King, one of the most lauded songwriting partnerships of all-time.

As a kid Goffin developed a taste for Broadway musicals and began creating songs in his head. With a vague ambition to one day write a musical of his own, he enrolled at college to study chemistry. It was there that he met 17-year-old Carole, a keen amateur rock’n’roll songwriter in search of a lyricist. They hit it off right away, penned a few songs together and dropped out of college to get married. In 1960 they joined Carole’s pal Neil Sedaka as staff songwriters at Aldon Music, a fledgling publishing house headed by Al Nevins and Don Kirshner. Within a couple of years they were the most successful songwriters in the country.

We like our original versions at Ace and a few are included here. Bobby Vee recorded ‘Go Away Little Girl’ before Steve Lawrence got his mitts on the song for example, while the Rising Sons (Ry Cooder’s early band) cut ‘Take A Giant Step’ before the Monkees did and stylish jazz diva Nancy Wilson’s reading of ‘No Easy Way Down’ was taped before Carole’s own version was released.

If you’ve ever wondered how many Goffin and King compositions the Monkees recorded, the short answer is 18, the most successful of which was ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’, the couple’s restless ode to life in suburbia, included here. (The long answer is contained in the booklet.) While not all of Goffin’s lyrics are autobiographical, it is tempting to assume that ‘So Goes Love’, heard here by the Turtles, documents the breakdown of his and Carole’s personal relationship. Thankfully, they continued writing together after their divorce.

As with our earlier volume, this set includes familiar hits (the Monkees, Maxine Brown’s ‘Oh No Not My Baby’, the Drifters’ ‘Up On The Roof’, Gene McDaniels’ ‘Point Of No Return’, etc), overlooked gems (Chuck Jackson’s ‘I Need You’, Jan & Dean’s ‘The Best Friend I Ever Had’, Freddie Scott’s ‘Brand New World’, ‘I Happen To Love You’ by the Myddle Class, to name just four) and some new to CD rarities (‘Stage Door’ by Peter James, ‘They’re Jealous Of Me’ by Connie Stevens, ‘The Boy I Used To Know’ by Andrea Carroll, Jody Miller’s very non-PC ‘He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)’ and Carolyn Daye’s ‘A Long Way To Be Happy’).

BY MICK PATRICK

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Track listing

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Side 1

  • 01 Preview Every Breath I Take - Gene Pitney

  • 02 Preview Oh No, Not My Baby - Maxine Brown

  • 03 Preview Up On The Roof - The Drifters

  • 04 Preview Not Just Tomorrow, But Always (Mono single version) - Bertell Dache

  • 05 Preview Tell Daddy - Ben E King

  • 06 Preview He Knows I Love Him Too Much - Arlene Smith

  • 07 Preview Point Of No Return - Gene McDaniels with The Johnny Mann Singers

  • 08 Preview The Best Friend I Ever Had - Jan & Dean

  • 09 Preview Make The Night A Little Longer - Tammy Montgomery

  • 10 Preview Go Away Little Girl - Bobby Vee

  • 11 Preview Brand New World - Freddie Scott

  • 12 Preview They're Jealous Of Me - Connie Stevens

  • 13 Preview I Need You - Chuck Jackson

  • 14 Preview That Boy I Used To Know - Andrea Carroll

  • 15 Preview Stage Door - Peter James

  • 16 Preview He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss) - Jody Miller

  • 17 Preview Don't Forget About Me - Barbara Lewis

  • 18 Preview Pleasant Valley Sunday - The Monkees

  • 19 Preview A Long Way To Be Happy - Carolyn Daye

  • 20 Preview Honey & Wine - The Hollies

  • 21 Preview Take A Giant Step - The Rising Sons

  • 22 Preview Is This What I Get For Loving You? - Marianne Faithfull

  • 23 Preview Child Of Mine - Jackie DeShannon

  • 24 Preview I Happen To Love You - The Myddle Class

  • 25 Preview So Goes Love - The Turtles

  • 26 Preview No Easy Way Down - Nancy Wilson

Delivery & Returns

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We offer free P&P to UK addresses. For all other territories packaging is free and postage is charged on a weight basis.

We use Royal Mail First Class for UK deliveries and standard Air Mail for all other territories, very large orders will usually be sent via parcelforce. You may cancel your order at any time prior to your order being dispatched by emailing us at orders@acerecords.com ensuring that you quote your name, address and order reference number or by telephoning +44 (0) 208 453 1311 between 9am and 5pm GMT/BST, Monday to Friday. Please note: As music downloads are dispatched immediately after purchase, there is no possibility of cancelling these orders.

In the event that any products supplied to you by us are damaged or defective, we agree to replace or repair the damaged or defective products or refund the amount you paid for such goods (including postage & packaging) providing you notify us (either via post at or e-mail: orders@acerecords.com ) and return the goods within 28 days of purchase. Physical goods should be sent back to us in the same condition you received them to: “Returns” Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the e-mail address above including a copy of your notification.

You have the right to cancel your order within seven days of purchase, or seven days of receipt of the goods (whichever is the longer). If you choose to cancel your order, full payment will be returned to you. Returned items should be sent to: “Returns” c/o Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the email address: orders@acerecords.com including a copy of your notice of cancellation and order number.

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