Midnight Cryin' Time Castle Pulse PBXCD356

“Chapel Of Love & Other Girl Group Gems was probably one of the best value CD releases of 2002… 60 original cuts in pristine quality, for around £9. A lady name of Sam Szczepanski put that compilation together and she has done it again with 60 teen slanted songs from the early '60s, naming the 3-CD package, Midnight Cryin' Time: Teen Angst Classics From The Rock'n'Roll Era. She has drawn material from the Swan, Phillips International, Red Bird and Vee Jay labels, among others. No, you won't find 'Sealed With A Kiss' or 'Go Away Little Girl', as these are, for the most part, very rare titles but all worth hearing.

The sleeve notes are by Sam and Roger Dopson and they do a great job essaying (in Roger's deadpan style) as many of these songs and artists as they can find information for. The titles list the composers, labels and release dates for each song, so you're not left on your own (as you are with gray area teen CDs). No more than half a dozen of the titles are available on other legitimate CDs and there are some strong cuts, making the package an excellent buy at £9, or less.

Favorites for girl-group collectors are Shelley Fabares' 'Lost Summer Love', Jamie Horton's 'Robot Man' (covered by Connie Francis), Marcie Blane's 'What Does A Girl Do' and (yet another) answer song to 'Runaround Sue', Ginger & the Snaps' 'I'm No Runaround'. Other titles worth acquiring this set for include: Link Wray's 'The Shadow Knows', Dee Clark's 'You're Telling Our Secrets' (Bacharach-David), the Trains' 'Fourteen Getting Older' (Pete Antell-John Linde), Mickey Lee Lane's 'She Cried To Me' (not originally issued but a nice Shangri-Las' soundalike) and Charlie Rich's 'There's Another Place I Can't Go'.

Following on the heels of Chapel Of Love, Midnight Cryin' Time certainly makes us impatient for Ms Szczepanski's next triple CD compilation set.”

Mike Edwards, www.spectropop.com

Sam Szczepanski and Roger Dopson put the recordings in perspective in their excellent notes and the whole package is a joy for those of you who have experienced the emotions of youth.”
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