Various Artists - Zell’s Girls: J&S, Zell’s, Baton & Dice Recordings 1955-1970

15 years of Zelma Saunders’ magic touch

When The Jaynettes’ Sally Go Round The Roses was released the same week as The Ronettes’ Be My Baby in the UK, you effectively had two extremes of the girl group sound: one an R&B-rooted mood piece and one a wham-bam pop masterpiece. This collection deals with the former, drawn from Zelma Saunders’ extensive work. An ex-security guard, she nurtured female talent from the mid-50s to around 1970, with her own songs, often on her own labels. Sally… (sadly not included here) was her peak, leading to a series of ultra-rare issues, such as Cry Behind The Daisies and Peepin’ In & Out The Windows by The Jaynettes, that start this set. Ada Ray’s Give Our Love A Chance from 1962 echoes the raw Motown of the period, and elsewhere there are some fine 50s sounds from a variety of names. Group personnel varied greatly, with several overlaps, but the common factor was Zell’s guiding hand. This, including as it does the ultra-rare Pre-Teens from 1956, is something of a collector’s dream. One particular goodie lurks as the penultimate track: Neice Dezel’s It Doesn’t Matter, an absolute corker from 1970 with the feel of The Young Rascals’ Groovin’, yet totally its own.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Ace | CDCHD 1164

Reviewed by Kingsley Abbott
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