Various artists - Glitter & Gold: Words & Music By Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil

Ace continue their fine US songwriters series with this intelligent tribute collection of Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil songs which, though lacking the key Spector songs for licensing reasons, contains as good a snapshot of US 60s pop as you could want. Well known hits are included, Mama Cass leading off with It’s Getting Better, giving way to Gene Pitney’s I’m Gonna Be Strong and sturdy tracks from The Tokens and Bill Medley. It’s the strength in depth that attracts here, however, from the early Marcels hit Find Another Fool and the delightful The Bossa Nova (My Heart Said) from Tippie & The Clovers. Drifters fans will delight in the rare and originally unreleased In The Park, a virtual twin of At The Club – and cut at the same session, seemingly by Johnny Moore, without the others. There’s also The Vogues’ majestic Magic Town, a rare Chiffons track and a very strong, previously unreleased, Donna Loren girlie song That’s the Boy. Mann & Weil really understood the feels of New York pop, and wrote wonderfully to order while maintaining the highest standards. This collection really does them justice.