Various Artists - Goffin & King: A Song Collection 1961-1967

Around 1962, Goffin & King were already established as the key writing partnership that everyone from Lennon & McCartney down aspired to emulate. This collection gathers recordings other than the hits, and arranges them to show the development from pop ditties into more mature, richer writing. Early 60s girl group fans will love to get hold of a track from the rare Chiffons’ Secret Love album, though The First & Last is far from vintage Goffin/King, despite the reprised “doo-langs”. Better fare is had with The Satisfactions’ Nitzsche-produced version of I Didn’t Have Any Summer Romance and Donna Loren’s Just A Little Girl, despite its questionable lyrics. We get a couple of belters from Betty Everett, and slower, more sumptuous fare with The Honey Bees, who were thought to be ex-Crystal Barbara Alston fronting The Cookies. After PJ Proby’s megalithic I Can’t Make It Alone, things get more soulful with a great trio of tracks from 1966/67 to end the collection: Ben E King’s So Much Love, Dee Dee Warwick’s original of Yours Until Tomorrow, and Aretha Franklin’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. Music had changed and Goffin & King had led a lot of the way.