BEAT GIRLS
VA - British Beat Girls, Live on Air 1965-1970 [2023] (4 x CDs)
There’s something undeniably magnetic about the British female pop and soul singers of the 1960s, a blend of elegance and vocal power that defined an era and left a lasting imprint on music history. British Beat Girls, Live on Air 1965-1970, released in 2023 by Time Box, is a four-CD box set that captures that magic in its rawest, most immediate form: live BBC radio performances.
This isn’t just another retrospective. It’s a living archive, over 100 tracks, professionally remastered, featuring artists like Sandie Shaw, Cilla Black, Elkie Brooks, Helen Shapiro, Susan Maughan, Julie Rogers, Valerie Masters, and many more. These aren’t studio-polished versions; they’re spirited, spontaneous renditions recorded for BBC’s Top of the Pops radio broadcasts, often introduced by host Brian Matthews and interspersed with short interviews that offer charming glimpses into the personalities behind the voices.
What makes this set so compelling is its intimacy. You hear the breath between phrases, the slight imperfections, the energy of live performance, all of which bring these songs to life in a way that studio recordings sometimes smooth over. There’s a sense of immediacy and authenticity that reminds us just how talented these women were, often performing under tight schedules and minimal rehearsal.
The selection spans pop, beat, soul, and even a touch of psychedelia, reflecting the evolving musical landscape of mid-to-late ’60s Britain. Tracks like Sandie Shaw’s “Girl Don’t Come,” Elkie Brooks’ “I Put a Spell on You,” and Cilla Black’s “Alfie” showcase not just vocal prowess but emotional depth. These women were interpreting, commanding, and connecting.
The packaging is thoughtful: a clamshell box with a 16-page full-color booklet featuring background notes and rare archival photos. It’s clear that care was taken to honor the legacy of these performers, many of whom were overshadowed by their male counterparts in the British Invasion narrative.
For collectors, this set is a revelation. For newer listeners, it’s a gateway into a vibrant, often underappreciated corner of pop history. And for those of us who cherish the BBC’s role in preserving live music, it’s a reminder of how vital those airwaves were in shaping public taste and launching careers.
British Beat Girls, Live on Air 1965-1970 isn’t just a compilation, it’s a celebration of Britain’s beat-era heroines. These performances may be decades old, but they still sparkle with life, wit, and soul. (B)
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Track lists
CD1
01 - Girl Don't Come 3:00
02 Sandie Shaw - I'll Stop at Nothing 2:57
03 Sandie Shaw - I've Heard About Him 2:15
04 Sandie Shaw - Long Live Love 3:54
05 Sandie Shaw - You Can't Blame Him 2:21
06 Sandie Shaw - Love Letters 2:15
07 Sandie Shaw - Reviewing The Situation 3:05
08 Sandie Shaw - Coconut Grove 2:13
09 Sandie Shaw - Love Me Do 2:07
10 Valerie Masters - It's Up to You 3:16
11 Valerie Masters - The Next Train Out 2:39
12 Valerie Masters - Round and Round 1:57
13 Billie Davis - Let The Sunshine In 2:21
14 Billie Davis - No Other Baby 3:48
15 Billie Davis - The Midnight Hour 2:10
16 Elkie Brooks - Getting Mighty Crowded 2:02
17 Elkie Brooks - The Way You Do The Things You Do 3:44
18 Elkie Brooks - Yeh Yeh 2:45
19 Elkie Brooks - All My Life 2:27
20 Elkie Brooks - Breaking Point 2:07
21 Elkie Brooks - I Put A Spell on You 2:06
22 Elkie Brooks - Love's Just A Broken Heart 2:27
23 Elkie Brooks - Baby Let Me Love You 3:10
24 Elkie Brooks - Bye Bye Blues 2:27
CD2
01 Sue & Sunny - You Can't By-Pass Love 3:21
02 Sue & Sunny - Leave A Little Love 3:25
03 Sue & Sunny - Every Ounce of Strength 2:04
04 Sue & Sunny - You Can't By-Pass Love 2:38
05 Sue & Sunny - I'll Try Anything 2:39
06 Helen Shapiro - You Only Live Twice 2:51
07 Helen Shapiro - She Needs Company 4:11
08 Helen Shapiro - Stop 2:40
09 Susan Maughan - When She Walks Away 3:46
10 Susan Maughan - Blowin' in The Wind 2:09
11 Susan Maughan - That Other Place 2:25
12 Susan Maughan - In My Room 3:42
13 Susan Maughan - Things We Said Today 2:37
14 Cilla Black - Going Out of My Head 2:18
15 Cilla Black - Heatwave 2:07
16 Cilla Black - You're No Good 2:03
17 Cilla Black - He Was Really Saying Something 2:06
18 Cilla Black - Shotgun 2:23
19 Cilla Black - Rainbow 2:28
20 Cilla Black - Lover's Concerto 2:30
21 Cilla Black - Alfie 4:00
22 Cilla Black - Conversations 3:55
23 Sandra Brown - Knock on Any Door 3:19
24 Sandra Brown - I Want Love 2:01
25 Barbara Kay - I'll Stop at Nothing 3:51
26 Barbara Kay - In The Meantime 2:57
CD3
01 The McKinleys - Give Him My Love 3:23
02 The McKinleys - Baby Whatcha Want Me to Do 2:23
03 Nita Rossi - Here I Go Again 3:25
04 Nita Rossi - Untrue 2:19
05 Nita Rossi - Not Responsible 1:38
06 Truly Smith - Windows and Doors 3:42
07 Truly Smith - Take A Broken Heart 1:51
08 Truly Smith - I Wanna Go Back There Again 3:24
09 Truly Smith - San Francisco 3:17
10 Truly Smith - Window Cleaner 2:11
11 Friday Brown - Getting Nowhere 3:53
12 Friday Brown - Careless Love 2:45
13 Friday Brown - Before You Accuse Me 2:02
14 Friday Brown - 32nd Street Love Affair 3:02
15 Friday Brown - Born A Woman 1:52
16 Tammy St. John - He's The One for Me 3:09
17 Tammy St. John - I'm Tired Just Looking at You 1:49
18 Tammy St. John - Hey Hey Hey Hey 2:19
19 Tammy St. John - Nobody Knows What's Going on in My Mind 3:26
20 Lulu - Stay Together Young Lovers 2:35
21 Lulu - Uptight 2:45
22 Lulu - Call Me 2:38
23 Lulu - You'll Never Leave Him 2:31
24 Lulu - To Sir With Love 2:47
25 Lulu - Love Loves to Love Love 2:08
26 Lulu - Higher and Higher 2:33
27 Julie Grant - Stop 3:22
28 Julie Grant - Hark 2:35
CD4
01 Stevie Lewis - Sometime When You're Lonely 2:54
02 Stevie Lewis - Take A Little While 2:16
03 Anita Harris - Eleanor Rigby 2:29
04 Clodagh Rogers - Stormy Weather 2:51
05 Clodagh Rogers - Tell Him 2:18
06 Nola York - Photographs 2:25
07 Nola York - I Can Hear You Calling 1:52
08 Sharon Tandy - Perhaps Not Forever 3:27
09 Sharon Tandy - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag 1:57
10 Jackie Trent - Don't Sleep in The Subway 3:15
11 Kiki Dee - If I Loved You 2:45
12 Kiki Dee - She Was Really Saying Something 2:20
13 Jackie Lee - I Know Know Know, I'll Never Love Anyone Else 3:55
14 Barry St. John - Everything I Touch Turns to Tears 3:05
15 Barry St. John - 6-3-4-5-7-8-9 2:26
16 Samantha Jones - Every Little Bit Hurts 2:49
17 Samantha Jones - Surrounded By A Ray of Sunshine 2:07
18 Toni Daly - Like The Big Man Said 3:22
19 Toni Daly - Why Don't I Run Away From You 2:10
20 P.P. Arnold - The First Cut is The Deepest 3:32
21 P.P. Arnold - Something Beautiful 2:56
22 P.P. Arnold - The Time Has Come 2:53
23 P.P. Arnold - Tin Soldier 2:57
24 P.P. Arnold - (If You Think You're) Groovy 3:44
25 P.P. Arnold - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 2:38
26 Madeline Bell - We're So Much in Love 3:54
27 Mary Hopkin - Plaisir D'Amour 3:24
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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.
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