VA - Dream Babes Volume Eight - Stockingtop Pop (2007)

In the mid-'60s through early '70s, the British pop music industry was a well-oiled machine, cranking out bright, tuneful melodies at a feverish pace, and RPM's eighth CD collection of rare U.K. pop singles from female vocalists demonstrates just how deep the well goes on this stuff. With the exception of Tina Charles' brassy but over the top cover of Melanie's "Bo Bo's Party" and the subtle but defiant "I Don't Ever Want to Be Kicked by You" by the Stockingtops, the mood on these tunes is upbeat and the craft is polished and professional, with the production slick and the arrangements full-bodied, suggesting the British equivalent of classic Brill Building pop with a characteristic dollop of music hall theatrics. Many of these singers supplemented their paychecks as solo acts by doing backing vocals on sessions by other artists (or by doing commercials -- a promotional recording for Bush audio equipment leads off this disc), and there's a certain uniformity to the performing styles of these artists. But a few of the tracks do stand out, such as the high-gloss soul stylings of Maxine Nightingale, the aggressively chirpy harmonies of the Cameos, the very American leanings of the Chanters, and the sweet, breathy confidence of the Paper Dolls. And even the lesser selections are fine examples of studiocraft at its height, from the days when the bigger the studio orchestra and the more audacious the arrangement, the better. While some might find a certain kitsch value in this stuff, Stockingtop Pop is good enough to be appreciated without irony, and Michael Robson's liner notes offer plenty of background data on these forgotten songbirds.