Peaches & Herb - The Best Of Peaches & Herb: Love Is Strange (1996)

The brief, but successful tenure of the original Peaches (Francine Barker) & Herb are recalled in the 16 tracks culled from the duo's 1966-1968 Date Records recordings, including their Top Ten pop hit "Close Your Eyes" and their Top Ten R&B hits "For Your Love" and "When He Touches Me (Nothing Else Matters)." Given the group's love ballad reputation, there are some surprisingly uptempo numbers here, but the focus is always on the vocal interaction between the two singers and their proclamations of romantic commitment, sometimes in the words of such Tin Pan Alley prototypes as Ted Koehler, Cole Porter, and Sammy Cahn. Record-company restrictions mean this set covers only the early hits, and business considerations keep it under 45 minutes (all the releases in Legacy's Rhythm & Soul Series contain 16 tracks, which must indicate a ceiling on song publishing expenses), but within those parameters, this is a well-chosen collection.