Jackie DeShannon › Very Best of Jackie DeShannon

The extremely versatile Jackie DeShannon has had a tremendous share of musical recognition as both a singer and a songwriter. Here are ten of her most famous recordings, including her huge hits, "Put a Little Love In Your Heart," and "What the World Needs Now Is Love".

Personnel: Jackie DeShannon (vocals, guitar).

Liner Note Author: Mark Marymont.

Jackie DeShannon was one of the rare people (especially for the '60s) who could not only sing and score hits, but write them too -- and for a woman that was almost unheard of. Both "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" and "When You Walk in the Room" scored not only for her but other artists, while she herself had a big hit with "Needles and Pins" by Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono, which, in a different version by the Searchers, heralded the start of the first jangle pop movement. Excellent as her covers are -- her "What the World Needs Now" is a classic -- it's her original work that's most illuminating, whether it's the idyllic "Brighton Hill" or the glowingly hippie-ish "Holly Would" and "Love Will Find a Way"; part of the fun is dating the songs by their lyrics. But that would dismiss her singing ability, which was superb, lending gravitas to "The Weight" and bringing a curiously mannered rasp (which works) to "When You Walk in the Room" over a budget-priced Spector-wannabe arrangement. And while the album's somewhat skimpy, with ten tracks coming in at less than 30 minutes, there's no denying the pop history that runs all through it. ~ Chris Nickson

Genre:

• Pop / Rock

Labels:

• Collectables Records

Music Categories:

• Rock & Pop: Folk Rock

Product Groupings:

• Collectables Records - Audio CDs