England's Ace Label released this CD in 2002, and I'm finally getting around to reviewing it. Regular visitors to this Web site are most likely aware that I'm a fan of this group, since one of my early reviews was of the French Famous Groove (FG) label CD of the same title.
So, how do the two packages compare? This CD contains no interview material, just 25 tracks of music; while the FG package is in the form of a radio show, where members of the group were interviewed between songs. This CD has one track that is missing from the FG CD - the fast version of Teenage Promise (Flip 362, released in 1963); while the FG CD has three tracks not present here - the group's very first record - as the "Sweet Teens", Forever More b/w Don't Worry About A Thing (Flip 311, from 1955); and the acapella rendition of A Casual Look which was done during the interview, circa 1998, making the total number of tracks on the FG disc 27.
The liner notes to this package are superior to those of the FG package - a full 12-page booklet, with a considerable amount of detail. They indicate, inter alia, that the tracks You're My Boyfriend and Foolish Little Girl, in which Trudy Williams was backed up by Richard Berry and the Pharaohs, were actually released on Flip 340 in 1958. Regrettably, the notes completely miss the Sweet Teens record, indicating that the GROUP's first record was A Casual Look (Flip 315). Too bad, because the inclusion of those two tracks would have made this an outstanding package, rather than merely a great one.
Which CD should you get, this one or the FG disc? It's your call, my friend, but you should add at least one or the other to your collection.
Track listing:
1. A Casual Look (Flip 315) 1956
2. Teenage Promise (Flip 315) 1956
3. Send Me Flowers (Flip 317) 1956
4. Afar Into The Night (Flip 317) 1956
5. Only Jim (Flip 320) 1956
6. My Special Guy (Flip 320) 1956
7. Arrow Of Love (Flip 322) 1957
8. Was It A Dream Of Mine (Flip 322) 1957
9. Baby You're Dynamite (Flip 326) 1957
10. My Surprise (Flip 326) 1957
11. My Secret (Flip 329) 1957
12. Stop Playing Ping Pong With My Little Heart (Flip 329) 1957
13. Danny (This Is The Last Dance) (Flip 333) 1958
14. Love's Funny That Way (Flip 333) 1958
15. Oh It's Crazy (Flip 338) 1958
16. Baby-O (Flip 338) 1958
17. You're My Boy Friend (Flip 340) 1958
18. A Foolish Little Girl (Flip 340) 1958
19. Heaven Knows I Love You (Flip 346) 1959
20. Why Do I Go To School (Flip 346) 1959
21. So Happy (Flip 350) 1960
22. That Wonderful Secret Of Love (Flip 350) 1960
23. A Little Prayer (Flip 351) 1960
24. Suddenly In Love (Flip 351) 1960
25. Teenage Promise (fast version) (Flip 362) 1963
