Search - Lori Burton :: Breakout

So you think the Shangri-Las were tough and streetwise girls? Well, you ain't heard nothing. The Whyte Boots 'Nightmare' takes the 'Leader Of The Pack' scenario to the next level: a girl has been showing off the singer's boyfriend's ring, leading to a vicious catfight in which one of the girls is killed!! Woah! But in reality, the Whyte Boots did not exist, but were a construct of Brill Building hit girls Lori Burton and Pam Sawyer, writers of hits for the likes of the Young Rascals and a slew of Motown acts. They were among the few female writers who produced and arranged their own acts. In the wake of their having written some chartbusters and the newsworthy scandal over 'Nightmare', Mercury decided to give Lori, who had released a few singles along the way (many of them Northern Soul staples today) a shot at an album. Breakout! has a cover showing Lori in biker chick/Cleopatra makeup breaking out (geddit?) of a barrier consisting of a huge Billboard chart. From the strains of 'Nightmare' to the thundering Northern Soul extravaganza of 'Gotta Make You Love Me' what we have here is an explosive collision between Northern Soul and outrageously camp girl-group kitsch that just won't quit. Rev-ola. 2005.