Search - :: sensational: uncollected helen shapiro

One of Britain's Unacknowledged Treasures

Randall E. Adams | Los Angeles, CA United States | 06/09/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Helen Shapiro has to be heard to be believed.At age 14, she cut her first single "Please Don't Treat Me Like a Child," on which she sounded like she had already lived on a diet of cigarettes and Scotch for years. She enjoyed top level stardom in the U.K. for about 18 months but the fickle British public forgot about her in time to miss out on her best album, 1963's "Helen in Nashville" where she worked with the Jordanaires and cut the original version of "It's My Party" as well as an early Jackie DeShannon song "Woe Is Me." This lovingly assembled compilation by RPM focusses on Shapiro tracks not released elsewhere. These include the fantastic 1962 lament "A Teenager Sings the Blues," the lion's share of the tracks from her other 1963 album "Helen's Sixteen," a handful of tracks from 1964's "Helen Hits Out" and seven great tracks from singles in the later part of Helen's EMI contract (1965 & 1966) by which time the record-buying public absolutely did not care but Helen still did.Many of the tracks here are period pieces but the talent of the lady in front is unmistakeable. As always with RPM, the notes are informative and the sound is excellent. The price is reasonable too."