Search - Cookies :: Complete Dimension Sessions

The Cookies singing the lesser songs of Goffin & King

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 06/15/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Cookies are a second level Girl Group from the early 1960s mainly because while they were recording a lot of songs by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, they were not getting that talented songwriting team's best efforts. They had some modest success on the Billboard charts between 1962 and 1964 on the eve of the British Invasion with four Goffin-King songs: "Chains" (#17), "Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)" (#7), "Will Power" (#72), and the catchy "Girls Grow Up Faster Than Boys Pop Singles" (#33). Of course, if you have heard any of these songs it was probably the version of "Chains" recorded by the Beatles on their first album. The Cookies consisted of Earl-Jean McCrea, Dorothy Jones and Margaret Ross, which was actually the second version of the group. In the early 1950s McCrea and two other girls had a hit with a single called "In Paradise" and were then transformed into the Raelettes by Ray Charles. However, all of the tracks on this collection are from this later instantiation, when they were doing sessions at the Brill Building behind the likes of Neil Sedaka and sang backup on Little Eva's hit "The Locomotion." All things considered the Cookies would be more of a straight forward Girl Group with a softer sound than the more soulful groups recording for Motown at this time. Included in the 16 tracks in this collection is a nice cover of "On Broadway" (originally done by the Drifters) and a nice little song called "I Never Dreamed." There are also four "bonus" tracks featuring solo recordings by McCrea as Earl-Jean, made in the summer of 1964 after the group broke up, including "I'm Into Something Good," which she actually recorded and released before Herman's Hermits. But guess which version everybody remembers. If you are a Carole King fan and are trying to track down some of her lesser known early stuff, then this is a choice album for your music library."

The Brill Building Sound Lives On

D. E. Briggs | Auburn, ME USA | 03/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're a fan of the Brill Building Sound, here's a CD for your collection. Primarily a Goffin/King showcase, there are contributions from Greenfield, Mann, Weil, Lieber and Stoller, all in their monaural glory (this is not a stereo compilation).



The Cookies were not the most successful Girl Group of their era, and they didn't get the "cream of the crop" songs to record, but their sound is classic for the genre. And how wrong can you go with Gerry Goffin and Carole King writing and producing for you. Very enjoyable from start to finish, all 16 cuts. I'll give it 5-stars.



There is one problem: Finding one! For whatever reason, Amazon continues to display this CD, despite the fact that, as of January, 2005, they don't seem to have any. (Nor did any other major internet retailer that I looked at, and they didn't even display it).



I took a chance on Amazon's "buy one used" Marketplace, requesting a minimum condition of "Very Good" (see Amazon's "condition guidlines" for a definition). I got a response in a little over a month. The CD met the "Very Good" conditions for about the same money as I might have paid for new (remembering that "new" was not an option). I can't unequivocally endorse Amazon's "used" program based on only one purchase but, given this experience, I'd be inclined to try it again. And having the opportunity to get hold of "The Complete Cookies" was worth it.

"

Finally! A Great CD of the Cookies Best!

D. E. Briggs | 06/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is a shame that more of the great 60s groups that were somewhat obscure are not available on US labels. But thanks to Amazon.com, they are available as import Cds! Quality of recordings is excellent! If you remember the Cookies, pick this one up! A big 5 stars!"