Bev Bevan's view on the latest music!

BARRY MANN & CYNTHIA WEIL

Glitter And Gold (Ace)

OF all of the albums that I have played drums on over the past 40-odd years, one of my very favourites is the 1969 Move LP Shazam.

On that album it was my idea for the band to record a version of Mann and Weil's Don't Make My Baby Blue, originally recorded by Frankie Laine.

When Shazam was re-released on CD, I received an American copy autographed by Barry and Cynthia, saying: "Thank you for making such a cool version of our song!"

They first met in 1961 and began writing songs together. Later that same year they married and now, 48 years later and after writing dozens of hits, they remain so.

This compilation is made up of American recordings, most of which were not hits in the UK.

Best of the bunch are Mama Cass's It's Getting Better, Bill Medley's Brown Eyed Girl, Gene Pitney's I'm Gonna Be Strong, the Righteous Brothers' See That Girl and B J Thomas' I Just Can't Help Believing (recorded a year before Elvis Presley's big hit version).

There's no sign, though, of Mann and Weil's biggest ever hit, Righteous Brothers smash You've Lost That Loving Feeling or The Move's Don't Make My Baby Blue!

STEVE HARLEY & COCKNEY REBEL

Best Of (EMI Gold)

STEVE Harley and Cockney Rebel basked in hit single sunshine for two years, between the summer of 1974 and the summer of '76. Top tenners Judy Teen and Mr Soft were followed by chart-topper Come Up And See Me, Make Me Smile.

Two more successes followed, Mr Raffles and Here Comes The Sun, and then the hits dried up. All of those songs are included on this 16-track compilation CD.