VA - Dream Babes Volume Two - Reflections (2001)

British girl singers did not comprise the healthiest subgenre of 1960s rock. And since this 22-track compilation of female-sung British pop/rock from 1962-1971 does not include any big names except for Cilla Black (represented by her 1968 B-side "Work Is a Four Letter Word") and Helen Shapiro (with her self-penned 1964 B-side "He Knows How to Love Me"), you might not ready yourself for a stunning experience. It isn't brilliant, but actually it's a pretty fair and fun collection of obscurities. Some other names might be faintly remembered (in the U.K., not the U.S.), such as Samantha Jones and Elkie Brooks, but for the most part these are no-names, working in a vein combining British Invasion sounds with American girl-group/soul-influenced production. Some of the more memorable outings include Jones' wispy "Somebody Else's Baby," Guillivers People's solid adaptation of Jackie DeShannon's "Splendour in the Grass," Linda Laine & the Sinners' wistful and folky "Don't Do It Baby," and Carol Elvin's "Don't Leave Me," which sounds instantly suitable for a British mid-'60s film soundtrack. As a change of pace there's also the folk-pop of the Levee Breakers' 1965 single "Babe I'm Leaving You," featuring the voice of Beverley, who would become a noted part of the 1970s folk-rock scene as part of a duo with her husband John Martyn.