Total time - 1:59:26
On starred songs, Doris sang lead
1. Dedicated To The One I Love * (2:02) - This song has a slow tempo. The narrator and her boyfriend are far apart geographically, but she's satisfied to know that he still loves her. She asks him to pray for her last thing every night. Later, this song was also a hit for the Mamas and the Papas.
2. Please Be My Boyfriend * (1:47) - This fast song features a piano and a saxophone. The narrator has waited for love for a long time, so he asks the man to become her boyfriend. In return, she'll be faithful and love him for eternity. This song was previously sung by the Cadillacs under the title "Please Be My Girlfriend."
3. Tonight's The Night (1:58) - This fast song features orchestral string instruments, which are commonly heard from now on. I hear Shirley's voice in both speakers, but the other gals' backup vocals are in the right speaker only. The narrator is excited because the night of the setting is the night when the man will start loving her.
4. Will You Love Me Tomorrow (2:40) - This moderately fast song is the one I like best by the Shirelles. In all verses except the first, when Shirley sings the title, she inserts "still" between "you" and "love." In any case, the narrator asks the man whether he will still love her after the night is over. For the Shirelles, this song peaked at #1 pop, #2 R&B; later, for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, it reached a lower Top 30 pop position.
5. Boys (2:07) - The tempo is moderately fast. During the middle instrumental, a sax plays lead. Except during the first verse, the other three gals sing "Bop-bop-shoo-wa" behind Shirley. Whenever the narrator kisses her boyfriend, a pleasant sensation runs through her fingers. The Beatles later sang a version with a similar tempo; I like both versions. (Note: the Beatles' version is the one to which the link in this paragraph leads.)
6. Mama Said (2:06) - This moderately fast song peaked at #2 on the R&B chart, and it's also #2 on my Shirelles chart. One day, things go fine for the narrator. Then she meets and falls in love with one Billy Joe. Her mother had told her that such days would come, but she doesn't worry about it.
7. Blue Holiday * (3:17) - This is the flip side of the previous song. The tempo is moderate for the first 8 seconds, slow and in 12/8 time for the rest of the song. A horn plays lead during the middle instrumental. The narrator's holiday--whether it's Christmas, spring break, or summer--has been blue since her boyfriend left; she begs him to come home soon.
8. (Our Love's Becoming) A Thing Of The Past (2:36) - A rapid roll of string instruments leads into the moderate tempo. The narrator can tell that her boyfriend's kisses are now meaning goodbye, and she's about to cry. This song contains a good question: "Who needs a book with a heartbreak ending?"
9. What A Sweet Thing That Was (2:27) - This fast song, the flip side of the previous one, has a happier mood; here, the narrator compliments her boyfriend for the sweet things, such as kisses, that he does to her.
10. Big John (2:18) - This fast song was named after Big John Patton, a member of Lloyd Price's band. Instruments include a piano and a sax. The narrator wants John to come home and marry her soon, for her parents are planning a big wedding party.
11. 21 (1:58) - The B-side of the previous song has the same tempo. This time, the narrator is anxious for the day she turns 21, for once she does, she can gain privileges that are denied to people under that age. In fact, Micki was the only Shirelle who had turned 21 by the time this song was recorded.
12. Baby, It's You (2:36) - No, this song is not titled "Sha La La"; that comes later. This song has a moderate tempo. Instruments include a tambourine and an organ; the latter plays lead during the middle instrumental. The narrator cries over her boyfriend when he's gone many nights in a row, and other people tell her that he's always untrue. Nevertheless, she still loves him and wants no one else. This is the other Shirelles song covered by the Beatles.
13. The Things I Want To Hear * (2:33) - The B-side of the previous song has a moderate tempo. The man tells the narrator he thinks she's beautiful, that they will never part, etc. She tells him to keep saying such "pretty words" and act like he really means them.
14. Make The Night Just A Little Longer * (2:23) - The tempo is slightly slower than moderate, and the drums are subdued. Whenever the narrator and her boyfriend kiss and embrace each other, time tends to pass fast, so she prays that the night can be "just a little longer."
15. Putty In Your Hands (2:29) - The tempo is moderate. The narrator compares herself to putty because she does anything her boyfriend tells her to; he can shape her however he wants to. He mistreats her, but she chooses to stay with him nevertheless. The only part of this song I don't care much for is the alto vocals of "putty, putty, putty."
16. Soldier Boy (2:39) - The Shirelles' other #1 hit has a swing, moderately slow tempo. Instruments include a sax and a guitar played Duane Eddy style. The narrator's boyfriend is about to be shipped off to the Army, so she promises that she will be true to him, that her heart will follow him everywhere he goes.
17. Love Is A Swingin' Thing (2:09) - The tempo is very fast. Instruments include a piano and a sax; the latter plays lead during the middle instrumental. Yep, love does swing, all right--like a pendulum. One moment it makes you happy, the next it makes you sad.
18. Welcome Home Baby * (2:31) - This slow song would make a perfect sequel to "Soldier Boy." As the narrator welcomes her soldier boy home, she looks back on the good times they had together before he left.
19. Stop The Music (2:08) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, features a piano, which is most audible during the middle instrumental. The narrator wants the music stopped because she has caught her boyfriend dancing with another woman and wants to break them up. But don't turn your disc player off yet--more music is yet to come!
20. It's Love That Really Counts (2:11) - The tempo is slow. To the narrator, love is much more important than diamonds, pearls, and other expensive items. Since her boyfriend gives her love, she'll stick with him no matter how much material stuff other guys may offer her.
21. Everybody Loves A Lover (2:39) - This moderately fast song features a piano and a sax; the sax plays lead during the middle instrumental. The narrator loves everyone, and everyone loves her.
22. Foolish Little Girl (2:16) - Here's another goody; in fact, it was the group's last Top 10 hit. The tempo is moderate. Instruments include a tambourine, an organ, and chimes. A vibraphone plays lead during the middle instrumental. Shirley plays the person who scolds the foolish girl for turning the man down and then wanting him back. Another Shirelle plays the foolish girl, who says she still loves the man. Well, it's too late to apologize to him, for he's found a new girlfriend whom he will marry tomorrow!
23. Don't Say Goodnight And Mean Goodbye (2:40) - The tempo is slightly slower than moderate. The first verse is devoid of backup vocals. The theme is the same as in "A Thing Of The Past": the narrator can sense something wrong with her boyfriend's behavior, like he's about to leave her. She begs him not to leave her, for she loves him too much.
24. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah * (2:42) - This version of a traditional tune has a similar tempo to the previous one. During the first occurrence of the "Mr. Bluebird" stanza, I hear a deep male voice singing the word "satisfactual"; who could it be?
1. What Does A Girl Do (2:28) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, features horns, which are commonly heard from now on. The narrator either has just met a boy or is trying to prepare for a moment when she will meet one. In either case, she wonders what a girl is supposed to do when she meets a boy who falls in love with her, and she starts to feel the same way about him.
2. Tonight You're Gonna Fall In Love With Me (2:02) - Although the first disc contains all the hits, the second disc contains a few more songs that I particularly like; this fast song is one of them. Instruments include a piano. The narrator's friends tell her that the man will always run around, but she resolves that on the night of the setting, he will settle down--with her.
3. Sha La La (2:29) - The tempo is swing and somewhat faster than moderate. The night before the setting, the narrator met the man; he kissed her and made her feel so good she sang the title throughout the night. Now, whenever she sees him, her heart feels like singing the title again.
4. His Lips Get In The Way (2:09) - This moderate-tempoed song features a tambourine. The narrator's friends tell her that it's foolish of her to stay in love with a man who truly doesn't love her. But she chooses to stay a hopeless romantic; every time she tries to tell him goodbye, he immediately kisses her to keep her quiet.
5. Thank You Baby (2:32) - This song, slightly slower than moderate, opens with a 4-second organ solo. Other instruments include a marimba. The "thank you" here is sarcastic; for years of loving the guy, the narrator has received nothing in return. Now their relationship is over.
6. Maybe Tonight (3:05) - The tempo is somewhat faster than moderate. Instruments and sound effects include a piano and hand-clapping. The night of the setting might be the one when the man embraces and kisses the narrator.
7. Shhh! I'm Watching The Movie (1:53) - Studio chatter fills the first 10 seconds. The tempo is moderate. Instruments include a piano and a low-toned sax. As the narrator watches a movie, a boy sitting beside her attempts to talk to her. She tells him to be quiet at first, but later she lets him take her home. Eventually, they start going to movies together. I'm curious about the identity of the male session person who played the role of the boy.
8. March (You'll Be Sorry) (1:51) - This marching tune begins with a drum roll. The narrator's friends had warned her that the man would mistreat her, that she'd be sorry. Sure enough, he has left her and she is sorry. Now her friends tell her to march, hold her head high, and find a new man. This song is good, but I don't like how, in the middle instrumental, the gals sound like dogs barking.
9. My Heart Belongs To You (2:41) - The tempo is slow. The narrator could never cease to love her boyfriend, and she could never say goodbye if she tried. Since she loves him endlessly, her heart belongs to him.
10. Love That Man (2:21) - This slow, 12/8 song features a piano. Although the narrator's boyfriend complains a lot, keeps his hat on when they're on dates, and seldom calls her on the phone, she still loves him. She loves him unconditionally.
11. I Met Him On A Sunday (original version 2:13; this version 1:59; the gals take turns at lead in both versions) - The previous song was the B-side of this fast song, which was originally recorded in 1958 as the Shirelles' first single (this version was released in '66). I like the hand-clapping and the scat singing "pa pa do ronde ronde." The narrator meets a man on a Sunday and falls in love with him. Various other things happen between them until on a Saturday, she tells him they're through. The original version is longer because it is slower--only slightly faster than moderate.
12. Till My Baby Comes Home (2:27) - The tempo is moderate. Instruments include a tambourine. Some lyrics are hard to discern because Shirley's voice is too soft. But I can tell that "there ain't gonna be no lovin'" for the narrator until her boyfriend comes home.
13. Que Sera Sera (2:23) - This moderately fast song, like the previous song, features a tambourine. When the narrator was younger, she used to wonder what would happen to her in the future; she was answered, "Whatever will be will be / The future's not ours to see." I don't care as much for this version as the one by Doris Day; this version even leaves out the third verse.
14. Shades Of Blue (2:24) - This song has a moderate swing tempo. Instruments include a tambourine and chimes. The narrator wonders whether there's a world without her boyfriend. If there were, it would consist of "shades of blue," shades of sorrow.
15. Look Away (1:55) - The tempo is somewhat faster than moderate. The narrator tells people that if they see her cry, they should turn and walk away rather than stop and say hello. She is trying to get over some sorrow, apparently the loss of some guy's love.
16. Don't Go Home (My Little Darling) (2:20) - The tempo is fast. Guitars and hand-clapping appear in the right speaker, while drums and chime-like instruments are audible in the left speaker. The narrator begs her boyfriend to stay at the party for a few more minutes so she can continue to embrace, kiss, and dance with him. One line in this song, "Stay just a little bit longer," had also been in the song "Stay," the Zodiacs/Four Seasons song.
17. Bright Shiny Colors (2:31) - The tempo is moderately fast. The way the gals sing "sha la la la..." reminds me of the Grass Roots hit "Let's Live For Today." The narrator invites her boyfriend to come with her to a place where plenty of bright colors and other neat sights await them.
18. Too Much Of A Good Thing (2:56) - People often say, "Too much of a good thing is bad," but the narrator of this fast song doesn't think so; too much love between her and her boyfriend won't hurt them, so she asks him to come closer to her.
19. Last-Minute Miracle (2:53) - Instruments in this fast song include a piano. The first several measures resemble the opening of Fontella Bass' "Rescue Me." The narrator has lost her boyfriend to another girl; now, "a last-minute miracle is all [she] can hope for." She fervently prays for that miracle, but I highly doubt she's gonna get it.
20. No Doubt About It (live) (2:56) - Shirley spends the first 16 seconds introducing the audience to "our latest recording." This fast song features a piano and a vibraphone. In the first verse, the narrator does not doubt for a minute that she's in love with the man to whom he's singing, so in love that she can't concentrate on anything else. In the second verse, she likes how he skips along the street in the pouring rain.
21. Wait Till I Give The Signal (2:51) - The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. The narrator's boyfriend tells everyone that he's true to her, but he really isn't. She tells him that he may not tell people about their love until she gives the signal, and she won't give the signal until he stops running around.
22. Good Good Time (2:14) - This moderately fast song opens with a 3-second drum solo. The narrator doesn't want love from the man, for she's been hurt by love many times before. She wants no more than a good time; if she and the man stay just friends, she won't suffer heartaches anymore.
23. You'll Know When The Right Boy Comes Along (2:24) - Studio chatter fills the first 8 seconds. The tempo is slow at first, but after the first half-minute, it's fast. Instruments include a tambourine. This song has the same theme as "Mama Said"--the narrator receiving advice from her mother regarding love.
24. Crossroads In Your Heart (2:26) - This song is even faster than the previous one. A sax plays lead in the middle instrumental. The narrator at first thought that the man's love for her would be true, but she was wrong. Instead, his heart contains roads that lead in all directions and to many women. I think she's mad at him since the song is so fast and Shirley gets a little throaty.
25. To Know Him Is To Love Him (2:26) - This slow song was originally a hit for the Teddy Bears. I've also heard a version by Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt; and a gender-switched version by the Beatles. This is a fitting song to conclude this anthology--to know the Shirelles is to love them, too.