Brian Wilson given the full-on 60s Brit-Girl treatment. It has wonderfully uplifting brass and some powerful vocals. The Paper Dolls had a couple of decent soulful easy hits in the UK in 1968. The CD is well worth checking out.

A girl-group classic! It has a very interesting rhythm, which guitars, bass, piano, drum fills, and backing vocals all help to construct ... and then it changes completely within the bridge! The sound is lush, the lead vocal great and soulful. Even in its own genre this is a standout, so why it didn't become a hit is beyond me.

Think bouncy, 60's brit-girl classic. Makes me tingle all over with happiness. This was on the flip on a Man From UNCLE novelty, Love Ya Illya, and is actually by that queen of opulence Alma Cogan in disguise.

Now THAT'S a title. Honestly, I so wish I was a teen in the sixties. You got to gloom along to the highest-quality pop-soul instead of the early 90's alt.rock that was de riguer in my tender years.

The Exciters are one of the most enduring of the 60's "girl" groups (there's one boy in there). No matter how polished the production was, they remained overwhelmingly vital thanks to the harsh vocal power of Brenda Reid, their main singer. They found mucho favour on the Northern Soul circuit, but I think their stuff is substantially more individual than a lot of the platters on offer in that scene.

"Run Mascara" is about a boy who knows how to hurt and make the tears flow, but gives just enough sweetness to keep Brenda in love. Your classic emotionally-abusive relationship. You would think with a voice like hers Brenda would just wallop him. Or shout at him. That'd shut him up.

Musically it races fast, with the other group members yelling to keep up with the breakneck speed. An outstanding few minutes.