A classic she-done-me-wrong song that melds tough call and response R&B with rockin' doo wop -- don't miss this one. I heard it in the 50s but never had the 45 -- looked for it for years before I found the Ace CD of 21 Young Jessie songs from the Modern label in L.A.

"Mary Lou
she took my watch and chain
Mary Lou
she took my diamond ring
She took the keys to my Cadillac car
jumped in my Kitty and then drove afar"

with Maxwell Davis & Orchestra

Great music for the drive-in!

The epitome of joyous, alive, who gives a sh*t rock'n'roll, with a slight blue eyed soul feeling and great horns. Everyone needs a song like this in their life.

Having grown up treasuring the memory of Linda Ronstadt's "Heart Like A Wheel" era version (ah, those AM radio school bus days of childhood), I was nothing short of amazed to find out that not only was it a cover, but a shockingly inferior one at that (picture that - a shoddy Linda Ronstadt cover!). This original from 1963 finds Dionne's little sister (she of the more soulful chops in the family) strutting her stuff in a Lieber/Stoller production that apparently sank without a trace, but my oh my, what a revelation.

This guy has amazing talent. The lyrics to his songs are fantastic. Levi is going places. www.levismith.net

One of the last Carpenters singles from their final studio album. I find this sweet 'n perky song strangely compelling, since it shows Richard and Karen Carpenter awkwardly trying to adjust their wholesome image to an early '80s synth pop template. Karen's voice is so processed and overdubbed that she blends in seamlessly with the synth-heavy backup -- still, the effect isn't cheezy but full and lucious. Knowing that Karen was slowly dying during this time makes this tune odder still.