Dee Dee Sharp
reached the big time with the
novelty
hit
"Mashed Potato Time"
in 1962, while the follow-up,
"Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes),"
hit the Top Ten as well cemented her status as a
singer. As
The Best of Dee Dee Sharp 1962-1966
shows, despite being unfairly remembered as such she in reality was a powerful singer blessed with a wonderfully clear voice. Indeed her soulful and direct style makes even the silliest song (
"Do the Bird!,"
"Baby Cakes"
) sound real and gives the better songs here (
"Just to Hold My Hand,"
"Why Don't You Ask Me"
) an extra kick. That she never really had a hit after the "Mashed Potato" saga meant that
Sharp
and
Cameo-Parkway
tried different sounds and styles, looking for that elusive next smash.
sounded at ease with every style, lightly bopping through dance numbers like the slinky
"Let's Twine,"
the hard-hitting
girl group
sound of
"You Ain't Nothin' But a Nothin',"
the
gospel
soul
of
"Rock Me in the Cradle of Love,"
the silky Chicago-styled
"(That's What) My Mama Said,"
and the proto-
Philly soul
"I Really Love You."
At least one song, the bouncy and nearly perfect
Motown
facsimile
"There Ain't Nothing I Wouldn't Do for You,"
should have been a huge smash, and many others should have gotten more than just a toe on the charts. It wasn't for lack of talent. Both
and her collaborators, who included
Bob Crewe
,
Carl Davis
Kenny Gamble
, and
Leon Huff
, were loaded with the stuff. Whatever the reason,
isn't usually on the list when great female singers of the '60s are discussed. Perhaps this collection, the first to put the spotlight on her
Cameo
sides, will help to change that. Even if it doesn't, fans of the '60s
girl
sound will be overjoyed to finally have a legitimate
collection. ~ Tim Sendra