The Best of Rosie & the Originals [CD]

If you are into pop of the early 1960s, you may know the song "Angel Baby".I found a copy in Camden Market back in the 1970s. It was on the Highland Label. I had never even heard the song. The label looked unusual. What the hell, I blew 25p! When I played it at home I was stunned. This was absolutely brilliant. A teenage clasic. She sounded so young, so sexy, so black? This was the ballad that would see me through my teenage years! The production sounded amateur. As if they had recorded it in Rosie's bedroom. But what an atmosphere the song evokes! How could this single not have been a hit in the UK? (It was in the USA - #13). This one song has remained a personal favourite and would definitely be on my list of desert island discs. As for Rosie? A mystery. A dream babe. But not any more. Ace Records once again have produced a fascinating compilation. The CD can almost be divided into two halves. Of the 23 tracks, about half are obviously from the very early 1960s and very much in keeping with the atmosphere and sound of Angel Baby. The other tracks, all previously unissued and published in 1999, sound totally different and are a bit disappointing. They sound like modern cover versions of 60s classics. By no means bad, but nothing special. There are three versions of Angel Baby! The Highland (USA) version, the London (UK) version and a "previously unissued version from 1999". Three versions of the same song on the same CD? The old ones are fine and the quality of the UK studio version is certainly different. The same can be said for including the two versions of Rosie's second single "Lonely Blue Nights". The other tracks from 1960 and 1961 are of a similar genre and I love them. Somehow, I think Ace would have been better releasing the 12 "oldies" and forgetting the unreleased material. If only they would have combined these 12 tracks with 12 from Kathy Young and the Innocents. That would have been a sensational CD for 1960s fans! Ace Records have a superb catalogue and I usually ring out their praises. This CD could perhaps have been better thought out but if you are looking for a decent copy of Rosie and the Original's early singles, here is your answer! That said, both feature on other ACE compilations which may be of greater interest.

Angel Baby was the big one from an act called Rosie & the Originals with a follow up just credited to Rosie (formerly of the Originals).More or less just an ad hoc group assembled for the session by producer Dick Jacobs.
The hit came to the attention of Jackie Wilson who recommended the singer to his label Coral.An album was issued with a No 60 single in Lonely Blue Nights .Problems with the Highland label meant that she had to be billed as Rosie (without the Originals) because the song had been first made for Highland)and that was more or less it after a couple of followups flopped.Its only influence was to create via record companies their own versions of girl singers fronting named groups thus Kathy Young & the Innocents (who would cover Lonely Blue Nights) and Cathy Jean & the Roommates who both charted high
Rosie Hamlin herself remained in the music business off and on-isolated singles on labels like Globe and eventually the CD Age arrived to issue at least 2 CDs worth of material.
Rosie Hamlin was actually the first singer songwriter all the songs on her album penned by her but years later she was cutting other peoples' songs all Golden Oldies

This CD has brought back to me much of what I loved about American "pop" music when I was growing up.
(ccminorfg7) I bought "Angel Baby" as a 45rpm single when it was released in England having heard it on the radio. I found the song and Rosie's voice enchanting and there is much more to enjoy of that style on this CD. Some of the songs are a little samey but she was only around 16 years old when she wrote most of them and they are about very young love. Until I recently bought this collection I had no idea what she looked like. I fell in love with her voice then, I've fallen in love with her face now! (Of course, it's as she was back then.)