Love Me By Name The Complete A&M Recordings

Known mostly for early hits, "It's My Party," "Judy's Turn to Cry," and "You Don't Own Me," Lesley Gore was capable of so much more, and she struggled to transcend her reputation as a purveyor of light, poppy songs of teen angst. Quincy Jones was her first champion and mentor, and with the release of LOVE ME BY NAME, in 1976, she was reunited with Jones as producer and arranger. This is one of the great, unsung triumphs of Gore's career, and I've been waiting for it to be released on CD for a long time. I finally got to hear her recording of "Love Me By Name," which I knew from Dusty Springfield's version, released two years after this album, on a wonderful various artist compilation called,  Dusty Heard Them Here First by Various Artists (2013-01-29) , but this CD features a crisper, cleaner master recording, and it is just one of the many delights on offer here. Only Gore's swan song release,  Ever Since , rivals this album as a personal statement and artistic achievement (EVER SINCE is a much more stripped down, naked affair, and I urge all fans of Gore's to check it out).After listening to LOVE ME BY NAME a couple of times, I've come to the conclusion that this is her best, most cohesive and accomplished recording. There is not one dud on it, for one, but it also hangs together as an entire album, in the best sense of the word. That being said, this is not a totally perfect record -- there are moments when the dense, layered arrangements threaten to overwhelm Gore's still-young-sounding voice -- but the lush, orchestral "wall of sound," with touches of the disco stylizations then popular, also gives her voice a new context in which to explore deeper, more adult themes. I love this album from start to finish. and although this is a personal reaction, I still wonder why this record failed to gain market traction back in 1976, and as a result, took so long to get a CD release. Aside from being a very polished, sophisticated production, there is also drama, melodic beauty, soulful singing, and a variety of rhythmic settings. The title song is a standout, but there are other highlights deserving of special mention: "Immortality" is an infectious, beautifully constructed pop song that is reminiscent of Gore's beginnings while updating the formula (the bonus, longer single mix here, designed for the dance floor, improves on its appeal, and it's a thrilling addition to this set), "Paranoia" is a psychedelic, somewhat edgy surprise, and it reveals another side to Gore's musical personality. It's on this track that I'm reminded of why Quincy Jones was so taken with Gore. Aside from being a versatile vocalist, her sense of rhythm is impeccable -- and she is as relaxed in this setting as she is when singing an easygoing ballad. Jones often sung the praises of Peggy Lee, and it is this album that shows why he also related to Lesley Gore. Her sense of timing and ability to improvise during portions of a song where the instrumentalists are jamming puts her in league with some of the great R&B and jazz singers. When a singer like Gore seems effortless while negotiating difficult melodic passages and instrumental transitions, as demonstrated in songs like the opening song here, "Sometimes" and the dramatic, mid-tempo ballad, "Can't Seem to Live Our Good Times Down," it's a revelation, at least it was for me. I've always enjoyed Lesley Gore's music and instantly recognizable voice, but this collection of songs confirms my suspicion that there was much more to Gore than "It's Judy's Turn to Cry." Although she may never transcend the memory of her early pop hits in the minds of the general public, this record, so long out of print, hints at a potential few casual listeners may have realized. Maybe it was simply timing that prevented LOVE ME BY NAME from hitting the mark, and that's a shame. Who knows what might have happened had this record been a hit? As it was, A&M, for whatever reason, failed to promote this release, and although Gore continued to work, she disappeared into relative obscurity. By the way, the liner notes included with this CD are a nice addition, and contain some information that fans may not know -- for instance, although I was aware that Bridget Fonda's character in the movie musical,  Grace of My Heart - Collector's Edition  was loosely based on Lesley Gore, I did not know that the song she sang (or rather lip-synced), was co-written by Gore! In conclusion, I highly recommend this CD for any fan of great, commercial pop music.

Lesley Gore's mid-70s album release produced by Qunicy Jones is truly an overlooked masterpiece. I bought it when it first came out and loved it. Why it wasn't a huge hit, I don't know but I'm so happy to finally have it available in a well-produced CD release. Lesley's voice and delivery were always top notch. Here, most of the songs are excellent (okay, a couple of mid-tempo numbers are forgettable but pleasant). But the opening track with the Brothers Johnson "Sometimes", the clever "Paranoia" and the often-covered, lovely ballad and title track "Love Me By Name" make this outing well worth the price. This one deserves a place in your library. There was only one Lesley Gore, and now that's she's gone from us we have this wonderful album to remember her by along with the rest of her outstanding effort from the 1960s to the 2000s.

I was excited when I heard Real Gone Music was finally releasing this and I pre-ordered it immediately, thinking perhaps having it now on crystal-clear CD would allow me to appreciate it more than I did by playing an old vinyl copy. A curious artifact more than anything else, LOVE ME BY NAME dares to show a different side of the former Queen of the Teen Weepers, but after listening to this album a dozen times I still don’t know exactly what she or producer Quincy Jones were going for here. There’s a common celestial vibe that runs through most of what’s here. The title track is a strange hybrid of space-age jazz, while the hyper PARANOIA comes off as something that was cut from THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW although Lesley does spit out the lyrics convincingly enough. IMMORTALITY tries to be both futuristic and retro and echoes First Class’ hit single BEACH BABY on the chorus. Both GIVE IT TO ME SWEET THING and CAN’T SEEM TO LIVE OUR GOOD TIMES DOWN suit her voice better and would not have been out of place on her prior album.

Thank you Real Gone Music for finally releasing this Gore gem. Quincy Jones pushed her in new directions with this release and teamed her with some unlikely artists, such as The Brothers Johnson, with magical results. Yes, there is definite 70's sounding numbers and disco influences; however, there are also some stunning ballads, like the title track. Her only album for A&M is a true treat if you've never heard it before and the return of a welcome friend if you wore out your vinyl copy like me.

This album for me is her second best just a bit behind Someplace Else Now. It comes with a nice booklet that mentions another album that I never heard of, hopefully it will come out too. Some of the songs would fit well on the earlier one with some more up beat songs.

I wore out my cassette of this album years ago and could not find it on CD till now. Great songs, have always enjoyed Gore's songs, and these are certainly more mature than her early teen work, but just as good if not better.

Got it for a very old friend who's a lifetime Leslie Gore fan. He adores it. Great quality, no imperfections we can hear. Highly satisfied!

Like this much more than I remembered upon its original release. Her voice is used in so many interesting ways on many of the tracks. This feels like the jazz album she always wanted to make!

Lesley Gore was in her late 20's in 1975. Her hitmaking days were long over. This album saw a new more confident young woman reunited with producer Quincy Jones. The resulting album was eagerly awaited and it didn't disappoint. Unfortunately it didn't catch fire with the public and bombed. The first single "Immortality" did get lots of airplay in the UK on BBC Radio 1- essential if you wanted to break the charts. Again the single failed to deliver stalling just outside the Top 50 at position 51- agonisingly close! The album holds up well listening 45 years later. You can here the embryonic sound/production that Q would develop to great effect a few years later with protegees Brothers Johnson (who are featured players on this album) and the mega success with Michael Jackson. Great album from a great singer.

Superb delivery and an album I have waited an age to surface purely for "Immortality".. which I have on 7" Vinyl from way back when it was Tony Blackburn's record of the week, BLOODY love that track, added bonus of the stunning Love me by name that Dusty Covered , mixed theme to the album but I love it , great service arrived before I expected it , so swift service, well done all

Best thing she ever recorded.

First class

Je suis un fan de Lesley Gore. Ce disque a de bonnes chansons mais dans l'ensemble ce disque m'a déçu.