Zip-A-Dee Doo Dah (LP)

One of the most talented acts in Phil Spector's stellar recording stable, Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans featured the great Darlene Love, one of Spector's favorite vocal muses; Fanita James, who also sang alongside Love in the ubiquitous studio vocal group the Blossoms; and Bob B. Soxx himself, aka renowned singer Bobby Sheen, a legend in West Coast R&B circles. The trio's uncanny abilities provided Spector with an ideal vehicle to perfect his musical formula, making the trio's 1963 album Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah one of the most enchanting items in the Philles Records catalogue.

Recorded in the hallowed environs of L.A.'s Gold Star Studios with backup from the legendary Wrecking Crew, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah finds the trio cutting loose on a high-energy set that includes the Disney-inspired title hit and the infectious "Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart?" Love's powerful vocals are also featured on "My Heart Beat a Little Faster" and the Jackie DeShannon-penned "Jimmy Baby," while the ever-soulful Sheen is showcased on such tunes as "Dear (Here Comes My Baby)" and "Everything's Gonna Be All Right." Meanwhile, a left-field reading of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" and the album-closing instrumental "Dr. Kaplan's Office" demonstrate Spector's quirkier side.