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2 LPs on 1 CD: DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME/THIS IS JACKIE DESHANNON. Personnel: Jackie DeShannon (vocals). Arranger: Jack Nitzsche. Jackie DeShannon was one of the most interesting figures to come out of the Los Angeles pop scene of the 1960s -- she had a superb voice, she was a truly gifted songwriter, she had a keen ear for talent (she helped to discover both Randy Newman and the Byrds), and her instincts in the recording studio were all but faultless. If she wasn't a top-shelf star, she was a truly exceptional talent, and this two-fer release from Beat Goes On Records features two early Jackie DeShannon albums, 1964's Don't Turn Your Back on Me and 1965's This Is Jackie DeShannon; compared to what most of her peers were doing at the time, the results are both consistently strong and impressively sophisticated. Jack Nitzsche handled the arrangements for Don't Turn Your Back on Me, and the two were a perfect match in the studio; the supple strength of DeShannon's vocals was an ideal complement for the textures of Nitzsche's backgrounds, and they assembled an exceptional collection of songs, including the stellar "When You Walk in the Room" and "Needles and Pins," not to mention a pair of affecting tunes Jackie wrote with Randy Newman. This Is Jackie DeShannon is a slightly glossier set, and opens with one of her biggest hits, "What the World Needs Now Is Love," featuring Burt Bacharach and Hal David's trademark subtle-but-dramatic production. The album sounds more mature and emotionally measured than Don't Turn Your Back on Me, but if anything DeShannon's vocal chops had actually improved, and the album's high points rank with her finest work. This package gives you 25 great performances from one of the most distinctive female artists of the 1960s, all remastered and sounding wonderful, and if that isn't enough for you, maybe the front cover shot of Jackie from Don't Turn Your Back on Me might persuade you. ~ Mark Deming
