Friday, August 26, 2011

Girls Can't Help It - Pure Wild (1983)

Here we have another treat from Robert, who noticed this on my want list and was gracious enough to send it my way. Thanks so much! This is not a proper album, as it only has five tracks, but I know that you all will love it so I had to share! It is the oldest entry on the Isle so far, dating way back to 1983. But the sound is timeless! Girl's Can't Help It were a British trio formed by producers Colin Campsie and George McFarlane. What makes this especially interesting, and perfect for the Isle, is that these producers make up the duo of Giant Steps, whose album was featured here some time ago! The group originally consisted of aspiring model/actresses Belinda (Billie) Adams, Katy Lynne and American Peggy Sue Fender (who at the time of formation was married to Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, who would die the same year). They released the single "Baby Doll" on Virgin in 1982 and it was a minor dance hit internationally. This led to a deal with Sire Records for a mini-album. Katy Lynne and Peggy Sue left before the album was released and were replaced with aspiring model/actresses Jacqueline Bucknell and Samantha Spencer-Lane, who was formerly one of Hill's Angels on The Benny Hill Show. She was also part of pop trio Casablanca, who released one single, also in 1983, called "With Love". The album contained very funky synth-pop, much more similar to the sound of funk girl groups of the time like Mary Jane Girls and Vanity 6 than pop groups like Bananarama or The Belle Stars, which is what people expected them to sound like, being white British girls and all. Though the mini-album was well received by critics. the second single, "Rhythm Of The Jungle", went unnoticed and the girls were dropped and disbanded before making a full album. Samantha returned to The Benny Hill Show for a few episodes and continued acting in television and film. Jacqueline went on to be a 'hostess' on the British version of the game show The Price Is Right from 1984 to 1986. She also kept acting in television and film and in 2003 married British soap star Brian Capron, with whom she owns and operates a corporate entertainment company. As is often the case for artists on here, the whereabouts of Billie and Katy Lynne remain unknown. On an interesting side-note, in 1985 Campsie & McFarlane worked with British singer Haywoode and she recorded her own version (which they also produced) of the album track "Jelly Baby" for her album Arrival. ;)

Download Pure Wild

1
Rhythm Of The Jungle
2
Jelly Baby
3
X Marks The Spot
4
Girls Can't Help It
5
Baby Doll 

6 comments:

  1. The download link is dead. Please make this album available for download again. Thanks

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    1. Thank you for the share:) I happened to be reminiscing with this group.. the song was explosive on radio mixes in NYC. Memorable experience is hearing the song mixed with the Gap Band song "Outstanding". Great times.

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  2. Thanks! I've been looking for "Baby Doll" forever!

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  3. I have that album in my collection. I bought it when it came out in 1983. I first saw Baby Doll on a 12 inch single on Sire Records. I came across Rhythm Of The Jungle/X Marks The Spot a few years later as an import 12" single on Virgin Records. On a side note, a few months after I bought Girls Can't Help It - Pure Wild, I saw another UK band on MCA/Virgin Records: Endgames. George McFarlane & Colin Campsie produced their album Building Beauty. It has Love Cares and Waiting For Another Chance. Those were the 2 singles released by MCA, under license from Virgin Records. Endgames' LP has the Virgin Records trademark stamp on the MCA label, while Girls Can't Help It - Pure Wild doesn't on the Sire Records Label.

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  4. The original and first recording of "Baby Doll' was sung by Kimberley Ames, not by any of the girls on the cover of the 12'inch single sang 'One Word' Not 'One'. Colin Campsie is a fraud, its no one wonder there was no success songs after the original Baby Doll, since not any of the girls could sing. Karma has a way of biting back, you reap what you sow.

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