by Richie UnterbergerTwenty-six rare girl group tracks from 1962-1967, eight of them previously unreleased, are on the seventh volume of this long-running series. It's a fair representation of some of the innumerable non-hit records being made in the style during that period, though it's perhaps a little more soul-oriented than the average such compilation. The majority of the artists are names that'll be unknown to the average '60s pop/rock collector, but there are a few obscure cuts by singers who actually had hits, including a previously unissued track by the Jelly Beans with involvement by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry on the songwriting and production side; the 1964 debut 45 by Barbara Mason, prior to her breakthrough the following year with "Yes I'm Ready"; a previously unissued pre-Motown cut by Brenda Holloway, the obviously Mary Wells-inspired "Constant Love"; a previously unreleased demo by one-hit wonders the Jaynetts; a previously unavailable double-tracked version of Claudine Clark's hit "Party Lights"; and an LP-only cover of the Playmates' "What Is Love?" by the Shirelles. Also of interest is the debut single by Merry Clayton (credited to Marry Clayton), "The Doorbell Rings," co-produced by Jack Nitzsche. Concentrating on the music more than the historical connections, the lack of any great songs does cause attention to wander; this is the filler in the girl group cake, buried considerably deeper than the icing. The production, arrangements, and singing are consistently better than the songwriting, and often derivative of trends heard in records of the day by the likes of Motown's girl groups and the Shangri-La's. The riff driving "The Doorbell Rings," for instance, is a heckuva lot like one from Mary Wells' hit "The One Who Really Loves You," while Nitzsche's production of the Satisfactions' "Woman in Love (With You)" could nearly pass for a Phil Spector effort; Spector, in fact co-wrote that song with Brill Building giants Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. But if you really dig the surface attraction of the girl group sound, certainly it makes for pleasant though not attention-grabbing listening.