Lulu - From Crayons to Perfume: The Best of Lulu

"Lulu, you and I were born in the same pool. Honey, you got soul!" -James Brown. This is the first best-of featuring this '60s star-20 songs crammed on one CD spanning almost 20 years of her career. Album Description

fine retrospective from a fireball singer !!!

From Crayons to Perfume: The Best of Lulu is an excellent single CD retrospective that truly does give her best! Lulu sang as clear as a bell; and her voice was quite charming. I also like the CD artwork.

"Shout" features Lulu with The Luvvers before she went solo; her voice does indeed shrill as other reviewers noted! "Leave A Little Love" has Lulu sounding much better; her excellent diction bolsters her performance and the melody is quite good. The backup vocalists help the number along, too. Listen also for her huge hit entitled "To Sir With Love" from the movie of the same name. "To Sir With Love" is probably the biggest hit she ever had in retrospect; and Lulu sounds wonderful when she sings this awesome ballad.

"The Boat The I Row" has that `60s rockin' beat that still stays light enough to fit somewhat into the pop category at least most of the way; and I really like "The Boat That I Row." "Me, The Peaceful Heart" has Lulu again singing at her best; the percussion and drums carry the bulk of the melody but Lulu still holds her own very well. "Sad Memories" also has that `60s rockin' beat that could also fit into pop; and Lulu never sounded better!

"Without Him" places Lulu right in the spotlight and the musical arrangement has excellent features courtesy of the strings and percussion. Lulu sings "Without Him" with all her heart and soul; you can tell when you listen to this number.

"Oh Me Oh My (I'm A Fool For You Baby)" sure does get the royal treatment from Lulu who sings this so sweetly you won't forget this anytime soon! Great strings on "Oh Me Oh My (I'm A Fool For You Baby)," too. "After The Feeling Is Gone" is a torchy love ballad that shines when Lulu sings it; I predict that you will like "After The Feeling Is Gone" very much.

"The Man Who Sold The World" really rocks nicely with a `60s beat that impresses me; the musical arrangement stuns me with its creativity. Listen also for "I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do);" this song ends the album with Lulu still at her best. Lulu never misses a beat--and the backup vocalists harmonize so well, too.

Overall, this is one CD Lulu's fans can't afford to miss. I highly recommend this CD for people who like oldies but goodies--as well as great music from the years of "The British Invasion."
March 1, 2008

Any truth to this?

Wikipedia claims John Bonham of Led Zeppelin plays on Lulu's "Everybody's Got To Clap". Anyone have any verification? July 21, 2007

Multi -Label Lulu CD Best Of IS The Best!

There is not a CD of Lulu's that is more career encompassing than this CD. It features ALL of her biggest & best hits in the US, including many only found on this CD. I love it for the songs that she did for ATCO, which include the phenomenal OH ME OH MY [ I'M A FOOL FOR YOU BABY ] - blue eyed soul at it's best. AFTER THE FEELING IS GONE is another great song too! Of course, it has every US hit from all the labels she recorded for on this from SHOUT through TO SIR WITH LOVE to I COULD NEVER MISS YOU [ MORE THAN I DO ].

Next, we need the original ATCO albums released on CD - NEW ROUTES and MELODY FAIR. It is inexplicable how these classic albums from 1969 & 1970 are not on CD yet anywhere in the world! Lulu continues recording and touring , and is certainly visible & viable in the world today. Look at her appearance on AMERICAN IDOL. Let's hope some label issues her ATCO recordings in full soon. Long overdue Lulu.

This CD is a must! June 30, 2007

Terrific sound quality!

"To Sir With Love" is so clean, it's sounds as if you're in the studio. Comes as no surprise to this reviewer, always having good luck with Rhino releases. Collectors will also like the fact this CD includes Lulu's last hit from the early 80's: "I Could Never Miss You", a hard to find single until Rhino included it in the compliation. June 20, 2006

To Lulu with Love

In the camp between the hipsters and squares, Lulu, the daughter of a Glaswegian butcher, was in the latter category along with Nancy Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, and Petula Clark, who did harmless inoffensive pop. She could do a nice lilting strings ballad like "To Sir With Love" or could let loose with her Petula Clark/Ronnie Spector-ish vocals on the soulful "Oh Me Oh My (I'm A Fool For You, Baby)." Chartwise, she didn't score too many Top 40 hits, but since when is that THE measure for how respected an artist is?

Her time with the Luvvers is represented by her cover of the Isley Bros.' classic "Shout," which although it didn't do well on the charts, became the song she became most associated with in the UK. Her voice is really scratchy and shrill in this song, but it doesn't detract from the song. Here are the highlights.

"Leave A Little Love", her first solo single, hit #8 in the UK and demonstrated her ability to sing nice pop ballads backed with vocalists and piano.

Her biggest and only #1 US hit, the ballad "To Sir With Love" from the movie she also co-starred in, is a tribute to a teacher who teaches Judy Geeson's character to grow up "from crayons to perfume". Originally the B-side to her cover of Neil Diamond's "The Boat That I Row" the US DJ's played it and made into a hit. The soaring vocals, strings, and guitar embodies the epitomy of 60's pop, coming as it did in 1967. She does a competent version of the Diamond song, featuring the organs made popular in that decade, and it made to #15 on the US charts.

The engaging "Me The Peaceful Heart" a #9 UK single, bombed at #53 in the US, shows her wondering why bad things happen to her, but she takes it all in style. Songs like the rocking "Boy" and "Sad Memories", with a folky twinge, "Morning Dew", with horns and orchestra a la Nancy Sinatra's middle period, and Harry Nilsson's "Without Him" were all done in 1968, showing her versatility in doing varied styles.

Two songs with the Dixie Flyers, "Hum A Song (From Your Heart)" and the ballad "After The Feeling Is Gone" are included, and shows her leaving the 60's pop scene, embracing more string arrangements and a Southern soul sound. Such is also the case with the harmonious and clapping "Everybody's Got To Clap", written by her husband, Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees.

In the 70's, she covered a few Bowie songs of which "The Man Who Sold The World" and "Watch That Man" are included, featuring backing vocals from Bowie, himself a fan of Lulu, and produced by Bowie and Mick Ronson. The musicians were the Spiders, BTW. And she joins the hallowed few who does a James Bond song, the brassy "The Man With The Golden Gun."

However, her ballad single from Elton John's Rocket label, "Don't Take Love For Granted" and her single from Alfa Records, the #18 "I Could Never Miss You (More Than I Do)" shows her vocals matured and at their best, with the strings backing making these the best songs on this collection, rivalling "To Sir With Love."

And this is a Rhino compilation, so the Billboard chart position for each song is listed. However, why exclude her highest charting UK hit, the #2 "Boom Bang-A-Bang"? After all, she is an islander. Lulu may not have had the legendary reputation and smooth vocals of Dusty Springfield, but she held her own in the 1960's and 1970's.

Oh, and trivia: Lulu got her name who her manager said of her, "she's a lulu." December 21, 2003

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