The Shirelles Greatest Hits, Stateside Record label 1963. Value £75

Formed in Paissac, New Jersey, USA, The Shirelles were named after lead singer Shirley Owens and launched "the girl group genre" which led the way for others to follow.

Bands such as The Chiffons, Supremes, Ronettes, Crystals, Shangri La's, Martha and the Vandellas were created. The Shirelles were the first girl group band to top the charts in the USA with the Carole King /Gerry Goffin composition 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' - still acknowledged as one of the greatest love songs of all time ever recorded.

When it was first released it did cause a little controversy! It's a harmless suggestive song with the female wondering wondering what will happen the day after an intimate encounter with her man?

It did meet some resistance from radio stations, but not enough to stop it from becoming a huge hit selling millions of copies worldwide.

Rolling Stone magazine listed it at No.126 of the 500 Greatest songs of All Times, Billboard magazine named it No.3 on their list of Greatest Girl Group songs, they were also inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

W.Y.L.M.T. is one of the most recorded songs by both sexes old and new, Billy Fury, Dusty Springfield, Cher, Four Seasons, Bee Gees, Bryan Ferry, Norah Jones, Amy Winehouse are just the tip of the iceberg.

Carole King recorded her own version on her multi award selling album Tapestry.

Their greatest admirers were The Beatles, their first album Please, Please, Me featured two Shirelles songs, 'Baby It's You' and 'Boys' with Ringo performing a rare lead vocal.

Other artists that had big hits with Shirelle songs were the Mamas and Papas (Dedicated to the One I Love) and Manfred Mann (Sha-La-La).

Many British bands, including the Beatles, owe a huge debt to these short lived stars from the USA who once packed the pop charts with their songs of teen angst and unrequited love.

John Lennon, who would have been 80 later this year, was the one who was most enamoured by the songs of these largely forgotten girl groups, many of their songs sneaked on to early Beatle albums and found a place in their live reportoire on stage. Nowadays, it would be rare to find a male rock band covering female artists.

This album is a treasure trove of songs, check out their own versions of 'Soldier Boy', Foolish Little Girl', 'Mama Said', songs that radiate warmth, good times and happinesss. It's pity they do not make songs like these anymore.