Pussycat

had an inarguably fascinating career in music. A Brooklyn native, was a gifted equestrian who developed a love of country music, and from the 1950s into the early '60s, she cut a string of C&W singles under the name that are prized by collectors of country and rockabilly obscurities, though none of them were hits. In the 1960s and '70s, she quit touring and landed a steady gig at New York City's Associated Recording Studios, where she sang on countless publishing demos for tunesmiths and song pluggers wanting to convince folks their songs had hit potential. A few of those demos saw release by a variety of labels in the '60s, with the singer using the pseudonym . In 2022, chose to tell the story on a grand scale, releasing , an anthology of 's recordings, as well as a companion volume, , which collects 19 tracks, a few of which appeared on hard-to-finds 45s while most are previously unreleased. While the homey twang of 's vocals is missing on , otherwise the two albums both introduce us to a singer of unusual skill. She has a voice that's rich and nuanced, she's comfortable with a broad range of pop styles, and she knows how to slip into a character in song and make them understood. Unfortunately, is the better of the two albums. The problem with has very little to do with , and mostly concerns the material. Many of the songs on are little known for an excellent reason -- numbers like "Harry's Harem," "Pachanga," "My Feelings for Charlie Changed," and the title track are gimmicky nonsense that 's considerable talents can't redeem. Some of these tracks are demos that were never meant to be anything more, and as strong as her vocals are, the arrangements are sometimes spare and the accompanists well short of inspired. For fans of 1960s pop, is interesting not just because it showcases a talent worthy of wider exposure, but it allows us a look at a part of the music business we rarely see as we hear how publishers pitched their tunes to stars who could take them to the pop charts. There are a few gems here: the oddball calypso showcase "Sisal Twine" is charming, "Sad, Sad September" is a beautiful exercise in teen angst, overdubs splendid close harmonies on "Let It Be Me" (later a hit for ), and the original demo for "I Love You Conrad" from the musical was issued as a single for a very good reason. introduces us to a gifted and often inspired professional, but has a soul this does not, and that makes a tremendous difference. ~ Mark Deming