Most R&B groups of the Baby Boomer era that had male and female vocalists emphasized harmonies, not so with the team of Shirley Goodman and Leonard Lee, who made a career of duets that went back and forth as singing conversations. The format worked well over a period of years, culminating in a number of highly popular hits, some, like “Let The Good Times Roll” turned into classics.
This two disc set includes all of their singles, both A and B sides, and shows the pair in a variety of moods. The two are gloriously pulsed on their first release “I’m Gone,” which also went high in the charts. The other tunes that caught on were “I Feel Good,” which is a bit poppish and “Feel So Good.” There’s also a second version of “Let The Good Times Roll” with strings adapting to the bowdlerized tastes of the early 60s. What’s fun are the more obscure pieces, with Lee getting gritty on the bluesy “You’d Be Thinking Of Me” and Shirley jumping the blues on “I’ll Do It” and “Rock All Night.” Some doo wop soul takes you to the street corner on “Call Me A Fool” and a the pair do The Stroll on “Love No One But You.” They had a winning hand, and they played it exceptionally well.