DANCE DANCE DANCE – The Puppini Sisters (Millionaire Records)
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
The group’s sixth album and the theme running through it is one of dance. And it is very much a hit and miss album. Some great tracks mixed in with the oddest of oddities that jump out and grab you relentlessly by the throat until the track has finished.
On this recording the group are accompanied by The Pasadena Roof Orchestra, who always give good value for money, with Duncan Galloway joining them on one the tracks – ‘Mack the Knife’ plus the bonus track ‘Don’t Fence Me In’.
Track listing is as follows: ‘9 To 5’ (Charleston), ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ (Lindy Hop), ‘Sing Sing Sing’ (Lindy Hop), ‘Shallow’ (Foxtrot), ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’ (Charleston), ‘Ba Ba Baciami Piccina’ (Balboa), ‘Jealousy’ (Tango), ‘Dancing Queen’ (Cha Cha Cha), ‘Mack The Knife’ – Feat. Duncan Galloway (Swing Jive), ‘I Put A Spell On You’ (Mambo), ‘Puttin’ On The Ritz’ (Tap Dance), ‘Groove Is In The Heart’ (Boogie Woogie) and Bonus Track – ‘Don’t Fence Me In’ – Feat. Duncan Galloway (Foxtrot).
I’ve said this before and I feel like a record on repeat but how can you have a Bonus Track on a new release? On a re-release I can understand but it is either a track or not a track on a new release. Do you see my logic? Record companies – STOP IT!
All the songs are covers with the exception of ‘Dance Dance Dance’ which is an original, and the majority of the album works well. There are some ‘jolt you out of the seat’ moments such as a very awkward cha cha rendition of ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ and Lady Gaga’s ‘Shallow’ (from the 2018 A Star Is Born) – both of these renditions just do not work in my listening to them. I’m also not over keen on ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’.
However, putting those to one side, I have always had a soft spot for the Puppini Sisters and therefore I think I would still purchase the album and maybe just edit those three songs out of it so I could sit back and enjoy the rest. I especially love their versions of ‘9 to 5’, ‘Sing Sing Sing’, ‘Jealousy’ and ‘Groove Is in the Heart’ – worth it just for those four tracks alone.
Nick Wakeham
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