by Robert Wilkinson
Today we celebrate the remarkable George Ezra and a founder of the first girl group to hit the big time. While everyone knows the Shirelles, if you haven’t yet heard George Ezra’s music, you’re in for a treat, since his voice is as compelling as any I've heard!
We’ll begin with George Ezra Barnett (7 June 1993), an English singer-songwriter with an amazing voice that gets your attention and gets your feet tapping! He’s definitely channeling some of the energy of some great past masters of the blues, which you’ll immediately get. He has a couple of albums out, and today we have some of his best. For your enjoyment, the music of Mister George Ezra!
His biggest hit performed live at the 2015 Brit awards, here’s “Budapest.” Here’s the music video of “Budapest”
A very playful video with Sir Ian McKellan! “Listen to the Man”
From Glastonbury 2013, a live solo delivery of the amazingly bluuuzy “Did You Hear the Rain” (The first time I heard this I thought it was an old blues singer!)
Here he explains a little about his music and sound, and about two minutes in begins a great solo acoustic version of “Blame It On Me,” and here's the official music video for “Blame It On Me”
Having some fun with James Corden in the dressing room! George Ezra and James Corden doing “Blame It On Me”
Here’s a great 8+ minute live set! George Ezra Live at Glastonbury 2014
Here’s the music video for “Barcelona”
Here's the music video for "Cassy O"
Here’s an acoustic solo performance of “Broken”
On the BBC’s Radio 1 Live Lounge, George does an interesting laid-back jazzy cover of the Cindy Lauper hit “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
Also from R1LL, done at a different session, here he covers Macy Gray’s “I Try”
And for the third offering of George on R1LL, here he covers the One Republic hit “Counting Stars”
Here’s a great live set! George Ezra SRF 3 Showcase aus dem Sud Basel
We begin a great trio of 2015 shows! First, his 21 minute set at T in the Park in 2015! George Ezra - Live at T in the Park - 2015
Second, here’s a full 51+ minute set by George! George Ezra - Live @ Hurricane Festival 2015
And third but not last, Christmas in June! Here’s his December 2015 live show in Inglewood, California! George Ezra KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas Concert – 2015
Here’s a 25 minute relaxed acoustic set with commentary between songs at HMH Set 17 in NYC. George Ezra Live at HMH Stage 17
Unfortunately, his entire sets from Glastonbury (any year) have disappeared.
This bubbled up this year. It’s a full hour and 27 show from 2019! George Ezra Live at Mainz
Here’s 50 solid minutes of George live in 2020! George Ezra - Live in 2020
This year his 56 minute set titled Front and Center – Live at the Iridium Jazz Club from Feb 2016 is gone, as is his one hour show from 2018. However, I did find this one hour and 3 show from 2021 years later, giving us his newest material! George Ezra - Front and Center – Live at the Iridium Jazz Club 2021
For our final cut, we come back to the song that brought us here! Live at T in the Park in 2014, George in the groove offering up “Budapest.” And here’s another great performance backed by the BBC orchestra at the BBC 2014 Music awards. “Budapest” (It says it contains flashing imagery, so if that’s a problem for you, I suppose you shouldn’t watch this. Really, it’s just bright lights fading up and then fading down in a few shots.)
If you want to know more about this amazing new talent, please check out Georgeezra.com
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And now, a pioneer in her field. This woman’s music made ten million boys pledge their love, and ten million girls swooned to the music. This was the first girl group to hit #1!
Shirley Alston Reeves (born Shirley Owens June 10, 1941), was the primary lead singer of the Shirelles, the first and one of the biggest “girl groups” of all time! They were true pioneers, and paved the way for Motown and every other girl group in the 60s. While they faded after the British Invasion due to changing tastes and getting married, the Shirelles still opened the doors to a hundred other “girl groups” to make the magic of the early 60s!
Her voice was so distinctive, it couldn’t be mistaken even on the archaic museum pieces we call “the transistor radio.” This was the voice that millions fell in love to, and with. For your enjoyment of another era, Ms. Shirley Alston Reeves and the Shirelles!
Their first attempt in 1958! “I Met Him On A Sunday”
From 1960, a tune written by Shirley and Luther Dixon. It was highly controversial at the time, since it was one of the first tunes written about a woman’s feelings about losing her virginity. In 2010 Rolling Stone listed it as one of the best songs of all time!
“Tonight’s the Night” Here’s Shirley later in her career cranking up another great version of this classic! “Tonight’s The Night”The Shirelles gave us the tune, written by Carole King, which was the first #1 hit by a girl group! She not lip synching here! From 1964, a great 1964 live performance of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” Here’s the original studio version of THE song. “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”
They also scored on this flip side of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" with “Boys” and yes, that's King Curtis on wailin' sax at the break! Since that was one of the Beatles’ biggest live tunes, sung by Ringo, here it is! “Boys”
After that, they hit a string of hits in 1961, beginning with reissuing this earlier effort from 1959, which went to #3 in 1961! “Dedicated to the One I Love”
They followed it with this #4 smash just a few months later! “Mama Said”
Here’s a video of a tune which went to #21 pop, #2 R&B in 1961! “Big John”
Remember this? Went to #8 in late 1961! Here’s an interesting live performance to a backing track. “Baby It’s You”
Two other bands did covers of that great tune! First, the Beatles’ version as we heard it way back when! “Baby It’s You,” and here’s the version which went to #5 for Smith! Here they are live and belting it out! “Baby It’s You”
This hit # 1 in early 1962 when I was a kid after the Bay of Pigs and before the Cuban Missile Crisis. Stand up, sit down, and salute the flag, believing all is good. “Soldier Boy”
Here’s their studio version of the standard “What’s the Matter Baby”
From 1964, a video of a live performance of “Everybody Loves A Lover”
Here are two more obscurities, “What Is Love” and a strange video clip of the Shirelles performing “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World” (Yes, they had a cameo in the 1963 movie.)
Last year I had a 25 minute set from May 2018 but it’s gone.
We'll close with this performance in 2011 at their induction into the NJ Hall of Fame, with Shirley and the new Shirelles doing what they do best! "Soldier Boy" and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"
If you’re inclined, I found this 10 minute mini-documentary which is a quick take on The Shirelles
Copyright © 2025 Robert Wilkinson
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