In the U.K.,
Lulu first reached stardom as a gutsy belter of R&B tunes, delivered with a maturity and soulfulness that belied her teenage years. This set includes her two mid-'60s British Top Ten hits, a cover of
the Isley Brothers' "Shout" and the mid-tempo pop/soul tune "Leave a Little Love." Elsewhere, you get the spunky "I'll Come Running Over," which features
Jimmy Page on guitar, and a raunchy cover of the obscure
Rolling Stones song "Surprise Surprise" (also featuring
Page). Most intriguing of all is the original version of "Here Comes the Night," later a hit for
Them.
Lulu performs it as an overwrought, pull-out-the-stops orchestral ballad; it's not nearly as successful as
Van Morrison's rendition, but it's worth hearing. Unfortunately, this one doesn't include her surprisingly superb cover of "Heat Wave" from the same era.