The Kentucky-born Sharon Lee Myers became Jackie DeShannon and scored hit singles in the ‘60s with “Put a Little Love in Your Heart,” which she co-wrote, and the Bacharach-David song “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” Along with a long career as a performing artist, she composed or co-authored tunes recorded by everyone from The Byrds (“Don’t Doubt Yourself, Babe”) and The Searchers (“When You Walk in the Room”) to Marianne Faithfull (“Come and Stay with Me”) and Kim Carnes (“Bette Davis Eyes”).
Love Forever: Demo Recordings 1966-68 collects 16 lesser-known DeShannon songs that could easily have been hits in the right hands. Sounding more like polished works intended for release than raw demos, these sparkling pop tunes are the perfect showcase for her graceful voice. The understated production and arrangements lend a contemporary feel, displaying few of the era’s more-dated stylistic touches. If there are more hidden gems in DeShannon’s back pages, bring ‘em on, please.
