Betcha Bottom Dollar

• Artist: Puppini Sisters
• Rating:
• Release Date: May 01, 2007
• Genre: Rock

Review

Poised somewhere between the Andrews Sisters and Nouvelle Vague, the Puppini Sisters modernize vocal harmony pop while keeping its "so traditional, it's hip" appeal. On their debut Betcha Bottom Dollar, the Sisters' style is their substance; it's not a coincidence that the founding Puppini, Marcella, worked for fashion icon Vivienne Westwood before forming the group. Fortunately, the trio's style -- vintage '40s outfits, cheeky covers of new wave and post-punk classics and all -- manages to stay on the likeable, not grating, side of kitsch. Taken individually, the trio's voices aren't spectacular, but they blend together nicely enough to create a convincing homage to the heyday of vocal harmony pop in the '30s and '40s. A very pleasant "Mr. Sandman," a pretty, languid "Java Jive" and "Sway" are among the best vocal pop standards on Betcha Bottom Dollar, but interestingly enough, the Puppini Sisters often sound less campy on the songs they remake than on the classics. Not surprisingly, the original versions of the tracks they've chosen to give three-part harmony makeovers have strong melodies and distinctive singers, so it's not really all that surprising that Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" sounds lovely with three-part harmonies, or that their version of Blondie's "Heart of Glass" fits right in with "Mr. Sandman." There are times on Betcha Bottom Dollar that things feel a little too knowing and ironic, as on the chirpy cover of the Smiths' "Panic," and the album might be a little too long for the mood it's trying to sustain. On the whole, however, the genuine affection for the styles the Puppini Sisters adopt and adapt saves Betcha Bottom Dollar from being insufferably cutesy. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Sisters (Lyrics)	Irving Berlin	The Puppini Sisters	(3:06)
Mr. Sandman (Lyrics)	Pat Ballard	The Puppini Sisters	(2:37)
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (From Company C)	Don Raye	The Puppini Sisters	(2:29)
Java Jive (Lyrics)	Ben Oakland, Milton Drake	The Puppini Sisters	(3:36)
Bei Mir Bist du Schön (Lyrics)	Saul Chaplin, Jacob Jacobs, Sammy Kahn	The Puppini Sisters	(2:19)
Wuthering Heights (Lyrics)	Kate Bush	The Puppini Sisters	(3:37)
Jeepers Creepers (Lyrics)	Harry Warren	The Puppini Sisters	(2:35)
I Will Survive (Lyrics)	Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren	The Puppini Sisters	(4:04)
Tu Vuo Fa l'Americano	Renato Carosone	The Puppini Sisters	(2:37)
Heart of Glass (Lyrics)	Debbie Harry, Chris Stein	The Puppini Sisters	(2:56)
Sway (Lyrics)	Norman Gimbel, Paolo Beltran Ruiz	The Puppini Sisters	(3:09)
Panic (Lyrics)	Johnny Marr	The Puppini Sisters	(2:16)
Heebie Jeebies (Lyrics)	Boyd Atkins	The Puppini Sisters	(2:57)
In the Mood	Andy Razaf, Joe Garland	The Puppini Sisters	(3:11)

Credits

François Pilon (Violin), Rafe McKenna (Mixing), Marcella Puppini (Accordion), Benoît Charest (Producer), Benoît Charest (Bottle), Charlie Anderson (Stylist), Benoît Charest (Tuba Arrangement), André Leroux (Flute), Marcella Puppini (Vocals), Roger Walls (Bugle), Marcella Puppini (Group Member), Cameron Mizell (Release Coordinator), David Rand Martin (Tuba), John Sadowy (Piano), Pascale Gagnon (Violin), Kate Mullins (Group Member), Benoît Charest (Vocals), Simon Hayes (Assistant Engineer), Andrew Rugg (Engineer), André Leroux (Saxophone), Alain Labrosse (Percussion), Kate Mullins (Arranger), Benoît Charest (Horn Arrangements), Kate Mullins (Melodica), Roger Walls (Trumpet), Benoît Charest (Foot Stomping), Benoît Charest (Guitar), Nicolas Letarte (Saw), Ray Staff (Mastering), Benoît Charest (Finger Snaps), Kate Mullins (Vocals), Benoît Charest (String Arrangements), Marcella Puppini (Arranger), André Leroux (Clarinet), Benoît Charest (Mandolin), Lisa Hansen (Release Coordinator)

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