Although she had a famous mother, and several significant hits in the early 1980s, notably her duets with David Frizzell, singer Shelly West has always struck me as a true second-stringer. Nonetheless, she has her devoted fans, with strong happy memories. One of the early stars of an era when country really took on the thin, synthy sounds of the Pop radio world, West was a pretty breezy singer, which maybe made her right for the times. Here's a quick look at her work.
Shelly West & David Frizzell "Carryin' On The Family Names" (Warner Brothers, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Dorff & Snuff Garrett)
Shelly West & David Frizzell "The David Frizzell And Shelly West Album" (Warner Brothers, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Dorff & Snuff Garrett)
Shelly West & David Frizzell "Our Best To You" (Warner Brothers, 1983)
(Produced by Steve Dorff & Snuff Garrett)
Shelly West "West By West" (Viva Records, 1983)
(Produced by Steve Dorff, Snuff Garrett & Russell Bracher)
Shelly West "Red Hot" (Viva Records, 1983)
(Produced by Steve Dorff, Snuff Garrett & Ken Suesov)
Shelly West & David Frizzell "In Session" (Viva Records, 1984)
(Produced by Steve Dorff & Snuff Garrett)
Shelly West "Don't Make Me Wait On The Moon" (Viva Records, 1985)
(Produced by Barry Beckett)
Shelly West & David Frizzell "Golden Duets: The Best Of Frizzell & West" (Viva Records, 1984)
Shelly West & David Frizzell "Greatest Hits -- Alone And Together" (K-Tel Records, 1994)
Shelly West & David Frizzell "The Very Best Of David Frizzell & Shelly West" (Varese Sarabande, 2009)
Very popular, slickly produced hits from the early '80s... Personally, I don't get the appeal of these synthy, thinly arranged pop-country ballads, but they were big, big hits, and it's kind of amazing that they stayed out of print for so long. A real treat for longtime fans; not sure how much they'd appeal to the average twangfan, though.
Shelly West "The Very Best Of Shelly West" (Varese Sarabande, 2009)
