Tawney Reed - Needle In A Haystack (1966)

In the mid-’60s, Tawney (sometimes spelt Tawny) Reed issued just two singles on the Pye label – and one on New York’s famous Red Bird label. Though she failed to score a hit, her gutsy vocals have made her a favourite of fans of the Britgirl genre. She was born in Cardiff, Wales. In 1965, the teenager signed to the Pye label. The first, released in October 1965, was a cracking cover of Motown girl group the Velvelettes’ ’Needle in a Haystack’. On the flip was a suped-up version of Baby Washington’s ’I’ve Got a Feeling’. Both sides proved perfect showcases for her energetic vocal style and drew comparisons with Scottish singer Lulu. The single was considered strong enough for release in the US, where it was issued on the Red Bird label. Tawny was the only Brit girl to receive the distinction of having a release on the legendary New York label, arguably the home of the girl group sound. Back in the UK, Pye lifted both sides of a single by US singer Fred Hughes for Tawney’s follow up. ’Yo