60s Girl Groups

[JuanTwoThree]

Just listen to The Andantes making this one great:

 

[blossie33]

1963

 

[hitmouse]

I was trying to remember who it was who did the video that was literally recorded on a Detroit car factory production line, turns out that was another Martha & the Vandellas tune:


I imagine that they probably weren't consciously thinking "if we do this, it'll be an absolute gift for Marxist-influenced cultural commentators in forty or so years' time who want to make arguments about Fordism, pop and deindustrialization", but who knows?

 

[Spandex]

The Ikettes


There were almost 40 different Ikettes in just the 60s because Ike was, famously, a massive cunt.

 

[Ground Elder]

While we're Iketting - I did once find out who was singing on this one but have since forgotten

 

[Spandex]

While we're Iketting - I did once find out who was singing on this one but have since forgotten

What'cha Gonna Do is the first recording by P.P. Arnold as an Ikette, recorded during the Phil Spector sessions in March 1966 with backing vocals by Tina, Brenda Holloway and her sister Patrice Holloway.

From here: www.the-world-of-tina.com

 

[Ground Elder]

 

[Ground Elder]

 

[Ground Elder]

 

[Ground Elder]

 

[D'wards]

Wonder of the modernish equivalents are bands like Little Mix and the Pussycat Dolls, albeit with more dancing and far less clothes

 

[Lurdan]

Untypical uptempo number from The Royalettes. Most of their records were sweet soul ballads like their biggest hit It's Gonna Take a Miracle. Teddy Randazzo productions.

 

[savoloysam]

Probably already said, The one with P.P Arnold in. What a voice!

 

[Spandex]

The Three Degrees are best known for their big 70s hits, but they'd been around for a decade before signing to Philadelphia International in 1973.

 

[deeyo]

this is so beautiful - motown gospel.



the song is an old gospel standard & many recorded versions exists, but neither joan baez nor sam cooke got nothing on these girls.

mahalia did alright, though. but she's not a girl group...

 

[ska invita]

Couple of JA ones



lovely sax solo on this
Soulettes

Vocal trio, which comprised of Rita Marley, her school days friend Marlene Gifford and her cousin Constantine 'Vision' Walker. One day Rita found out that The Wailers always passed by their house everyday. She decided to talk to them and when they passed by the next time, they sung "What's Your Name" by Sam & Dave. Peter Tosh invited them afterwards to come to the studio. In 1964 The Soulettes began recording for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Studio One, for example "Friends And Lovers" with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer as backing vocals. " Bob Marley assists Coxson Dodd by auditioning and coaching new singers, including the before unnamed group called the Soulettes, who reminded him on Motown's The Marvelettes. Rita Anderson of that trio pairs with Bob on a duet called "Oh My Darling."

They make occasional stage show appearances, but concentrate primarily on daily rehearsals to polish their sound, influenced in particular by the harmonic style of The Impressions. From 1965 till the early 70ies, they also worked with Lee Perry, getting distributed in the UK as well.The group had lost an original member, so Nora Dean joined Rita and Cecile Campbell. They released just a hand full of releases in the period 1968- 1970 and half of those only being released in Jamaica. Regrettably, as the group was about to tour Canada in support of their hit, "Let It Be", Nora was taken ill and had to be replaced by Hortense Lewis.

In 1969 the lineup was revised: Rita Marley, Hortense Lewis and Cecile Campbell. In 1970 they released an LP called "Jamaica Magic" with the mento singer Lloyd Wilks. The LP includes tracks include 4 familiar mento selections (like Banana Boat (Day-O) / Star-O), plus 8 originals written by Cornel Lumiere. The music is best described as easy listening as played by a jazz combo. The last recording found in the web is based in 1973.

Tonettes aka Summertair Girls


ETA
one more Soulettes - so lovely this

 

[discokermit]

 

[blossie33]

Gosh I'd forgotten about that one
Just checked them out on Wiki, they had many members over the years apparently.
This surprised me (assuming it's correct)...

In 1969, the group provided backing vocals for The Rolling Stones' single "Honky Tonk Women", recorded at Olympic Studios in London.

 

[deeyo]

ETA
one more Soulettes - so lovely this

thats really good & i want this thread to live, so i'll reply

hadn't heard the soulettes, think i've confused them with the soul sisters (significant overlap, tbf). really liked 'friends & lovers' - a missing link between louie louie & mr brown, but maybe just in my mind..

when i tried to work out the difference between soul sisters/ebony sisters/reggae girls & soulettes i found this cover of ms bass song, already featured on this tread blossie33



also this, from studio ones gospel label 'tabernacle'



from the same girls that recorded wreck a buddy....

the us had at least one band called soul sisters too:

 

[ska invita]

did someone post And Then He Kissed Me on this thread? I cant remember now but its been in my head all day

classic phil spector production



castanets

 

[Lurdan]

 

[deeyo]

...another country with a '60's girl group phenomena' was south-africa.

miriam makeba fronted the 50's girl group skylarks, described as 'real trendsetters, with harmonisation that had never been heard before'. the skylarks disbanded when mm left/escaped to new york via london.




in their wake rose mahotella queens, led by hilda tloubatla, backed by makgona tsohle band




dark city sisters, led by joyce mogatusi, backed by alexandra black mambazo




...and many more, like irene mawela & the sweet sixteens, isintombi zasi manji manji, the mgbaba queens...


it's hard to find the 60's recordings, but a lot of the groups continued or reformed in the 70s-80s & rerecorded their hits, like mahotella queens with mahlatini - the lion of soweto thokozile (sithunyiwe no 3)

 

[hitmouse]

I vaguely remember hearing that this one was a deliberate Shangri-Las parody - is that the case, or is it just more of a pastiche?

 

[Lurdan]

I vaguely remember hearing that this one was a deliberate Shangri-Las parody - is that the case, or is it just more of a pastiche?

Spoiler: burbling when we should be dancing

The Whyte Boots were a made up group (the record company had three 'Whyte Boots' to promote it, none of whom needless to say, sang on it, and doubtless if the record had been a smash hit they would have become a 'real' group). The record was written and produced by Lori Burton (who does sing on it) and Pam Sawyer. Female songwriters were not unusual - female writer/producer teams were very unusual. Both had interesting careers. They eventually signed to Motown as songwriters although only Sawyer stayed - she racked up quite a few writing credits including hits.

Parody? pastiche? I'm not sure I'd use either term. This was the 1960s not the 1990s, by which time overt 'irony' was far more widespread in pop and the wider culture. It's certainly not a parody in the Stan Freberg sense. It's clearly trying to get a piece of the Shangri-La's action with a fusion of teen girl melodrama and 'death record'. But it's not winking at it's audience as it does so.

Hmm not sure if that conveys what I'm trying to say. I'd call Tracey Ullman's 1983 UK hit cover of Breakaway an (affectionate) pastiche. The 1964 hit version by the great Irma Thomas isn't.

 

[blossie33]

I watched a doc about the Marvelettes on YouTube a few days ago, they were the first girl group to have successive hits on Motown but some of the members had personal problems and they were gradually pushed aside for the Supremes - quite sad

 

[Sweet FA]

This thread is making me regret once again that I used to live in a city where there was a night specially dedicated to 60s girl groups but I never got around to going while it was on. I still really want to go to Great Big Kiss sometime, even if it would mean setting foot in London.

An utterly awesome night Run (still?) by clandestino.

11th birthday on October 9th.

great big kiss soul club at the phoenix in london, motown, northern soul, girl groups, rock n roll club night

Their podcasts are a thing of beauty too.

This one's right up this thread's street:

This is an all-music, no-chat mix of the songs played during a guest DJ spot at Da Doo Ron Ron in Brighton on Sat Oct 23rd. In keeping with DDRR's music policy, all songs are female-fronted girl group and soul, from the late 50s to early 70s, and played from vinyl only.

(Gladys Knight & The Pips/The Flirtations/The Ikettes/Dusty Springfield/The Supremes/Martha Reeves & The Vandellas/Lulu/Dee Dee Sharp/Shirley Ellis/LaVern Baker/Mamie Galore/The Sweet Things/Ike & Tina Turner/Sugar Pie DeSanto/Felice Taylor/Aretha Franklin/Irma Thomas)

 

[hitmouse]

An utterly awesome night Run (still?) by clandestino.

11th birthday on October 9th.

great big kiss soul club at the phoenix in london, motown, northern soul, girl groups, rock n roll club night

Their podcasts are a thing of beauty too.

This one's right up this thread's street:

This is an all-music, no-chat mix of the songs played during a guest DJ spot at Da Doo Ron Ron in Brighton on Sat Oct 23rd. In keeping with DDRR's music policy, all songs are female-fronted girl group and soul, from the late 50s to early 70s, and played from vinyl only.

(Gladys Knight & The Pips/The Flirtations/The Ikettes/Dusty Springfield/The Supremes/Martha Reeves & The Vandellas/Lulu/Dee Dee Sharp/Shirley Ellis/LaVern Baker/Mamie Galore/The Sweet Things/Ike & Tina Turner/Sugar Pie DeSanto/Felice Taylor/Aretha Franklin/Irma Thomas)

Not listened to this one yet, but I'm predicting it's gonna be mint:


Still hoping to get to one of the actual IRL ones one of these days.