21 – THE GIRL GROUPS

Girl GroupsFemale vocal groups were really nothing new. Innovative trios like The Boswells, The Andrews and The McGuires had all made their impact on the charts. All sister acts, they appeared in succession, never really competing and each possessing the distinctive sound of their own particular era. And although these performers could technically be categorized as "girl groups," there was certainly no developed "girl group" sound involved.

From 1958 to approximately 1966, the pop market was inundated with an army of female vocal groups featuring a basic unified formula for success. At its peak, the girl group heyday was the post rock and roll period where much of the popular music was rather predictable and unexciting. However, the refreshing sounds of the girl groups bridged the gap between the rock and roll era proper and the British Invasion.

Although styles varied, the overall sound of the girl groups was unmistakable. The recordings were bottom-heavy featuring excessive percussion, later taken to the limit by Phil Spector and his "wall of sound" technique. Tambourines, maracas and a rumbling bass drum combined with droning saxes, set a foundation for the catchy songs composed by the staff of The Brill Building. The final ingredient to the sound was the combination of powerhouse lead vocalists such as Darlene Love, Arlene Smith and Ronnie Spector, and an array of backup singers all presented in the well established call and response formula. This was the definitive girl group sound.

The songs were geared primarily to the teen female audience, the lyrics usually concerned with "the boy" (the rebel next door or the high school hunk). The writing was of the highest calibre yet the songs were naive and innocent enough to appeal to the youth market. Infectious and memorable with strong hook lines and choruses and repetitive riffs, the music was above all else danceable.

This was decidedly a producer's music, the artists themselves having very little input or creative freedom. With the exception of Motown, it was predominantly white written and controlled yet a great number of its exponents were black female vocal groups. The artists were totally dependent on their writers and producers. Who could fail with the remarkable material supplied by The Brill Building. Composers such as Goffin & King, Mann & Weil and Barry & Greenwich were the current crème of the crop. With the addition of the fabulous wall of sound recordings created by Phil Spector, the girl group sound was taken to its apex. Almost all of the recordings became hits and several became rock classics.

The girls pranced, preened, shimmered and sparkled under the supervision of choreographers, vocal coaches, fashion consultants, and makeup artists. Grooming was crucial. The final product was an impressive piece of showbiz packaging. In fact, Motown kingpin Berry Gordy Jr. took the packaging and marketing of his protégés to the limit, not only sending them to dance classes, vocal classes and charm school, choosing their clothing and their songs and controlling their promotion but often attempting to orchestrate their private lives. Motown gave pop music some of its finest girl groups including The Marvelettes, Martha & The Vandellas and of course The Supremes. Gordy managed to keep his girl groups on the charts long after the definitive girl group era had ended. He ruled with an iron fist, holding onto his artists and staff writers, promoting his star acts with a vengeance.

With the emergence of The British Invasion and the newer sounds emanating from the West Coast featuring self-contained writing/performing units, the girl group era ended. Strangely enough, many of the up and coming rock stars were greatly influenced by The Brill Building writers and the girl group sound. Many of the Liverpool bands like The Beatles and The Searchers were avid fans of the genre. In their early recordings, The Beatles paid tribute to the girl groups by cutting versions of "Please Mr. Postman" (by The Marvelettes), "Boys" (by The Shirelles"), "Chains" (by The Cookies) and "Baby It's You" (by The Shirelles). Much later, the influence of the girl groups sound was apparent in the work of modern rock artists. Bette Midler remade "Chapel Of Love" (by The Dixie Cups), Aerosmith covered "Remember" (by The Shangri-Las) and both Blondie and Bruce Springsteen incorporated elements of the girl group sound into their own particular styles.

MAJOR GIRL GROUPS

THE CHANTELS

THE SHIRELLES

THE ANGELS

THE CRYSTALS

THE EXCITERS

THE CHIFFONS

THE RONETTES

PATTI LaBELLE & THE BLUE BELLES

THE DIXIE CUPS

THE SHANGRI-LAS

THE TOYS

THE MARVELETTES

THE SUPREMES

THE VELVELETTES

MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS

A SELECTED LISTING OF OTHER RECORDINGS BY GIRL GROUPS

ARTISTS WITH A GIRL GROUP SOUND

None of the following artists were girl groups, yet all adopted the hit making formula of the girl group sound.

DARLENE LOVE

BOB B. SOXX & THE BLUE JEANS

LITTLE EVA

MARY WELLS

DEE DEE SHARP

LESLEY GORE

A SELECTED LISTING OF OTHER ARTISTS WITH A GIRL GROUP SOUND

ALSO SEE

BIBLIOGRAPHY