GIRLBAND LEGENDS: The Classic Girl Groups

It’s a bit wrong to put these great masters of the girlband all together but sometimes catagorisation is quite necessary. Some have questioned the lack of the appearance of The Supremes in DontStopthePop’s exploration of girlbands but Diana Ross and her girls is a road often traveled. The point was to expose girlgroups that rarely get mentioned by the media, discographies, genealogies and biographies. Part of the reason for DontStopThePop existing is to discuss pop that is undeservedly forgotten. It isn’t about zeitgeist or the latest starshine music, on the contrary pop that features here usually comes from acts that history forgets.

This update is huge so forgive the lack of the depth in some cases. It has utilised the pop knowledge of Pinkiedust over at YouCallThatLife who has submitted some of long lost girlgroups you see here today and his assistance has been more than helpful. All of these girlgroups are legends in their own right and they’ve shaped the current music sense. The Supremes feature down below but not in the traditional sense…


Girlband Classic Legend No.1: The Girlfriends


The Girlfriends were an off shoot of the well-honed vocal session group called The Blossoms who appeared on many releases as backing vocalists of much of the Phil Spector 1960s output. If you listen to their My One and Only Jimmy Boy you’ll hear a startling closeness to the glamrock baseline of T-Rex of 1970s, ABBA, much of the thumping baseline of Swedish schlager pop queens Carola, Nanne, Magnus Carlsson Linda Bengtzing and Shirley Clamp. The starting claps are little previews of the disco scene that was about to explode twenty years later. Again, quite groundbreaking. My One And Only Jimmy Boy


Girlband Classic Legend No.2: The Cinderellas/The Cookies


Take the baseline of The Cinderellas' Baby Baby I Still Love You and you can almost sing ABBA's breakout Eurovision hit Waterloo over the top. The closeness is actually quite shocking. If you thought the electro pop of Sweden and the ubercool Goldfrapp motifs were traceable back to the 1970s you’d be understood but misplaced. The Cinderellas and their music is pretty much an amazing prologue to the pop history we enjoy today. Baby Baby I Still Love You


Girlband Classic Legend no.3: The Exciters


The Exciters original version of Tell Him was covered by Billie Davis who rudely made it the hit that everyone knows and adores despite being a girlband classic. The American girls are probably the most unluckiest band in pop history as their follow-up single Do Wah Diddy flopped for them but because a huge hit for Manfred Mann who took the song to no.1 in the US, UK and around the world. All of which makes the girls absolute legends. Tell Him


Girlband Classic Legend no.4: The Honeys



Get ready for a slice of absolute pure classic pop music. The Honeys were formed in 1963 by Brian Wilson who this month is the centre of attention at the Tate Gallery in St.Ives. They consided of girlfriend (and future wife), Marilyn, her sister, Diane, and their cousin, Ginger. Yes, if you thought the only Ginger in a girlgroup was the Spice sort you’d be wrong. Quite freakily, Ginger was the first girl in the group to leave when she went to sing backup for The Supremes. In 1983, Mariyln, Diane, and Ginger reunited as The Honeys and released their first LP, Ecstacy, under that name from Rhino Records. Five years later, in 1988, Rhino Records released a CD compilation that included the entire Spring album, all the Spring and American Spring singles and B-sides, and a few additional bonus tracks. The One I Can’t Have is so poptastic its like hearing the future sound of Eurovision, Scandipop and SAW all wrapped up in one song that lasts just one minute and 54 seconds. The One I Can't Have


Girlband Classic Legend no.5: The Velvelettes


When one of your songs has been sampled by Betty Boo and covered by the likes of Bananarama and Buffalo G (!) you deserve legendary status. I am of course talking about The Velvelettes' hit single He Was Really Saying Something. The girlgroup formed at their university (WMU) and are still together! Despite being signed to Motown Records they weren't given top priority, as other female vocal groups were attracting audiences and recording hits. While the group awaited their chance at stardom, they recorded backing vocals for more established Motown girl groups, including The Marvelettes, Martha & The Vandellas, and The Supremes. Eventually they broke out with their first single Needle In a HayStack which was then followed up with the groundbreaking He Was Really Saying Something. He Was Really Sayin' Something.


Girlband Classic Legend no.6: The Paper Dolls


Not to be confused with the 90s poptastic British band of the same name, this trio were the first group in pop history to nickname each other and use these titles in promotion and merchandise. The British group recorded a lot of material that got handed to bigger acts like Doris Day and Cilla Black. Their versions of Move Over Darling, Do You Know the Way To San Jose and Step Inside Love reign over the popeatspop covers that are staple songs for the acts concerned. However it is their Any Old Time (You're Lonely And Sad), Baby Take Me In Your Arms and Ain't Nothin' But A House Party gems which makes The Paper Dolls stand out from the rest. It’s a shame history has forgotten them! Any Old Time (You're Lonely And Sad).


Girlband Classic Legend no.7: The Ronettes

The Ronettes consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (a.k.a. Ronnie Spector), her sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. Their most famous songs include Be My Baby, Baby I Love You, and Walking in the Rain. However it's Silhouettes which is just amazing and rather groundbreaking. You think it’s a simple pop ballad but check out the amazing operatic backing vocals. Absolutely stunning and you’ll hear nothing like this in your life. Silhouettes


Girlband Classic Legend no.8: The Supremes


Everyone knows about this band. Musicals, films and Oscars. Meh! I think there overrated but you can’t talk about girlgroups without mentioning them. So here we go. One got famous and the others didn’t. Very tragic. The songs were a bit samey. Check out the excellent cover of The Supremes song (Baby Baby) Where Did Our Love Go by the Swedish girlband Bless(Bubbles). Remember when Steps covered Supreme Diana's Chain Reaction and we all quite surprisd because they’d good job? Well, I think Bless(Bubbles) update the song and improve on the original. Judge for yourself: (baby baby) Where did our love go?


Girlband Classic Legend no.9: Sister Sledge


Ok so fastfowarding right to the 70s, Sister Sledge were, like Atomic Kitten, considered over and done with. They were actually about to call it day when their last single We Are Family was released. Now, the song seems entrenched in pop music and culture. You can’t get married without hearing this song. It soothes a break-up, a friendship quarrel and a fight and is ALWAYS played at gay pride events. It has been covered by other girlgroups such as the Spice Girls, The Goldman Girls, Girl Authority, EyeQ and Nobody’s Angel. Their other hits have also shaped modern pop music like He’s The Greatest Dancer which was recently utilised by Will Smith and gave Dannii Minogue another reason to go on holiday following her strenuous performance on Dancing With The Stars. Sister Sledge and disco - it’s the same thing. We Are Family


Girlband Classic Legend no.10: The Shirelles


And back to the 1960s. Its quite natural to end this journey into girlband classic legends with The Shirelles. Why? Because this band were the first girl group to ever go to #1!?!?! Formed in 1958 The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock era, defining the so-called girl group sound with their soft, sweet harmonies and yearning innocence. They provided some of the earliest hits for important Brill Building songwriters like Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and Van McCoy. They also launched the careers of Roberta Flack and Dionne Warwick while exposing American audiences to Beatles songs long before it was fashionable to do so. Who returned the favour by, along with Manfred Mann, swipped songs by The Shirelles and made hits with them for themselves. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow


Buy the brilliant collection of girl groups on the CD release Girl Grazy: The Ultimate Girl Group Collection at Amazon now.