by Robert Wilkinson
We begin our Sunday musical birthdays with a pioneer in her field. This woman’s music made ten million boys pledge their love, and ten million girls swooned to the music. This was the first girl group to hit #1!
Shirley Alston Reeves (born Shirley Owens June 10, 1941), was the lead singer of the Shirelles, the first and one of the biggest “girl groups” of all time! They were true pioneers, and paved the way for Motown and every other girl group in the 60s. While they faded after the British Invasion due to changing tastes and getting married, the Shirelles still opened the doors to a hundred other “girl groups” to make the magic of the early 60s!
Her voice was so distinctive, it couldn’t be mistaken even on the archaic museum pieces we call “the transistor radio.” This was the voice that millions fell in love to, and with. For your enjoyment of another era, Ms. Shirley Alston Reeves and the Shirelles!
Their first attempt in 1958! “I Met Him On A Sunday”
From 1960, a tune written by Shirley and Luther Dixon. It was highly controversial at the time, since it was one of the first tunes written about a woman’s feelings about losing her virginity. In 2010 Rolling Stone listed it as one of the best songs of all time!
“Tonight’s the Night” Here’s Shirley later in her career cranking up another great version of this classic! “Tonight’s The Night”The Shirelles gave us the tune, written by Carole King, which was the first #1 hit by a girl group! She not lip synching here! From 1964, a great 1964 live performance of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” Here’s the original studio version of THE song. “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”
They also scored on this flip side of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" with “Boys” and yes, that's King Curtis on wailin' sax at the break! Since that was one of the Beatles’ biggest live tunes, sung by Ringo, here it is! “Boys”
After that, they hit a string of hits in 1961, beginning with reissuing this earlier effort from 1959, which went to #3 in 1961! “Dedicated to the One I Love”
They followed it with this #4 smash just a few months later! “Mama Said”
Here’s a video of a tune which went to #21 pop, #2 R&B in 1961! “Big John”
Remember this? Went to #8 in late 1961! Here’s an interesting live performance to a backing track. “Baby It’s You”
Two other bands did covers of that great tune! First, the Beatles’ version as we heard it way back when! “Baby It’s You,” and here’s the version which went to #5 for Smith! Here they are live and belting it out! “Baby It’s You”
This hit # 1 in early 1962 when I was a kid after the Bay of Pigs and before the Cuban Missile Crisis. Stand up, sit down, and salute the flag, believing all is good. “Soldier Boy”
Here’s their studio version of the standard “What’s the Matter Baby”
From 1964, a video of a live performance of “Everybody Loves A Lover”
Here are two more obscurities, “What Is Love” and a strange video clip of the Shirelles performing “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World” (Yes, they had a cameo in the 1963 movie.)
Last year I had a 25 minute set from May 2018 but it’s gone.
We'll close with this performance in 2011 at their induction into the NJ Hall of Fame, with Shirley and the new Shirelles doing what they do best! "Soldier Boy" and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"
If you’re inclined, I found this 10 minute mini-documentary which is a quick take on The Shirelles
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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