Cause and Effect presents:
Leader of the Pack: 1960s Girl Groups with DJ Miss Kitty
In the late 1950s and early 60s, the “Girl Group” sound began to dominate the American music charts and permeate youth culture. The 1960s girl group phenomenon resulted in a compressed period of musical innovation with lasting results. The songs and performances pushed the bounds of the industry at the time and became a key source of innovative song writing and composition, as well as novel forms of instrumentation. But most of all, “the girl group sound” had a fresh and optimistic buoyancy to it, with lyrics that were mostly innocent and naive – of the “girl–dealing-with-boy” variety – though some songs also offered social commentary. But what distinguished the 1960s “girl group” phenomenon was its distinctive sound and the huge Baby Boomer market that sent the music to the top of the charts.
Music critic Greil Marcus, writing of the girl groups in 1992 for The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, has noted: “The music was perhaps the most carefully, beautifully crafted in all of rock and roll – one reason why none of the twenty or so best records in the genre have dated in the years since they were made.” Now, more than 50 years old at this writing, the girl group music of the 1960s continues to have wide appeal and staying power.
It’s estimated that about 1,500 girl groups recorded music in the 1960s. Of these, about two dozen or so went on to become significant hit makers.
Show Archive
Play show / Add show to playlistPlaylist:
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Sarah Vaughan, “Broken Hearted Melody”
from Broken Hearted Melody (Mono Version) - Single
BNF Collection - 1960
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Dinah Washington & Brook Benton, “Baby (You've Got What It Takes)”
from 20th Century Masters: The Best of Dinah Washington - The Millennium Collection
Universal Music Enterprises - 2002
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Little Anthony & The Imperials, “Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop (Single Version)”
Rhino - 2003
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The Paris Sisters, “I Love How You Love Me”
from I Love How You Love Me - Single
Black Sheep Music - 2013
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The Jelly Beans, “I wanna love him so bad”
from I'm a Jelly Bean (Yummy In Your Tummy) - EP
independent
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The Dixie Cups, “I'm Gonna Get You Yet”
from The Very Best of The Dixie Cups: Chapel of Love
Sun Records - 2006
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The Jaynetts, “Sally Go 'Round the Roses”
from Sally Go Round the Roses - Single
Redwood Records - 2014
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Little Eva, “Keep Your Hands Off My Baby”
from The Locomotion
Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group - 2017
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The Ronettes, “Do I Love You?”
from Be My Baby: The Very Best of the Ronettes
Legacy Recordings - 2011
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The Velvelettes, “He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'”
from The Very Best of the Velvelettes
Motown - 1999
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Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles, “Groovy Kind of Love”
from Groovy Kind of Love
Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group - 2017
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Amy Winehouse, “Between the Cheats”
from Lioness: Hidden Treasures
Universal-Island Records Ltd. - 2011
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Fun Boy Three & Bananarama, “It Ain't What You Do It's the Way That You Do It”
from Really Saying Something: The Best of Fun Boy Three
independent - 1982
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New York Dolls, “Give Her a Great Big Kiss”
from From Paris With Love (L.U.V.)
Sympathy For The Record Industry - 2002
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Carrie Thornbrugh Cause and Effect July 23rd, 2022
Posted In: Music, Music Shows
Tags: music, Music show, variety, WRIR