Kamasu
When they were auditioned in 1962, there were 5. Come 1963 when Millie became pregnant, they had to perform as four. Later Millie returned but then it was Norma's turn! So during this time, there were mostly four consisting of Cal, Bertha and Kelli plus one more being either Millie or Norma. Kelli left the group officially when she was 20 in September 1964 because that was when she was able to sign a contract herself. However, she had been recording as a Vandella as far back as June 1964.
From then on it was reduced to a basic 3 with Norma and Millie interchanging. So that is why you see Millie in the Apollo shots and Norma at the Regal in Chicago. Millie’s decision to reduce her input was down to the negativity from folks who didn’t agree with her leaving her children at home to go on tour. So Millie only helped out in exceptional circumstances.
Bertha and Norma [[who gave birth yet again) carried on with Cal but both of them wanted to leave permanently by 1965. When I reviewed the studio logs with them in about 2003/4, they concluded that they stopped recording in about June 1965. However, Cal only had to recruit new members for tours, not for recording purposes. All Velvelettes recordings at this time consisted of Cal on lead with Cal plus the Andantes [[or whoever else was there) on background.
Annette was taken on first as a dancer. Cal would interchange the third girl with Bertha, Norma or even a cousin.
The Velvelettes then had an engagement in about January 1966 for Where The Action Is which I gather is based on the West Coast. She couldn't use her cousin or any of the other former Velvelettes for that engagement because it was not local. Cal had to recruit a new girl and she was called Gail and hailed from Baltimore. [[Cal doesn't even recall her surname). However Gail wasn’t there all that long before she started to take steps to take over the group! So she was gone soon after that engagement. In that TV appearance of Needle...Gail is furthest from Cal! LOLOL
Sandy [[from Cleveland) was introduced to Cal by Abdul Fakir of the 4 Tops who had met Sandy in Philadelphia [[I didn’t ask any more!!!) Sandy was also a great dancer, looked good and fitted in well with the group. Sandy also harboured a secret wish to sing lead but Cal only found out about that much later. In fact Cal hadn’t heard Sandy’s lead vocal on Honey Love until I played it to her in about 2004.
There's 4 performances on Where The Action Is. Needle in a Haystack [[in long dresses), He Was Really Saying Something [[in short dresses), followed by [[a one verse edited out of ) Lonely Lonely Girl Am I where the girls sit on stools and finally Should I Tell Them sung in a liquor bar.