The shirelles

[Kamasu_Jr]

The Shirelles were the earth mamas of all of the girl groups of the Sixties. They weren't a bad live act either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ9Z3gjhDKs&list=PL99D9F2F562C323CF [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ9Z3gjhDKs&list=PL99D9F2F562C323CF)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jySF4shI8lM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaV56UrTLBs

[rrussi]

They were an excellent group! I liked them all and I love Shirley.

[blueskies]

One of the early groups.....and one of the best.

[Soul Sister]

Out of New York girl groups The Chantels & The Shirelles were the cream of the crop!!


S.S.
***

[no_place_like_motown]

The Shirelles are one of my favorite girl groups. Shirley Alston can sing for me anytime!

Here's one that I loved from 1973 w/ the great Jimmy Castor on horn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUSSZHO-zFQ

[JIVE FIVE Mary G.]

The Shirelles were great. Shirley Alston Reeves is still performing frequently on the oldies circut with her own group.

Soul Sister mentioned The Chantels another great group from NY. Amy Ortiz is lead singer with The Chantels now, but I'll always prefer their songs with Arlene Smith on lead.

Another good NY girl group are Barbara English & The Clickettes who still perform.

~~Mary~~

[marv2]

Here is a very rare performance clip of the Shirelles doing "It's A Mad, Mad World"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj1R8lskRlo

[Kamasu_Jr]

Marv, we don't always see eye to eye, but I gotta give you credit for that Mad, Mad World video. It's not the Shirelles' greatest song, but the video was fun because each girl got close- ups and verses to sing. Also Thanks to No Place. I had not heard the group's RCA material, I went and bought every Shirelles' album I could find locally on RCA.

[smark21]

Here’s Shirley Alston Reeves in a recent performance doing a cover of “Heat Wave”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN-eHCdL_AM

[theboyfromxtown]

Can someone identify who is who in the group.

[arrr&bee]

The first girl group i saw as a kid at the howard[way back in the day]from 1958-1963 i would say was thier classic period,one of the great groups ever!!

[Kamasu_Jr]

Can someone identify who is who in the group.
John, if you look at the Mad, Mad World clip . Shirley Alston is in front; Addie Micki Harris is on the left side of the screen. She's the chubby one who is now deceased. The late Doris Kenner is in the middle and Beverly Lee is on the right. To me listening to the Shirelles' records is like eating potato chips, I always want more.

[theboyfromxtown]

Thank you Kamasu.

Micki seems to be the one that keeps shouting ad libs during their songs.....would that be right

[marv2]

Marv, we don't always see eye to eye,

'Cause you won't act right
! hehehehehehehehehe...........

Ok, really, the Shirelles were sooooooooo underrated as time went on. Listen their voices. Those girls could SANG! I mean they were really equipped to handle anything you've ever heard out of a female group if they wanted to and if the material was presented to them!

I've always appreciated their understated talents.

[Kamasu_Jr]

Thank you Kamasu.

Micki seems to be the one that keeps shouting ad libs during their songs.....would that be right Yes, that was Micki Harris. THOSE ad libs were fun and I think they pushed the girls on during their live shows. Micki was the group's cheerleader in a way. The Shirelles were never the same after she passed. She was so vital in my opinion. Another girl group had a member who did the same thing. Can you guess who they were? Only she ad libbed to be noticed and stand out as cute. :

[theboyfromxtown]

I can't think of that other other girl group. I fail to win the prize this time!!

[luke]

Shirelles one of few groups where all had lead parts, often. Beverly currently leads a group of Shirelles. The Chantels with Amy are still quite amazing. I hope Martha dont get wind of Shirely singin Heat Wave!!

[imnokid]

As a proud Jerseyite, I need to correct the statement that the Shirelles are a NY group.. They are from Passaic, NJ.
And I believe Barbara Jean English is a Jersey gal, as well.

[Kamasu_Jr]

The Shirelles are indeed Jersey Girls. These were two of the girls' maiden names: Shirley Owens and Doris Coley. Apparently Shirley has been married several times and goes by the billing of Shirley Alston Reeves. Through marriages, Doris Coley became known as Doris Coley Kenner and Doris Coley Kenner Jackson. Confusing isn't it? Somewhere on the internet was a photo of Dionne Warwick who subbed for Shirley during a leave from the Shirelles.

[reese]

[QUOTE=Kamasu_Jr;177827]The Shirelles are indeed Jersey Girls. These were two of the girls' maiden names: Shirley Owens and Doris Coley. Apparently Shirley has been married several times and goes by the billing of Shirley Alston Reeves. Through marriages, Doris Coley became known as Doris Coley Kenner and Doris Coley Kenner Jackson. Confusing isn't it? Somewhere on the internet was a photo of Dionne Warwick who subbed for Doris Coley during a leave from the Shirelles.[/QUOTE

Dionne subbed for Shirley for three and half weeks while she was pregnant with her daughter Shana. I didn't know she subbed for Doris as well.

[Kamasu_Jr]

If Dionne was pictured singing lead then it was Shirley she replaced. They did record some of the same Bacharach and David songs. Makes sense now. I've amended my post and corrected the mistake. I'm still looking for that photo. Two of the Shirelles' albums: Tonight's the Night [[their first) and Baby It's Me will be reissued together on CD on July 23.

[JIVE FIVE Mary G.]

Here's a vintage poster from 1961 when the Shirelles traveled on the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars. My boss was there, too, and talks a lot about his memories from those tours.:)


6921

~~Mary~~

[rrussi]

The group stopped having success in 64 and some say due to the British invasion. But Luther Dixon had left Scepter in '63 and then the material they got wasn't first rate. Listen to what they were doing in 64,65,66 and compare what the Motown girl groups were doing. I think the material in those yrs. for the Shirelles had too much of a teenybopper lyric. It just wasn't goo quality material in my opinion. They, however, always remained a great live act. They did do some good material at RCA in the early 70s, but didn't get the airplay.

[rrussi]

I meant "good quality material". Oops! Anyway, Luther left for a deal with the Capitol label and then moved on to Musicor. He also married Inez Foxx and together they wrote a hit for the Platters [[with Sonny Turner on lead) called "I Love You 1,000 Times".

[milven]

As a proud Jerseyite, I need to correct the statement that the Shirelles are a NY group.. They are from Passaic, NJ.
And I believe Barbara Jean English is a Jersey gal, as well.

And Passaic is proud of them About six years ago, the surviving Shirelles reunited and went back to Passaic to participate in part of Paulison Avenue being renamed Shirelles Blvd.
http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/2008/09/large_SHIREL22.jpg

The lady helping them unveil the sign was their classmate at Passaic High and she is also the daughter of Florence Greenburg.

I drive by Passaic High School quite often and it is nice to look up and see that sign at the intersection of Passaic Street and Shirelles Blvd

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/09/passaic_dedicates_street_to_th.html

[stephanie]

Gosh Marv this awesome you dont see too many live clips of the Shirelles and I love this song I wish they had gotten the attention the stars of this brilliant film got. Remember the part where Jonathan Winters is on the bike! How about 31 Flavors?