The Blossoms: one face with a hundred names

[antceleb12]

Ok, so it is well-known that Phil Spector released his music with one artist under multiple names [[Blossoms became the Crystals, the Ronettes became the Crystals, etc.). But what I'm finding is that the Blossoms have had many other names throughout, at the very least, the 1950's-1960's.

First, they were the Echoes, briefly, in the late fifties, but then they became the Blossoms before switching to Philles. They recorded as Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans, the Blossoms, and the Crystals. But I recently found two rather obscure recordings. One is a 1963 recording [[at Gold Star, but released via Liberty Records), and the other one from 1968, I think.

The 1963 one is of "Climb Every Mountain," and it clearly has the classic Spector production all over it, even though it was released under Liberty - not Philles. Under this name, the record was released [[?) as the Victorians. There were a few other tunes recorded by "the Victorians" - "Happy Birthday, Blue," "If I Loved You," etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpM1MdS0gMQ

The other recording is "He's a Rebel" from 1968 under the name Moose and the Pelicans [[they did "We Rockin'"). From what I read, it's that band featuring Darlene and the Blossoms on vocals. Despite the iffy sound quality, it's probably Darlene's finest vocal on this number.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7pJ0OXo9R4

The Blossoms, under that name, did a bunch of work with Bill Medley and released one album in 1972, but I'm wondering what other work they released under additional names. They were really one of the most phenomenal groups of the sixties, but their work is scattered under so many names, it's hard to keep track of it all!

[PhillyKen]

for a complete story and discography on The Blossoms and their many offshoots,see my friend John Clementes book "Girl Groups Fabulous Females that Rocked the world".Yes it also includes some of our Motown favorites as well as scores more.

[antceleb12]

for a complete story and discography on The Blossoms and their many offshoots,see my friend John Clementes book "Girl Groups Fabulous Females that Rocked the world".Yes it also includes some of our Motown favorites as well as scores more.

Thanks! I actually just purchased that book today!

[blueskies]

I thought I had read awhile back John was working on a follow up book on girl groups? Anyone know anything about this?

[rrussi]

Moose and the Pelicans version of "Rebel" is, of course, Darlene and also her sister Edna.

[heikki]

Hi!

The Victorians were Gloria Jean Hargis, backed By the Blossoms [[Darlene Love, Fanita James and Gloria Jones).
The Blossoms recorded under many disguises.

Best regards
Heikki

[PhillyKen]

it is out with over 600 pages...some is repeated from first but lots of new added groups and info.

[splanky]

I thought I had read awhile back John was working on a follow up book on girl groups? Anyone know anything about this?

Yea, PhillyKen is right. Your mention of this sent me googling because I hadn't heard a word
about it. Oh, I so want to get my hands on this book!......

http://www.northjersey.com/community...tml?c=y&page=1

And John shares my Cookies as a favorite girl group...LOL!!!....

[brother_love]

Darlene sang with the Echoes and not the Blossoms.

The Blossoms recorded under numerous names here are just a few of them.

The Rollettes
The Dreamers
The Playgirls
The Darlenes
The Crystals
The Blue Jeans
The Birdies
The Crypt-Kickers
The Rebelettes
The K-Cettes
The Victorians
The Girlfriends
The Wildcats
The Glass House

[PhillyKen]

Darlene Love certainly did sing with The Blossoms.Just watch The Blossoms doing all that backup work on Shindig and there she is.She and Bill Medley were an "item" at that time as mentioned in Darlenes autobiography.

[blueskies]

Th

[antceleb12]

Guys, thanks for all the wonderful information!

brother_love: That's a great list! But Darlene was definitely with the Blossoms [[she was practically the face of the Blossoms)! My mistake, however, was saying that the Blossoms and the Echoes were the same group when, in fact, they were not.

blueskies: Thanks for those pictures! I know the next couple of CD's I'm getting!

[blueskies]

antceleb12....those are great CD's. It really gives a nice retrospect of the group. I've really enjoyed them and play them a lot. Happy listening!

[brother_love]

The Echoes with Darlene Wright circa 1957

Philly Ken, I was responding to Anceleb12 post saying that the Blossoms were aka the Echoes. I'm just stating that only Darlene sang with that group and not the Blossoms.

Darlene Love certainly did sing with The Blossoms.Just watch The Blossoms doing all that backup work on Shindig and there she is.She and Bill Medley were an "item" at that time as mentioned in Darlenes autobiography.

[antceleb12]

The Echoes with Darlene Wright circa 1957

Philly Ken, I was responding to Anceleb12 post saying that the Blossoms were aka the Echoes. I'm just stating that only Darlene sang with that group and not the Blossoms.

Yes, thank you for the correction!

[PhillyKen]

knew it had to be a misunderstanding somewhere.....as was stated,she was the face of the Blossoms.Her book is a great read.Hard to believe at one point in the not so long ago past,she was cleaning lady in NYC.
I was lucky enough to see her again just a year ago at Count Basie Thetare Red Bank,NJ,with backup grp that included her sister Edna Wright.

[chemelr]

My research shows that Fanita Barrett, later known as Fanita James, started The Dreamers in 1954. The other members were Gloria Jones, Jewel Cobbs, Pat Howard and twin sisters Annette and Nanette Williams. Various members left and The Blossoms evolved from that start. Darlene Love showed up around 1958. Still more members came and left and the group settled to Fanita James, Jean King and Darlene Love. It is incorrect to say "Darlene Love and The Blossoms". It is just "The Blossoms". In Darlene Love's book, My Name Is Love, Fanita was ready to battle Darlene on stage in front of God and everyone as the MC announced them as "Darlene Love and The Blossoms". Suffice to say that Fanita considered The Blossoms as "her" group.

The Blossoms did not sing background to any Crystal song. Darlene Love did not originally record the Da Doo Ron Ron as she claims. Phil Spector stated twice, once in August 2012 and once in December 2013 that Darlene Love had nothing to do with the DDRR. La La Brooks of The Crystals is the one and only original singer of the DDRR. Darlene then claims she sang background - she did not. That was done by Fanita James, Gracia Nitzsche and Cher. He's A Rebel and He's Sure The Boy I Love were sung by Darlene Love and credit given to The Crystals. La La Brooks has an interesting account of why that happened but that's a story for another day.

Darlene, Fanita and Bobby Sheen made up Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans.

Darlene made no mention of Moose and The Pelicans in her autobiography. I read where Edna Wright, Darlene's sister, and Fanita James made up Moose and The Pelicans. I don't know about that as Edna Wright, Carolyn Willis and Shelly Clark were the Honey Cone starting in 1966.

Yes, The Blossoms sure did work with Bill Medley. Bill and Darlene had a torrid affair during those days but racial conditions were not good then. This comes from Darlene's book.

I have been researching Darlene Love for years. She is not the kind, loveable person people think she is. Finding information to back up what she says is VERY hard to come by. Even Darlene's birthday is questioned. Her bio at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame says she was born 26 July 1938. Other sources say 26 July 1941. One thing to remember when using the internet to research is to look for multiple sources. Just because it is on the internet doesn't make it true. That is my experience.

[antceleb12]

My research shows that Fanita Barrett, later known as Fanita James, started The Dreamers in 1954. The other members were Gloria Jones, Jewel Cobbs, Pat Howard and twin sisters Annette and Nanette Williams. Various members left and The Blossoms evolved from that start. Darlene Love showed up around 1958. Still more members came and left and the group settled to Fanita James, Jean King and Darlene Love. It is incorrect to say "Darlene Love and The Blossoms". It is just "The Blossoms". In Darlene Love's book, My Name Is Love, Fanita was ready to battle Darlene on stage in front of God and everyone as the MC announced them as "Darlene Love and The Blossoms". Suffice to say that Fanita considered The Blossoms as "her" group.

The Blossoms did not sing background to any Crystal song. Darlene Love did not originally record the Da Doo Ron Ron as she claims. Phil Spector stated twice, once in August 2012 and once in December 2013 that Darlene Love had nothing to do with the DDRR. La La Brooks of The Crystals is the one and only original singer of the DDRR. Darlene then claims she sang background - she did not. That was done by Fanita James, Gracia Nitzsche and Cher. He's A Rebel and He's Sure The Boy I Love were sung by Darlene Love and credit given to The Crystals. La La Brooks has an interesting account of why that happened but that's a story for another day.

Darlene, Fanita and Bobby Sheen made up Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans.

Darlene made no mention of Moose and The Pelicans in her autobiography. I read where Edna Wright, Darlene's sister, and Fanita James made up Moose and The Pelicans. I don't know about that as Edna Wright, Carolyn Willis and Shelly Clark were the Honey Cone starting in 1966.

Yes, The Blossoms sure did work with Bill Medley. Bill and Darlene had a torrid affair during those days but racial conditions were not good then. This comes from Darlene's book.

I have been researching Darlene Love for years. She is not the kind, loveable person people think she is. Finding information to back up what she says is VERY hard to come by. Even Darlene's birthday is questioned. Her bio at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame says she was born 26 July 1938. Other sources say 26 July 1941. One thing to remember when using the internet to research is to look for multiple sources. Just because it is on the internet doesn't make it true. That is my experience.

In her autobiography, at the back of the book, there is a list of recordings and acts under which she recorded, and the Moose and the Pelicans recording is listed.

chemelr, I'm curious. Did you write a review about Darlene's book on Amazon? I'm asking because their was a reviewer who wrote the same things you did about DDRR and about Darlene not being a love-able person. They also claimed to have inside sources with Phil. I'm curious how you know she did not do a preliminary vocal to DDRR. Phil has said a lot of things about a lot of people in his life, and I've learned to trust his words with a fine grain of salt. I have no idea if she did the vocal to DDRR, but I've heard the story from several sources, so maybe she did? Also, have you ever met Darlene? You say she's not as kind as everyone thinks she is, but I've never heard a bad word about her. I mean, nobody's perfect and liked by everybody, but I'm wondering how you know such things about her.

Thanks for the information.

[chemelr]

Just reviewing remarks made on this subject. Yes, I did write a review on Amazon about Darlene's book. I bought the book for one cent - yes, one penny. I can see why, it is not in demand. I will say one thing about Darlene, she will tell of all her bads along with the good. In this book she trashes her own sister Edna, Ronnie Spector, Tina Turner and Sonny Bono. She nearly got her butt kicked by Fanita James when at a concert, the MC introduced them as Darlene Love and The Blossoms. Fanita immediately confronted Darlene on the stage in front of everyone saying words to the effect of "you think this group is yours?" The Blossoms with Darlene were fired by Dionne Warwick as her background singers. Darlene was dropped by Holland-Dozier-Holland but her sister Edna with The Honey Cone were signed by HDH and produced hits. Darlene's contract with Gamble and Huff was sold back to Phil Spector as obviously they didn't see anything from her that they liked. When Tina Turner heard Darlene Love say that she [[Darlene) could sing River Deep Mountain High better, Tina would no longer have anything to do with Darlene.

Now we all should know by now that Darlene Love stated on 17 Feb 2014 on CBS's This Morning Show, that her voice is NOT on the Da Doo Ron Ron. This is the first time in 30 years that she admitted this. Why? I provided my research to Darlene's publicist and lawyer. My research was acknowledged by her "representatives". Now the Oscars are coming up and it is reported that the documentary field is really weak and that Twenty Feet From Stardom would probably win. I believe that my research was THEE point in having Darlene tell the truth. Her team did not want any controversy to possibly muck up the chances for winning an Oscar. Furthermore as I have stated before, Morgan Neville, the producer of TFFS found out from La La Brooks' management that Darlene Love did not sing the Da Doo Ron Ron. He didn't like this and he called La La Brooks and apologized to her. He was further upset that he had to pay Phil Spector for the rights to use the DDRR. Morgan wanted Darlene to do a gospel song. Darlene insisted on doing the DDRR.

What about her age? Look at her R&R Hall of Fame bio and she says that she was born on 26 July 1938. She has proclaimed many times that her birthday is 26 July 1941. Which one is right? Only her birth certificate knows. Just this year where Darlene is being interviewed by media types, she says she is 76 and other interviews she says she is 73.

Have I met Darlene? No, and I don't want to. I have just given you a snippet of her shenanigans. I am associated with people who have worked with and for Darlene. That is where I get some of my information. The first paragraph above comes from Darlene's own book.

I have corresponded with Phil Spector this year and also with his wife Rachelle.

I have accomplished one of my goals in providing the truth about the DDRR which Darlene Love herself acknowledged that she did not have a part of. I will leave Darlene Love alone when she personally apologizes to La La Brooks for falsely claiming to sing La La's signature song.