Doowopheaven: The Shirelles

The Shirelles

aka

Shirley & The Shirelles

(Passaic, New Jersey)

Part 1: lineup, discography, biography, videos and photo gallery

Beverly Lee, Doris Coley, Shirley Owens, Addie Harris

Group members:

Shirley Owens Alston (Lead)

Doris Coley Kenner-Jackson

Beverley Lee

Addie “Micki” Harris

Discography:

Singles:

1958 - I Met Him On A Sunday / I Want You To Be My Boyfriend (Tiara 6112 / Decca 30588)

1958 - My Love Is A Charm / Slop Time (Decca 30669)

1958 - I Got The Message / Stop Me (Decca 30761)

1959 - Dedicated To The One I Love / Look A Here Baby (Scepter 1203)

1959 - A Teardrop And A Lollipop / Doin’ The Ronde (Scepter 1205)

1960 - I Saw A Tear / Please Be My Boyfriend (Scepter 1207)

1960 - Tonight’s The Night / The Dance Is Over (Scepter 1208)

1960 - Will You Love Me Tomorrow / Boys (Scepter 1211)

1961 - Dedicated To The One I Love / Look A Here Baby (Scepter 1203) [reissue]

1961 - I Met Him On A Sunday / My Love Is A Charm (Decca 25506)

1961 - Mama Said / Blue Holiday (Scepter 1217)

1961 - A Thing Of The Past / What A Sweet Thing That Was (Scepter 1220)

1961 - Big John / Twenty One (Scepter 1223)

1962 - Baby, It's You / The Things I Want To Hear (Pretty Words) (Scepter 1227)

1962 - Soldier Boy / Love Is A Swingin’ Thing (Scepter 1228)

1962 - Welcome Home Baby / Mama, Here Comes The Bridge (Scepter 1234)

1962 - Stop The Music / It's Love That Really Counts (Scepter 1237)

1963 - Everybody Loves A Lover / I Don't Think So (Scepter 1243)

1963 - Foolish Little Girl / Not For All The Money In The World (Scepter 1248)

1963 - Don't Say Goodnight And Mean Goodbye / I Didn't Mean To Hurt You (Scepter 1255)

1963 - What Does A Girl Do / Don't Let It Happen To Us (Scepter 1259)

1963 - It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World / 31 Flavors (Scepter 1260)

1963 - Tonight You're Gonna Fall In Love With Me / 20th Century Rock And Roll (Scepter 1264)

1964 - Sha-La-La / His Lips Get In The Way (Scepter 1267)

1964 - Thank You Baby / Dooms Day (Scepter 1278)

1964 - Maybe Tonight / Lost Love (Scepter 1284)

1964 - I Saw A Tear / Are You Still My Baby (Scepter 1292)

1965 - Shh, I'm Watching The Movies / A plus B (Scepter 1296) (not issued)

1965 - March (You'll Be Sorry) / Everybody's Goin’ Mad (Scepter 12101)

1965 - Love That Man / My Heart Belongs To You (Scepter 12114)

1965 - (Mama) My Soldier Boy Is Coming Home / Soldier Boy (Scepter 12123)

1965 - I Met Him On A Sunday ‘66 / Love That Man (Scepter 12132)

1966 - Que Sera Sera / Till My Baby Comes Home (Scepter 12150)

1966 - Look Away / After Midnight (When The Boys Talk About The Girls) (Scepter 12162)

1966 - Shades Of Blue / Look Away (Scepter 12162)

1966 - When The Boys Talk About The Girls / Shades Of Blue (Scepter 12162)

1966 - Teasin’ Me / Look Away (Scepter 12178)

1967 - Don't Go Home (My Little Darlin’) / Nobody Baby After You (Scepter 12185)

1967 - Too Much Of A Good Thing / Bright Shiny Colors (Scepter 12192)

1967 - Last Minute Miracle / No Doubt About It (Scepter 12198)

1968 - Wild And Sweet / Wait Till I Give The Signal (Scepter 12209)

1968 - Hippie Walk Pt. 1 / Hippie Walk Pt. 2 (Scepter 12217)

1968 - Don't Mess With Cupid / Sweet Sweet Lovin’ (Blue Rock 4051)

1969 - Call Me / There’s A Storm Goin’ On In My Heart (Blue Rock 4066)

1969 - A Most Unusual Boy* / Look What You've Done To My Heart* (Bell 760)

1969 - Looking Glass* / Playthings* (Bell 787)

1969 - Never Give You Up (Never Gonna Give You Up)* / Go Away And Find Yourself* (Bell 815)

1970 - There Goes My Baby - Be My Baby / Strange, I Still Love You (United Artists 50648)

1970 - Lost / It's Gonna Take A Miracle (United Artists 50693)

1971 - Take Me / Dedicated To The One I Love (United Artists 50740)

1971 - Strange, I Still Love You / No Sugar Tonight (RCA Victor 48-1019)

1972 - Brother, Brother / Sunday Dreaming (RCA Victor 48-1032)

1972 - Let’s Give Each Other Love / Deep In The Night (RCA Victor 47-0902)

1973 - Touch The Wind (Eres Tu) / Do What You've A Mind To (RCA Victor APBO 0192)

*As by “Shirley & The Shirelles”

Albums:

1961 - {The Shirelles - Tonight’s The Night} Tonight's The Night / Johnny On My Mind / Lower The Flame / Will You Love Me Tomorrow / Doin' The Rondie / You Don't Want My Love / Dedicated To The One I Love / Boys / The Dance Is Over / Oh, What A Waste Of Love / Unlucky / Tonight At The Prom (Scepter LP 501)

1961 - {The Shirelles Sing To Trumpets And Strings} Mama Said / What A Sweet Thing That Was / It's Mine / I Saw A Tear / I Don't Want To Cry / Rainbow Valley / My Willow Tree / The First One / What's Mine Is Yours / Without A Word Of Complaint / I'll Do The Same Thing Too / Blue Holiday (Scepter LP 502)

1962 - {Baby It’s You} Baby, It's You / Irresistible You / Things I Want To Hear / Big John / The Same Old Story / Voice Of Experience / Soldier Boy / A Thing Of The Past / Twenty One / Make The Night A Little Longer / Twisting In The U.S.A. / Putty In Your Hands (Scepter LP 504)

1962 - {The Shirelles & King Curtis Give A Twist Party} Mama, Here Comes The Bride** / Take The Last Train Home**** / Welcome Home Baby* / I've Got A Woman*** / I Still Want You** / Take The Last Train Home*** / Love Is A Swinging Thing* / Ooh Poo Pah Doo* / New Orleans**** / Mister Twister* / Potato Chips**** (Scepter LP 505)

*Shirelles, **King Curtis with The Shirelles, ***King Curtis, ****instrumental

1963 - {Greatest Hits} Everybody Loves A Lover / Tonight's The Night / Dedicated To The One I Love / Mama Said / What A Sweet Thing That Was / Big John / Welcome Home Baby / Soldier Boy / Will You Love Me Tomorrow / Baby It's You (LP version) / Stop The Music / A Thing Of The Past / Blue Holiday / The Things I Want To Hear / It's Love That Really Counts (Scepter LP 507)

1963 - {Foolish Little Girl} Foolish Little Girl / Don't Say Goodnight And Mean Goodbye / Not For All The Money In The World / I Didn't Mean To Hurt You / Abra Ka Dabra / Hard Times / I Don't Think So / Only Time Will Tell / Ooh Poo Pah Doo / Talk Is Cheap / The Twitch / What's The Matter Baby (Scepter LP 511)

1963 - {It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World} It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World / The Music Goes 'Round And Around / Jive Is The Thing / Love On The Moon / You Satisfy My Soul / 20th Century Rock & Roll / Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah / Everybody's Goin' Mad / Boys / Around The World / 31 Flavors (Scepter LP 514)

1964 - {The Shirelles Sing The Golden Oldies} Walkin' Along / Tears On My Pillow / Lonely Teardrops / Church Bells May Ring / 100 Pounds Of Clay / Hey Baby / I Met Him On A Sunday / To Know Him Is To Love Him / Can't We Be Sweethearts / Please Be My Boyfriend / My Prayer / Runaway (Scepter LP 516)

1965 - {The Shirelles Swing The Most} What A Sweet Thing That Was / Oh No, Not My Baby / Get Rid Of Him / His Lips Get In The Way / That Boy Is Messin' Up My Mind* / Why Does Every Boy Remind Me Of You / Foolish Little Girl / A Girl Is Not A Girl / Please Go Away / I Might Like It / What Does A Girl Do / Lonesome Native Girl (Pricewise LP 4001)
*Credited on the album cover, but this song is not on the record!

1965 - {Hear & Now} Tonight You’re Gonna Fall In Love With Me / Maybe Tonight / Make The Night A Little Longer / Dooms Day / Sha La La / Don't Say Goodnight And Mean Goodbye / Lost Love / Only Time Will Tell / Hard Times / The Gospel Truth / Not For All The Money In The World (Pricewise LP 4002)

1967 - {The Shirelles Greatest Hits, Volume II} I Met Him On A Sunday / Boys / Foolish Little Girl / Don't Say Good-Night (And Mean Good-Bye) / It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World / Sha-La-La / Thank You Baby / What Is Love / Please Be My Boy Friend / To Know Him Is To Love Him / Walking Along / What Does A Girl Do / Maybe Tonight / My Heart Belongs To You (Scepter LP 560)

1967 - {Spontaneous Combustion, Recorded Live} Mama Said / Baby It's You / (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction / Knock On Wood / Boys / Tonight's The Night / Last Minute Miracle / No Doubt About It / What'd I Say / I Got You (I Feel Good) / When The Saints Go Marching In (Scepter LP 562)

1968 - {King Curtis And The Shirelles - Eternally, Soul} Mama, Here Comes The Bride** / Take The Last Train Home**** / Welcome Home Baby* / I've Got A Woman*** / I Still Want You** / Take The Last Train Home*** / Love Is A Swinging Thing* / Ooh Poo Pah Doo* / New Orleans**** / Mister Twister* / Potato Chips**** (Scepter LP 569)

*Shirelles, **King Curtis with The Shirelles, ***King Curtis, ****instrumental

(Reissue of Scepter LP 505 with new cover)

1971 - {Happy and In Love} No Sugar Tonight - New Mother Nature / Boy You're Too Young / Go Away And Find Yourself / There's Nothing In This World / Medley: Gotta Hold On To This Feeling - I've Never Found A Boy / Take Me / Dedicated To The One I Love / It's Gonna Take A Miracle / We Got A Lot Of Lovin' To Do / I Still Love You (RCA Victor LP 4581)

1972 - {The Best Of The Shirelles} Boys / I Don't Want To Cry / Sha-La-La / Everybody Loves A Lover / Big John (Ain't You Gonna Marry Me) / What A Sweet Thing That Was / Dedicated To The One I Love / Baby It's You / After Midnight When The Boys Talk About The Girls / One Hundred Pounds Of Clay / Zip A Dee Doo Dah / Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Scepter LP 18003)

1972 - {Remember When} Dedicated To The One I Love / To Know Him Is To Love Him / My Prayer / When The Boy’s Talk About Girls / Tears Of My Pillow / Only You / Soldier Boy / Will You Love Me Tomorrow? / Foolish Little Girl / Runaway / Zip A Dee Doo Dah / One Hundred Pounds Of Clay / Lonely Teardrops / What Sweet Things That Was / Baby It’s You // Tonight’s The Night / Everybody Loves A Lover / Twist And Shout / I Don’t Want To Cry No More / Que Sera Sera / Ooh Poo Pha Doo / Big John / Boys / I Met Him On A Sunday / Walking Along / Hey Baby / Sha La La / Can’t We Be Sweethearts / Church Bells May Ring / Mama Said (Scepter LP 2-599)

Unreleased:

1961 - Mama Said (with strings) (Scepter)
1963 - Getting Ready For The Heartbreak (Scepter)

n/a - Celebrate Your Victory (Scepter)

n/a - Crossroads In Your Heart (Scepter)

n/a - For My Sake (Scepter)

n/a - Go Tell Her (Scepter)

n/a - Good, Good Time (Scepter)

n/a - Groovy Guy (Scepter)

n/a - Hands Off He’s Mine (Scepter)

n/a - He’s The Only Guy I’ll Ever Love (Scepter)

n/a – Hey, Rocky (Scepter)

n/a - If I Had You (Scepter)

n/a - In The Still Of The Night (Scepter)

n/a - I’m Feeling It Too (Scepter)

n/a - I’m Yours (Scepter)

n/a - Long Day Short Night (Scepter)

n/a - One Of The Flower People (Scepter)

n/a - Remember Me (Scepter)

n/a - There Goes My Heart (Scepter)

n/a - (You’ll Know) When The Right Boy Comes Along (Scepter)

n/a - Whip It On Me (Scepter)

n/a - You Could Be My Remedy (Scepter)

n/a - You’re Under Arrest (Scepter)

Tammi Terell (bb The Shirelles) (uncredited)

Tammi Terell aka Tammy Montgomery

1967 - Sinner’s Devotion (Wand LP 682)*

*Recorded in 1961. This is one of Tammi Terell’s very earliest recordings, when she was known as Tammy Montgomery, and features the uncredited Shirelles on backing vocals.

Biography:

The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock era, defining the so-called girl group sound with their soft, sweet harmonies and yearning innocence. Their music was a blend of pop/rock and R&B - especially doo wop and smooth uptown soul - that appealed to listeners across the board, before Motown ever became a crossover phenomenon with white audiences. Even if The Shirelles were not technically the first of their kind, their success was unprecedented, paving the way for legions of imitators; their inviting musical blueprint had an enduring influence not just on their immediate followers, but on future generations of female pop singers, who often updated the style with a more modern sensibility. What was more, they provided some of the earliest hits for important Brill Building songwriters like Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and Van McCoy.

Shirley Owens (top), Beverly Lee, Doris Coley, Addie Harris

The Shirelles were originally formed in 1957 in Passaic, NJ, by four either 16 or 17 years old high school friends: Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris, Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston), and Beverly Lee. High school students, Beverly Lee and Shirley Owens began singing doo-wop songs together while they were babysitting. Imitating artists like the Flamingos, the two eventually recruited fellow classmates Doris Coley and Addie "Micki" Harris to form a group called the "Poquellos." Even more so than the male doo-wop they admired, the four modeled their a cappella jams after the Chantels, the first true girl group. After getting caught singing in the school gym, the four were forced to perform at their school's talent show. Deciding to be different by writing a song of their own, the girls got together and penned "I Met Him on a Sunday." Their talent show performance went triumphantly, receiving a standing ovation, and even more important, it got the attention of Mary Jane Greenberg, daughter of Florence Greenberg who owned Tiara, a pea-sized local record company. Greenberg, knew the song was a hit, and although the girls were hesitant at first she eventually got them into the studio to record under the production supervision of her son, Stan Green. The single immediately began to pick up steam in New York, and as airplay began to increase, Greenberg sold the record to Decca for $4000. With this transaction came a name change. Greenberg did not like the Poquellos, so names like the Honeytones and the Chanels were proposed until they eventually combined Shirley's name with the Chantels coming up with the Shirelles. Their recording of "I Met Him on a Sunday" climbed into the national Top 50 in 1958. "I Met Him on a Sunday" is a landmark single in the girl group genre. Its doo-wop derived "doo-ronde-ronde" chorus is relentlessly catchy, and the lyrics solidified the "boy" as the "mythic figure of the newly forming girl group genre. The song feels naïve, simple, but at times incredibly emotive, a combination that would last the extent of their career. Two more singles flopped, however, and Decca passed on further releases. Greenberg instead signed them to her new label, Scepter Records, and brought in producer Luther Dixon, whose imaginative, sometimes string-heavy arrangements would help shape the group's signature sound.

Addie Harris, Beverly Lee, Doris Coley, Shirley Owens

“Dedicated to the One I Love” (1959) and “Tonight’s the Night” (1960) both failed to make much of an impact on the pop charts, although the latter was a Top 20 R&B hit. However, they broke big time with the Goffin-King composition “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”; released in late 1960, it went all the way to number one pop, making them the first all-female group of the rock era to accomplish that feat; it also peaked at number two R&B. The song was banned on some US radio stations in 1960 for explicitly acknowledging that sex happens outside marriage. The tune is still magnificent, not least for the vulnerability in Shirley Owens's voice as she asks whether this would be more than just a one-night stand. Its success helped send a re-release of “Dedicated to the One I Love” into the Top Five on both the pop and R&B charts in 1961, and “Mama Said” did the same; a more R&B-flavored outing, “Big John,” also went to number two that year. 1962 continued their run of success, most notably with “Soldier Boy,” a Luther Dixon/Florence Greenberg tune that became their second pop number one; they also had a Top Ten pop and R&B hit with “Baby It's You.” Unfortunately, Dixon subsequently left the label; The Shirelles managed to score one more pop/R&B Top Ten with 1963's “Foolish Little Girl,” but found it difficult to maintain their previous level of success.

Doris Coley, Addie Harris, Beverly Lee, Shirley Owens

The group went on to record material for the film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, headlined the first integrated concert show in Alabama, and helped a young Dionne Warwick get some of her first exposure (subbing for Owens and Coley when each took a leave of absence to get married). A money dispute with Scepter tied up their recording schedule for a while in 1964, and although it was eventually settled, The Shirelles were still bound to a label where their run was essentially over. (The group wanted to leave Scepter, but long and involved legal proceedings kept the singers from signing with another label. While fighting it out with The Shirelles in court, Scepter continued releasing Shirelles material from its vaults.) Of course, this was also because of the British Invasion, whose bands were among the first to cover their songs; not only their hits, but lesser-known items like “Boys” (the Beatles) and “Sha La La” (a hit for Manfred Mann). In 1967, The Shirelles signed with Mercury and recorded the singles "There's A Storm Going On" and ''I'll Stay By Your Side," neither of which charted. That same year, Scepter released one of many Shirelles recordings it had in its vaults, "Last Minute Miracle," and saw the song reach #41 on the R&B chart. Doris Kenner left the group the following year to concentrate on raising her family, and the remaining Shirelles continued as a trio, cutting singles for Bell (as Shirley & The Shirelles), United Artists, and RCA through 1971.

Beverly Lee, Addie Harris, Shirley Owens (seated)

In 1969, the trio recorded "Look What You've Done For My Heart" for Bell. The single enjoyed some airplay in England, but charted neither there, where they had been extremely popular, nor in the States. Nor did The Shirelles see any chart action after signing with United Artists and providing a remake of "Dedicated To The One I Love." The group continued to tour the oldies circuit, however, and appeared in the 1973 documentary Let the Good Times Roll. Shirley Alston left for a solo career in 1975, upon which point Doris Kenner-Jackson returned. Micki Harris died of a heart attack during a performance in Atlanta on June 10, 1982, upon which point the group went into what turned out to be a temporary retirement; the three remaining charter members recorded together for the last time on a 1983 Dionne Warwick record. Different Shirelles lineups toured the oldies circuit in the ‘90s, though Beverly Lee eventually secured the official trademark. They were officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Doris Kenner-Jackson passed away after a bout with breast cancer in Sacramento on February 4, 2000.

Sources:

The Shirelles biography by Steve Huey at Allmusic

The Shirelles biography by Alex Henderson at Albumlinernotes

The Shirelles biography by Calpin Hoffman-Williamson at Perfect Sound Forever

The Shirelles biography at History Of Rock

The Shirelles biography at BlackCat

The Shirelles biography by Darrell Gordon at Sandpaper

The Shirelles album reviews by Joe Marchese at The Second Disc
The Shirelles press kit by Arthur Shafman

The Shirelles official website

The Shirelles discography at Rocky52

The Shirelles discography at Soulful Kinda Music

The Shirelles label scans at 45cat

Videos:

Will You Love Me Tomorrow (1963)

Will You Love Me Tomorrow (1964)

Everybody Loves A Lover (1964)

Mama Said

It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World

Photo gallery:

Shirley Owens, Beverly Lee, Addie Harris, Doris Coley

Addie Harris, Beverly Lee, Doris Coley, Shirley Owens

Shirley Owens, Addie Harris, Beverly Lee, Doris Coley

Doris Coley, Beverly Lee, Shirley Owens, Addie Harris

Shirley Owens, Beverly Lee, Doris Coley, Addie Harris

Addie Harris, Doris Coley, Beverly Lee, Shirley Owens

Shirley Owens, Addie Harris, Beverly Lee, Doris Coley

Doris Coley, Shirley Owens, Addie Harris, Beverly Lee

Shirley Owens, Beverly Lee, Doris Coley, Addie Harris

Clockwise from top: Addie Harris,Beverly Lee,Shirley Alston Reeves, Doris Coley

Top row: Doris Coley, Shirley Owens; bottom row: Beverly Lee, Addie Harris

Addie Harris (top), Doris Coley, Shirley Owens, Beverly Lee (bottom)

Doris Coley, Addie Harris, Beverly Lee, Shirley Owens

Addie Harris, Shirley Owens, Beverly Lee, Doris Coley

Addie Harris, Doris Coley, Beverly Lee, Shirley Owens

Shirley Owens, Addie Harris, Beverly Lee, Doris Coley

Addie Harris, Doris Coley, Beverly Lee, Shirley Owens

The Shirelles with Luther Dixon

French EP picture sleeve

The Shirelles with King Curtis

Addie Harris, Beverly Lee, Shirley Owens

Doris Coley, Addie Harris, Beverly Lee

Martin Luther King Jr. (seated, at right) watches The Shirelles perform during the Salute To Freedom benefit concert in Birmingham, AL August 5, 1963

Joey Adams (left), president of the American Guild of Variety Artists, and the Shirelles on stage during the Salute to Freedom benefit concert in Birmingham, Ala., August 5, 1963