The Ad Libs aka The Ad-Libs

The Ad Libs aka The Ad-Libs

(Bayonne, New Jersey)

Ref. The Creators (3)

The Ad Libs (1964)

Group members:

1st lineup (1964 - 1966)

Mary Ann Thomas (lead)

Danny Austin (tenor)

Norman Donegan (baritone)

Hugh Harris (tenor and lead)

David Allen Watt (bass)

2nd lineup (1966 – 1968)

Irene Baxter aka Irene Baker (lead and soprano)

Rose Myers (soprano)

Arthur Robinson (lead)

Hugh Harris (tenor)

David Allen Watt (bass)

3rd lineup (1968 - 1975)

Linda Goodson (lead)

Danny Austin (tenor)

Hugh Harris (lead)

Norman Donegan (tenor)

David Allen Watt (bass)

4th lineup (1975 - 1982)

Natalie ? (lead)

Eller Weas Little

Chris Bartley (lead)

Jimmy Hollinger

David Allen Watt (bass)

5th lineup (1988)

Mary Ann Thomas (lead)

Abby Grant

Chris Bartley (lead)

Ray Block

David Allen Watt (bass)

Discography:

The Creators

1962 - I’ll Never Never Do It Again / Boy He’s Got It (T-Kay 110)

1962 - Yeah He’s Got It / Boy He’s Got It (instrumental) (Philips 40058)

1962 - I’ll Stay Home (New Year’s Eve) / Shoom Ba Boo (Philips 40083)

The Ad Libs

Singles:

1964- The Boy From New York City / Kicked Around  (Blue Cat 102)

1965 - He Ain’t No Angel / Ask Anybody (Blue Cat 114)

1965 - On The Corner / Oo-Wee Oh Mee Oh My (Blue Cat 119)

1966 - Johnny My Boy / I’m Just A Down Home Girl (Blue Cat 123)

1966 - Human / New York In The Dark (A.G.P. 100)

1966 - Every Boy And Girl / Think Of Me (Karen 1527)

1967 - You’re In Love / Don’t Ever Leave Me (Philips 40461)

1968 - You’re Just A Rolling Stone / Show A Little Appreciation (Share 101)

1968 - Giving Up / Appreciation (Share 104)

1969 - Nothing Worse Than Being Alone / If She Wants Him (Share 106)

1970 - Love Me / Know All About You (Capitol 2944)

1977 - Dance With Me, Children (Part 1) / Dance With Me, Children (Part 2) (Right-On 105)

1982 - I Don’t Need No Fortune Teller / Spring And Summer (Passion 1)

1988 - I Stayed Home / I Stayed Home (acapella) (Johnnie Boy 1)

1988 - The Tide Has Turned / The Tide Has Turned (instrumental) (Johnnie Boy 2)

1988 - Close To Me / Close To Me (instrumental) (Johnnie Boy 3)

1989 - I Stayed Home / Santa’s On His Way (Johnnie Boy 4)

Album:

1967 - {New York City To L.A. -– Acappella All The Way!} Human / New York In The Dark (Various Artists) (Acappella Records LP 1001)

Unreleased:

1964 - Come On And Help Me (acapella demo) (Blue Cat)

1964 - Kicked Around (acapella demo) (Blue Cat)

1964 - Kicked Around (alternate version) (Blue Cat)

1964 - Oo-Wee Oh Me Oh My (acapella demo) (Blue Cat)

1964 - Oo-Wee Oh Me Oh My (alternate version) (Blue Cat)

1964 - Santa’s On His Way (acapella demo) (Blue Cat)

1964 - Strange Things (acapella demo) (Blue Cat)

1964 - The Tide Has Turned (acapella demo) (Blue Cat)

1964 - The Boy From New York City (acapella demo) (Blue Cat)

1964 - The Boy From New York City (backing track, no lead vocal) (Blue Cat)

1964 - The Boy From New York City (alternate version) (Blue Cat)

1965 - Johnny My Boy (alternate version) (Blue Cat)

1965 - The Slime (Blue Cat)

1965 - You'll Always Be In Style (Blue Cat)

Biography:

The Ad-Libs might seem like an odd combo to call a "girl group." After all, the band consisted of one woman and four men. But their sound was thoroughly in the girl-group style. Their release, "The Boy from New York City," was a monster hit in early 1965 and was later covered by Manhattan Transfer.

The Ad Libs (1964)

The strong voice that led "The Boy from New York City" was that of Mary Ann Thomas. Prior to her joining the group, the all-male band, from New Jersey, was called the Creators. Consisting of Hugh Harris, Danny Austin, James Wright, John Alan and Chris Cole, the group had a virtually invisible release in 1963 with "I'll Stay Home."

The Ad Libs (1964)

They re-grouped in 1964, with only Hugh Harris and Danny Austin staying, and were joined by Dave Watt and Norman Donegan. They added Mary Ann Thomas as their female lead. Under the tutelage of songwriter John Taylor, a saxophone player who had been in the music business since the 1930s, they created a new sound heavily influenced by jazz and big band flavors.

The Ad Libs (1965)

But what to name the new group, who wanted to differentiate themselves from the Creators name? Though they were pressured to call the group the Cheerios (perhaps by Taylor), they instead chose a name based on a hot New York nightclub.

The Ad Libs (1965)

The Ad-Libs, as they were now known, cut a demo with Taylor that featured a driving piano rhythm: "The Boy From New York City." Taylor presented the demo to Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller of Blue Cat Records. It was an unknown group, but the song had snap and they agreed to give it a try, releasing it as a single in December 1964.

By March 1965, the song reached number eight on the pop charts. For their second hit, the group used a back-catalogue song written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, "He Ain't No Angel." The song had been earlier recorded in a fast-paced, gospel style by Leola & The Love Joys.

The Ad Libs (1965)

It wasn't the right song for the right group, even with the Ad-Libs' treatment of the song. (The Barry/Greenwich tune "Chapel of Love" had a similar fate: Phil Spector wasn't pleased with the Ronettes' version and wouldn't release it. When the Dixie Cups recorded it later, Greenwich knew their treatment of it was a can't-miss sound, and it became a number-one hit.)

The Ad Libs (1967)

Two other singles by the Ad-Libs ("On the Corner" and the funky "Just a Down Home Girl") failed to chart, and the Ad-Libs were dropped by the Blue Cat label.

Chris Bartley & The Ad Libs (1977)

They tried singles with other record labels ("Think of Me" on Karen Records and "New York in the Dark" on Eskee Records), then signed with Share Records of New York and released "Giving It Up," which made it to 34 on the R & B charts. During the next years, there were group member changes and more songs but none of them scored. Their last releases were many years later, with "I Stayed Home (New Year's Eve)" in 1988 and "Santa's On His Way" in 1999.

The Ad Libs (1981)

Their time was truly brief but blazing: in the day when albums could quickly be slapped together by adding the group's demos if they hit it hot, the Ad-Libs never had an album release when they were famous. Sadly, Mary Ann Thomas passed away a few years ago of pancreatic cancer.

Source:

Excerpt from Girl Groups

Photo Gallery:

Links:

The Ad Libs biography by Bryan Thomas at All Music Guide

The Ad Libs biograpy by Pam and Charlie Horner at Classic Urban Harmony 

The Ad Libs biography by Micheal Jack Kirby at Way Back Attack 

The Ad Libs biography at Soulwalking 

The Ad Libs biography at History Of Rock 

The Ad Libs biography by John M. Tryneski at Pop Matters 

The Ad Libs biography at Billboard 

The Ad Libs discography at Soulful Kinda Music 

The Ad Libs label scans at 45cat 

 Songs:

The Creators

I’ll Never Never Do It Again

Boy He’s Got It

Yeah, He’s Got It

I’ll Stay Home (New Year’s Eve)

Shoom Ba Boo

The Ad Libs

The Boy From New York City

Kicked Around

He Ain’t No Angel

Ask Anybody

On The Corner

Oo-Wee Oh Mee Oh My

Oo-Wee Oh Mee Oh My (unreleased acapella demo)

Oo-Wee Oh Mee Oh My (unreleased alternate version)

Johnny My Boy

Johnny My Boy (unreleased alternate version)

I’m Just A Down Home Girl

Human

Human (acapella)

New York In The Dark

New York In The Dark (acapella)

Every Boy And Girl

Think Of Me

You’re In Love

Don’t Ever Leave Me

You’re Just A Rolling Stone

Appreciation aka Show A Little Appreciation

Giving Up

Nothing Worse Than Being Alone

If She Wants Him

Love Me

Dance With Me Children Pt. 1

Know All About You

I Don’t Need No Fortune Teller

The Slime

You'll Always Be In Style

The Boy From New York City (alternate version & backing track)

The Boy From New York City (acapella demo)

Come On And Help Me

Santa’s On His Way

Strange Things

The Tide Has Turned