The Soulettes

The Soulettes were a Vocal trio comprised of Rita Marley, Marlene Gifford and her cousin Constantine 'Vision' Walker. One day Rita found out that the Wailers passed by their house everyday. She decided to talk to them and when they passed by the next time, they sung, "What's Your Name" by Sam & Dave. Peter Tosh invited them afterwards to come to the studio. In 1964 The Soulettes began recording for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd at Studio One. In 1964 they cut "Friends And Lovers" with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer as backing vocals. Rita Anderson of that trio pairs with Bob on a duet called "Oh My Darling" also in 1964 and  “Sugar and Spice” with Roland Al and the Soul Brothers. 

 

 

They make occasional stage show appearances, but concentrated primarily on daily rehearsals to polish their sound, influenced in particular by the harmonic style of the Impressions. In 1965 The Soulettes began releasing singles with Lee Perry. “Please Don’t Go”, “That Ain’t Right”/”One More chance”, and “opportunity” in 1965

In 1966 they released “A Deh Pon Dem”, “Lala Lover”, “I Want To Be”, and “Nice Time”/” Play Play play” with The Wailers.

 

During 1966 The soulettes also released  “Don’t Care What people Say”/”Tighten Up”, “Doctor Dick” with Lee Perry, and “Rub & Squeeze” also with Lee Perry, and “Baby Come On Home” with Tony Gregory

 

“Dum Dum” followed these singles in 1967

In 1968 the group lost a member, so Nora Dean joined Rita and Cecile Campbell. They released "King Street" and "Barbwire" in 1969.

Regrettably, as the group was about to tour Canada in support of their hit, "Let It Be", Nora was taken ill and replaced by Hortense Lewis. 

In 1969 the lineup was revised: Rita Marley, Hortense Lewis and Cecile Campbell. In 1970 they released an LP called "Jamaica Magic" with the mento singer Lloyd Wilks. The LP includes tracks include 4 familiar mento selections (like Banana Boat (Day-O) / Star-O), plus 8 originals written by Cornel Lumiere. The music is best described as easy listening as played by a jazz combo. The last recording found was “Same Thing” in

Bettye swann

 

 

Bettye Swann Was born Betty Jean Champion in Arcadia, Louisiana where she sang in a trio known as the Fawn. At the age of nineteen Swann moved to California, to pursue her dream of becoming a singer and songwriter. On her twentieth birthday she signed with Money Records, and in 1964 she released “Don’t Wait Too Long” 

The Northern Soul Classics, “The Man That Said No” and “The Heartache Is gone” soon followed in 1965.

Bettye Swann’s big breakthrough came with "Make Me Yours" in 1967. 

Swann followed with the release of several Northern Soul Classics “Fall In Love With Me” B/W “Lonely Love”, “You Gave Me love", "I Think I’m Falling In Love” and “Don’t Take My Mind”.

In 1968 Bettye Swann went to Capitol Records, and teamed up with Wayne Shuler and released “My heart Is Closed For The Season”, “I’m Lonely For you” and “Don’t Touch Me”

In 1969 Swann released “Don't you ever get tired of hurting me” B/W “Willie & Laura Mae Jones”
 

During the seventies Bettye Swann went to Atlantis Records were she released “Victim of a foolish heart” “Kiss my love goodbye” “When the game is played on you”.

In 1975 Swann Released “Just as sure”, a duet with Sam Dees on the Big Tree Label.

Swann’s last public performance was in 2013 in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England.

Peggy Santiglia

 Peggy Santiglia was born on May 4^th, 1944 in Belleville, New Jersey, United States where she was raised in a musical family with two older siblings, Phyllis "Jiggs" and Barbara "Bibs" Allbut.

In 1958 she and childhood friends Denise Ferri and Arleen Lanzotti formed The Delicates. Starting out at the Brill Building in New York City under the management of Ted Eddy (Louis Prima's manager), they recorded for Tender, Unart, United Artists and Roulette. I
The Delicates were most famous for writing the Murray The K theme song, “The Submarine Race Watchers Theme” and appearing at many Murray the K concerts including several at the Brooklyn Fox Theatre.

In 1959 they released a song that they wrote called "Black and White Thunderbird" on the Unart label produced by Don Costa. It became a significant hit on the East Coast, which afforded The Delicates  a guest spot on American Bandstand on March 8, 1960.

Santiglia was then asked to join sisters Phyllis "Jiggs” and Barbara "Bibs" Allbut, replacing Linda Jansen as lead singer in The Angels in 1962, for live performances. In 1963, on the Smash label, along producers FGG the Angels released. "My Boy Friend's Back" became a #1 hit. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Two albums followed the single.

In 1965, Peggy again teamed up Denise, Bernadette and to do backup session work. Their unique sound and special blend of voices made them a sought after group by producers such as Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. Each of the girls had their own careers, both together and separately. The three girls provided background sounds on Frankie Valli recordings including "The Proud One", "Cry for Me" which is featured in the Broadway hit "Jersey Boys", "You’re Ready Now" and “Beggin” which are considered Northern Soul anthems. 

They are most noted for their work with Lou Christie on MGM hits such as "Trapeze" which is featured in the movie "Before Sunrise" with Ethan Hawke, "Painter", "Rhapsody in the Rain", "Jungle" and Lou’s #1 smash hit "Lightning Strikes". They also recorded a Pepsi-Cola commercial with Lou, "Come alive, you're in the Pepsi generation," which was a classic of the times.

At this time the group "Jessica James and The Outlaws" was formed. With Peggy on the lead and Bernadette and Denise on backup, they recorded "Give Her Up Baby", "Come Closer" and "We’ll Be Makin Out" in which Lou Christie provided backing vocals.

In the early '70s Santiglia became the lead vocalist for Dusk, a girl group formed by Bell Records producers Hank Medress and Dave Appell in an effort to continue the success they had with the group Tony Orlando and Dawn. The group released three singles: "Angel Baby", "I Hear the Church Bells Ringing" and "Treat Me Like a Good Piece of Candy".
None of them rose above #53 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart, and the effort was abandoned. Santiglia was offered a position as one of the touring members of Dawn behind Tony Orlando, but declined. "Sweet, Sweet City Rhythm" was produced in 1978 by Billy Terrell under her real name Peggy Santiglia for Tiki Records.

In 1998, the Angels filed suit against a songwriting and production team called F.G.G. Productions and two record companies, contending that they were owed 35 years of unpaid royalties. After 11 years, the lawsuit has not been resolved.
Santiglia has continued to perform in live concerts with The Angels and on television throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. In 2008, she recorded her first album of new material with The Angels since the late 1970s (Love, The Angels).

The Isley Brothers

The Isley Brothers first formed in the early 1950s, and have had one of the longest, and most diverse careers in music. The Isley Brothers have over a half-century of history. Their music has crossed over from R&B to Motown soul and funk. The first generation of Isley siblings was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, where they were encouraged to begin a singing career by their father, who himself was a professional vocalist, and their mother was a church pianist who provided musical accompaniment at their early performances. Initially a gospel quartet, the group was comprised of  Ronald, Rudolph, O'Kelly, and Vernon Isley; after Vernon's 1955 death in a bicycling accident, tenor Ronald became lead vocalist. In 1957, the brothers went to New York City to record a string of doo wop singles; while performing a spirited rendition of "Lonely Teardrops" in Washington, D.C. 

Two years later, they interjected the line "You know you make me want to shout," which inspired frenzied audience feedback. An RCA executive in the audience saw the concert, and signed The Isleys soon after, he instructed that their first single be constructed around their catch phrase.

 "Shout" failed to reach the pop Top 40 on its initial release; it eventually became a frequently covered classic.

Success eluded The Isleys, and only after they left RCA in 1962 did they again have another hit, this time with their seminal cover of The Top Notes' "Twist and Shout." 

Like so many of the brothers' early R&B records, "Twist and Shout" earned greater commercial success when later rendered by a white group -- in this case, The Beatles; other acts who notched hits by closely following The Isleys' blueprint were The Yardbirds ("Respectable," also covered by The Outsiders), The Human Beinz ("Nobody but Me"), and Lulu ("Shout"). 

During a 1964 tour, they recruited a young guitarist named Jimmy James to play in their backing band; James -- who later shot to fame under his given name, Jimi Hendrix -- made his first recordings with The Isleys, including the single "Testify," issued on the brothers' own T-Neck label. 

They signed to the Motown subsidiary Tamla in 1965, where they joined forces with the famed  Holland-Dozier-Holland writing and production team. Their first single, the shimmering "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)," was their finest moment yet, and barely missed the pop Top Ten.

"This Old Heart of Mine" was their only hit on Motown. 

When the song hit number three in Britain in 1967,The Isley's relocated to England in order to sustain their flagging career; after years of writing their own material, they felt straitjacketed by the Motown assembly-line production formula, and by the time they returned stateside in 1969, they had exited Tamla to resuscitate the T-Neck label. Their next release, the muscular and funky "It's Your Thing," hit number two on the U.S. charts in 1969, and became their most successful record. 

That year, the Isleys also recruited new members as younger brothers Ernie and Marvin, brother-in-law Chris Jasper, and family friend Everett Collins became the trio's new backing unit. Spearheaded by Ernie's hard-edged guitar leads, the group began incorporating more and more rock material into their music. During the 1970s the Isleys scored hits with covers of Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With," Eric Burdon & Wars' "Spill the Wine," and Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay."

In 1973, The Isleys had a massive hit with their rock-funk fusion cover of their own earlier single "Who's That Lady," retitled "That Lady, Pt. 1". 

The album 3+3 also proved highly successful, as well as 1975's The Heat Is On, which featured the smash "Fight the Power, Pt. 1." Later in the decade the group again changed its sound to fit into the booming disco market; while their success on pop radio ran dry, they frequently topped the R&B charts with singles like 1977's "The Pride," 1978's "Take Me to the Next Phase, Pt. 1," 1979's "I Wanna Be With You, Pt. 1," and 1980's "Don't Say Goodnight." 

While The Isleys' popularity continued into the 1980s, Ernie and Marvin, along with Chris Jasper, defected in 1984 to form their own group, Isley Jasper Isley; a year later, they topped the R&B charts with "Caravan of Love." On March 31, 1986, O'Kelly died of a heart attack; Rudolph soon left to join the ministry, but the group reunited in 1990.

 

Although the individual members continued with solo work and side projects, and also experienced misfortune along the way, The Isley Brothers forged on in one form or another throughout the '90s and on into the new millennium. In 1996, now consisting of Ronald, Marvin, and Ernie, they released the album Mission to Please; however, Marvin developed diabetes and left the band the following year -- the disease later necessitated the amputation of both his legs. Ronald and Ernie hooked up for the release of 2001's Eternal, a brand-new selection of R&B cuts featuring collaborative efforts with  Jill Scott, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and Raphael Saadiq. On that particular release, Ronald also introduced the alter ego Mr. Biggs. Body Kiss was released in 2003, followed by Baby Makin' Music in 2006, the year after Ronald was convicted of tax evasion charges. Experiencing his own set of serious health issues, Ronald was sentenced to prison and served the latter portion of his sentence at a halfway house in St. Louis, MO before being released in April 2010. On June 6 of that year, Marvin died of complications from diabetes at the age of 56.

William Bell

William Bell born William Yarborough on July 16, 1939, He got his start backing
Rufus Thomas, and in 1957 recorded his first sides as a member of The Del Rios. After joining
the Stax staff as a writer, in 1961 Bell made his solo debut with the self-penned "You Don't Miss
Your Water," a blend of country and soul and one of the label's first big hits. It remains a classic soul records from the Memphis scene.

A two-year Armed Forces stint effectively derailed his career, however, and he did not release his first fulllength album, The Soul of A Bell, until 1967, generating a Top 20 hit with the single "Everybody
Loves a Winner"; that same year, Albert King also scored with another classic Bell composition,
the oft-covered "Born Under a Bad Sign."

Bell’s next solo hit, 1968's "A Tribute to a King," was a poignant farewell to the late Otis
Redding.

Bell's R&B Top Ten hit "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" soon followed.

and a series of duets with Judy Clay, most notably "Private Number," also earned airplay.

In 1969, Bell moved to Atlanta and set up his own label, Peachtree. In 1977 Bell made a major comeback with "Trying to Love Two," which topped the R&B charts.

In 1985, he founded another label, Wilbe, and released "Passion", which found its most receptive
audiences in the U.K.

"I Don't Want to Wake Up Feeling Guilty," a duet with Janice Bullocks, was a minor U.S. hit.

In addition to subsequent LPs, including 1989's On A Roll and 1992’s Bed Time Stories. In 1987 Bell was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, that same year receiving the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's R&B Pioneer Award. After 1992,Bell took a lengthy hiatus from the recording studio, though he still performed regularly. In 2000, he released an album of all-new material on Wilbe entitled A Portrait Is Forever and followed it six years later with New Leases On Life In between he was honored with the 2003 W.C. Handy Heritage Award.

Maxine Brown

Maxine Ella Brown was born August 18, 1939 in Kingstree, South Carolina. Maxine Brown began singing as a child, performing with New York based gospel groups the Angelairs and the Royaltones. When she was a teenager. In 1960, she signed with Nomar Records, which released the smooth soul ballad "All in My Mind" (which was written by Maxine) late in the year. 

The single became a hit, climbing to number two on the US R&B charts and number 19 on the pop charts, and it was quickly followed by "Funny", which peaked at number three.

In Maxine Brown Also released "One Step At A time" in 1965 and "One In A Million" in 1966, which were both were Northern Soul Classics.

Brown moved to ABC-Paramount Records in 1962, but left the label after an unsuccessful year and recording several non-chart singles for the label, and signed to the New York-based uptown soul label, Wand Records, a Scepter Records subsidiary, in 1963.

Brown recorded a string of sizable hits for Wand over the next three years. Among these were the Carole King/ Gerry Goffin songs "Oh No Not my baby", which reached number 24 on the pop charts in 1964, and "It's Gonna Be Alright", which peaked at #26 the following year. 

 

She also recorded duets with label-mate Chuck Jackson, including a reworked version of an Alvin Robinson hit, "Something You Got", which climbed to #10 on the R&B chart. 

However, the company turned its focus to other bigger-selling acts, especially Dionne Warwick.

All backing vocals for Maxine's records were performed by Cissy Houston and the Sweet Inspirations (the same group that backed Elvis presley) plus emerging writer-producers Nick Ashford And Valerie Simpson. Hoping to increase the line of hits for Maxine and her singing partner, Chuck Jackson, Ashford and Simpson took their song catalog to Scepter Records looking for a deal. When they were turned down, the couple approached Berry Gordy at  Motown Records who immediately hired them. Songs that were penned for Maxine and Chuck became blockbuster hits for Ray Charles, such as "Let's Go Get Stoned" (co-written by Jo Armstead), as well as Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrel's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

In 1969 Maxine left Wand for Commonwealth United, where she recorded two singles, the first "We'll Cry Together" reached #10 in the Billboard R&B chart and also made the lower reaches of the Hot 100.

 A spell with Avco Records followed, but her later recordings generally met with little commercial success. Despite her seeming lack of visibility, Brown is acknowledged as one of the finer R&B vocalist of her time, able to handle soul, jazz, and  pop.