 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(September 2012) |
The Fleetwoods | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Olympia, Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, doo-wop |
| Years active | 1958–1983 |
| Labels | Dolton Records, Liberty Records |
| Past members | Gary Troxel Gretchen Christopher Barbara Ellis |
The Fleetwoods were an American vocal group from Olympia, Washington, whose members were Gary Troxel (born November 28, 1939), Gretchen Christopher (born February 29, 1940), and Barbara Ellis (born February 20, 1940). [1] [2]
The band members met as high school students in Olympia, Washington. Originally the band consisted of only Gretchen Christopher and Barbara Ellis, but Gary Troxel was asked to accompany them with jazz trumpet, later switching to vocals. [3] They then started performing in 1958 as "Two Girls and a Guy" but later changed the name to the Fleetwoods after the Fleetwood telephone exchange. [4]
In 1959, they were noticed by producer and Dolton Records founder Bob Reisdorff, and together they recorded their self-written first hit, "Come Softly to Me," which shot to #1 in Billboard and was also covered by others. [5] [6] The UK's Frankie Vaughan and the Kaye Sisters had a top 10 chart hit in the United Kingdom with the song, though the Fleetwoods exceeded them, simultaneously charting in the UK's top 5. [7] Their second hit, "Graduation's Here," was co-written by Ellis and Christopher, with Troxel later adding a scat line in counterpoint. That one was followed by "Mr. Blue," which, like "Come Softly To Me", also topped the US pop chart. [1]
The Fleetwoods continued recording into the 1960s. They hit the Top 10 again with a cover of Thomas Wayne's "Tragedy" in 1961. [1] Though they went on to have a total of eleven hits on the Hot 100, the beginning of the end for the group came when Troxel had to fulfill his obligation to go onto active duty in the United States Navy, as he had joined the Naval Reserve in 1956. Additionally, the British Invasion of the mid 1960s changed the public's taste. The trio's hits ended in 1963 with Barbara Ellis singing lead on "Goodnight My Love". Vic Dana, who was to go on to a successful solo career, [1] replaced Troxel in the group when he was in the service, solely for live performances. [8]
In the late 1970s, Troxel was working in a plywood plant in Washington, Ellis was managing a trailer park in California and Christopher was a housewife and modern jazz dance teacher in Washington at St. Martin's College and at Evergreen State College. [9] Ellis is now retired from performing. In 1983, Troxel gave his written resignation from The Fleetwoods, leaving Christopher as manager with the sole authority to contract for both the original and replacement Fleetwoods. Troxel formed a new Fleetwoods group in the 1980s. His group has been performing regularly since the mid 1980s doing several "oldies" concerts each year with two performances on the PBS Doo Wop, Pop and Soul Generations (My Music) series. [10]
While Christopher trained replacement Fleetwoods, she also resumed her solo music career, billing herself as "Gretchen Christopher of the Fleetwoods." Both Troxel and Christopher each continue to perform and occasionally release new recordings. A new Fleetwoods version of "Graduation's Here" appeared on Christopher's autobiographical solo album, Gretchen's Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16), which is one of the 2007 Billboard critics' picks for 10 Best Albums of the Year. It included both the hit arrangement of "Come Softly To Me" and an a cappella version, with Christopher singing all the parts.
Since their 1988 induction into the Northwest Area Music Association Hall of Fame and their 2005 induction into the Olympia High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame, The Fleetwoods have been inducted into both the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame of America in 2006. [11] [3]
The November 2007 release of Gretchen's Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16) was launched in Las Vegas with the second Annual Cool Bobby B Doo Wop Convention and Grand Finale Concert, headlined by 'The Fleetwoods starring Gretchen Christopher.' [12] A year later, though, all three originals were inducted and invited to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Christopher was the only original member of the Fleetwoods who accepted, attended and performed, dedicating songs to each of her absent partners. Troxel had every intention of attending but decided it was more important to be with his wife, because of her breast cancer treatment.
In 2000, Troxel and his wife Jenifer lost Troxel v. Granville , a landmark grandparents' rights case before the Supreme Court of the United States. The court held that under the United States Constitution, non-parents seeking custody or visitation rights of a child against the wishes of the child's parents must prove that the parents are not acting in the best interest of the child in refusing custody or visitation. [13] [14]
In 2008 and 2009, Christopher testified before the Washington State Senate in support of the Truth in Music Advertising Bill, which, in 2009, passed both the Washington State House and Senate unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Chris Gregoire. [15] The law provides that a performing group shall not be advertised by the name of a recording group, unless the performing group includes from the hit-making recording group at least one original member who is authorized to use the name. The authorization resides solely with Christopher, according to the performance contract and resignation signed by Troxel.
To date, The Fleetwoods are the earliest vocal group to have a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 with all members still living.
| A-Side | B-Side From same album as A-side except where indicated | Year | Label + Cat. No. | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 [16] | US R&B [16] | CAN | UK [17] | |||||
| "Come Softly to Me" | "I Care So Much" | 1959 | Dolphin 1 Liberty 55188 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 6 | Mr. Blue |
| "Graduation's Here" | "Oh Lord Let It Be" (from Mr. Blue) | Dolton 3 | 39 | — | 38 | — | The Fleetwoods Greatest Hits | |
| "Mr. Blue" | Dolton 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | Mr. Blue | ||
| "You Mean Everything to Me" | 84 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Outside My Window" | "Magic Star" (from Goodnight My Love) | 1960 | Dolton 15 | 28 | — | — | — | The Fleetwoods: Gretchen, Gary and Barbara |
| "Runaround" | "Truly Do" | Dolton 22 | 23 | — | 25 | — | ||
| "The Last One to Know" | "Dormilona" | Dolton 27 | 96 | — | — | — | Softly | |
| "Confidential" | "I Love You So" (from Softly) | Dolton 30 | — | — | — | — | Mr. Blue | |
| "Bazoom (I Need Your Lovin')" | "Little White Cloud That Cried" (from Softly) | 1961 | Dolton 37 (cancelled) | — | — | — | — | The Fleetwoods Sing The Best Goodies of The Oldies |
| "Tragedy" | "Little Miss Sad One" | Dolton 40 | 10 | — | 7 | — | Softly | |
| "(He's) The Great Imposter" | "Poor Little Girl" | Dolton 45 | 30 | — | 7 | — | Deep In A Dream | |
| "Billy Old Buddy" | "Trouble" | 1962 | Dolton 49 | — | — | — | — | Non-LP tracks |
| "Jimmy Beware" | "Bazoom (I Need Your Lovin')" (from The Fleetwoods Sing The Best Goodies of The Oldies) | Dolton 54 (cancelled) | — | — | — | — | Goodnight My Love | |
| "Lovers by Night, Strangers by Day" | "They Tell Me It's Summer" (Non-LP track) | Dolton 62 | 36 | — | — | — | The Fleetwoods Sing for Lovers By Night | |
| "Sure Is Lonesome Downtown" | "You Should Have Been There" (Non-LP track) | 1963 | Dolton 74 | 114 (B-side) | — | — | — | Goodnight My Love |
| "Goodnight My Love" | "Jimmy Beware" | Dolton 75 | 32 | — | — | — | ||
| "What'll I Do" | "Baby Bye-O" | Dolton 86 | — | — | — | — | Non-LP tracks | |
| "Ruby Red Baby Blue" | "Lonesome Town" | 1964 | Dolton 93 | 134 | — | — | — | |
| "Ska Light, Ska Bright" (Jamaica Ska) | "Ten Times Blue" | Dolton 97 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Mr. Sandman" | "This Is My Prayer (Non Ho l'Età Per Amarti)" | Dolton 98 | 113 | — | — | — | Before and After | |
| "Before and After (Losing You)" | "Lonely Is as Lonely Does" | Dolton 302 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Come Softly to Me" (1965 Version) | "I'm Not Jimmy" | 1965 | Dolton 307 | — | — | — | — | Non-LP tracks |
| "Rainbow" | "Just as I Need You" | Dolton 310 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "For Lovin' Me" | "This Is Where I See Her" | 1966 | Dolton 315 | — | — | — | — | Folk Rock |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||
Doo-wop is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables is a common characteristic of these songs. Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was "artistically and commercially viable" until the early 1960s and continued to influence performers in other genres.
The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens, Doris Coley, Addie "Micki" Harris, and Beverly Lee.
The Moonglows were an American R&B group in the 1950s. Their song "Sincerely" went to number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 20 on the Billboard Juke Box chart.
The Marcels were an American doo-wop group known for turning popular music songs into rock and roll. The group formed in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and signed to Colpix Records with lead Cornelius Harp, bass Fred Johnson, Gene Bricker, Ron Mundy, and Richard Knauss. The group was named after a popular hair style of the day, the marcel wave, by Fred Johnson's younger sister Priscilla.
The Dells were an American R&B vocal group. Formed in high school in 1953 by founding members Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill, under the name the El-Rays. They released their first recording in 1954 and two years later had their first R&B hit with "Oh What a Night". After disbanding due to a near-fatal car crash in 1958, the band re-formed in 1960 with Funches being replaced by Johnny Carter. This lineup remained together until Carter's death in 2009. In 2004 the Dells were inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The group performed until illness forced longtime lead singer Marvin Junior and bass vocalist Chuck Barksdale into retirement, ending the group's 60-year run.
The Avons were a British pop vocal group. Originally composed of Valerie Murtagh and Elaine Murtagh, and known as 'The Avon Sisters', they added Raymond S. Adams, and changed their name to 'The Avons'.
The Clovers are an American rhythm and blues/doo-wop vocal group who became one of the biggest selling acts of the 1950s. They had a top 30 US hit in 1959 with the Leiber and Stoller song "Love Potion No. 9".
Little Anthony and the Imperials is an American rhythm and blues/soul vocal group from New York City founded by Clarence Collins in the 1950s and named in part for its lead singer, Jerome Anthony "Little Anthony" Gourdine, who was noted for his high-pitched voice. In addition to Collins and Gourdine, the original Imperials included Ernest Wright, Gloster "Nate" Rogers, and Tracy Lord, the last two of whom were subsequently replaced by Sammy Strain.
"Sh-Boom" is an early doo-wop song by the R&B vocal group The Chords. It was written by James Keyes, Claude Feaster, Carl Feaster, Floyd F. McRae, and William Edwards, members of The Chords, and published in 1954. It is sometimes considered the first doo-wop or rock 'n' roll record to reach the top ten on the pop charts, as it was a top-10 hit that year for both the Chords and The Crew-Cuts. In 2004, it was ranked No. 215 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time".
Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs were an American doo-wop/R&B vocal group in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Originally the (Royal) Charms, the band changed its name to the Gladiolas in 1957 and the Excellos in 1958, before finally settling on the Zodiacs in 1959.
The Jive Five were an American doo-wop group. They are best known for their debut hit single, "My True Story" (1961), the Nickelodeon bumper jingles in the 1980s and 1990s, and the fact that they outlasted most of their musical peers by re-modeling themselves as a soul group in the 1970s and beyond.
The Spaniels were an American R&B and doo-wop group, best known for the hit "Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite".
"Come Softly to Me" is a popular song recorded by The Fleetwoods, composed of Gretchen Christopher, Barbara Ellis, and Gary Troxel, who also wrote it. The original title was "Come Softly", but was changed en route to its becoming a hit. Bob Reisdorf, the owner of Dolphin Records, which in 1960 changed to Dolton Records, was responsible for the title change. He thought that "Come Softly" might be too obvious and considered risqué, so he had it changed to "Come Softly to Me." The title phrase never appears in the song's lyrics.
"In the Still of the Nite", also subsequently titled "In the Still of the Night", is a song written by Fred Parris and recorded by his band the Five Satins. Originally the song was titled "(I'll Remember) In the Still of the Nite" to distinguish itself from Cole Porter's "In the Still of the Night.” Later the title was changed to "In the Still of the Night".
"I Only Have Eyes for You" is a song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin. The song was written for the 1934 film Dames, in which it was performed by Dick Powell. Several other successful recordings of the song were made in 1934, and it later became a hit for the Flamingos in 1959 and Art Garfunkel in 1975.
Three Hearts is the second solo album by rock musician and former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Welch.
The Solitaires were an American doo-wop group, best known for their 1957 hit single "Walking Along". Although they never had a national chart hit, they were one of the most popular vocal groups in New York in the late 1950s.
The Innocents were an American pop group from Sun Valley, California, United States. The trio existed primarily between 1958 and 1964, although they did reform in the 1990s.
Kenny Vance is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer who was a founding member of Jay and the Americans. His career spans from the 1950s to today, with projects ranging from starting doo-wop groups to music supervising to creating solo albums.
"It's Too Soon to Know" is an American doo-wop ballad by Deborah Chessler (1923–2012), performed first by The Orioles. It was number one on the American Rhythm and blues charts in November 1948. It is considered by some to be the first "rock and roll" song, and described by others as "the first rhythm and blues vocal group harmony recording".
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
