One of my favourite 'unsung' girl groups just has to be Chicago's The Lovelites. I thought I'd already posted a feature on them but, although they have
appeared several times on the blog, they haven't been given a proper
profile so it's time to correct that.
Like many others, possibly, my first introduction to them was via their
big Northern Soul tune "Get It Off My Conscience" in the mid 70s which was released on their own logo Lovelite in 1975.
Such was it's popularity that it gained a UK release on John Anderson's
Grapevine label in 1978. It was a bit of a more funky departure from their
earlier sweet soul sound and was their last recording.
As is, sadly, so often the case, despite the quality of their recordings,
only two singles made it into the R&B chart, "How Can I You Tell My Mom & Dad" (#15 R&B #60 Hot 100 1969) and "My Conscience" (#36 R&B 1971).
They were formed in 1967 and originally consisted of sisters Patti
Hamilton and Rozena Petty and their friend Barbara Peterman. They
recorded their first single in 1967 for the local Chicago label,
Bandera Records. After this single Peterman left the group in 1968,
and was replaced by Ardell McDaniel.
Their next single "How Can I Tell My Mom & Dad" first appeared on Lock Records. It was about teen pregnancy, a taboo
subject in the 60s. The song was written by Patti Hamilton and
produced by ex Chi-Lite Clarence Johnson who would later manager the
group. The single did well locally and gained them a contact with MCA
subsidiary Uni who reissued the single which did well enough for them to release their sole album "With Love From The Lovelites" in 1970.
Deniece Williams was briefly a member but left when asked to join
Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove. Joni Berlman replaced Petty in 1970
leaving only Patti Hamilton as an original member.
After leaving Uni, Johnson set up their own imprint Lovelite and
their first release on the logo, "My Conscience", in Nov 1970 was a top 40 R&B hit. After the single Rhonda
Grayson replaced McDaniel in 1971.
There were two further releases on Lovelite, one a cover of the best
song ever recorded by Martha & The Vandellas "My Baby Loves Me" as Patti & The Lovelites before they signed to Cotillion.
The first release on the label was a cover of a Northern Soul classic
recorded by Keanya Collins "Barnabus Collins - Love Bandit" in 1969
(written by Collins under the alias Renee Marks) shortened to just "Love Bandit". Only one more single was released on Cotillion before they were
back on their own label with "Love So Strong" which was picked up by 20th Century in 1973.The group released just
one more single, again on Lovelite, which was the one picked up
on by the Northern Soul scene from 1975.
To my knowledge there are three compilations of their material "This Love Is Real" (1994), "The Lovelite Years" (1999) and "Sisters of Soul - The Sweeter Voices of Soul" (2012) which contains 20 of their songs along with 8 by 70s group
The Fuzz from Washington D.C. who also had a big Northern Soul tune
"I'm So Glad" (included on the comp) which got a released in UK on the
Pye Disco Demand series in 1974.
The two final tracks are oddities, one a cover of Tammy Wynette's
"Stand By Your Man" by The Passionettes which was a 1970 Uni recording
on the flip side to "Sister Watch Yourself". The other by Pat &
Pam who were the teenage twin daughters of WVON DJ Lucky Cordell and
nothing to do with Patti Hamilton. I guess the connection is that the
song was written by C.B. Allen (Charles Bertrand Allen who was also a
member of Shades Of Brown) who wrote some songs for The Lovelites and
also for Deniece/Denise Chandler (aka Niecy Deniece
Williams).
There was another New York girl group with The Lovelites name who
recorded only one single under the name on Phil Specter's Phi-Dan in
1965 and later changed their name to The Jades.
Albums
1970 - With Love From The Lovelites [Uni #73081]
A1 - Oh My Love 2:35
A2 - This Love Is Real 2:32
A3 - You've Hurt Me Now 2:35
A4 - How Can I Tell My Mom And Dad 3:15
A5 - I'm In Love 2:45
A6 - Gotta Let You Go 2:50
B1 - Who You Gonna Hurt Now 2:34
B2 - Certain Kind Of Lover 2:32
B3 - I Love You (Yes I Do) 2:48
B4 - I Don't Want To Cry 2:28
B5 - I've Got Love 2:30
B6 - Shy Boy 2:28
Compilations
1994 - This Love Is Real [P-Vine #PCD-2904] CD only
01 - Betcha By Golly Wow
02 - Get To Be There
03 - You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
04 - Got To Let You Go
05 - Oh My Love
06 - This Love Is Real
07 - I'm In Love
08 - How Can I Tell My Mom And Dad
09 - Bumpy Road Ahead
10 - My Baby Loves Me
11 - Don't Want To Cry
12 - The Way That You Treat My Baby
13 - Is That Lovin' In Your Heart
14 - I'm The One That You Need
1999 - The Lovelite Years [Lovelite #LR1021]
01 - Betcha By Golly Wow 3:31
02 - Got To Be There 4:33
03 - You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling 7:15
04 - How Can I Tell My Mom And Dad 3:19
05 - My Baby Loves Me 2:34
06 - Is That Lovin' In Your Heart 2:54
07 - I'm The One That You Need 3:14
08 - My Conscience 2:37
09 - Bumpy Road Ahead 2:24
10 - The Way That You Treat Me Baby 2:39
11 - Man In My Life 2:37
12 - Get It Off My Conscience 3:43
13 - Oh What A Day 3:05
14 - Love So Strong 3:10
15 - Cravin' For Your Love 4:22
16 - Come And Get It 2:41
17 - You've Hurt Me Now 2:37
18 - Love Is Pretty 3:50
19 - Love Is Tears (June Denise Chandler AKA Niecy) 2:29
20 - I'm Not Like The Others (June Denise Chandler AKA
Niecy)2:30
01 - How Can I Tell My Mom and Dad
02 - This Love Is Real
03 - I'm in Love
04 - Betcha by Golly Wow
05 - Is That Lovin' in Your Heart
06 - My Conscience
07 - I'm Not Like the Others
08 - My Baby Loves Me
09 - Bumpy Road Ahead
10 - You've Hurt Me Now
11 - Gotta Let You Go
12 - I Love You ( Yes I Do)
13 - Oh My Love
14 - I Don't Want to Cry
15 - I've Got Love
16 - Shy Boy
17 - I'm the One That Love Forgot
18 - Love So Strong
19 - Certain Kind of Love
20 - Get It Off My Conscience
21 - I Love You For All Seasons - The Fuzz
22 - Like an Open Door - The Fuzz
23 - Leave It All Behind - The Fuzz
24 - Ooh Baby Baby - The Fuzz
25 - It's All Over - The Fuzz
26 - I'm So Glad - The Fuzz
27 - Search My Mind - The Fuzz
28 - Mr Heartaches & Miss Tears - The Fuzz
29 - Stand by Your Man - Passionettes
30 - I Love You (Yes I Do) - Pat & Pam
Singles
NB most appear on at least one of the compilations above except those marked with #
1967 - #I Found Me A Lover / #You Better Stop It [Bandera #2515]
09-1969 - How Can I Tell My Mom And Dad / #Hey! Stars Of Tomorrow
[Lock #L-723]
11-1970 - My Conscience / Man In My Life [Lovelite #LLR-01]
as Patti Hamilton & The Lovelites
1972 - My Baby Loves Me / The Way That You Treat Me Baby [Lovelite
#LLR-03]
as Patti Hamilton & The Lovelites
01-1972 - #I'm The One That You Need / #Love Bandit [Cotillion #45-44145]
as Patti & The Lovelites
10-1972 - Is That Lovin' In Your Heart / #We've Got The Real Thing [Cotillion #45-44161]
1973 - Love So Strong / Oh My Love [Lovelite #LR-1008]
as Patti & The Lovelites
1973 - Love So Strong / Oh My Love [20th Century #TC-2068]
1975 - Get It Off My Conscience / Oh What A Day [Lovelite #LR-1500]
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1 comment:
What a chronicle on this great group of girls. Again at the time I had bought this magnificent LP on UNI at the same time as that of Garland Green. Truly a certain perfection in this music named SOUL!!!
Yves
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