Girl Groups

All posts tagged Girl Groups

Music to Make Horror Movies By: The Angels

Published March 12, 2023 by biggayhorrorfan

Since I can’t unwrap Tom Conti (circa 1977) as a present on my birthday this year, I’m going to settle for the next best thing – a video of the iconic The Angels singing My Boyfriend’s Back.

A long sought after title, The Haunting of Julia has recently undergone a 4K restoration and will soon be available in a variety of media offerings – all the better to appreciate that Farrow specialty -the woman on the verge in terror filled circumstances – and the youthful Conti’s every man appeal. Oh, yeah…and the soundtrack, including Colin Towns’ Tangerine Dream-like score, is pretty boss, as well.

Until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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Music to Make Horror Movies By: The McGuire Sisters

Published February 2, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

The McGuire Sistes

Their lovely harmonies have found their way into multiple films and televisions shows. Indeed, what would projects like Porky’s II: The Next Day, Mad Men, Come Back to the Five and Dime and (mild terror nudge here) White Noise 2: The Light be without such McGuire Sisters’ songs as Sincerely, Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight and Sugar Time?

1965’s Right Now!, their final album, even featured a bit of a rock and roll edge. The song Truer Than You (from that release) fits more firmly in multi-tracked Patti Page terrority,  but is nonetheless relatable to anyone who has experienced the horrors of the heart.

The worthy recipients of multiple Hall of Fame awards, this familial trio is represented today with solo strength by surviving sister Phyllis.

The McGuire Sisters, Phyllis, Dorothy and Christine

Until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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Music to Make Horror Movies By: The Crystals

Published January 26, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

The Crystals

While seemingly bypassed in affection by The Ronettes, their sisters in NYC harmony, the beautifully dynamic The Crystals are often hailed as the finest girl group of the sixties. Experiencing many of the behind the scenes manipulations of that era in music, Barbara Alston, Mary Thomas, “Dee Dee” Kenniebrew, Myrna Giraud, Patsy Wright (and eventually) “LaLa” Brooks, nevertheless left a lasting impression on the world with hits like He’s A Rebel, Da Doo Ron Ron and Then He Kissed Me.

Their first full length album Twist Uptown even featured this homage to everyone’s favorite mad scientist.

Nicely for fans of powerful female vocalists, The Crystals, led by Kenniebrew, are still performing to this day.

www.thecrystals.net

Crystals Twist Uptown

Until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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Review: BETTE Xmas at the Continental Baths

Published December 15, 2019 by biggayhorrorfan

Bette ad.jpg

Bette Midler is many things. Her repertoire of songs alone includes rock and roll, MOR pop ballads, girl group classics and new wave energizers. Her role as the hysterically vengeful Winifred in Hocus Pocus also imbues her with a strong horror pedigree, allowing generations of outsiders to delightfully engage in their inner wicked witches.

In BETTE Xmas at the Continental Baths, Chicago theater goddess Caitlin Jackson invokes many of those Midler personalities while also remaining uniquely herself. Based upon the Divine One’s ‘70s showcase at a NYC men’s club, this production is full of goofy energy and go-for-broke silliness, making it not only a seasonal delight, but one of the year’s best stage offerings as a whole, as well.

Jackson’s desire to make this a sort of performing arts fever dream is perfectly realized. For example, the corny jokes in Jackson and David Cerda’s fun script are often so obvious that they don’t land with the audience…at first. But the performer’s skilled reactions to the theater’s radio silence are truly hysterical, making the presentation as a whole an unmitigated delight from start to finish.

Of course, Jackson’s softly anguished takes on songs such as Superstar, River and I Shall Be Released are the evening’s master points. This go-for-broke yet subtle emotionality is her forte as a performer, making one pity those who will never experience this kind of brilliance in their lifetimes.

bettexmas-5-web

Nicely, Jackson is ably assisted here by Terry McCarthy as Mr. Gerard, Midler’s game hairdresser, and Sydney Genco and Allison Petrillo as Laverne and Trixie, Midler’s backup singers. Genco and Petrillo get a chance to shine on their own during the show’s intermission/costume change. Their pert energy and spot on timing ultimately prove that they deserve a show of their own one of these days. Hmm…maybe next season!!!

But until then… give proper kudos to Jackson and co-director Marc Lewallen, by checking out this year’s festivities before closing night on December 31st.

https://www.facebook.com/events/570448403729627/

Until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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Music to Make Horror Movies By: My Boyfriend’s Back

Published September 22, 2019 by biggayhorrorfan

Boyfriend

The Angels sweet, valedictory take on My Boyfriend’s Back has insured that number a place in musical history. Their original version has even appeared in Matinee, Joe Dante’s loving nod to genre cinema and its great showmen. It was also the obvious inspiration for the beloved early ‘90s, Sean S. Cunningham produced horror-comedy My Boyfriend’s Back.

As with many iconic ‘60s songs, there have been a multitude of cover versions to charm and/or amuse the ears. Everyone from Kristy and Jimmy McNichol to Melissa Manchester and The Raveonettes have put their mark on this cheery yet revenge fueled composition.

One of the favored takes was provided by popular soap actress Sharon Gabet in the early ‘80s. At the time of the recording, Gabet was starring as Raven on the gothic mystery sudser Edge of Night. Nicely, the dark rhythms of that show’s plotlines emerge in the pulsing backgrounds in this harder edged takeover.

Gabet, a veritable soap hopper who also appeared on Another World and One Life to Live, is now the author of a number of  books including From Raven to the Dove, which beautifully describes her seven year experience working on Edge and her life since then.

love in the afternoon

P.S.: Those with sharp ears might even catch Donna De Lory’s vocals on the background of this track. De Lory, of course, has long been a part of Madonna’s roving troupe of players and is an established solo artist in her own right, as well. 

Until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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Music to Make Horror Movies By: The Honey Bees

Published April 7, 2019 by biggayhorrorfan

Honey Bees

The Honey Bees, comprised of Tina Louise, Natalie Schafer and Dawn Wells, may be the greatest fictional girl group of all time. Gilligan’s Island fanatics surely rejoice in this episode of the popular show which finds the cast’s beloved Ginger (Louise), Mrs. Howell (Schafer) and Mary Ann (Wells) forming a musical version of The Honeys in hopes of finally getting off the island that they have permanently been sequestered on.

But the fact that this versatile trio of actresses has been involved in many individual genre projects makes this joyous collaboration of special notice to terror tikes, as well. Schafer, a veteran performer of film and stage, hit the gothic mother lode first with appearances in The Secret Behind the Door… and a beloved episode of the Boris Karloff hosted anthology series Thriller. Louise made the ‘70s and ‘80s particularly enjoyable with roles in the feminist classic The Stepford Wives and the atrociously lovable oddity Evils of the Night. Wells, meanwhile, found herself battling for her life against a water beastie and a violent serial killer in Return to Boggy Creek and the greatly admired The Town That Dreaded Sundown. (Interestingly, it is rumored that Well’s voice was dubbed here by Jackie DeShannon, the writer of the coolly mysterious Bette Davis Eyes.)

On a side note, Schafer, who died in 1991, also appeared in a popular touring production of the lesbian classic The Killing of Sister George with Claire Trevor. Louise, who has quietly tried to move past her seminal work as Ginger, keeps admirers informed of her activities at https://www.facebook.com/pg/thetinalouise. Wells, meanwhile, has long kept the torch of that imaginary island burning. She, happily, keeps up with fans of GI (and her other work) at https://www.facebook.com/therealmaryann/ and http://dawnwells.com/.

Trio

Until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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Music to Make Horror Movies By: Bananarama

Published February 11, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

Bananarama

Unlike contemporaries like Blondie or The Divinyls, Bananarama never appeared on the soundtrack for A Nightmare on Elm Street flick. That’s unfortunate because the exuberant trio, well known for their cover of Venus, definitely showed more than “pure desire” with tracks like Cruel Summer and Dance with a Stranger.

In fact, the haunting Stranger, which appeared on their best selling 1986 album True Confessions, hints at possible suicide and/or deadly repercussions due to a broken heart.

The beloved group, currently alternating between a longstanding duo and the original line-up, is still making music as of this day, though, so Krueger fans may eventually get a longed for sonic paycheck.

http://www.bananarama.co.uk/

Until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

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Music to Make Horror Movies By: Crystal Bernard

Published August 20, 2017 by biggayhorrorfan

Crystal 1.jpgArt sometimes does imitate life. As the perky Courtney in Slumber Party Massacre II, Crystal Bernard played an enthusiastic (and endangered) member of an all girl band. Trivia experts, of course, know that cinematic creation’s tracks were played by poppy new wave band Wednesday Week.

In the mid-‘90s, though, Bernard came into her own as a vocalist, releasing two country albums and performing duets with the likes of Peter Cetera, Billy Dean and Jim Messina.

The latter assignments often found her cooing along on pretty ballads, but the more upbeat State of Mind is sure to appeal to all those fans who admired her joyous mock rock n roll all those years ago.

Until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

Crystal 2

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Music to Make Horror Movies By: Lisa London and The Pinups

Published September 20, 2015 by biggayhorrorfan

the pin ups
Eternally sexy Lisa London, who has been popping up in such David DeCoteau features as 3 Wicked Witches and Devilish Charm, as of late, knows eclecticism is the way to go.

While she faced down violent action in such 80s features as Sudden Impact, The Naked Cage and W.A.R.: Women Against Rape, she, also, spent plenty of time providing smooth harmonies for the sweet girl group, The Pinups.

Here’s a prime example:

Now, that’s a pillow-y flashback!

Be sure to keep up with all of the glamorous London’s activities at
https://www.facebook.com/lisalondonfan
lisa
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan

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Music to Make Horror Movies By: The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game (Tne Marvelettes)

Published August 24, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

marvelettes
Somebody better lock these chicks up! This is filthy!

Indeed, The Marvelettes take on Smokey Robinson’s classic track The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game is full of menacing slink. In fact, Wanda Rogers’ seductive lead vocal would probably put some fear into even the most determined monster. And I don’t mean Motown maestro Berry Gordy (who, traditionally, robbed these amazing women of the majority of the group’s profits) – though, I suppose, ultimately, that wouldn’t be far off base!

Oh, well… For now, just listen and enjoy!

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

marvelettes painting

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