Girl Groups: The Story Of A Sound - 1983 - 6/10
Brief overview of what was, probably, a brief moment in musical history.
The rise and demise of the “girl groups,” focusing on the US groups.
Yes, there had been girl singers before. In Big Bands, they were called canaries.
This does an adequate job interviewing composers and performers.
From Brill Building roots to Spector and the Wrecking Crew.
Leiber and Stoller speak, as does Ellie Greenwich. Missing are Carole King and Mann & Weil.
Shirelles, Shangri Las, Martha & Vandellas, Angels, Marvelettes, Ronettes, shown amidst a dozen examples.
Missing names include Lesley Gore, Chiffons, Cookies, etc …
At barely an hour, twenty minutes are provided to the Supremes. Way too much, and this unbalances the doc.
Also, the ending proposes the usual blather that the British Invasion killed the girl groups.
Untrue. In 1966, the Supremes were still charting, as were the Marvelettes and Chiffons.
The Ronettes were the Beatles opening act for their final tour.
Public tastes change. The British Invasion, surf sound, girl groups would all be swept away in 1967 by flower power, psychedelia and protest songs. By 1970, things would change again … then again …
This doc is breezy and enjoyable, although the Alan Betrock book, upon which it is based, has more substance.
(Confession: I have a sizeable portion of “girl groups” in my collection. In my record store days, I was the go-to employee for questions about girl singers – along with Heavy Metal, Disco, and Classical. Go figure.)
