Thursday, January 10, 2013

The Exciters--Tell Him (1962)

     One of the great things about popular music is that so many variables that can bring one success. Talent is important, but so was just being in the right place at the right time. A corollary to that is one never knows who you might effect by YOUR career, no matter what you success level.
     The Exciters was a girl group which began their life as The Masterettes. Brenda Reid, Sylvia Wilbur, Lilian Walker, and Carol Johnson became The Exciters in 1962 when Wilbur left and was replaced by Reid's husband, Herb Rooney.  Their first hit, "Tell Him" was by far the biggest of their career, reaching #4 in late 62. The next year, they released, Doo Wah Diddy Diddy" which scraped the lower rungs of the chart in 1964, but later became the song which put Manford Mann on the map.
     This group also was highly influential for singer Dusty Springfield. According to the singer, she was headed to Nashville to make a country album with her group, The Springfields when they had a stop over in New York City. Back in the day, the record stores in the city would hang a speaker above the outside door. One evening, while walking by the Colony Record Store on Broadway, "Tell Him" was blaring on the speakers. Springfield was enthralled by the in your face directness of the style, which began a switch in Dusty's style, which defined her career. Not only that, but generations of female singer (Amy Winehouse, Adele, Duffy just to name a few) have been directly influenced by the singer, who had been inspired by the group from NYC.


1 comment:

  1. Great song. Pretty funny music video to go along with is as well! Love the choreographed dancing, too, haha!

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