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The Vibrations were an American soul vocal group from Los Angeles, California, active from the mid-1950s to 1976.[2] Most notable among the group's hit singles were "My Girl Sloopy" (1964) and "Love in Them There Hills" (1968). They also had a hit with the up-tempo song “Surprise party for baby” (1971) in the UK on the Northern Soul scene. The quintet's members included Don Bradley, Carl Fisher, Dave Govan, James Johnson and Ricky Owens.[3]
The Vibrations | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Jay Hawks, the Vibrating Vibrations, the Marathons |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Soul, rhythm and blues |
| Years active | 1955–1976 |
| Labels | Checker Records, Okeh Records, Mandala Records |
| Past members | Dave Govan (deceased) Carl Fisher James Johnson (deceased) Richard 'Ricky' Owens (deceased) Don Bradley Tommy Turner Carver Bunkum[1] |
The group initially began recording as The Jay Hawks, and had a hit in 1956 with "Stranded in the Jungle" (US No. 18).[2] After a few lineup changes, the group had another hit with the song "The Watusi" in 1961 (US No. 25); concurrently, they had a hit under the name The Marathons with "Peanut Butter", a rewritten version of the Olympics' "Hully Gully" with new lyrics by Hidle Brown Barnum and Martin Cooper (No. 20).[4]
The group recorded a couple of Northern soul classics since their initial hit on Atlantic Records in 1963. A cover version of their song "My Girl Sloopy", retitled "Hang On Sloopy", was a hit for the McCoys in 1965.[2]
Their 1968 track "Cause You're Mine" (Epic Records 5-10418, although originally on Okeh Records) is listed at number 48 in The Northern Soul Top 500 by Kev Roberts. Roberts stated: "This track knocks you sideways by the 4th bar and continues to race against time, leaving you collapsed in a heap of delight!".[5]
A later single, "Surprise Party for Baby" attributed to The Vibrating Vibrations (Neptune Records N-28) is listed at number 188 in The Northern Soul Top 500, and was practically a new single when used in the Northern soul scene at Blackpool Mecca in 1971. Roberts added: "The intro and subsequent 'Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey' harmony works a treat into dragging you onto the dance floor. A further hook, 'Hope She's Going to Show Up' is typical Gamble and Huff, being reminiscent of the Intruders cuts a couple of years later".[5]
The Vibrations briefly broke up in 1971. At this time, Owens became a member of the Temptations, although he was let go after his first few engagements. Owens and the other Vibrations regrouped and continued, eventually becoming a nightclub act in the mid-1970s, before officially dissolving the group in 1976.[1][3] Ricky Owens died in 1995.[6]
Albums
- Watusi! (Checker Records, 1961)
- Peanut Butter (Arvee Records, 1961) (as the Marathons)
- Misty (Okeh Records, 1964)
- Shout! (Okeh Records, 1965)
- New Vibrations (Okeh Records, 1966)
- Taking a New Step (Mandala Records, 1972)
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Pop [7] |
US R&B [7] |
Canada CHUM/RPM [8][9] | |||||||||
| 1956 | "Stranded in the Jungle" | 18 | 9 | ― | |||||||
| 1960 | "So Blue" | 110 | ― | ― | |||||||
| 1961 | "The Watusi" | 25 | 13 | 17 | |||||||
| "Peanut Butter" | 20 | 25 | ― | ||||||||
| "The Junkernoo" | 112 | — | ― | ||||||||
| 1964 | "My Girl Sloopy" | 26 | 10 | ― | |||||||
| "Sloop Dance" | 109 | — | ― | ||||||||
| 1965 | "Keep On Keeping On" | 118 | ― | ― | |||||||
| "End Up Crying" | 130 | ― | ― | ||||||||
| "Misty" | 63 | 26 | 27 | ||||||||
| 1966 | "And I Love Her" | 118 | 47 | ― | |||||||
| 1967 | "Pick Me" | ― | 39 | ― | |||||||
| 1968 | "Love in Them There Hills" | 93 | 38 | ― | |||||||
| "Cause You're Mine" | — | ― | ― | ||||||||
| 1971 | "Surprise Party for Baby" | — | ― | ― | |||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||||||
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