The Crystals are an American vocal group that originated in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Considered one of the defining acts of the

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of wh ...

era in the first half of the 1960s, their 1961–1964

chart A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent ...

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album s ...

– including "

There's No Other (Like My Baby) "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" is a song first recorded in 1961 by American girl group the Crystals. Written by Phil Spector and Leroy Bates. Also produced by Spector, the single was the first release on his newly-founded Philles Records label ...

", "

Uptown Uptown may refer to: Neighborhoods or regions in several cities United States * Uptown, entertainment district east of Downtown and Midtown Albuquerque, New Mexico * Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina * Uptown, area surrounding the University of Ci ...

", "

He's Sure the Boy I Love "He's Sure the Boy I Love" is a 1962 single by The Crystals. The song was originally recorded by The Blossoms but credited to The Crystals. On the ''Billboard'' charts in 1963, "He's Sure the Boy I Love" peaked at #11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ...

", "

He's a Rebel "He's a Rebel" is a song written by Gene Pitney that was originally recorded by Vikki Carr and by the girl group the Blossoms. Produced by Phil Spector, the Blossoms' version was issued as a single credited to the Crystals, which topped the ...

", " Da Doo Ron Ron" and " Then He Kissed Me"– featured three successive female lead singers and were all produced by

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

. The latter three songs were originally ranked #263, #114, and #493, respectively, on ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. However, two songs were dropped from the magazine's 2010 update, leaving only "He's a Rebel" at number 267. In the 2021 update, "Da Doo Ron Ron" was added back to the list at #366.

History

Formation and signing to Philles

In 1961, Barbara Alston (December 29, 1943,

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

– February 16, 2018,

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

), Mary Thomas, Dolores "Dee Dee" Kenniebrew (born 1945), Myrna Giraud and Patricia "Patsy" Wright formed the Crystals with the help of Benny Wells, Alston's uncle. Soon, the quintet signed with

's label Philles Records. Their first hit, the gospel-influenced "There's No Other (Like My Baby)", debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in November 1961. Originally the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

to "Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby" (featuring Wright on lead), the stirring

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

was co-written by Spector and Leroy Bates and featured Barbara Alston on vocals. The recording was made late on the evening of the high school prom at the William H. Maxwell Career and Technical High School, the school attended by Barbara, Mary, and Myrna; they were still wearing their prom dresses, as they had come to the studio straight from the event. The single reached number 20 in January 1962, marking an auspicious debut for Spector's Philles label. Brill Building songwriters

Barry Mann Barry Mann (born Barry Imberman; February 9, 1939) is an American songwriter and musician, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil. He has written or co-written 53 hits in the UK and 98 in the US. Early li ...

and

Cynthia Weil Cynthia Weil (born October 18, 1940) is an American songwriter who wrote many songs together with her husband Barry Mann. Life and career Weil was born in New York City, and was raised in a Conservative Jewish family. Her father was Morris Weil ...

's "

" gave the girls their second radio hit. Having an ethnic flavor with flamenco guitar and castanets, the more uptempo "Uptown" featured Alston once again emoting convincingly over a boy, though this time with class issues woven into the story. After the success of "Uptown", a pregnant Giraud was replaced by

Dolores "LaLa" Brooks Dolores Brooks (born June 20, 1947) is the second lead singer of the girl group the Crystals. She is best known as the lead vocalist on the Crystals' hits "Then He Kissed Me" and "Da Doo Ron Ron". Biography Brooks was the second youngest of 11 c ...

. The controversial subject matter of the next single, 1962's "

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss) "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King for girl group the Crystals under the guidance of Phil Spector in 1962. Goffin and King wrote the song after discovering that their babysitter and singer "L ...

" (written by

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...

and

Gerry Goffin Gerald Goffin (February 11, 1939 – June 19, 2014) was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the US No.1 hits " Will You Lo ...

and sung by Alston), resulted in limited airplay with the track only "bubbling under" the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at #123. Barbara Alston later disowned the track, stating it was "absolutely, positively, the one record that none of us liked".

"Replacement" Crystals

Soon after "He Hit Me" flopped,

began recording singer Darlene Love and her backing group the Blossoms. The Crystals were not able to travel from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

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fast enough to suit the LA-based Spector, who wanted to quickly record writer

Gene Pitney Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 hit singles, inclu ...

's "

" before Vikki Carr could release her version on

Liberty Records Liberty Records was a record label founded in the United States by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revival ...

. As Love and the Blossoms were also based in L.A., Spector recorded and released their version under the Crystals' banner. It was not the first time Spector would promise the Blossoms a single and release it under the Crystals name. The song had originally been offered to The Shirelles, who turned it down because of the anti-establishment lyrics. It marked a shift in girl group thematic material, where the singer loves a "bad boy", a theme that would be amplified by later groups (especially The Shangri-Las' " Leader of the Pack"). "He's a Rebel" was the Crystals' only US #1 hit and also made the UK top 20. Their follow-up single, "He's Sure the Boy I Love", was also recorded by Love and the Blossoms. It reached #11 on the ''Billboard'' chart and features a spoken intro by Love. "He's a Rebel" shut Pitney's own " Only Love Can Break a Heart" out of the top spot on 3 November 1962. Pitney never reached the Hot 100's summit.

"Real" Crystals return

Though it is unclear as to the level of their participation in "(Let's Dance) The Screw", the 'real' Crystals definitely began recording again under their own name in 1963. However, Thomas had departed to get married, only to join another mildly successful group, The Butterflys, along with another original Crystal, Myrna Giraud. This reduced the group to a quartet. Alston, known for her shyness and stage fright, was never comfortable with being out front, stepped down from the lead spot giving it to

. According to Brooks, she had been doing Alston's leads in their live shows for a while. After "(Let's Dance) The Screw", the group's next release was the classic " Da Doo Ron Ron". The song was a top 10 hit in both the US and the UK, as was the follow-up single "Then He Kissed Me", with lead vocals also sung by Brooks. LaLa also flew out to L.A to record tracks for the seasonal album, ''A Christmas Gift for You''. At the start of 1964, the Crystals flew to the UK for their first European live shows. "Then He Kissed Me" soared to #2 in the UK, and the Crystals also headlined the TV programs '' Ready Steady Go!'', and ''

Tonight at the London Palladium ''Tonight at the London Palladium'' is a British television variety show that is hosted from the London Palladium theatre in the West End. Originally produced by ATV for the ITV network from 1955 to 1969, it went by its original name ''Sund ...

''.

Mounting tension and break-up

Despite the steady flow of hit singles, tensions between Spector and the Crystals mounted. Already unhappy with having been replaced by Love and the Blossoms on two singles, the Crystals were even more upset when Spector began focusing much of his time on his other girl group

the Ronettes The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. ...

. Not only did the Ronettes become Philles Records' priority act, the Ronettes actually replaced the Crystals on four album tracks on the 1963 compilation LP ''The Crystals Sing the Greatest Hits''. As well, there were disputes about royalties, with the Crystals feeling that Spector was withholding royalty money that was owed to them. Two failed Crystals singles followed before the band left Spector's Philles Records for

United Artists Records United Artists Records was an American record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 to issue movie soundtracks. The label expanded into other genres, such as easy listening, jazz, pop, and R&B. History Genres In 1959, ...

in 1964. "Little Boy", which reached #92, was a Wall of Sound production that was layered multiple times, which meant that the vocals were hard to distinguish from the music. "All Grown Up", their final Philles single (of which two versions exist), only reached #98. 1964 also saw the departure of Wright, who was replaced by Frances Collins (aka Fatima Johnson), a dancer whom they had met while touring and mother of the rapper

Prodigy Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to: * Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer ** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess Arts, entertainment, and ...

; toward the end of that year Alston departed leaving the group a trio. As a trio, they recorded two singles for

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...

, "My Place" and "You Can't Tie a Good Girl Down". One more single was released by Barbara, Dee Dee and Mary on the tiny Michelle Records in 1967 ("Ring-a-Ting-a-Ling") and they disbanded in 1967 (see 1967 in music). They reunited in 1971 (see

1971 in music List of notable events in music that took place in the year 1971. Specific locations *1971 in British music * 1971 in Norwegian music Specific genres * 1971 in country music * 1971 in heavy metal music *1971 in jazz Events *February 1 – Af ...

) and performed into at least 2018. Kenniebrew is the only original Crystal who remained active throughout their touring from the seventies to then, performing with Patricia Pritchett-Lewis, a member since 2005, and Melissa "MelSoulTree" Grant (ak
Mel-Soul-Tree
, a member since 2002. That trio of Crystals self released a CD project in 2010 entitled ''Live in Asia'', recorded in Singapore. After living in Europe for two decades, La La Brooks returned to the US in 2001 and as of 2022 performs under her own name across the world, and as The Crystals in the UK and Canada, where she holds the trademark rights to the name. Barbara Alston died at a hospital in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...

, on February 16, 2018, at age 74.

Contemporary usage

"Then He Kissed Me" was the opening song to which Elisabeth Shue danced around her bedroom in '' Adventures in Babysitting'' (1987); it was the song in which Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco enter the Copacabana on their first real date in the movie '' Goodfellas'' (1990); it was featured during the episode ' Homer and Marge Turn a Couple Play' on ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

'' (2006); it was also featured in the episode 'Stand By Meg' on ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ch ...

'' (2018). It was also covered by Asobi Seksu and used on their

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

. "Da Doo Ron Ron" was played during a scene in a dance club in the 1979 film Quadrophenia, and by Russel/Harold Ramis to train ESL students in the 1981 comedy '' Stripes'', "He Hit Me (and It Felt like a Kiss)" was used in the episode 'Mystery Date' on ''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its f ...

'' (2012). Crystal was the name of one of the girl group-inspired street urchin characters in the musical ''

Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors may refer to: * ''The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 film directed by Roger Corman ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (film), a 1986 film adaptati ...

'', along with Chiffon and Ronnette. Amy Winehouse cited "

" as an influence when writing her album '' Back to Black''. The American singer Lana Del Rey used the same phrase in the song " Ultraviolence" in the album of the same name.

Band members

Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:160 bottom:60 top:5 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1960 till:01/05/1967 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:lines value:black legend:Studio_album id:bars value:gray(0.95) BackgroundColors = bars:bars Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1960 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1967 LineData = at:01/07/1962 color:black layer:back at:01/02/1963 color:black layer:back at:01/09/1963 color:black layer:back BarData = bar:DeeDee text:"Dolores ''Dee De'' Kenniebrew" bar:Alston text:"Barbara Alston" bar:Patsy text:"Patricia ''Patsy'' Wright" bar:Thomas text:"Mary Thomas" bar:Giraud text:"Myrna Giraud" bar:LaLa text:"Dolores ''LaLa'' Brooks" bar:Collins text:"Frances Collins" PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Alston from:01/01/1960 till:01/08/1962 color:vocals bar:Alston from:01/03/1963 till:01/12/1964 color:vocals bar:Alston from:01/03/1967 till:01/05/1967 color:vocals bar:DeeDee from:01/01/1960 till:01/03/1966 color:vocals bar:DeeDee from:01/03/1967 till:01/05/1967 color:vocals bar:Thomas from:01/01/1960 till:01/07/1962 color:vocals bar:Thomas from:01/03/1967 till:01/05/1967 color:vocals bar:Giraud from:01/01/1960 till:01/05/1962 color:vocals bar:LaLa from:01/05/1962 till:01/08/1962 color:vocals bar:LaLa from:01/03/1963 till:01/03/1966 color:vocals bar:Patsy from:01/01/1960 till:01/08/1962 color:vocals bar:Patsy from:01/03/1963 till:01/07/1964 color:vocals bar:Collins from:01/07/1964 till:01/03/1966 color:vocals

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

*1962: '' Twist Uptown'' *1963: ''

'' (US #131) *1986: ''He's a Rebel featuring Lala Brooks''

Compilation albums

*1963: ''The Crystals Sing the Greatest Hits, Volume 1'' *1975: ''The Crystals Sing Their Greatest Hits'' *1988: ''Greatest Hits'' *1990: ''Greatest Hits'' *1992: ''The Best of the Crystals'' *2004: ''One Fine Day'' *2011: ''Da Doo Ron Ron: The Very Best of the Crystals'' *2016: ''Playlist : The Very Best of the Crystals''

Singles

References

Bibliography

*Clemente, John (2000). ''Girl Groups — Fabulous Females That Rocked The World''. Iola, Wisc. Krause Publications. pp. 276. *Clemente, John (2013). ''Girl Groups — Fabulous Females Who Rocked The World''. Bloomington, IN Authorhouse Publications. pp. 623. (sc); (e).

External links

Official website
of the latest incarnation of the Crystals
La La Brooks
former lead singer of The Crystals

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crystals, The American pop music groups African-American girl groups African-American musical groups Musical groups from New York City Philles Records artists Musical groups established in 1960 Musical groups disestablished in 1967 1960 establishments in New York City 1967 disestablishments in New York (state)