The Clingers was one of the first rock-and-roll
girl bands. They started as a barbershop quartet and recorded five singles before transitioning to playing their own instruments in a rock band in 1966. The members consisted of the four Clinger sisters: Patsy (drums), Debra (bass), Melody (guitar) and Peggy (keyboard). They performed on many variety shows and with other artists to promote their music. Melody, the oldest of the sisters, was born in 1947 and sang duets with her mother before joining her sisters in a barbershop quartet, known as The Clinger Sisters, starting in 1956. Val Hicks became their vocal coach, and the family moved to California, where the Clinger Sisters appeared on ''
The Andy Williams Show
''The Andy Williams Show'' was an American television variety show that ran from 1962 to 1971 (alternating during the summer of 1970 with ''Andy Williams Presents Ray Stevens'')Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time N ...
'' with
the Osmonds
The Osmonds were an American family music group who reached the height of their fame in the early to mid-1970s. The group had its best-known configurations as a quartet (billed as the Osmond Brothers) and a quintet (as the Osmonds). The group ...
and in several episodes of ''
The Danny Kaye Show
''The Danny Kaye Show'' was an American variety show, hosted by the stage and screen star Danny Kaye, which aired on Wednesday nights from September 25, 1963, to June 7, 1967, on the CBS television network. Directed by Robert Scheerer, it premi ...
''. They signed with
Vee-Jay Records
Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll.
The label was founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a ...
in 1964, recording three singles for them. They spent summers performing in fairs, headlining with
Liberace
Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...
and
Donald O'Conner at the Great Allentown Fair. They released two singles independently in 1965.
Seeing the success of other rock bands at fairs, the Clinger sisters decided to switch from singing a cappella to accompanying themselves in a rock band. Nino Candido taught them how to play their instruments, and they started playing rock music alongside their quartet singing. They signed with
Greengrass Productions
Walt Disney Television, formerly American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, American Broadcasting Companies, Capital Cities Communications, Capital Cities/ABC and Walt Disney Television, Disney-ABC Television Group has formed a number of production ...
, but didn't like the music the company wanted them to sing. They found better artistic synergy with Curt Boettcher and Steve Clark, who agreed to produce the Clingers' music for Greengrass Productions. They recorded several tracks that were never released.
In 1967, they opened for
The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Lo ...
and
Robert Goulet in two separate tours. Melody started writing songs for them to perform, and met
Dennis Wilson
Dennis Carl Wilson (December 4, 1944 – December 28, 1983) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He is best remembered as their drummer and as the middle brother of bandmates Brian and Carl Wilson. ...
, who introduced her to Terry Melcher of Equinox records. Terry was the stepson of
Marty Melcher. The Clingers signed with Equinox and recorded two singles for them, but did not record an album after Marty Melcher's death and subsequent discovery of his debts. In 1968, The Clingers signed with
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
. They recorded the single "Gonna Have A Good Time" for Columbia, where
Michael Lloyd produced their B-side. They made multiple appearances on ''
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969.
The series was a major success, especially considering it was sc ...
'' where they promoted their single. In the summer of 1969, they performed for seven weeks at Rivera in Las Vegas with
Ed Ames
Ed Ames (born Edmund Dantes Urick; July 9, 1927), who also recorded as Eddie Ames, is an American singer and actor. He is known for playing Mingo in the television series ''Daniel Boone'', and for his pop hits of the mid-to-late 1960s including " ...
and
Scoey Mitchell
Roscoe Mitchell Jr. or Scoey Mitchell (March 12, 1930 – March 19, 2022), usually credited as Scoey Mitchell, was an American actor, producer, writer and television director known for frequent appearances on 1970s game shows, including ''Matc ...
.
After seeing their Las Vegas act,
Mike Curb started managing The Clingers and published their single "Something Here in My Heart" under the Forward label in July 1969. The single "Round Round Round", also recorded by the Clingers, was a result of Peggy's collaboration with
Johnny Cymbal
Johnny Cymbal (born John Hendry Blair; February 3, 1945 – March 16, 1993) was a Scottish-born American songwriter, singer and record producer who had numerous hit records, including his signature song, "Mr. Bass Man".
Overview
During a 33-ye ...
. In 1970, the Clingers opened for New Coconut Grove and
Anthony Newley
Anthony Newley (24 September 1931 – 14 April 1999) was an English actor, singer, songwriter, and filmmaker. A "latter-day British Al Jolson", he achieved widespread success in song, and on stage and screen. "One of Broadway's greatest leading ...
in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The Clingers stopped performing in 1971, but the Clinger sisters continued to pursue music independently. Peggy acted as the singing voice for the Kitty Jo character in the Hanna-Barbera show
Cattanooga Cats
''Cattanooga Cats'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera which aired on ABC from September 6, 1969, to September 4, 1971.
The show was a package program similar to the Hanna-Barbera/NBC show ''The Banana Splits ...
, and Peggy and Cymbal wrote songs together as the duo Cymbal & Clinger.
Singing as the Clinger Sisters
![ClingerSisters1963](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/ClingerSisters1963.png)
Melody Clinger, the oldest of nine children, showed an early talent for music when she harmonized with songs on the radio.
[ Her mother started singing duets with her in the mid-1950s, and she sang with her sisters in church.][ The family were active members of ]the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
. The four sisters first sang as a group at the Orem Farm Festival in Orem, Utah in 1956. They started singing at more local events in 1960 and 1961, including the Lai Cos Club Christmas party, a Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
Women's organization social, and a Harvest of Harmony concert. Val Hicks, who also coached the Osmond brothers, became their vocal coach. The local chapters of Sweet Adelines International and the Barbershop Harmony Society
The Barbershop Harmony Society, legally and historically named the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. (SPEBSQSA), is the first of several organizations to promote and preserve barbershop ...
sponsored a benefit concert in 1962 to raise funds for the Clinger Sisters to attend a barbershop quartet competition in Kansas City. The Clingers performed alongside the Osmonds and other local groups.
The Clinger family moved to California to pursue the girls' music career. The four girls sang a cappella quartets together as The Clinger Sisters. They appeared with the Osmond Brothers on ''The Andy Williams Show'', and were frequent guests on ''The Danny Kaye Show''.[ Their vinyl debut was on a record with Danny Kaye in 1963, ''Danny Kaye With the Earl Brown Singers, the Clinger Sisters, and the Paul Weston Orchestra'', on the tracks "Oh Baby Mine" and "The Story of Alice".] The Clinger sisters signed with Vee-Jay Records in 1964 and released two singles with their imprint Tollie Records in 1964: "Shoop Shoop De Doop Rama Lama Ding Dong Yeah Yeah Yeah" and "Golly Mom". ''Cash Box'' called the song a "medium-paced rockin' teen romancer". They recorded the two songs and their B-sides in one session. They recorded another single, "What Can I Give Him" for a Christmas season release. The songs the Clingers recorded for Vee-Jay on the Tollie label had strong themes of adolescent romance. In the "Lipstick Song" the singer asserts that that the right flavor of lipstick convinced a boy to kiss her. "Golly Mom" deals with seeking parental advice for an infatuation, while "Puppet" uses a marionette as a metaphor for feeling controlled by feelings of attraction.
The Clinger sisters appeared alongside the Beatles in ''TV Star Parade'' asking readers to vote for their favorite group in 1964. Patsy Clinger recalls that the Clingers won the contest. The Clinger sisters stopped recording with Vee-Jay; their father, Aaron, testified in hearings about Vee-Jay and payola
Payola, in the music industry, is the illegal practice of paying a commercial radio station to play a song without the station disclosing the payment. Under US law, a radio station must disclose songs they were paid to play on the air as spons ...
. The Clinger sisters were signed with General Artists Corporation
General Amusement Corporation (GAC) was an international talent booking agency that was acquired by ICM Partners in 1974. In the 1940s, GAC's name was changed to General Artists Corporation to avoid confusion with a registered coin-machine compan ...
to book their tours, and they spent summers performing at grandstands at various fairs. In August 1965, they headlined with Liberace
Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...
and Donald O'Conner at the Great Allentown Fair. By 1966, they had appeared on shows with Steve Allen
Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-cre ...
, Mike Douglas, and Tennessee Ernie Ford
Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991), known professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American singer and television host who enjoyed success in the country and western, pop, and gospel musical genres. Noted for h ...
.
Lynn Bryson, a radio DJ, wrote three songs for the Clinger Sisters: "How About Him," "Lean Back Baby," and "Children Laughing." The sisters arranged the songs for their voices. They also arranged a cover of "Bread and Butter" by the Newbeats. Bryson produced the recordings made with the Clinger Sisters and members of the Dartells. Aaron Clinger released the singles from these sessions independently under the label "Jo-Bee" records in August 1965. The singles were not very successful.
Rock band
Transitioning to rock music
The girls wanted to play instruments in a rock band, and their father, Aaron Clinger, relented after seeing the popularity of a garage band from Hollywood at fairgrounds in El Centro, California. Aaron used money from selling their Utah home to buy guitars, a drum set, and a keyboard for the Clinger sisters. Nino Candido, son of Candy Candido
Jonathan Joseph “Candy” Candido (December 25, 1913 – May 19, 1999) was an American radio performer and voice actor. He was best remembered for his famous line "I'm feeling mighty low".
Early and personal life
Born on Christmas Day in ...
, taught the girls how to play soul, funk, and rock music. They gradually started to incorporate their rock music into their acts when it made sense for the gig. They played at the Oregon State Fair on September 3, 1966. While they were rehearsing at their hotel, The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...
heard them and insisted that they play at the Teenage Fair they were performing at. Debra recalled that after their October 16, 1966 performance at the Future Farmers of America, fans were "hanging banners out of their hotel windows screaming for us". Seymour Heller, their manager at the time, got them a record deal with Ed Cobb at Greengrass Productions. Debra recalled disliking the songs that Greengrass Productions wanted them to sing. Also in 1966, the Clingers met another girl band, The Pleasure Seekers.
Steve Clark, the Clingers's producer from their Vee-Jay days, had co-created with Curt Boettcher a new label called Our Productions. Clark introduced Boettcher to the girls. Boettcher liked their music and the girls liked working with him. Boettcher and Clark agreed to produce the Clingers albums for Greengrass productions. Boettcher and his bandmates from the Ballroom, Sandy Salisbury and Jim Bell, were frequent visitors to the Clinger home. Melody started dating Jim Bell. They often visited the large house that Boettcher lived in with other musicians who were " flower children". They played the band parts and sang backup vocals for Lee Mallory
William George "Lee" Mallory (January 10, 1945 – March 21, 2005) was a singer, songwriter and guitarist who was part of bands including The Millennium and Sagittarius. His most successful single was a cover of the Phil Ochs/Bob Gibson son ...
for some of his performances at the Ice House in Pasedena. They recorded "Sing to Me" by Lee Mallory, and "Don't Say No" and "Ringing Bells" by Ruthann Friedman. The tracks were never released. In December 1966, the Clingers performed multiple shows with Brenton Wood
Alfred Jesse Smith (born July 26, 1941), better known as Brenton Wood, is an American singer and songwriter known for his two 1967 hit singles, "The Oogum Boogum Song" (peaking at No. 34 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100) and "Gimme Little Sign" ...
and Gladys Knight & the Pips
Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American R&B, soul and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early 1950s.
Starting out as simpl ...
at Disneyland. They performed with Bob Hope at the Arizona State Fair. They appeared on ''The Dating Game
''The Dating Game'' is an American television game show that first aired on December 20, 1965, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s. ABC dropped the show on July 6, 1973, but it ...
'' twice in 1967 and once in March 1969.
Performing as The Clingers
The girls decided to call themselves The Clingers. Their agent was Jerry Perenchio. In 1967, they toured with The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Lo ...
, performing at college campuses and military and air force bases. They opened for Robert Goulet on tour, but as a barbershop quartet. The orchestra director, Ralph Sharon, made an arrangement of Melody's "Only You". Sharon wrote an arrangement of "Walk On By" for the girls. In 1967, the girls entertained several famous musicians in their home, including Dennis Wilson, Craig Smith, and Jim Pike. Melody met Dennis Wilson after wolf-whistling his Rolls-Royce on her way home from a guitar lesson. Through their association with Dennis Wilson, they met Terry Melcher, the stepson of Marty Melcher. Terry Melcher and his friend Bruce Johnston started Equinox records
A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" and set ...
, and the Clingers signed with them in late 1967 for records and agreed to produce movies with Marty. They rehearsed in Terry Melcher's home, which was later the site of the Manson murders
Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934November 19, 2017) was an American criminal and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of nine murders at four loc ...
. Melcher and Johnson produced "Come, Love", "Marcus", "Loneliness", and "Quick, Close the Door Before They Find Us". They planned for "Quick, Close the Door Before They Find Us" to be the title track of their album, but after Marty's death and the subsequent discovery of the poor state of his finances, the album deal was dropped. After Jerry Perenchio, Art Linson and Jeff Cooper became their managers, and they signed with the William Morris Agency
The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent ag ...
.
In 1968 they signed with Columbia Records and Mr. Bones Productions. Toxey French and Jeff Comanor were their producers. In a later interview, Patsy said that she didn't like working with French, because he wouldn't let them play their own instruments. Melody wanted the group to sing her songs, and felt that French and Comanor's song selections were boring. In an attempt to separate Melody from her boyfriend, Jim Bell, Aaron Clinger moved the family to Northridge, California and told Melody to dump Bell. Melody, then 22, moved out of the house and lived with her friends. The Clingers started to work with Michael Lloyd and Kim Fowley.
On November 3, 1968, The Clingers made their first appearance on ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969.
The series was a major success, especially considering it was sc ...
''. They sang "This Moment of Softness" but they were not allowed to play their instruments. When they performed "Gonna Have a Good Time" on the January 16, 1969 show, they played their instruments. Playing their own instruments was a point of pride for the band, and advertising for the subsequent single stated "That's them on all the instruments". ''Cash Box'' reviewed "Gonna Have a Good Time", describing it as "displaying the unconstrained rock ability and young fervor that ought to bring an instant teen explosion". In 1969, there were plans for The Clingers to be the summer replacement hosts for Tom and Dick Smothers, but they were cancelled when CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
dropped the show because of its often-censored political content. That summer, The Clingers performed for seven weeks at Rivera in Las Vegas with Ed Ames and Scoey Mitchell. Mike Curb started managing The Clingers in 1969 after seeing their Las Vegas act. Under the Forward label, Curb published The Clingers's single "Something Here in My Heart" with "Blackbird" as the B-side in July 1969. The band appeared on ''American Bandstand
''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pro ...
'' in August 1969. They performed "Something Here in my Heart" on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' was an American music and comedy television variety show hosted by singer Glen Campbell from January 29, 1969, to June 13, 1972, on CBS. He was offered the show after he hosted a 1968 summer replacement for ' ...
. They also appeared on Operation: Entertainment, the Pat Boone
Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...
Show, and the Barbara McNair Show. The Clingers appeared in an issue of ''Vogue'' as models for popular clothing in 1969 alongside other women artists Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
and Gracie Slick.
After Melody married Jim Bell, they moved to Colorado and Melody did not perform with the Clingers much after 1969. Peggy acted as the singing voice for the Kitty Jo character in the Hanna-Barbera show Cattanooga Cats. She and Michael Lloyd co-wrote "Mother May I" for the show, which was released as a single by Forward and appeared on the ''Cattanooga Cats LP''. Peggy met Johnny Cymbal
Johnny Cymbal (born John Hendry Blair; February 3, 1945 – March 16, 1993) was a Scottish-born American songwriter, singer and record producer who had numerous hit records, including his signature song, "Mr. Bass Man".
Overview
During a 33-ye ...
at a recording session where she sang his song "Sarah Jane (I'm All Alone)". The two started dating and collaborating on songwriting. They wrote several songs on ''The Cattanooga Cats'' show. The Clingers performed "Round Round Round" backed with "Mean it", which were both written by Peggy and Cymbal. The "Round Round Round" single was not successful. ''Cash Box'' called it a "rousing rock outing". Debra recorded two singles with Mike Curb as a duo around 1969. In 1970, Mike Curb got the whole Clinger family to be on The Mike Curb Congregation, a group of entertainers managed by Curb that performed for television variety specials. The Clingers opened for New Coconut Grove and Anthony Newley at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and for Newley at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas in 1970.
Musical work after The Clingers
By 1971, The Clingers were no longer performing together. Cymbal and Peggy were engaged until Cymbal told her that he was already married. Peggy wanted their relationship to continue and moved in with Cymbal, who was an alcoholic. They had an on-again, off-again relationship
An on-again, off-again relationship (also known as an on–off or off–on relationship) is a form of personal relationship between two persons who keep breaking up only to reconcile afterwards, thus repeating a cycle.
Researcher Kale Monk, an a ...
. Peggy and Cymbal released a single, "The Mookie Mookie Man", under their duo name Cymbal & Clinger. In 1971, Wes Farrell
Wes Farrell (December 21, 1939 – February 29, 1996) was an American musician, songwriter and record producer, who was most active in the 1960s and 1970s.
Career
Farrell was born in New York, United States. Farrell's catalogue includes close ...
hired them as resident writers for Chelsea Records
Chelsea Records was an American-based record company founded by musician, songwriter, and record producer Wes Farrell in 1972. Within the company's first four months, it released its first gold single, ''Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast'' by Wayne N ...
. A number of songs by Cymbal & Clinger were successful with popular performers. The Partridge Family
''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from Se ...
sang five of their songs. David Cassidy ("Rock Me, Baby")[ and Donny Osmond ("Standin' in the Need of Love") also sang songs written by Peggy and Cymbal. ]Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
sang Peggy's "I Hate to Sleep Alone". Peggy Clinger died of a drug overdose on August 9, 1975.
Debra recorded two albums with the Mattel toy tie-in group called Rock Flowers. Rock Flowers performed several songs written by Cymbal & Clinger. They also opened for Tom Jones and sang as his backup singers. Patsy collaborated with Shannon O'Neill on songwriting and made their own duo called O'Neill and Clinger. Debra and Peggy sang backup vocals on Don Everly
The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 ...
's 1971 album. Debra and Patsy sang backup on a Helen Reddy record and Debra sang backup on a Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
album. Patsy played drums on Bill Cowsill
William Joseph Cowsill Jr. (January 9, 1948 – February 18, 2006) was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead singer and guitarist of The Cowsills, who had three top-10 singles in the late 1960s. From the ...
's ''Nervous Breakthrough''. In 1975, the Clinger family appeared in a San Jose production of Saturday's Warrior
''Saturday's Warrior'' is a religious-themed musical written by Douglass Stewart and Lex de Azevedo about a family who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The musical tells the story of a group of children ...
.
Patsy, Debra, and Leesa performed as The Clingers and worked with producers John Madera, Al McKay
AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media
* Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera
* Al (''Fullmetal ...
, and Phil Kelsey. They recorded an unreleased pop album in the 1980s. They self-produced ''The Fountain'' (1990), an album of Christian pop songs by Patsy.
Legacy
Kim Fowley stated that the Clingers were globally, the first group of girls under 18 who played their own instruments in a rock-and-roll band.[ Fowley was the producer of another all-girl rock-and-roll band, ]The Runaways
The Runaways were an all-female American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. The band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", "Hollywood", "Queens of ...
. Debra clarified that they were the first girl band to have a record contract. According to performing arts librarian Myrna Layton, the Clingers's performances were "completely dominated by the men who chose and orchestrated the songs and oversaw recordings and live shows" because of how the popular music industry in the United States was mostly controlled by men at the time. According to Debra Clinger, being an all-girl band was not an asset: "Though we were produced by some of the top names in the record industry and signed to some of the top record labels, we couldn’t break through the glass ceiling".
The Clingers released a vinyl album and compilation CD, ''Soft Bodies, Hard Rock'' through a successful Kickstarter campaign. The CDs were distributed by area251records, a reissue label. In 2022, Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
included The Clingers in an exhibit entitled ''Provo Pop Music Connections'', which details 100 years of Provo music history. A story about the band was also featured in the Fall 2022 issue of ''Provo Music Magazine''.
Members
*Melody Clinger - guitar, vocals[
*Peggy Clinger - keyboard, vocals][
*Patsy Clinger - drums, vocals][
*Debra Clinger - bass, vocals][
]
Discography
Singles as The Clinger Sisters
Singles as The Clingers
Appears on
Peggy Clinger
with The Cattanooga Cats
Source:
with Cymbal & Clinger
Source:
as Peggy Clinger
Source:
Debra Clinger
with the Rock Flowers
Source:
Patsy Clinger
with Bill Cowsill
Source:
References
Sources cited
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clingers, The
All-female bands
Musical groups disestablished in 1971
Musical groups established in 1966
Female-fronted musical groups
Rock music groups from Utah
Latter Day Saints from Utah
Sibling quartets
Latter Day Saint families
Harold B. Lee Library-related music articles