The Crystals are an American vocal group that originated in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. 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 who ...

era in the first half of the 1960s, their 1961–1964 chart hits – including " There's No Other (Like My Baby)", "

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 C ...

", " He's Sure the Boy I Love", " He's a Rebel", " Da Doo Ron Ron" and " Then He Kissed Me"– featured three successive female lead singers and were all

produced Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

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 co ...

'' 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,

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Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), 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; ...

– February 16, 2018,

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

), Mary Thomas,

Dolores "Dee Dee" Kenniebrew Dolores "Dee Dee" Kenniebrew (born 1945) is an American singer, best known for her work with the trio The Crystals. She was born as Dolores Kenniebrew and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. In 1960, at age 15, she was invited to sing in the girl gr ...

(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 company ...

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'' (G ...

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 The Brill Building is an office building at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood. It was built in 1931 as ...

songwriters Barry Mann 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 We ...

'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. 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 ...

" (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 o ...

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 L ...

and sung by Alston), resulted in limited

airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day ( spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in ...

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 Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), known professionally as Darlene Love, is an American singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and she also recorded as a solo artist. She began singing as a child with he ...

and her backing group the Blossoms. The Crystals were not able to travel from

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fast enough to suit the LA-based Spector, who wanted to quickly record writer Gene Pitney's " He's a Rebel" 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 revivals ...

. 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 The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McFad ...

, 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 Dolores "LaLa" Brooks. 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! ''Ready Steady Go!'' (or ''RSG!'') was a British rock/pop music television programme broadcast every Friday evening from 9 August 1963 until 23 December 1966. It was conceived by Elkan Allan, head of Associated-Rediffusion, Rediffusion TV. Al ...

'', and '' Tonight at the London Palladium''.

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. 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) 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 List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, 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 Lorraine Bracco (born October 2, 1954) is an American actress. Known for her distinct husky voice and Brooklyn accent, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, four Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awar ...

enter the Copacabana on their first real date in the movie ''

Goodfellas ''Goodfellas'' (stylized ''GoodFellas'') is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. It is a film adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book ' ...

'' (1990); it was featured during the episode '

Homer and Marge Turn a Couple Play “Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play” is the twenty-second and the final episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series '' The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 21, 2 ...

' 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 Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'' (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 ...

'' (2018). It was also covered by Asobi Seksu and used on their live album. "Da Doo Ron Ron" was played during a scene in a dance club in the 1979 film

Quadrophenia ''Quadrophenia'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is the group's third rock opera, the two previous being the "mini-opera" song "A Quick One, Whi ...

, 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 ...

'' (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 adaptat ...

'', along with Chiffon and Ronnette.

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A m ...

cited "

" as an influence when writing her album ''

Back to Black ''Back to Black'' is the second and final studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. Winehouse predominantly based the album on her tumultuous relationship with then-ex-boyfrie ...

''. The American singer

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, Glamour (presentation), glamour, and melan ...

used the same phrase in the song "

Ultraviolence Ultraviolence or Ultra-violence may refer to: * A term used in the Anthony Burgess novel ''A Clockwork Orange'' and the Stanley Kubrick film of the same name Music * Ultraviolence (band) an industrial/techno band headed by Johnny Violent, AKA J ...

" 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: '' He's a Rebel'' (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)