The Shirelles were an American girl group in the early 1960s, and the first to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The members of the quartet were Shirley Owens (the main lead singer; later known as Shirley Alston, then Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later known as Doris Coley Kenner, then Doris Kenner Jackson; she sang lead on "Dedicated to the One I Love", "Welcome Home Baby", "Blue Holiday" and a number of 'b' sides and album cuts), Beverly Lee, and Addie 'Micki' Harris. The quartet formed in New Jersey in 1958, and went on to release a string of hits including "Baby It's You" (written by Burt Bacharach/Hal David/Barney Williams), "Mama Said", "Foolish Little Girl", and the #1 Pop hits "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (Gerry Goffin/Carole King) and "Soldier Boy" (Florence Greenburg/Luther Dixon). Their "Sha La La" became an international hit when covered by the UK/British group Manfred Mann, giving them a Top 5 hit in 1965, and the song "Boys" was covered by The Beatles. The Beatles also covered "Baby It's You" on their album "Please, Please Me" in 1963. A year later, this same Burt Bacharach/Hal David song was also a Top 30 hit in the UK for Sheffield-born singer Dave Berry.
The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock and roll era, preceding MotownThe Chantels, who had had their first hit in 1957, they were successful in Britain, first and foremost with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (1960). In addition, they provided some of the earliest hits for important Brill Building songwriters like Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and Van McCoy. as a crossover phenomenon with white audiences. Unlike
Discography
Studio albums
- 1961: Tonight's the Night
- 1961: The Shirelles Sing to Trumpets and Strings
- 1962: Baby It's You (US #59)
- 1962: The Shirelles and King Curtis Give a Twist Party (duets album with King Curtis)
- 1963: Foolish Little Girl (US #68)
- 1963: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
- 1967: Spontaneous Combustion (Live album)
- 1968: Eternally, Soul (duets album with King Curtis)
- 1972: Happy and in Love (RCA)
- 1973: The Shirelles (RCA)
- 1975: Shirley Alston: With a Little Help From My Friends (Prodigal)
- 1976: The Shirelles: Let's Give Each Other Love (RCA)
- 1977; Lady Rose (Shirley Alston) (Strawberry)
- 1977; Lady Rose Sings the Shirelles' Greatest Hits (Shirley Alston) (Strawberry)
Compilations
- 1963: Greatest Hits (US #19)
- 1964: The Shirelles Sing the Golden Oldies
- 1967: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
- 1972: Remember When
Singles
- 1958: "I Met Him on a Sunday (Ronde-Ronde)" (US Decca #49)
- 1959: "Dedicated to the One I Love" (US Scepter #83)
- 1960: "Tonight's the Night" (US #39)
- 1961: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (Gerry Goffin/Carole King) (US #1, UK Top Rank #3)
- 1961: "Dedicated to the One I Love" (US #3; rerelease of 1959 hit)
- 1961: "Mama Said" (US #4) * MAMA SAID
- 1961: "What a Sweet Thing That Was" (US #54)
- 1961: "A Thing of the Past" (US #41)
- 1961: "Big John" (US #21)
- 1962: "Baby It's You" (Burt Bacharach/Mack David/Barney Williams) (US #8)
- 1962: "The Things I Want to Hear (Pretty Words)" (US #107)
- 1962: "Soldier Boy" (Luther Dixon/Florence Greenberg) (US #1, UK HMV #23)
- 1962: "Welcome Home, Baby" (US #22)
- 1962: "Stop The Music" (US #36)
- 1962: "It's Love That Really Counts" (US #102)
- 1963: "Everybody Loves a Lover" (US #19)
- 1963: "Foolish Little Girl" (US #4, UK Stateside #38)
- 1963: "Don't Say Goodnight and Mean Goodbye" (US #26)
- 1963: "Not for All the Money in the World" (US #100)
- 1963: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (US #92)
- 1963: "31 Flavors" (US #97)
- 1963: "What Does a Girl Do?" (US #53)
- 1964: "Tonight You're Gonna Fall in Love With Me" (US #57)
- 1964: "Sha-La-La" (US #69) * SHA-LA-LA
- 1964: "Thank You, Baby" (US #63)
- 1964: "Maybe Tonight" (US #88)
- 1965: "Are You Still My Baby" (US #91)
- 1967: "Last Minute Miracle" (US #99)
- 1969: "Go Away, Find Yourself" (Bell)
- 1970: "Strange, I Still Love You" (UA)
- 1970: "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" (UA)
- 1972: "No Sugar Tonight" (RCA)
- 1972: "Let's Give Each Other Love" (RCA)
- 1974: "I Hear Those Church Bells Ringing"/"Chapel of Love" (Shirley Alston) (Prodigal)
* WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW
