Their debut single, 'I Met Him On A Sunday' was a minor hit, and brought them to a slightly bigger label, Scepter. It was here that the Shirelles released one of the most popular girl-group hits of all time, a version of the Carole King-penned 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow'. The song was considered slightly controversial in 1961, featuring veiled references to spending the night with a boy in the questioning lyrics. Nonetheless the record was a hit, and many more exceptionally catchy singles followed, such as 'Mama Said', 'Baby It's you' (covered by the Beatles on their first album) and 'Foolish Little Girl'. Other Brit-invasion artists who covered the Shirelles songs include Manfredd Mann and the Merseybeats.
The group were dealt a blow when their producer and arranger left for pastures new, and newer acts on the Scepter label began to garner more attention. To add to this, the band were contractually obliged to stay with the label that appeared to be neglecting them, and by the time they were free to choose their own path their moment had passed. Like many other influential girl-groups, they continued to tour on the 'oldies' circuit but new recordings were not forthcoming.
Their influence on pop, rock and R & B is often underestimated, with a mixture of gospel and pop and lyrical themes that were slightly more edgy than some of their peers often overlooked in the rush to pigeonhole them as simply another '60's girl group. They helped to define the genre, but seemed on the verge of breaking out of it's confines in many of their best songs.
IF YOU LIKE THESE, YOU'LL LIKE THE SHIRELLES: Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Ronettes, The Chiffons, Carole King, The Shangri-La's, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Beatles, The Merseybeats, Manfred Mann.