Girl Group Chronicles: Breakaways

After many years of recording with the highly successful group the Vernons Girls, Margot Quantrell, Vicki Haseman, Betty Prescott, and Jean Ryder all left that group for different reasons. Still remaining friends, the gals decided they wanted to give the music business another try. The Breakaways went on to become the premiere session singers in Britain.

In 1964, "That Boy of Mine," written by Petula Clark’s famous producer Tony Hatch, was their first release as a group on Pye Records. The single became a minor hit, before "He Doesn’t Love Me," and "That’s How It Goes," created the real Breakaway sound. Although their singles were excellent, their studio work was becoming much more well-known.

Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, and Lulu all used the Breakaways as their back-up of choice on their records. Dusty especially had the group on all of her early work!

In all the gals recorded six singles during the sixties, but in 1968, "Sacred Love" a psychadelic number became their greatest achievement, musically. As the British invasion faded, and American artist returned with force to the British charts the group was no longer in demad. They contiued to do studio work for the rest of the time they remained together.