Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans
Encyclopedia
Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans was an early 1960s vocal
group
produced
by Phil Spector
, and was initially conceived as a vehicle for the lead vocals of Bobby Sheen
, who took the stage name
Bob B. Soxx. The Blue Jeans were backing vocalist
s Darlene Love
and Fanita James, both of whom were also members of the then girl group
The Blossoms
.
entered the recording studio
, Spector was often using Love as the group's primary vocalist. Sheen sang lead on the group's first hit
, 1962's "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" (originally from the 1946 Disney
movie
, Song of the South
). Love, meanwhile, handled the lead vocals on Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans' two follow-up singles
, 1963's "Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts?" and "Not Too Young to Get Married".
Sheen and Love shared vocal duties on the only album
the group ever recorded, Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (1963).
Sheen can be heard as lead vocalist on the group's final recordings
, "The Bells of St. Mary's
" and "Here Comes Santa Claus
", two tracks on the Spector-produced album, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector
(1963), on which Love also appears as a solo
artist
. On the cover of this album, a group portrait shows Sheen with two Blue Jeans vocalists, who have been identified as James and yet another Blossoms member, Gloria Jones
.
After 1963 the group was dropped by Philles Records
and effectively ceased to exist. Sheen went back to using his real name, recorded some tracks for Capitol Records
in the mid 1960s, and later joined a touring version of The Coasters
, which featured original bass singer Bobby Nunn
. Sheen had previously been a member of The Robins
, joining in 1957. Love recorded a few solo hits, but, more memorably, was the lead vocalist on at least two hit records by The Crystals
. It is also established that Sheen, Love and Wright were the voices
on The Crystals' hit, "He's a Rebel
".
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
, and was initially conceived as a vehicle for the lead vocals of Bobby Sheen
Bobby Sheen
Bobby Sheen was an American rhythm and blues singer.-Biography:Born Robert Joseph Sheen in St. Louis, Missouri, Sheen is best known for singing with Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans who had their biggest hit "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in 1962...
, who took the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Bob B. Soxx. The Blue Jeans were backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
s Darlene Love
Darlene Love
Darlene Love is an American popular music singer and actress. She gained prominence in the 1960s for the song "He's a Rebel," a #1 American single in 1962, and was part of the Phil Spector stable that produced a celebrated Christmas album in 1963....
and Fanita James, both of whom were also members of the then girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
The Blossoms
The Blossoms
The Blossoms were a backing group from California. They had a recording career in their own right and were to the American West Coast what The Sweet Inspirations were to the East Coast and The Andantes were for Motown.-Early years:...
.
Career
Despite Sheen's status as group leader, by the time the trioTrio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
entered the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, Spector was often using Love as the group's primary vocalist. Sheen sang lead on the group's first hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, 1962's "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" (originally from the 1946 Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Song of the South
Song of the South
Song of the South is a 1946 American musical film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film is based on the Uncle Remus cycle of stories by Joel Chandler Harris. The live actors provide a sentimental frame story, in which Uncle Remus relates the folk tales of the...
). Love, meanwhile, handled the lead vocals on Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans' two follow-up singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, 1963's "Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts?" and "Not Too Young to Get Married".
Sheen and Love shared vocal duties on the only album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
the group ever recorded, Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (1963).
Sheen can be heard as lead vocalist on the group's final recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, "The Bells of St. Mary's
The Bells of St. Mary's (song)
"The Bells of St. Mary's" is a popular song.The music was written by A. Emmett Adams, the lyrics by Douglas Furber, following a visit to St. Mary's Church, Southampton, England. The song was published in 1917....
" and "Here Comes Santa Claus
Here Comes Santa Claus
"Here Comes Santa Claus " is a Christmas song written by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman.Autry got the idea for the song after riding his horse in the 1946 Santa Claus Lane Parade in Los Angeles, during which crowds of spectators chanted, "Here comes Santa Claus". This inspired him to write a song...
", two tracks on the Spector-produced album, A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector
A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector
A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records is an album of Christmas songs, produced by Phil Spector, and originally released as Philles 4005 in 1963...
(1963), on which Love also appears as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
artist
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. On the cover of this album, a group portrait shows Sheen with two Blue Jeans vocalists, who have been identified as James and yet another Blossoms member, Gloria Jones
Gloria Jones
Gloria Richetta Jones is an American singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She recorded the 1964 northern soul song, "Tainted Love", later a hit for the British synth-pop duo, Soft Cell. She was the girlfriend of glam rock artist Marc Bolan of the band T...
.
After 1963 the group was dropped by Philles Records
Philles Records
Philles Records was a record label formed in 1961 by Phil Spector and Lester Sill, the label taking its name from a hybrid of their first names. Initially, the label was distributed by Jamie/Guyden in Philadelphia...
and effectively ceased to exist. Sheen went back to using his real name, recorded some tracks for Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
in the mid 1960s, and later joined a touring version of The Coasters
The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
, which featured original bass singer Bobby Nunn
Bobby Nunn
Ulysses B. "Bobby" Nunn was an American singer with the musical groups The Robins and The Coasters. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, U.S., and died of heart failure in Los Angeles, California, U.S.-Biography:...
. Sheen had previously been a member of The Robins
The Robins
The Robins were a successful and influential American R&B group of the late 1940s and 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal bands who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound.-Original members:...
, joining in 1957. Love recorded a few solo hits, but, more memorably, was the lead vocalist on at least two hit records by The Crystals
The Crystals
The Crystals are an American vocal group based in New York, considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the first half of the 1960s. Their 1961–1964 chart hits, including "Uptown", "He's a Rebel", "Da Doo Ron Ron " and "Then He Kissed Me", featured three successive female lead...
. It is also established that Sheen, Love and Wright were the voices
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
on The Crystals' hit, "He's a Rebel
He's a Rebel
"He's a Rebel" is a pop song credited to the girl group The Crystals, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in November 1962. Written by Gene Pitney and produced by Phil Spector, it is considered one of the definitive examples of the Spector-produced girl group sound.In 2004, the song was...
".
Singles
- "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" (1962) - U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
PopBillboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
# 8; UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
# 45 - "Not Too Young to Get Married" (1963) - U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
PopBillboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
# 63 - "Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts?" (1963) - U.S. Pop # 38