The Steinettes
Encyclopedia
The Steinettes were an a cappella
doo-wop
street quartet from Greenwich Village
, New York
, formed in 1978. The group appeared in HealtH
and Popeye
, two films from director Robert Altman
that saw release in the early 1980s.
.
The group contributed vocal performances to the score of Robert Altman
's HealtH
, completed in 1979 but shelved by 20th Century-Fox
for over two years. During the shoot, they were dressed in vegetable outfits. A year later, they also appeared in another Altman production, Popeye
.
During their existence, the Steinettes appeared in commercials for television and radio, as well as in nightclubs. In 1985, they performed backing vocals on three tracks of a self-titled album by dance artist Robey
. One of them was a version of "One Night in Bangkok
" from the musical Chess
, which peaked at #77 on the Billboard Hot 100
in March 1985.
Diane Shaffer, one of the Steinettes, became a playwright in 1995 with the religious piece Sacrilege. Another member, Julie Janney, became an actor by the late 1990s, starring in shows such as Ellen
and Another World
.
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
street quartet from Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, formed in 1978. The group appeared in HealtH
Health (film)
HealtH is a 1980 ensemble comedy film, the fifteenth feature project from director Robert Altman. It stars Carol Burnett, Glenda Jackson, James Garner, Lauren Bacall, and Paul Dooley, and was written by Altman, Dooley and Frank Barhydt...
and Popeye
Popeye (film)
Popeye is a 1980 live-action film adaptation directed by Robert Altman and adapted from E. C. Segar's Thimble Theatre aka Popeye comic strip.Marketed with the tagline, "The sailor man with the spinach can!", the film is a musical...
, two films from director Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
that saw release in the early 1980s.
Career
Consisting of four actresses— Julie Janney, Diane Shaffer, Nathalie Blossom and Patty Katz— the Steinettes were formed in 1978 during a production at the Westbeth Theater. Another a cappella group, the Great American Dream, had been formed at this venue. Early on in their tenure, the quartet sang for donations at the Sheridan Square in Manhattan's West Village area. Eventually, they also served as a filler act for local comedian Phil Stein, and in 1981, they filled in for Rodney DangerfieldRodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
.
The group contributed vocal performances to the score of Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
's HealtH
Health (film)
HealtH is a 1980 ensemble comedy film, the fifteenth feature project from director Robert Altman. It stars Carol Burnett, Glenda Jackson, James Garner, Lauren Bacall, and Paul Dooley, and was written by Altman, Dooley and Frank Barhydt...
, completed in 1979 but shelved by 20th Century-Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
for over two years. During the shoot, they were dressed in vegetable outfits. A year later, they also appeared in another Altman production, Popeye
Popeye (film)
Popeye is a 1980 live-action film adaptation directed by Robert Altman and adapted from E. C. Segar's Thimble Theatre aka Popeye comic strip.Marketed with the tagline, "The sailor man with the spinach can!", the film is a musical...
.
During their existence, the Steinettes appeared in commercials for television and radio, as well as in nightclubs. In 1985, they performed backing vocals on three tracks of a self-titled album by dance artist Robey
Louise Robey
Louise Ann Robey is a Canadian singer-songwriter, model, and actress.-Early life and career:Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Robey was educated throughout Europe and attended the Royal Ballet School. Discovered by French photographer Jacques Henri Lartigue while sunbathing in the French Riviera,...
. One of them was a version of "One Night in Bangkok
One Night in Bangkok
"One Night in Bangkok" is the title of a song originally sung by the British actor and Pop-dance singer Murray Head on the 1984 concept album for the musical Chess...
" from the musical Chess
Chess (musical)
Chess is a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other;...
, which peaked at #77 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The 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...
in March 1985.
Diane Shaffer, one of the Steinettes, became a playwright in 1995 with the religious piece Sacrilege. Another member, Julie Janney, became an actor by the late 1990s, starring in shows such as Ellen
Ellen (TV series)
Ellen is a U.S. television sitcom that ran on the ABC network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, producing 109 episodes.The theme song, "So Called Friend" is by Scottish band Texas...
and Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
.