Honey & the Bees
Honey & the Bees were a girl group from Philadelphia who had a hit in 1971 with "It's Gonna Take A Miracle". Two of the members of the group would later become part of The Ritchie Family.
Honey & the Bees | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Philadelphia, United States |
| Genres | soul |
| Years active | 1965 to 1972 |
| Labels | Academy, ABC, Arctic, Chess, Josie, Bell |
| Past members | Jean Davis Nadine Felder Gwendolyn Oliver Cassandra Ann Wooten |
Background
According to one source, the group began as The Yum Yums.[1] They began in 1965 and recorded a single "Two Can Play the Same Game" bw "Inside O' Me" which was released on the Academy label. The A side was written by Phil Hurtt. Not long after the single was released, the singers on the record had disappeared. With Hurtt keeping that sound in mind, he revived the name a year later with a different line up. This new line up consisted of Jean Davis, Nadine Felder, Gwendolyn Oliver and Cassandra Ann Wooten.[2]
The group is remembered for their revival of The Royalettes hit, "It's Gonna Take a Miracle". Produced for them by Jimmy Bishop, it became a hit for them in 1971.[3][4]
A couple of sources point to Fannie Lee Cobb of Fannie & the Varcels having a connection to the original line up.[5][6] Other members of the first line up were allegedly Rita Graves and Lulu Martin.
Career
By May 1, 1965, a single "Two Can Play the Same Game" bw "Inside O' Me" was released on Academy 114. Credited to Honey & the Bees, it was given a four star rating in Billboard's May 1 issue, Spotlight Winners of the Week Pop section.[7][8][9] The singers on the record were not Jean Davis, Nadine Felder, Gwendolyn Oliver or Cassandra Ann Wooten. They were Fannie Lee Cobb, Rita Graves and Lulu Martin.
New line up
With the new line up of Davis, Felder, Oliver and Wooten, they began their association with Arctic Records in 1966 and recorded a Kenny Gamble song, "On Time is Forever".[10]
In 1970, their manager Jimmy Bishop moved them over to the Josie label.[11]
In 1971, their single "We Got to Stay Together" was released on Josie 1028. Listed in the April 17 issue of Cashbox in their single reviews Picks of the Week section, it was said that it was certain to gain R&B action and pick up Top 40 momentum.[12] The same year they had a hit with "It's Gonna Take a Miracle".[13][14] After that they recorded two more singles which were released on the Bell label. The singles failed to make an impression and the group disbanded.[15]
Later years
At some stage Cassandra Ann Wooten and Nadine Felder were asked to come to New York to do some background vocals on a song. Jacques Morali and Patrick Adams were co-producing the song. Morali said to them that if he ever were to put a girl group together then they would be called. And two years later he did call but by that time Felder had lost interest in doing secular music.[16] Later Gwendolyn Oliver and Cassandra Ann Wooten joined with Cheryl Mason-Jacks to become The Ritchie Family.[17] Wooten would also be part of Cas Mijac.[18]
Discography
| Act | Release | Catalogue | Year | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honey & the Bees | "Inside O' Me" / "Two Can Play the Same Game" | Academy 114 | 1965 | Different line up[21][22] consisting of Fannie Lee Cobb, Rita Graves, Lulu Martin. |
| The Yum Yums | "Looky, Looky" / "Gonna Be A Big Thing" | ABC Records 45-10697 | 1965 | [23] |
| Honey & the Bees | "I'm Confessin'" / "One Time Is Forever" | Arctic 118 | 1966 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "Love Addict" / "I'll Be There" | Arctic 149 | 1969 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "Together Forever" / "Dynamite Exploded" | Arctic 152 | 1969 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "Sunday Kind of Love / "Do That Thing" | Artic 158 | 1969 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "Jing Jing A Ling" / "Auld Lang Syne" | North bay 303 | 1969 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "Jing Jing A Ling" / "Auld Lang Syne" | Chess 2088 | 1969 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "Make Love to Me" / "Please Have Mercy baby" | Josie 1017 | 1970 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "Help Me (Get Over My Used to Be Lover)" / "Please Have Mercy Baby" | Josie 1020 | 1970 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "Make Love to Me baby" / "People Need Each Other" | Josie 1023 | 1970 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "Come Get It" / "Love Can Turn to Hate" | Josie 1025 | 1970 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "We Got to Stay Together" / "Help Me (Get Over My Used to Be Lover)" | Josie 1028 | 1971 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" / "What About Me" | Josie 1030 | 1971 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "That's What Boys Are Made For" / "Has Somebody Taken My Place" | Bell 217 | 1972 | |
| Honey & the Bees | "Leave Me Alone" / "Song for Jim" | Bell 299 | 1972 | [24] |
| Act | Release | Catalogue | Year | Notes # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honey & the Bees | Love | Josie JOS 4013 | 1970 | LP[25] |
| Honey & the Bees | Dynamite! | Jamie 4009 Philly Original Soul Classics – Volume 2 |
1999 | CD Compilation |
| Honey & the Bees | Come Get It - The Complete Josie Recordings 1970-1971 | Westside WESM 614 | 2000 | CD Compilation UK[26] |
| Honey & the Bees | Love | Parlophone WPCR 27708 | 2014 | CD (Japan) CD release of 1970 album[27] |
References
- Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia - Jimmy Bishop, Honey
- Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 28 HONEY AND THE BEES
- Rock's Backpages - Blues & Soul, January 1972 - Honey and The Bees, John Abbey
- Cashboxmagazine.com - The CASH BOX R&B Top 60, Week ending OCTOBER 9, 1971
- AllMusic - Fannie & the Varcels, Biography by Andrew Hamilton
- SoundHound - Fannie & the Varcels
- Global Dog Productions - 45 Discography for Academy Records
- 45Cat - Honey And The Bees (Academy) - Discography
- Billboard, May 1, 1965 - Page 47 SPOTLIGHT WINNERS OF THE WEEK
- Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 28 HONEY AND THE BEES
- Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia - Jimmy Bishop, Honey
- Cash Box, April 17, 1971 - Page 20 cash box / singles reviews Picks of the Week
- Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 30 HONEY AND THE BEES
- Cashboxmagazine.com - The CASH BOX R&B Top 60, Week ending OCTOBER 9, 1971
- Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 30 HONEY AND THE BEES
- First Ladies of Disco: 32 Stars Discuss the Era and Their Singing Careers, By James Arena - Page 176 The Ritcie Family 1975-1978
- Soul Walking - the ritchie family
- Album Liner Notes - Double Fantasy (1980)
- Soul Jazz & Funk, DECEMBER 17, 2020 - GWENDOLYN OLIVER WESLEY DIES…. BY BILL BUCKLEY
- Soul Tracks, 16 Dec 2020 - R.I.P. The Ritchie Family singer Gwendolyn Oliver Wesley
- Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 31 HONEY AND THE BEES DISCOGRAPHY, 45s
- Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 28 HONEY AND THE BEES
- Discogs - The Yum Yums, Discography
- Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 31 HONEY AND THE BEES DISCOGRAPHY, 45s
- Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 31 HONEY AND THE BEES DISCOGRAPHY, LPs
- Discogs - Honey & the Bees, Discography, Compilations
- Discogs - Honey And The Bees, Albums