Girl Groups: Fabulous Females That Rocked the World [Paperback]

John Clemente (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2000

Girl groups were hot from the 1950s through the 1980s. This book profiles 60 of those most influential groups. Included is a discography for the profiled groups, pricing for 500 collectible records, and a comprehensive listing of all female rock 'n' roll groups and their labels.

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873418166
• ISBN-13: 978-0873418164
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #910,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #44 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Records

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tribute to the girls of heart-felt & soul-created music!, November 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Girl Groups: Fabulous Females That Rocked the World (Paperback)

What a great book! Not only does the author cover the usual suspects - the Supremes, Chiffons and Shirelles, but he gives extensive information on the less widely known, but no less (and often more) talented girl groups from coast to coast. For instance, records by Cincinnati's "Teardrops", whose raw talent and natural vocal blends made them a stand-out in that region, are still being collected from the US to the UK to Japan! Those girls never signed a major record deal, but their natural talents, unique sounds and inventive musical techniques were more "supreme" by far than some of their more famous, professionally produced counterparts.

Luckily, this book goes to great lengths to include 60 of the girl groups who were most influential in the genre, not just rehash what we already know about the best-known handful.

The Pre-British-Invasion sound of the 50s and 60s was largely influenced by girl groups, until the rise of their rich sound was eclipsed by an influx of first generation boy bands from across the sea. The sounds, styles and sentiments expressed through the girl group sound have never been matched.

Girl groups made music because they loved singing. Many of them were in their early to late teens when they hit the limelight. They grew up singing together with friends on street corners, in gymnasiums or wherever else the acoustics were good for creating that distinct harmonic sound we know and love - often times without any instruments to back them up.

That pure vocal magic has never been tapped again, as music has regrettably gone from passion to pop profit play. Finally, we have a book which explores the music and the makers of the last great era in heart-felt & soul-created music and gives us all a comprehensive understanding of how the groups came to be and where the girls who won our hearts are now.

The discography and pricing guide for collectors is a great added bonus, which illustrates the ongoing value of the music made decades ago. Some of the records, especially those made by the lesser known groups, are "hot" collector's items, hard to come by -- even in bootleg -- because it just doesn't get any better than it was when the Girl Groups sang!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars STOP! IN THE NAME OF GIRL GROUPS, October 7, 2000

By 

Stubborn Kinda Fella "waYne" (Boston, Ma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Girl Groups: Fabulous Females That Rocked the World (Paperback)

Not since Alan Betrock's "GIRL GROUPS: STORY OF A SOUND" have we had such a telling history laid out for us about this decidedly underrated genre!

Through a host of photos in addition to interviews with original group members, Clemente effectively delivers the 411 on the mainstream girl groups and often sheds new light on thier histories. A special bonus is the inclusion of lesser known yet noteworthy girl group acts.

This is a very important book for anyone who loves girl groups in general and girl group afficiandos in particular

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Girl Groups Get Glorious Recognition, September 29, 2000

By 

L. Garcia (Monterey, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Girl Groups: Fabulous Females That Rocked the World (Paperback)

This is an excellent overview of the 60 most influential girl groups in rock and roll. John Clemente provides a well-researched overview of the girl group phenomenon. The book contains all the groups you would expect to see (Shirelles, Supremes, Chiffons, Ronettes, etc.) but also contains write-ups on many, many obscure groups. I've only started to read the book and have already learned quite a few things (who knew that The Cookies were also The Cinderellas?).

The only reason I didn't give this book five stars is the number of typos in the book. While this didn't take away from the overall enjoyment of the book, I think a little more proofreading of the book should have been done.

I've been a fan of girl groups for as long as I can remember and am so glad to have this valuable resource. I'm also very impressed with the list of girl groups provided at the back of the book as well as the price guide for the most valuable girl group singles.

Overall, a very enjoyable book with lots of valuable information and some excellent and rare photos. This is a must-have for any fan of girl groups or rock and roll fans.