Clinger sisters biography of christopher

Rock-and-roll girl band

The Clingers was one of high-mindedness first rock-and-roll girl bands. They started as straighten up barbershop quartet and recorded five singles before transitioning to playing their own instruments in a totter band in 1966. The members consisted of integrity four Clinger sisters: Patsy (drums), Debra (bass), Melody line (guitar) and Peggy (keyboard). They performed on profuse variety shows and with other artists to endorse their music. Melody, the oldest of the sisters, was born in 1947 and sang duets get better her mother before joining her sisters in practised barbershop quartet, known as The Clinger Sisters, unprecedented in 1956. Val Hicks became their vocal guide, and the family moved to California, where honesty Clinger Sisters appeared on The Andy Williams Show with the Osmonds and in several episodes method The Danny Kaye Show. They signed with Vee-Jay Records in 1964, recording three singles for them. They spent summers performing in fairs, headlining rule Liberace and Donald O'Conner at the Great City Fair. They released two singles independently in 1965.

Seeing the success of other rock bands outburst fairs, the Clinger sisters decided to switch cause the collapse of singing a cappella to accompanying themselves in a-one rock band. Nino Candido taught them how cut into play their instruments, and they started playing vibrate music alongside their quartet singing. They signed coupled with Greengrass Productions, but didn't like the music loftiness company wanted them to sing. They found more advantageous artistic synergy with Curt Boettcher and Steve Politician, who agreed to produce the Clingers' music accommodate Greengrass Productions. They recorded several tracks that were never released.

In 1967, they opened for Description Righteous Brothers and Robert Goulet in two divide up tours. Melody started writing songs for them let fall perform, and met Dennis Wilson, who introduced disallow to Terry Melcher of Equinox records. Terry was the stepson of Marty Melcher. The Clingers subscribed with Equinox and recorded two singles for them, but did not record an album after Marty Melcher's death and subsequent discovery of his debts. In 1968, The Clingers signed with Columbia Archives. They recorded the single "Gonna Have A Circus Time" for Columbia, where Michael Lloyd produced their B-side. They made multiple appearances on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour where they promoted their free. In the summer of 1969, they performed mean seven weeks at Rivera in Las Vegas comprise Ed Ames and Scoey Mitchell.

After seeing their Las Vegas act, Mike Curb started managing Influence Clingers and published their single "Something Here advise My Heart" under the Forward label in July 1969. The single "Round Round Round", also true by the Clingers, was a result of Peggy's collaboration with Johnny Cymbal. In 1970, the Clingers opened for New Coconut Grove and Anthony Newley in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The Clingers stopped performing in 1971, but the Clinger sisters continued to pursue music independently. Peggy acted orangutan the singing voice for the Kitty Jo natural feeling in the Hanna-Barbera show Cattanooga Cats, and Peggy and Cymbal wrote songs together as the matched set Cymbal & Clinger.

Singing as the Clinger Sisters

Melody Clinger, the oldest of nine children, showed effect early talent for music when she harmonized write down songs on the radio.^[2] Her mother started telling duets with her in the mid-1950s,^[3] and she sang with her sisters in church.^[2] The descent were active members of the Church of Word Christ of Latter-day Saints.^[4] The four sisters control sang as a group at the Orem Quarter Festival in Orem, Utah in 1956. They afoot singing at more local events in 1960 dowel 1961, including the Lai Cos Club Christmas party,^[5] a Brigham Young University Women's organization social,^[6] illustrious a Harvest of Harmony concert.^[7] Val Hicks, who also coached the Osmond brothers, became their plain coach.^[8] The local chapters of Sweet Adelines Pandemic and the Barbershop Harmony Society sponsored a help concert in 1962 to raise funds for honourableness Clinger Sisters to attend a barbershop quartet difference in Kansas City. The Clingers performed alongside representation Osmonds and other local groups.^[9]

The Clinger family mincing to California to pursue the girls' music career.^[10] The four girls sang a cappella quartets contrive as The Clinger Sisters. They appeared with magnanimity Osmond Brothers on The Andy Williams Show, careful were frequent guests on The Danny Kaye Show.^[2] Their vinyl debut was on a record collect Danny Kaye in 1963, Danny Kaye With say publicly Earl Brown Singers, the Clinger Sisters, and integrity Paul Weston Orchestra, on the tracks "Oh Child Mine" and "The Story of Alice".^[11] The Clinger sisters signed with Vee-Jay Records in 1964^[13] slab released two singles with their imprint Tollie Registers in 1964: "Shoop Shoop De Doop Rama Lama Ding Dong Yeah Yeah Yeah" and "Golly Mom".Cash Box called the song a "medium-paced rockin' juvenile romancer".^[15] They recorded the two songs and their B-sides in one session. They recorded another one and only, "What Can I Give Him" for a Yuletide season release. The songs the Clingers recorded diplomat Vee-Jay on the Tollie label had strong themes of adolescent romance. In the "Lipstick Song" nobility singer asserts that the right flavor of makeup convinced a boy to kiss her. "Golly Mom" deals with seeking parental advice for an godliness, while "Puppet" uses a marionette as a analogy for feeling controlled by feelings of attraction.

The Clinger sisters appeared alongside the Beatles in TV Star Parade asking readers to vote for their favorite group in 1964. Patsy Clinger recalls lose concentration the Clingers won the contest. The Clinger sisters stopped recording with Vee-Jay; their father, Aaron, testified in hearings about Vee-Jay and payola. The Clinger sisters were signed with General Artists Corporation fulfil book their tours, and they spent summers carrying out at grandstands at various fairs. In August 1965, they headlined with Liberace and Donald O'Conner advocate the Great Allentown Fair. By 1966, they esoteric appeared on shows with Steve Allen, Mike Politician, and Tennessee Ernie Ford.^[18]

Lynn Bryson, a radio DJ, wrote three songs for the Clinger Sisters: "How About Him," "Lean Back Baby," and "Children Laughing." The sisters arranged the songs for their voices. They also arranged a cover of "Bread coupled with Butter" by the Newbeats. Bryson produced the recordings made with the Clinger Sisters and members all but the Dartells. Aaron Clinger released the singles getaway these sessions independently under the label "Jo-Bee" rolls museum in August 1965. The singles were not excavate successful.

Rock band

Transitioning to rock music

The girls wanted terminate play instruments in a rock band, and their father, Aaron Clinger, relented after seeing the frequency of a garage band from Hollywood at fairgrounds in El Centro, California. Aaron used money use up selling their Utah home to buy guitars, trig drum set, and a keyboard for the Clinger sisters. Nino Candido, son of Candy Candido, cultivated the girls how to play soul, funk, stand for rock music. They gradually started to incorporate their rock music into their acts when it energetic sense for the gig. They played at class Oregon State Fair on September 3, 1966. Stretch they were rehearsing at their hotel, The Yardbirds heard them and insisted that they play argue with the Teenage Fair they were performing at. Debra recalled that after their October 16, 1966 adherence at the Future Farmers of America, fans were "hanging banners out of their hotel windows blast for us". Seymour Heller, their manager at grandeur time, got them a record deal with Close Cobb at Greengrass Productions. Debra recalled disliking primacy songs that Greengrass Productions wanted them to hardheaded. Also in 1966, the Clingers met another youngster band, The Pleasure Seekers.

Steve Clark, the Clingers's maker from their Vee-Jay days, had co-created with Guarded Boettcher a new label called Our Productions. Adventurer introduced Boettcher to the girls. Boettcher liked their music and the girls liked working with him. Boettcher and Clark agreed to produce the Clingers albums for Greengrass productions. Boettcher and his members of a musical band from the Ballroom, Sandy Salisbury and Jim Phone, were frequent visitors to the Clinger home. Song started dating Jim Bell. They often visited justness large house that Boettcher lived in with badger musicians who were "flower children". They played grandeur band parts and sang backup vocals for Leeward Mallory for some of his performances at influence Ice House in Pasedena. They recorded "Sing be introduced to Me" by Lee Mallory, and "Don't Say No" and "Ringing Bells" by Ruthann Friedman. The footprints were never released. In December 1966, the Clingers performed multiple shows with Brenton Wood and Gladys Knight & the Pips at Disneyland. They concluded with Bob Hope at the Arizona State Fair.^[26] They appeared on The Dating Game twice check 1967 and once in March 1969.

Performing as Prestige Clingers

The girls decided to call themselves The Clingers. Their agent was Jerry Perenchio. In 1967, they toured with The Righteous Brothers, performing at institution campuses and military and air force bases.^[2] They opened for Robert Goulet on tour,^[27] but primate a barbershop quartet. The orchestra director, Ralph Sharon, made an arrangement of Melody's "Only You". Sharon wrote an arrangement of "Walk On By" receive the girls. In 1967, the girls entertained indefinite famous musicians in their home, including Dennis Ornithologist, Craig Smith, and Jim Pike. Melody met Dennis Wilson after wolf-whistling his Rolls-Royce on her unchanged home from a guitar lesson. Through their organization with Dennis Wilson, they met Terry Melcher, authority stepson of Marty Melcher. Terry Melcher and climax friend Bruce Johnston started Equinox records, and nobleness Clingers signed with them in late 1967^[29] vindicate records and agreed to produce movies with Marty. They rehearsed in Terry Melcher's home, which was later the site of the Manson murders. Melcher and Johnson produced "Come, Love", "Marcus", "Loneliness", champion "Quick, Close the Door Before They Find Us". They planned for "Quick, Close the Door Earlier They Find Us" to be the title residue of their album, but after Marty's death humbling the subsequent discovery of the poor state do away with his finances, the album deal was dropped. Rearguard Jerry Perenchio, Art Linson and Jeff Cooper became their managers, and they signed with the William Morris Agency.

In 1968 they signed with Columbia Annals and Mr. Bones Productions. Toxey French and Jeff Comanor were their producers.^[32] In a later catechize, Patsy said that she didn't like working touch French, because he wouldn't let them play their own instruments. Melody wanted the group to gratifying her songs, and felt that French and Comanor's song selections were boring. In an attempt make longer separate Melody from her boyfriend, Jim Bell, Priest Clinger moved the family to Northridge, California paramount told Melody to dump Bell. Melody, then 22, moved out of the house and lived check on her friends. The Clingers started to work change Michael Lloyd and Kim Fowley.

On November 3, 1968, The Clingers made their first appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. They sang "This Second of Softness" but they were not allowed philosopher play their instruments. When they performed "Gonna Be endowed with a Good Time" on the January 16, 1969 show, they played their instruments. Playing their washed out instruments was a point of pride for loftiness band, and advertising for the subsequent single acknowledged "That's them on all the instruments".Cash Box reviewed "Gonna Have a Good Time", describing it monkey "displaying the unconstrained rock ability and young intensity that ought to bring an instant teen explosion".^[37] In 1969, there were plans for The Clingers to be the summer replacement hosts for Have a rest and Dick Smothers, but they were cancelled while in the manner tha CBS dropped the show because of its often-censored political content. That summer, The Clingers performed come up with seven weeks at Rivera in Las Vegas twig Ed Ames and Scoey Mitchell.^[2][39]Mike Curb started pointing The Clingers in 1969 after seeing their Las Vegas act. Under the Forward label, Curb available The Clingers's single "Something Here in My Heart" with "Blackbird" as the B-side in July 1969. The band appeared on American Bandstand in Honorable 1969. They performed "Something Here in my Heart" on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. They as well appeared on Operation: Entertainment, the Pat Boone Point up, and the Barbara McNair Show.^[2] The Clingers developed in an issue of Vogue as models ferry popular clothing in 1969 alongside other women artists Cher and Gracie Slick.^[41]

After Melody married Jim Buzzer, they moved to Colorado and Melody did sound perform with the Clingers much after 1969. Peggy acted as the singing voice for the Fall-back Jo character in the Hanna-Barbera show Cattanooga Cats. She and Michael Lloyd co-wrote "Mother May I" for the show, which was released as dinky single by Forward and appeared on the Cattanooga Cats LP. Peggy met Johnny Cymbal at deft recording session where she sang his song "Sarah Jane (I'm All Alone)". The two started dating and collaborating on songwriting. They wrote several songs on The Cattanooga Cats show. The Clingers unqualified "Round Round Round" backed with "Mean it", which were both written by Peggy and Cymbal. Authority "Round Round Round" single was not successful.Cash Box called it a "rousing rock outing".^[44] Debra real two singles with Mike Curb as a match around 1969. In 1970, Mike Curb got probity whole Clinger family to be on The Microphone Curb Congregation, a group of entertainers managed unreceptive Curb that performed for television variety specials. Say publicly Clingers opened for New Coconut Grove and Suffragist Newley at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and for Newley at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas in 1970.

Musical work after The Clingers

By 1971, The Clingers were no longer performing together. Cymbal and Peggy were engaged until Cymbal told rustle up that he was already married. Peggy wanted their relationship to continue and moved in with Cymbal, who was an alcoholic. They had an on-again, off-again relationship. Peggy and Cymbal released a sui generis incomparabl, "The Mookie Mookie Man", under their duo reputation Cymbal & Clinger. In 1971, Wes Farrell leased them as resident writers for Chelsea Records.^[47] Orderly number of songs by Cymbal & Clinger were successful with popular performers. The Partridge Family sing five of their songs. David Cassidy ("Rock Look forward to, Baby")^[47] and Donny Osmond ("Standin' in the Have need of of Love") also sang songs written by Peggy and Cymbal. Cher sang Peggy's "I Hate goslow Sleep Alone".^[49] Peggy Clinger died of a sedative overdose on August 9, 1975.

Debra recorded two albums with the Mattel toy tie-in group called Tremble Flowers. Rock Flowers performed several songs written bypass Cymbal & Clinger. They also opened for Black Jones and sang as his backup singers. Pawn collaborated with Shannon O'Neill on songwriting and prefab their own duo called O'Neill and Clinger. Debra and Peggy sang backup vocals on Don Everly's 1971 album. Debra and Patsy sang backup plus a Helen Reddy record and Debra sang support on a Barbra Streisand album. Patsy played drums on Bill Cowsill's Nervous Breakthrough. In 1975, position Clinger family appeared in a San Jose manual labor of Saturday's Warrior. Debra appeared as Superchick interior the manufactured band Kaptain Kool and the Kongs on The Krofft Supershow, which ran for bend over seasons from September 1976 to September 1978. Songs performed on the TV show were credited cross your mind The Osmonds. In 1978, a self-titled LP was released on Epic, produced by John Madara deliver Gino Cunico.^[51][52]

Patsy, Debra, and Leesa performed as Distinction Clingers and worked with producers John Madera, Vessel McKay, and Phil Kelsey. They recorded an unreleased pop album in the 1980s. They self-produced The Fountain (1990), an album of Christian pop songs by Patsy.

Legacy

Kim Fowley stated that the Clingers were globally, the first group of girls under 18 who played their own instruments in a rock'n'roll band.^[2] Fowley was the producer of another all-girl rock-and-roll band, The Runaways. Debra clarified that they were the first girl band to have undiluted record contract.^[2] According to performing arts librarian Myrna Layton, the Clingers's performances were "completely dominated antisocial the men who chose and orchestrated the songs and oversaw recordings and live shows" because lecture how the popular music industry in the Coalesced States was mostly controlled by men at loftiness time. According to Debra Clinger, being an all-girl band was not an asset: "Though we were produced by some of the top names enfold the record industry and signed to some give an account of the top record labels, we couldn’t break cane the glass ceiling".

The Clingers released a vinyl jotter and compilation CD, Soft Bodies, Hard Rock broadcast a successful Kickstarter campaign.^[54] The CDs were upon by area251records, a reissue label.^[55] In 2022, Brigham Young University included The Clingers in an show off entitled Provo Pop Music Connections, which details Centred years of Provo music history.^[56] A story gasp the band was also featured in the Put away 2022 issue of Provo Music Magazine.^[57]

Members

Discography

Singles as Probity Clinger Sisters

Singles as Righteousness Clingers

Appears on

Peggy Clinger

with The Cattanooga Cats

Source:

with Cymbal & Clinger

Source:

as Peggy Clinger

Source:

Debra Clinger

with the Rock Flowers

Source:

with Kaptain Kool and the Kongs

Source:^[51]

Patsy Clinger

with Bill Cowsill

Source:

References

Sources cited

• Stax, Mike (2015). "The Clingers: Innocence and Magic". Ugly Things (39).
• Layton, Myrna (2022). "The Clingers: From Girl Group to Rock forward Roll Band". Journal of the International Alliance carry Women in Music. 28 (3).

External links