Reparata and the Delrons
Reparata and the Delrons |
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Reparata and the Delrons were an American girl group popular during the 1960s.
The Delrons started out as a quartet in 1962 at St. Brendan's Catholic School in Brooklyn, New York, led by lead singer Mary Aiese, who subsequently billed herself as Reparata after Sister Reparata, one of her school teachers[1]. The other original members were Nanette Licari, Regina Gallagher, and Anne Fitzgerald, but they were soon replaced by Sheila Reilly, Carol Drobnicki, and (initially) Cathy Romeo.
The Delrons were spotted by record producers Bill and Ted Jerome, who recorded them in 1964 first for Laurie Records, then on the Ernie Maresca song “Whenever a Teenager Cries” on the World Artists label. The song became a regional hit but failed to reach the national top 40, a pattern repeated by its follow-up, “Tommy”. However, the quartet toured nationally with Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars, and the group’s name became widely known. In 1965 they moved to RCA Records, Drobnicki and Reilly having been replaced by former member Licari and Lorraine Mazzola. After several unsuccessful releases in a style similar to the Shangri-Las, including Jeff Barry’s “I’m Nobody’s Baby Now” and an album, the Delrons moved again to Mala Records. Like the Shangri-Las The Delrons appeared as a trio and recorded as a quartet until late 1968.
In 1968 they released "Captain of Your Ship", co-written by Kenny Young. The song missed the U.S. national charts, but made the U.K. top 20 and the group toured the United Kingdom. Young said[2] of this period:-"If they had been more attractive there could have been a decent career there. They were responsible for me moving to England. I accompanied them to Top Of The Pops...[and]...attended the reception for their hit single "Captain Of Your Ship", along with John Lennon and Ringo at the Revolution Club in London. I met half the Beatles at our own reception...".
Follow-up recordings were unsuccessful, and by 1970 Mary Aiese left the group. Initially Lorraine Mazzola’s group continued to bill themselves as Reparata and the Delrons, releasing an album of classic girl group songs, but they retired in 1973 and the following year Mazzola re-emerged as a member of Lady Flash, Barry Manilow's group of back-up singers.
In the mid-1970s, the group's 1968 single "Panic" became a favourite on the U.K. Northern Soul scene centered around Wigan Casino.
Mary Aiese released several solo singles as Reparata, retaining the name after an unsuccessful lawsuit by Mazzola. The most successful was "Shoes", which was a Top 10 hit in South Africa and a minor U.K. and U.S. hit.
Mary Aiese reformed Reparata and the Delrons in the late 1970s and combined performing on the oldies circuit with working as a schoolteacher in Brooklyn.
Carol Scordilis, nee Drobnicki, died from cancer in 1980 at the age of 33.[3]
From 1989 until 2000, when Mary Aiese decided to retire the group, the Delrons consisted of Cookie Sirico and Judy Jae. Judy went on to record two CDs of original country-crossover material in Nashville, TN. Judy continues to perform on Long Island, NY.[4]
In November 2005, Mary Aiese and Nanette Licari were guests at an event at The Cutting Room in New York City, to mark the release of the Rhino Records boxed set "One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds - Lost & Found" (Rhino R2 74615)[5].
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ Kenny Young
- ^ Death notice, New York Times, Dec. 19, 1980, p. D19.
- ^ Interview with Judy Jae Jan_11_2008
- ^ http://www.spectropop.com/recommends/index2006.htm
External links
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