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Honey & the Bees

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Honey & the Bees
OriginPhiladelphia, United States
Genressoul
Years active1965 to 1972
LabelsAcademy, ABC, Arctic, Chess, Josie, Bell
Past membersJean Davis
Nadine Felder
Gwendolyn Oliver
Cassandra Ann Wooten

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.

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. [citation needed]

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]

Gwen Oliver died on November 27, 2020 at age 71.[19][20]

Discography

Singles
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.[citation needed]
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]
Albums
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

  1. ^ Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia - Jimmy Bishop, Honey
  2. ^ Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 28 HONEY AND THE BEES
  3. ^ Rock's Backpages - Blues & Soul, January 1972 - Honey and The Bees, John Abbey
  4. ^ Cashboxmagazine.com - The CASH BOX R&B Top 60, Week ending OCTOBER 9, 1971
  5. ^ AllMusic - Fannie & the Varcels, Biography by Andrew Hamilton
  6. ^ SoundHound - Fannie & the Varcels
  7. ^ Global Dog Productions - 45 Discography for Academy Records
  8. ^ 45Cat - Honey And The Bees (Academy) - Discography
  9. ^ Billboard, May 1, 1965 - Page 47 SPOTLIGHT WINNERS OF THE WEEK
  10. ^ Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 28 HONEY AND THE BEES
  11. ^ Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia - Jimmy Bishop, Honey
  12. ^ Cash Box, April 17, 1971 - Page 20 cash box / singles reviews Picks of the Week
  13. ^ Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 30 HONEY AND THE BEES
  14. ^ Cashboxmagazine.com - The CASH BOX R&B Top 60, Week ending OCTOBER 9, 1971
  15. ^ Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 30 HONEY AND THE BEES
  16. ^ First Ladies of Disco: 32 Stars Discuss the Era and Their Singing Careers, By James Arena - Page 176 The Ritcie Family 1975-1978
  17. ^ Soul Walking - the ritchie family
  18. ^ Album Liner Notes - Double Fantasy (1980)
  19. ^ Soul Jazz & Funk, DECEMBER 17, 2020 - GWENDOLYN OLIVER WESLEY DIES…. BY BILL BUCKLEY
  20. ^ Soul Tracks, 16 Dec 2020 - R.I.P. The Ritchie Family singer Gwendolyn Oliver Wesley
  21. ^ Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 31 HONEY AND THE BEES DISCOGRAPHY, 45s
  22. ^ Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 28 HONEY AND THE BEES
  23. ^ Discogs - The Yum Yums, Discography
  24. ^ Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 31 HONEY AND THE BEES DISCOGRAPHY, 45s
  25. ^ Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World, By John Clemente - Page 31 HONEY AND THE BEES DISCOGRAPHY, LPs
  26. ^ Discogs - Honey & the Bees, Discography, Compilations
  27. ^ Discogs - Honey And The Bees, Albums

Further reading

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