Song:Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby)
Album:Chains: The Dimension Links 1962-1964
The Cookies had a long history as backup singers in the 50s and early 60s. But occasionally they recorded singles and had their biggest hit with the top ten hit Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby) in 1963. The Cookies started out singing on Brooklyn streetcorners in 1954 led by Ethel "Darlene" McCrae along with cousins Dorothy Jones and Beulah Robertson. Beulah was replaced by Margie Hendrix in 1956. They first recorded for Aladdin Records in 1954 but were signed to Atlantic Records by producer Jesse Stone in 1955. The Cookies had a top ten R & B hit with In Paradise in 1956. But mostly they sang backup vocals for Joe Turner, Chuck Willis and Ray Charles. Charles liked them so much that he hired them as The Raelettes. Pat Lyles replaced Dorothy Jones and the trio toured as The Raelettes until 1961. Then The Cookies re-emerged with Earl-Jean McCrae (Darlene's younger sister), Dorothy Jones and Margaret Ross usually working as backup singers with the team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin. They sang on Neil Sedaka's Breaking Up Is Hard To Do and Little Eva's Locomotion. But occasionally King and Goffin had The Cookies record for Don Kirshner's Dimension label. Don't Say Nothin' Bad was their biggest hit and it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. They also recorded Chains which was a hit for The Beatles. Earl-Jean McCrae left The Cookies and had a top 40 hit with I'm Into Something Good which was covered by Herman's Hermits. Darlene McCrae returned and The Cookies returned to studio work. You can get all their Dimension hits on this comp. The group recorded under various names and Margaret Ross leads a version of The Cookies on the oldies circuit today. Here's a video for Don't Say Nothin' Bad (About My Baby) by The Cookies.
No comments:
Post a Comment