The Bobbi-Pins, "Sad Sad Girl" c/w "Little Wheel," Mercury 72389 (rel. 1/1965)

As regional pockets of musical talent coincided with an increased ease of record production, musical fiefdoms popped up all over the United States. In these micro-climates, a person or persons guided the general activities of a number of artists—as manager, producer, songwriter and in other, possibly illegal, ways. Thus, a person unknown to the major centers of music business was king or queen in their little hamlet. Such a person was Redda Robbins, beehived queen of Ohio vernacular music. She held sway from 1959 to the mid-1960s and got much of her material issued on mainstream record labels. Little, if any, of it troubled the charts, but it must have earned Robbins a living, as she kept with it for many years.

Robbins first appeared as co-owner of the Cashmere label out of South Euclid, Ohio. With her sister Jeanette, she sang as The Robbins, The Two-Notes, The Classics, and, in what may have been a typo, The Robins-with-one-B; that name belonged to a pioneering Black vocal group from whom The Coasters emerged.

Redda became a producer-songwriter-wheeler-dealer and one of her sustaining connections was with Chicago’s Mercury Records. She placed several of “her” artists with the label; Mercury didn’t promote the results, and the records bombed in the mainstream market. They likely sold well on the artists’ home turf. Mercury seldom had the performers return for a follow-up. Money had to’ve been made by this complex serial action—otherwise, Mercury would’ve advised Ms. Robbins to go elsewhere.

One group Mercury did call back was the Black girl combo The Bobbi-Pins. Their first Mercury single was produced in Chicago, with songwriter-producers David White and John Madara at the helm. Their 1963 debut 45 has a classic hard-edged girl-group sound; it went nowhere.

Perhaps with Robbins’ insistence, The Bobbi-Pins returned in 1965 for a second chance. This time, Redda was at the helm as songwriter, producer and arranger. She was no con-artist: Robbin was a Midwestern Ellie Greenwich, capable of atmospheric, emotional songs which got on tape as powerful performances. This second 45 is quite scarce; it got a retail pressing, but zero attention was given it in the music press. Its quality exceeds its obscurity, as you’ll soon hear.

“Sad Sad Girl” is a whomping, pleading song that exudes teenage anguish via forceful, well-rehearsed performances by this youthful quintet whose members were Linda Brown, Mary and Sherrie Ragland, Cheri Richman and Candy Brown. This high-impact sound, with its soulful edges, was the opposite of the musical parfaits offered by The Supremes, who ruled the girl-group roost of 1965. They’re closer to the sound of The Shangri-las from Long Island, NY. The song’s two minutes and 10 seconds fly by and it’s such a gripping overall effect it merits a second listening.

“Little Wheel” is a pulsating rocker with a spiritual flavor, as the girls advise a guy who considers himself a big deal, but, like an oligarch we all know, lacks a sense of self-awareness and/or reality. “All you have to do is try—keep on pushin’,” they implore him. It’s pleasant to hear a girl-group song that could be an easy put-down but aims for something better.

The Pins’ lead singer heats up, perhaps to be heard above the din of a frantic production, on this wild side that goes into unusual territory for its sound and style. It’s well-produced; Ms. Robbins had a good ear and wasn’t just a talent hustler. I’m glad she had success in her neck of the woods. It’s unfortunate that the major labels couldn’t relax their bias against regional music and give it any kind of promotional push. This was the last single this group made, and their potential remained untapped.

LINK FIXED: Stupid, stupid Blogspot's bad design angers me no end.

  Redda’s last known productions were released in 1966. She may still be with us; it would be interesting to know what became of her.

Tomorrow: more girl-group goodness with Reparata and The Delrons, via a 1967 RCA-Victor single. The girls introduce themselves on one side.