The 3° Degrees, "Drivin' Me Mad" c/w "Look in My Eyes," Swan S-4235 (rel. 12/1965)
The 3° Degrees (whose name is, as some have joshed, The 3 Degrees Degrees) were a much different group, at their start, than the soul stars they became in the 1970s. In the hands of producer/songwriter Richard Barrett, their first incarnation was an update of the first girl group he brought to fame, The Chantels. This trio recorded some of the earlier group's hits (as in the topside of today's single) and provide an effective link between the pre- and post-Supremes eras of female vocal groups.
In 1963, teenage friends Fayette Pinkney, Shirley Porter, and Linda Turner were discovered by Barrett, who had also managed the career of Frankie Lymon, helped Little Anthony and The Imperials get started and was a member of Black vocal group The Valentines, who had a couple of r&b charters for Rama Records in the mid-1950s. Barrett also recorded, often in a sly take-off on Ray Charles' vocal style. For producer/songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller he made one of the great singles of 1962, "Some Other Guy"/"Tricky Dicky," which was a major favorite of the Liverpool beat groups; cover versions abound of both sides.
In their first incarnation, The 3° Degrees had seven singles released on Philadelphia label Swan Records. None of them troubled the pop charts aside from their 1963 debut "Gee Baby (I'm Sorry)," which got up around #70, depending on which chart you prefer.
Barrett wrote some fine new material for the group, and their revivals of Chantels classics might have appealed to older listeners who remembered the originals. They delivered a Northern Soul-worthy item in "Drivin' Me Mad," the B-side of their fourth Swan 45. The A-side stalled out at #97 on both pop charts, and a fine, exciting dancer went unheard by the masses.
The singers' high energy is infectuous on this bouncy wall-of-sound production. Their precise, soulful harmonies are a delight on a recording that straddles the past and future of Black music--as do many 1965 releases. The song seems to reflect some influence from the British groups; it's Beatle-esque in some of its melodic turns. It's easy to imagine the nonexistent cover version by The Swinging Blue Jeans or The Searchers that might have happened. (The Blue Jeans did a cover version of another 3° Degrees song, "Gotta Draw the Line," in 1966.)
In 1963, teenage friends Fayette Pinkney, Shirley Porter, and Linda Turner were discovered by Barrett, who had also managed the career of Frankie Lymon, helped Little Anthony and The Imperials get started and was a member of Black vocal group The Valentines, who had a couple of r&b charters for Rama Records in the mid-1950s. Barrett also recorded, often in a sly take-off on Ray Charles' vocal style. For producer/songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller he made one of the great singles of 1962, "Some Other Guy"/"Tricky Dicky," which was a major favorite of the Liverpool beat groups; cover versions abound of both sides.
In their first incarnation, The 3° Degrees had seven singles released on Philadelphia label Swan Records. None of them troubled the pop charts aside from their 1963 debut "Gee Baby (I'm Sorry)," which got up around #70, depending on which chart you prefer.
Barrett wrote some fine new material for the group, and their revivals of Chantels classics might have appealed to older listeners who remembered the originals. They delivered a Northern Soul-worthy item in "Drivin' Me Mad," the B-side of their fourth Swan 45. The A-side stalled out at #97 on both pop charts, and a fine, exciting dancer went unheard by the masses.
The singers' high energy is infectuous on this bouncy wall-of-sound production. Their precise, soulful harmonies are a delight on a recording that straddles the past and future of Black music--as do many 1965 releases. The song seems to reflect some influence from the British groups; it's Beatle-esque in some of its melodic turns. It's easy to imagine the nonexistent cover version by The Swinging Blue Jeans or The Searchers that might have happened. (The Blue Jeans did a cover version of another 3° Degrees song, "Gotta Draw the Line," in 1966.)
"Look in My Eyes" was a 1961 comeback hit for The Chantels. Their Carlton Records single became a hallowed make-out classic and inspired a cover version by The Crystals, produced by the notorious Phil Spector. Its loping mid-tempo beat, with swaggering 12/8 rhythm, is an ideal showcase for these young women's crystal-clear voices. Their harmonies rival The Chantels' and exude a sweetness that isn't cloying or put-on.
For two minutes, the vibe of 1957 is revived on a simple production that uses reverb to bridge its humble budget. The song's reverent treatment results in a version not far from The Chantels'. As a listener, I'd rather have another new song by Barrett, but the prolific cleffer had his attention spread thin over several promising acts and it was convenient to pull older songs from his catalog. "Drivin' Me Mad" is a much better choice as an A-side, and might have gotten this single farther up the musical food-chain, had it been chosen.
For two minutes, the vibe of 1957 is revived on a simple production that uses reverb to bridge its humble budget. The song's reverent treatment results in a version not far from The Chantels'. As a listener, I'd rather have another new song by Barrett, but the prolific cleffer had his attention spread thin over several promising acts and it was convenient to pull older songs from his catalog. "Drivin' Me Mad" is a much better choice as an A-side, and might have gotten this single farther up the musical food-chain, had it been chosen.
A year later, only Fayette Pinkley remained from the original trio. They took 1967 off, and made a one-off 45 for Warner Brothers Records. "Contact," now a triple-figure Northern Soul objet de désir, was followed by the group's period of success. For Roulette Records, they had pop hits through 1972, still with Barrett at the helm.
They moved to Philadelphia International and producer-songwriter Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. By this time, they were pop stars and a different group: none of the three original members remained.
The 3° Degrees ought to be considered their own group and not linked with the later hitmakers. Lost in the mad rush of mid-'60s music, they made a small but seminal contribution that paid off for other people down the line.
The 3° Degrees ought to be considered their own group and not linked with the later hitmakers. Lost in the mad rush of mid-'60s music, they made a small but seminal contribution that paid off for other people down the line.
Tomorrow: rockabilly fun with Ray Stanley, via a scarce 1957 Argo Records platter. One side uses the brand name of America's favorite beverage--I doubt a modern performer could do this without a load of lawyers clearing their throats.
"Driving Me mad" is a great song that never lets up with its frenetic soundscape of horns and voices. Very much a Supremes-like song that should have stood on its own. "Look In My Eyes" is one of those 'Let's get the girls in this echoey bathroom down the hall and mix it all badly' songs—a coulda-been good song but here the Degrees just seem under mixed and over shrill.
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