The Jarmels _ A Little Bit of Soap - 6:7:20, 1.27 PM
Song by: The Jarmels
Song written by: Bert Berns
Keyboard player: Gail Nobles
Podcast vocals: Gail Nobles
Voice actor: Gail Nobles
Photo credit: Wikipedia.org/Fair use
The Jarmels are a doo wop/rhythm and blues group officially formed in 1959 in Richmond, Virginia. There were five singers in the group. Nathaniel Ruff, Paul Burnett, Ray Smith, Earl Christian, and Tom Eldridge. They are best known for their only hit single "A Little Bit of Soap".
They met while attending Armstrong High School and while some sang at nearby Mount Olivet Baptist Church services in Richmond Virginia. In 1957, they initially named themselves The Cherokees "because we liked the name," said Smith — the last surviving member.
The start of their big break came in 1960 when they were at a local (Richmond) venue where Ben E. King was appearing, and they met him. King invited them to travel to New York and meet with various record companies, including Laurie Records. The Cherokees impressed Laurie after auditioning with King's signature song, "Stand By Me", and became the first African-American group that Laurie signed. The group was renamed The Jarmels after a street in Harlem, New York.
And "A Little Bit of Soap was written by Bert Berns. The Jarmels reached number 12 with it in Sept. 1961 and number 7 on the R&B charts.
I'm Gail Nobles. You're listening to a show about Oldies.