The Chordettes

The Chordettes were an American female popular singing quartet, usually singing a cappella, and specializing in traditional popular music. They are best known for their songs "Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop".

The Chordettes
The Chordettes
(clockwise: Carol Buschmann, Dorothy "Dottie" Schwartz, Jinny Osborn, and Janet Ertel)
Background information
OriginSheboygan, Wisconsin, U.S.
Genres
Years active1946–1963
Labels
WebsiteThe Chordettes' page on the Primarily A Cappella site
Past membersJinny Lockard (previously Osborn)
Carol Buschmann
Lynn Evans
Janet Ertel (aka Bleyer)
Margie Latzko
Dorothy “Dottie” (Hummitzsch) Schwartz
Nancy Overton
Alice Mae Spielvogel (previously Buschmann)
Joyce Weston
The Chordettes (Amsterdam, 1959)

Career

The group organized in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in 1946. The original members of the group were Janet Ertel (née Buschmann; September 21, 1913 – November 22, 1988), Alice Mae Buschmann Spielvogel, Dorothy "Dottie" (Hummitzsch) Schwartz, and Jinny Osborn/Lockard (April 25, 1927 – May 19, 2003). Alice Spielvogel was replaced by Carol Buschmann, her sister-in-law, in 1947. In 1952, Lynn Evans (née Hargate; May 2, 1924 – February 6, 2020)[1] replaced Schwartz, as Evans described in a 2015 interview.[2] And in 1953, Margie Needham replaced Osborn (who was having a baby), though Osborn later returned to the group. Nancy Overton also was a member of the group at a later time. Originally they sang folk music in the style of The Weavers, but eventually changed to a harmonizing style of the type known as barbershop harmony or close harmony. Part of this change seems to be influenced by Osborn's father.

Jinny Osborn was born in Seattle, Washington. She was born Virginia Cole, the daughter of O. H. "King" Cole, who was president (1948-1949)[3] of the Barbershop Harmony Society (then known as SPEBSQSA), and Katherine Flack.

After performing locally in Sheboygan, they won on Arthur Godfrey's radio program Talent Scouts in 1949. They held feature status on Godfrey's daily program, and then they recorded several 10-inch EPs for Columbia Records.[4]

In 1953, Godfrey's music director and orchestra leader, Archie Bleyer, founded Cadence Records. He signed a number of Godfrey regulars and former regulars, including the Chordettes, who had a number of hit records for Cadence.

Beginning in January 1954, the group sang on the Robert Q. Lewis Show, a weekday afternoon program on CBS-TV.[5]

Their biggest hit was "Mr. Sandman" in 1954. Archie Bleyer himself is on that record along with the group, Bleyer stripping the sound down the better not to clutter the girls' voices. They also hit No. 2 with 1958's "Lollipop" and also charted with a vocal version of the themes from Disney's Zorro (U.S. #17) (1959) and the film Never on Sunday (U.S. #13) (1961). Other hits for the group included "Eddie My Love" (U.S. #14), "Born to Be With You" (U.S. #5), "Lay Down Your Arms" in 1956, and "Just Between You and Me" (U.S. #8) in 1957. Their cover of "The White Rose Of Athens" hit the Australian Top 15 in May, 1962. The US single "In The Deep Blue Sea" was a one-week Music Vendor entry four months later (#128).

Janet Ertel married Bleyer in 1954. Her daughter Jackie married another Cadence recording star, Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers.

The Chordettes appeared on American Bandstand on August 5, 1957, the first episode of that show to be broadcast nationally on the ABC Television Network.

In 1961, Jinny Osborn again left the group. Unable to find a replacement with whom they were happy, the group disbanded in 1963.

Recent events

The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.

The longest living member of the Chordettes who has sung on all the Chordettes' recordings, on both Columbia and Cadence recordings, is Carol Buschmann. Lynn Evans Mand sang on all the Chordettes' Cadence Recordings. In 2004, Mand appeared on a PBS television special Magic Moments: The Best of 50s Pop, with other 1950s pop icons, singing "Lollipop". Margie Needham Latzko is the only surviving singer who recorded "Mr. Sandman".

During Super Bowl XLV, CarMax unveiled a new commercial featuring the Chordettes' 1955 song "Lonely Lips".[6] A 2012 Kia Optima car commercial premiered during Super Bowl XLVI featuring the Chordettes' recording of "Mister Sandman".

Their songs "Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop" were featured in the games Mafia II and Lollipop Chainsaw in 2010 and 2012, respectively. "Pink Shoelaces" was featured in LittleBigPlanet 3 in 2014.

Their song "Lonely Lips" was featured on Season 5, Episode 3 ("Goodbye Kitty") of the television show Malcolm in the Middle (2003).

Their song "Mr. Sandman" was featured in the movies Halloween II (1981), Back to the Future (1985), Uncle Buck (1989), Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998 film), Mr. Nobody (2009), TribeTwelve (2010 webseries on Youtube), The Little Death (2014) and Deadpool (2016) and in the "Sleep No More" episode of Doctor Who. It was also featured in the Haven episode "Enter Sandman" (Season 5 Episode 17), just a couple of weeks before the Doctor Who episode was broadcast.

"Lollipop" was included in the 1986 film Stand By Me. It was also included in Season 2, Episode 5 ("Chapter Eighteen: When a Stranger Calls") of the television series Riverdale.

"Mr. Sandman" was sampled on the song "Mr. Clean" by Yung Gravy.

"Hello! Ma Baby" was sampled on the song "Baby Powder" by Bandingo.

Deaths

Alice Mae Buschmann Spielvogel died in 1981 and is buried at Little Rock National Cemetery.[7]

Janet Ertel Bleyer died on November 22, 1988, at the age of 75.[8]

Jinny Osborn (later known as Jinny Janis) died in 2003.[9]

Nancy Overton died on April 5, 2009, after a long battle with esophageal cancer.[10]

Dorothy "Dottie" (Hummitzsch) Schwartz died on April 4, 2016.[11]

Lynn Evans Mand died on February 6, 2020, at the age of 95.[1]

Discography

Singles
Year Single (A-side, B-side)
Both sides from same album except where indicated		 Chart positions Album
U.S.
[12]		 U.S.
R&B		 U.S.
AC		 UK[13]
1954 "Mr. Sandman"
b/w "I Don't Wanna See You Cryin'" (Non-album track)		 1[14] 11 The Chordettes
1955 "Lonely Lips"
b/w "The Dudelsack Song" (Non-album track)		 All the Very Best of the Chordettes
"Humming Bird"
b/w "I Told a Lie" (Non-album track)		 The Chordettes
1956 "The Wedding"
b/w "I Don't Know, I Don't Care" (Non-album track)		 91[15] All the Very Best of the Chordettes
"Eddie My Love"
b/w "Whistlin' Willie" (Non-album track)		 14 The Chordettes
"Born to Be with You"
b/w "Love Never Changes"		 5 8
"Lay Down Your Arms" / 16[16]
"Teen Age Goodnight" 45
1957 "Come Home to My Arms"
b/w "(Fifi's) Walkin' the Poodle" (Non-album track)
"Echo of Love"
b/w "Like a Baby" (from The Chordettes)		 Non-album track
"Just Between You and Me" / 8 The Chordettes
"Soft Sands" 73
"Baby of Mine"
b/w "Photographs"		 Non-album tracks
1958 "Lollipop"
b/w "Baby, Come-a Back-a" (Non-album track)		 2 3 6 All the Very Best of the Chordettes
"Zorro"
b/w "Love Is a Two-Way Street" (Non-album track)		 17
1959 "No Other Arms, No Other Lips"
b/w "We Should Be Together" (Non-album track)		 27
"A Girl's Work Is Never Done"
b/w "No Wheels" (Non-album track)		 89
1960 "A Broken Vow"
b/w "All My Sorrows"		 —[upper-alpha 1] Non-album tracks
1961 "Never on Sunday" / 13 4 Never on Sunday
"Faraway Star" 90 All the Very Best of the Chordettes
"The Exodus Song"
b/w "Theme from 'Goodbye Again'"		 Never on Sunday
1962 "The White Rose of Athens"
b/w "Adios"		 Non-album tracks
"In the Deep Blue Sea"
b/w "All My Sorrows"
1963 "True Love Goes On and On"
b/w "All My Sorrows"

Albums
gollark: 25? Weak. We have 43k or so.
gollark: Like the Communism Protocols and Apioprotocols of osmarks.tk™ apiaristics, obviously.
gollark: There is no escape.
gollark: oh utter beeoforms WHAT?
gollark: https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/java-edition-moving-houseImmensely troubling.

See also

Notes
  1. "A Broken Vow" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at #2 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.[17]

References
  1. "Lynn Evans Mand". The Chronicle. February 11, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  2. PogieJoe (January 14, 2015). "MRS. SANDMAN: A Chat with The Chordettes' Lynn Evans". YouTube. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  3. "Barbershop Harmony Society International Past Presidents" (PDF). August 21, 2018.
  4. "Chordettes". Oxford Music Online. Oxford Music Online. July 4, 2006. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  5. "Monday (11)" (PDF). Ross Reports on Television. January 11, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  6. CarMax – Gas Station – 2011 Super Bowl Commercial Ad Archived February 1, 2013, at Archive.today
  7. Lewandoske, Scott. "Alice Mae Buschmann Spielvogel". Find a Grave. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  8. "memorial page for Janet Ertel (21 September 1913-22 November 1988)". Find A Grave Memorial. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  9. Talevski, Nick (2010). "Jinny Osborn". Rock Obituaries: Knocking On Heaven's Door. p. 478. ISBN 9780857121172.
  10. Hevesi, Dennis (April 10, 2009). "Nancy Overton, Singer for the Chordettes, Is Dead at 83". New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
  11. "memorial page for Dorothy "Dottie" Hummitzsch Schwartz". Find A Grave Memorial. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  12. The Chordettes at AllMusic
  13. Nugent, Stephen / Fowler, Anne / Fowler, Pete (1976): Chart Log of American/British Top 20 Hits, 1955-1974. In: Gillett, Charlie / Frith, Simon (ed.): Rock File 4. Frogmore, St. Albans: Panther Books, p. 113f
  14. Whitburn, Joel (1973): Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, p. 13
  15. Whitburn, Joel (1994): Top Pop Singles 1955-1993. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Ltd., p. 112
  16. Whitburn, Joel (2005): The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Hits. 7. überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage, New York City, New York: Billboard Books, p. 129
  17. "Bubbling Under Hot 100". Top40Weekly. 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  18. "Chordettes, The – Drifting And Dreaming (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
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