ABOUT
The Exciters were an influential male-female R&B/pop quartet with an fiery girl group sound that became famous during the early 1960s and paved the way for such acts as The Shangri-Las and The Ronettes. They are best known for "Tell Him" (1962), a Top 5 smash produced by Leiber and Stoller for United Artists Records originally recorded as "Tell Her" by Gil Hamilton (later known as Johnny Thunder). Dusty Springfield was on a stop-over in New York City when she heard this oldies classic while walking by a record store on Broadway. She was so inspired by the song that she launched a solo career with a pop/soul direction.
Formed in 1961 in Jamaica, New York and first known as The Masterettes, they began as an all-female group, with one male member added soon after. The classic hitmaking lineup consisted of Carolyn "Carol" Johnson (ca. 1944 - May 7, 2007), Herb Rooney (ca. 1941 - February 16, 1991), Lillian Walker (March 3, 1944 - February 5, 2023), and lead singer Brenda Reid (b. 1945). After a number of personnel changes, the group finally disbanded in 1974. Reid and Rooney, who had married in 1964, had a Top 40 hit in the U.K. the following year as The Exciters with "Reaching For The Best," and in 1978, they had one final U.S. R&B chart hit as Brenda & Herb with "Tonight I'm Gonna Make You A Star." Over the years, The Exciters amassed a loyal following among fans of the Northern Soul music scene in the U.K. with such songs as "Blowing Up My Mind" (1969).
LINKS
- The Vinyl Word remembers Carolyn 'Carol' Johnson.
- Soul & Jazz & Funk remembers Lillian Walker.
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SONGS
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The Exciters
- Tell Him 1962
(This song later became a hit for both Dean Parrish (1966) and Kenny Loggins (1989, as "Tell Her").)
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