ABOUT
The Toys were an R&B/pop girl group from Jamaica, New York that became famous during the mid 1960s. Formed in 1961 while the members were all still in their teens, the lineup consisted of June Montiero, Barbara Parritt, and lead singer Barbara Harris. First known as The Charlettes, they began as backing vocalists for other artists before landing their first recording contract with Bob Crewe's DynoVoice Records and changing their name to The Toys.
The Toys made their debut in 1965 with what would become their signature song, "A Lover's Concerto," which reached #2 and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts, respectively, and soon after went gold. Co-written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, this girl group classic is an upbeat pop/rock adaptation of "Minuet in G Major" from "Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach" by J.S. Bach. Although "A Lover's Concerto" was beat out by The Beatles' "Yesterday" and The Rolling Stones' "Get Off Of My Cloud" for the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, this smash topped both the U.S. Cash Box and Record World charts as well as the Canadian charts. It also made the U.K. Top 5 and became a major hit in a number of other countries worldwide.
After the success of "A Lover's Concerto," The Toys had another hit that made the Top 20 with "Attack" (1965), which they later performed in the 1967 beach movie, "It's A Bikini World." Several minor hits followed that included "May My Heart Be Cast Into Stone" (1966), "Silver Spoon" (1966), and "Baby Toys" (1966). The Toys' final charting song came in 1968 with their cover of Brian Hyland's "Sealed With A Kiss."
At the height of their commercial fame, The Toys appeared on such popular TV shows as "American Bandstand," "Hullabaloo," and "Shindig." After the group disbanded in 1968, Harris later went on to pursue a solo career, appearing on public television and at various oldies shows. In 1986, the original Toys trio reunited and remained active for around two years, performing at concerts, nightclubs, and other venues.
LINKS
- For more info about The Toys and Barbara Harris, visit barbarastoys.net.
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SONGS
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The Toys
- A Lover's Concerto 1965
(This song later also became a hit for Sarah Vaughan in 1966, and a parody version was unleashed that same year by Mrs. Miller.)
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