The Kittens (2) aka The Carmelettes

The Kittens (2) (Jersey City, NJ)
aka The Carmelettes

Personnel :

Angela LaPrete "Angela Murphy"

Vickie Cevetello

Discography :

1960 - Dark, Dark Sunglasses /Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini (Alpine 64)
1960 - A Letter On His Sweater / Broken Dreams    (Alpine 67)

Biography :

Trio named after Our Lady of St. Carmel Church composed by Angela LaPrete (Angela Murphy), Vickie Cevetello and Virginia Verga.  The Carmelettes were a group of Italian-American teenage girls from Jersey City, NJ -- a working class city just across the Hudson River from Manhattan -- in the late 50's.

The Kittens

Beatrice Verdi was their songwriter, arranger, and mentor, and she is the songwriter credited on Aching for You and Ding Dong. The group was signed to Alpine, a subsidiary of Epic Records, in about 1958 and recorded their own songs as well as background vocals for Neil Sedaka's Oh Carol.

When Carole King, for whom the song was written, recorded the answer song, Oh Neil, the girls were hired again to recreate the sound of the original song. This began a long collaboration with Carole King, although the girls were no longer called the Carmelettes.

Virginia Verga left the group, and  Angela and Vickie became the Kittens. They continued to record with Carole and for Alpine until they fazed themselves out of the business at age 18.

Songs :

   
Dark, Dark Sunglasses                           Broken Dreams

   
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini     A Letter On His Sweater

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