Biography
Distinct from the Chicago-based soul ensemble sharing their moniker, the Lovelites emerged several years earlier as a Brooklyn-rooted trio of young women whose sole notable release remains the 1966 single "(When) I Get Scared," which appeared on Phil Spector's brief-lived Phi-Dan imprint. Childhood companions Louise Robbins and Linda Stern launched the act while both were twelve, holding auditions among fellow junior-high classmates before selecting their peer Joanna DeClemente to handle lead vocals; the act first performed under the name the Jades and later adopted the Lovelites after drawing inspiration from the Supremes' chart success "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes." The teenage lineup secured a 1964 contract with Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman's Pomshu Productions, after which Spector himself took interest and recruited Pete Anders and Vini Poncia to craft original material. Their earliest studio work, cut in September 1964, produced "Please Be My Boyfriend," a track that stayed unreleased at the time yet later appeared on a Japanese bootleg compilation. Another session generated "He's My Eddie Baby," which advanced no further than the acetate stage. When "(When) I Get Scared" reached stores in January 1966, it vanished from view once ties between Spector and Pomus deteriorated; accounts indicate Spector sought to purchase the group's contract and name outright, and upon refusal by the members and their management, Phi-Dan withdrew promotional support. The Lovelites continued performing through 1967, after which DeClemente wed composer Poncia and turned toward an acting career.