Biography
Despite never reaching the upper half of the national singles charts and surfacing when their stylistic moment had largely passed, Reparata & the Delrons have displayed surprising staying power. Their lone album lingered in secondhand record shops for years afterward, and a set of eighteen tracks they recorded for World Artists—the imprint most identified with Chad & Jeremy—has since appeared on compact disc.
One among the countless female vocal ensembles that thrived during the first half of the 1960s, the quartet enjoyed greater visibility than most peers, first through appearances on a pair of Dick Clark’s national package tours and later through the simple fact that they issued a full-length album built around their best-known single, “Whenever a Teenager Cries.” That LP, also titled Whenever a Teenager Cries, remained an inexpensive collector’s item, commonly turning up in used bins—particularly throughout the Northeast—well into the 1980s at prices between fifteen and twenty dollars. For two decades after its release, therefore, Reparata & the Delrons material served as an affordable entry point for many newcomers exploring the girl-group repertoire, far more accessible than contemporaneous pressings by the Crystals or Darlene Love.
The act originated as a four-piece at St. Brendan’s Catholic School in Brooklyn, New York, in 1962, fronted by Mary Aiesen alongside Regina Gallagher, Anne Fitzgerald, and Nanette Licari. By 1964 Mary Aiese had adopted the professional name Reparata Aiese—borrowed from a nun at the school, Sister Mary Reparata—and assembled a fresh lineup with Sheila Reillie, Kathy Romeo, and Carol Drobnicki. While performing at a high-school dance they were noticed by brothers Bill and Steve Jerome, who were scouting talent for recording sessions.
The Jeromes secured a one-single contract with Laurie Records for the now-trio configuration after Kathy Romeo departed. “Your Big Mistake,” issued in summer 1964, attracted no attention. Already late in the girl-group cycle, the singers found themselves overshadowed by the surge of British Invasion acts vying for radio play. Later that year the Jeromes moved the group to Pittsburgh’s World Artists label, where an initial session yielded several numbers including “Whenever a Teenager Cries.”
Issued in early 1965, the track achieved regional success yet never climbed above the lower half of the national listings. Its style, reminiscent of the Angels, earned the trio a berth on Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars tour. World Artists followed with additional singles; “Tommy” registered modest sales while “The Boy I Love” and others did not. A complete album containing the hit plus covers of British Invasion numbers such as “If I Fell” and “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” also appeared in 1965.
During the latter half of the year the Jeromes shopped the act once more, landing them at RCA. By the time their first RCA single was cut, Carol Drobnicki had left rather than join another national tour, reducing the lineup to Mary Aiese and Nanette Licari. Lorraine Mazzola joined as the third member. Over the next two years the trio recorded five singles for the label, none of which charted. In early 1967 they switched to Mala Records, a Bell subsidiary.
The Dick Clark tours had provided national exposure regardless of chart performance, and the group’s New York base encouraged hopes of rebuilding their early momentum. Late in 1967 their fortunes briefly improved with “Captain of Your Ship,” the first release to feature Lorraine Mazzola on lead vocal. The single failed to register in the United States yet reached number fifteen in Britain during the opening months of 1968. After three chartless years at home, Reparata & the Delrons toured England, an upturn that proved fleeting; no follow-up succeeded there. The following year they moved to Kapp Records, where three further singles likewise failed to chart.
After five years in the business Mary Aiese withdrew, relinquishing the group and the Reparata name to Lorraine Mazzola. Mazzola recruited new Delrons and shifted to the oldies circuit, which gained traction at the start of the 1970s. In 1973 she released an album of classic girl-group-styled oldies that failed commercially, prompting the retirement of the Reparata & the Delrons name late that year. Mazzola resurfaced in 1974 as a member of Lady Flash, the backing vocalists for Barry Manilow, and scored a hit the next year with “Street Singin’.” Curiously, it was Mary Aiese who ultimately reclaimed the Reparata identity, registering a minor 1975 chart entry with the single “Shoes.”
One among the countless female vocal ensembles that thrived during the first half of the 1960s, the quartet enjoyed greater visibility than most peers, first through appearances on a pair of Dick Clark’s national package tours and later through the simple fact that they issued a full-length album built around their best-known single, “Whenever a Teenager Cries.” That LP, also titled Whenever a Teenager Cries, remained an inexpensive collector’s item, commonly turning up in used bins—particularly throughout the Northeast—well into the 1980s at prices between fifteen and twenty dollars. For two decades after its release, therefore, Reparata & the Delrons material served as an affordable entry point for many newcomers exploring the girl-group repertoire, far more accessible than contemporaneous pressings by the Crystals or Darlene Love.
The act originated as a four-piece at St. Brendan’s Catholic School in Brooklyn, New York, in 1962, fronted by Mary Aiesen alongside Regina Gallagher, Anne Fitzgerald, and Nanette Licari. By 1964 Mary Aiese had adopted the professional name Reparata Aiese—borrowed from a nun at the school, Sister Mary Reparata—and assembled a fresh lineup with Sheila Reillie, Kathy Romeo, and Carol Drobnicki. While performing at a high-school dance they were noticed by brothers Bill and Steve Jerome, who were scouting talent for recording sessions.
The Jeromes secured a one-single contract with Laurie Records for the now-trio configuration after Kathy Romeo departed. “Your Big Mistake,” issued in summer 1964, attracted no attention. Already late in the girl-group cycle, the singers found themselves overshadowed by the surge of British Invasion acts vying for radio play. Later that year the Jeromes moved the group to Pittsburgh’s World Artists label, where an initial session yielded several numbers including “Whenever a Teenager Cries.”
Issued in early 1965, the track achieved regional success yet never climbed above the lower half of the national listings. Its style, reminiscent of the Angels, earned the trio a berth on Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars tour. World Artists followed with additional singles; “Tommy” registered modest sales while “The Boy I Love” and others did not. A complete album containing the hit plus covers of British Invasion numbers such as “If I Fell” and “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” also appeared in 1965.
During the latter half of the year the Jeromes shopped the act once more, landing them at RCA. By the time their first RCA single was cut, Carol Drobnicki had left rather than join another national tour, reducing the lineup to Mary Aiese and Nanette Licari. Lorraine Mazzola joined as the third member. Over the next two years the trio recorded five singles for the label, none of which charted. In early 1967 they switched to Mala Records, a Bell subsidiary.
The Dick Clark tours had provided national exposure regardless of chart performance, and the group’s New York base encouraged hopes of rebuilding their early momentum. Late in 1967 their fortunes briefly improved with “Captain of Your Ship,” the first release to feature Lorraine Mazzola on lead vocal. The single failed to register in the United States yet reached number fifteen in Britain during the opening months of 1968. After three chartless years at home, Reparata & the Delrons toured England, an upturn that proved fleeting; no follow-up succeeded there. The following year they moved to Kapp Records, where three further singles likewise failed to chart.
After five years in the business Mary Aiese withdrew, relinquishing the group and the Reparata name to Lorraine Mazzola. Mazzola recruited new Delrons and shifted to the oldies circuit, which gained traction at the start of the 1970s. In 1973 she released an album of classic girl-group-styled oldies that failed commercially, prompting the retirement of the Reparata & the Delrons name late that year. Mazzola resurfaced in 1974 as a member of Lady Flash, the backing vocalists for Barry Manilow, and scored a hit the next year with “Street Singin’.” Curiously, it was Mary Aiese who ultimately reclaimed the Reparata identity, registering a minor 1975 chart entry with the single “Shoes.”
Albums