Biography
The Drew-Vels consisted of Erma Drew, Patti Drew, Lorraine “Micki” Drew, and Carlton Black, with the younger sibling Cynthia Drew appearing from time to time. Hailing from Evanston, Illinois, fifteen miles north of Chicago, the sisters organized the act while Patti and Micki were still students at Evanston Township High. Erma had married Black, who also composed the bulk of the group’s songs. Producer and manager Peter Wright placed the Drew-Vels under contract with Carone Productions, handling both production and day-to-day oversight; Carone in turn arranged for Capitol Records to issue, promote, and distribute their recordings. The arrangement yielded immediate success when the debut single “Tell Him,” issued in November 1953, became their strongest seller; its flip side, “Just Because,” remains the sole composition credited to Patti Drew. Capitol next released the modest two-sided hit “It’s My Turn” b/w “Everybody Knows” in March 1964. A final Capitol pairing, “Creepin’” b/w “I’ve Known,” appeared in June 1964, after which the label ceased issuing Drew-Vels records. Wright subsequently moved the act to his own Quill imprint, which put out “Come out Dancing” and “Chilly Kisses” during 1965; the second of those 45s was issued under Patti Drew’s name alone. Convinced that Patti supplied the essential voice and that a single performer would prove simpler to guide than a family unit, Wright encouraged her to pursue a solo path. Black, meanwhile, had already begun recording with the Duvals (later renamed the Naturals) in 1963 while still a member of the Drew-Vels. Erma, Micki, and Cynthia withdrew from music to raise families and work conventional jobs, whereas Patti continued alone on Capitol. She scored further success with a remake of “Tell Him” and with “Working on a Groovy Thing,” yet her stay in Los Angeles coincided with the onset of drug use. Honoring an earlier pledge to Patti’s parents, Wright halted her recording activities and returned her to Evanston; the sensuous alto was never heard from again.