Biography
In high school in Jersey City, New Jersey, Lilly Hammond, Lorraine Robinson, Lois Joiner, and Margie Godbolt first assembled as a quartet. Performing locally as the Tiaras, they entered talent contests together with Phil Terrell and Kool & the Flames, an early version of Kool & the Gang. Abner Spector, the producer behind “Sally Go Round the Roses,” secured them a contract at MGM Records, where they adopted the name the Pets. The resulting 1965 single—“What Kind of Girl Does He Think I Am” backed with “Nobody Knows How Much I Love You,” both sides written by Oliver Hall—received no promotion, and the label promptly dropped them.
Phil Terrell then introduced the singers to Winnie “Blue” Lovett of the Manhattans. Lovett gave them the name the Lovettes, supplied their songs, and convinced Joe Evans to sign the group to Carnival Records. Their 1966 debut “Little Miss Soul” b/w “Lonely Girl” went nowhere in the United States, yet it later became a favorite in Northern England’s dance clubs during the 1970s. The 1967 follow-up “I Need a Guy” b/w “I’m Afraid to Say I Love You” showed two-sided promise: the A-side combined a crisp rhythm, catchy phrasing, and committed delivery, while the B-side offered an even more affecting declaration of young romance, but Carnival could not turn the record into a hit.
Live work remained scarce and poorly paid, and occasional studio dates supporting other Carnival artists added little income. The singers eventually stepped away from the business, older and more experienced yet appreciative of what they had gained. The Lovettes had no link to another Carnival act also called the Pets or to the earlier Checker Records Lovettes who later became the Gems.
Phil Terrell then introduced the singers to Winnie “Blue” Lovett of the Manhattans. Lovett gave them the name the Lovettes, supplied their songs, and convinced Joe Evans to sign the group to Carnival Records. Their 1966 debut “Little Miss Soul” b/w “Lonely Girl” went nowhere in the United States, yet it later became a favorite in Northern England’s dance clubs during the 1970s. The 1967 follow-up “I Need a Guy” b/w “I’m Afraid to Say I Love You” showed two-sided promise: the A-side combined a crisp rhythm, catchy phrasing, and committed delivery, while the B-side offered an even more affecting declaration of young romance, but Carnival could not turn the record into a hit.
Live work remained scarce and poorly paid, and occasional studio dates supporting other Carnival artists added little income. The singers eventually stepped away from the business, older and more experienced yet appreciative of what they had gained. The Lovettes had no link to another Carnival act also called the Pets or to the earlier Checker Records Lovettes who later became the Gems.
Albums
