The Orlons

Emerging from Philadelphia as a mostly female ensemble, the Orlons delivered several upbeat dance tracks and playful tunes during the initial years of the 1960s while recording for Cameo-Parkway. With Rossetta Hightower handling lead vocals alongside Marlena Davis, Steve Caldwell, and Shirley Brickley, they achieved success via "The Wah Watusi" in 1962, which climbed to number five on the R&B listings and number two in the pop realm. Subsequent releases such as "Don't Hang Up" and "South Street" also performed strongly, landing in the Top Ten for both R&B and pop audiences. In 1963, "Not Me" marked their fourth straight R&B Top Ten entry and reached number 12 on the pop side, though it proved to be the final one in that sequence. "Cross Fire!" later managed to hit number 19 on the pop charts, yet most of their remaining singles failed to gain traction. Davis and Caldwell departed in 1964, with Audrey Brickley stepping in as their replacement. The Orlons eventually dissolved after Hightower relocated to England in 1968.