By JoB (204.42.12.2) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 05:28 am:

...a few years ago I got the Shindig! video featuring all the Motown acts...great buy. But my question is concerning one group called the "Blossoms", who sang "Dancing in the Street".
I've never really heard of them before seeing the video (my apologies to any fans ;O). When and how long were they with Motown? You know, they aren't mentioned as much as the Vandellas, Supremes, Marvelletes, etc., so I figured you guys may be able to help me out with a little info on them (you do with so many other topics). They did a pretty good job with the song, so I was wondering if they ever actually recorded it, and if so, was it before or after Martha and the Vandellas?
What happened to them, were they yet another group that got left "standing in the shadows" of the Supremes spotlight? Again, my apologies to any Blossoms fans out there, I'm only 23. :o)

By RD (63.188.33.2) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 05:35 am:

The Blossoms were never with Motown to my knowledge. They're a long running female group from Los Angeles who recorded for various labels, had some lineup changes, and toured with Tom Jones as backing vocalists for years.

By Eli (141.151.90.50) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 08:28 am:

JoB,
The Blossoms were longtime studio singers from L.A. and featured darlene Love and Fanita James of Phil Spector fame.
The also sang under other guises either as a whole or in part one of which(in part) was Bobb B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans with Bobby Sheen.

By medusa9e2003 (66.73.6.30) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 08:28 am:

I believe I have that same video with Marvin Gaye & The Temps...I never understood Y was Martha & Vandellas on the same show BUT the Blossoms performed 'Dancing In The Street"
It's like having the Temps on a show, But someone else performs 'My Girl'...hummmmmmmmm!

By Sue (64.12.97.7) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 11:47 am:

The Blossoms were the "house singers" on Shindig, so they'd perform the hits of the day, usually when the act wasn't booked on the show.

By JoB (204.42.12.2) on Monday, June 23, 2003 - 03:37 am:

OK I see...thanks guys

Medusa, I completely agree with you, but I don't think they were actually on the same show...I think the Shindig! tape we have is actually a compilation of Motown acts appearing on the show at different tapings.

By RD (63.188.33.239) on Monday, June 23, 2003 - 04:28 am:

Clevelander Cynthia Woodard (Baroz/Bobby and Cyndi) was with the Blossoms the years they backed Tom Jones on the road.

By Tony Russi (68.18.39.39) on Monday, June 23, 2003 - 08:09 am:

JoB is right, that tape is a compilation of various 30 min or 60 min Shingig Shows. The Blossoms were still under recording contract with Phil Spector during the time Shindig was on the air. In fact most of the muscians in the house band at Shindig were the ones Phil Spector used in the studio.The Blossoms at the time were Darlene Love, Fanita James & Jean King...as Sue said they sang the hits of the day but Never when that artist was appearing on the show.They were the house singers and did background for most of the acts.On that same tape they are doing the backgrounds for Mary Wells. There is another tape where they do "Shoop Shoop Song(Its In His Kiss) with Aretha Franklin which is the best performance I've ever seen of that song...I mean they get down( this was before Aretha had her own hits).Phil Spector could have made them and especially Darlene Love big stars with their weekly exposure...I remember Darlene doing her new solo release "Quiet Guy" on the show and then Phil pulled the plug and withdrew the single just to prove his power because he did not like them being tied to the show and not being at his beck and call.I heard this from various sources not just Darlene Love.The Blossoms did continue after Shindig and Phil Spector and had some good releases on Reprise and Bell Records(produced by Chips Moman) they toured with the Rightous Brothers. Jean King died and after that I know they worked with Tom Jones, Dionne Warwick & others.They always said they preferred staying home in LA and doing background recording. I know we discussed before their involvement with HDH and Invictus Records.

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Monday, June 23, 2003 - 08:27 am:

That Shindig show was a collection from various
episodes, so the Blossoms did NOT perform Dancing
In The Street the same night Martha & Vandellas
appeared.
The Blossoms were Shindig regulars who did one
solo spot each week and backed up various perform-
ers (did you notice them backing Mary Wells?).
For their solo spot they always did a hit song
of the week--they also did Needle In A Haystack,
Baby Love, Tell Him, etc.

By Randy Russi (169.139.180.100) on Monday, June 23, 2003 - 08:29 am:

Oh well, guess I'm a little late....

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Monday, June 23, 2003 - 01:02 pm:

The Blossoms were also featured in the now-legendary concert film "The TAMI Show" singing background for Marvin Gaye. The concert predated Shindig! by a few months.

Shindig! was on ABC-TV from September 1964 until January 1966 (during the second season the show was aired two times a week). It was taped at the ABC Television Center in Hollywood. I believe the show ran for at least 30 to 35 episodes (so, the Blossoms were seen at least 30 times on the program).

BTW - There's a segment of the Midnight Special that was taped in the mid 1970s hosted by Tom Jones and featuring the Blossoms on back-up - they looked and sounded great!

Kevin Goins - KevGo