The Ritchie Women

[Svend]

I was listening to the Ritchie Family's "Arabian Nights" on the way home the other night, and got to wondering whatever happened to Gwendolyn Oliver, Cassandra Ann Wooten, and Cheryl Mason Jacks. I've always preferred them to those three shrieking stick figures who replaced them in 1978-9. Gwen, Cassandra and Cheryl not only had better voices, they looked happy, healthy, and full of fun. I wondered if they left on their own or if Jacques Morali said, "Scram...I need to get some models in here."

Does anyone know if the originals ever did studio work for other producers/artists? Here's hoping they found other work and have had happy lives!

[garrybcoston]

The below article, copied off of a website about the Ritchie Family, kind of tells a little about the three:

The Richie Family comprised of:
Gwendolyn Oliver
Cheryl Mason Jacks
and Cassandra Ann Wooten.
This group are usually bracketed into the same category as disco era bands such as the Village People, however, the bands pedigree goes back further than the heady disco dancing days of 1978.
Each album was carefully themed, visually.
The Richie Family took their name from Philly arranger and producer, Ritchie Rome one of the gentlemen responsible for the group and its success, the other being Jaques Morali.
That success gave the team their first big hit single and album with "Brazil' on 20th Century.
'Arabian Nights' followed containing the subsequent hit single, 'Best Disco In Town'.
The group first met as background singers at Sigma Sound studios in Philadelphia.
Prior to that, Cassandra and Gwendolyn had been part of' a quartet known as Honey & The Bees in 1966
The group had a few, hits on the Jubilee label including 'That's,What Boys Are Made For' and 'Sunday Kind Of Love'.
The band stayed together until 1971 when the group split up.
They then began working as background singers.
Cassandra met Cheryl in drama class and the core of the group were formed.
Then Jacques Morali and Nenri Beliol came over from Europe with the idea of recording a disco alburn at Sigma Sound.
They worked with Ritchie Rome and they chose the girls to perform back-up work on an album, entitled 'Brazil'.

The group also performed with Phil Hurtt as background singers.
The band went their seperate ways at the end of the Seventies, with Richie Rome cutting a solo project in 1980.

For me, after "Arabian Nights," I lost complete interest in the Ritchie Family, although I did buy their last two albums before disco died.

Garry

[JussiK]

Try Ritchie Family's 1978 "Je Te tiens, Tu Me Tiens Par la Barbichette" soundtrack album for that great vintage feel. The girls may not be the original ones but they sure sound good. The film ain't half bad either, get the dvd from Amazon France.

[Svend]

Thanks, Garry and Jussi. You've each given me a record to scout out!

[Disco Funk]

You can hear the ladies singing the backing vocals on the Jay & The Techniques track Number Onederful, which was a Philly production.

Disco Funk

[markydefad]

I've always wondered where the "T" in "RITCHIE" came from since they were named after arranger RICHIE ROME.... is it a way to sound like RITZY or did someone [the finger of suspicion points to Jacques Morali] not ask Richie how he spelled his name????? I'm just askin'....

Hey Miss Ross named one of her kids "Chudney"...when she meant "Chutney"...but didn't ask how it was spelled....

[Videoskooter]

In some countries "Richie" would be pronounced as "Rikki" "Riggi" or "Risji", maybe that's why they customized the name!

[Mixmachine]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

You can hear the ladies singing the backing vocals on the Jay & The Techniques track Number Onederful, which was a Philly production.

Disco Funk

Ritchie Family did the backups?? I didn't know that

"Number onederful" is one of my favorite tunes.

[SandraDee]

Originally Posted by markydefad

Hey Miss Ross named one of her kids "Chudney"...when she meant "Chutney"...but didn't ask how it was spelled....

I know it's common for showbiz people to call their kids strange names like Fifi-Trixiebell & Zowie which is cool in a way, but why on earth would you wanna name your kid Chutney? It's like calling someone Soy Sauce or Ketchup!

[Nano]

Originally Posted by Videoskooter

In some countries "Richie" would be pronounced as "Rikki" "Riggi" or "Risji", maybe that's why they customized the name!

It's true. In Argentina it's spelled "Ricardito"

[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by Mixmachine

Ritchie Family did the backups?? I didn't know that

"Number onederful" is one of my favorite tunes.

Now, I don't know this 100% for sure. I'm just basing it on the fact that it doesn't sound like the Sigma Sweethearts (Barbara Ingram, Evette Benton, third name escapes me); and the vocalists sound like the women on the Brazil and Arabian Nights LPs.

I wish I could get those mid 70s Jay & The Techniques Philly tracks on CD. They were on a Best of CD released in the 90s, but it's long since deleted and goes for almost $100(!) US.

Disco Funk