The Drew-Vels

The Drew-Vels were sisters Erma Drew, <a href="spotify:artist:6CADfReW3qshQNGQ4yPf6c">Patti Drew</a>, and Lorraine "Micki" Drew, and Carlton Black. A younger sister, Cynthia Drew, filled in occasionally. The sisters were from Evanston, IL, which is 15 miles north of Chicago, and formed while <a href="spotify:artist:3FWMtV2YxyQmjRDpMpfIPP">Patti</a> and Micki attended Evanston Township High. Older sister <a href="spotify:artist:1CzJJJb6hnx84VNhgaJmFG">Erma</a> was married to <a href="spotify:artist:0eu0y7eJ5NMo07NEQEIq1V">Black</a>, who also wrote most of their material. Producer/manager Peter Wright signed the Drew-Vels to Carone Productions and produced and managed them. Carone Productions signed an agreement with Capitol Records to release, market, and distribute the Drew-Vels' recordings. The deal struck oil with their first single, "Tell Him" (November 1953), their biggest single; the B-side, "Just Because," credits <a href="spotify:artist:6CADfReW3qshQNGQ4yPf6c">Patti Drew</a> as the writer, the only song she ever had recorded. Capitol followed with a two-sided (albeit minor) hit, "It's My Turn" b/w "Everybody Knows," in March 1964. After "Creepin'" b/w "I've Known" (June 1964), Capitol didn't issue any more Drew-Vels singles. Wright signed the Drew-Vels to his Quill label and released two of their singles in 1965: "Come out Dancing" and "Chilly Kisses." Faced with the continual problem of trying to please and keep together a group, Wright persuaded <a href="spotify:artist:6CADfReW3qshQNGQ4yPf6c">Patti Drew</a> to go solo; the second Quill release was credited as a <a href="spotify:artist:6CADfReW3qshQNGQ4yPf6c">Patti Drew</a> solo. <a href="spotify:artist:3FWMtV2YxyQmjRDpMpfIPP">Patti</a> was the real singer, and it was easier to manage one person than a group, even if the members were siblings. <a href="spotify:artist:0eu0y7eJ5NMo07NEQEIq1V">Black</a> was no problem -- he had been singing and recording with <a href="spotify:artist:4pBcTbyeG6MeUi6tYFKto4">the Duvals</a> (later the Naturals) since 1963 while he was also a member of the Drew-Vels. Erma Drew, Micki Drew, and Cynthia Drew became housewives and nine-to-fivers, while <a href="spotify:artist:3FWMtV2YxyQmjRDpMpfIPP">Patti</a> went on to a solo career with Capitol. She was doing fine, hitting with a remake of "Tell Him" and "Working on a Groovy Thing," but started experimenting with drugs while living in Los Angeles. Wright, keeping a promise to <a href="spotify:artist:65uKPt40QH8dMBLuoJHPVY">Drew</a>'s parents to look after her, shut <a href="spotify:artist:3FWMtV2YxyQmjRDpMpfIPP">Patti</a>'s career down and sent her back to Evanston; the sensuous alto was never heard from again. ~ Andrew Hamilton, Rovi