12 Responses to “MANDY AND THE GIRLFRIENDS – original album”

  1. Allee Willis

    I’m guessing from the hairdos that this was made somewhere around 1964. I’m also guessing that the girls didn’t have a lot of money because of those horribly tailored outfits they’re wearing. So cheap that you can see the hem stitching at the bottom of the pants. And could their tops be any less flattery-fitting? And the art director had to have been the boyfriend of one of the girls. What on earth is the significance of the capital ‘G’, ‘I’ and ‘S’ in Girlfriends?? What is ‘GIS’ supposed to be saying about these girls?

  2. girlfriend

    This LP was made in germany in 1967. The ‘G.I.S.’ is highlighted because it was made specifically for the US troops at the American camps where they were touring. Allee is not wrong about not having a lot of money. This LP was made during the first month of the tour and money was indeed tight. The group consisted of Mandy on lead vocals, but the organist, Merle Pryor sang the lead on the song ‘Money’ and Margaret Wedgner, the guitarist sang the lead on ‘Stay’. Hilary Morgan played the drums and Betty Beaumont played the bass guitar. The group were all from Hull except for the organist who was from Leyton, East London. This is all true, as I am the organist on that record and we ladies all still keep in touch.

    • Allee Willis

      LOVE getting this info!! And how fantastic that you all still keep in touch. Would love to hear the LP one day. Thanks SO MUCH for commenting here.

  3. denny

    Um, this is really flipping me out. I was just listening to “Stay” and “House of the Rising Sun”.

    Not only was I flippin’ over your fabulous fashions, it’s your sound I really dig. I’m a big fan of the girl group sound! What a surprise!

    Do you all still do gigs?

    Nice hearing from you!

  4. girlfriend

    We’ve had two reunions. One in 2001 and another in 2011. We played to packed audiences who turned out to see us and relive the 60s. After the group ended, Merle(organist) and Maggie( guitarist) formed another all girl group, The Honeys and eventually became a duo, working together for 23 years. You can hear Honeys duo on face book singing ‘Ever lose this Heaven’ and ‘Gimme a kind of sign’. For 60s sound they are also there singing, ‘Crying Time’. Hilary(drummer) married a GI and moved to America, but returned to England when her marriage broke down. She occasionally drummed with Honeys on several occasions, but also worked for many years with a C and W band.

  6. girlfriendtwo

    Hi Denny, you’re probably going to flip out some more. I’m Maggie, the guitarist with the Girlfriends. Nice to meet you and cheers for your warm comments.
    xxx

  7. denny

    This message is certainly making me flip and it will go well with my morning coffee!

    Are you on Face Book?

    I would love to see reunion photos! I just love that you took the time to hang out with us here at the kitschnette!

    The girl group sound makes me ears smile!

  8. denny

    I can’t stand it. lol

    Okay Maggie, starting from left to right, where are you in this line up?

    Are you all wearing “winkle pickers”, the little white, pointed boots? You all had magnificent bubble-like hair-do’s!

  9. girlfriend

    HI Denny, as Maggie is busy working on a project that she and I have going on, I’ll tell you who’s who. From L to R: Hilary, Maggie, Mandy, Merle and Betty.The hairdos were what we all achieved by putting rollers in. We would often sleep in them, giving us many uncomfortable nights! The boots we wore were ankle boots and slightly pointed, but not proper winkle-pickers. Hope this answers your question. I’m sure maggie will be posting a comment before too long. Have not long ago been speaking to her on the telephone tonight.

  10. girlfriend

    HI Everyone. Thought you might be interested to know that Maggie Brown the guitarist and I, Merle Phillips the organist with the group have now written a book about Mandy and The Girlfriends. It’s title is “It’s Different For Girls” and is available in paperback and on Kindle. It has lots of photos of the group from the 1960s and from our more recent reunions. It also contains a chapter about the making of the LP. It is humorous and a bit rude at times but is a true account of being part of that band and the problems that being a rare all-girl band experienced in, what was back then, a man’s world. If you read the book we hope you will really enjoy it.