5 Responses to “Formerly of the Harlettes LP (Sharon Redd, Ula Hedwig & Charlotte Crossley)”

  1. Allee Willis

    Now you MUST know my connection to this album, yes? These were my best friends in New York at the time, Bette Midler’s backup singers, who made this LP in 1978. They had several demos of mine when they went to San Francisco to do the album. “Ain’t No Man Worth It”, the very first song I ever wrote and what got me my own record deal on Epic Records a few years earlier, ended up on the LP. While the Harlettes were recording it Patti LaBelle, who was being produced by the same producer, heard my songs and flew me to SF so I could make demos of the rest of my songs which I didn’t have enough money to do on my own. Patti became the first artist to regularly cut my stuff and on that very same trip she put me with Herbie Hancock who was in the studio next door to write. That led to three songs on his “Feets Don’t Fail Me Now” LP, the first album he did with a Vocorder. In very quick succession over the next few months that lead to Earth Wind & Fire. So this Harlettes record is a VERY significant one for me.

  2. denny

    I remember growing up with music by Lou Rawls, The Stylistics, The Temptations….etc….and as I grow older and with the internet, it is unbelievable the music and artists that I have long had access to. I am listening to the “Harletttes” as I type this. Amazing stuff.

  3. k2dtw

    Thanks for the post Denny, I was taken by the Harlettes Art??? Wondering why it reminded me so much of The Divine Miss M???
    Googled searched and found the artist and the art work of Richard Amsel…The Divine Miss M, 1973 Bette Midler, Clams On The Half Shell, and The Harlettes. It is amazing to me to see and learn Richard Amsel was the artist for the Album Covers, Movie Posters and TV Guide covers that we all know and love.
    Allee did you get to meet the Artist for the Album Covers???
    http://www.adammcdaniel.com/RichardAmsel7.htm

    • Allee Willis

      Richard was a very close friend of mine. We hung out tons together and he even did some title cards for some of the crazy little short films I was doing in the early 80’s. He was an incredible guy and immensely talented. Also did iconic movie posters like The Sting. Unfortunately, he passed away way way way before his time…

  4. denny

    I have always loved Amsel. I still have the incredible poster he did as a “freebie” in an old Bette Midler album. Black and white and the only color was in her hair!