From:   "Jean-Marc Pezet" 
Date:  Fri Sep 12, 2003  3:00 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You: Gloria Jones
 
GLORIA JONES (By Dik de Heer)

Born 12 September 1938, Longview, Texas

Texas-born Gloria Jones moved to Los Angeles with her family in 1940.
At Edison Junior High she met Fanita James and Jewell Cobbs. These
three girls would form the vocal group The Dreamers in 1954, along with
twin sisters Nanette and Annette Williams and Pat Howard. They were
discovered by Richard Berry at a school talent show and Berry put the
group to the test on several of his singles, recorded and released in 1954
and 1955 on Flair Records. Gloria moonlighted on an Etta James session
for Modern in July 1955, singing backup on "Good Rockin' Daddy". In 1956
The Dreamers had the first chance to record on their own (Since You've
Been Gone/Do Not Forget), on Flip.

By 1957 Pat Howard and Jewell Cobbs had quit the group and the remaining
quartet had changed their name to the Blossoms and recorded three singles
for Capitol, 1957-58. When Annette left to have a baby, her place was taken
by Darlene Wright (the later Darlene Love) and after Nanette Williams left
in 1960, the Blossoms were a trio: Gloria, Fanita and Darlene. They managed
just one Top 100 entry ("Son-in-Law" on Challenge, # 81 in 1961), but were
always in demand as session singers. A list of all the hits with the
Blossoms singing backup would make this a very long piece. Some Top 5 hits: "Rockin'
Robin" (Bobby Day), "Chain Gang" (Sam Cooke), "Goodbye Cruel World"
(James Darren), "Johnny Angel" (Shelley Fabares), "Monster Mash" (Bobby
Pickett), "Be My Baby" (Ronettes).

Just before the Blossoms were enlisted by Duane Eddy for "Dance With
the Guitar Man" (as the Rebellettes), Gloria left the group in 1962 and was
replaced by Gracia Nitzsche, Jack's wife. Gloria's next group was The
Girlfriends, with ex-Dreamer Nanette Williams and Carolyn Willis. They
had a # 49 hit in 1964 with the very Spector-ish "My One and Only Jimmy
Boy", written and produced by David Gates for Colpix Records. Also in
1964, Gloria recorded the original version of "Tainted Love" (written and
produced by Ed Cobb of the Four Preps), which would become a million
seller for the British group Soft Cell in 1982. Unfortunately, Gloria's
version went unnoticed at the time and her career as a soul singer never really got
off the ground.

In the seventies, Gloria moved to the UK, fell in love with singer Marc
Bolan and joined a later version of his popular group T.Rex, as singer and
keyboard player. They married and Gloria gave birth to a son, Rolan. On the morning
of September 16, 1977, Jones was behind the wheel of a Mini GT and
crashed the vehicle into a roadside tree near Putney in south west London.
Bolan was one of the passengers and died instantly. Gloria was subsequently
charged with drunk driving. She recuperated from her wounds and eventually
continued her musical career.

CD : The Dreamers, They Sing Like Angels (Ace 829, released in 2001).
The Dreamers / Blossoms Story is at:
http://www.electricearl.com/dws/dreamers.html