Pamela Jarmen, Georgina Oliver, and Valerie Jones formed one of the most
wild sounding British girl groups ever. The Blue Orchids and the Breakaways took the early
sound of the Phil Spector girl groups in America, and amplified it. When the Blue Orchids
sang, the audience couldn’t help but to listen to those three pre-teen girls with the
loud, loud sound!
The girls first hit the limelight with the Shel Talmy-produced "Love Hit Me." In
the tradition of the Crystals,
the Orchids, as they were known in Britain described the first time they were ever touched
by love. The song crossed the Atlantic and became a mid-sized hit in America, almost a
year before the Beatles led the British Invasion.
"Oo-Chang-a-Lang," sounded even more like Spector. The song was
a little rip-off from "Da Doo Ron Ron," but although the production wasn’t
as clear, it was more intense. The girls with their huge voices, all the while a stumbling
back beat shook the dance floors. "Love Hit Me," and
"Oo-Chang-a-lang," led a wave of British girl groups, and especially girl
singers which invaded America with the boy bands.
Sadly, the Blue Orchids, despite having several early hits, missed the boat, and never
truly made a big mark in North America. The group went on to record such other great songs
as "Mister Scrooge," "Don’t Make Me Mad," and "I’ve Got
That Feeling."