INFO ON OTHER CONTRIBUTING MUSICIANS
RITCHIE ADAMS
Ritchie Adams, though a very important contributor to the Archies sound, is a bit of an enigma as far as his bio goes.
Ritchie's early work stemmed with a band called the Fireflys out of the New York City area. (Note: not the Fireflies). Adams began his solo career in 1960 on Ribbon, the same label that released The Fireflys three singles. Ritchie's biggest success in the early 60's is as the writer of the world wide smash and classic rock song "Tossin' and Turnin'", recorded first by Bobby Lewis. This song was covered by numerous artists, includng one of my favorite bands The Guess Who and has been awarded by BMI as one of the most successful songs of the 20th Century. "Tossin' and Turnin'" has appeared in numerous film soundtracks, including "Animal House".
Ritchie teamed up with Mark Barkan (see below) and together, the two penned songs for the Monkees, the Archies, the Banana Splits, Petula Clark, and the Blue Magoos. Other artists associated with Ritchie Adams are Bill Deal & the Rondels, Bill Haley & the Comets, Jay & the Techniques, Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck (who had a monster hit with Adam's "After The Loving"), Barbara Mandrell and several other country artists in the 80's.
Ritchie had a sporadic solo career as well while writing for Don Kirshner and other publishers at the Brill Building. He took over the reins from Jeff Barry to produce the Archies in 1970 while Ron Dante did the tour circuit promoting his solo album. Dante returned as co-producer with Adams on "This Is Love". However, Iit was during this time that Adams cut the demo for the Archies infamous "Love is Living In You" which was released as a single after Dante had signed with Scepter and prior to his return in 1972 when Kirshner hired Dante to produce the Chan Clan music. That is the only known non Dante lead vocal under the Kirshner version of the Archies other than the Toni Wine demo of "Jingle Jangle".
Adams had a cult hit in the discos with "Mamacita" which is considered to be a favorite of Disco DJ's still to this day. I have managed to find the following singles by Ritchie:
RITCHIE ADAMS DISCOGRAPHY
-You Were Mine/Stella Got A Fella The Fireflys Ribbon 6901 1959
-I Can't Say Goodbye/What Did I Do Wrong The Fireflys Ribbon 69041959
-My Girl/Because of My Pride Fireflys Ribbon 6906 1960
-Lonely One/Tell Me Baby Did You Wait Ribbon 6910 1960
-Don't Go My Love Don't Go/Back To School Ribbon 6913 1960 as Ritchie Adams
-Marianne/Give All Your Love To Me The Fireflys Canadian American 117 1960 (recorded with Ritchie but release after he left)
-No Mistakin' It/The Right Way Beltone 1001 1961
-Two Initials (in A Heart)/What Took You So Long Beltone 1011 1961
-Something Inside of Me Died/I Got Eyes Imperial 5806 1962
-My Prayer of Love/Pakistan Imperial 5838 1962
-It's Worth It/Test of Love Imperial 5856 1962
-I Understand/Lookin' For the Blues Congress CG-217 1964
-Are You Changing/The King Congress CG-226 1964
-Slippin' Away/What Am I? Congress CG-232 1965
-Every WIndow In The City/I AIn't Gonna Make It Without You Congress CG-248 1965
-Road to Nowhere/I Cant Escape You Congress CG- 256 1965
-Better Off Without You/You Were Mine MGM 13629 1966
-Love Is Living In You/Hold On To Lovin' The Archies Kirsher KES 5018 1971
-Mamacita/Lisa PIP 6519 1976
-The Best of the Rest of Our Lives/Warm MCA 41182 1980
Note: Adams sang lead only on "Love Is Living In You" side of single. Any additional information would be appreciated. Please leave a note on my messageboard or drop me an email.
Ritchie Adams co-produced the final Archies album "This Is Love" with Ron Dante in the winter of 1970, contributing more than half the songs to the album. Adams co-wrote a few songs with Dante between 1970 and 1971, and one was recorded by Dante called "Let's Get It On Today" for Scepter records under the name "California Goldrush". Adams contributed vocals on some of the Archie tracks as well as provided instrumental accompaniment on guide tracks. Ron has reported to me that Adams was great to work with in the studio. "Ritchie was a singer's singer/songwriter and would bring in a song like "What Goes On" and just play and sing it for me. He wrote for me in my key. I always enjoyed singing his songs. His "Circle of Blue" is a personal favorite of mine".
Adams has been inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. More recently, Adams has produced and written songs out of Nashville for country artists, where he was last reported living.
MARK BARKAN
Mark Barkan co-wrote many of the Archies earlier songs along with Ritchie Adams, including many of the Dance of The Weeks. But Barkan was also instrumental in writing songs for many other artists and was also involved in many "cult" bands as well.
Barkan and Adams wrote songs together for other artists in the late 60's. One of their more famous songs is the Banana Split's Theme Tra La La La Song which reached #96 in 1969, and other Banana Splits tunes. They also penned songs for the Monkees last album.
Ever wonder why there are no Barkan/Adams tunes on Jingle Jangle or Sunshine? In 1969, Barkan/Adams took on the Banana Splits project, penned songs for the Monkees and wrote and produced all the songs for the obscure Kirshner project band/movie "Toomorrow" which included Olivia Newton John as a band member in 1970. Those three projects were the main focus of this song writing team at that time. The lack of Barkan/ Adams songs on Jingle Jangle opened the window of opportunity for Ron Dante's songs to get onto the next Archies albums, but I think a few Barkan/Adams songs would have greatly improved "Sunshine".
Click here:
TOOMORROW
to view the album credits, liner notes and lyric sheets for the Tommorrow album.
Barkan had previously scored success with Manfred Mann's Pretty Flamingo along with writing material for Lesley Gore in a tear-themed rock genre with Brill Building songwriter Ben Raleigh. They came up with one of Lesley's more memorable "cry" songs, "Just Let Me Cry." It's known as one of her biggest tear jerker pity party songs. Other artists Barkan wrote, produced or played for include: The Deep, Rusty Evans, The Belmonts, Laurie Sabina, Brain Surgeons, Eponymous, B.T. Express (with the monster hits "Do It Til Your Satisfied" and "Express"), The Changing Scene, Charme, Doris Day, Bill Deal & the Rhondells, Disco Diva and former member of the Chantels: Carol Douglas, and several other projects such as the musical "Split Ends" and the 1993 re-working of the "Groovie Goolies idea: "Scaree Tales" a concept Gothic rock group whose members were vampires and zombie freaks.
The Deep , Hydro Pyro, the Freak Scene
The Deep was a band of studio musicians, as were all the Barkan involved projects whose personnel included: Barkan, Rusty Evans, David Bromberg, and a few other musicans who also contributed to the writing. The Deep released one original album under the band name "The Freak Scene" with Barkan and Evans as the main members.
Their first album, PSYCHEDELIC MOODS OF THE DEEP (Cameo Parkway 7051) was released in 1966 and reissued on Cicadelic (977) in 1987. Many of the songs are including on CD (Collectables), and are considered by critics to be influential cult recordings.
THE DEEP were a Philadelphia-based studio-only project. The album is an extremely rare and high priced collectors' item. Little was known about this band until the late 80's. It was produced by Mark Barkan and Rusty Evans. Both were also involved in FREAK SCENE whose album PSYCHEDELIC PSOUL (CBS 9456) from 1968, is basically a second Deep album. Both albums are full of studio production effects, haunting vocals, and stream of consciousness type lyrics in what has been termed a "psychedelic folk format". Some critics mistook The Deep with another cult band The Seeds. Both bands have been creditted for influencing The Doors sound. The best known tracks by the Deep are "Turned On" and "Psychedelic Moon" - which are both more sound poems than songs.
A series of out-takes was released on CD by Collectables, Part 2 and Part 3 with alternate takes and unreleased tracks which were recorded in 1966. Collectables Part 4 also features tracks by Hydro-Pyro, another Barkan band.
Hydro Pyro was a bit more sophisticated and is well worth hearing for anyone into the obscure garage psychedellia sound. Some of the better songs by Hydro Pyro are: "The House Of Yesterday, Id, Hydro-Pyro, Purple Floating, Snow Petals and Little Tin Soldier".
To listen to mp3 samples of "Hydro Pyro" and "ID" click this link:
HYDRO PYRO
Split Ends
Barkans expanded his musical reach in "Split Ends", a musical he co-wrote with Bonnie Lee Sanders who is known as a versatile, imaginative songwriter for such diverse singers as Hank Williams, Jr. and Eartha Kitt. She's also been a fixture as a performer on the Manhattan cabaret circuit. This new collaboration resulted in a new musical genre, labeled: "Mystery Musical Puzzle." The play itself got mixed reviews, but all reviews I've read stated that Sanders' and Barkan's songs all have catchy melodies and the musical performances were the highlight of the show.
JEANIE THOMAS-FOX
Jeanie Thomas was known for her work as a studio background singer in the 60's when Jeff Barry hired her to contribute background vocals for the Archies project.. She worked out of the New York City area and was heard on a variety of demos, commercials and singles. Jeanie contributed to the first recording session which produced songs from "The Archies" and some from "Everything's Archie". Her voice can be heard on the singles "Bang Shang A Lang" and "Feelin' So Good" as well as on "Archie's Theme (Everything's Archie)".
After working on the Archies project, Jeanie continued working in the TV and Radio industry and then in the late 70's, started a talent management agency which handled children actors and performers. She began managing 12 year old Mira Sorvino and her management agency Fox/Alpert grew in its scope where she manages hundreds of children performers and is considered one of the leading talent agents in Hollywood and in the industry today.
TRACY RUSSELL (aka DONNA MARIE/MARIE LA DONNA)
Donna Marie started off with the stage name Marie La Donna. She specialized in demo work for Columbia and had several singles released in the early to mid 50's under both names on labels like Coral, Gateway and Columbia. 
In the mid to late 60's she moved into the film and tv industry and sang for popular "surf" movies and later sang the theme to the movie "The Penthouse". After changing her stage name once more upon suggestion of her manager to Tracy Russell, she joined the Archies projects in 1970 on a chance happening and can be heard on the songs "Who's Your Baby?" and "Together We Two". Other websites incorrectly list her by "Donna Marie". Donna has confirmed to me that in fact, she was using Tracy Russell as her professional name at the time of these sessions.
 | | After working on the Archies, she continued to persue her own solo career, but never had a song break big for her as a solo artist. She is married with two children and still lives in the New York, New Jersey area. There are several other performers using the name "Donna Marie". Disco era singles under the name is an entirely different singer. |
MERLE, LESLIE AND TERESA MILLER
The Millers specialized in commercial music. Teresa made appearances on Lawrence Welk's show in the late 60's and early 70's occassionally. Merle worked with Ron on several commercial jobs and was Ron's favorite female vocalist in the recording sessions of 1970 which produced the Funhouse music and This Is Love and later singles. Merle was part of the original Broadway Cast album of "HAIR", and was one of Bette Midler's Chorus Girls. She also sang with Melissa Manchester, Barry Manilow, Carly Simon, Roberta Flack. and Phoebe Snow. She was known for her youthful sound and sang on many popular jingles and commercials of the period. Ron has told me how much he enjoyed harmonizing with Merle because their voices complimented each other so well. Leslie and Teresa went on doing session work and re-united with Toni Wine on records by Rock Hall of Fame Inductees "Steely Dan" along with former Archie Session guitarist Hugh McCracken and Chuck Rainey. They also did background vocals for Carly Simon and Linda Ronstadt through the 70's as well.
l to r: Ton Wine, Valerie Simpson & Leslie Miller
SUSAN MORSE
Perhaps the least acknowledged "Archies" vocalist is Susan Morse. While other sources focus on Toni Wine or Donna Marie as the female voices of the Archies, I'm proud to correct that oversight and right that wrong here on Plum Crazy for Ron Dante and The Archies. Susan joined the Archies on sessions which produced "This is Love". In an interesting twist of fate, Susan would step in to fill the shoes of her former school mate Toni Wine who had sung with The Archies previously when Toni left to persue her solo career in 1970 at the same time Tracy Russell (Donna Marie) came on board to sing the female leads that Toni sang.
Susan had her start as a child star. She started singing professionally on the "Perry Como Show" in New York when she was 7. At 10 years old, she was in the National Company production of The Sound Of Music with Florence Henderson (as one of the Von trapp children) and started doing studio work and jingles at 11. Susan was the singing voice of Dorothy in the Bass- Rankin animated cartoon version of "Return To Oz" on T.V. and also did guest appearances an as actor on the TV soap opera 'The Doctors". Screen Gems hired Susan at age 14 to sing on demos for song writers at Screen Gems Music and appeared in the David Shire- Richard Malby musical "How Do You Do - I Love You?" at Westbury Music Fair with Phylis Newman.
Susan's voice caught the ear of Peter Noone of Herman's Hermit's fame. He hired her to sing on two songs for him that were never placed with a record company. At 17 Susan was chosen for the original Los Angeles production of "Hair" and also appeared in the Broadway production 6 months later. Songwriter/ producers Neil Goldberg & Gil Slavin took note of Susan's singing and invited her to Steed's studios where they were producers with Jeff Barry Productions. Susan recorded "Funky Hunk A Guy" which was released on Ampex Records through Jeff Barry's production company..and was contracted to sing background vocals for some of Jeff's projects with Bobby Bloom, Andy Kim, and then the Archies "Together We Two"...where she met Ron Dante for the first time. Ritchie and Ron asked Susan to finish out the album so Susan sang on the entire Archies "This Is Love" recording with Leslie & Merle Miller and Ronnie.
 | | Susan reports that her schedule was booked tight right after that, auditioning and winning the part of Mary Magdalene in the touring production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Godspell". In 1973, Susan re-located from the east coast to Los Angeles in 1973. There she landed a role in the original Roxy Cast stage version of "The Rocky Horror Show". Offers poured in for Susan out in LA, where she has stayed ever since. |
Susan currently works as a singer and sometimes vocal contractor for TV, films, and studio session work. Susan received her first platinum plaque for her singing with Barbra Streisand on "Christmas Memories". Her dear friend and mega music producer David Foster
(who was in the Original Rocky Horror Show band at the Roxy) made the connection between Barbra and Susan on this project.
Susan is currently the leader of the performing group Jazzapella, an a cappella jazz vocal quartet. They do corporate and private shows and have made appearances on TV. They were the featured guest artists on ABC's "According to Jim" with Jim Belushi in his holiday show in December of 2002.
Susan writes on a personal note:
"I have 2 Scottish Terriers, Cozy & MacCartney (whom I'm showing for his championship!) and a rescued Cairn Terrier named Rod Stewart. Coincidently...my group has performed for the real Rod Stewart for the past 2 Christmas holidays. He doesn't know I named my precious dog after him :-) Although I hadn't seen Ron Dante for 30 years..we did speak on the phone a few times. It was wonderful to see him ( at the Barry Manilow Tribute with Andy Kim & my former high school classmate Toni Wine. I'm hoping we will all get to sing together some time.. I've always thought the world of Ron.
My most vivid memories of the work I did with the Archies are of Ronnie...and how much fun we had, laughing a lot! I also remember how great Ronnie was with harmonies and how much I loved singing with him. I never think of any of my work as insignificant. I feel very fortunate to have started at such an early age and I am fortunate to still feel the joy. Believe me, the road has been bumpy!
I look forward to reading more on your site and the updates...very nice to meet you Mark.
With best wishes,
Susan"
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