The Fleetwoods
Encyclopedia
The Fleetwoods were a singing
trio
from Olympia, Washington
, United States
; formed in the late 1950s. They were responsible for eleven hit
songs, beginning with "Come Softly to Me
". The song
was originally called "Come Softly", as written and arranged by founding lead singer Gretchen Christopher and the group was originally named Two Girls and a Guy, but both were changed en route to the song's becoming a chart-topper.
) and Gretchen Christopher (born February 29, 1940, Olympia, Washington) were two Olympia High School students, waiting for Christopher's mother to pick her up after school. Troxel started humming and said it was a jazz trumpet riff he had in his head. Christopher recognized that it was based on the same chord progression as the song she had been writing. She arranged and sang her melody and lyrics in counterpoint to his background, and liked it enough to ask Troxel to repeat it with her for Christopher's friend and singing partner, Barbara Ellis (born February 20, 1940, Olympia, Washington).
They performed the song twice at school functions, and their classmates wanted recordings of it so they could learn the song. Christopher recorded the trio, a cappella
, on her father's tape recorder and took the tape to Seattle record promoter Bob Reisdorff who started Dolphin Records
to record the trio and release the song. Over five months (June - November, 1958), they got the vocal track recorded
. They sang it a cappella
to the rhythm
ic shaking of Troxel's car keys. Co-producers Reisdorff and Bonnie Guitar
flew with the tapes to Los Angeles where acoustic and bass guitars were overdubbed. The Fleetwoods' recording would top the US pop chart and make it to the Top 5 of the rhythm & blues chart. "Come Softly to Me" was also cover recorded by others. The UK
's Frankie Vaughan
and The Kaye Sisters
had a Top 10 chart
hit in the United Kingdom with the song, though The Fleetwoods exceeded them, simultaneously charting in the UK's Top 5.
The Fleetwoods' version of "Come Softly To Me" can be heard on a portable radio at one point in the 1986 movie, Stand By Me
, which was set in the Pacific Northwest
. It is heard on the soundtrack
of films including Clean and Sober
and Crossing Delancey
. Another hit "(He's) The Great Impostor" was featured in American Graffiti
, and "Mr. Blue" in Diner
and National Lampoon's Vacation
. 2010 "Come Softly" is used as the theme music in the BBC's "Roger and Val Have Just Got In"
The Fleetwoods name was based on the only telephone exchange
in the Olympia area where the three members lived, Fleetwood2-xxxx and Fleetwood7-xxxx.
The Fleetwoods continued to record into the 1960s, with a number of other successes. Their second hit, "Graduation's Here" (co-written by Ellis and Christopher, who also sang the lead) was followed by "Mr. Blue
," which, like "Come Softly", also topped the pop charts. It made the Fleetwoods the first group in the world to have multiple #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100
in single year (1959). They would hit the Top 10 once more with "Tragedy" in 1961.
Though they went on to have a total of eleven hits on the Hot 100, the beginning of the end for the group came when Troxel was drafted into the US Navy
. Additionally, the British Invasion
of the mid 1960s changed public taste. The trio's hits ended as they had begun, with a female lead, with Ellis singing melody on "Goodnight My Love", the Fleetwoods' final hit in 1963. Vic Dana
, who was to go on to a successful solo career, replaced Troxel in the group when he was in the service, solely for live performances.
By the late 1970s, Troxel was working in a plywood plant
in Washington; Ellis was managing a trailer park in California
and Christopher was a housewife and modern jazz dance teacher in Washington at St. Martin's College and The Evergreen State College. Ellis is now retired from performing. Troxel gave his written resignation from The Fleetwoods in 1983, leaving Christopher as manager with the sole authority to contract for both the original and replacement Fleetwoods. Troxel, though unauthorized, formed a new Fleetwoods group in the 1980s. While Christopher trained replacement Fleetwoods she also resumed her solo music career, billing herself as "Gretchen Christopher of the Fleetwoods." Both Troxel and Christopher continue to perform and occasionally release new recordings. A new version of "Graduation's Here" appeared on Christopher's autobiographical solo album, Gretchen's Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16) which is one of the 2007 Billboard critics' picks for 10 Best Albums of the Year. It included both the hit arrangement of "Come Softly To Me" and the a cappella "Come Softly", with Christopher singing all the parts.
Since their 1988 induction into the Northwest Area Association Hall of Fame, and their 2005 induction into the Olympia High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame, The Fleetwoods have been inducted into both the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
and the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame of America in 2006.
The November 2007 release of Gretchen's Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16) was launched in Las Vegas with the second Annual Cool Bobby B Doo Wop Convention and Grand Finale Concert, headlined by 'The Fleetwoods starring Gretchen Christopher.' A year later, though all three originals were inducted and invited, Christopher was the only original member of the Fleetwoods who accepted, attended and performed, dedicating songs to each of her absent partners.
In 2000, Troxel and his wife Jenifer lost Troxel v. Granville
, a landmark grandparents' rights case before the Supreme Court of the United States
. The court held that under the United States Constitution
, non-parents seeking custody or visitation rights of a child against the wishes of the child's parents must prove that the parents are not acting in the best interest of the child in refusing custody or visitation.
In 2008 and 2009, Christopher testified before the Washington State Senate
in support of the Truth in Music Advertising Bill. In 2009, it passed both the House and Senate unanimously, and was signed into law by Governor Chris Gregoire. The law provides that a performing group shall not be advertised by the name of a recording group, unless the performing group includes from the hit-making recording group at least one original member who is authorized to use the name. According to the Fleetwoods' signed agreement, that authorization resides solely with Christopher.
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
from Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; formed in the late 1950s. They were responsible for eleven hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
songs, beginning with "Come Softly to Me
Come Softly to Me
"Come Softly to Me" is a popular song written by Gretchen Christopher that was published in 1959 and was performed by The Fleetwoods, composed of Christopher, Gary Troxel, and Barbara Ellis. It was the first release for the new Dolphin Records label....
". The song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
was originally called "Come Softly", as written and arranged by founding lead singer Gretchen Christopher and the group was originally named Two Girls and a Guy, but both were changed en route to the song's becoming a chart-topper.
History
Gary Troxel (born November 28, 1939, Centralia, WashingtonCentralia, Washington
Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 16,336 at the 2010 census.-History:In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran came from Missouri with his...
) and Gretchen Christopher (born February 29, 1940, Olympia, Washington) were two Olympia High School students, waiting for Christopher's mother to pick her up after school. Troxel started humming and said it was a jazz trumpet riff he had in his head. Christopher recognized that it was based on the same chord progression as the song she had been writing. She arranged and sang her melody and lyrics in counterpoint to his background, and liked it enough to ask Troxel to repeat it with her for Christopher's friend and singing partner, Barbara Ellis (born February 20, 1940, Olympia, Washington).
They performed the song twice at school functions, and their classmates wanted recordings of it so they could learn the song. Christopher recorded the trio, a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
, on her father's tape recorder and took the tape to Seattle record promoter Bob Reisdorff who started Dolphin Records
Dolton Records
Dolton Records was a record label based in Seattle that was originally known as Dolphin Records. It was owned by Bob Reisdorf and Bonnie Guitar. Success for the label came early with "Come Softly to Me" by The Fleetwoods, the first single to be released on that label...
to record the trio and release the song. Over five months (June - November, 1958), they got the vocal track recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
. They sang it a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
to the rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
ic shaking of Troxel's car keys. Co-producers Reisdorff and Bonnie Guitar
Bonnie Guitar
Bonnie Guitar is an American Country-Pop Singer. She is best remembered for her 1957 Country-Pop crossover hit "Dark Moon"...
flew with the tapes to Los Angeles where acoustic and bass guitars were overdubbed. The Fleetwoods' recording would top the US pop chart and make it to the Top 5 of the rhythm & blues chart. "Come Softly to Me" was also cover recorded by others. The UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Frankie Vaughan
Frankie Vaughan
Frankie Vaughan, CBE, DL was an English singer of traditional pop music, who issued more than 80 recordings in his lifetime. He was known as "Mr. Moonlight" after one of his early hits.-Life and career:...
and The Kaye Sisters
The Kaye Sisters
The Kaye Sisters were a trio of British pop singers, who scored several hits on the UK Singles Chart in the late 1950s and early 1960s.-Career:...
had a Top 10 chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
hit in the United Kingdom with the song, though The Fleetwoods exceeded them, simultaneously charting in the UK's Top 5.
The Fleetwoods' version of "Come Softly To Me" can be heard on a portable radio at one point in the 1986 movie, Stand By Me
Stand by Me (film)
Stand by Me is a 1986 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the film takes its title from the Ben E. King song of the same name, which plays over the end credits.-Plot:...
, which was set in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. It is heard on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of films including Clean and Sober
Clean and Sober
Clean and Sober is a 1988 American drama film directed by Glenn Gordon Caron starring Michael Keaton as a real estate agent and his trouble with substance abuse. This film was a dramatic departure from comedies for Keaton. The cast also includes Kathy Baker, M...
and Crossing Delancey
Crossing Delancey
Crossing Delancey is a romantic comedy film starring Amy Irving and Peter Riegert released in 1988. It is directed by Joan Micklin Silver and based on a play by Susan Sandler, who also wrote the screenplay...
. Another hit "(He's) The Great Impostor" was featured in American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
, and "Mr. Blue" in Diner
Diner (film)
Diner is a 1982 comedy-drama film written and directed by Barry Levinson. Levinson's screen directing debut, Diner is the first in his "Baltimore films", which also include the subsequent Tin Men, Avalon and Liberty Heights.-Plot:...
and National Lampoon's Vacation
National Lampoon's Vacation
Vacation, sometimes referred as National Lampoon's Vacation, is a 1983 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall...
. 2010 "Come Softly" is used as the theme music in the BBC's "Roger and Val Have Just Got In"
The Fleetwoods name was based on the only telephone exchange
Telephone exchange
In the field of telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls...
in the Olympia area where the three members lived, Fleetwood2-xxxx and Fleetwood7-xxxx.
The Fleetwoods continued to record into the 1960s, with a number of other successes. Their second hit, "Graduation's Here" (co-written by Ellis and Christopher, who also sang the lead) was followed by "Mr. Blue
Mr. Blue
"Mr. Blue" is a popular song written by and first recorded by DeWayne Blackwell in 1959. It became a hit for The Fleetwoods, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1959 and giving the group its second chart-topping hit of the year.-Cover versions:...
," which, like "Come Softly", also topped the pop charts. It made the Fleetwoods the first group in the world to have multiple #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in single year (1959). They would hit the Top 10 once more with "Tragedy" in 1961.
Though they went on to have a total of eleven hits on the Hot 100, the beginning of the end for the group came when Troxel was drafted into the US Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. Additionally, the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
of the mid 1960s changed public taste. The trio's hits ended as they had begun, with a female lead, with Ellis singing melody on "Goodnight My Love", the Fleetwoods' final hit in 1963. Vic Dana
Vic Dana
Vic Dana is an American dancer and singer.Discovered by Sammy Davis, Jr., Dana was an excellent dancer , and was encouraged by Davis to move to Los Angeles to further his career. With the decline of dancing as a form of entertainment Dana initiated a singing career. He is best known for his 1965...
, who was to go on to a successful solo career, replaced Troxel in the group when he was in the service, solely for live performances.
By the late 1970s, Troxel was working in a plywood plant
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
in Washington; Ellis was managing a trailer park in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Christopher was a housewife and modern jazz dance teacher in Washington at St. Martin's College and The Evergreen State College. Ellis is now retired from performing. Troxel gave his written resignation from The Fleetwoods in 1983, leaving Christopher as manager with the sole authority to contract for both the original and replacement Fleetwoods. Troxel, though unauthorized, formed a new Fleetwoods group in the 1980s. While Christopher trained replacement Fleetwoods she also resumed her solo music career, billing herself as "Gretchen Christopher of the Fleetwoods." Both Troxel and Christopher continue to perform and occasionally release new recordings. A new version of "Graduation's Here" appeared on Christopher's autobiographical solo album, Gretchen's Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16) which is one of the 2007 Billboard critics' picks for 10 Best Albums of the Year. It included both the hit arrangement of "Come Softly To Me" and the a cappella "Come Softly", with Christopher singing all the parts.
Since their 1988 induction into the Northwest Area Association Hall of Fame, and their 2005 induction into the Olympia High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame, The Fleetwoods have been inducted into both the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
and the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame of America in 2006.
The November 2007 release of Gretchen's Sweet Sixteen (Suite 16) was launched in Las Vegas with the second Annual Cool Bobby B Doo Wop Convention and Grand Finale Concert, headlined by 'The Fleetwoods starring Gretchen Christopher.' A year later, though all three originals were inducted and invited, Christopher was the only original member of the Fleetwoods who accepted, attended and performed, dedicating songs to each of her absent partners.
In 2000, Troxel and his wife Jenifer lost Troxel v. Granville
Troxel v. Granville
Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States, citing a constitutional right of parents to rear their children, struck down a Washington state law that allowed any third party to petition state courts for child visitation rights over parental...
, a landmark grandparents' rights case before the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. The court held that under the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
, non-parents seeking custody or visitation rights of a child against the wishes of the child's parents must prove that the parents are not acting in the best interest of the child in refusing custody or visitation.
In 2008 and 2009, Christopher testified before the Washington State Senate
Washington State Senate
The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 senators, each representing a district with a population of nearly 120,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olympia....
in support of the Truth in Music Advertising Bill. In 2009, it passed both the House and Senate unanimously, and was signed into law by Governor Chris Gregoire. The law provides that a performing group shall not be advertised by the name of a recording group, unless the performing group includes from the hit-making recording group at least one original member who is authorized to use the name. According to the Fleetwoods' signed agreement, that authorization resides solely with Christopher.
Hits
(Chronologically with US chart placings)- 1959 "Come Softly to MeCome Softly to Me"Come Softly to Me" is a popular song written by Gretchen Christopher that was published in 1959 and was performed by The Fleetwoods, composed of Christopher, Gary Troxel, and Barbara Ellis. It was the first release for the new Dolphin Records label....
" (Gold RecordMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
) #1 Pop #5 R&B - 1959 "Graduation's Here" #39 Pop
- 1959 "Mr. BlueMr. Blue"Mr. Blue" is a popular song written by and first recorded by DeWayne Blackwell in 1959. It became a hit for The Fleetwoods, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1959 and giving the group its second chart-topping hit of the year.-Cover versions:...
" (Gold Record) #1 Pop #3 R&B - 1959 "You Mean Everything to Me" #84 Pop
- 1960 "Outside My Window" #28 Pop
- 1960 "Runaround" #23 Pop
- 1960 "The Last One to Know" #96 Pop
- 1961 "TragedyTragedy (Thomas Wayne song)"Tragedy" is a song by Gerald H. Nelson and Fred B. Burch. A recording of the song by Thomas Wayne and the DeLons rose to #5 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1959. A 1961 cover version by The Fleetwoods rose to #10 on the charts...
" #10 Pop - 1961 "(He's) The Great Imposter(He's) The Great Imposter" The Great Imposter" is a 1961 song by The Fleetwoods. The song was written by Sharon Sheeley and Jackie DeShannon. It reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. One of the musicians on the songs was session drummer Earl Palmer.-In popular culture:...
" #30 Pop - 1962 "Lovers by Night, Strangers by Day" #36 Pop
- 1963 "Goodnight My LoveGoodnight My Love (1956 song)For other songs with this title, see Goodnight My Love"Goodnight My Love" is a popular song written in the 1940s by George Motola, but he never finished the song. Jesse Belvin completed the song, but sold the rights of authorship to John Marascalco, who produced the song for Modern Records...
" #32 Pop