The Murmaids - Popsicles And Icicles + Splash Back!

The Murmaids can safely be classed as one-hit wonders -- but that one hit, "Popsicles and Icicles," not only characterizes an entire innocent era of pop music and the early phase of '60s girl-group music, but was a key early career jump for several of the participants. The Murmaids were Carol Fischer, Terry Fischer, and Sally Gordon of Los Angeles. They'd grown up together and had begun singing, and when the singing began to show promise in their middle/late-teens, the Fischer sisters' mother brought them into Chattahoochie Records, a tiny Los Angeles-based label, for an audition. The label's recording manager was Kim Fowley, who provided them with a song called "Popsicles and Icicles," composed by David Gates, an Oklahoman with musical aspirations who'd been knocking around Los Angeles for the last few years, writing songs and playing the odd session. The mix of dreamy melody and ethereal girl-trio voices was a quick chart success, "Popsicles and Icicles" scaling into the Top Ten in late 1963. It was, alas, to be the first and last time that the Murmaids were to occupy the attention of chart compilers. And, ironically, by the time the song was a hit, Carol and Terry Fischer had started college, and this was of much greater concern to them -- the trio did cut a few more songs in an effort to follow up on "Popsicles and Icicles'" success, but only "Heartbreak Ahead" in early 1964 managed to get any airplay. Without a full-time professional commitment to touring or personal appearance, the Murmaids proved a one-off success, "Popsicles and Icicles" disappearing, but not without leaving a lot of fond memories for radio listeners. Fowley kept working to get another chart hit, without success, and later Murmaids singles were very likely the work of other singers. The last Murmaids single appeared in 1968, by which time Fowley had begun working with the Clinger Sisters, a girl group (and former regulars on television variety shows, including Danny Kaye's program) who had turned toward a more rocking sound on Columbia Records. David Gates, whose song had given the Murmaids their one claim to fame, was taking his big steps to stardom around that time, forming the group Bread in 1969, which would bring him massive success both as a songwriter ("Make It With You," etc.) and as a pop-rock star during the early '70s. The Murmaids themselves remain a fixture of early/mid-'60s girl group collections. Their records -- and they left behind the equivalent of about an album of surprisingly good material -- recall the Paris Sisters, the Fleetwoods, the Teddy Bears and the rest of the innocent side of girl-group music. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

http://www.billboard.com/artist/the-murmaids/120657#/artist/the-murmaids/bio/120657

http://www.themurmaids.com/index.html

http://www.themurmaids.com/MediaPage.html

This 13-song CD reveals a wider range than the Murmaids' status as one-hit wonders would lead one to expect. The title tune, driven by a softly strummed rhythm guitar behind the gentle, ethereal singing of the trio, is a quintessential piece of early-'60s pop/rock, not as striking as "To Know Him Is to Love Him" but still memorable. The '40s pop standard, "Playmates" (covered by Sandy Stewart in Go Johnny Go) turns up as a bouncy pop/jazz style number, the trio backed by piano, bass, and drums. "You Cheated" is pretty, if routine, girl group fare, but the version of "Mr. Sandman" has an upbeat feel with a certain touch of earthiness. "Alone" is a throwback to doo wop sounds, complete with a "yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah" chorus and a very busy rhythm section, with the Murmaids trying hard emulate the Marcels' "Blue Moon." "Don't Forget" seems to have been producer Kim Fowley's attempt to mimic the Crystals, complete with an anthem-like chorus, a driving beat, and a pseudo-Spector backing band. The coming of age love song "So Young" shows more healthy lust than much of the trio's other repertory. The outstanding track, however, is "Wild and Wonderful," a soaring ballad with a ravishing array of hooks, a gorgeous organ and guitar arrangement, and a haunting fade-out. And anyone who wants more songs like "Popsicles and Icicles" will find them in "Heartbreak Ahead" and "Three Little Words." Strangely enough, one of their big hit's two B-sides, "Blue Dress," is present, but not the other, "Huntington Flats."

1. The Murmaids - Popsicles And Icicles (2:34)

2. The Murmaids - Bull Talk (2:32)

3. The Murmaids - Don't Forget (2:23)

4. The Murmaids - Three Little Words (2:12)

5. The Murmaids - He's Good To Me (2:17)

6. The Murmaids - You Cheated (2:19)

7. The Murmaids - Mr. Sandman (2:29)

8. The Murmaids - Blue Dress (2:24)

9. The Murmaids - Playmates (2:25)

10. The Murmaids - Wild And Wonderful (2:35)

11. The Murmaids - Alone (2:15)

12. The Murmaids - Heartbreak Ahead (2:31)

13. The Murmaids - So Young (2:09)

***

Later history of Carol and Terry Fischer and Sally Gordon

Sally Gordon left for Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon in September 1963, before "Popsicles" became a hit. After the song completed its chart run, Terry Fischer went off to college while Carol Fischer continued with high school.

In 1969, Terry Fischer recorded as a member of The Carnival. whose self-titled album on Liberty was produced by Bones Howe; the Carnival also featured Janis Hansen and Jose Suares. both former members of Sérgio Mendes and Brasil '66. Subsequently, Terry Fischer had a prolific career as a background vocalist with television appearances on Kraft Music Hall, The Merv Griffin Show, the Jerry Lewis Telethon and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and live work with Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, Don Rickles, Sonny and Cher and Tina Turner. Terry Fischer's career highlight came in 1977: while working as a percussionist and vocalist supporting Fabian in Lake Tahoe, she was spotted by sax player Sam Butera and invited to sing with Sam Butera and the Witnesses on their gig opening Frank Sinatra's Ol' Blue Eyes is Back Tour.

Carol Fischer married John Morell, a prolific session guitarist. The couple have two sons who are both musicians.

Sally Gordon married Daniel Mark, studio musician and Vikki Carr’s bass player, and had a son, Emmy-winning film editor Tony Mark. She worked as a studio singer until 1976, when she went to work for Warner Brothers Records, then for Francis Coppola, and finally was head of promotions and public relations at Lucasfilm from 1981 to 1987. She then moved to Paris, France where she became a historical researcher and translator, as well as a singer and piano teacher. She later moved to Italy to work on the biography of film producer Robert Watts.

In 1995, Collectables Records issued a Golden Classics remastered CD of "Popsicles and Icicles" featuring the original trio.

In 1998, the Fischer sisters reformed The Murmaids with a third singer, Cynthia Perry (replaced by Petra Rowell, then replaced by Suzi Robertson), debuting the new act at a "Legends of Rock 'n Roll" show in Los Angeles in October of that year. They subsequently released a CD called The Murmaids Splash Back.

Discography

Singles

1963 "Popsicles and Icicles" (backed with one of four different tracks: "Bunny Stomp", "Huntington Flats", "Comedy and Tragedy", "Blue Dress"; all Chattahoochee 628)

1964 "Heartbreak Ahead" / "He's Good to Me" - Chattahoochee 636

1964 "Wild And Wonderful" / "Bull Talk" - Chattahoochee 641

1965 "Stuffed Animals" / "Little White Lies" - Chattahoochee 668 (also released as The Half-Sisters)

1966 "Go Away" / "Little Boys" - Chattahoochee 711

1968 "Paper Sun" / "Song Through Perception" - Liberty 56078

Albums

1980 LP The Mermaids Resurface - Chattahoochee CHLP 628

1995 CD Popsicles and Icicles - Collectables

2002 CD Murmaids Splash Back! - The Orchard

Compilation tracks

"Popsicles, Icicles" on CD 1964 Classic Rock: The Beat Goes On - Time-Life

"Popsicles & Icicles" on CD Early Girls Volume 1 - ACE Records LTD 1995 Made in United Kingdom.

I don't know if this album became a rarity, but it was released on Chattahoochee Records in 1980 with an interesting feature...

Group incorrectly spelled on cover as The Mermaids and is correctly spelled on label as The Murmaids.

The tracks are the same as on the 1995 Collectables edition, but in a different order...

The Murmaids – Splash Back! Popsicles And Icicles 2002

***