AV俱乐部

Dr. Jacqueline Warwick and her infant son. (Abriel photo)

Is this a lasting treasure
Or just a moment's pleasure?
Can I belie-e-eve
The magic of your sighs?
Will you still love me tomorrow?

Almost 50 years later, it sounds quaint 脩 a sweet, pop confection. But in 1960 when Shirley Alston, lead singer of the Shirelles, sang Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?, teenage girls didn脮t speak so frankly about sex 脩 much less on the radio.

脪It脮s groundbreaking to hear that question,鈥� says Jacqueline Warwick, assistant professor of music at AV俱乐部, whose book, Girl Groups, Girl Culture, has just been published. 脪These were not raunchy blues queens. These were nice suburban girls and essentially they脮re asking, 脭If I sleep with you, if I give up my virginity, will you still be around?脮鈥�

In her book, Dr. Warwick posits that the early 1960s was a time when teenage girls emerged front and centre in mainstream culture. Groups who enjoyed enormous success, like the Shirelles, the Ronettes, the Crystals, the Shangri-Las, the Chantels and the Dixie Cups, were comprised of girls 脩 some as young as 11 and 12. That phenomenon hasn脮t been repeated until recently with the rise of Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, Keshia Chant沤 and other solo artists.

脭Girly脮 concerns

But it脮s not only that they were girls, it脮s that they sounded like girls and sang of girly concerns 脩 of boys, first kisses, strict parents and the fantasy of happily ever after.

脪When people talk about the 脮60s, it脮s as if it started with the Beatles and ended with Woodstock. But that view misses out on this whole fascinating chapter,鈥� she says.

In the 脮50s and 脮60s, the whole idea of the 脪teenager鈥� 脩 a stage when children transition into adults 脩 was relatively new. But postwar, there were just so many of them. And, as a group, they weren脮t content to listen to their parents脮 music anymore, they were discovering their own sound and look.

AV俱乐部 the same time, black artists were finding it tough to cross over to bigger audiences. Their music didn脮t have the same problem however. Little Richard, for example, had his songs such as Tutti Frutti and Long Tall Sally re-recorded in tamer, white-bread versions by
Pat Boone, and others.

Boundaries dissolve

But music producers such as Motown founder Berry Gordy understood that girl groups 脩 with their matching dresses and hairstyles and beautiful harmonies 脩 could go places that black male artists could not, says Warwick.

脪The teenage girl is a symbol of respectability, demureness, propriety 脡 In their way, they can say things that would be much more provocative coming from someone else. With girl groups, things have gotten that much easier. Rigid boundaries have started to dissolve and they脮re able to gain wider acceptance.鈥�

In the recent movie Dreamgirls 脨 a 脪fiction鈥� inspired by the beginnings of the Supremes 脩 this theme is played out when Eddie Murphy脮s James 脪Thunder鈥� Early脮s character脮s electrifying appearance at a supper club has its well-heeled members leaving in droves. Then the Dreamettes take the stage.

But before the group can firmly grasp success, their lead singer 脩 the curvaceous and big-voiced Effie (Jennifer Hudson) 脩 is replaced by prettier, thinner and more malleable Deena (Beyonce Knowles).

脪They got a lot of stuff right,鈥� says Dr. Warwick, who cheered Jennifer Hudson脮s Oscar win for best supporting actress. 脪They really did.鈥澛�