The Poni-Tails
| The Poni-Tails | |
|---|---|
 The Poni-Tails in 1960 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Lyndhurst, Ohio, United States |
| Genres | Pop music |
| Years active | 1956 to 1960 |
| Labels | Point, Marc, ABC-Paramount |
| Past members |
Toni Cistone Karen Topinka Patti McCabe LaVerne Novak |
The Poni-Tails were an American girl group from Lyndhurst, Ohio. Their major hit was "Born Too Late" in 1958.
History
Formed in a suburb of Cleveland, the Poni-Tails — Toni Cistone, Karen Topinka and Patti McCabe (Patricia Ann McCabe, July 6, 1939 – January 17, 1989)[1] — started singing at Brush High School, which they all attended. Tom Ilius, a music publisher, had them signed to local record label Point Records, who released their first single, "Your Wild Heart" b/w "Que la Bozena" (the latter of which was written by the group). "Heart" was covered by the then-15-year-old Joy Layne, and became a nationwide hit.[2] The next release was "Can I Be Sure" on Marc Records, which was not a success; following this release Topinka left the group and was replaced by LaVerne Novak.
Soon after this, the group signed to ABC-Paramount and released "Just My Luck to Be Fifteen", a flop. Following this was "Come on Joey, Dance With Me" b/w "Born Too Late". The B-side caught on at radio and became the group's biggest hit, reaching #11 on the U.S. R&B singles chart and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958.[3] Follow-ups "Seven Minutes In Heaven" (#85 Pop) and "I'll Be Seeing You" (#87 Pop) fared less well, and their last single, 1960's "Who, When And Why", did not chart.[2]
ABC-Paramount attempted to sign the group to a further five-year contract, but the group turned it down. The members left the music industry and pursued careers in other fields in Ohio. They reunited to play a Cleveland festival, Moon Dog Coronation ball, in 1997.[2] A CD released by Poni Records with 12 tracks credited to the Poni-Tails contains only one Poni-Tails song ("Born Too Late") and 11 tracks recorded by other groups.[2]
In 1991 LaVerne (Novak) Glavac was working for a real estate agent in Mentor, Ohio, and had five grandchildren. Toni (Cistone) Costabile was working at a high school in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Patti (McCabe) Barnes died of cancer on January 17, 1989. Tom Illius subsequently became a top executive with the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles, California. Tom died on September 7, 2011 in Los Angeles.
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record Label | B-side | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | R&B | UK | ||||
| 1957 | "It's Just My Luck to Be Fifteen" | – | – | – | ABC-Paramount Records | "Wild Eyes and Tender Lips" |
| 1958 | "Born Too Late" | 7 | 11 | 5 | "Come On Joey Dance with Me" | |
| "Seven Minutes in Heaven" | 85 | – | – | "Close Friends" | ||
| 1959 | "Early to Bed" | – | – | 26 | "Father Time" | |
| "Moody" | – | – | – | "Oom Pah Polka" | ||
| "I'll Be Seeing You" | 87 | – | – | "I'll Keep Tryin'" | ||
| 1960 | "Come Be My Love" | – | – | – | "Before We Say Goodnight" | |
| "Who, When, And Why" | – | – | – | "Oh, My, You" | ||
Members
- Toni Cistone
- Karen Topinka (to 1958)
- LaVerne Novak (1958-1960)
- Patti McCabe - (died 1989)
References
- ↑ Nick Talevski, Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door, Omnibus Press, 2010, p.404
- 1 2 3 4 The Poni-Tails at Allmusic
- ↑ Billboard Singles, Allmusic.com
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 431. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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