(1) The Orlons, R&B (… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists named 'The Orlons':
(1) The Orlons, R&B (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S)
(2) The Orlons, Surf Rock (Haifa, Israel)
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(1) The Orlons consisted of lead singer Rosetta Hightower, Shirley Brickley, Marlena Davis, and Stephen Caldwell.
Before they became the Orlons, they were an all-girl quintet called Audrey and the Teenettes. They formed in the late 1950s in junior high school and consisted of Hightower, Davis, and three Brickley sisters: Shirley, Jean, and Audrey. However, after the Brickleys' mother did not permit 13-year-old Audrey to sing in certain clubs with the group, she and Jean quit, making the group a trio.
In high school, the group's three remaining members discovered fellow student Stephen Caldwell, who was lead singer of a local group called the Romeos. Impressed by him, they invited him to join the group in 1960 and named themselves the Orlons as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the friendly rivalry they had with a popular group at their high school, the Cashmeres.[1] (Orlon was a synthetic fibre widely used around that time.)
A high school friend, Dovells lead singer Len Barry, encouraged them to audition for Cameo Records at the turn of the decade. The group took his advice in the fall of 1961, but were rejected at first, although the record label eventually signed the group after two more auditions. Cameo executive Dave Appell appointed Hightower as the lead singer, and began writing songs for them.
Before rising to fame with their first national hit, "The Wah-Watusi," the group provided back-up vocals for Dee Dee Sharp's hits "Mashed Potato Time" and "Gravy (for My Mashed Potatoes)." They recorded their own cover versions of those songs for their debut album, The Wah-Watusi.
Davis and Caldwell quit the group in 1964, and were replaced by Sandy Person for about a year. A short-lived stint by Yvonne Young was followed by original Teenette, Audrey Brickley, Shirley's sister. By then, the group's popularity had waned in the United States due to misdirection of their record company, Cameo Records. They continued to perform into the late 1960s with success in the UK. They disbanded in 1968 after Hightower decided to stay in England after a tour. Hightower had (and still has) a successful career as a soloist and as an in-demand session singer, backing Joe Cocker, John Holt and other popular artists. She married record producer Ian Green.
In later years, Davis married and found work as an executive secretary, while Caldwell became president of the bus drivers' trade union in Philadelphia and served on the Philadelphia Board of Education for 25 years. In 1988, Caldwell and Davis re-formed the group with two new members and performed live on the oldies circuit until Davis's death in 1993.
On October 13, 1977, Shirley Brickley was shot to death by an intruder in her home in Philadelphia. Davis lost a battle with lung cancer on February 27, 1993 (age 48). Audrey Brickley died of acute respiratory distress syndrome on July 3, 2005 (aged 58). Steve and Jean Brickley still perform as The Orlons with two cousins.
(2) The Orions (from Haifa, Israel) play high energy instrumental surf rock'n'roll, dance or die!
Band members:
• David Miretski - Guitar
• Itai Alzaradel - Guitar
• 'Mediterranean Buddha' Ezra - Bass
• Guy Offenbach - Drums
Listen to The Orions: http://theorions.bandcamp.com/
The Orions on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orionsband
Crossfire!
The Orlons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me and my baby we were doing fine
When he started dancing he was mine oh mine
Started doing the cross fire cross fire cross fire
And I know it was a big old time
When they started doing that crazy dance
Well that was the ruin of our big romance
And I never never had a chance
Everybody was cross fire
Cross fire cross fire nothing to it
Keep your eyes on your guy
And kiss your baby goodbye
I look for my baby but he ain't in view
I'm looking like crazy what could I do
They're doing the cross fire cross fire cross fire
And I found it when the dance was through
Cross fire cross fire get down to it
Cross fire
Keep your eyes on your guy
And kiss your baby goodbye
They're doing the monkey and the pony too
They do something crazy like the hippies do
They're doing the cross fire cross fire cross fire
Caught in the middle of the cross fire
Yeah everybody's doing cross fire.
The Orlons' song "Crossfire!" is a captivating tune that highlights the dance craze that was popular in the 1960s. The lyrics follow the story of a girl who is happy with her boyfriend until he starts doing the "cross fire" dance. The girl is envious of the attention her boyfriend is receiving from other girls who have joined in the dance, and she feels left out. As the dance becomes more and more popular, it starts to take over and ruins the girl's relationship, making her realize that she never had a chance of keeping her boyfriend's attention.
The song is a great portrayal of the times where dance was a significant part of youth culture, and the popularity of specific dances could make or break a relationship. The lyrics of the song perfectly capture the emotions of the girl and how her relationship had to come to a premature end. The catchy chorus of "cross fire, cross fire, cross fire" is enough to get anyone bopping along and enjoying the tune.
Overall, The Orlons' "Crossfire!" is a relatable song that highlights how dances can be an essential part of youth culture and relationships. The catchy tune and the lyrics make for an enjoyable listening experience, and it is no wonder that the song was so popular in its time.
Line by Line Meaning
Cross fire cross fire cross fire
Repetitive chanting of the name of the dance, which has caused trouble for the singer
Me and my baby we were doing fine
The singer and her significant other were doing well before they got involved in the cross fire dance
When he started dancing he was mine oh mine
The singer felt possessive of her partner when they started dancing cross fire together
Started doing the cross fire cross fire cross fire
And I know it was a big old time
Everyone was having fun and enjoying themselves while doing the cross fire dance
When they started doing that crazy dance
Well that was the ruin of our big romance
The cross fire dance caused issues in the singer's relationship
And I never never had a chance
Everybody was cross fire
The singer was unable to escape the cross fire dance, as everyone else was also participating
Cross fire cross fire nothing to it
Keep your eyes on your guy
And kiss your baby goodbye
The singer advises others to keep their focus on their partners and avoid getting involved in the distracting cross fire dance
I look for my baby but he ain't in view
I'm looking like crazy what could I do
The singer cannot find her partner because he is doing the cross fire dance, causing her anxiety
They're doing the monkey and the pony too
They do something crazy like the hippies do
Other people at the dance are also participating in other strange and distracting dances
They're doing the cross fire cross fire cross fire
Caught in the middle of the cross fire
The singer is caught up in the cross fire dance and cannot escape it
Yeah everybody's doing cross fire.
Everyone at the dance is participating in the cross fire dance, making it difficult for the singer to focus on her partner
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Written by: Dave Appell, Kal Mann
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yolandajohnson8685
very rare song ❤
@johnfisher7599
I love the sound of the Orlons. Their time in the spotlight was too short.
@FriendofDorothy
How wonderful to hear a live drummer, and just listen to him on this track! All we hear now is soulless drum machines and digitally reproduced effects in current pop music. And now we get to look forward to robots creating all our commercial "hits". (it already sounds like they are.) The Orlons had a short, but hot run of party hits and also recorded a lot of copy-cat tracks that tried to duplicate their biggest hits in style and sound but just didn't cut it. Like most groups in that era they also did re-makes of songs originally recorded by other artists, but other than "Not Me" these were usually throwaway album tracks. But The Orlons good stuff was REALLY good and REALLY fun. What a great studio band they had backing them up on their best hits!
@miketheshanmanmangan
a Philly Classic!
@USAtoElsewhere
I remember enjoying this song when I was 10 or 11. Loved all the upbeat pop songs as soon as I heard them and back then my radio was always tuned to "Top 40".
@fred3467
Thanks for posting the hit version of Crossfire. The only posts I usually find, have the alternate version.
@the45prof98
You're very welcome!
@vinylsingleman
@@the45prof98 Thank you so much for ALWAYS posting the original versions of all the hits. It is very much appreciated from me. I only wish you could also do it with later hits without having to deal with copyright claims.
@moemcgovern7345
I Love song, in a Big Boss Line!
@phillydog57coupe
Raw Philly early 60's!!