Dixie Cups

WHAT KIND OF FOOL - HMV
IKO IKO/ GEE BABY GEE
CHAPEL OF LOVE

The Dixie Cups released What Kind Of Fool which became  a perennially popular track on the original Northern Soul scene,  not to be confused with The Tams track of the same title. Iko Iko was a favourite of the Twisted Wheel DJ in Brazennose Street and was heard at most sessions - weekends and throughout the week. The B side Gee Baby Gee was just as popular. These tracks and What Kind Of Fool were often played at the Blue Note which continued the tradition started off by Roger Eagle - playing a wide range of styles of American Black music.

Originating in New Orleans, the three girl members of The Dixie Cups were Barbara Ann Hawkins, her sister Rosa Lee Hawkins and their cousin Joan Marie Johnson. Their first group name was Little Miss and the Muffets and it was producer and singer Joe Jones who discovered them in 1960.

  

At the Brill Building a song was written for them by song-writing team Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector - The Chapel Of Love. (Later Phil Spector produced a version of it with the Crystals, un-issued at the time). Another version was done by The Ronettes.

Red Bird Records, a new label started by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, (located in New Orleans) released it and the group was re-named the Dixie Cups. It became a major international million seller, number one the USA and it launched Red Bird.

1964, People Say and You Should Have Seen The Way He Looked At Me.

1965 Iko Iko an Indian chant originally done the mid-Forties

Iko Iko was re-done by the Belle Stars in the UK in the 80s, and was on the sound track of Dustin Hoffman's Rain Man and became a hit in 1989.

After Red Bird went bust in 1966 the Dixie Cups went to ABC-Paramount where they recorded the fantastic WHAT KIND OF FOOL.

In 1974 the Hawkin sisters moved back to New Orleans and made new careers as models. They did some touring in the late 70s.

Gee Baby Gee the B side of Iko Iko was a huge hit in the UK soul clubs, however the Dixie Cups biggest hit on the UK soul club scene was WHAT KIND OF FOOL.

Song Lyrics -The Dixie Cups: Chapel of love

Goin to the chapel
And were gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin to the chapel
And were gonna get ma-a-arried
Gee, I really love you
And were gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin to the chapel of love
Spring is here, th-e-e sky is blue, whoa-oh-oh
Birds all sing as if they knew
Todays the day well say I do
And well never be lonely anymore because were

Goin to the chapel
And were gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin to the chapel
And were gonna get ma-a-arried
Gee, I really love you
And were gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin to the chapel of love

Bells will ring, the-e-e sun will shine, whoa-oh-oh
Ill be his and hell be mine
Well love until the end of time
And well never be lonely anymore because were

Goin to the chapel
And were gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin to the chapel
And were gonna get ma-a-arried
Gee, I really love you
And were gonna get ma-a-arried
Goin to the chapel of love

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Goin to the chapel of love
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Goin to the chapel...goin to...