To create a comprehensive history of the many girl groups (such as The Ronettes, The Shirelles, The Supremes, and The Vandellas) creating music in the 1960s as part of this movement, the authors interviewed over 100 people for this book, including Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Joel, Johnny Mathis, Neil Sedaka, Paul Shaffer, Otis Williams, Darlene Love, Mary Wilson, Martha Reeves, and other members of the girl groups. Told in an interview format and based on over 300 hours of conversations with the singers and songwriters, their agents, managers, and sound engineers as well as present-day celebrities, But Will You Love Me Tomorrow? provides a glimpse behind the scenes of the ascendancy and height of the 1960s girl groups as well as the subsequent forces that led to their collapse. I loved learning more about each group and how they contributed to the movement.

An oral history giving memories of various members of girl groups of the 60s. The testimonies give insights into how the music industry operated during the time and pulls back the curtain to show how these young girls were brought into fame. Many did not know what they were getting into and had to deal with managers as well as being part a group with other girls who wanted fame as well.

The Shirelles, The Chiffons, of course The Supremes— their music was the soundtrack of my coming-of-age years
But Will You Love Me Tomorrow: An Oral History of 60s Girl Groups tells a national coming-of-age story that gives particular insight into the experiences of the female singers and songwriters who created the movement. The book is an extremely thorough and detailed oral history of those years when these groups got their starts, became famous, and faced the challenges and often disappointments of being a part of the big business the music industry became in these times. The Girl Group interviewees reminisce after many years, and some details might seem copious. But preserving these viewpoints and narratives is a worthy snapshot of women entertainers’ lives in the 60’s.

So long overdue to hear from and about the lesser-known girl group women! Happy to include this title in my recent thematic round-up “Nostalgia” in the Holiday Gift Books package of Zoomer, Canada’s national culture magazine. (see mini-review at link)

Book 49 of 2023 - ✅! Thank you to NetGalley, Laura Flam, Emily Sieu Liebowitz & Hachette Books for an ARC of But Will You Love Me Tomorrow? An Oral History of the ‘60s Girl Groups, in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the first books I downloaded on NetGalley, as I was immediately drawn to the title. As a lover of music, and Motown specifically, I knew I was in the target audience for this book. From the introduction/authors’ note at the beginning, I had a feeling I was going to enjoy it, as Flam & Sieu Liebowitz are self-aware of their own identities and who should be telling these stories. The authors present the interviews as they were conducted, quite literally, so they could be told in the own voices of the interview subjects - they have taken and transcribed the interviews and had phenomenal readers/voice over artists to bring these interviews to life. For those who have read books by James Andrew Miller, Flam & Sieu Liebowitz have a very similar style in how they present interviews and information. The interviewees are incredible: from various members of The Vandellas, The Supremes, The Ronettes, to Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Joel & Cher (just to name a few) - the authors did an amazing deep dive into the groups that were so influential, yet so under-appreciated as the years have gone by.

If you can get your hands on an audiobook copy, I highly recommend taking in the book that way - it adds another layer to this already compelling book.

4.5/5 ⭐️, rounded up to 5 ! 🎶 🎙️ 🎵

#ButWillYouLoveMeTomorrowBook #NetGalley

Sixties girl groups are my guilty pleasure when it comes to music, so you can imagine how excited I was when I received this arc. I learned so much history about groups I already loved, like the Ronettes and the Crystals. Even when discussing groups I was unfamiliar with, I was engaged. I also really loved the format in which this was written. It reminded me of a VH1 music documentary or Daisy Jones & the Six, both of which I'm a huge fan of. I would definitely recommend it to others and I am looking forward to buying my own physical copy.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much I obtained physical copy of it so I could read it again.

A terrific complication of oral history from the mouths of the women who comprised the famous all girl groups in the 1960s.
60s Gold is a permanent channel in my car, courtesy of SiriusXM and I love all the groups mentioned in the book: the Supremes, Ronnettes, the Crystals and even some I’d never heard. However the Crystals are my most favorite! When He Kissed Me plays I crank it up.
I loved all of the pictures included because the teased hair, costumes, and that 60s look are a scream!
This is a must read for anyone who loves 60s music, cultural history, or wants to know what it was really like behind the sweetness and glamor.

I was curious about this book since I wasn’t too familiar with the music but had heard of some of the groups from time to time. This book was a little treasure and gives you a good glimpse into what things were like at that time. It talks about the way the groups were discovered and the many things (good and bad) that they experienced. It was eye opening and so interesting to see the issues that many of the groups faced in that era. I was glued to this book. I learned a lot and really enjoyed reading it. Definitely would recommend it to anyone interested in the music and the groups.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc.

This was such an informative and engaging read! I've always loved 50s and 60s music, and the girl groups that were part of this formative era in music. I really enjoyed learning more about them! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Absolutely loved! This book was so educational and engaging, the authors are clearly as passionate as I am about the topic! Will definitely be purchasing a hard copy to reread / gift to friends and family.

This book is a reverential and thorough deep dive into an underrated era of music and culture, jam packed with research and interviews.

This is a very informative book learning the making of Girls group and their experience. It's set up as Interviewing style. After reading this it make me want to Playlist with some of my favs group

Hachette Books provided an early galley for review.

Even though I was barely forming my musical tastes as a child in the late 60's, the songs and harmonies of the girl groups were ever present on the radio. Their sounds take me back instantly to a time of simple, carefree fun. I just want to smile and sing along even all these decades later.

As I have seen with other music-related books in recent years, the authors weave their interview responses into a flowing narrative. This is what I liken very much to a "talking heads documentary" style of narration. For me, I find that it works very well for subject matters such as this one. I was also very pleased to see the wide variety of people who contributed to the discussions. While I expected, of course, the members of the groups themselves, I was also surprised by the other musicians, songwriters and more who added to the mosaic conversation.

The author covers all the ups and downs, the rise of stars and the falls of acts that broke up. It touches on the triumphs and the tragedies. And that is exactly what I want in a good music book - the covering of all the bases with no sugar-coating.

I loved this! I have always loved the music and this was an amazing, interesting, and in-depth look behind the scenes. I can't wait to give this book as a gift during the holidays. I got some much out of it.

I’ve mentioned it before, but when I was a teenager, I was a disc jockey for not only my high school radio station, but real-life radio stations in Northeastern Wisconsin. I grew up surrounded by 8 other people in my house, each with their own musical tastes. I absorbed them all. As a former DJ, I also have a love of the history of music. When I saw this book on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m torn about this book, because it was not quite what I was expecting. The format is literally a name featured then a quote. There’s no narrative to weave the story together, just a book full of quotes from a vast variety of voices to paint a picture of the days when girl groups almost dominated the charts. However, once I got used to the format, it was surprisingly a fairly quick read, and I learned a lot.

Many of the girl groups were just that, teenagers or young women who had no idea what they were getting into, just that they liked to sing. Not only did they sing many huge hits, but they were also taken advantage of by the managers and record labels. Many basically signed away their rights and were paid a pittance, never receiving royalties as is common these days. And many of the girl groups, when they went on tour, were sequestered to their hotel rooms so they didn’t mingle with the boy groups also on tour. Somehow, the girls found a way, anyhow.

I was also interested in learning more about the payola scandal, where record labels paid DJs to play their records. One person said everyone was on the take, including the famed Dick Clark, who got away with it somehow. And the history of the Brill Building and similar set-ups, where songwriters like Leiber & Stoller and Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, Carole King, Neil Sedaka & Neil Diamond wrote songs for various groups. I’m a big fan of that era music, and found the personal stories about some of my favorite songwriters very interesting. There’s a whole section on the history of Motown and the influence of the black female artists like The Supremes.

Overall, this is a very strong book that talks about a previously unexplored part of rock ‘n’ roll’s history. I highly recommend it to music buffs!

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Hachette Books for an advance copy of this history of Girl Groups in music, the wondrous songs the sang, and the troubles and travails that went on behind the scenes.

She met him in a candy store, the handsome sweetie that she ever saw. Soon she was waiting for the post man to bring her letters from him, and when he returned from a travels, they soon went walking on the sand. However tragedy struck a faithful night when he lost control and crashed his motorcycle, possibly a car. Or just found someone else, though fiery death seemed a big thing in songs during the late 50's and 60's. Along with a lot of beautiful music. The sound of what was called the Girl Groups once ruled the musical landscape, filling theaters, musical charts, and transistor radios, with a singular sound, look and attitude. Songs of love, love gone wrong and songs about Mardi Gras in the case of Iko Iko. And also songs that had a tremendous amount of sales, but sales that never seemed to help the in some cases very young ladies who sang them. Writers Laura Flam and Emily Sieu Liebowitz in But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?: An Oral History of the ’60s Girl Groups written of these groups, songwriters, producers, friends and families, using the words of those who lived it, from the highs of their vocals, to the ugliness of what happened behind the scene.

The book begins with some information about the music scene and what has happening before going right into the music. Young ladies in school, looking for walls where the echo and sound could be right, matching their voices for fun, singing popular songs of the day in bathrooms, gyms, hallways, even in the gaps between subway cars in Manhattan. Soon some of the more daring would start entering talent shows, or even audition for some of the many music labels of the day, even be approached be strangers acting as talent scouts to find singers. The book looks at the use of songwriters, people who would work constantly to craft a tune that could get radio play, or that someone could be payed to get radio play. Readers learn about the groups, the Dixie Cups, the Vandellas, The Chiffons, and much more. There are stories about the creations of songs, how group formed, or created also by labels, and plenty of studio and behind the scene information. And sadly, much on how the singers were exploited by everyone, songwriters, labels, management, their own people, family and more.

The interviews are very well done, and since it is an oral history the writers do a very good job of trying to find the truth in what in many cases are very emotional stories. Age, animosity, and in fact what a person was told at the time could effect their recall, the authors are very good about telling certain stories from various points of view. While this is a great book on the music, the story is very sad in many places. Many of these artists were cheated in many different ways, either monetarily, credit, or even in many places their youth. These singers were young, not out of high school, naive children suddenly being told to make decisions on deals, and contracts, something that was always to make sure the house, being the labels won. The stories of these young ladies going from New York and Detroit to the South with Jim Crow segregation the law of the land, is brutal in many ways. Their exploitation by management in deals, and sometimes physically is also sad, and this is even without including Phil Spector. Add in that people tour with their band names, singing the songs they made popular, with many of these singers not even born when the songs were created, while the singers live in poverty is another insult to these artists. A very powerful book, not only on music, but who artists are also used to create, but not invited to share in the rewards.

A really great book. Returning the narrative to the singers, and letting them share their experiences is really wonderful. The music they made will last the ages, I just wish they received the respect they are owed. For music fans, for cultural historians, and for any artist who is starting to create. Never sign a contract without at least two lawyers looking at it. One of my favorite books on art so far this year.

My parents would often play the local oldies station in the car, and that is where my love of the 60’s music started for me. When I turned 13 in 1990, I purchased The Beatles box set (which was a collection of CDs of all of their albums, along with a CD called Frat Rock and Toga Rock – both containing some fantastic oldies music). Yes, The Beatles are my favorite band and at one point in my life, I had posters, bootlegs, memorabilia, books, magazines, stickers, and a few delicate items. I have a few things left, as I have given away most of it. If they weren’t my favorite band, I would have to say that any band from Motown or even The Rolling Stones could easily take their place.

So, I am very familiar with a lot of the girl groups of the 60’s and enjoyed reading there words directly. I didn’t realize how young some of the girls were when they recorded their hits and how they struggled to be compensated for everything they did. Most of the girls were under 16, and some were even younger than that when they recorded their songs. And most of them were black and they had to deal with segregation. A lot of the girls would record a hit, and then they were done. They got married, had kids, and did other things with their lives. Some of them did end up reuniting later on. There were even lawsuits about compensation and royalties after the fact.

I did find myself, asking Alexa to play lots of songs, as I was reading it. Oh, yeah, I can hear what they are talking about. I really liked reading about how they got together (family singers, school singers, or sidewalk singers) and how certain songs came to be.

I also enjoyed reading about the songwriting teams of Mike Lieber and Jerry Stroller, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, and Carol King and Gerry Goffin. They wrote the majority of the hits.

Also interviewed were studio musicians, and other people from other bands who were involved with these 60’s girl groups.

Now, let me tell you some of the groups and songs that made them famous that were mentioned frequently throughout the book:

The Bobbettes (Mr. Lee) – Look at the soundtrack for Stand By Me.

The Chordettes (Mr. Sandman, Lollipop) – Look at the soundtrack for Stand By Me.

The Cookies (Chains)

The Crystals (He’s a Rebel, Then He Kissed Me) – He’s a Rebel was actually recorded by The Blossoms which included Darlene Love, but which was credited to The Crystals by Phil Spector.

The Ronettes (Be My Baby) – This was Ronnie Spector’s group and she was married to Phil Spector. This is the opening song in Dirty Dancing.

The Exciters (Tell Him)

The Marvelettes (Please Mr Postman) – This was the first hit for a girl group for Motown.

The Shirelles (Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Soldier Boy, Mama Said, Baby It’s You)

The Chiffons (He’s So Fine, One Fine Day)

The Dixie Cups (Chapel of Love, Iko Iko)

The Shangri-Las (Leader of the Pack) – Yes, it was a real motorcycle, and they had a super long mic cord from the studio to the street.

The Supremes (Where Did Our Love Go, Love Child, Baby Love, Come See About Me) – This was Diana Ross’s group.

Man, I am pretty confident that I have half of these songs on my iPhone!

Overall, this is by far one of the best music books I have read this year. It was easy for me to follow along as I always knew who was talking.

Special thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Books for allowing me to read a pre-released edition of this book.

This is really difficult for me to rate/review because I’ve never read anything like this before. But as an avid lover of 50s/60s music, the title immediately had me intrigued. The description of the book was a little misleading - I wasn’t expecting just non-stop interviews; maybe I was expecting more of a memoir-type layout, I’m not really even sure. I just know it was a little difficult to get into and that the timelines were a little confusing to follow. But overall, I learned A LOT about the faces behind the tracks I’ve loved since my grandparents first introduced me to them. Not to mention a lot of the good, the bad, and the ugly side of the music industry that paved the way for the future. The authors appeared to take a lot of care in obtaining factual information that would not defame anyone or disrespect anyone, while still putting the truth out there. For being the first type of historical book like this that I’ve ever read, it was intriguing enough that I would pick up another of its kind so 3 stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Music from the 60s became very popular again when I was in elementary/middle school, and as the child of Boomers, I grew up listening to "oldies stations," who played many of the groups interviewed in this fascinating oral history of the great girl groups of that era.

This is a treasure trove of gossip, storytelling, and creativity during a momentous era in pop music, as well as tragic and heartbreaking stories of loss and deception. A must read for classic pop fans!

Many thanks to Hachette and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.