The Toys
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Founder | Barbara Harris, Barbara Parritt, June Montiero |
| Defunct | 1968 |
| Headquarters | Jamaica, New York , United States |
| Products | Music recordings, singles, albums |
The Toys were a female pop ensemble originating from Jamaica, New York, established in 1961 and active until their dissolution in 1968. Their most notable release, "A Lover's Concerto" (1965), achieved sales exceeding two million units and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Members
The group consisted of three members:
- Barbara Harris (born August 18, 1945, Elizabeth City, North Carolina),
- Barbara Parritt (born October 1, 1944, Wilmington, North Carolina),
- June Montiero (born July 1, 1946, Queens, New York).
Career
Barbara Harris began her vocal journey in church choirs before relocating to Queens at age 11. While attending high school, she formed a vocal group alongside Barbara Parritt, June Montiero, Betty Stokes, and Betty Blocker. After the departure of Stokes and Blocker, the trio continued as The Charlettes under the guidance of manager Bobby Uri, providing backing vocals for several artists. Their encounter with Eddy Chase at a Brooklyn talent competition led to an introduction to manager Vince Marc and songwriter/record executive Bob Crewe. Subsequently renamed The Toys, they secured a contract with Crewe's DynoVoice Records.
Under Marc's management, they collaborated with songwriting duo Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, who crafted much of their repertoire. They transformed Bach’s "Minuet in G major" by integrating a Motown-inspired bassline to produce "A Lover's Concerto", which climbed to number two on U.S. charts. Their subsequent single "Attack!" also entered the Top 20.
Linzer and Randell produced their recordings at DynoVoice between 1965 and 1966. The single "A Lover's Concerto" was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA in 1965 after surpassing two million copies sold. The Toys toured alongside Gene Pitney and transitioned to his label Musicor Records in 1967; however, they only released a minor hit—a rendition of Brian Hyland’s "Sealed with a Kiss"—before disbanding.
The group made appearances on prominent television music programs such as Hullabaloo and Shindig!, and featured briefly performing "Attack!" in the 1967 motion picture It's a Bikini World.
Following the group's breakup, Barbara Harris performed under the name "The Toys featuring Barbara Harris" on public television broadcasts and at nostalgic music events. She worked with Joe Rivers and issued her solo album Barbara Now in 1998, for which she composed most songs. In 2016, Harris released the singles "Forever Spring" and "(Rock 'n' Roll) Soothes The Soul".
Singles
- (Chart rankings refer to the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 unless otherwise specified.)
- 1965: "A Lover's Concerto" (U.S. No. 2; Cashbox No. 1; UK No. 5)
- 1966: "Attack!" (U.S. No. 18; UK No. 36)
- 1966: "Baby Toys" (U.S. No. 76)
- 1966: "Silver Spoon" (U.S. No. 111)
- 1966: "May My Heart Be Cast into Stone" (U.S. No. 85)
- 1968: "Sealed with a Kiss" (U.S. No. 112; U.S. R&B No. 43)
Albums
- 1966: The Toys Sing "A Lover's Concerto" and "Attack!" (U.S. Billboard 200 peak No. 92; Billboard Black Albums peak No. 9) – reissued on CD in 1994 including two additional tracks.