The Jarmels
One of the era's many ‘one-hit wonders’, the Jarmels were formed in Richmond, Virginia, USA by Nathaniel Ruff (b. 1939), Ray Smith (b. 1941), Paul Burnett (b. 1942), Earl Christian (b. 1940) and Tom Eldridge (b. 1941). They scored a major chart entry in 1961 with A Little Bit Of Soap, a song which retained an enduring appeal when composer Bert Berns recorded further versions with the Exciters and deep soul singer Garnet Mimms. British rock ‘n’ roll revivalists Showaddywaddy later took this favoured composition into the UK Top 5 in 1978. Despite appearances to the contrary, the Jarmels continued to record, although they were never able to recapture that early success. A later version of the group featured singer Major Harris, who subsequently joined the Delfonics prior to launching his solo career.