Reparata & The Delrons
Schoolfriends Mary Aiese, Nanette Licari, Anne Fitzgerald and Regina Gallagher began performing together in 1962. Dubbed the Del-Rons in honour of the Dell-Vikings and Del-Satins, they appeared at dances in their Brooklyn neighbourhood before Mary realigned the group around Carol Drobinicki, Sheila Reille, Kathy Romeo and Margi McGuire. The last was asked to leave when the unit acquired a recording deal which in turn engendered Whenever A Teenager Cries. This light, but plaintive offering topped the local New York chart, but although it only rose to number 60 nationally, the single—credited to Reparata And The Delrons —nonetheless secured the trio's reputation. With Mary taking the lead spot, the group underwent further alterations when original member Licari and newcomer Lorraine Mazzola replaced Reille and Romeo. Although commercial success eluded them, the revitalized trio recorded a series of excellent singles, including the Jeff Barry-penned I'm Nobody's Baby Now and I Can Hear The Rain, which featured Melba Moore on backing vocals. Despite continued apathy at home the trio enjoyed a major UK hit when the excellent Captain Of Your Ship reached number 13 in 1968. Paradoxically the vocal line featured Mazzola, who assumed the name Reparata when Mary Aiese retired in 1970. Mazzola, Licari and newcomer Cookie Sirico completed the concept album, 1970 ROCK ‘N’ ROLL REVOLUTION, which contained various ‘girl-group’ classics, before disbanding in 1973. Mazzola later appeared in Lady Flash, the backing group to Barry Manilow, but her continued use of the name Reparata was challenged by Aiese who reclaimed the appellation for a series of solo singles, of which Shoes reached the UK Top 50 in 1975.