The Peppermint Rainbow

The Peppermint Rainbow was an American sunshine pop[1] group from Baltimore, Maryland, known for their song "Will You Be Staying After Sunday".

The Peppermint Rainbow
The Peppermint Rainbow (1968)
The Peppermint Rainbow (1968)
Background information
OriginBaltimore, Maryland, USA
Genressunshine pop
Years active1967–1970
Past membersBonnie Lamdin
Patty Lamdin
Doug Lewis
Anton Corey
Skip Harris

History

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The group formed in 1967 under the name "New York Times" playing to local gigs in the mid-Atlantic states. It was signed to Decca Records in 1968 at the behest of talent agent Alan White at Action Talents in NYC, who brought it to New York and showcased it for producer Paul Leka who saw the group play and sing both a medley of the Mamas and the Papas and the 5th Dimension tunes.[2] The group changed its name to "The Peppermint Rainbow" following its signing by Leka.

Under Decca the group was produced by Paul Leka; its first single "Walking in Different Circles" b/w "Pink Lemonade" did not chart. The second single, "Will You Be Staying After Sunday",[3] reached No. 4 on KHJ on April 2, 1969.[4] Nationally, it spent 14 weeks on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 32 on May 3, 1969,[5] selling over one million copies and receiving a gold disc.[6] The song also reached No. 21 on the Cash Box Top 100,[7] and in Canada it peaked at No. 19.

The group made an appearance on the 2 May 1969 episode of The Generation Gap television quiz show[8] from which the promotional clip of the song originates. As with most similar clips of the period, the performance is a lip-and-finger sync, noted mainly by the fact that none of the electric instruments is plugged in. The group's third release, "Don't Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael", spent nine weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached No. 54 on July 26, 1969,[9] while reaching No. 21 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart.[10] The LP, Will You Be Staying After Sunday, barely missed the Top 100 of Billboard's albums chart, peaking at No. 106.[11]

After recording three more post-album singles which also did not chart, including "Walking in Different Circles" (which had some minor airplay in the UK), and "You're the Sound of Love", the band split up in 1970, after which the chorus of the latter tune would come to be re-arranged and re-recorded in the early 1970s as "We're the Sound of Love" and used as an ID jingle for a number of radio stations featuring love songs prominently on their playlist.

Singles discography

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"Will You Be Staying After Sunday"
Chart (1969) Peak
position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[12] 7
Canada RPM 100[13] 19
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] 32
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 [7] 21
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening[14] 22
"Don't Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael"
Chart (1969) Peak
position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary 24
Canada RPM 100 47
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] 54
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 50
U.S. Billboard Easy Listening[15] 21

Members

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  • Bonnie Lamdin – vocals
  • Patty Lamdin – vocals
  • Doug Lewis – guitar
  • Anton Corey – percussion
  • Skip Harris (deceased)[16] – bass

References

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  1. ^ Goldenburg, Joel (February 27, 2016). "Joel Goldenberg: Sunshine pop offered some respite from '60s strife". The Suburban.
  2. ^ Biography, Allmusic.com
  3. ^ "Will You Be Staying After Sunday (lyrics)". Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  4. ^ "KHJ's 'Boss 30' Records in Southern California, Official Issue No. 196, Previewed April 2, 1969". Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  5. ^ Hot 100 - The Peppermint Rainbow Will You Be Staying After Sunday Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 245. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  7. ^ a b "Cash Box Top 100", Cash Box, April 26, 1969. p. 4. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  8. ^ "The Generation Gap series episode list (TV Tango version)". Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  9. ^ Hot 100 - Peppermint Rainbow Don't Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  10. ^ Adult Contemporary - Peppermint Rainbow Don't Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Billboard 200 - The Peppermint Rainbow Will You Be Staying After Sunday Chart History, Billboard.com. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  12. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly – Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  13. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly – Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  14. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 187.
  15. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 187.
  16. ^ Anthony C. Hayes (January 18, 2019). "Peppermint Rainbow singer Bonnie Lamdin Phipps remembers 'Will You Be Staying After Sunday'". The Baltimore Post-Examiner. Retrieved August 19, 2020.