The Blackberries were an American female vocal trio. Originally comprising Venetta Fields, Sherlie Matthews, and Clydie King—each an in-demand session singer—the group first sang together in 1969 and released their first credited single with Pacific Gas & Electric in 1970. They were subsequently assembled as a formal group at the suggestion of Steve Marriott of Humble Pie. The lineup later changed, with Matthews replaced by Billie Barnum, and continued to evolve throughout the decade. The Blackberries performed and recorded with a range of artists, including Humble Pie, Pink Floyd, Ringo Starr, and the Supremes, and released recordings on labels such as Motown's West Coast subsidiary Mowest and A&M Records.

History In 1969, singers Venetta Fields, Sherlie Matthews and Clydie King were in high demand as backing vocalists. Fields was previously an Ikette in The Ike & Tina Turner Revue. King was previously a Raelette, backing Ray Charles. Matthews was a singer-songwriter at Mirwood Records and Motown Records. They joined forces and created the Blackberries, which Matthews named after Motown founder Berry Gordy. The Los Angeles Times felt the name was "an undignified one for a group of Black women."

Their single "Somebody Up There" (MW 5020F) was intended to be released on Mowest in June 1972, but was unavailable until Hip-O Select issued a compilation album The Complete Motown Singles, Volume 12A: 1972 in 2013. In 1971, the DJ Tom Clay hired them in Los Angeles to record for his hit spoken word record "What the World Needs Now Is Love/Abraham, Martin, and John".

In 1972, Steve Marriott of Humble Pie asked Fields to find two other vocalists for an album session. Fields chose King and Matthews, who she had already recorded with as the Blackberries. They recorded an unreleased Blackberries album with Humble Pie as the backing band. Their single "Twist And Shout" was released on A&M Records in 1973. The Blackberries also provided backing vocals to the Humble Pie album Eat It (1973). When Marriott asked them to tour with Humble Pie, Matthews declined due to personal commitments. Matthews chose Billie Barnum as her replacement, and the Blackberries toured with Humble Pie in 1973.

Guitarist David Gilmour of Pink Floyd was friends with Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley. Gilmour asked Shirley if the Pink Floyd could hire the Blackberries for two European concert dates; Marriott reluctantly agreed. The Blackberries consisting of Billie Barnum, Venetta Fields and Clydie King toured with Pink Floyd on the Dark Side of the Moon Tour in October 1973. By 1974, the Blackberries were Venetta Fields, Billie Barnum, and Carlena Williams. They appeared on Humble Pie's 1974 album Thunderbox. That year, Pink Floyd's manager invited them to tour with the band. Fields and Williams toured with Pink Floyd on their 1974 French Summer Tour and British Winter Tour later that year. The duo also sang backing vocals on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here and performed on their North American Tour promoting the album.

Fields and King acted as the Oreos, Barbra Streisand's backing singers in the musical film A Star Is Born (1976), and sang on the accompanying soundtrack A Star Is Born.

Discography

Singles

1970: Pacific Gas & Electric with The Blackberries – "Are You Ready?" (Columbia 4-45158) 1973: "Twist And Shout" / "Don't Change On Me" (A&M 1442) 1974: "Yesterday's Music" / "Life Is Full Of Joy" (A&M 1630-S)

Album appearances

1974: Super Soul (Disc-o-Tek) (A&M Records) 2010: A Cellarful Of Motown! Volume 4 (Motown Records / Universal Records) 2013:The Complete Motown Singles | Vol. 12A: 1972 (Hip-O Select)

Backing vocal credits 1969: Diana Ross & the Supremes - "No Matter What Sign You Are" 1970: Fever Tree – For Sale 1970: Clydie King – Direct Me 1970: Pacific Gas & Electric – Are You Ready? 1970: The Supremes - Right On 1971: Larry Murray – Sweet Country Suite 1971: Ronnie Milsap – Ronnie Milsap 1971: Crabby Appleton – Rotten To The Core! 1971: PG&E – PG&E 1971: Tom Clay – "What the World Needs Now Is Love/Abraham, Martin and John" 1971: Rita Coolidge – Rita Coolidge 1971: Joel Scott Hill, John Barbata and Chris Ethridge – L.A. Getaway 1971: Hoyt Axton – Joy to the World 1972: Arlo Guthrie – Hobo's Lullaby 1972: Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band – Clear Spot 1972: Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - Black Magic 1972: Nolan Porter – Nolan 1973: Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon 1973: Humble Pie – Eat It 1973: Sammy Johns – Sammy Johns 1973: Sherman Hayes – Catman 1973: Diane Kolby – Diane Kolby 1974: Ringo Starr – Goodnight Vienna 1974: Humble Pie – Thunderbox 1974: Tim Buckley – Look at the Fool 1975: Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here 1977: Steely Dan – Aja

References

External links

The Blackberries Credits on AllMusic