The Secrets

THE SECRETS
 
 
The Secrets  were an American girl group from Cleveland, Ohio.  The group was able to release a single on Philips Records called “The Boy Next Door”; the song hit #18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1963.  Three more singles followed on Philips, but none of them charted, and the group parted ways in 1965.  They were booked to appear on American Bandstand the weekend of November 22, 1963, which was cancelled due to John F. Kennedy’s assassination; and they were the last group to appear on American Bandstand in the spring of 1964, before Bandstand shifted from Philadelphia to Los Angeles.  Members Patty Miller and Carole McGoldrick continued performing as The Memories for a year following the breakup.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 
In 1963, David White and John Madara were approached by a Cleveland girl group called the Secrets, who had secured a recording contract after playing at a gig with the Starfires (also of Cleveland and later evolving into the Outsiders). They used their influence to release a single in October 1963 on Philips Records, “The Boy Next Door” b/w “Learnin’ To Forget” that became a #18 hit. The Secrets released three other unsuccessful singles on Philips Records that each featured a David White/John Madara penned song. The “A” side on one single that is shown in Discogs, “Here He Comes Now!” b/w “Oh Donnie (He Ain’t Got No Money)” was co-written by legendary “Philly soul” producer Leon Huff, who also worked with past UARA Mikki.
 
The single by the Secrets mentioned above also features the Madara White Orchestra; this name (or variations) shows up on other early 1960’s singles, including the 1963 single “Gotta Dance” b/w “At the Shore” by Johnny Caswell, who later became the lead singer for Crystal Mansion. A version of “La Bamba” was released under the name the Madara White Orchestra, also in 1963. Additionally, David White and John Madara co-wrote both sides of a 1963 single for an active band called the Visions (also known as Bocky and the Visions), “Tommy’s Girl” b/w “Oh Boy, What a Girl”.
 
The genesis of Crystal Mansion was in an R&B covers band called the Secrets from Mount Laurel, NJ that was active from 1962 to 1968 – they had the same name as the girl group called the Secrets that David White and John Madara had worked with in 1963, though there was apparently no other relation between the two groups. 
(August 2015)
Last edited: March 22, 2021