Chicks

The Sound Of The Chicks

Recorded shortly after their tour with The Pretty Things, the Donaldson sisters made The Chicks a household name in New Zealand circa '66. Uptempo effervescent '60s kiwi girl group pop, with the kind of stunning harmonies that could only come from sisters. Recorded in single takes to two track for the Viking label when Judy was 16 and Sue was just 14, yet they manage to capture a true fauxtown sound. NZ's answer to Spector's girls.

The Chicks were signed to Viking in 1965 and promptly sent to the recording studio where the girls were given Chubby Checker's 'Hucklebuck,' and then 'Heart Of Stone.' Recordings were done on only two tracks, meaning they had to get things right quickly. Music was already chosen and rehearsed with a young band by musical director and pianist Mike Perjanik, who also gave The Chicks their name. The girls were just 14 and 16 when 'Hucklebuck' shot up the charts to #1, so they were quickly hustled back into the studio to record their first album The Sound Of The Chicks.