Jelly Beans

The Jelly Beans circa 1964
(Top Clockwise) Charles Thomas, Alma Brewer, Diane Taylor, Elyse Herbert and Maxine Herbert
The Jelly Beans are a well known group despite the fact that they only recorded three records

Members:
    (1964)    Elyse Herbert                      (1965)   Elyse Herbert
                   Maxine Herbert                                 Maxine Herbert
                   Alma Brewer                                     Alma Brewer
                   Diane Taylor
                   Charles Thomas

The Jelly Beans were Alma Brewer, Diane Taylor, sisters Elyse and Maxine Herbert, and Charlie Thomas from Jersey City.  The group was formed while attending various schools in Jersey City, New Jersey. The group sang at dances and other local spots where they were discovered by producer Bill Downs. Downs became their manager and through his connection to Steve Venet, got them an audition Red Bird Records' Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. There songwriters Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich were given the task of turning the group into hit makers. They succeed when the Jelly Beans' first release "I Wanna Love Him So Bad" made it to #9 on the charts in 1964 and sold nearly a million copies.

(L-R) Charles Thomas, Maxine Herbert, Alma Brewer, Diane Taylor, Elyse Herbert

The Jelly Beans' second release "Baby Be Mine," another Barry and Greenwich composition didn't do badly either, reaching #51 in 1964. There was talk of doing an album and some tracks were recorded, but no album or subsequent singles were released on Red Bird Records.

Despite the hits, Red Bird had bigger acts to worry about, including The Shangri-Las and The Dixie Cups, and the group was gone from the label by the end of 1964. 

Charles Thomas wanted to become a producer and his musical tastes didn't match-up with the material the group was given and Diane Taylor didn't have enough interest to stay, both dropped out. Now a trio, the group moved to Eskee Records for their final single "You Don't Mean Me No Good". by Eskee Records.

The record failed to chart, and the Jelly Beans broke by the end of 1965.

The following year, a lone 45  "You Don't Mean me No Good"  issued by Eskee Records failed to chart, and the Jelly Beans had broken up by the end of 1965.

The only member to stay in the business was Charles Thomas who worked as an independent producer throughout the sixties.

Success for the Jelly Beans was was short, but the impact of their singles was long lasting.