Shamettes

Clockwise from top: Jane Anderson, Fran Curicio, Lorraine Gennero
The Shamettes performed the backing vocals for Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

Members:
    Fran Curicio
    Loraine Gennero
    Jane Anderson

"Wooly Bully," "Little Red Riding Hood," and "Not By The Hair On My Chinny Chin Chin!" Sounds like a bunch of nonsense mixed in with some fairy tales. Actually they were hit records for Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs during the last half of the 60s.

Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, 1965
Front: Dominingo "Sam" Samudo
(l-r) David Martin, Butch Gibson, Jerry Patterson, Ray Stinnet

Domigo Samundo aka, Sam the Sham was already having great success with his own band when he added a female trio to his live Revue. The Shamettes, or Sham-Ettes as they were sometimes known, featuring Loraine Gennero, Jane Anderson, and Fran Curcio, soon became a popular part of the act, not only backing up the boys, but also belting out songs of their own.

When "Little Red Riding Hood" became a number 2 hit on the charts, Sam called in the Shamettes to record a novelty answer "(Hey There) Big Bad Wolf" b/w I'd Rather Have You." The record didn’t ever chart nationally, but it gained enough reaction that a follow-up, "You’re Welcome Back," was released in 1967. Once again the results were the same, and no further known singles were released.

As the 60s became the 70s Sam the Sham and the Revue’s popularity started to wane. The Shamettes material is largely out of print, except for "You’re Welcome Back," which appeared on the Mercury Anthology Growin’ Up Too Fast.

Lorraine Gennero died January 22, 2012 in Staten Island, New York, she was 64.