Clockwise from the top
Annette Swinson, Valerie Swinson, Barbara Joyner and Loraine Joyner
The Veneers
Clockwise from the top
Annette Swinson, Valerie Swinson, Barbara Joyner and Loraine Joyner
| Members: (1959-1963) Barbara Joyner Lorraine Joyner Valerie Swinson Anette Swinson (Smith) |
(1964) Barbara Joyner Lorraine Joyner Valerie Swinson |
The Veneers came from Manhattan and from Brooklyn, in New York City. Sisters, Lorraine and Barbara Joyner joined their cousins, Valerie and Annette Swinson, to sing in the park, for fun, and at family functions. The young teens did began getting the attention of the local songwriters who were looking for artists to record their material. As The Swensons (sic), Annette and her mother recorded one single for X-Tra Records in 1956, entitled, "Remember Me To My Darling". In 1959, the quartet, now known as The Cashmeres, went into the studio with Eddie Jones ( former lead singer of The Demens & the Emersons) to record a novelty tune called, "Daddy Can I Go To The Hop". Herb Abramson, founder of Jubilee and Atlantic Records, produced the single. Unfortunately, the single was not released.
In 1960, The Cashmeres had signed on to be produced and managed by Richard Barrett. He had written two songs for the group, "Believe Me (My Angel)" and "I". At this time, the young ladies decided to change their name because they found that too many groups had already recorded under the name "Cashmeres". They Choose the name "Veneers". Two songs were recorded and released on Barrett's short-lived Princeton Records. The record achieved a level of success in New York, but failed to chart nationally. Their release went unnoticed but it helped Barrett solve his Chantels problem by matching Veneers lead singer Annette Swinson with the three remaining Chantels, Sonia, Jackie, and Rene. In April 1960, still trying to capitalize on the group’s name, End released "Whoever You Are," formerly the B side of "Every Night"; it had all the original Chantels magic but still lacked the driving commitment of the label.
Although The Veneers were not entirely happy about this change of plans, they knew that they could not stop Annette, who needed to be out on the stage. In 1961, she officially joined The Chantels. End 1103* was a reissue of a 1959 recording by The Veneers, with Annette Smith on lead, on Princeton 102. The Veneers, without Annette, recorded as The Relatives for the Canadian- American related Almont Records, with Lorraine taking the lead for "(My Heart Goes) Ziga Ziga Zoom" in 1963 and "Never Will I Love You Again", released in 1964. In 1965 Barbara, Lorraine and Valerie recorded three songs for the Musicor label before they went their separate ways.
Today, Valerie Swinson lives in the New York area, working for a Harlem Hospital. Barbara Joyner was married to Bobby Jones until her death in 1972. Lorraine Joyner became part of the Clickettes until her retirement in 2006.
