THE FLIRTATIONS

The Flirtations are a South Carolina trio who recorded in England and became favorites of that country’s Northern Soul scene.

Sisters Ernestine, Shirley and Betty Pearce, along with Lestine Johnson, formed the Gypsies in New York City in 1962. (They had moved there from their native South Carolina.) Two years later, they signed with Old Town Records and released their debut single, “Hey There, Hey There.” It got some local airplay but otherwise did nothing. However, the group’s next release, “Jerk It,” made the national R&B chart, reaching #33 in June of 1965. Soon after, Lestine Johnson left the Gypsies and was replaced by Viola Billups.

After signing with a new label, Josie, in 1966, they became the Flirtations and released “Change My Darkness Into Light,” which garnered little attention. The group’s run of luck did not improve with a move to Festival Records, which released a pair of unsuccessful singles on them. Betty Pearce then quit the act, reducing the Flirtations to a trio.

In 1968, Ernestine, Shirley and Viola decided to try their luck in England. That fall, they signed with Parrot Records, home of Billy Fury, the Zombies, Tom Jones, and Them (featuring Van Morrison). Their sole release for the label was “Someone Out There,” which made the British “Bubbling Under” chart and became a #25 hit in the Netherlands.

By the end of 1968, the Flirtations had moved on to Deram, where they became labelmates with Cat Stevens, David Bowie, and the Moody Blues. Their first release for the label became their biggest hit. A frantic Motown-styled dance-rocker with a distinct Merseybeat influence, “Nothing But a Heartache” made England’s “Bubbling Under” chart and became the trio’s second hit in the Netherlands, where it peaked at #36. A U.S. release in early 1969 produced additional success. It reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100—though, inexplicably, it missed the Soul chart--and did even better in certain regional markets. In Boston, for example, “Nothing But a Heartache” was a #3 smash.

The follow-up was an autobiographical number called “South Carolina,” which only reached #111 in Billboard. Their first release of 1970, “Keep On Searching,” fared even worse. The Flirtations made the Cash Box chart at #96 with “Can’t Stop Loving You,” though it became a much bigger hit for Tom Jones. After a half-dozen singles, the Flirtations left Deram in 1971. The following year, Viola Billups quit the group to embark on a solo career. She performed both as Vie and as Pearly Gates. Her replacement in the Flirtations was Misty Browning (soon followed by Loretta Noble).

In 1972, the Flirtations became the resident vocal group on the BBC TV show, It’s Cliff Richard. For the remainder of the ‘70s, they put out singles on Polydor, Mojo, and RCA. None of that material came out in the U.S. In the ‘80s, they recorded Hi-NRG tracks like “Earthquake,” “Read All About It,” and “Back On My Feet Again.” (The latter reunited Viola Billups with the Pearces.) “Earthquake” became a hit in South Africa, reaching #6 in 1984.

In England, “Nothing But a Heartache” was used in an ad campaign for KFC. In 2007, an English D.J. team called the Freemasons did a remake of the song with vocalist Sylvia Mason-James. Meanwhile, the Flirtations became favorites on the Disco and Northern Soul scenes of England, New Zealand, and Australia.

Charted U.S. singles:

“Jerk It” (as the Gypsies, 1965) R&B #33, Pop #111
“Nothing But a Heartache” (1969) Pop #34
“South Carolina” (1969) Pop #111
“Can’t Stop Loving You” (1970) Pop #96

Other notable Flirtations recordings include "Hold On To Me Babe," "How Can You Tell Me," "Keep On Searching," "Need Your Loving," "This Must Be the End of the Line," "What's Good About Goodbye My Love," and "Xmas Time Is Here Again."