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About The Group

Hi, music lovers! We believe there truly is magic in a young girl’s heart. And we think the music that captures it best is the sound of the 1960s girl groups!  

The idea for our group was born in 1984 when record store owner Ron Stein put The Chiffons’ Greatest Hits into the hands of rock ’n‘ roll enthusiast John Giotto. (John is our producer and our drummer.) Thanks to Ron’s musical mentoring, John was inspired with a vision that would last for over 30 years!

Today, we’re proud to say IT’S MY PARTY! is a 1960s vintage experience, complete with a 14-piece orchestra and original songs written especially for us! Our tight harmonies, vintage costumes, and retro choreography are all set to the highest standards of the 1960s girl groups. When we’re on stage singing our hearts out, we’re the closest thing to an authentic 1960s girl group you’ll find today!  Come see us!

 

Lots of love,

Performing for you since 1985! 


History



The 1980s: The Beginnings

It all began with a record collection and a reverential devotion to the sound of the 1960s girl groups.  When Ron Stein gave drummer John Giotto The Chiffons’ Greatest Hits in 1984, it turned him into a devotee and an avid collector.  Ron even inspired his protégé to create a 1960s-styled girl group of his own.  The goal was to recreate the innocence, enthusiasm, and magic of a unique aspect of American music history.  

The group’s beginnings were steeped in excitement.  When one bass player pulled up to the auditions in a ’62 Chevy Impala, it was clear this was the type of kindred spirit the group would be bound to attract.  IT’S MY PARTY! was born in 1985 featuring the first generation of girls Liz, Sonia, and Sharon.  The girls’ first performance was an outdoor event celebrating Penfield, NY’s 175th anniversary.  Throughout the ’80s the group performed at favorite Rochester, NY clubs such as The Casablanca, Schnozz‘s, and The Red Creek.


 

The ’80s molds IT’S MY PARTY! into much more than a tribute band.

In 1986, IT’S MY PARTY! saw the fruitful addition of Paul Kanack as bass player, and in 1987 he began writing original songs for the girls to introduce.  With his enthusiastic support, financial backing, and exciting original music, Paul helped co-lead the group, and IT’S MY PARTY! became much more than a tribute band; it was a vintage experience.  

In 1988, the third generation of IT’S MY PARTY! girls made a giant leap forward, becoming the first to record original material.  The first full-length album, IT’S MY PARTY!, was a cassette tape that included eight songs, seven of which were originals.  Eliza, whose voice can be heard on this cassette, became the first IT’S MY PARTY! girl to rise to success as an actress and singer.  Her accomplishments include voicing the female characters of “South Park” for four seasons.  

For IT’S MY PARTY!, the ’80s laid the foundation of a vision that would extend beyond three decades.

 

Learn about the 1990s
The 1990s: Development

After a brief hiatus, IT’S MY PARTY! was reborn in 1992, this time with a teenage lineup of girl singers, who recorded two singles before moving on.  Throughout the ‘90s, IT’S MY PARTY would see many talents come and go, their contributions all helping to refine the music and direction.

A decade of flux puts IT’S MY PARTY! to the test.

Despite the shifting lineup, the fun and appeal of IT’S MY PARTY! remained a mainstay.  The girls appeared on local radio programs like “Brother Wease” and Uncle Roger’s “Homegrown,” where Uncle Roger was so impressed with the girls’ a cappella singing, he invited them to sing at the station Christmas party!  Everywhere the girls performed, their stage presence and original music gained them new fans.

The late-’90s saw a return to the studio.  In 1997, the group released the CD single Can’t on Mister Cat Records.  In true IT’S MY PARTY! style, the release party took place at a family fun center, where guests skated around the girls as they performed from the center of the rink.  In 1998, maxi-single CD That Boy John was released, which included “I’m Bobby’s Girl,” an original song by new and enthusiastic band member Syeed Abdulal-Haqq. During the mastering session, the group was honored to receive positive input from Sheila Bergel, a girl group authority and publisher of Cha Cha Charming magazine.


IT’S MY PARTY! goes national!

The end of the ’90s brought monumental payoffs as the group’s appeal went national.  In 1999, the girls met and sang with legendary ’60s group The Pixies Three at the Marshfield Fair in Marshfield, Massachusetts, performing “It’s Summertime USA” on stage alongside their music idols.  In July of that year, the girls appeared in Los Angeles for the first time, performing at the International Pop Overthrow Festival, where the audience went wild over the girls’ unique sound.  Their newest original, “On The Beach Tonight,” was released as a part of the festival’s compilation.  Later that year, the girls made their television debut, appearing on a Medford, Massachusetts TV show, “The Record Collector’s Corner.”

As the ’90s drew to a close, it was clear that IT’S MY PARTY! had developed wide appeal.  A decade of change turned out to be the proving ground for a musical vision capable of withstanding the test of time.

Learn about the 2000s
The 2000s: Growth

The new millennium ushered in a period of exciting growth. Though the group’s look, sound, and style was firmly established, IT’S MY PARTY! would continue to strive for perfection in every detail, immersing audiences in the most authentic 1960s-styled girl group experience available.

In 2000, fans finally received Can I Get To Know You Better?, the group’s first full-length album since their cassette tape release in 1988.  The CD featured 8 original songs among its 12 tracks, and its success proved that IT’S MY PARTY! was much more than a cover band.  Legendary Los Angeles DJ Rodney Bingenheimer endorsed the album on the air, and IT’S MY PARTY! was heard on radio stations across the country.  The album’s popularity even drew fan mail from all over the world, including Italy and Australia.  Can I Get To Know You Better? quickly sold out its first pressing and continues to sell today.  

IT’S MY PARTY! rubs elbows with 1960s legends.

The girls spent the next two years touring, bringing their magic to Massachusetts, Los Angeles, and New York City.  After their 1997 impromptu performance with The Pixies Three, the group was invited to perform on their own at the Marshfield Fair in 2000, meeting legends like The Olympics, Little Joe Cook, and Johnny Preston.  In 2001, they returned to the Los Angeles International Pop Overthrow Festival, where the girls met and sang for Brian Wilson.


IT’S MY PARTY! becomes a vehicle for rising stars.

Even though the mid-2000s brought changes to the lineup, IT’S MY PARTY! continued to blossom.  In 2002, the group contributed “That Boy Belongs to Yesterday” to the compilation album He’s A Rebel: The Gene Pitney Story Retold.  That same year the group produced another success story in twins Cara and Rhian.  After four years, the twins left for Hollywood after signing an exclusive contract with “American Idol.”  The twins also appeared on “The Voice” turning all four chairs.  

During the late 2000s, the group surged ahead.  After buying new instruments and revamping the studio, IT’S MY PARTY! released its third full-length album, R.S.V.P.  One of the eight original songs on the album was Paul Kanack’s celebrated “Joy of Love.” Following the release, the group went on tour again, entertaining fans all over the county.  In 2009, IT’S MY PARTY! was honored with a request from author John Clemente to include the group in his book Fabulous Females Who Rocked The World.

By the end of the decade, the lineup had to change again, but IT’S MY PARTY! fans were excited to see what the new decade and the new singers would have to offer.

Learn about 2010-Now
2010-Now: Stability

When the group re-formed in 2010, the new girls remained the faces and voices of IT’S MY PARTY! for five productive seasons.  In 2011, the group was asked to perform at the Rochester, NY Lilac Festival.  Since their 1998 performance, the local festival had grown into a high profile event with an international draw.  In 2012, IT’S MY PARTY! released a maxi-single MP3 download, Wanna Make Him Mine.  The two originals on the release, “Dear Michelle (The Fighting’s Begun)” by Paul Kanack and “Bus Driver” by Syeed Abdulal-Haqq, carried on the group’s tradition of original music and quickly became concert favorites.  

Live performances became even more dynamic.  The group added a string section to fill out their unique sound, and historic 1960s PAMS radio jingles as a way to segue songs.     

In 2014, after recording “You Won’t Even Know Her Name,” the group’s lineup changed again.  IT’S MY PARTY! fans have come to embrace each new generation as they carry on a well-established tradition of delivering the most riveting 1960s girl group experience available today.


IT’S MY PARTY! plans for the future.

The original dream that began in 1985 has become a reality celebrated by audiences from coast to coast and continues to grow.  Not only does the current lineup have plans for new material and live performances, but the group is seeking new ways to reach audiences all over the country.

Producer John Giotto, manager/songwriter Paul Kanack, and songwriter Syeed Abdulal-Haqq together with a dynamic, ever-changing cast of musicians and singers are only a part of the IT’S MY PARTY! phenomenon—the beautiful, vintage sound they create completes the story.  IT’S MY PARTY! is everyone’s chance to experience the exhilarating joy of a genre that started with the 1960s girl groups and continues to enthrall audiences today.

Discography

CAN'T (1997)

Mister Cat Records - Teen pop


Featuring:
Aubrey (Back-up vocals)
Roseanna (Back-up vocals)
Vanessa (Lead vocals, back-up vocals)
Track List:

(1) Can't
(2) I'd Much Rather Be With the Girls



THAT BOY JOHN (1998)

Mister Cat Records - Teen pop


Featuring:
Lauren (Lead and back-up vocals)
Roseanna (Back-up vocals)
Vanessa (Lead and back-up vocals)
Janine Michele (Special guest on dialog)
Track List:

(1) That Boy John
(2) I'm Bobby's Girl
(3) The Boy Next Door

Can I Get to Know You Better? (2000)

Mister Cat Records - Teen pop


Featuring:
Aubrey (Lead and back-up vocals)
Cara (Lead and back-up vocals)
Rhian (Lead and back-up vocals)
Track List:

(1) Can I Get to Know You Better
(2) Walkin' With Me
(3) The Loneliest Girl In the World
(4) Someone Cares For Me
(5) Dusty
(6) I'm Gonna Get You
(7) Hurry Up
(8) Give Him a Great Big Kiss
(9) L-O-V-E
(10) One Summer Lost
(11) The Sweetest Boy (I Ever Loved)
(12) On the Beach Tonight

He's a Rebel: The Gene Pitney Story Retold (2002)

To M'Lou Music, courtesy Mister Cat Records - Teen pop


Featuring:
Aubrey (Lead and back-up vocals)
Cara (Back-up vocals)
Rhian (Back-up vocals)
Track List:

(22) That Boy Belongs To Yesterday

R.S.V.P. (2007)

Mister Cat Records


Featuring:
Daniela (Lead and back-up vocals)
Katie (Lead and back-up vocals)
Lindsay (Lead and back-up vocals
Track List:

(1) Silhouettes
(2) It Hurts to be Sixteen
(3) The Joy of Love
(4) A Girl in Love Forgives
(5) Herman
(6) Run, Run, Run
(7) Kiss Me Sailor
(8) When Johnny Went Away
(9) I Felt Your Eyes on Me
(10) The American Twist
(11) Attack
(12) Can You Rock It

Wanna Make Him Mine (2012)

Mister Cat Records - Teen pop


Featuring:
Kylie (Lead and back-up vocals)
Michelle (Lead and back-up vocals)
Shelbie (Lead and back-up vocals)
Track List:

(1) Wanna Make Him Mine
(2) Dear Michelle (the Fighting's Begun)
(3) Bus Driver

He Wasn't Like That (When He Used to Be Mine) (2015)

Mister Cat Records - Teen pop


Featuring:
Michelle (Lead and back-up vocals)
Sarah (Back-up vocals)
Sierra (Back-up vocals)
Track List:

(1) He Wasn't Like That (When He Used to Be Mine)
(2) In Your Letter
(3) You Won't Even Know Her Name

It's Summertime U.S.A.

Mister Cat Records - Teen Pop


Featuring:
Emma, Lead vocals
Ella & Mya, backup vocals
Track List:

"It's Summertime U.S.A."

Media
Events

No Events on The List at This Time

News

Rescheduled performance
Aug 10   |   JohnG
The Confetti Clatter - September 2020
Sep 1   |   JohnG
August brings back performances and recording
The Confetti Clatter – August 2020
Aug 3   |   JohnG
Welcome Ella to the group
The Confetti Clatter - July 2020
Jul 1   |   JohnG
Performance Update, 1987 group history

Interested in having the girls perform at your function or just want to say hi?

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If you have an IT’S MY PARTY! story to share, or any artifact that would enhance this experience. Contact us.

IT’S MY PARTY!
P.O. Box 423
Penfield, NY 14526

 

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