{{Short description|American girl group}} {{for|the play by Roald Dahl|The Honeys (play)}} {{Distinguish|Honeyz}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2011}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = The Honeys | image = The Honeys.jpg | caption = From left: Ginger Blake, Diane Rovell, and Marilyn Wilson | image_size = | landscape = no | associated_acts = American Spring, The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson | background = group_or_band | origin = Los Angeles, California, {{nowrap|U.S.}} | genre = Vocal surf | years_active = 1958–1969, 1980,<ref name="Bellagio G&S 1980">{{cite web |last1=Doe |first1=Andrew G. |url=http://bellagio10452.com/gigs80.html |title=Gigs & Sessions 1980 |access-date=February 28, 2024 |website=bellagio10452.com}}</ref> 1983, 1986, 1990s, 2016, 2019-2021 | label = Capitol, Warner | spinoffs = American Spring | past_members = * Diane Rovell * Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford * Barbara Rovell * Ginger Blake | alias = {{Hlist|The Rovell Sisters (1958-1963)|The Usherettes (1963)|Ginger & the Snaps (1965)}} }}
'''The Honeys''' (originally '''the Rovell Sisters''') were an American girl group, formed in Los Angeles in 1958, that initially comprised sisters Marilyn, Diane, and Barbara Rovell.<ref>{{cite book|last=Murphy|first=James B.|title=Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961-1963|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=273eCQAAQBAJ|year=2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-7365-6|page=223}}</ref> Barbara was later replaced by their cousin, Ginger Blake. After 1962, the Rovell Sisters were rechristened "the Honeys" by the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, who envisioned the group as a female counterpart to his band.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gaines|first=Steven|author-link=Steven Gaines|title=Heroes and Villains: The True Story of The Beach Boys|url=https://archive.org/details/heroesvillainsth00gain|year=1986|publisher=Da Capo Press|location=New York|isbn=0306806479|url-access=registration}}</ref> Wilson served as the Honeys' record producer and chief songwriter, and later married Marilyn in late 1964.
The Honeys were described as "the world's first female surfing vocal combo" by ''Music Vendor'' in April 1963.<ref name="Blair2015">{{cite book|author=Blair|first=John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f4FXBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA108|title=Southern California Surf Music, 1960-1966|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|year=2015|isbn=978-1-4671-3320-3|page=108}}</ref> After 1969, they remained mostly inactive. In the 1970s, Marilyn and Diane formed another short-lived group, American Spring, also with participation from Wilson.
== Background == The Honeys (a slang term for girls or girlfriends, and specifically for female surfing enthusiast)<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=Bush|first=John|title=''The Honeys Collection'' Review|url={{AllMusic|id=mw0000588106|class=album|pure_url=yes}}|accessdate=23 May 2012|website=AllMusic}}</ref> consisted at first of sisters Barbara, Diane and Marilyn Rovell, performing under the name of the Rovell Sisters.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Ankeny|first=Jason|title=The Honeys Biography|url={{AllMusic|id=mn0000075443|tab=biography|pure_url=yes}}|accessdate=May 23, 2012|website=AllMusic}}</ref> Their cousin Sandra Glantz later replaced Barbara,{{When|date=October 2020}} and joined the group as Ginger Blake.<ref name=":0" />
They were discovered on the amateur talent show circuit by producer Gary Usher, who featured Blake on his 1961 single "You’re the Girl"/"Driven Insane", and the whole band as the Usherettes in 1963 on "Three Surfer Boys"/"Milky Way."<ref name=":1" />
Marilyn and Diane had met the Beach Boys when the boys performed at a Hollywood club called Pandora's Box in late 1962.<ref name="Carlin2006">{{cite book|author=Carlin|first=Peter Ames|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qkavarTMO78C&pg=PA41|title=Catch a Wave: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson|date=25 July 2006|publisher=Rodale|isbn=978-1-59486-320-2|page=41}}</ref> Usher presented the band to frontman Brian Wilson, who started their collaboration by changing their name to the Honeys, after a line from the Beach Boys' "Surfin' Safari".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sharp|first=Ken|date=June 7, 2016|title=Q&A with Marilyn Wilson and Ginger Blake of The Honeys|url=https://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/the-honeys-interview-ginger-blake-marilyn-wilson-1960s/|access-date=2020-10-07|website=Rock Cellar Magazine}}</ref> Brian and Marilyn (who was still in high school) began dating, and he took the girls into the recording studio to produce their songs.<ref name=":0" />
He brought the Beach Boys in as backing vocalists on "Surfin' Down the Swanee River," and the Honeys as backup performers on Beach Boys records: the cheerleader voices on the re-recording of "Be True to Your School" were performed by the Honeys,<ref name="SchinderSchwartz2007">{{cite book|last1=Schinder|first1=Scott|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=chj91X0dWzUC&pg=PA108|title=Icons of Rock: An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever|last2=Schwartz|first2=Andy|date=October 2007|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-33845-8|page=108}}</ref> and the two groups sometimes shared the same concert bill.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|last=Comaratta|first=Len|date=5 November 2011|title=Dusting 'Em Off: The Honeys – The '60s Singles|url=https://consequence.net/2011/11/dusting-em-off-the-honeys-the-60s-singles/|access-date=23 May 2012|website=Consequence of Sound}}</ref>
They were also known as Ginger & the Snaps for a one-off single on MGM Records in 1965 ("Seven Days in September" / "Growing Up is Hard To Do" - MGM K13413). Marilyn appeared on a 1965 single on A&M Records by The Westwoods ("I Miss My Surfer Boy Too" / "Will You Love Me (Like You Did Last Summer)" - A&M 763), along with Gracia Nitzsche, wife of Jack Nitzsche.
== Career == In 1963 and 1964, the Honeys released a number of singles on Capitol<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=1963-04-06|title=Capitol Gives Gal Surf Group A Pact|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1963/CB-1963-04-06.pdf|magazine=Cash Box|page=36|access-date=2020-10-07}}</ref> and Warner Brothers, with minimal to modest regional success.<ref name=":1" /> The songs were either written, arranged, or produced by Brian Wilson.<ref name=":0" /> Among their other studio work, they sang background vocals for The Beach Boys on the hit "Be True to Your School", for Bruce Johnston on the title song from his album, ''Surfin' Round the World'', and for Jan and Dean on the hit singles "The New Girl in School", "Dead Man's Curve", and "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena".<ref name=":1" />
The Honeys' career faded as surfing music went out of vogue. Marilyn and Brian were married and became the parents of Carnie and Wendy Wilson, who later found fame as members of Wilson Phillips.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Eggers|first=Kerry|date=September 19, 2017|title=Holding on|url=https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/11-features/372606-255323-holding-on-|access-date=2020-10-07|website=Portland Tribune|language=en-us}}</ref> Blake left the band to create her own publishing company and pursue her solo backing career.<ref name=":1" /> Marilyn and Diane re-teamed as a duo called American Spring during the 1970s, also under the production eye of Brian Wilson.<ref name=":0" />
On December 31, 1980, the Honeys and Jan and Dean performed with the Beach Boys.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Doe |display-authors=etal |first1=Andrew G. |title=Gigs & Sessions 1980 |url=http://bellagio10452.com/gigs79.html |website=Bellagio10452.com |publisher=Andrew G. Doe |access-date=January 10, 2025}}</ref> Later in the 1980s, the band reunited to record two studio albums, ''Ecstasy'' and ''It's Like Heaven.<ref name=":0" />''
During the 1990s, the Honeys reunited and performed locally around Los Angeles. An anthology CD of their music (including several American Spring recordings) was released by Capitol Records in 1992.
On March 10, 2016, two of The Honeys participated in concert at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena, California, as part of a tribute to their long-time friend P.F. Sloan.
== Members == * Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford (1961–1969, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1990s, 2016) * Diane Rovell (1961–1969, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1990s) * Ginger Blake (Between 1961 and 1963–1969, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1990s, 2016) * Barbara Rovell (1961–1963)
== Discography == === Singles === * 1963: "Shoot the Curl"/"Surfin' Down the Swanee River" * 1963: "Pray for Surf"/"Hide Go Seek" * 1963: "The One You Can't Have"/"From Jimmy with Tears" * 1963: "Three Surfer Boys"/"Milky Way"<ref name=":1" /> (with Gary Usher; as Gary Usher and the Usherettes) * 1963: "Miss My Little Surfer Boy"<ref name=":1" /> (as The Westwoods; unreleased) * 1964: "He's a Doll"/"The Love of a Boy and a Girl" * 1969: "Tonight You Belong to Me"/"Goodnight, My Love"
=== Studio albums === * 1983: ''Ecstasy'' * 1986: ''It's Like Heaven''
=== Compilation albums === * 1992: ''Capitol Collectors Series: The Honeys'' * 2001: ''The Honeys Collection'' * 2003: ''Pet Projects: The Brian Wilson Productions'' * 2013: ''The Big Beat 1963'' * 2014: ''Sessions '64''
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Brian Wilson}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Honeys, The}} Category:American pop music groups Category:Family musical groups Category:Sibling musical groups Category:American surf music groups Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles Category:American girl groups Category:American all-female bands Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Warner Records artists