Before The Shirrelles R&B groups were a predominately male preserve. Of girl groups, only The Chantels had managed to break though to the charts with their hit 'Maybe' in 1958. The Shirrelles were four New Jersey schoolgirls who were introduced to a classmates showbiz agent mother, Florence Greenberg, who had them record a song called 'I Met Him On A Sunday' which was only moderately successful. Greenberg then came across a Goffin & King penned country ballad called 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' which had been turned down by Johnny Mathis, but the song, cut from its original 4+ mins to a more manageable 2 mins 40 sec and stripped of its country overtones was recorded by the Shirelles and released on Greenberg's own Scepter label in Nov 1960..
The record was a hit and soon there were more girl R&B groups than you could shake a stick at. Everyone from The Shangrilas to The Supremes owe credit to the Shirelles.
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