The Francettes (Los Angeles, CA)
aka The Fran-Cettes

Personnel :

Debra Dion (Lead vocals)

Frances Gray (vocals)

Eleanor Townsel (vocals)

Discography :

The Fran-Cettes
1962 - Cradle Love / Late In The Evening (Besche 100)
1962 - Too Young To Marry / Heart For Sale (Besche 101)
1963 - Two Timing Angel / He Once Belonged To Me (MM 105)

The Francettes
1963 - I'm Leaving You / He's So Sweet (Wolfie 104 / Sleeper 201)
1963 - Won't Somebody Want Me / Anything Baby (Kentone 101)
1964 - Nothing To Write Home About / Young Daddy (Challenge 59255)
1965 - I Know Him Well / Wham (Valiant 718)

Debra Dion
1964 - Don't Bug Me Baby / I Want To Know (If Your Love Is Real) (Sue 103)

Biography :

The Francettes originally were formed by Frances Gray from Jefferson High School in Los Angeles. Named for their manager and song writer frances Gray, the trio's sound veneered from gruff r&b to all-out girl group sweetness. Their first release was "Cradle Love" b/w "Late In The Evening" on Besche from 1962. Sounding a little like the Ikettes, the trio are Debra Dion, Frances Gray & Eleanor Townsel. After another single on Besche, their next release was on the Sleeper label, showing as a Wolfie production. The plug side was "He's So Sweet" backed with "I'm Leaving You." It was then released on the Wolfie label, also in 1963, which just happened to be home to the Perez Brothers, Baby Lloyd, and Billy Joe and the Chessmen. They released half a dozen singles in their three year recording span. Their name is spelt slightly differently on some of their  recordings, some as The Fran-cettes, The Francettes and just Francettes. The group went on to record for Maven Kent Harris, who in 1964 successfully shopped a 45 to sue records by their lead vocalist Debra Dion, but never came within a spitting distance of a hit...

Songs :

The Fran-Cettes

     
   Heart For Sale                           Cradle Love                          Two Timing Angel


He Once Belonged To Me


The Francettes

     
         I'm Leaving You                  He's So Sweet                    Won't Somebody Want Me

     
  Nothing To Write Home About                 Young Daddy                        Wham                     


Debra Dion

  
Don't Bug Me Baby                     I Want To Know