Betty & The Back Throats
About
Genre: 1950s Doo-Wop
Active: 1956-1964
Location: Suburban New Jersey
Bio:
Betty & The Back Throats emerged from the New Jersey doo-wop scene in the mid-1950s with a sound that was equal parts wholesome and scandalous. While their contemporaries sang about puppy love and sock hops, Betty was documenting the less wholesome realities of suburban life—broken condoms, affairs with soda jerks, and backseat mishaps that polite society refused to acknowledge.
The group’s recordings were deemed “too controversial for radio” and subsequently buried by their label, destined to remain unheard for decades. Recently discovered master tapes reveal Betty’s unflinching take on 1950s womanhood, delivered with the sweet harmonies and upbeat rhythms that defined the era.
Little is known about Betty herself, though rumors suggest she scandalized her hometown one final time before disappearing from public life in 1964. The Back Throats—a rotating cast of male vocalists who provided those signature backing harmonies—have remained equally mysterious.
In 1982, Betty allegedly emerged from retirement for a single recording session. Whether this actually happened, and what became of those recordings, remains a topic of speculation among collectors.
What we do know is this: Betty sang what other women were thinking but would never say. Her legacy lives on in these recordings that capture an era’s hypocrisy with perfect pitch and imperfect morals.
Notable Releases:
He Put It in the Wrong Hole (1957)
The Rubber Broke (Now I’m Broke Too) (1958)
Thick Shake Baby (1963)
Sound: Classic doo-wop with horn sections, walking bass lines, and vocals that could pass for Sunday church if you weren’t listening to the lyrics.