The Vibrations were an American soul vocal group from Los Angeles, California. The quintet consisted of Don Bradley, Carl Fisher, Dave Govan, James Johnson, and Ricky Owens. Initially known as The Jay Hawks, the group had their first hit in 1956 with "Stranded in the Jungle" (US number 18). After several lineup changes, they released "The Watusi" in 1961 (US number 25) and "Peanut Butter" (number 20) under the name The Marathons, a rewritten version of the Olympics' "Hully Gully" with new lyrics by Hidle Brown Barnum and Martin Cooper. Their notable singles include "My Girl Sloopy" in 1964, which was later covered as "Hang On Sloopy" by The McCoys in 1965, and "Love in Them There Hills" in 1968. The group also had a hit with the up-tempo song "Surprise Party for Baby" (1971) on the Northern Soul scene in the UK. Their track "Cause You're Mine" (1968) is listed at number 48 in The Northern Soul Top 500 by Kev Roberts, and "Surprise Party for Baby" attributed to The Vibrating Vibrations is listed at Number 188. The group briefly disbanded in 1971, during which time Ricky Owens joined the Temptations before regrouping with the other members to become a nightclub act in the mid-1970s. They officially dissolved in 1976. Notable posthumous releases include Taking A New Step (2007), Essential Soul Masters (2009), Peanut Butter (2011), and Down In New Orleans (2012).
