Music
The Music
The Exciters built their reputation on singles — tight, explosive records that captured the energy of early-’60s New York soul. Here are the songs that define the group.
Key singles
| Song | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Tell Him | 1962 | The breakthrough; a US Top 5 hit produced by Leiber and Stoller. |
| He’s Got the Power | 1963 | Same uptown-soul drive, a firm fan favorite. |
| Do Wah Diddy Diddy | 1963 | The Exciters’ original, later a worldwide No. 1 for Manfred Mann. |
| I Want You to Be My Boy | 1965 | A later single that kept the girl-group energy alive. |
The sound
What set the group apart was the balance: Brenda Reid’s lead pushing to the front while Herb Rooney, Carol Johnson and Lillian Walker locked in behind her with hand-claps, call-and-response and a rhythmic snap borrowed from gospel. It was a formula that made even a mid-tempo song feel like a celebration.
“Tell Him” remains the calling card — the record most people know first — but the deeper catalog rewards anyone who digs in. Songs like “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” show the group at a crossroads of soul and the emerging girl-group style, a place very few acts occupied as convincingly.
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