This female quartet was discovered by
Gwen Gordy Fuqua while they performed in their native Pasadena, CA, during a Bicentennial show. The group was comprised of lead singer
Vernessa Mitchell, her sister
Barbara Mitchell,
Linda Howard, and
Michelle Martin. (The Mitchell sisters were singers,
Howard and
Martin had dance backgrounds.) Signed by Motown in 1977, they immediately clicked on the pop and soul charts with the sultry ballad "You Can't Turn Me Off (In the Middle of Turning Me On)," which was the cornerstone of of their debut album,
Turnin' On (1977). But after the follow-up album
Steppin' Out, (1978),
Vernessa Mitchell left the group to concentrate on gospel music and
Barbara took over lead singing chores on subsequent albums. But after struggling for several years without another major hit (or even name recognition), the group quietly disbanded in 1983.
–
John Lowe, Rovi