In the 1950s and 1960s, girl singing groups were the hottest thing on the charts and in the trendy blood of record-buying youth. The Chordettes took them by storm, and the Maguire Sisters were a tidal wave of popularity. The Sherelles ground out hit after hit, and The Supremes were pop royalty.

A producer and promoter named Phil Spector planted himself firmly on the girl-group bandwagon by coming up with The Ronettes, as well as The Crystals, all traveling the circuits and selling records better than slinkys, silly putty or hula hoops.

Another of Spector's hot groups was The Paris Sisters, three cuties named Priscilla, Albeth and Sherrell. Their recording of “I Love How You Love Me” shot up to No. 5 on the charts, and “He Knows I Love Him Too Much” rose to No. 34 in a competitive, bulging market.

Today, a few decades down the path of life, Phil Spector is doing time in Corcoran State Prison for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. Other Corcoran residents include Charles Manson and Sirhan Sirhan.

And two of the three Paris Sisters, Albeth and Sherrell, now live in Palm Springs. Priscilla has passed away.

Career-building

Back in the day, Phil Spector liked the soft, sweet, hypnotic sound of the Paris girls' harmony. They had already recorded singles for the Decca and Imperial labels and had performed in the lounge of the Dunes in Las Vegas while Frank Sinatra worked in the big room. They had also worked with young Elvis Presley at the International, now the Hilton.

Enter Spector, who took over their career like a combination of mother hen and drill sergeant. A perfectionist, he rehearsed the girls relentlessly. Sherrell remembers when Phil, eccentric even then, woke them at 2 a.m. and took them in a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park as they rehearsed in the open night air.

Albeth recalls when they would all sit on the front steps of the girls' house as they practiced for hours, Spector fine-tuning each song and fine-tuning it again.

“We didn't object,” said Albeth, “because we felt something good would come from it.”

And something did. That's when The Paris Sisters recordings started hitting the Billboard charts, and albums followed. The trio toured the United States with the red-hot Dion and the Belmonts. The Paris babes graduated from Vegas lounges to Vegas main showrooms with major stars.

Unusual behavior

Both Albeth and Sherrell consider Phil Spector a musical genius and an effective producer, though his behavior was bizarre. After keeping engineers and musicians waiting for hours, Spector would arrive at a recording studio wearing a cape, pretending to be Dracula, they said.

He came to parties given by the Paris sisters with a bodyguard. Then he would go around to guests making karate yells, assuming karate positions and making karate chops. The girls finally asked him to stop challenging their guests to karate competition.

And, yes, he often packed a gun.

“He was a small, unattractive man,” Albeth said, “and a gun must have made him feel powerful.”

“We never felt threatened by him,” Sherrell said. “We felt compassion for him. We cared about him.”

“After working all those hard hours,” Albeth said, “we had a certain bonding, the way hostages often bond with their captors.”

Spector was sharp, witty and also neurotic, the Paris girls agree. They recall a late-night discussion in their New York apartment after a performance. They were discussing spirituality and had a dispute with Phil about the creation of man. Spector got so upset that he called his therapist at 3 a.m. to calm down.

Do they think Phil Spector is guilty of the murder for which he was convicted?

“That's a tough question,” Sherrell said. Both women said they think it was a tragic accident, but that he probably did it.

“I don't think he intended to kill her,” Albeth said, and Sherrell agreed.

One chilling memory is when Spector, who had a crush on their younger sister Priscilla, had his chauffeur pick her up and bring her to his mansion. While she was there, Phil waved a gun around. Was Priscilla one gun flourish away from ending up like Lana Clarkson?

During Spector's first trial, which ended in a mistrial, Sherrell was interviewed several times about Spector on CNN and Nancy Grace's CourtTV show.

Home in the desert

Albeth and her husband Clancy Grass moved to Palm Springs three years ago. Sherrell bought her Palm Springs home two years ago. All have assimilated into the community like welcome new ingredients in the desert stew.

Albeth was auction chairwoman of this summer's “Pets on Parade,” benefiting the Humane Society and Pegasus Riding Academy for the Handicapped, and is manager of special events for Pegasus.

Clancy, a veteran record, film and television producer and director, is on the boards of both the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.

Sherrell is working on getting another needed horse donated to Pegasus. She takes Angel, her golden lab, to local nursing homes for residents to pet.

In the valley, Albeth sometimes sings at special events. Sherrell often sings at different venues with local pianist Joel Baker.

Last year, a remastered CD was released called “The Paris Sisters — The Complete Phil Spector Sessions.”

Reflecting on their erstwhile, now-incarcerated producer, Albeth said, “It's a tragic ending to a guy who did so much for the music world.”

“Spector was an important part of our lives,” said Sherrell. “He changed our lives forever.”

Allene Arthur's column appears on Mondays. Reach her at (760) 323-6014, fax (760) 323-5816 or e-mail arth71@aol.com