The Ad Libs

The Ad Libs were a vocal group from Bayonne, New Jersey in the early 1960s. Featuring their signature sound of female lead vocals and male doo-wop backing, their 1965 single "The Boy from New York City", written by George Davis & John T. Taylor, was their only hit.

Originally The Creators, the group formed in 1964 in Bayonne with Hugh Harris, Danny Austin, Dave Watt, Norman Donegan and Mary Ann Thomas. "The Boy from New York City" was released in December 1964 and by March 1965 had reached number 8 on the US pop charts. The group followed this up with "He Ain't No Angel" which barely troubled the top 100, reaching exactly #100 in 1965. The next two singles failed to chart, and The Ad Libs were soon dropped from Red Bird Records. In 1969, they scored a last R&B chart hit with the song "Giving Up", which peaked at #34 R&B. They continued to record into the 1980s, but have never repeated the success of "The Boy from New York City". The song went on to chart again in the UK for Darts in 1978 and in the US for The Manhattan Transfer in 1981. The song is currently used in a commercial for Everybody Hates Chris on the Paramount Comedy channel in the UK.