| Barbara and the Uniques | |
| Alias: | Barbara Blake and the Uniques |
| Genre: | R&B |
| Years Active: | – |
| Label: | Arden, Abbot Records, 20th Century Records |
| Past Members: | Barbara Livsey Gwen Livsey Doris Lindsey |
Barbara and the Uniques was a 1960s and 1970s R&B girl group.
The group began when the Du-ettes, a group from Chicago featuring Barbara Livsey and her cousin, Mary Hayes, was liquidated in 1965. Barbara got together with her sister Gwen Livsey and a friend, Doris Lindsey, and released the soul ballad "There It Goes Again" (written by Eugene Record of The Chi-Lites) as Barbara and the Uniques in 1970.[1] The song was very successful at the local level, causing Arden Records to distribute it nationally. The song became an R&B hit, reaching #16 on the R&B charts. It was a minor US Billboard Hot 100 hit, where it reached #91.[2]
The group followed up with two singles on the Arden label in 1971: "You're Gonna Make Me Cheat on You" / "I'll Never Let You Go" and "You Make Me Feel So Young Again" / "Take Me As I Am". In 1972, the group moved to Abbot Records and released "He's Gone", which also featured "Take Me As I Am" as the B-side.
Gwen and Doris quit the group and were replaced with male session singers. Now dubbed Barbara Blake and the Uniques on 20th Century Records, in 1974, they released "Prized Possession" / "It's Not That Easy" and "Teach Me" / "Everlasting Thrill". Both releases failed to make an impact, but still the group's eponymous LP was released in 1975. A 1975 single, "Need Your Love So Bad" / "Let Me Down Easy", also was not a chart hit.
The band broke up when their contract with 20th Century Records expired.
The Du-Ettes' regional hit song “Every Beat Of My Heart” has been featured in a Whole Foods market television commercial.