The Jelly Beans

The Jelly Beans were a rhythm and blues vocal group from Jersey City, New Jersey. Formed in 1962 by five high schoolers, the group signed with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's label, Red Bird Records, in 1963. Working with songwriters Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, the group released its debut single, "I Wanna Love Him So Bad", in 1964; the song became a hit in the United States, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The follow-up, "Baby Be Mine", peaked at #51 later that year, and while the group recorded copiously, a full-length album was never issued. Red Bird dropped the group at the end of 1964; one final single was released on Eskee Records, but it fizzled and the group broke up in 1965.