Patience and Prudence: Tonight You Belong To Me

Patience and Prudence are virtues. But they were also a successful singing act for a short while.

Ear Candy magazine tells the story:

Patience & Prudence were actually sisters and the daughters of orchestra leader Mack McIntyre. Patience (11 years old) and Prudence (14 years old) McIntyre were encouraged by their father, who was already a well know piano player and songwriter (who also co-wrote the B-sides of their two hits). 

Mack McIntyre brought his daughters into the Liberty Records recording studios in Los Angeles in the summer of 1956. One of the songs from their audition tape was a cover of the 1927 hit by Gene Austin called, "Tonight You Belong to Me". 

Liberty Records (also the home of rocker Eddie Cochran) signed "Patience and Prudence" and rushed the tune into distribution. The bouncy song became a hit, charting at #4 in September of 1956 and became Liberty's biggest selling record for two years.

There is a Youtube clip of the sisters singing this song on The Perry Como Show.

What became of them in later life? We shall look at that, with a very different song, next Sunday.