Gotta Be

The Montrose music scene has for decades been lively, vibrant and mainly male. Some years ago, Glenda Fletchall and Karen Mercer put together the duo Gotta Be Girls. Two ladies who 'picked' as skillfully as the guys and sang like angels, harmonizing on the ballads, but not afraid to get growly on the blues, Gotta Be Girls played around the southwest for several years while still having day jobs. Karen decided to give up the road in favor of a family. As Karen raised her daughter, Glenda remained an active participant in the local music scene. About three years ago Karen and Glenda decided to play together again adding Barb Bernhardt on percussion and eventually bass and banjo. Locally audiences had not forgotten how much fun GBG was and they were again playing to packed rooms. As Barb's role on bass and banjo grew, Margaret Freeman joined to pick up the percussion and lend another layer of vocals and harmonies. All along Glenda and Karen had been writing songs together and individually. Occasionally these songs would surface at a show. Soon the loyal fans were begging for a CD to take home.
The opening track, "The Midas Touch", is a breezy tune with a delicate lead guitar on top of a steady rhythm guitar boosted by bass and percussion. The spot on harmonies that are signature Gotta Be Girls, magically support Glenda's lead vocals. Barb's banjo breaks out the gently flowing blues of "Call It the Blues" with Glenda and Karen intertwining their vocals. "Train, Train" is a dark bluesy number with the rhythm propelled by Barb's banjo. The layered vocals counterpoint the Appalachian 'holler vibe'. Karen wrote and leads the wistful "The Elk Are Crying". You can almost feel the quakies shedding leaves on a still day. Turning up the heat, "Summer" shines on the intricate harmonies that are the core of the Gotta Be Girls sound. "'56 Chevy", the title track written by Glenda and Karen, is playfully bouncy epitomizing the heart of every Gotta Be Girls performance. The mandolin flavors the ballad by Karen, "Upside Down", with rich influences of Celtic folk songs.
Like somebody once said "girls just want to have fun" and GBG is not only incredible in their harmonies and musicianship, they make it look so easy that audiences can't help but be drawn into the game. The ladies have been playing to packed rooms across this area for several years building an enthusiastic fan base. Now we get to take a little bit of Gotta Be Girls home in the form of their lovely debut CD '56 Chevy.
- Montrose Daily Press