The Puppini Sisters

The Puppini Sisters are a close harmony vocal trio composed of Italian Marcella Puppini and English Kate Mullins and Emma Smith. Although the three are not related, the name was chosen in tribute to The Andrews Sisters. Puppini first studied fashion design at Saint Martins School of Art, and later music at Trinity College of Music in London where she met Mullins and original member Rosanna Schura, who was later replaced by Stephanie O'Brien. The trio are backed by a three-piece band featuring Blake Wilner on guitar, Henrik Jensen on double bass and Peter Ibbetson on drums. After eight years with the group, O'Brien decided to leave and she was replaced by Emma Smith. Critic Arion Berger described them as part of "Retro's futuristic vanguard" and characterized their sound as "swing-punk". The group is associated with a burlesque revival.

History
The group was founded in 2004 by Marcella Puppini after she was inspired by the animated film Les Triplettes de Belleville (2003). In 2005 they were signed by UCJ (Universal Classics and Jazz). The Puppini Sisters' debut single, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", was a cover of the hit single by The Andrews Sisters. The Puppini Sisters' second album, The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo includes original compositions by Puppini, Stephanie O'Brien and Kate Mullins.

The Puppini Sisters television appearances include This Morning, Loose Women, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, Big Brother's Little Brother, Hell's Kitchen, CBeebies' Space Pirates, The View (on ABC), and 2011's A Michael Bublé Christmas on NBC. The group also appeared in the 2009 Jonathan Creek New Year's special "The Grinning Man", performing their 2007 single "Spooky". The trio was also featured on the soundtracks for the US TV series Greys Anatomy and Chuck.

The group performed at Glastonbury Festival 2009 on 27 June as well as performing at Goodwood Vintage Festival on 15 August.

On 27 June 2012, O'Brien announced via the group's Facebook page that she was leaving The Puppini Sisters. It was later revealed that Terrianne Passingham would replace O'Brien. However, Passingham also left the group and shortly thereafter Emma Smith took her place. The singer made her debut with The Puppini Sisters on The Graham Norton Show in November 2012.

Influences
According to Marcella Puppini, the group sings about modern and risqué subjects in a quaintly old-fashioned way. This comes from their interest in 1940s songs such as "Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood Mama)" that have sexual undertones despite their overtly innocent lyrics.

The Puppini Sisters' MySpace page includes a list of acts which have influenced the trio, including The Andrews Sisters, The Boswell Sisters, Marlene Dietrich, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Kate Bush, Mike Flowers, Joan Crawford, The Smiths, and Tom Waits.

Awards
The Puppini Sisters won a Gold Disc for international sales of their first CD, Betcha Bottom Dollar, in 2007.

The Puppini Sisters website won the 2008 Cream of Yorkshire awards "Gold Award" for best website. The digital advertising agency twentysix won the top award the "overall Grand Prix award" for its design of a website for Universal Music showcasing the group.

Singles

 * "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (From Company B)" (2006)
 * "Jingle Bells/Silent Night (Little Match Seller)" (December 2006) iTunes-only release
 * "Spooky" (2007)
 * "Crazy in Love" (2007)
 * "Jilted" (2008)
 * "Apart of Me" with The Real Tuesday Weld (2008)
 * "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" (2011)

Videos

 * "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" (2006)
 * "Spooky" (2007)
 * "Apart of Me" with The Real Tuesday Weld directed by Alex de Campi (2007)
 * "Jilted" directed by Alex de Campi (2008)
 * "(I Can't Believe I'm Not a) Millionaire" directed by Alex de Campi (2008)
 * "Diamond's Are a Girl's Best Friend" directed by Alex de Campi (2011)

Albums

 * Betcha Bottom Dollar (July 31, 2006 U.K.; May 1, 2007 U.S.; March 2008 France) – according to the official website the album reached number two on the U.S. Jazz charts and number nine on the U.S. new artist chart
 * The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo (October 1, 2007 U.K.; February 2008 U.S.; January 2009 France) – featuring classic covers, 1940s style reworkings of contemporary music, and a selection of original compositions. According to Billboard's official website, the album peaked at number 5 in the US Jazz charts in 2008.
 * Christmas with the Puppini Sisters (October 5, 2010 U.S.) – containing reworkings of classic Christmas songs (Verve Records)
 * Hollywood (Autumn 2011 France; December 26, 2011 U.K.) – Hollywood musical themed tracks and one original song (Universal)

Compilations

 * "Could It Be Magic" appears on Magicians OST (2007)
 * "Crazy in Love" on Swing Style – Swing Beats for Dancing Feets compiled and mixed by Gulbahar Kultur, Lola's World (2008), 100 Hits – Voices (2009), Radio Modern – The ABC of Swing, Bop'n'Roll (2010)
 * "In the Mood" appears on Actrices OST (2008)
 * "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" appears on Jazzism 1 from Jazzism Magazine (2008)
 * "I Will Survive" appears on Tom Middleton Presents Crazy Covers 2 (2007), Bolero Fashion Sound compiled by Olivier Rohrbach (2007), Jazziz 8: Women compilation by Jazziz Magazine (2007), You're Beautiful – 40 Inspiring Songs (2007), Smile Style 2 compilation by DJ Weritos Lounge (2009), Intelligent Music Favorites Vol 7 (2009), Peppermint Candy (2011)
 * "Jilted" appears on Back to Soul – New Soul Queens and Legendary Divas (2008)
 * "Jingle Bells" appears on A Classic Christmas (2006), Now That's What I Call Xmas (2006), Now This Is Christmas 2008 (2008), Wonderland (2008), Now That's What I Call Christmas! 3 (2009), Christmas with the Stars (2010), Merry Christmas Everybody (2010), Now That's What I Call Xmas (2010)
 * "Libertango" appears on Lost Vagueness OST (2007)
 * "Mele Kalikimaka" appears on Christmas Tales 2010 by Raar FM (2010)
 * "Mr. Sandman" appears on The Jazz Album 2006 (2006)
 * "Panic" appears on Jazz for Dinner (2006), Party Jazz (2010)
 * "Side by Side" appears on Kit Kittredge: An American Girl OST (2008)
 * "Spooky" appears on 100 Hits – Voices (2009)
 * "Sway" appears on The Jazz Album 2006 (2006), 100 Hits – Voices (2009), TSF Jazz 1999–2009 10 Ans (2009)
 * "Tu Vuo Fa L'Americano" appears on The Very Best of Latin Jazz (2007), New York New York (2008)
 * "We Have All the Time in the World" appears on You Raise Me Up 2008 (2008)

Collaboration
Christmas 2011 saw the release of "Jingle Bells" recorded with Michael Bublé for his end of year album. They also recorded "Frosty the Snowman" with Bublé on the same album, as a bonus track on the deluxe edition.

The group recorded a close harmony version of the song "Apart of Me", by Stephen Coates of The Real Tuesday Weld, and acted in the video for the song, playing "a corpse, murdering waitresses, worms and chickens". Two versions of the song exist, one being that which was used for the video and the other is a track on The Real Tuesday Weld's 2008 album The London Book of the Dead.

The group used period costumes designed by Vivienne Westwood in their video for "Jilted", an original song written by Marcella Puppini (not to be confused with the 1954 Theresa Brewer country number). Jesse Quin, bassist of the British band Keane appears in the video as extra.

In November 2012 the Sisters featured on the album Electro Swing V by Bart & Baker of The Real Tuesday Weld with the song "Last Tango in Clerkenwell".

The group has recently recorded with Bublé again on his album To Be Loved. They performed back up on the track "Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You)".

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