THEY will forever be known as Charlie’s Angels after the Prince of Wales became their number one fan.

But now The Three Degrees can add Concorde Angels to their credits after they captivated the audience with the songs and superb stagecraft which made them pop icons.

And it was standing room only for the Queens of Pop who were the latest in a long line of American stars to grace the Concorde stage.

Eastleigh was the second stop in the trio’s first tour in four years in the United Kingdom where they have been the most successful with 15 top 60 hit singles between 1974 and 1998.

They have written themselves into the Guinness Book of Records by being the longest running female vocal group in history.

It was more than 50 years ago that their unique brand of Philadelphia soul hit the record shelves and there have been many personnel changes along the way.

Current members Helen Scott and Valerie Holiday’s links with the trio go back to the sixties while Freddie Pool is a comparative newcomer But The Three Degrees’ rich musical legacy, along with that trademark gyrating dance routine, lives on through its current incumbents.

Their figure hugging stylish long black gowns were a reminder of a pop era punctuated with glamour and glitz.

On a cold winter’s night The Three Degrees raised the temperature to boiling point as they rolled out those timeless hits which have become pop anthems.

And it did not take them long to reach out to the audience as they hit the ground running with the disco dance floor filler Shake Your Groove Thing.

Second number in and The Three Degrees called for a broom to be brought on stage after spotting a broken glass.

They went on to sweep the audience off its feet with a lively first set which included chart topping Take Good Care of Yourself, Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now by McFadden and Whitehead and a rousing Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.

And the hits kept coming in the second set with Dirty Old Man and When Will I See You Again which topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic in 1974.

As part of their encore the group invited everyone to get out of their seats and join them on a trip to Boogie Wonderland.

The singalong turned into a mass workout as the audience were asked to put their hands in the air and swing their hips.

Outside it was beginning to feel like a winter wonderland but as they headed home the army of fans were still cooling down after a sizzling night of pop nostalgia.

DUNCAN EATON