The Marvelettes
Probably the most pop-oriented of Motown's major female acts, the Marvelettes didn't project as strong an identity as the Supremes, Mary Wells, or Martha Reeves, but recorded quite a few hits, including Motown's first number one single, "Please Mr. Postman" (1961). "Postman," as well as other chirpy early-'60s hits like "Playboy," "Twistin' Postman," and "Beechwood 4-5789," were the label's purest girl group efforts. Featuring two strong lead singers, Gladys Horton and Wanda Young, the Marvelettes went through five different lineups, but maintained a high standard on their recordings. After a few years, they moved from girl group sounds to uptempo and midtempo numbers that were more characteristic of Motown's production line. They received no small help from Smokey Robinson, who produced and wrote many of their singles; Holland-Dozier-Holland, Berry Gordy, Mickey Stevenson, Marvin Gaye, and Ashford-Simpson also got involved with the songwriting and production at various points. After the mid-'60s Wanda Young assumed most of the lead vocal duties; Gladys Horton departed from the group in the late '60s. While the Marvelettes didn't cut as many monster smashes as most of their Motown peers after the early '60s, they did periodically surface with classic hits like "Too Many Fish in the Sea," "Don't Mess with Bill," and "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game." There were also plenty of fine minor hits and misses, like 1965's "I'll Keep Holding On," which is just as memorable as the well-known Motown chart-toppers of the era. The group quietly disbanded in the early '70s after several years without a major hit. Wanda Young died on December 16, 2021 at the age of 78. Co-founder Katherine Anderson died on September 20, 2023; she was 79.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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Someday Someway
Soul - Erschienen bei Stone Records am 01.10.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live Through This
Soul - Erschienen bei LTT brothers music am 15.07.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Playboy (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 07)
Soul - Erschienen bei Music Manager am 19.12.2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Carousel
Soul - Erschienen bei Carooousel & mooore am 09.06.2019
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Rare Retro Sounds
Soul - Erschienen bei Catchy Sound am 02.05.2014
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Deluxe Edition
Soul - Erschienen bei deluxer 60's hits am 24.07.2019
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Twistin' Postman (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 34)
Soul - Erschienen bei Music Manager am 19.12.2018
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Afternoon Tunes
Soul - Erschienen bei extramasters rec-ords am 05.03.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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A Letter To His Dad
Soul - Erschienen bei to his dad am 19.02.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Marvelettes
Soul - Erschienen bei Classic Records am 08.01.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo