Customer Reviews

The Marvelettes - The Marvelettes' Greatest Hits

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Consider that a four & a half stars. This hits set first appeared as Tamla LP 253 on February 16, 1966. What's here is excellent, but Motown probably should have put it out a year earlier, because a few of the group's run of singles were omitted: 'My Daddy Knows Best,' 'He's A Good Guy Yes He Is,' and 'I'll Keep Holding On.' A single-disc, 'greatest hits volume 2' never happened for this group. The first chance Marvelettes' fans would have at these missing three (and all that came after this set) on an album would not be until six years after the group had broken up: the 2-LP "Anthology" album released May 15, 1975. That's a long wait.

That said, this 'Greatest Hits' was still a fine sampling of the group's career from August 1961 ("Please Mr. Postman") through November 1965 ("Don't Mess With Bill"). The group was also in a transition phase, and now down to a trio from the original quintet, losing Juanita Cowart in 1962, then Georgeanna Tillman Gordon by 1965.

In 1964, Smokey Robinson set his attention on the group, and specifically to bring forth group member Wanda Young as a lead singer, who'd already shown great potential on the charming ballad, 'Forever.' (Nepotism may have played a tiny factor - by this point, Wanda was married to Bobby Rogers of Smokey's Miracles.) The first fruit of this collaboration was 'You're My Remedy,' in June 1964. Smokey himself says as far getting a hit on Wanda, 'Remedy' "wasn't that song." He's too hard on himself. I've been buying records since I was six, Smokey, and the summer I was 10, my friends and I found 'Remedy' a fine companion single to the Vandellas 'Dancing In The Street' and The Supremes 'Where Did Our Love Go.' We all bought it.

Meaning no slight to the group's other lead singer, Gladys Horton, when Smokey indisputably found Wanda 'that hit,' the Marvelettes also found their sex appeal. For some of us, that girl on the radio warning another to stay away from 'Bill,' was every bit as seductive as Ronnie Spector cooing 'Be My Baby.' And after this album, Smokey would get more of the same fine work from Wanda: 'You're The One,' 'The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game,' 'My Baby Must Be A Magician,' 'Here I Am Baby' and many more b-sides and album cuts.

The group only made it to see that day, however, thanks to the talent Gladys Horton applied to the earlier records. Leading the group through the two 'Postman' numbers, 'Playboy,' 'Beechwood 4-5789,' 'As Long As I Know He's Mine,' 'Too Many Fish In The Sea' and others, yielded Motown much steady chart success long before the Supremes, Temptations and Four Tops ever broke through. It was TWO lead singers that kept this group a success for a decade.

My rating here applies only to the quality of the music and, maybe, for my fondness for the two vinyl copies of this one I have and cherish. 'Greatest Hits' has certainly been superceded and outdone by the 'Anthology,' 'Ultimate Collection' and the splendid-but-defunct 2-disc set, 'Deliver: The Singles.' For the most bang for your buck, examine all of them and then decide.

This greatest of the Girl Groups deserves some of the credit for helping to establish that Motown sound. They were the pioneers for those who followed: The Supremes, Mary Wells and Martha with her Vandellas. The Marvelettes were Motown's first rockers. And yes, this includes the Temptations. This was mostly courtesy of Gladys Horton's sassy and authoritative delivery. Just listen to her desperate anticipation in "Please Mr. Postman" and "Beechwood 4-5789", great hard-edged rockers if ever there were any.

They sounded both street and civil in the superb advice songs of "Playboy" and "Too Many Fish in the Sea". Gladys's husky command reached a peak on the frantic-paced "Too Many Fish", arguably the greatest Motown song ever. This first Norman Whitfield production was a triumph for both singers and musicians. The rhythm section never sounded so danceable.

Another plus was that they transitioned effortlessly from the Girl Group sound to a more sophisticated soul. This is where Wanda Young assumed the lead vocals. The earliest glimpses of this are with her sincere delivery on the lovely "Forever" and on the great warning track "Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead". Wanda's greatest achievement, however, was her sly lead vocal on "Don't Mess With Bill", one of Smokey's best songs. This added some dimension to the group.

Whether it be Gladys or Wanda tackling the lead, they always sang their material appropriately. There's nothing approaching a dud in the bunch. And don't dare forget, they provided Motown's first #1 single.