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The Original Marvelettes: Motown's Mystery Girl Group

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The Marvelettes were Motown's first successful girl group as well as their most under-appreciated (along with the Velvelettes). While the Supremes and the Vandellas booked entry into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame years ago, the Marvelettes don't even make it onto the ballot (they were, however, recently voted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame). They also never had an entire book devoted to them... until now.

The Original Marvelettes chronicles the unlikely story of five girls from the small Detroit suburb of Inkster, Michigan who went from also-rans in their local high school talent show to an audition at Motown Records that brought them a contract and almost immediate stardom. The catalyst for this success was the composition "Please Mr. Postman," which became Motown's first record to hit number one on the pop charts in 1961.

Early on, we learn that "Postman's" author, Georgia Dobbins left the group before the song was even recorded, her parents declining to sign their underage daughter's contract with Motown. It's also revealed that her replacement, Wanda Young, was pregnant at the time of her signing (unbeknownst to the other group members) and would soon be unable to tour in support of their hit, her temporary fill-in none other than Florence Ballard of the then-"No Hit" Supremes. In light of the constant touring on those early Motortown Revues, all of the girls would end up dropping out of high school.

Bad nerves (Wyanetta Cowart) and sickle cell anemia (Georgeanna Tillman) would reduce the Marvelettes to a trio by early 1965. A change in musical direction also emerged around this time, as girl group ditties like "Beechwood 4-5789" and "Too Many Fish In The Sea" that featured Gladys Horton's sandpapery vocals would give way to more sophisticated soulful fare such as "Don't Mess With Bill" and "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game" which highlighted the honey-laced leads of Wanda Young. The change in lead vocalists inevitably led to tensions within the group, heightened further by Young's increasingly erratic behavior (which by all accounts began from a spiked drink while on tour in Europe in 1965).

Marc Taylor interviewed Horton and Katherine Anderson Schaffner for the book, Schaffner in such depth that this is essentially her story. This is quite appropriate, since she was the only member of the group that lasted from its talent show incarnation until they disbanded in the late '60s. Taylor admirably limits discussion of Young's mental illness over the past 30 years to a few anecdotes that involved Schaffner, choosing instead to focus on the years that the Marvelettes were making music.

While Taylor bungles the names of Berry Gordy's kids that make up the acronym Jobete (Motown's music publishing wing) and repeats himself a few times in the book, he is to be applauded for finally fleshing out the story of Motown's pioneering heroines - an enthralling saga, filled with heaps of real drama. For fans of girls groups and/or Motown music, The Original Marvelettes is a must-read.

The Marvelettes are finally getting their story told in a complete book about them. The Original Marvelettes was Motown's first GIRL act to score a number one record at Hitsville in 1961 with "Please Mr. Postman" This is a story that tells of the rise of promising quintet, who was reduced to a quartet and finally a trio, before the demise of the group. Marc Taylor interviewed Catherine Schaffner, and got limited taped interviews from Gladys the groups founder. The story is told from start to finish with lots of input from Catherine, who details the ups and downs of the group: The truimphs of Please Mr. Postman, and the 1962 follow up hits, the 1963-64 slump, the bounce back recordwith "Too Many Fish In The Sea" Gladys last a side as lead singer, Smokey Robinson's determination in thursting Wanda into the limelight with a smoother sound: "Don't Mess With Bill" and a sheer act, Gladys' leaving the group only to find the group self destructing with Wanda taking over as lead. Despite the new hit singles "The Hunter Gets Captured" "Young and in Love" & "My Baby Must Be a Magician" the Marvelettes were going nowhere due to conflicts with Wanda's ego and bouts with drugs, The end was near, and in '69 the Marvelettes ended their career. Kudos to Marc Taylor the author who had the determination to bring this compelling story to the masses, and to Catherine Schaffner the original Marvelette who was there from start to finish who had the same determination to tell this story allowing Taylor to pen a great story that is neither tainted, but told with actual facts, and with no hype.
Gladys account of the early years add to the story that is compelling and touching like her beginnings as a foster child, and perservering through life as a wonderul human being, with lots of love for her craft as a Marvelette. Thank you Marvelettes for the wonderful memories that are reborn through this first accounting of a Marvlelettes Book. The Original Marvelettes Motown Mystery Girl Group led Motown in its infancy from the Motortown Revue Tours
to a production act that got little benefit from the Motown Machine due to the timing, of Motown's priority acts. But before the Supremes or Vandellas could fly the Marvelettes flew first. This Book is recommended for all MARVELETTES FANS!!!

What a book! Marc Taylor goes way underground to come out with the 60s story that could only have happened in Detroit, the saga of the marvelous Marvelettes. Somehow he got the cooperation of the "tall one," Katherine Anderson, and so at every turn we hear Katherine's version of events, always a little bitter and skewed, although she always prefaces her remarks with something like, "Oh, I didn't really mind, BUT--" We take the whole tumultuous roller coaster ride from sleepy little Inkster, Michigan (remember on American Bandstand when an addled Marvelette claimed that "Detroit is a suburb of Inkster" and then she got laughed right out of the group?) to the disastrous final move of Motown to LA during the course of which the Marvelettes just got forgotten about and had to disband. In the face of what seems like extensive drug, drink and mental problems of their lead singer, the "wanda-ful" Wanda Young, it's surprising they stayed afloat so long, not to mention being able to record such masterworks of the human spirit as "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game," "My Baby Must be a Magician," "Don't Mess with Bill" (all written and produced by Smokey Robinson) and the divinely inspired cover remake of "When You're Young And In Love." Taylor takes us there every step of the way.

Others have criticized him for relying too heavily on Katherine's jaundiced memories. But what was the guy supposed to do? She has a good and extensive memory and she seems to recall every slight and every hurt ever dealt to her, all under a cover of pretended indifference. Besides, most of her stories get corroborated by others Taylor interviews, whether they be members of the Vandellas, or Brenda Holloway, or perhaps some of the mysterious Aldantes--the backup girl singers who wound up singing on 75 percent of the later Motown releases. I wish there were a movie of this book. It out does "Dreamgirls" the musical.

The Marvelettes were Motown Records' first successful girl's group. They gave the label its first No. 1 single, "Please Mr. Postman," which helped to successfully launch the record company founded by black entrepreneur Berry Gordy Jr. in Detroit, Mich.
A book on the group is long overdue and Taylor's does document the group's history, from its humble beginnings in Inkster, Mich to its demise in the early 1970s - but it does so in an often dry or elementary style that's a bit dull and predictable.
For example, Taylor has this annoying habit of documenting what tunes the Marvelettes released as singles, but he doesn't give a critical analysis of these songs, (i.e. what made them good or memorable). Instead he consistently tells the reader what these songs were about. Any true Marvelettes fan already knows what the lyrical narrative of such popular Marvelettes tunes as "Don't Mess With Bill," "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" and "My Baby Must Be a Magician, was, and so, the lyrical descriptions aren't needed.
Personally, I would have much rather read how these tunes were put together in the studio, including memorable accounts from some of the musicians or the original Marvelettes themselves, Katherine Schaffner or Gladys Horton.
In telling the Marvelettes' story, the author repeats a lot of Motown history and trivia that has been covered in numerous other books on the Motown Sound, thereby he also repeats some of the same mistakes. For example, Motown session singers, the Andantes were used to smooth out the Marvelettes sometimes shakey harmonies, but not as much as this and other books often claim. And what's up with the spelling of founding group member Wyanetta Cowart's name? In numerous other books and articles written about the group over the years, the name is usually given as "Juanita Cowart." Was this wrong all these years? Was it a bit of Motown altering Cowart's name to make it more glamourous or easily memorable to the public? The author never explains.
Taylor also lacks an investigative instinct. He does not challenge, some of the accusations made by Schaffner and Horton (the latter's. participation was somewhat limited), regarding royalties owed to them by Motown, or its promotion and marketing of the group. Schaffner asserts that the Marvelettes never received gold records for any of their recorded efforts and that they were pushed aside by the Motown marketing and promotional machine for concentration on its other acts. This is probably true. and Schaffner should know and is often very candid and direct throughout the book (which is an admirable trait on her part). But why did these things happen and what was the reasoning for them?
The author never delves deep enough.
Personally, I admit that I had a small problem with the viewpoint of the book, which is told from Schaffner's vantage point. It's her account of what happened and it's just not enough information. For example, the book does discuss the personal problems of Marvelettes' member Wanda Young Rogers. But rather than interview Rogers personally, the author talked to her sister and one-time caretaker, Bebe. Apparently, the author didn't spend any time with Wanda Rogers to get a firsthand account of her life today and made no attempt to get her side of the story. Neither did Taylor include accounts from reliable sources who could have defended some of the charges made against Rogers in regard to her reported unhealthy "ego" and difficult attitude due to her alleged drug use. Taylor also made no attempt to aggressively interview singer Ann Bogan, who joined the Marvelettes in the latter Sixties (replacing Horton). Bogan is not deceased, but she reportedly declined to participate. Still, some effort should have been made to include her memories of the group's story.
As a result, I didn't get as complete a picture of the other women who were a part of the Marvelettes story.
But, overall, the book does finally celebrate one of Motown's most beloved girl's groups and is worth a read by any "Motown Sound" or Marvelettes fan. Taylor should also be commended for attempting to tell the Marvelettes' complex story, even if it is somewhat stiff and leaves a reader with more questions than answers.

For every guy who has ever picked up an air guitar and fancied himself as Keith Richard, there is a woman who has picked up an "air mike" and sang a plaintive girl group song.

The 1960s girl group era raised the stakes of being in love. The girl groups sounded "street" and looked it - their towering bee-hives, winged black eyeliner and tight skirts leant them an air of experience in love and heartache. Girlfriends were important to each other, and songs were forums for advice.

Many fans who loved these songs, still don't know the difference between the Dixie Cups and the Shangra-las, the Ronettes and the Crystals. The Marvelettes were especially obscure because they were not spotlighted as individual artists by Motown Records. This book rights the wrongs of Motown, which took the theory of "Too Many Fish In The Sea," one of the Marvellettes' hits, and applied it to the girl groups themselves. They were too easily pushed to the back burner. That's the tragedy of this story.

It's a fast read, as Marc's crisp, focused narrative wraps neatly around the quotes, which carry the story from the original Marvelettes' ackward days in high school talent shows, to the national circuit.

Taylor has done a fine job of writing from the voices of these women, who started out as young teenagers with no preparation for a life of instant success.

Read it to become more informed of this long-neglected era of rock n roll history. The era of the Girl Group of the 1960s is a landscape that needs to be examined as Women's History, as African American History, and as Music History.

Many people think the Supremes are what put Motown on the map. The startling truth is, the Supremes probably never would have happened if it weren't for the Marvelettes. In 1961, "Please Mr. Postman," by the Marvelettes, was the hit that kept Motown Records from sinking.

This and other startling revelations are found in "The Original Marvelettes: Motown's Mystery Girl Group" by Marc Taylor. The good and the bad are there in a tantalizing dichotomy. This is a book that will please the reader who has a casual interest in girl groups, yet has the depth that a die-hard girl-group fan wants.

The girls in the Marvelettes were thrilled and shocked that what started as informal high-school singing had instantly launched them into national fame. But they weren't ready for what was to come next. Motown execs asked them to quit high school. They were put on a grueling tour, riding a bus with no bathrooms stopping in towns that wouldn't let blacks use their bathrooms. In fact, shocking incidents like these are the best part of the story.

The book was created mostly by input from Katherine Anderson Schaffner, "the tall one," who was also the only member of the group from the beginning to the end. The story includes quotes from other group members and other girl-group icons. Not only is the story about the girl-group days, but also the events, sometimes bittersweet, that happened to the women after their years of fame. The photos are good ones, not the usual seen-them-everywhere shots. Marc Taylor has been writing about soul music for more than a decade and deftly handles the amazing story of this well-loved group.

( Cover photo: Clockwise from top center, Katherine Anderson Schaffner, Gladys Horton Coleman, Georgeanna Tillman Gordon, Wanda Young Rogers )
At long last, in March 2004, the Marvelettes finally got their own story told, so late after the biographies of many other Motown colleagues had come and gone. Author Marc Taylor faced a daunting task asking Motowners entering their 60s to remember in the early 21st century, events of the 1960s. An early member of the group ( originally a quintet), Wynetta Cowart Motley, had left in 1962 when the group's success had only gotten under way. Georgeanna was forced from the group by illness in 1965; she died of lupus in 1980. Gladys offered only limited participation, saying she was working on a book of her own, and Wanda had fallen far from the groups heyday and had known many years of alcohol and substance abuse.

That left Katherine to primarily tell the story of the Marvelettes tenure at Motown, but it didn't hobble at all the success of Mr. Taylor's finished work.
Ms. Anderson-Schaffner is scrupulously honest in her recall giving her group their due without overstating their talent. In particular, when it comes to the later 60s and the group's unceremonious disbanding, she is just as quick to place appropriate blame on the group's internal dissention as much as Motown's by-then corporate indifference.

Nothing can change the fact that the Marvelettes were the first artists to give Motown a No. 1 pop single ( "Please Mr. Postman," December 1961 ), and their string of subsequent and pleasing hits are as integral to the Motown story as the more known successes of the Supremes, Four Tops, Temptations, Stevie Wonder & Marvin Gaye.

Gladys was the groups lead singer on early successes like "Please Mr. Postman," "Playboy," "Beechwood 4-5789," and "Too Many Fish In The Sea." It was later on, when producer-composer Smokey Robinson turned his interest toward the group, that Wanda Young Rogers was brought forth to sing lead. The petite Wanda, giving breathy and seductive readings to Robinson's more adult styled compositions, gave the group something they hadn't had till then: sex appeal. Wanda's 'little sexy-country voice', as Robinson termed it, exists on immortal later Marvelettes songs like 'The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game,' 'My Baby Must Be A Magician' and, especially, 'Don't Mess With Bill.'

This book is highly recommended to anyone who loves 60s Motown music. And now, perhaps, may we have the life and career stories of Mary Wells and Junior Walker, for instance?

GREAT BOOK and interesting story.....you'll want to know more but sadly, after such a short reign, there probably isn't much more to say. Loved the pix, especially early ones w/Florence Ballard subbing on stage, and current pix of Wanda, and her beautiful daughter, who looks just like her mom back in their days. Happy to see Katherine and the girls finally got some notice for their work....wish it could be R N R Hall Fame, too. Now, Motown, any unreleased or alternate versions of songs???

After having read Marc Taylor's two other books about Seventies Soul Artists, I eagerly awaited the arrival of his latest tome, The Original Marvelettes. Afterall, I grew up listening to them and other girl groups, and singing along with "Too Many Fish In The Sea." Their beautiful ballad "Forever" is one of my all time favorite female lead songs, tying with the ethereal "Strange I Know." This was before The Supremes asked, "Where Did Our Love Go?" It was a quick read that left me longing for more. There were some revelations that were unknown to me, and I was left with a feeling of sadness for these women. It angers me that there is a group of young women billing themselves as Marvelettes, with no ties whatsoever with the original group. This was one of the most surprising revelations to come out of Marc's book. Another was that they weren't even invited to Motown's twenty fifth anniversary celebration nearly twenty years ago! I hope the surviving members of the group realize that for some of their fans, they were the hottest girl group to come out of Motown! Marc, how about a book about the "bad boys of Motown?"

I love Motown. I grew uo on Motown. The Marvelettes were and
still are my favorites. They had the glory of having two lead
singers Gladys Horton who sung songs like "Please Mr. Postman",
"Playboy", and my favorite "Too Many Fish In the Sea"< which I think is the ultimate Motown sound. Then Wanda Young took over
and gave the group a more polished, sophiscated sound. Her
greatest songs being, "Don't Mess With Bill", "Hunter Gets Captured by the Game."and the wonderful "MY Baby Must Be
aMagician" I am telling you On the song "Don't Mess With
Bill", the Marveletttes sounds like beware don't mess with
my man. I like the Supremes but with Diana Ross I am so disappointed in the way, Mary, Florence, and Cindy were
treated in the background. I was so happy when Jean Terrell
took over and we were able to hear Mary and Cindy's voices
more often. That line up ws fair. The Marvelettes were always
a group and no lead singer was too big that she overshadowed
the other singers. If you look at pictures of them they are
soclassy and sophsicated. Yet in the book Katherine keeps
saying they were country girls. I remember the way I also
loved looking at the picture of them on the cover of the
yellow Anthology album cover. I thought they were so
beautiful and worldly.This book is good because it tells
the story of Motown in the beginning because the Marvelettes,
Miracles, and Mary Wells started it all. The Marvelettes
gave Motown it's first #1 single "Please Mr. Postman"
and it was a million seller. The Marvelettes songs pumped
alot of money int Motown in the beginning.This book is
great if you love the Marvelettes they are finally getting
heard and they were always so mysterious. I think it was
because they had the two leads singers. It is a shame the
way Motown has treated them but you know what really matters
is not rewards, or #1 singles----but the fans. I think if
you were able to bring so much happiness to the fans with
your songs you have accomplished more than material things
such as awards. The Marvelettes have that-- a great fan
following who loves them and will always know they helped
put Motown on the map. To all of the Marvelettes I thank
God for you and I wish you the best and may God bless you.
You were the "girl group" of the 60's. Your songs were
innocent and about the tinks girls thought of and wished
for. I love you