Customer Reviews

Ultimate Collection

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Mary will be forever remembered for My guy, but there was much more to her music than that. This collection encapsulates the best of it. She was a very soulful singer, able to wring every ounce of emotion from a song.

Mary began her run of success in America with two minor pop hits, Bye bye baby (a song she wrote herself) and I dont want to take a chance. These were followed by three top ten hits  The one who really loves you, You beat me to the punch and Two lovers (a song about a man with a split personality). More hits followed, but Mary did not reach the top ten again until My guy reached the very top of the American chart in 1964. It also became a huge hit in Britain, which missed out on the earlier hits because Motown was slow to catch on there. This was followed by two American top twenty duets with Marvin Gaye  Once upon a time and Whats the matter with you baby.

After that, Mary quit Motown, tempted by a huge offer from another label, 20th century Fox. The move turned out to be an expensive failure for the new label and Marys career never recovered.

This collection contains all the Motown hits, including the minor ones, plus some B-sides and failed A-sides. It also includes some tracks that were scheduled for singles release but cancelled because of Marys departure from Motown. To complete the collection, two minor hits for 20th century Fox and one minor hit for Atco make up the last three tracks.

Nobody knows what Mary might have achieved had she stayed at Motown, but the music on this collection will live forever.

Five stars not enough for this legendary classic soulful DIVA! Mary Wells would rate double for anyone who loves a smoldering soulful classic who has no peer. Back in Jr. High loved this awesome singer & bought every single Mary released. Each and every gem total ear candy and Mary Wells was an exotic Peggy Lee type equal to that master. Mary Wells built Motown in those crucial early years and was the first big Motown Superstar turning out one great hit after another plus Lp's loaded with great tracks! Check out later classics and weap that somehow her work after Motown didn't make it to the airwaves finishing off Superstar Mary Wells...shame to the spineless music industry for sitting back and letting this happen...listening to post-Motown output clearly it was not lack of quality Mary Wells career when into decline as she continued making great records close to the end of her life yet received no airplay. In this Anthology clearly after Motown Mary Wells talent grew and became greater as witnessed in final three selections of this Anthology and seek out 20th Century recordings as they are sublime. Mary Wells was "the" crown jewel of Motown and continued recording classics that any serious collector of great soul DIVA'S would be smart to seek out as all her great recordings are winners. Fortunate to see the great Mary Wells a number of times in concert and these special events were unforgettable. Miss you Mary Wells & RIP

I have been a Mary Wells fan since the day I heard "You Lost the Sweetest Boy." Her voice is so unusual and big - every song is incredible! Moreover, this compilation has "Never Never Leave Me" which was underappreciated - great background, silky voice. The musical world lost this unique voice in 1992 - this collection keeps her talent alive.

THIS is the one you want but I'll be honest: I've heard "Bye Bye Baby". I don't recall it as a real "hit". I remember well the first song here that I could attach a name to and it was Mary Wells who had that certain urgent sound in her beautiful voice and the song was "The One Who Really Loves You". (I hope you mean me, Mary!). It was the spring of 1962. It was Mary's year. That song, along with "You Beat Me To The Punch", "Two Lovers", "Laughing Boy", were all penned by Smokey Robinson. Things were a little slow for awhile after that until "My Guy" took her to the top in 1964. After that I remember a magazine article that she was marrying some guy with a small band, leaving Motown. I believe these things happened all at once or close together anyway. Oh, no! Was she in love and was this guy going to have her front his band and make HIM money? What was going on? I don't recall anything else from Mary except when an oldies TV special might trot her out, hair dyed blond, to sign "My Guy". I did hear later that she was in bad health. Once Motown's biggest star, she now had cancer of the larynx but she soldiered on, personally lobbying the federal government for more money for cancer research for those who would follow her. After a bout with pneumonia, the exception Mary Wells died. She was only 49 years old.

Mary Wells proved that with the right producers, she can make hits.(The first few records was writeen and produced by Berry Gordy. This is her ultimate collection which I highly recommend. Some say that she was the "Female" Smokey Robinson. She belted out a couple of singles, but when Smokey took over, her records was showing up in the national top 10 with hits like, "You Beat Me To The Punch", "The One Who Really Loves You", "Two Lovers", and many many more. In the inner city's, most of her records were 2 sided hits. That was rare back in the early 60's. On this CD, I love her verions of "When I"m Gone", which was gonna be the single release after "My Guy" but since Mary flew the coop (Left Motown), the company thew it in the vault. Later, Brenda Holloway did her version of it. They said that Mary's version would have made it to number one in the country. Other favorites are "Old Love", "You Lost The Sweetest Boy" and of course my favorite (not a single) "Whisper You Love Me Boy". The Supremes did this one also, but hold nothing to Mary's version. She died in the early 90's of throat cancer. This CD is just a reminder of what great talent that Mr. Gordy had in his music stable.

Mary Wells is one of the Baddest artists ever to record for Motown.but somehow she seems to have been forgotten.it's really sad.this set showcases the talent of her really well.she helped break ground for Motown.

This is an excellent collection spanning her career from 1961 to 1966. It covers her Motown Years along with tracks from 20th Century Fox and Atco. The only drawback to this collection is it is presented in mono instead of stereo. I guess it's cheaper to digitally remaster mono than stereo.This disc includes the great H/D/H track "Whisper, You Love Me Boy" which was slated to be released as M-1065 but was withdrawn.It also includes "when I'm Gone" isssued as M-1061 but no known stock copies exist(I've never seen any for sale).All these tracks are timeless and still sound as fresh as when they were recorded.You will not be disapointed in your purchase of this disc. Mary died tragically in 1992 of throat cancer but it seems even in death she is still punished by Bery Gordy/Motown records.Many tracks still lay in the vaults of Motown waiting for release. A new box set would be nice and in stereo. And why is she not in the rock and roll hall of fame? She was a pioneer in the early days of rock and roll, bringing soul/r&b music to the pop charts.She had several top 10 hits a #1 hit and many reaching the top 40. She has a very impressive track record on the Soul charts.If you are a true Mary wells fan seek out "Looking Back 1961-1964". It's out of print but worth it for the unreleased tracks. Mary may be gone but she will not be forgotten with the body of work she left behind.

First of all, it must be said: every musician recognizes some sensual quality to Mary Wells that many singers do not possess. It is a mystery but it is true. She did not write music, so obviously was reliant upon songwriters.Smokey Robinson gave her the best material she had, including a #1 single, perfectly sung and produced called My Guy. I saw her live one night in a disco in L.A. She had a new single out on Epic called "Gigolo" and it didn't quite catch fire, although it was hardly bad. I wanted to touch her. I was just an anonymous dancer at a disco, a kid really, smitten, absolutely smitten by her. I would've gladly given her my cocktail for her cigarette. These are her best cuts, among many: You Lost the Sweetest Boy, You Beat Me to the Punch, My Guy, and Two Lovers, which was a big hit. She also shone on a cut on 20th Century Fox called "Ain't it the Truth", "Dear Lover"," and Motown's beautiful "What Love Has Joined Together", and a really fun song called "Operator," She is the girl with the X factor in her voice. Listen: you'll hear it, and it's like cool, sensual water and absolutely gorgeous. Don't forget her timeless legacy: she put Motown on the map, baby. She was their first killer artist. Without her there might not have been a Motown at all. Remember, The Supremes put out at least 3 or 4 singles before hitting it big ( Let Me Go the Right Way, When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes) all good and all not quite catching fire at radio. (That was in a lost era when they actually invested in artists , not just automatic sound bites out the box.) Mary Wells is timeless, a forever diva, unlike many of the forgettable "artists" of today who won't be remembered in 20 years. Her music will never die: Bye Bye baby; We'll always be Your Old Standby. Thanks for all the pleasure you have given us. We love you always...(;

A search in Music under the heading Ultimate Collection will garner you thousands of hits, and even searching in Album Title will result in quite a few, ranging from Benny Hill and George Formby to 10cc and The Who, and just about everyone in between. Even Motown uses Ultimate Collection on a number of their CDs, but the best of the lot where they are concerned is this series, each with 25 tracks and similar cover art by David Irvin, and involving Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Marvelettes, Martha (Reeves) & The Vandellas, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, and Gladys Knight & The Pips.

Mary Wells, in a span of eight years from 1961 to 1968, had 23 Billboard Pop Hot 100 hits for the Motown, 20th Century, Atco, and Jubilee labels, 17 of which also scored on the R&B charts. She also added another 4 to the R&B charts alone. Three of her hits were # 1 [one Hot 100 and three R&B], The One Who Really Loves You was the first Hot 100 Top Ten [# 8 in 1962] for Motown, and My Guy, written by Smokey Robinson, became their first Hot 100 # 1 in early 1964. Twelve of her hits singles were Top 40. Mary died tragically from throat cancer in 1992 at age 49.

Dusty Springfield, in a span of seven years from 1964 to 1970, had 18 Hot 100 hits for the Philips and Atlantic labels, and added one more 17 years later in 1987 with The Pet Shop Boys. That, in fact, was her highest charter, reaching # 2, and on her own her best was the # 4 You Don't Have To Say You Love Me from 1966. She never had a song make the R&B charts, and 11 of her hit singles made the Top 40. Dusty died tragically from breast cancer in 1999 at age 59.

These comparable career achievements and sad endings are marred by one salient fact: Dusty Springfield was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 1999. Mary Wells has yet to be so honoured. What is wrong with this picture? With the precedent set by Dusty's induction, what possible justification can there be for Mary's continued exclusion?

Each volume in this series mentioned above presents the very best of these most important Motown artists, although in this one they do overlook some hits in favour of four tracks [4, 21, 22, 25] which were either failed singles or never released as such, and two that were uncharted flipsides [tracks 8 and 13]. Full details are contained in the complete discography of the contents which accompanies the four pages of liner notes written by David Ritz.

These six could have been replaced by the following: Ain't It The Truth [# 45 Hot 100 in 1964] and its flipside Stop Takin' Me For Granted [# 88 Hot 100 - Note that the R&B charts had been suspended for all of 1964]; He's A Lover [# 74 Hot 100 in 1965]; Me Without You [# 95 Hot 100 in 1965]; Can't You See (You're Losing Me) [the flip of Dear Lover and a # 94 Hot 100 on its own]; and The Doctor [# 22 R&B/# 65 Hot 100 in 1968]. But that does not detract from this wonderful volume.

As Mr Ritz says in his notes, "This music will not age ... Mary Wells will never die." Wake up and hear the music R&R Hall of Fame Foundation. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Mary Wells remains one of Motown's more overlooked artists, but she was GOOD! These recordings are all original, good-quality, and bring back some memories. Very enjoyable CD!