Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Engrossing story of Motown's first successful girl group, July 6, 2004
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.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Original Marvelettes are immortalized "Way Over There", February 9, 2004
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!!!
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Presto, Change-O, Alikazam, January 4, 2005
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.
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