Marvelettes - Ultimate Collection (25 tracks) +Album Reviews

Best Collection In Print

James E. Bagley | Sanatoga, PA USA | 07/03/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Marvelettes were Motown's first successful girl group as well as their most under-rated. While the Supremes and the Vandellas have long ago booked entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Marvelettes don't even make it onto the ballot!With 1961's "Please Mr. Postman," the Marvelettes - featuring Gladys Horton's gravelly, perky vocals - secured Motown's first number one pop hit (The Miracles' "Shop Around" from 1960 stopped short at number two). The follow-up hits in 1962 copied "Please Mr. Postman" thematically ("Twistin' Postman") and sonically ("Playboy") and then they branched out with the girl group ditties "Beechwood 4-5789" (1962) and "Too Many Fish In The Sea" (1964). A change of direction was hinted at with their successful b-side ballad "Forever" which featured the seductive country vocals of Wanda Young. After hitting with a Supremes-like stomper "I'll Keep Holding On" (1965), Smokey Robinson took over as producer and installed Young as permanent lead singer. "Don't Mess With Bill" (1966), "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game" (1967), and "My Baby Must Be A Magician" (1967) were instrumentally sparse mid-tempo gems that placed the emphasis on Young's sly delivery. They were followed by the lushly orchestrated "When You're Young And In Love" (1967) and "That's How Heartaches Are Made" (1969) which conclude this set.At twenty-five tracks and containing all of their chart hits, this is the strongest set available of the marvelous Marvelettes. I give the slight edge to the out of print double-disc set DELIVER: THE SINGLES though as it contains their final singles "A Breathtaking Guy" and "Marionette" which, although they didn't chart, contain great Wanda Young performances (the original Marvelettes having disbanded, they are both basically solo Wanda recordings)."

Motown's first successful girl group

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 07/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before the Supremes or Martha and the Vandellas had any success, the Marvelettes were having big hits on a regular basis. The Supremes, who at that time had Florence Ballard as lead singer, didn't chart, while the Vandellas hadn't started then.With two brilliant lead singers, Gladys Horton (particularly good at the powerhouse songs) and Wanda Young (softer, more seductive), they could do any R+B song with class and style.After the Vandellas appeared on the scene, and the Supremes made Diana Ross their lead singer, the Marvelettes were markedly less successful despite continuing to make great records, although they did stage a mini-revival on the charts in 1967.The standout tracks are Please Mr Postman (Motown's first number one hit by anybody, later covered by the Beatles and the Carpenters, who had their biggest British hit with the song), Beechwood 4-5789 (also covered by the Carpenters) and When you're young and in love (one of those 1967 hits, and their only British hit). Britain was slow to catch Motown fever, missing out on their early hits, despite that Beatles cover.I believe the Marvelettes are the most under-appreciated of all Motown's stars, but their music is as good as any of the others (who I also enjoy). If you like Motown's other stars, you will surely enjoy this collection."

Could We have some of the b-sides too?

Matthew G. Sherwin | 09/29/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Marvelettes , Motown's first hitmaking girl group, have a fair representation on this collection but , a fan like me who is seventeen years olds has a hard time finding the groups albums or singles. The only hit in omission here I think is the Ann Bogan lead "I'm Gonna Hold on as Long as I can"(Pop#76 , 1969)this collection made wish for something more.I am satisfied with whats here , however , The Marvelettes raw and youthful sound is the paramount of traditional girl group sound (and modern girl groups like TLC and Motown's own 702 should take a listen). The sheer beauty of the later recordings , primarily "When You're Young and In Love" contrast perfectly , and show how longer careers at Motown showed a maturity in the particular act's talent.I think The Marvelettes never got the respect they deserved , and its best to give them the respect they deserve , and that might be done with a more complete collection , of course with all their hits, more B-sides , Please!!!! and some album tracks thrown in."

A treasure chest of memories

D.V. Lindner | King George, VA, USA | 09/17/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Marvelettes story, among other things, is one of two very good, but entirely different lead singers - Gladys Horton & Wanda Young Rogers. As stated in the liner notes of a wonderful earlier set ("Deliver: The Singles"), and unlike the dissention in the Supremes, "There wasn't any competition between them to fight for lead vocals, Gladys points out, and she was happy to have Wanda share lead vocal duties."The results here validate that claim. While there is some overlap in 1964, the beginning years from "Please Mr. Postman" up to "Too Many Fish In The Sea" served to immortalize Horton's voice in baby-boomers' memories. Gladys has a strong and authoritative delivery, especially on girl-to-girl advice songs such as warning one to stay away from that good for nothing "Playboy," or not to waste tears because there's too many fish in the sea.In 1964, Mary Wells very abruptly decided (after some courtroom wrangling) to depart Motown, leaving producer Smokey Robinson short of the star who had been the most effective female mouthpiece for his songs ("My Guy," "Two Lovers" etc.). Aside from some brief and interesting works with Kim Weston and Brenda Holloway, Smokey set his interest on Wanda of the Marvelettes. The collective results - "Don't Mess With Bill," "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game," "My Baby Must Be A Magician" and a few others - became the second half of the Marvelettes story and the era that immortalized Wanda's voice. Wanda stood shortest among the members of the group, and had a figure Mae West would approve. As you listen to her songs here, imagine her spotlighted in one of the skin-tight dresses Motown favored and...Ooo, baby! Smokey has said he liked to look within Motown groups for 'sleeping giants,' and he hit a jackpot in this case.The oddest entry here is an instance where Berry Gordy took over the group for a single in 1963, "My Daddy Knows Best." Just like his hits "Money" & "Got A Job," "Daddy" is a showcase for Motown's conservative, work-ethic mind-set: 'While you're in poolrooms, you should be in schoolrooms,' (Daddy said)'Romance without finance can be a nuisance,' 'Don't care what you say, we've got to do it his way,' 'Don't say that he's mean, I have to tell him everything.' What's clear here is, that while it's been well documented how Berry Gordy mentored Smokey Robinson, in this instance, some of Smokey's cleverness with lyrics instructed Berry. 'Daddy' is a virtually perfect blend of the funky and the adorable.I have read some criticism of the Marvelettes `adolescent sound,' particularly in the earlier material. Fair enough, but one should remember this group essentially went from senior classes in high school right into the recording studio. The Marvelettes were simply growing up along with their initial audience. If you missed the early 90s 2-disc set "Deliver: The Singles," that makes this 'Ultimate Collection' all the more a MUST have. But we should wish as well for the earlier, and more extensive set, to be reactivated."

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