Post by Motorcity on Jul 20, 2004 0:03:01 GMT -5
In 1960, five high school friends began singing under the name the Casinyets (a clever play on Can't Sing Yet). The quintent, Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgia Dobbins, Juanita Cowart, and Georgeanna Tillman, later known as the Marvels, entered their high school talent contest in Inkster, Michigan; didn't win first prize, but also received an audition for Motown Records in 1961. The audition went well, but Brian Holland and Robert Bateman required that the girls compose an original song.
Georgia Dobbins then contacted a songwriting friend, who provided a song entitled, "Please Mr. Postman". Georgia rewrote the tune keeping the title and theme of the song intact. She gave the song to Gladys Horton to learn and later dropped out of the group. Wanda Young came aboard and they returned to Motown with an original composition.
Berry Gordy renamed them the Marvelettes and "Please Mr. Postman" was released later that year and became the label's first number one hit and remained on the charts for fifteen weeks!
The group then began to work with various writing teams consisting of members of Holland-Dozier-Holland, William "Mickey" Stevenson, various other writers, includidng Gladys, and finally William "Smokey" Robinson.
Both Gladys and Wanda shared the leads differing from the norm for "girl groups" at that time. The group was consistent, releasing many hits before the later more popular Supremes.
Their major hits included:
In 1962, Juanita left and the group recorded as a quartet until Georgeanna left in 1965. At that point, the group continued on as a trio, Gladys, Wanda and Katherine. Later Gladys left and Anne Bogan joined the group.
By the time Motown relocated to Los Angeles, the "group" (Wanda and the Andantes), with Wanda remaining in Detroit, released their last album, Return Of The Marvelettes in 1970.
During the 80s, Gladys approached both Wanda and Katherine to reform the group, but both declined. She then enlisted the talents of Echo Johnson and Jean McClain and recorded an album for Motorcity Records. Jackie and Regina Hollemon also joined this group with the departures of Echo and Jackie.
The Marvelettes had twenty-one R&B hits and twenty-three Pop hits in seven years. And they will forever be known as the first hit makers at Motown, hit makers that also co-wrote the company's and their first number one hit!