The longest serving member of
The Marvelettes, Wanda LaFaye Rogers aka
Wanda Young, died on Thursday (16 Dec 2021) aged 78. She was one of the original
quintet who signed to Motown in 1961 and was the only remaining original
member when the group disbanded in 1969. In fact she was the only Marvelette
to sing on their final album "The Return Of The Marvelettes" in 1970 which
was really a Wanda Young solo album.
It's almost inconceivable to learn that The Marvelettes had only one chart
entry in the UK. "When You're Young And In Love" peaked at #16 in it's sixth
week of ten on the chart in July 1967. It certainly surprised me when I
checked!
Many of their records were favourites on the Northern Soul scene, songs
like "Too Many Fish In The Sea", "I'll Keep Holding On" (first time with
Young on lead), "Danger! Heartbreak Dead Ahead", "The Hunter Gets
Captured by the Game", "My Baby Must Be a Magician", "Destination:
Anywhere" and "Reaching For Something I Can't Have"
They were the first all female group to have a #1 hit in the US and were the
first Motown act to score a #1 hit in 1961 with "Please Mr. Postman" later
covered of course by The Beatles.
I guess they were vey much in the shadow of The Supremes once they
emerged? I have only selected tracks from 1965 onwards as Wanda Young
didn't take over lead vocal duties until then. Only one album was released
between 1963 and 1967 and it was a UK only album "The Marvellous
Marvelettes" and is pretty rare, a near mint one sold for nearly £400 in
2018!
Ian Levine got his hands on them in the 90s and they recorded two albums for
his Motorcity enterprise. The first one "Now!" in 1990 being re-workings of
many of their hits and the next in 1996 was (mis)titled "The Best Of"
as it consisted of mainly new Levine compositions (six of them written
with Junior Giscombe).
Ian posted up a video on Wanda singing Don't Mess With Bill" in 1989 and
relayied quite a tragic story of her life .. read the video's
comments.
