The last remaining active member of The Marvelletes,
Wanda Young, died in Dec '21. One of the founding members Katherine 'Kat' Anderson died
last week aged 79.
The group was founded by five Inkster school friends in late 1960. By
the time they were signed by Motown in 1961 (after auditions) Georgia Dobbins (who died in
2020) was replaced by Wanda Young. They were originally called The
Casinyets (a joke play on 'can't sing yet') and then The Marvels but Berry
Gordy insisted they change their name and that they come up with their own
song when he signed them and hence they became The Marvelletes. Dobbins
contacted William Garrett who had an unfinished song which she worked on
and "Please Mr. Postman" was created which was their first single and went
to #1 making them the first act to have a #1 hit for Motown. The
song was later covered by The Beatles.
Sadly, the group were soon overshadowed, first by Martha & The
Vandellas and then The Supremes as regards promotion. They never matched
the success of their first hit and the group gradually dissolved into,
first a quartet and then, a trio and their final album was intended as a
solo album by Wanda Young that Motown marketed as "The Return of The
Marvelettes" to the disdain of Anderson who refused to be photographed for
the cover. The group disbanded after this in 1970.
Anderson worked as a staff writer temporarily until Motown relocated to
L.A. in 1972; She left the business and returned to Inkser and raised her
family and also got involved in community work helping teenagers at
risk.
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.
Many of their records were favourites on the Northern Soul scene,
songs like "Too Many Fish In The Sea", "I'll Keep Holding On",
"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" etc.
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