Despite being one of Motown's first big acts,
the Marvelettes didn't record as many albums as
the Temptations,
Supremes,
the Miracles,
Stevie Wonder, or
Martha & the Vandellas, but the girls from Inkster, MI did record some unforgettable sides and some good LPs.
Playboy, titled after their big hit, was one of the good ones, yet Motown has never reissued it. "Playboy" flew up the charts; its message was a warning to girls about players. A spirited "Beechwood 4-5789" keeps the hits flowing -- its teenish backing vocals and
Gladys Horton's innocent lead are contagious.
Smokey Robinson's first
Marvelettes' production, "I Think I Can Change You," was a forerunner to the string of hits he later produced for them with
Wanda Young on lead. "Forever," later done by
Marvin Gaye, is a sentimental thriller. A hopeful "Someday, Someway" -- written by
Brian Holland,
Lamont Dozier, and
Freddie Gorman (
the Originals), who also wrote "Forever" -- was a staple of their early stage shows. This is far more enjoyable than their
Please Mr. Postman debut.