Clearly the focus of
Please Mr. Postman (1961) -- the
Marvelettes' debut long-player -- is the title track. However, fans of the early Motown sound will be interested not only in the vocalists' soulful and swinging leads, but contributions from burgeoning songwriters
Berry Gordy,
William "Smokey" Robinson, and
Brian Holland as well. Although the
Marvelettes personnel changed several times during their early-'60s prime, the lineup featured here includes co-leads
Gladys Horton (vocals) and
Wanda Young (vocals), along with
Georgeanna Tillman (vocals),
Katherine Anderson (vocals), and
Juanita Cowart (vocals). By the time this album became available in late 1961, three months had passed since "Please Mr. Postman" concluded its seven-week run atop the R&B singles chart. In the interim, the record label mined the ladies' talent for a suitable follow-up. The closest to hail from the bunch would be the midtempo Wall of Sound-alike "I Want a Guy" which was relegated to the B-side of their next single, "Twistin' Postman." That certainly isn't to intimate the remainder of the effort is subpar, but rather that lightening had yet to strike twice as Motown was continually refining the label's sound. The uptempo "Angel" is clearly rooted in then-recent R&B styles with more than a passing resemblance to another successful all-girl group. Specifically, the
Chantels' and their Top 20 crossover ballad "Maybe." To much the same end is the languid and bluesy doo wop-influenced "So Long Baby," as well as the ballads "Whisper" and "Oh I Apologize." The melodic "I Know How It Feels" joins
Smokey Robinson and
Berry Gordy's danceable "Way Over There" and the slightly Latin-tinged rave-up "You Don't Want Me No More." Although
Please Mr. Postman has been difficult to locate on compact disc, it is among the contents of
Forever: The Complete Motown Albums, Vol. 1 (2009) box set from the Hip-O Select online audio boutique.