Post by Rob Durkee on Jan 27, 2011 22:29:32 GMT -5
By ROCKIN' ROBIN
Gladys Horton, who co-founded the 1960's Motown girl group the Marvelettes and sang lead on their biggest hit, "Please Mr. Postman," died Wednesday night, January 26, 2011, at a nursing home in Sherman Oaks, a suburb of the Los Angeles area. She was 66. According to the Associated Press, Vaughn Thornton, Horton's son, said his mother had been recovering from a stroke.
The Marvelettes were the precursor to the Supremes. Horton helped co-found the Marvelettes at Detroit's Inkster High School around 1960. Originally, they called themselves the Casinyets, which stood for "Can't Sing Yet." Even though the Casinyets finished in fourth place at a talent show, a teacher liked their sound and talked the Inkster principal into allowing them to join the top three groups to audition for Motown. The label liked the Casinyets but asked that they come up with a original material. That's when a friend of group member Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, took a blues song called "Please Mr. Postman" and completely rewrote it. Only the song's title remained unchanged.
It's believed Horton came up with the idea of the "deliver the letter, the sooner the better" echo-laced part that came towards the end of the song. Horton has never been listed as a co-writer for the song, however. In fact, sources differ as to exactly who wrote "Postman." At least five people have been credited for writing it. One of them was Freddie Gorman who, ironically, was a former mailman in the Detroit area. Others receiving song-writing credit for "Postman" include Dobbins; Garrett; Brian Holland of Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting fame; and Robert Bateman.
"Please Mr. Postman" was the second major hit song for Barry Gordy's first label, Tamla. The first was "Shop Around," a #2 hit in early 1961 for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Ironically, "Please Mr. Postman" would also peak at #2 on the Cash Box pop singles chart in late 1961. "Postman" was kept out of #1 by "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean but would become a #1 remake for the Carpenters in early 1975. In between, the Beatles recorded "Please Mr. Postman" as an LP cut in the mid-60's.
According to music historian Fred Bronson, Gordy wanted to name his first label after the Debbie Reynolds song, "Tammy," but was unable to do so due to copyright reasons. Instead, he settled for Tamla. Marvin Gaye, who played drums on "Please Mr. Postman," would have his breakout hits on the Tamla label along with Stevie Wonder.
The Marvelettes would have three other Cash Box pop top tens with "Playboy" (#8, 1962), "Don't Mess With Bill" (#9, 1966) and "My Baby Must Be A Magician" (#10, 1967). Among the Marvelettes' other memorable hits were "Twistin' Postman," "Beechwood 4-5789," "Too Many Fish In The Sea" and "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game."
Sources disagree regarding the circumstances surrounding Horton's leaving the Marvelettes. One source claimed Horton was replaced as the group's lead singer in 1965 and left the group in 1967. Another said she left the group in 1968 not long after her first son, Sammy, was born. Horton and group member Wanda Young managed to reform the Marvelettes in 1990, when the album "The Marvelettes...Now!" was released.
One other member of the Marvelettes is known to be deceased. Georgeanna Gordon died of lupus on January 6, 1980.
Gladys Horton, who co-founded the 1960's Motown girl group the Marvelettes and sang lead on their biggest hit, "Please Mr. Postman," died Wednesday night, January 26, 2011, at a nursing home in Sherman Oaks, a suburb of the Los Angeles area. She was 66. According to the Associated Press, Vaughn Thornton, Horton's son, said his mother had been recovering from a stroke.
The Marvelettes were the precursor to the Supremes. Horton helped co-found the Marvelettes at Detroit's Inkster High School around 1960. Originally, they called themselves the Casinyets, which stood for "Can't Sing Yet." Even though the Casinyets finished in fourth place at a talent show, a teacher liked their sound and talked the Inkster principal into allowing them to join the top three groups to audition for Motown. The label liked the Casinyets but asked that they come up with a original material. That's when a friend of group member Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, took a blues song called "Please Mr. Postman" and completely rewrote it. Only the song's title remained unchanged.
It's believed Horton came up with the idea of the "deliver the letter, the sooner the better" echo-laced part that came towards the end of the song. Horton has never been listed as a co-writer for the song, however. In fact, sources differ as to exactly who wrote "Postman." At least five people have been credited for writing it. One of them was Freddie Gorman who, ironically, was a former mailman in the Detroit area. Others receiving song-writing credit for "Postman" include Dobbins; Garrett; Brian Holland of Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting fame; and Robert Bateman.
"Please Mr. Postman" was the second major hit song for Barry Gordy's first label, Tamla. The first was "Shop Around," a #2 hit in early 1961 for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Ironically, "Please Mr. Postman" would also peak at #2 on the Cash Box pop singles chart in late 1961. "Postman" was kept out of #1 by "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean but would become a #1 remake for the Carpenters in early 1975. In between, the Beatles recorded "Please Mr. Postman" as an LP cut in the mid-60's.
According to music historian Fred Bronson, Gordy wanted to name his first label after the Debbie Reynolds song, "Tammy," but was unable to do so due to copyright reasons. Instead, he settled for Tamla. Marvin Gaye, who played drums on "Please Mr. Postman," would have his breakout hits on the Tamla label along with Stevie Wonder.
The Marvelettes would have three other Cash Box pop top tens with "Playboy" (#8, 1962), "Don't Mess With Bill" (#9, 1966) and "My Baby Must Be A Magician" (#10, 1967). Among the Marvelettes' other memorable hits were "Twistin' Postman," "Beechwood 4-5789," "Too Many Fish In The Sea" and "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game."
Sources disagree regarding the circumstances surrounding Horton's leaving the Marvelettes. One source claimed Horton was replaced as the group's lead singer in 1965 and left the group in 1967. Another said she left the group in 1968 not long after her first son, Sammy, was born. Horton and group member Wanda Young managed to reform the Marvelettes in 1990, when the album "The Marvelettes...Now!" was released.
One other member of the Marvelettes is known to be deceased. Georgeanna Gordon died of lupus on January 6, 1980.