The Marvelettes Discography -
Trusty, Lusty Rustics

At a glance, the Marvelettes discography has many Motown oldies songs that link the singers to "local," almost woodsy settings. A mail carrier as savior. A fishing metaphor. Even during their more sophisticated phase, "Danger, Heartbreak Dead Ahead" sounds like a saloon-poster warning as much as a "highway sign." Elsewhere, Wanda Young compares love to a fox-rabbit chase.

That may just be the titles, or my gotta-find-a-theme outlook! However, the Marvelettes were self-described country girls at the forefront of Motown's new "Sound of Young America." Accessible imagery (with provincial color for interest) made some commercial sense.

Against that backdrop, early Marvelettes backups sound endearingly un-slick. Their chirps are too high to be womanly, but as their voices ripen, they support the leads as reliably as a circle of girlfriends.

Even without them, each lead is striking enough for us to take her tales seriously. Gladys Horton's hoarseness suggests weariness even when she sings with starry eyes. Wanda Young can play the siren in both senses of the word, with soprano howls or seductive sighs.

The Marvelettes discography below features notable singles and albums, all from Motown. A shame they didn't Return to much R&B or pop action after that late work.

For a full spectrum of available tracks, see the Marvelettes albums here.

Please Mr. Postman (August 21, 1961; a single by Bateman/Dobbins/Garrett/Gorman/Holland)

Twistin' Postman (1961; a single by Bateman/Holland/Stevenson)

Please Mr. Postman (1961)

The Marvelettes Sing (1962)

1. Mashed Potatoes Time

2. Love Letters

3. The One Who Really Loves You (Robinson)

4. Twistin' the Night Away

5. Hey Baby

6. Twistin' Postman (Bateman/Holland/Stevenson)

7. Good Luck Charm

8. Slow Twist

9. Lovers Please

10. Dream Baby

Playboy (1962; a single by Bateman/Holland/Horton/Stevenson)

Beechwood 4-5789 (July 11, 1962; a single by Gaye/Gordy/Stevenson)

Playboy (1962)

Strange I Know (1962; a single by Dozier/Gorman/Holland)

Locking Up My Heart (1963; a single by Dozier/Holland/Holland)

Silly Boy (Whitfield)/Way Over There (1963-64; single, flip side by Gordy/Robinson) (Click here for more info on this one.)

Live on Stage (1963)

The Marvelous Marvelettes (1963)

On Stage (July 1963)

1. Beechwood 4-5789 (Gaye/Gordy/Stevenson)

2. Strange I Know (Dozier/Gorman/Holland)

3. Someday, Someway (Dozier/Gorman/Holland)

4. Locking Up My Heart (Dozier/Holland/Holland)

5. Twistin' Postman (Bateman/Holland/Stevenson)

6. Tossing and Turning

7. So Long Baby (Bateman/Holland/Young)

8. Playboy (Bateman/Holland/Horton/Stevenson)

You're My Remedy (1964; a single by Robinson)

Too Many Fish in the Sea (1964; a single by Holland/Whitfield)

Live at the Apollo (1964)

1. Strange I Know (Dozier/Gorman/Holland)

2. I Forgot About You (Stevenson)

3. Locking Up My Heart (Dozier/Holland/Holland)

4. Which Way Did He Go (Stevenson)

5. Silly Boy (Whitfield)

6. It's Gonna Take a Lot of Doing (to Undo All the Damage That You've Done) (Stevenson/Whitfield)

7. Smart Aleck (Stevenson/Whitfield)

8. My Daddy Knows Best (Gordy)

9. Too Strong to Be Strung Along (Dozier/Gorman/Holland)

10. Why Must You Go (Stevenson/Whitfield)

I'll Keep Holding On (1965; a single by Hunter/Stevenson)

Danger, Heartbreak Dead Ahead (1965; a single by Hunter/Paul/Stevenson)

Don't Mess With Bill (Nov. 26, 1965; a single by Robinson)

The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game (Dec. 27, 1966; a single by Robinson)

When You're Young and in Love (1967; a single by McCoy)

My Baby Must Be a Magician (1967; a single by Robinson)

The Marvelettes (1967)

1. Barefootin' (Parker)

2. Message to Michael (Bacharach/David)

3. The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game (Robinson)

4. When You're Young and in Love (McCoy)

5. I Know Better (Taylor/Whitfield)

6. I Can't Turn Around (Wilson)

7. He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' (Holland/Stevenson/Whitfield)

8. The Day You Take One (You Have to Take the Other) (Robinson)

9. When I Need You (Broadnax/Paul)

10. Keep Off, No Trespassing (Bristol/Gordy)

11. Tonight Was Made for Love (Jones/Staunton)

12. I Need Someone (Dean/Weatherspoon)

Destination: Anywhere (1968; last charting single, by Ashford/Simpson)

Sophisticated Soul (1968)

1. My Baby Must Be a Magician (Robinson)

2. Destination: Anywhere (Ashford/Simpson) (last charted)

3. I'm Gonna Hold on Long as I Can (Manns/Wilson)

4. Here I Am Baby (Robinson)

5. You're the One for Me Bobby

6. Reachin' for Something I Can't Have (Dean/Weatherspoon/Weatherspoon)

7. Your Love Can Save Me (Ashford/Simpson)

8. You're the One (Robinson)

9. Don't Make Hurting Me a Habit (Barnes/Dean/Weatherspoon)

10. What's Easy for Two is Hard for One (Robinson)

11. The Stranger

12. Someway Somehow

In Full Bloom (1969)

1. Seeing is Believing

2. Sunshine Days

3. That's How Heartaches Are Made (Halley/Raleigh)

4. The Truth's Outside My Door

5. I Have Someone (Who Loves Me Too) (Dean/Riser/Weatherspoon)

6. Uptown

7. At Last I See Love as It Really Is

8. Now is the Time for Love

9. Too Many Tears, Too Many Times

10. Rainy Mourning (Hunter/Verdi)

11. Everybody Knows (but You) (Cosby/Washington)

12. Love Silent, Love Deep

Return of the Marvelettes (1970)

1. So I Can Love You

2. Marionette (Robinson/Stevenson)

3. That's How Heartaches Are Made (Halley/Raleigh)

4. A Breathtaking Guy (Robinson)

5. No More Tear Stained Make Up (Robinson)

6. Uptown

7. Someday We'll Be Together (Beavers/Bristol/Fuqua)

8. After All

9. Our Lips Just Seem to Rhyme Every Time

10. Fading Away (Moore/Robinson/Rogers)

11. Take Me Where You Go

12. I'll Be in Trouble (Robinson)

Does the Marvelettes discography make you want to say "Yes yes yes yes" to a Marvelettes biography? Find it here.

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