Please Mr. Postman

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Please Mr. Postman
The Marvelettes
publication August 21, 1961
length 2 min 31 s
Genre (s) R&B , Doo Wop
Author (s) Georgia Dobbins , William Garrett, Freddie Gorman , Brian Holland , Robert Bateman
Cover versions
1963 The Beatles
1974 Carpenters

Please Mr. Postman is a song written by Georgia Dobbins , William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland , and Robert Bateman. It was the A-side of the Marvelettes' debut single for the Tamla ( Motown ) label in 1961 . It was the first Motown track to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart. It also reached number 1 on the R&B charts. In 1975, Please Mr. Postman made it to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 a second time in the cover version of the Carpenters . Numerous artists recorded their own versions of Please Mr. Postman , including in 1963 the Beatles .

The Marvelettes

Emergence

In April 1961, the Marvelettes (then called The Marvels ) had an audition for Berry Gordy's record label Tamla. The Marvels' lead singer Georgia Dobbins needed an unreleased song for this audition and contacted William Garrett, a musician who, like her, lived in Inkster . She got a blues piece from him , which she arranged for her group. Dobbins left the group shortly after auditioning for personal reasons and Gladys Horton took over the leadership of the group and the role of lead singer. Wanda Young was hired to replace Dobbins. Gordy renamed the group and commissioned Brianbert , the songwriting duo Brian Holland and Robert Bateman, with a revision of the piece. Freddie Gorman, another songwriting partner of Holland (from before Holland became part of the Holland – Dozier – Holland team ) was also involved in the final revision. The song describes how the protagonist asks the postman if he is bringing her a letter from her boyfriend today, from whom she has not heard from for a long time.

The Marvelettes were accompanied during the recording by the Funk Brothers , including Marvin Gaye on drums .

The author's information for Please Mr. Postman has varied over the years. On the Marvelettes' Tamla 45 single, Dobbins / Garett / Brianbert appear as composers and Brianbert is named as music producer . On the back of the cover of the original edition of the Beatles album With the Beatles only Brian Holland named as the author. In the Beatles discography All Together Now , published in 1976, the song is attributed to Holland, Bateman, and Berry Gordy. The 1992 Motown box set, Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection, lists Dobbins, Garrett, Holland, Bateman and Gorman as composers. The Songwriters Hall of Fame limits the authors' information to Holland, Bateman, and Gorman. The music publisher EMI Music Publishing lists all five participants as authors in their catalog.

The music magazine Billboard put the piece at number 22 on its list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time .

occupation

The Marvelettes

  • Gladys Horton - lead and backing vocals
  • Wanda Young - backing vocals
  • Georgeanna Tillman - backing vocals
  • Wyanetta (Juanita) Cowart - backing vocals
  • Katherine Anderson - backing vocals

The Funk Brothers

The Beatles

In 1963, the British band The Beatles released a cover version of their second studio album With the Beatles . In the US, their version appeared on The Beatles' Second Album . The lead singer was John Lennon and the text was changed so that the man is waiting for a letter from his girlfriend. The song was produced by George Martin , sound engineer was Norman Smith . It was recorded on July 30, 1963 in London's Abbey Road Studios . It was one of three Motown tracks the Beatles covered on With the Beatles , the others being Money (That's What I Want) and You Really Got a Hold on Me .

Please Mister Postman was part of the Beatles' live repertoire in 1962, and they played it regularly at their Cavern Club appearances . At the time of recording for their album, the song was no longer part of the live set. They later played it for their BBC radio concerts. A recording from the program Pop Go the Beatles from July 1963 appeared in November 2013 on the album On Air - Live at the BBC Volume 2 . In Germany, Please Mister Postman was released as a single in May 1964, with Hold Me Tight as the b-side . The piece was also released as a single in Canada , as the B-side of Roll Over Beethoven , and Japan , with Money (That's What I Want) as the B-side.

occupation

The Carpenters

In November 1974 the single Please Mr. Postman / This Masquerade was released as a single by the duo Carpenters . The piece reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1975 . It was the duo's twelfth and last million seller . The arrangement of the Carpenters' version is reminiscent of a rock 'n' roll piece from the 1950s. In June 1975 the song was also included on the album Horizon .

A music video for the song was filmed at Disneyland . It was released in 1985 on VHS cassette and laser disc in 2002 Yesterday Once More and in 2002 on DVD Gold: Greatest Hits .

Samples from the Carpenters version were used in 2006 by rapper Juelz Santana for the single Oh Yes .

occupation

Other versions

  • The New Zealand singer Lyn Barnett reached number 4 in the New Zealand charts with her cover version in 1962.
  • The Pat Boone Family published their version of the piece in 1974 around the same time as that of the Carpenters.
  • The Originals (the group of Freddie Gorman, co-writer of the song) released a single in 1981 that contained the medley Waitin 'on a Letter / Mr. Postman . This single, released on the independent label Phase II, was the group's last chart listing and hit number 74 Hot R & B / Hip-Hop Songs.
  • A cover version of Saturdays was recorded in 2014 for the film Postman Pat: The Movie .
  • The American rock band Portugal used parts of the melody . The Man 2017 for their song Feel It Still .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ John Gilliland: Show 25 - The Soul Reformation: Phase two, the Motown story. [Part 4]. Retrieved April 15, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Joel Whitburn: Top R&B / Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004 . Record Research, 2004, p. 379 .
  3. ↑ Brian Holland. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on April 2, 2008 ; accessed on April 15, 2018 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.songwritershalloffame.org
  4. ↑ Billboard: 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks. Retrieved April 15, 2018 .
  5. ^ Mark Lewisohn: The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions . Hamlyn, London 2004, ISBN 0-681-03189-1 , pp. 34 .
  6. ^ Ian MacDonald : Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties , Second Revised. Edition, Pimlico (Rand), London 2005, ISBN 1-84413-828-3 , p. 91.
  7. ^ Joel Whitburn: Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001 . Record Research, 2002, p. 47 .
  8. ^ Billboard , May 5, 1962 - Page 18 Billboard Music Week Hits of the World, New Zealand