THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,710) The Marvelettes — “You’re the One for Me, Bobby”
This “blue-chip” (Adam White, https://www.adampwhite.com/westgrandblog/tough-times) soul “standout” is a marvel that “could have been a hit”. (Bill Buckley, https://www.soulandjazzandfunk.com/reviews/the-marvelettes-forever-more-motownhip-o-select/) “[Writer] Smokey [Robinson] is a genius. And Wanda [Young] always put her own distinctive style to any song she sang. Mix in the fabulous Funk Brothers and the tremendous Andantes and you have an underrated classic!” (Cas82958, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13v–Aqvi74)
On the other hand, Wilson & Alroy’s Record Reviews calls “Bobby” a “blatant and unsuccessful attempt to create another ‘Don’t Mess With Bill'” (the Marvelettes’ #7 hit (#3 R&B) in ’66) (https://www.warr.org/marvelettes.html) What?! “Bobby” is way, way better than “Bill”, it’s the one for me!
Richie Unterberger writes of the Marvelettes:
Probably the most pop-oriented of Motown’s major female acts, the Marvelettes . . . recorded quite a few hits, including Motown’s first number one single, “Please Mr. Postman” (1961). “Postman,” as well as other chirpy early-’60s hits like “Playboy,” “Twistin’ Postman,” and “Beechwood 4-5789,” were the label’s purest girl group efforts. Featuring two strong lead singers, Gladys Horton and Wanda Young, the Marvelettes went through five different lineups, but maintained a high standard on their recordings. After a few years, they moved from girl group sounds to uptempo and midtempo numbers that were more characteristic of Motown’s production line. They received no small help from Smokey Robinson, who produced and wrote many of their singles; Holland-Dozier-Holland, Berry Gordy, Mickey Stevenson, Marvin Gaye, and Ashford-Simpson also got involved with the songwriting and production at various points. After the mid-’60s Wanda Young assumed most of the lead vocal duties; Gladys Horton departed from the group in the late ’60s. While the Marvelettes didn’t cut as many monster smashes as most of their Motown peers after the early ’60s, they did periodically surface with classic hits like “Too Many Fish in the Sea,” “Don’t Mess with Bill,” and “The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game.” There were also plenty of fine minor hits and misses, like 1965’s “I’ll Keep Holding On,” which is just as memorable as the well-known Motown chart-toppers of the era. The group quietly disbanded in the early ’70s after several years without a major hit.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-marvelettes-mn0000376608#biography
Robinson reprised the song with Joss Stone on his own 2009 solo album
Here is “Don’t Mess with Bill”:
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