THE MARVELETTES, "HE'S A GOOD GUY" C/W "GODDESS OF LOVE," TAMLA 54091 (REL. 1/1964)

 

The Marvelettes had one of Motown's first chart-topping hits with 1961's "Please Mister Postman," a song now better-known via popular cover versions by The Beatles and The Carpenters. They became a source of confusion for Berry Gordy's company as time wore on; they had occasional hits but it seemed clear, by 1964, that they had fallen by the wayside. 

Their previous release, on Gordy Records, was under the stage name of The Darnells and its arrangement owed much to the West Coast sound of producer Phil Spector. As 1964 dawned, The Supremes and Martha and The Vandellas seemed to be doing fine; both were on track to become major Motown hitmakers. Meanwhile, The Marvelettes did their best with whatever material was thrown at them, and saw old LP tracks dusted off to make B-sides of their singles. That's the formula of today's record (their first of '64) and its oddness is fascinating.

"He's a Good Guy (Yes He Is)," written and produced by William "Smokey" Robinson of Tamla label-mates The Miracles, was the new side of this non-charter. It couples a classic Motown girl-group sound with sudden shifts into a waltz tempo, set to the cartoon perennial "Oh Du Leiber Augustin" and punctuated with handclaps like a children's song.

Perhaps this was Robinson trying something off-the-wall, just to see if it would work. Since it was *just* The Marvelettes, he could risk catastrophe. Without experimentation, talent stagnates, and I hope this oddity helped Smokey work through something and that his next song was more solid.

The verses of this side are memorable, and classic Motown stuff, with an appealing syncopated rhythm and a haunting melodic strain. But just when the listener is settled into this part, the berserk kid-song waltz section interrupts. 

Robinson's lyric is clever, and this has the air of a show-tune wanna-be; that eccentric shift might have worked best on the stage. Guaranteed to disrupt dancers, "He's a Good Guy" became one of "those" records...well, ya have to try these things once. Smokey got to try on feet of clay for the duration of this peculiar song.

Our Cash Box reviewer noticed nothing different here.

"Goddess of Love" sounds more typically Motown, albeit the older model. This was one of six tracks taken from the girls' Playboy LP of 1962 for a second life on seven-inch records. It's a fine song, much better than your average LP filler, with a wonderful lead vocal by Wanda Young, who found her voice on the album with the more-acclaimed song "Forever."

This isn't quite up to the highs of that song; but it's not a toss-off. Berry Gordy's cost-cutting tendencies of the early years still persisted at the start of 1964. A year later, with chart-topping pop hits by many of his acts and a devoted audience of UK fans, Motown was a major musical player, and the penurious acts ceased. It was a boon for the label and its wealth of talented musicians, singers, arrangers and producers (not to mention the Motown house band).

The put-upon Marvelettes got better material as 1964 wore on, with "You're My Remedy" and "Too Many Fish in the Sea" playing to the singers' strengths and helping them to resurface on the pop charts. The group always had an underdog air to them, and perhaps that's why they're my favorite Motown act.

Tomorrow: We visit the Pacific NW where The Wailers reprise an early instrumental hit with a new, superior item, on a single for Tacoma's Etiquette Records. It led to The Wailers getting signed by Imperial Records and a single that may or may not exist.