The group that landed Motown’s first-ever No.1 and have become the corporate’s first main lady group have been nonetheless having fun with substantial success half a dozen years later. The Marvelettes, the Inkster, Michigan group who rang that early bell with “Please Mr. Postman,” solely crossed over to the Prime 10 of the pop chart twice extra, however went on to amass ten R&B Prime 10 singles. The final of them, “My Baby Must Be A Magician,” written and produced by Smokey Robinson, entered Billboard’s Sizzling 100 on December 16, 1967.
As usually occurred on the time, the Tamla single made that pop debut, at No.78, two weeks earlier than it confirmed on the R&B itemizing. It did so on the finish of what went down as one of many group’s most memorable years. Earlier in 1967 that they had twice made the winner’s circle of the soul listings.
Marvelettes in 1967: it was an excellent yr
The primary was one other urbane Robinson composition, “The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game,” which spent three weeks at No.2 and was adopted by Van McCoy’s feelgood No.9 copyright “When You’re Young And In Love.” Each releases had some crossover pop recognition, peaking at Nos. 13 and 23 respectively, and “When You’re Young” additionally grew to become the Marvelettes” solely UK chart single, peaking at No.13.
As on these singles, “My Baby Must Be A Magician” had lead vocals by the Marvelettes’ Wanda Rogers. She had taken over from the group’s then-pregnant and newly departed unique lead, Gladys Horton, with Anne Bogan becoming a member of the line-up. It featured the additional promoting level of a spoken introduction by the uncredited, however distinctive, bass voice of the Temptations, Melvin Franklin. “You are under my power,” he intoned ominously. “It is the power of love.”
Marv Tarplin’s guitar options additional embellished the tune’s descending chord sequence and richly orchestrated association. Backing vocals by the Andantes (however not the opposite Marvelettes) and the peerless instrumentation of the Funk Brothers accomplished the right image.
‘Pulling a smash out of the Robinson hat’
“Guitar gimmickry and particularly solid vocal strength add extra magic to the Marvelettes’ sales impact for this side,” wrote Cashbox. “Fine dance outing and especially fine material make for some tremendous pop & r&b action for ‘My Baby Must Be A Magician.’ The side’s splendid side touches do the trick in pulling a smash out of the Robinson hat.”
The commerce journal was on the cash, as “Magician” climbed to No.8 R&B and No.17 pop. Sadly, it proved to be the Marvelettes’ final hit of such magnitude, and after two extra soul chart entries in 1968, their identify disappeared from the bestsellers. The only featured on the positive LP Subtle Soul, which lived as much as its identify by updating the group’s sound with a few Ashford & Simpson songs augmenting the lion’s share by Smokey.
Take heed to one of the best of the Marvelettes on Apple Music and Spotify.
