#1 for week of December 11, 1961.
Truly a historical moment, the first #1 hit single from Motown records, and the one that brought the company out of debt, and then some. "Please Mr. Postman" paved the way for the future of R&B and pop music, and it started the creative and critical peak of Motown. While the song might be a bit more known for The Beatles 1963 cover, the original has enough charms of its own to hold up today.
One can hear every classic hallmark of the Motown sound in just those opening few seconds. The solid Funk Brothers instrumentation including legendary bassist James Jamerson, and none other than a pre-fame Marvin Gaye on drums.
Then we have the Marvelettes fantastic and unique vocals. I say unique because all of these girls had different sounding voices. Don't believe me, go listen to their 1964 tune "Too Many Fish In The Sea" where they all briefly trade lead vocals. They were truly a talented and diverse singing group.
Structurally the song features the doo-wop chord progression, however the song is more rooted in R&B and even rock and roll. The lyrics deal with a girl whose boyfriend has been away for a long time, (Presumably in the army). As a result, this song is still very relatable to many people today regardless of gender.
One key reason why Motown is so beloved is because none of their songs from that golden period of 1961 through about 1969 comes as dated. They still sound great to this very day, and "Please Mr. Postman" is what got the ball truly rolling.
Final Verdict - Brilliant, timeless, and well-performed. "Please Mr. Postman" was a deserved #1 hit that I'm proud to have in my music collection.
Last Up For 1961 - "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by The Tokens.
Until Next Time - You gotta wait a minute, wait a minute, for Dr. Rock.
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