331 on their list of 'Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time'. īillboard listed the song as #22 on their 2017 list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time. įontana Records released the song as a single in the UK in November 1961. The song's success led to an expansion in Motown's efforts, with songs like the Miracles ' I'll Try Something New' and ' You've Really Got a Hold on Me' following in 1962. Journalist Ben Fong-Torres describes the Marvelettes' next song, ' Twistin' Postman', as a 'calculated follow-up'. The song's hit status left many at Motown expecting the Marvelettes to be the label's biggest act, though they failed to ever match their first effort. Producer Berry Gordy credited Barney Ales' PR effort with the commercial success of the song. The song was on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 23 weeks, and peaked at number 1 the week of December 11, 1961. The single was a commercial success, becoming Motown's second ever million-selling record and its first number-one hit. Motown's Tamla label released the song as a single in the US in August 1961, then on the album of the same name in November 1961. We didn't think about it much at the time, but looking back I can admit that it really wasn't fair the way the Supremes were put ahead of us in every way. For instance, we never received a gold record for 'Please Mr. Release Į were never really given our just dues as Marvelettes. Musicologist Walter Everett suggests that the appearance of reverb on the lead vocal at 2:10 is possibly the result of a vocal overdub being 'punched into a mismatched circuit'. An electric rhythm guitar is buried in the mix, only occasionally audible, while handclaps are prominent. The bass mostly alternates between root and fifth chords. He uses fills to transition the song through sections. Gaye's backbeat is busy throughout the song, playing his snare on the two and four beats while tapping the ride cymbal each half beat. The commercial failure of Marvin Gaye's 1961 debut album, The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye, led him to spend time as a studio musician for the remainder of the year. The song's rhythm section is made up of piano, electric bass and drums. Holland and Bateman – dubbing themselves 'Brianbert' – produced the session. The Marvelettes recording features lead singer Gladys Horton hoping that the postman has brought her a letter from her boyfriend. The melody is hexatonic, avoiding 'blue' notes. Played in 4/4 time, the song features the common I–vi–IV–V chord progression. EMI Music Publishing, the current music publisher of the song, list all five writers in their catalog. Postman' to just Holland, Bateman, and Gorman. The Songwriters Hall of Fame credits 'Please Mr. The 1992 Motown boxed set Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection credits Dobbins, Garrett, Holland, Bateman, and Gorman as the composers. The 1976 Beatles discography book All Together Now credits the songwriting to Holland, Bateman, and Berry Gordy. The original With the Beatles album cover credited it to just Brian Holland (the 1987 CD release credits it to 'Dobbin-Garrett-Garman-Brianbert'). The original Tamla 45 single for the Marvelettes' version credits 'Dobbins/Garett/Brianbert' as the songwriters, and credits 'Brianbert' as producer. Journalist Ben Fong-Torres credits the song to Holland, Bateman, Gorman, Dobbins and Garrett. Freddie Gorman, himself a Detroit postman and another songwriting partner of Holland (before Holland became part of the Holland–Dozier–Holland team) was also involved in the final reworking. Gordy renamed the group and hired 'Brianbert' – Brian Holland and Robert Bateman's songwriting partnership – to rework the song yet again. Dobbins left the group after the audition and was replaced. Marvels original lead singer Georgia Dobbins needed an original song for their audition, and got a blues song from her friend William Garrett, which she then reworked for the group. In April 1961, the Marvelettes (then known as the Marvels) arranged an audition for Berry Gordy's Tamla label. Postman' and includes a credit for Brian Holland. The 2017 song ' Feel It Still' by Portugal. Postman' has been covered several times, including by the British rock group the Beatles in 1963.

Postman' became a number-one hit again in early 1975 when The Carpenters' cover of the song reached the top position of the Billboard Hot 100. The single achieved this position in late 1961 it hit number one on the R&B chart as well. It is the debut single by the Marvelettes for the Tamla ( Motown) label, notable as the first Motown song to reach the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart. Postman' is a song written by Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland and Robert Bateman. Brianbert ( Brian Holland & Robert Bateman).

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