Playboy

Despite being one of Motown's first big acts, the Marvelettes didn't record as many albums as the Temptations, Supremes, the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, or Martha & the Vandellas, but the girls from Inkster, MI did record some unforgettable sides and some good LPs. Playboy, titled after their big hit, was one of the good ones, yet Motown has never reissued it. "Playboy" flew up the charts; its message was a warning to girls about players. A spirited "Beechwood 4-5789" keeps the hits flowing -- its teenish backing vocals and Gladys Horton's innocent lead are contagious. Smokey Robinson's first Marvelettes' production, "I Think I Can Change You," was a forerunner to the string of hits he later produced for them with Wanda Young on lead. "Forever," later done by Marvin Gaye, is a sentimental thriller. A hopeful "Someday, Someway" -- written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Freddie Gorman (the Originals), who also wrote "Forever" -- was a staple of their early stage shows. This is far more enjoyable than their Please Mr. Postman debut. ~ Andrew Hamilton|