The first Motown Records song to reach number one is a 1961 classic
Very few record labels, artists and songwriters are dedicated to the art of the hit as much as Berry Gordy and Motown were.
These days, what will make it to the radio and chart is a well-thought-out science, but Berry Gordy was responsible for putting together the initial formula. He knew what should go into a song to make people happy, make people move and ultimately, climb to the top of the charts, but where did it all begin?
Motown might have eventually become one of the most profitable businesses throughout America, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Things were difficult at the start, with songs not doing as well as they would have liked, people leaving the label and ultimately, struggling to make music that the public wanted to hear.
Eventually, this was all rectified, and music lovers awaited Motown releases like they did the daily news. The label became an intrinsic part of people’s lives, and their first number one helped Motown not only work out the kind of music they should be making but also provided comfort in knowing that what they were doing was worth it.
A major turning point came when the label began to better understand the ingredients of a successful record. Rather than relying on instinct alone, Gordy and his team refined a more deliberate approach, focusing on melody, rhythm and emotional immediacy to create songs that could resonate with a wide audience.
That shift was crystallised with the arrival of The Marvelettes. Their contribution marked a breakthrough moment, not just because of the song itself, but because it demonstrated how collaboration between artists, writers and producers could unlock the label’s full potential and set the template for everything that followed.
When The Marvelettes initially auditioned for Motown, the label was still trying to figure its sound out and wasn’t as fully fledged at writing songs as it would become. It meant that when the group came in, they were asked to bring some of their own material. They asked their songwriting friend, William Garrett, if he had anything, and he offered up the track ‘Please Mr Postman’. After enjoying it, Motown producers worked with the band and crafted the track into the first of what would be many hits for Motown.
Florence Ballard of The Supremes also helped to turn the song into a hit. The Marvelettes had never been in a recording studio before and only had singing experience in the choir, so they were pretty tight in how they sang. Ballard encouraged them to loosen up, drag out notes and not be afraid to add ‘oh yeahs’ into the mix. “We were all tight – petrified,” said Gladys Horton, “Florence was a sweetheart, and what she said was dead on.”
The track became the first ever number one for Motown and set the standard for what would eventually be a famous hit-making machine. Unfortunately, The Marvelettes wouldn’t obtain another number one and had a somewhat turbulent time, given several lineup changes preceded the release of ‘Please Mr Postman’. That being said, the looseness with which they approached the song and the collaborative element that they practised gave Motown new life.
The label would eventually work with several artists and bring in different songwriters and producers to help them achieve the best sound. This collaborative spirit is arguably one of the leading factors that led to the label’s success, and it wouldn’t have happened were it not for The Marvelettes.
