Marvelettes Live-Sessions 1967 - 1969

[Fullfillingnessfirstfinale]

Hi Folks,

I hope someone has any informations. I would like to know if there exits any live perfromances of the group in the vaults 1967 - 1969 ?

Thank you very much for all responses.

[reese]

I'm not sure, but I think one of the Motown guys said there were no other live recordings for the Marvelettes other than what has already been released.

[kenneth]

Yes, when the 2nd box set came out, Keith or one of the guys involved with the "Forever More" set came on Midnight Johnny's show and was interviewed at some length. I asked him that specific question and he said that they never found any live recordings of the Marvelettes other than the early recordings we've all heard already. He also said the vault had been exhausted of all Marvelettes tracks [[though the partly completed track "Sweet Talkin' Guy" surfaced later on the recent Motown Girls set.

I sure wish we had a document of the Wanda-led group to hear how their act had developed. It has to be miles away from the early recordings such as those from the Apollo. Of course with Motown we can always hope it just hasn't been found yet, but considering how the Marvelettes were always treated as second or third stringers in their latter years, it honestly doesn't surprise me that no one though to preserve some of their concerts.

[woodward]

I printed out from the internet several years ago an 8 small paragraph article entitled LOST AND NOT FOUND. Unfortunately, I failed to document the source of the information that was included in it, however, I can offer this information that was reported.

". . . All the sources said that the Motown vault has many unreleased masters of both well-known and lesser-known artists, and many reels of live shows. 'They used to bring a three track machine down to the Twenty Grand Club in Detroit to record on weekends for years. . . .' "

Addendum: I just located the source of the above statement. If you google Lost and Not Found Motown Vaults you will be directed to a Billboard article from 7/12/1997 on page 89 - Record Company Archives. Interesting reading. If interested you should read the entire article.

[reese]

I printed out from the internet several years ago an 8 small paragraph article entitled LOST AND NOT FOUND. Unfortunately, I failed to document the source of the information that was included in it, however, I can offer this information that was reported.

". . . All the sources said that the Motown vault has many unreleased masters of both well-known and lesser-known artists, and many reels of live shows. 'They used to bring a three track machine down to the Twenty Grand Club in Detroit to record on weekends for years. . . .' "

Addendum: I just located the source of the above statement. If you google Lost and Not Found Motown Vaults you will be directed to a Billboard article from 7/12/1997 on page 89 - Record Company Archives. Interesting reading. If interested you should read the entire article.

It gives one some small hope that there are still undiscovered treasures left. But I remember another article from the 90s where another researcher said they would start listening to a live recording and then there would be a splice through it.

[arr&bee]

I saw them in the late sixties,and they still sounded great.

[Fullfillingnessfirstfinale]

Thanks for all the informations, it´s sad to hear that no performances excists.

[kenneth]

I saw them in the late sixties,and they still sounded great.

How lucky for you to have seen them. Do you recall anything about the song set? Did anyone other than Wanda sing lead?

[sup_fan]

have there been many fans with bootleg shows of the Marvelettes? seems like there's a considerable amount of Sup stuff but not nearly as much underground material on the M's.

Given the audio quality of much of the early to even mid 60s live shows, it's clear that most venues did not have sufficient equipment to faithfully capture the live shows in a format that would last. Look at the Sup at the Copa set in 65 and the sound problems they had there. and that was a rather top notch venue.

I did hear that motown recorded tons of their artists for the sake of artist development - they could review the material and see what sounded good/not so good, what worked, didn't work, etc. Don't know how much of that remains or if it ever was the volume of material that the rumor would have you believe.

IMO i wonder if there really isn't as much available. on the Sups Sing HDH they included Copa 67. frankly i think it's a considerably weaker live set than previous releases. but it was historic due to Flo's upcoming departure. but i would think that if a superior live recording from some earlier show had been in the vaults, they would have used some of it.

[copley]

Given that 'Hunter' was such a big hit in the US I find it odd that there is no record of them performing it on TV! Perhaps someone from the US can confirm this please?

[sup_fan]

By the time Hunter was released many of the national shows that would have broadcast it was off the air - shindig, hullabaloo. Motown made no effort to push the marvelettes onto other national shows like Sullivan or tonight show. They might have done it on some local shows. Like Swing Time

[Roger Polhill]

Go to google and enter Marvelettes live then hit images and you will find half a dozen.

[BigAl]

The one and only time I saw The Marvelettes was in 1966 when they were on an abridged Motortown Revue with the Contours and The Temptations. Their set was pretty flat and it seemed like they were just walking through it. It looked like more effort was put into their appearance than their performance. Flouncy floor-length gowns with marabou accents; Wanda had glitter[[!) on her face and a bizarre wig with bangs cut to a point in the middle; and Gladys was wearing a tiara[[!). Kat was more understated. Not much in the way of stage moves and Wanda’s delivery was quite weak. Gladys did okay but it wasn’t what I was expecting. This might have been just an off-day for them but I came away with the feeling that they just weren’t into it. We know now that they were feeling neglected by the label and perhaps there might have been some internal difficulty with Gladys about to depart and Wanda’s substance issues. In any case, I was very disappointed.

[Fullfillingnessfirstfinale]

Somebody who knows more about the live- sessions of the Marvelettes, which are in the vaults ????? It would be so great to have a live CD Collection of the group as a trio. Maybe in combination with unreleased material.

[sup_fan]

I gunk what everyone has been saying is that there isn’t much more, if any, material in the vaults that is either completed or acceptable for release. Remember if the singers are having a bad day and are not sounding great it will not be released. Universal and the team certainly don’t want to show any of the singers in a bad light

[BigAl]

I gunk what everyone has been saying is that there isn’t much more, if any, material in the vaults that is either completed or acceptable for release. Remember if the singers are having a bad day and are not sounding great it will not be released. Universal and the team certainly don’t want to show any of the singers in a bad light

I suspect that might well be the case with The Marvelettes. If that performance I mentioned was any indication, they were possibly struggling in live performance in general by that time [[no longer the bouncy, twistin' teenage girls), and there might have been little or nothing in the vaults worth issuing on them, other than their studio tracks. I do wonder if Ann might have brought a little more animation and vocal power to the act. Did anyone in here ever see the final grouping perform?

[motony]

I saw them LIVE in 1966 [[Oct. I think) on the Otis Redding Tour and they were GREAT. They had on those purple glittery dresses,knee length and put on a powerfull performance, both vocally & dance moves [[routines) & all 3 were in great spirit.

[sup_fan]

I suspect that might well be the case with The Marvelettes. If that performance I mentioned was any indication, they were possibly struggling in live performance in general by that time [[no longer the bouncy, twistin' teenage girls), and there might have been little or nothing in the vaults worth issuing on them, other than their studio tracks. I do wonder if Ann might have brought a little more animation and vocal power to the act. Did anyone in here ever see the final grouping perform?

Certainly could have been an off night for them.

But i think back in the 60s there just weren't all that many venues with quality sound recording systems. If they struggled as much as they did in 65 at the Copa with the Surpremes, then i imagine other halls and auditoriums were even worse off. Plus there would have been additional costs with recording them live and perhaps no one was interested in the added expense

[arr&bee]

how lucky for you to have seen them. Do you recall anything about the song set? Did anyone other than wanda sing lead?well,let's see,they basically sang most of their hits as i remember and i'm sure that ann took a lead at some point.

[Fullfillingnessfirstfinale]

I saw them in the late sixties,and they still sounded great.

You have great luck arr&bee have seen the group in the final line up with the great Ann Bogan. Sadly I´m too young for seeing the group on a live performance :-[[

Well I think, the performance on stage could not be bad from 1966 on as a trio. Yesterday I have heard Martha Reeves and The Vandellas live at the Copa 1968, with the line up of Martha, Lois and Rosalyn. And this album is better than her Live-Album some years earlier.
An expanded edition of Ridin`High would be the perfect combination and the last chance to publish the live album.

I think it must be the same thing with The Marvelettes, they were a hot live act in their early years, they can´t be bad as a trio on stage.

It would be very great to have some live recordings from this time, but I think it´s too late, because TMF and TMFM are out and there are no more chance for any live session to publish :-[[

[jsmith]

A couple of live gigs ... 66 & 68 ...
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[motony]

that Yankee Stadium must have been packed.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

A truly star-studded affair! The Marvelettes must have been quite a draw and very good performers to have been included amongst such a lineup of boldface names.

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