The Marvelettes - The Boy From Crosstown

[marv2]

This still sounds so good. The Marvelettes were powerful:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnqBd_miVUY

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

This version always gets me revved up to warp drive. Everything about this is good. You can hear Gladys is maturing as a vocalist, becoming more stylized. Hearing the combined talents of The Marvelettes and Andantes- and hearing both groups distinctly. The Funks are driving the tune along full force [[those drums! those bongos especially at the end!) Wow!

[robb_k]

16919
This is the slow version, and the mix with a little better separation. We used another take for "From The Vaults". I liked the more complicated instrumental on that one, and also, I remember the vocal being better, too. I wonder if I can still find it on You-Tube?

[robb_k]

16919
This is the up-front version, and the mix with a little better separation. We used another take for "From The Vaults". I liked the more complicated instrumental on that one, and also, I remember the vocal being better, too. I wonder if I can still find it on You-Tube?
They're BOTH great. I only thought I liked the first one better because I had been listening to the other one thousands of times over the last 46 years, since finding it in Motown's Vaults.
Here is the version we used:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OvEDRsX0F0&list=TLPQMjQwMzIwMjDtbJuQWOL4S A&index=2

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

16919
This is the up-front version, and the mix with a little better separation. We used another take for "From The Vaults". I liked the more complicated instrumental on that one, and also, I remember the vocal being better, too. I wonder if I can still find it on You-Tube?
They're BOTH great. I only thought I liked the first one better because I had been listening to the other one thousands of times over the last 46 years, since finding it in Motown's Vaults.
Here is the version we used:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OvEDRsX0F0&list=TLPQMjQwMzIwMjDtbJuQWOL4S A&index=2
It seems Norman Whitfield really had faith in this song, having recorded it with The Velvelettes and The Marvelettes, twice [[and then finally getting a release with Gladys Knight.) Hard to choose, I do like both, but the earlier version with, as you said, the more complicated instrumentation really packs a wallop. I wonder if QC chose another single up for review at the time over that earlier version. To me, I always classified the first version as from the "Too Many Fish In The Sea" era, while this second version maybe was being considered for "The Pink Album" as the sound is very close to what Norman did with "He Was Really Saying Something" for The Marvelettes.

By the way, robb, I'm glad you found this version [[and that it was a video of mine!)

[Motown Eddie]

Yes Indeed: The Marvelettes' "The Boy From Crosstown" still sounds good. It's another one of those songs by them that should've come out at the time [[either as a single or an LP cut for "The Pink Album").

[kenneth]

16919
This is the slow version, and the mix with a little better separation. We used another take for "From The Vaults". I liked the more complicated instrumental on that one, and also, I remember the vocal being better, too. I wonder if I can still find it on You-Tube?

It wasn't on "From the Vaults," from what I recall though. I think it first appeared on one of the UK compilations, perhaps "Cellarful of Motown." My recollection is that "Knock on My Door" or "I Should Have Known Better" were on the original "Vaults" LP.

[144man]

3 different versions were released according to DFTMC.

[Motown Eddie]

It wasn't on "From the Vaults," from what I recall though. I think it first appeared on one of the UK compilations, perhaps "Cellarful of Motown." My recollection is that "Knock on My Door" or "I Should Have Known Better" were on the original "Vaults" LP.

The Marvelettes' "The Boy From Crosstown" was first released in 1995 on the Motown Year By Year: The Sound of Young America, 1966 CD. The song was also included [[in two different versions) on A Cellarful of Motown Vol. 2 & A Cellarful of Motown Vol. 3. "I Should've Known Better" was on the From The Vaults LP in 1979 & "Knock On My Door" was from the Never-Before-Released Masters from Motown's Brightest Stars album in 1986.

[motony]

Thanks RobbK, love Gladys' voice. Yes, "I Should Have Known Better" was on that first From the Vaults vinyl LP. I saw the Marvelettes LIVE in 1966 and they were GREAT.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Thanks RobbK, love Gladys' voice. Yes, "I Should Have Known Better" was on that first From the Vaults vinyl LP. I saw the Marvelettes LIVE in 1966 and they were GREAT.

Do you remember what songs they sang? Oh how I would have loved seeing them live back in the day!

[motony]

Yes, they came out doin' a combo of Barefootin' goin into Too Many Fish, then Don't Mess with Bill , a medley of hits. They were the co-stars of the Otis Redding Show. Now, in other cities Robert Parker was on the show too, so they would not do Barefootin.

[daviddesper]

Guess it made the news on here recently that Robert Parker died. I think he was in his late 80s.

[paul_nixon]

The Marvelettes' "The Boy From Crosstown" was first released in 1995 on the Motown Year By Year: The Sound of Young America, 1966 CD. The song was also included [[in two different versions) on A Cellarful of Motown Vol. 2 & A Cellarful of Motown Vol. 3. "I Should've Known Better" was on the From The Vaults LP in 1979 & "Knock On My Door" was from the Never-Before-Released Masters from Motown's Brightest Stars album in 1986.

The Shiny Black Boots version being at that point the rarest

[robb_k]

It wasn't on "From the Vaults," from what I recall though. I think it first appeared on one of the UK compilations, perhaps "Cellarful of Motown." My recollection is that "Knock on My Door" or "I Should Have Known Better" were on the original "Vaults" LP.
16935
From The Vaults was supposed to be a 5 or 10 LP series. The first 5 would be released, and if they sold well, the 2nd five would come out, as well. We lined up the songs for all 10. The Marvelettes' version of "The Boy From Crosstown was slated for Volume II, if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, Motown had no interest in our project, so there wasn't the slightest bit of marketing for it. It was placed on their Natural Resources label, which few people even knew existed, and there was no advertising or push by distributors. So, after the first LP, they even cancelled the pressing and release of the next 4. Unfortunately, I left the LP song lists in our office at Airwave Records. And it got thrown away when we closed operations, while I was in Europe. But, all our work wasn't in vain, because it was used to help find unreleased songs for Motown's 2 "vault-style" LPs released in 1981 and 1982, and also for 1984's 25th Anniversary series.

[kenneth]

16935
From The Vaults was supposed to be a 5 or 10 LP series. The first 5 would be released, and if they sold well, the 2nd five would come out, as well. We lined up the songs for all 10. The Marvelettes' version of "The Boy From Crosstown was slated for Volume II, if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, Motown had no interest in our project, so there wasn't the slightest bit of marketing for it. It was placed on their Natural Resources label, which few people even knew existed, and there was no advertising or push by distributors. So, after the first LP, they even cancelled the pressing and release of the next 4. Unfortunately, I left the LP song lists in our office at Airwave Records. And it got thrown away when we closed operations, while I was in Europe. But, all our work wasn't in vain, because it was used to help find unreleased songs for Motown's 2 "vault-style" LPs released in 1981 and 1982, and also for 1984's 25th Anniversary series.


It was the greatest album...just a revelation to finally see something from the vaults on LP. For me, I think it was the first time I ever found an album like that. I'm sure Motown released some before that - didn't they occasionally go to the vaults for some odd tracks on certain compilations? I'm not sure, but I would have bought every volume of "Vaults," I was so excited by the release. You all chose really representative songs too, I mean songs that really had the artists' signature styles in them.

I also really liked the early "Motown Superstars Sing Motown Superstars," which I think was also on the Natural Resources label. That label had the oddest catalog. Some straight reissues, some comps like these, and some rock groups that somehow didn't make it to the Rare Earth label!

[kenneth]

Yes, they came out doin' a combo of Barefootin' goin into Too Many Fish, then Don't Mess with Bill , a medley of hits. They were the co-stars of the Otis Redding Show. Now, in other cities Robert Parker was on the show too, so they would not do Barefootin.

I can't believe we have no live recordings of the Marvelettes from this era! I would love to have heard Wanda live after her voice came into its own. [[Some of her screeching on the Gladys era live LP is a little hard to take, as much as I love her!)

[SatansBlues]

I can't believe we have no live recordings of the Marvelettes from this era! I would love to have heard Wanda live after her voice came into its own. [[Some of her screeching on the Gladys era live LP is a little hard to take, as much as I love her!)
I would love to hear the Marvelettes in concert too from the mid/late 60s. Harry Weinger made mention a few years ago that before they made the live Motown Mondays series in 1966 the artists performed in Cleveland and those concerts were also recorded. I could not get confirmation if that included the Marvelettes. But it would be great to hear!

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Yes, they came out doin' a combo of Barefootin' goin into Too Many Fish, then Don't Mess with Bill , a medley of hits. They were the co-stars of the Otis Redding Show. Now, in other cities Robert Parker was on the show too, so they would not do Barefootin.Ok, wow, that's a great set list! Wanda tore it up on the album version of Barefootin' and I'll bet she brought the house down, doing it live.