The Return of the Marvelettes LP COVER PHOTO question?

I know the story goes that this LP was originally conceived as a vehicle for Wanda's solo career, but fearing Wanda's name [[and voice) weren't marketable, it was changed to a Marvelettes release. This angered Ann and Katherine [[who hadn't participated much in the recording), and they refused to participate in a photoshoot for the cover photo.

So here's the $64,000.00 question: Motown, by this time, did whatever the heck it wanted. So why didn't they just use an archived photo of Wanda, Katherine, and Ann? There had to have been something suitable taken within the last year that the group was together?

Were Katherine and Ann still under contract at Motown? Or had they disbanded by this time? If they were still under contract, could they really have refused in the promotion of this release? If they had disbanded, didn't it seem suspicious that suddenly there was a new release from the group?

To my knowledge, the group had already broken up by the time of its release. When they decided to release it under the Marvelettes' name, Katherine has said that someone from Motown did call and ask her to participate in a photo session.

Why didn't they use an old photo? Smokey is credited with the album cover concept so probably he was fixated on the Western theme.

I think that the group as we knew them were finished after[1968].

Yes it has been documented that they had split up the year before the album was released. I think likely they wanted a more contemporary photo rather than an old one which would more or less date the album. I love the concept and to me the album photograph shows great artistry. It is one of my favorite album covers of all time. Also my favorite album. But everyone here knows how much I love Wanda Rogers’ voice.

I hadn’t thought of it before, but it seems that the Marvelettes were the first of the Motown girl groups to appear on their albums in contemporary clothing. Their last album as a group, “In Full Bloom,” show them in a natural setting in casual attire. This was the same year that the Vandellas appeared on the cover of “Sugar ‘n Spice” in the usual matching gowns. The same year that “Return” came out the Vandellas appeared in contemporary clothing on the cover of “Natural Resources.” The Supremes never really did that until much later, and after Diana Ross had left the group. Although they did appear in the urban streetwear on the cover of “Love Child,” I would consider those outfits more or less to be costumes.

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Originally Posted by marybrewster

So here's the $64,000.00 question: Motown, by this time, did whatever the heck it wanted. So why didn't they just use an archived photo of Wanda, Katherine, and Ann? There had to have been something suitable taken within the last year that the group was together?

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I also would've preferred a photo of the group for their last album, however, Motown had owned the name of the group and they "did what the heck they wanted". So their marketing department decided since westerns were popular at the time, they chose that theme [and the title of the LP] to market The Return Of The Marvelettes.

I always thought it was rather odd that they titled it the "return", which is to imply that they were back and might stay a while, if it had already been determined that they were in fact finished. A contradiction in terms you might say...

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Originally Posted by daviddesper

I always thought it was rather odd that they titled it the "return", which is to imply that they were back and might stay a while, if it had already been determined that they were in fact finished. A contradiction in terms you might say...

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"A contradiction in terms" Indeed! In fact, Motown didn't even issue a single to help promote TROM until over a year after the album came out.

Word on the street says that the[fake??]horses used in the shot wanted their own album but berry fired em!!

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Originally Posted by daviddesper

I always thought it was rather odd that they titled it the "return", which is to imply that they were back and might stay a while, if it had already been determined that they were in fact finished. A contradiction in terms you might say...

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It is a strange title for an album by a group that was already disbanded. Not to mention that Motown had to know what Wanda's condition was at the time. Maybe if it had hit they would have gone about trying to get her some help. Or maybe the album was just done to pacify Smokey and lift Wanda's spirits, as I think Berry was fond of her.

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Originally Posted by reese

Or maybe the album was just done to pacify Smokey and lift Wanda's spirits, as I think Berry was fond of her.

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I also think those are the reasons the The Return Of Marvelettes got recorded and released at all. Consider that B.G. & Smokey were [and still are] close friends and Wanda was married to Smokey's fellow Miracle, Bobby Rogers. Still when we consider that no singles were released from TROTM at the time in came out in late 1970 [the only single, "A Breath Taking Guy" came out over a year after the album], this was Motown's way saying 'farewell' to The Marvelettes [and Wanda Rogers as well].

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Originally Posted by Motown Eddie

I also think those are the reasons the The Return Of Marvelettes got recorded and released at all. Consider that B.G. & Smokey were [and still are] close friends and Wanda was married to Smokey's fellow Miracle, Bobby Rogers. Still when we consider that no singles were released from TROTM at the time in came out in late 1970 [the only single, "A Breath Taking Guy" came out over a year after the album], this was Motown's way saying 'farewell' to The Marvelettes [and Wanda Rogers as well].

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MARIONETTE was also released as a single, in November of 1970.

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Originally Posted by reese

MARIONETTE was also released as a single, in November of 1970.

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Ooops! I completely forgot that "Marionette" was released as a single. Thanks for the info Reese.

Didn't Marionette either crack the Hot 100 or at least bubble under?

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Originally Posted by daviddesper

Didn't Marionette either crack the Hot 100 or at least bubble under?

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"Marionette" charted at #50 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1970 [according to the Forever More collection]. It may have "bubbled under" on the Hot 100 but I can't find anything on that.

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Originally Posted by marybrewster

So here's the $64,000.00 question: Motown, by this time, did whatever the heck it wanted. So why didn't they just use an archived photo of Wanda, Katherine, and Ann? There had to have been something suitable taken within the last year that the group was together?

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Getting back to that $64,000 question; there were a lot of photos of the final lineup of The Marvelettes that Motown could've used for the TROTM LP even when Katherine & Ann refused to do other photo shoot [and many of them showed up on the group's Forever More collection in 2011]. So it was Smokey Robinson, who was credited with the album's design, choice to do the LP cover with a western theme with just Wanda & two other ladies.

PS: Another Motown album from around the same time with a similar 'western theme' was The Return of The Magnificent Seven by The Supremes & The Four Tops.