Please Mr. Postman Not Covered

**RanRan79** · 03-22-2018, 12:39 AM

I was going to piggyback off of the other Postman thread but thought better of it. Anyway, does anyone other than me think it's strange that such an important song in Motown's history was never covered by anyone else at the label? I know the Originals put it in a medley in the 1980s but they were with another label by then. A check of the tracklists of 1960s Motown lps makes it clear that Motown loved recycling Motown songs on Motown artists, including hits, but for some reason "Please Mr. Postman" didn't get a turn.

Personally I would love for the Supremes to have covered it with Florence on lead sometime in 1962, since she helped Gladys work out the lead and if you're familiar with Flo's voice you can hear her influence on those ad libs. Might have made a cool addition to Meet the Supremes.

Would love for Gladys Knight to have covered it when she came to Motown too. I can hear her ripping it up in my head now. Perhaps a little "Letter Full of Tears" could've been thrown in for a spin on the song?

Outside of Motown the song has been covered by a number of different artists. Anyone willing to venture why this massive hit went untouched at Motown though? Any other artists you would like to have heard give it a try?

**jsmith** · 03-22-2018, 08:17 AM

It does seem strange, especially with the Beatles recycling the song at the end of 63 [[2 years after the original charted). Their version [[when put out on a 45) even being a hit single track in foreign countries.
Hope the writers are getting their royalties from the recent PORTUGAL THE MAN song that sampled PMrP.

**RanRan79** · 03-22-2018, 08:35 AM

Good point about the Beatles. If Motown were gonna cover the Beatles covering Motown, "Please Mr. Postman" would've been a better choice for A Bit of Liverpool than "You've Really Got a Hold On Me".

**motony** · 03-22-2018, 10:21 AM

they knew nobody could do it like the Marvelettes. I hated the other covers of PMP, esp that soulless drivle by the Carpenters. Glad the writers made some money.

**reese** · 03-22-2018, 10:47 AM

Diana Ross did sing two lines of it as part of a medley on her AN EVENING WITH DIANA ROSS album [[1977).

**midnightman** · 03-22-2018, 11:13 AM

Money [[That's What I Want) and Shop Around weren't covered that much within Motown either, I don't think... though Come to Me was? Strange.

**Motown Eddie** · 03-22-2018, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by midnightman

Money [[That's What I Want) and Shop Around weren't covered that much within Motown either, I don't think... though Come to Me was? Strange.

Barrett Strong's "Money [[That's What I Want)" was covered quite a few times at Motown with versions by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, The Supremes, Hattie Littles, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, Mandre and Mary Wells. As for "Come To Me", besides the original I can only think of Mary Wells' remake [[on Bye Bye Baby).

**Motown Eddie** · 03-22-2018, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by RanRan79

I was going to piggyback off of the other Postman thread but thought better of it. Anyway, does anyone other than me think it's strange that such an important song in Motown's history was never covered by anyone else at the label? I know the Originals put it in a medley in the 1980s but they were with another label by then. A check of the tracklists of 1960s Motown lps makes it clear that Motown loved recycling Motown songs on Motown artists, including hits, but for some reason "Please Mr. Postman" didn't get a turn.

Personally I would love for the Supremes to have covered it with Florence on lead sometime in 1962, since she helped Gladys work out the lead and if you're familiar with Flo's voice you can hear her influence on those ad libs. Might have made a cool addition to Meet the Supremes.

Would love for Gladys Knight to have covered it when she came to Motown too. I can hear her ripping it up in my head now. Perhaps a little "Letter Full of Tears" could've been thrown in for a spin on the song?

Outside of Motown the song has been covered by a number of different artists. Anyone willing to venture why this massive hit went untouched at Motown though? Any other artists you would like to have heard give it a try?

Very good question; indeed it's a mystery why "Please Mr. Postman" never received a remake during Motown's heyday. I believe these artists could've done great versions of the song:

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [[featuring Claudette Robinson)
The Supremes [[featuring Flo Ballard)
Mary Wells
The Velvelettes
Martha & the Vandellas
Gladys Knight & the Pips

**midnightman** · 03-22-2018, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by Motown Eddie

Barrett Strong's "Money [[That's What I Want)" was covered quite a few times at Motown with versions by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, The Supremes, Hattie Littles, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, Mandre and Mary Wells. As for "Come To Me", besides the original I can only think of Mary Wells' remake [[on Bye Bye Baby).

I just remembered the Miracles version as soon as I made that post. -_-

But yeah, Shop Around was only covered once too by Mary Wells.

Had no idea Junior Walker did a cover of Money.

**RanRan79** · 03-22-2018, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by reese

Diana Ross did sing two lines of it as part of a medley on her AN EVENING WITH DIANA ROSS album [[1977).

She sure did. I forgot about that.

**RanRan79** · 03-22-2018, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by Motown Eddie

Very good question; indeed it's a mystery why "Please Mr. Postman" never received a remake during Motown's heyday. I believe these artists could've done great versions of the song:

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles [[featuring Claudette Robinson)
The Supremes [[featuring Flo Ballard)
Mary Wells
The Velvelettes
Martha & the Vandellas
Gladys Knight & the Pips

I think the Miracles would've done a great version too. Claudette or Smokey, either choice would've been good.

**Motown Eddie** · 03-22-2018, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by midnightman

I just remembered the Miracles version as soon as I made that post. -_-

But yeah, Shop Around was only covered once too by Mary Wells.

Had no idea Junior Walker did a cover of Money.

Yes; Jr. Walker & the All Stars' version of "Money [[That's What I Want)" was released on their Road Runner LP and as a 2-part single in 1966. Also forgot to mention Mary Wells' version of "Shop Around" on her first album [[and don't forget Debbie Dean's 'answer record' "Don't Let Him Shop Around" in 1961).

**Motown Eddie** · 03-22-2018, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by midnightman

Money [[That's What I Want) and Shop Around weren't covered that much within Motown either, I don't think... though Come to Me was? Strange.

Just remembered that Smokey Robinson & the Miracles did a cover version of "Come To Me" in 1959 [[and it was first released on their Lost And Found collection Along Came Love in 1999).

**johnny_raven** · 03-22-2018, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by Motown Eddie

Barrett Strong's "Money [[That's What I Want)" was covered quite a few times at Motown with versions by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, The Supremes, Hattie Littles, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, Mandre and Mary Wells. As for "Come To Me", besides the original I can only think of Mary Wells' remake [[on Bye Bye Baby).

Re: Money ... Don't forget about Amos Milburn, Blinky & Popcorn Wylie

Re: Come To Me ... The Contours' version appeared on Motown Unreleased 1962

**sup_fan** · 03-22-2018, 12:50 PM

I wonder if the feeling was it was too "old" of a song and not especially contemporary any more. Same with Shop Around. By the mid 60s, the Motown sound had really evolved and was much more sophisticated. So to simply do a cover of one of these "old" songs maybe didn't make as much sense

They did do some radically different covers. Think of Return Of the Marvelettes, Diana's Mountain, Blinky Hunter Gets Captured. I don't know if Postman or Shop could work very well as a totally different soul sound. But that's not to say someone couldn't have tried.

**Motown Eddie** · 03-22-2018, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by johnny_raven

Re: Money ... Don't forget about Amos Milburn, Blinky & Popcorn Wylie

Re: Come To Me ... The Contours' version appeared on Motown Unreleased 1962

Oops! I didn't know about those versions of "Money" & "Come To Me" [[except for Popcorn Wylie's version of "Money" which I forgot to mention). Thanks Johnny Raven.

**RanRan79** · 03-22-2018, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by sup_fan

I wonder if the feeling was it was too "old" of a song and not especially contemporary any more. Same with Shop Around. By the mid 60s, the Motown sound had really evolved and was much more sophisticated. So to simply do a cover of one of these "old" songs maybe didn't make as much sense

They did do some radically different covers. Think of Return Of the Marvelettes, Diana's Mountain, Blinky Hunter Gets Captured. I don't know if Postman or Shop could work very well as a totally different soul sound. But that's not to say someone couldn't have tried.

Good points. I think in the hands of an Ashford and Simpson or even Norman Whitfield, "Please Mr. Postman" could've been spun around like the versions of songs you mention. But maybe not.

**midnightman** · 03-22-2018, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by sup_fan

I wonder if the feeling was it was too "old" of a song and not especially contemporary any more. Same with Shop Around. By the mid 60s, the Motown sound had really evolved and was much more sophisticated. So to simply do a cover of one of these "old" songs maybe didn't make as much sense

They did do some radically different covers. Think of Return Of the Marvelettes, Diana's Mountain, Blinky Hunter Gets Captured. I don't know if Postman or Shop could work very well as a totally different soul sound. But that's not to say someone couldn't have tried.

Might've been. Plus it was really a teen pop song [[in the truest sense of the word) and Motown acts by the mid-1960s were VERY adult with their music...

**TomatoTom123** · 03-22-2018, 07:50 PM

OOoooh good question RanRan. I have wondered this myself before. Maybe because it was such a massive and recognisable hit all other versions would pale in comparison? I dunno. Didn’t stop Motown with other hit songs.

sup could be right that it was too 'old' and early-60s-girl-group-ish a song to be covered by Motown in its heyday and beyond. Athough having said that The Spinners did an excellently funky rendition of "Shop Around" with G.C. Cameron! I am also fond of Captain & Tennille's 1976 version...