“Motown Marvelettes”

[luke]

Can they still get away with this per Katherine and Gladys’ family having rights to the name? This was 2012. I assume they are not the group Katherine sponsors. https://m.youtube.com/watch?t=240s&v...jcnd6MosDope0B. As well as using the name Motown!

[BigAl]

I'm guessing this was just another bogus group, possibly one of Larry Marshak's several groups of "Marvelettes," during the time that he supposedly owned the name, and thus they could legally call themselves that.

[luke]

I thought the name Motown had to be avoided?!

[marv2]

What I don't understand [[well the business part of me does), but some of these women have some talent. Why couldn't they just put together an act using their own group name. Make one up! Anyone that was a fan of the Marvelettes back in the day would know immediately that those are not the Marvelettes. They would be too young for starters.

[marv2]

I am sitting a few rows from the stage with Mrs. Esther Gordy Edwards and Ian Levine. I had to escort Wanda to the elevators and down to the dressing rooms. What you will not see in this clip is how in the middle song she started preaching about how Jesus would not want you to be messing with Bill, Otis, Jim, Clarence, etc,etc. LOL! BTW those are the Monitors backing her with Smokey's nephew Darrell being one of the members at that time:

[luke]

Was she being humorous or serious? Great editing job and so good to at least have this performance of Wanda!

[marv2]

Was she being humorous or serious? Great editing job and so good to at least have this performance of Wanda!

She was totally, 100% serious. My mother was also at that show and she laughed and talked about it for months. People in audience were saying things like "shut woman and sing the song", "Come on girl you ain't in church" etc, etc. It was a tough Detroit crowd LOL! Also they change the color of dress in the video. She had on this orange dress like you would see the mother of the bride wearing at a wedding. They had all of this sparkly stuff in her hair that got all over my dark suit!

[marv2]

Was she being humorous or serious? Great editing job and so good to at least have this performance of Wanda!

Oh yeah, no one knew what to expect from Wanda, when she opened her mouth and started singing, people were shocked that she sounded almost the same as she did in the 60s.

[candykamaine]

Ugh another set of fake Marvelettes, and i betcha that these girls replaced with new girls during the time period that these fakevelettes existed like they always were. They always take advantage of event planners [[parties, cruise ships, casinos, nightclubs and other events) who don't know a thing about the original music group at all.

[luke]

Does the legislation that has passed in many states do anything to enforce it?

[lakeside]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UuiAiGXjtw&app=desktop
At least they claim 'revue'. I believe I read where Pam Darden had passed away.

[marv2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UuiAiGXjtw&app=desktop
At least they claim 'revue'. I believe I read where Pam Darden had passed away.

Yes she did pass. At least Pam Darden did record with Wanda and Gladys on one of those Ian Levine productions.

[marv2]

Here's Gladys on one of TJ Lubinsky's music specials in 2005:

[marv2]

This one was a new original song. Gladys performs in Detroit here with singers around 1990.

[BigAl]

Here's Gladys on one of TJ Lubinsky's music specials in 2005:

Her voice certainly never suffered from wear and tear over the years, that's for sure. I did notice there are no tight close-ups of her in this performance. She developed a squint in one eye as she got older [[maybe Bell's palsy, or perhaps a stroke?) and I guess she might have been self-conscious about that and didn't want close-ups. In one PBS performance [[I think it was PBS) she even wore an eye patch.

[marv2]

Her voice certainly never suffered from wear and tear over the years, that's for sure. I did notice there are no tight close-ups of her in this performance. She developed a squint in one eye as she got older [[maybe Bell's palsy, or perhaps a stroke?) and I guess she might have been self-conscious about that and didn't want close-ups. In one PBS performance [[I think it was PBS) she even wore an eye patch.

Yes I noticed that about no closeups the night this aired. She suffered from Bell's Palsey. She wore an eye patch that night.

[BritishTony]

I have the full performance. Let me say the Marvelettesis one of my top 3 Motown groups and I love Wanda to bits. But someone hadgiven her a drink against her sister’s strict instructions and the poor girlwas lost. As Marv2 says she started rambling and even the poor Monitors turnedaway in understandable disgust at the end. But Ian Levine has edited this brilliantlyand this cleaned up version is how we should remember her. God bless Wanda [[andGladys) and their amazing music. And we owe a debt of thanks to Kim Weston forhelping Wanda make it that far. Motown IS a family.

[marv2]

I have the full performance. Let me say the Marvelettesis one of my top 3 Motown groups and I love Wanda to bits. But someone hadgiven her a drink against her sister’s strict instructions and the poor girlwas lost. As Marv2 says she started rambling and even the poor Monitors turnedaway in understandable disgust at the end. But Ian Levine has edited this brilliantlyand this cleaned up version is how we should remember her. God bless Wanda [[andGladys) and their amazing music. And we owe a debt of thanks to Kim Weston forhelping Wanda make it that far. Motown IS a family.

So true BritishTony and thank you.

[luke]

I believe it was Gladys on PBS who wore the patch due to a stroke.