For those who were around "Back In The Day": The Marvelettes- "I'll Keep Holding On"

**SatansBlues** · 12-08-2019, 06:50 PM

Both songs climbed do #11 on the R&B charts. In total they had 11 top 10 R&B hits. I wonder how those songs did on the Cashbox and Record World charts.

**mowest** · 12-08-2019, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by SatansBlues

Both songs climbed do #11 on the R&B charts. In total they had 11 top 10 R&B hits. I wonder how those songs did on the Cashbox and Record World charts.

On the Cash Box pop singles chart, “I’ll Keep Holding On” peaked at #36, “Danger...” peaked at #57.
I remember “Holding” got a lot of air play in Binghamton, NY where I was in college and I loved it immediately. Later in the summer of ’65 I was home in NYC and don’t recall “Danger” being played much except on the soul stations. That song is one that really should have gone top ten!

**marv2** · 12-08-2019, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by mowest

On the Cash Box pop singles chart, “I’ll Keep Holding On” peaked at #36, “Danger...” peaked at #57.
I remember “Holding” got a lot of air play in Binghamton, NY where I was in college and I loved it immediately. Later in the summer of ’65 I was home in NYC and don’t recall “Danger” being played much except on the soul stations. That song is one that really should have gone top ten!

Did WWRL play it Mowest?

**mowest** · 12-08-2019, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by marv2

Did WWRL play it Mowest?

Yes marv2, WWRL did play it!

**marv2** · 12-08-2019, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by mowest

Yes marv2, WWRL did play it!

I loved that station.

**WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance** · 12-08-2019, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by mowest

On the Cash Box pop singles chart, “I’ll Keep Holding On” peaked at #36, “Danger...” peaked at #57.
I remember “Holding” got a lot of air play in Binghamton, NY where I was in college and I loved it immediately. Later in the summer of ’65 I was home in NYC and don’t recall “Danger” being played much except on the soul stations. That song is one that really should have gone top ten!

I love these recollections of these two songs by all of you! Nice to hear that you even recall the stations that were playing these songs.

I always contend that the Marvelettes career at Motown and in general was very impressive given the competition they had within Motown itself. When they hit a slump in '63/'64, Motown could have decided to wash their hands of the group or they could have become like all those other acts that never got an album release and very few singles. I think the group was just too good and had a very dedicated following of fans that kept them going even during those lean times. Motown had to value them to some extent because they kept getting singles released on a pretty consistent basis.

**marv2** · 12-08-2019, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance

I love these recollections of these two songs by all of you! Nice to hear that you even recall the stations that were playing these songs.

I always contend that the Marvelettes career at Motown and in general was very impressive given the competition they had within Motown itself. When they hit a slump in '63/'64, Motown could have decided to wash their hands of the group or they could have become like all those other acts that never got an album release and very few singles. I think the group was just too good and had a very dedicated following of fans that kept them going even during those lean times. Motown had to value them to some extent because they kept getting singles released on a pretty consistent basis.

I saw the Marvelettes at an outdoor concert in 1966. Their latest record was "Don't Mess With Bill". My Uncle Bill pretended that they were referring to him! LOL!

**WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance** · 12-09-2019, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by marv2

I saw the Marvelettes at an outdoor concert in 1966. Their latest record was "Don't Mess With Bill". My Uncle Bill pretended that they were referring to him! LOL!

Oh, that's priceless! I love that about your Uncle Bill! See, this is where I get jealous. You got to see the group live! I'll bet they put on an amazing show. That clip of them performing "Bill" on Hullabaloo really cause a stir in my house when I bought the DVD of the show and dragged everyone I knew to watch that clip. This was in the 80's and I remember not just my folks, but even my friends who weren't into Motown were blown away by those steps the Marvelettes were doing.

It is pretty incredible how much a part music plays in our lives. Seems we were on parallel lines as far as our music experiences because I do recall the Jackson 5 more or less radically changing things in our house. I think when they hit, my older brother may have just gotten to that point where he was starting to buy music he liked. I don't think we had the first album, but for sure, the ABC album was for a time THE can't-do-without album of our house. Oh man.

A couple of those songs I can't play today because they bring back such strong, happy memories of a time I know I can't go back to. "I'll Bet You" and "True Love Can Be Beautiful" for whatever reason resonate the strongest as far as memories. We would be in the basement just playing, running around, playing nerf basketball or whatever and that album would be playing non-stop. "I'll Bet You" was just so kinda strange in a good way that we'd run around all day saying "baby i'll bet ya" in as deep a voice as our kid selves could muster!

**detmotownguy** · 12-09-2019, 01:17 AM

Marv everyone had the Marvelettes 45s in the standard carrying case. So how did the Marvelettes sound?

**marv2** · 12-09-2019, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by detmotownguy

Marv everyone had the Marvelettes 45s in the standard carrying case. So how did the Marvelettes sound?

DET I remember those carrying cases. My older cousins had them. How did the Marvelettes sound? Great I guess, it has been more than 50 years since that show. I did get to see Wanda Rogers reprise "Don't Mess With Bill" in 1990 in Detroit during the Motor City Revue concerts at the Ponchitrain. I remember everyone in the audience being stunned when she opened her mouth and sounded just like she did way back in 1966! Legendary Detroit DJ "Frantic" Ernie Durham had me escort her down the elevator to the dressing rooms after her set. She was backed by the Monitors. They all sounded good.

**detmotownguy** · 12-21-2019, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by marv2

DET I remember those carrying cases. My older cousins had them. How did the Marvelettes sound? Great I guess, it has been more than 50 years since that show. I did get to see Wanda Rogers reprise "Don't Mess With Bill" in 1990 in Detroit during the Motor City Revue concerts at the Ponchitrain. I remember everyone in the audience being stunned when she opened her mouth and sounded just like she did way back in 1966! Legendary Detroit DJ "Frantic" Ernie Durham had me escort her down the elevator to the dressing rooms after her set. She was backed by the Monitors. They all sounded good.

I was at the same show at the Pontch! She did sound the same.