The Marvelettes - Holding On With Both Hands

When I formed Motorcity, in 1987, and recorded The Velvelettes, my dream was to also record The Marvelettes, but whereas the Velvelettes had its original lineup and were totally professional and performing as successfully as they had in the Sixties, The Marvelettes was a very sad story indeed. Gladys Horton had become somewhat embittered after years of fake Marvelettes doing the rounds, and giving her no chance of credibility, and the silky golden voice of Wanda Rogers had been stilled for eighteen years, by 1989, of mental health problems, nervous breakdowns, and heavy drink abuse to the extent that she was rumoured to be an alcoholic bag lady. Everyone but everyone said leave her alone, and she would never sing again, but I refused to give in. Marv Johnson founnd her finally, and brought her to me in Detroit. She looked embarrassing, and was stone drunk, and everyone wanted to steer clear of her. But Kim Weston sobered her up, and got her to the Hitsville Reunion on March 14th 1989. But they still all said I'd never get a vocal out of her, but we persevered for hours and hours, line by line and word by word, till she sounded like her old self, on "Holding On With Both Hands".

Then the song had to be performed on TV, and no way was Wanda up to it, so her fellow Marvelette, Gladys Horton, decided to do it in her place. We had been recording Gladys anyway, and did several songs using both Gladys and Wanda together, but this is the only time you'll ever hear Gladys doing the lead vocal on "Holding On With Both Hands".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Motown
• Motorcity
• Girl-Groups
• Detroit
• Northern-Soul

[IanLevine]

The lovely mad wonderful and charismatic Gladys Horton, one of the two lead singers of The Marvelettes, sadly passed away. I shall miss her terribly. I even got her on both the Geraldo show and the Joan Rivers Show, both in the early 1990s.

[ivycompton]

Ian, you're the greatest for posting this stuff! As a longtime Marvelettes fan (fanatic), it's such a pleasure to see this and some of your other vidz.

[IanLevine]

Thankyou so much. Click on my name and look through my videos. You'll see loads and loads of others I produced on the original artists of Motown. I own these and they're totally legal and unique.

[plukie26]

i like this song to. who is woman it's not wanda is it i dont know thats why iam asking can let me know please.

[IanLevine]

Gladys Horton, the original singer of "Please Mister Postman" and, along with Wanda, one of the two lead singers of The Marvelettes. Wanda actually recorded the lead vocal for the Motorcity record release but was not up to performing this at the time on a live show. So Gladys did the lead instead.

[bradly2007]

Gladys is the great voice on early Motown Hits which built the label...sounding soulful here, this is a wondrous treat for us Motown fans and Bravo to Ian for having the vision to bring us these classic ladies once again!

[KarlDan]

Gladys is still smokin'! Marvelous!

[jadahsboy]

my dream is to actually meet the orginal marvelettes members they are my absolute favorite 60's group point blank and gladys is my favorite. ian do you still have concerts with these artists?

[revjoenathan]

Do you have a website where you can still get the Marvelettes Now CD? I have been looking for it for a long time.

[marvtu]

her voice is really incredible, I love the roughness in it

[kiddiequeenofmotown]

my god! i just love this song!thank you ianlevine!

[kiddiequeenofmotown]

er...did wanda and bobby rogers divorce?

[kiddiequeenofmotown]

the original version of dont mess with bill is sung lead by wanda rogers

[kiddiequeenofmotown]

im trying to picture wandas voice on this, and i think that gladys voice is better

[Hello3691]

she best on "Destination:Anywhere" she destroyed any doubt in my mind when she blowed that song out of the park.

[mkrobinson95]

Hi Ian - I've had the "Mavelettes Now" CD for many years. I believe that Gladys sounds better in later years then in the early years ... though she's always been great. Beechwood-45789 on "Now" is fantastic. Thanks so much for all you've done bringing these classic acts back.

Also, I had never heard of Frankie Gaye and love the vids you've posted of him. WOW, what a resemblance physically and vocally!!!!