Please Mr. Postman

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For the Naruto episode see: OH!? Please ♥ Mister Postman
"Please Mr. Postman"
"Please Mr. Postman" cover
Single by The Marvelettes
from the album Please Mr. Postman
Released August 21, 1961
Format 7" single
Recorded Hitsville USA (Studio A); 1961
Genre Soul/pop
Length 2:31
Label Tamla
T 54046
Writer(s) Georgia Dobbins
William Garrett
Brian Holland
Robert Bateman
Freddie Gorman
Producer(s) Brianbert (Brian Holland & Robert Bateman)
Chart positions
The Marvelettes singles chronology
--- "Please Mr. Postman"
(1961)
"Twistin' Postman"
(1961)
"Please Mister Postman"
"Please Mister Postman" cover
Song by The Beatles
from the album With The Beatles
Released November 22, 1963
Recorded September 11-12, 1963
Genre Rock and roll
Length 2:36
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Georgia Dobbins
William Garrett
Brian Holland
Robert Bateman
Freddie Gorman
Producer(s) George Martin
With the Beatles track listing
Side one
  1. "It Won't Be Long"
  2. "All I've Got to Do"
  3. "All My Loving"
  4. "Don't Bother Me"
  5. "Little Child"
  6. "Till There Was You"
  7. "Please Mister Postman"
Side two
  1. "Roll Over Beethoven"
  2. "Hold Me Tight"
  3. "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
  4. "I Wanna Be Your Man"
  5. "Devil in Her Heart"
  6. "Not A Second Time"
  7. "Money (That's What I Want)"

"Please Mr. Postman" is the debut single by The Marvelettes for the Tamla (Motown) label, notable as the first Motown song to reach the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart. The single achieved this position in late 1961; it hit number-one on the R&B chart as well. "Please Mr. Postman" became a number-one hit again in early 1975, when the Carpenters' cover of the song also reached the top position of the Billboard Hot 100.

[edit] History

In early 1961, The Marvelettes (then known as "The Marvels") arranged an audition for Berry Gordy's Tamla/Motown label. Marvels member Georgia Dobbins needed an original song for their audition , and got a blues song from her friend William Garrett, which she then reworked for the group. Dobbins left the group after the audition and was replaced, Gordy renamed the group and hired "Brianbert" - Brian Holland and Robert Bateman's songwriting partnership - to rework the song yet again. Freddie Gorman, another songwriting partner of Holland (before Holland became part of the Holland-Dozier-Holland team) was also was involved in the final reworking.

The Marvelettes recording features lead singer Gladys Horton hoping that the postman has brought her a letter from her boyfriend, who is away at war. Instrumentation is provided by The Funk Brothers, including Marvin Gaye on drums.

Songwriting credits for "Please Mr. Postman" seem to have changed over the years. The original Tamla 45 single for the Marvelettes' version credits "Dobbins/Garett/Brianbert" as the songwriters, and credits "Brianbert" as producer. The original With the Beatles album cover credited it to just Brian Holland. The 1974 Beatles discography book All Together Now credits it to Holland, Bateman, and Berry Gordy. The 1992 Motown boxed set Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection credits Dobbins, Garrett, Holland, Bateman, and Gorman as the composers. As of 2006, the Songwriters Hall of Fame credits "Please Mr. Postman" to just Holland, Bateman, and Gorman. [1]

"Please Mr. Postman" has frequently been covered, including a cover by The Beatles on their With the Beatles album. The Beatles' cover features a lead by John Lennon, resulting the genders being reversed in the composition. Later, a second hit version was recorded by The Carpenters, whose version took the song again to number-one on the Hot 100 in early 1975. The song has also been sampled by rapper Juelz Santana for his single "Oh Yes".


"Please Mr. Postman"
"Please Mr. Postman" cover
Single by The Carpenters
from the album Horizon
Released 1974
Format 7" single
Recorded 1974
Genre Pop
Length 2:50
Label A&M
1846
Producer(s) The Carpenters
Chart positions
The Carpenters singles chronology
"I Won't Last a Day Without You"
(1974)
"Please Mr. Postman"
(1974)
"Only Yesterday"
(1975)


Preceded by
"Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean
Billboard Hot 100
number one single
(Marvelettes version)

December 11, 1961
Succeeded by
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
by The Tokens
Preceded by
"Mandy" by Barry Manilow
Billboard Hot 100
number one single
(Carpenters version)

January 25, 1975
Succeeded by
"Laughter in the Rain"
by Neil Sedaka

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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