Mary Wells
Mary Wells was a pioneering Motown singer known as the "First Lady of Motown." She rose to fame in the early 1960s with hits like "My Guy" before leaving the label and facing career challenges until her death in 1992.
Mary Esther Wells was born on May 13, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan, to Geneva Campbell Wells, a domestic worker, and absentee father Arthur Wells. She suffered spinal meningitis at age two, causing partial blindness, hearing loss in one ear, temporary paralysis, and later tuberculosis at age 10, yet she overcame these to sing in church and local clubs while helping her mother clean houses.
Wells graduated from Northwest High School in 1960 and soon married Herman Griffin, signing with Motown's Tamla Records that year. Her self-written debut "Bye Bye Baby" hit #8 on the R&B chart in 1961, followed by top 10 smashes like "The One Who Loves You," "You Beat Me to the Punch," "Two Lovers," and her #1 hit "My Guy" in 1964, making her Motown's first solo star to crossover to mainstream pop.
In 1964, Wells left Motown for a lucrative 20th Century-Fox deal, touring with the Beatles, but subsequent releases on labels like Atlantic and Reprise underperformed. She divorced Griffin, married Cecil Womack (with whom she recorded as Wells-Womack), battled addiction and health issues, and made cameo returns like Motown's 25th anniversary special in 1985.
Wells died of laryngeal cancer on July 26, 1992, in Los Angeles at age 49. Dubbed the "Queen of Motown," she was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame and Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame, with "My Guy" entering the Grammy Hall of Fame posthumously.
Mary Wells
Written-By – Rudy Clark
2:21
2 Everlovin' Boy
Written-By – Rudy Clark
2:28
3 He's A Lover
Written-By – Lee Porter, Ron Miller
2:38
4 Stop Takin' Me For Granted
Written-By – Jennie Lee Lambert, Mickey Gentile
2:21
5 Use Your Head
Written-By – Strong, Barksdale, Parker
2:09
6 We're Just Two Of A Kind
Written-By – Van McCoy
2:20
7 My Mind's Made Up
Written-By – J.J. Jackson, Sidney Barnes
2:18
8 Never, Never Leave Me
Written-By – Jennie Lee Lambert, Mickey Gentile
2:46
9 Aint It The Truth
Written-By – L.R. Peques
3:00
10 He's Good Enough For Me
Written-By – Bob Goodman
2:30
11 How Can I Forget Him
Written-By – R. Feldman, G. Goldstein, L.R. Peques, R. Gottehrer
2:33
12 Time After Time
Written-By – J. Stein, S. Cahn
2:57
Label: 20th Century Fox – TFS 4171
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1965
Genre: R&B Soul, Pop
Style: Sixties Soul
Released in 1965, Mary Wells (TFM 3171) was the singer's debut for 20th Century Fox Records following her high-profile departure from Motown. While it failed to achieve the massive pop success of her earlier work, it is increasingly regarded by critics and soul collectors as a high-quality collection of "uptown soul".
The album yielded several modest hits that performed better on the R&B charts than the pop charts... "Use Your Head": A "Motown-esque" track that became a Top 40 pop hit; "Ain’t It the Truth": Reached #6 on the US R&B charts and #45 on the Billboard Hot 100; "Stop Takin' Me for Granted": Peaked at #13 R&B; "Never, Never Leave Me": A celebrated ballad that reached #15 R&B.
Reviewers often describe the album as a set of sophisticated soul tracks that lack the trademark "Motown sound" but excel in their own "uptown" arrangements. The production involved notable figures like Carl Davis, Bob Bateman, and Andre Williams.
Critics praise Wells' "smoky vocals" and emotional depth, noting that she remained in top form despite the change in labels. Some tracks, such as "Never, Never Leave Me," have been compared to the sophisticated style of Dionne Warwick.
Retrospective reviews suggest the album's initial failure to chart was due more to 20th Century Fox’s lack of R&B radio clout than the quality of the music itself. It currently holds a strong 4.5/5 rating among collectors on platforms like Discogs.
Two Lovers And Other Great Hits
Written-By – William Robinson
A2 Guess Who
Written-By – Freed, Lane
A3 My 2 Arms-You=Tears
Written-By – Paul, Gaye, Stevenson
A4 Goody Goody
Written-By – Mercer, Malneck
A5 Stop Right There
Written-By – Wells, Franklin
B1 Laughing Boy
Written-By – William Robinson
B2 Looking Back
Written-By – Hendricks, Benton, Otis
B3 (I Guess There's) No Love
Written-By – Berry Gordy, Jr.
B4 Was It Worth It
Written-By – Berry Gordy, Jr.
B5 Operator
Written-By – William Robinson
Label: Motown – MT 607
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1963
Genre:
R&B Soul
Style: Sixties Soul, Motown
Mary Wells' album Two Lovers and Other Great Hits is her third studio album, released by Motown in early 1963. Primarily written and produced by Smokey Robinson, it features her chart-topping R&B hit "Two Lovers" and helped establish her as Motown's first major female superstar.
The album is notable because, despite its "Greatest Hits" subtitle, most of the tracks were newly recorded material rather than a simple compilation of previous singles. The musical style is a blend of R&B, pop, and a touch of the jazzier rhythm and blues that preceded the signature Motown sound. It also features Wells branching into pop standards, a strategic move by Motown to push its artists into the mainstream showbiz arena.
All but one track were recorded at Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio. Backing was provided by the Joe Hunter Band, a prototype of the legendary Funk Brothers studio band.
Harmonies feature The Love-Tones, Wells' touring group (which included a young Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations on some tracks), and the studio backing singers The Andantes.
The album includes several notable songs:
"Two Lovers": The title track, a clever Smokey Robinson composition where the singer describes having two lovers who are revealed at the end to be the same person with a split personality. It reached #1 on the R&B chart and #7 on the Billboard Pop chart.
"Operator": The B-side to "Two Lovers," a song structured as an anxious one-sided conversation with a telephone operator.
"Laughing Boy": A follow-up single that also charted.
"My 2 Arms - You = Tears" and "Goody, Goody": Other tracks noted for their swinging arrangements and R&B feel.
The album debuted on the Billboard album chart on March 16, 1963, peaking at number 49 and remaining on the chart for eight weeks.