from the album With The Beatles

"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.

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 Beatlesalbum cover credited it to just Brian Holland. The 1976 Beatles discography book All Together Nowcredits it to Holland, Bateman, and Berry Gordy. The 1992 Motown boxed set Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collectioncredits 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]. EMI Music Publishing, the current music publisher of the song list all five writers in their catalog. The Marvelettes' version appears in a bar fight scene in Mean Streets, directed by Martin Scorsese.

"Please Mr. Postman" has been covered frequently, including a version by The Beatles on their With The Beatlesalbum. Sung by John Lennon, their version reverses the genders. 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 Pat Boone Family released their version of the song at approximately the same time, resulting in both versions appearing simultaneously on the South African Hit Parade. The Carpenters' cover version was also sampled by rapper Juelz Santana for his single "Oh Yes", as well as Lil' Wayne in his single off The Fix (unreleased) "Mr. Postman". It is used by the Rob, Arnie and Dawn Showto introduce their Listener Mail segment, and was sung by the presenters of British Saturday morning show SMTV Live to introduce the mailbag section. The song in disco version has also been covered by the Shampoo (Belgium) in 1980.

The Beatles included "Please Mister Postman" as part of their live act in 1962, performing it regularly at the Cavern Club. By the time it was recorded for their second album, With The Beatles, it had been dropped from their set, and required some work in the studio to bring it up to an acceptable standard. Ian MacDonald criticised their version for having a "wall of sound" and for a "general airlessness."

The Carpenters' version resembles an old 50s rock & roll song. The single was released in late 1974, reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and "Easy Listening" charts in January of 1975, and was a million-selling Gold record. The corresponding Horizonalbum was belatedly released in June 1975. A music video of the song, filmed in Disneyland, can be found on the DVD Gold: Greatest Hits(released in 2002), originally packaged as Yesterday Once More(released on VHS in 1985).

Please Mr. Postman(1961)  · The Marvelettes Sing aka Smash Hits of '62(1962)  · Playboy(1962)  · The Marvelous Marvelettes(1963)  · The Marvelettes Recorded Live on Stage(1963)  · The Marvelettes Greatest Hits(1966)  · The Marvelettes (Pink Album)(1967)  · Sophisticated Soul(1968)  · In Full Bloom(1969)  · The Return of The Marvelettes(1970)  · The Marvelettes Anthology(1975)  · The Best of The Marvelettes(1975)

" Please Mr. Postman " (1961)  ·"Twistin' Postman" (1962)  ·"Playboy" (1962)  ·"Beechwood 4-5789" (1962)  ·"Too Many Fish in the Sea" (1965)  ·"I'll Keep Holding On" (1965)  ·"Don't Mess with Bill" (1966)  ·"The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" (1967)  ·"When You're Young and in Love" (1967)  ·"My Baby Must Be a Magician" (1968)

Albums  ·Songs