The Marvels - Forget About That Mess Pt1
The Marvels - Forget About That Mess Pt2
When I began researching today's selection I initially drew a blank. This is not the first time that this has happened to me, but usually the record is more obscure, rare or weird. This recording seems to be reasonably well known, available and is definitely listenable but, even using my ninja-like Google searching skills, I've struggled to find out about it.
Of course, there are various leads. A label called the Sensation Records Company (SRC) was named after Lee's Sensation Lounge (or Club Sensation) in Detroit. It was around from the late 40s to the early 50s, notably releasing several John Lee Hooker records. Still, today's tunes come from a later era than that. I'm no expert, but I would place it towards the late 60s. It’s part soul-funk, part boogaloo and part girl-group. There is also a Sensation Records that released disco in Italy in the 80s, but I think we can safely rule that one out.
The names listed on the record label don’t help. Forget About That Mess was written by Herman Davis, probably not the Jamaican drummer of the same name known as Bongo Herman. Davis, U. Lee and C. Wills were the producers and Wills also owned the music publishing rights.
There seems to have been many groups in the 60s know as The Marvels. For starters, it was the original name of Motown’s The Marvelettes. Another The Marvels were from Jamaica but based in the UK. They do a really great version of Aretha’s Rock Steady on the Pama Supreme label -- which I must post up here sometime -- but I don't think this is them either.
There is a girl-group from Florida who were called The Mar-Vells before having their name changed by a record label to The Fabulettes. Apparently, they continued to perform up until the late 60s, sometimes as The Marvels. From its sound, I could believe that it was recorded by a group from Florida. Also, the vocals do bear a resemblance to The Fabulettes. Mystery solved?
Maybe. I should also mention a comment left on a YouTube clip of the song (about as unreliable a source as you get), which confidently states, “That is not The Marvels on that picture, I know because I'm one of them. The Marvels are three sisters from Detroit and the song was recorded in Detroit at United Sounds Studio.”
Feel free to enlighten me with new evidence, or even hearsay, about this record and, most of all, enjoy the tune.
Labels: funk, soul