Yet again, listening to another assured, sassy, sexy performance, it’s startling to remember Mary Wells was just a few days past her eighteenth birthday. Just two singles in, and her position atop the hierarchy of female Motown vocalists was already secure. (6)
Really this was just the start; there were still two more years of toil and a lot more misses than hits to be endured before Motown would get to where they were heading. But this is a definite start along that path nonetheless, and a great song to boot.
A slow doo-wop/blues number that practically calls for a seductive, alternately slinky and then full-on delivery. Wells duly obliges with another excellent performance, full of character and frankly astonishing given her age. Like the A-side, the material isn’t the best, but the voice makes it worth the visit. (6)
The tune isn’t memorable – I’ve just played it eleven times in a row, and I still wouldn’t feel confident singing it back to you accurately – but it’s a lot of fun while it’s actually playing, and most of the credit for that has to go to the voice. (6)
Motown Junkies 