Album: Please Mr. Postman (1961)

Charted: 1

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• (Wait) Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Postman (Wait)
  Wait Mister Postman
  
  (Please Mister Postman, look and see) Oh yeah
  (Is there a letter in your bag for me) Please, Please Mister Postman
  (Why's it been a very long time) Oh yeah
  (Since I heard from this boyfriend of mine)
  
  There must be some word today
  From my boyfriend so far away
  Please Mister Postman, look and see
  Is there a letter, a letter for me
  
  I've been standin' here waitin' Mister Postman
  So patiently, for just a card, or just a letter
  Sayin' he's returnin' home to me
  
  Please Mister Postman (Mister Postman, look and see) Oh yeah
  (Is there a letter in your bag for me?) Please Please Mister Postman
  (Why's it been a very long time) Oh yeah
  (Since I heard from this boyfriend of mine)
  
  So many days you passed me by
  You saw the tears standin' in my eye
  You wouldn't stop to make me feel better
  By leavin' me a card or a letter
  
  Please Mister Postman look and see (Postman postman)
  Is there a letter oh yeah in your bag for me? (Postman postman)
  You know its been so long (Postman postman)
  Yes since I heard from this boyfriend of mine (Postman postman)
  
  You better wait a minute, wait a minute
  Oh you better wait a minute
  Please please Mister Postman (Wait a minute Mister Postman)
  Please check and see just one more time for me
  You better wait, wait a minute
  Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute
  Please Mister Postman
  Deliver de letter the sooner de better
  Wait a minute, wait a minute
  Wait a minute, please Mister Postman
  Wait a minute, wait a minute oh oh Writer/s: Brian Holland, Freddie Gorman, Georgia Dobbins, Robert Bateman, William Garrett
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 20

• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1975 {February 9th}} "Please Mr. Postman"* by The Carpenters peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on the United Kingdom's Singles chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "January" by Pilot...
  "Please Mr. Postman" reached #1 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
  Between 1970 and 1994 the Downey, California brother-sister duo had twenty-two records on the U.K. Singles chart, seven made the Top 10...
  Karen Anne Carpenter passed away at the young age of 32 on February 4th, 1983...
  May she R.I.P.
  *"Please Mr. Postman" was the second of two of their records to peak at #2 on the U.K. Singles chart, their other #2 record was "Yesterday Once More" for two weeks in August of 1973...
  And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the U.K. Singles Top 10 on February 9th, 1975:
  At #3. "Sugar, Candy Kisses" by Mac & Kattie Kisson
  #4. "Goodbye My Love" by The Glitter Band
  #5. "Angie Baby" by Helen Reddy
  #6. "The Bump" by Kenny
  #7. "Black Superman(Muhammad Ali)" by Johnny Wakelin & Kinshasha Band
  #8. "Morning Side Of The Mountain" by Donny & Marie Osmond
  #9. "Make Me Smile(Come Up And See Me)" by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
  #10. "Footsie" by The Wigan's Chosen Few
• Cassie Hamilton from HereThe only people who believe that The Beatles' version of "Mr. Postman" is better than The Marvelettes' version, are people who have no sense of, no appreciation for, true soulful singing. I, on the other hand, have no appreciation for vanilla singing or singers. Beatles were crud.
• Moanin' Lisa from Chillicothe Mo."Please Mr. Postman" was great to dance to back in '61-'62. I loved that Marvelettes sound. That arrangement with the drums & the choppy piano made it very danceable. Me & my girls in high school loved doing the Mashed Potatoes to it. A few months later, in spring '62, Cameo-Parkway Records released Dee Dee Sharp's 1st hit, "Mashed Potato Time" which sounded similar to "Postman." It went to #1 on the R&B charts and #2 on the Pop Charts. I bought both records back then. My 45 rpm single of "Mashed Potato Time" credits the songwriting to "Sheldon/Brianbert." And the publisher was Jobete Music, which was an organization related to Motown Records. Interesting. Was the Cameo-Parkway single really another version of the Marvelettes' single? I don't know. But both records were multi-million sellers.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 7th 1962, the Beatles appeared on the BBC radio show 'Teenager's Turn - Here We Go' “at the Playhouse Theatre in Manchester...
  It was first full live performance by the 'Fab Four' that was recorded on tape....
  Their final song in their set was a covered version of "Please Mister Postman"; three months earlier on December 11th, 1961 the original version of the song by the Marvelettes peaked at #1 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart...
  The Beatles' studio recorded cover version would first appear on their second UK album, 'With the Beatles'.
• Jake from Birmingham, AlKaren and Richard Carpenter couldn't pronounce a hard "Ch" sound. Listen to Karen sing "Sheck and see" in their version on YouTube ! Just a little trivia.
• Veve from Lorain, OhI agree with you Ben!
• John from Eugene, Or'Please Mr Postman' came out on Tamla records, not Motown. There is an uncanny resemblance between the piano work and the sound of the piano in this song and 'Mash Potato Time' by Dee Dee Sharp. Just as there is a connection between the musicians who played on Tamla/Motown recordings and Jackie Wilson (Lonely Teardrops) on Brunswick records then perhaps there is also a connection between this and the Cameo recording. Georgeanna Dobbins died of sickle cell anemia in 1980. The Beatles clearly loved R & B and made Berry Gordy Jr a ton of money. I would have loved to have heard The Marveletts record "Baby Love". The production credits for 'Please Mr Postman' were attributed to Brianbert which stood for Brian Holland and Robert Bateman. To Kenneth in Cleveland: I have Dobbins,Horton,Young, Anderson and Cowart (Maiden name?)
• Laquan from Birmingham, AlI think both versions are classics
• Jake from New Haven, CtAnyone who says Beatles did it better is crazy. Beatles version is way too pop and lacks soul and fire. And those who said Beatles made it well known. It was a #1 pop & r&b song, how much bigger can you get than that? It was a mega hit when Beatles covered it.
• John from Nashville, Tn"Please Mr. Postman" was the fourth song to hit #1 on the pop charts twice (the Marvelettes in 1961 and the Carpenters in 1975). The three previous songs to achieve this feat were "The Twist" (Chubby Checker in 1960 and 1962); "Go Away Little Girl" (Steve Lawrence--1963, and Donny Osmond--1971), and "The Locomotion" (Little Eva--1962, and Grand Funk Railroad--1974). Songs that achieved this feat after "Postman" were "You Keep Me Hanging On" (the Supremes--1966 and Kim Wilde--1987); "Lean on Me" (Bill Withers--1972, and Club Neuveau--1987); "Venus" (Shocking Blue--1970, and Bananarama--1988); "Killing Me Softly With His Song" (Roberta Flack--1973, and the Fugees--1996); and "Lady Marmalade" (Labelle--1975, and Pink, Chiristina Aguillera, Lil Kim and Monica--2001).
• Wayne from Salem, VaAnother early 60's black girl group hit. The Marvelettes did a fine job. But The Beatles version is much,much better. John Lennon who sings lead would've probably denied this. Since The Beatles loved this music so much. But it is true. They do this song like as though it was their very own. They rock it! Was on "With The Beatles" in the UK. And "The Beatles Second Album" in the U.S.
• Kenneth from Cleveland, Oh Love this song.Yes the original.The Marvelletes really did not go through that many personnel changes.It's just that when a member would leave they wouldn't replace her at all.But only five momen were members on their hits.Dobbins,Horton,Young,Anderson and Tillman.I firs theard it on the PBS show Zoom!
• Ivan from Dallas, TxThe Carpenters were big in Hong Kong back in the 70's. This song was very popular after "Yesterday Once More", and shot to #1 on the local charts. I like the guitar solo at the end and the rhythm section.
• Paul from Redditch, EnglandAgree. The Beatles version is quality.
• Ben from Cheverly, MdThe Beatles version is so much better, come on admit it!
• Rick from San Juan, United StatesDee Dee Sharp's "Mashed Potato Time" used the same melody (and also shared a few lines)as "Please Mister Postman". Cameo-Parkway lyricist Kal Mann shared credit with Motown's songwriters to avoid a certain lawsuit.
• Ali from Islamabad, Pakistani like the version by the carpenters more than the original
• Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScThe Beatles' version rocks!
• Jerro from New Alexandria, PaI don't know about anyone else in this world, but in my opinion, the lead singer of this song sounded like she had a frog in her throat throughout the entire recording and couldn't get it out!
• Maddie from Yakima, WaAlso done by The Carpenters in the 70's.

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