Cover illustration from AMA News magazine, October 1971
In the early days of Motown, Berry Gordy was willing to sink pretty low in his attempts to cash in on success. Of all the "sequel" singles from that era, though, the Marvelettes' "Twistin' Postman" is probably the most bizarre. Not only is it a continuation of "Please Mr. Postman", it's also a dance-craze cash-in. I can imagine Gordy telling Brian Holland, "We need you to write a sequel to 'Please Mr. Postman' - oh, and it has to mention the Twist!" So the song is a happy ending for the yearning girl from the Marvelettes' first hit, but this time the postman is bringing her that letter she's been waiting for! And he's doing the Twist for some reason! I'll admit, though, that I like the handclap break on the bridge - that and Gladys Horton's energetic lead vocal make the song worth hearing in spite of its WTFness.
"Twistin' Postman" by the Marvelettes
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