Marvelettes – "Don't Mess With Bill" (1966)

I’ll say it one more time

Don’t mess with Bill!

The singer of today’s featured song makes one thing perfectly clear.

There’s Johnny, there’s Joe, and there’s Frank and Jim . . . just to name a few.  Feel free to mess with any (or all) of them to your heart’s content.  Just don’t mess with Bill.

I hope you’re paying attention, because I can tell from the singer’s tone of voice that she isn’t kidding around.

All y’all are on notice.  If you mess with Bill, you’re asking for trouble.

Do yourself a favor and just DON’T . . . MESS . . . WITH . . . BILL!  (Just don’t.)

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In 1961, the Marvelettes got an audition with Motown Records after finishing fourth in a Detroit talent show.  (I wonder if any of the top three finishers in that contest had professional success.)

Four of the Marvelettes were still in high school when they recorded their first single, “Please Mr. Postman,” which became the very first Motown record to make it to #1 on the Billboard “Hot 100.”

The next year, the group had two top-20 singles.  But none of their next dozen or so releases achieved more than middling success.

After that long drought, the Marvelettes hit pay dirt in 1966 with today’s featured song, which went gold and made it all the way to #7 on the “Hot 100.”

“Don’t Mess With Bill” was written and produced by Smokey Robinson, and featured most of the group of Detroit studio musicians who regularly performed on Motown records, and who later became known as the “Funk Brothers.”  

Click here to listen to “Don’t Mess With Bill.”

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