Mary Jane Girls

Mary Jane Girls
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres R&B, soul, funk
Years active 1979–1987
2016-present
Labels Gordy
Associated acts Rick James
Members Candice "Candi" Ghant
Val Young
Farah Melanson
Past members Joanne "JoJo" McDuffie
Cheryl Ann "Cheri" Bailey aka Cheri Wells
Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich
Yvette "Corvette" Marine

The Mary Jane Girls were an American R&B, soul and funk group in the 1980s. They were protégées of singer Rick James. They are known for their hit songs "In My House", "All Night Long", "Candy Man", and their cover version of "Walk Like a Man".

Joanne "Jojo" McDuffie was the lead singer, the others filling out the group's style and appearance. On the studio recordings, McDuffie was backed by session vocalists rather than the other Mary Jane Girls. The Mary Jane Girls released two albums in the 1980s and recorded a third which was never released.

Career

Rick James was frequently backed in his studio recordings by vocalists Joanne "Jojo" McDuffie and the sisters Maxine and Julia Waters. For live performances starting in 1979, James was backed by McDuffie along with Cheryl Bailey (who used the stage name Cheri Wells), Candice "Candi" Ghant and Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich. Casually amongst the musicians, McDuffie, Wells, Ghant and Wuletich used the moniker Mary Jane Girls, a subgroup of James' backing band, the Stone City Band. The girls learned choreographed dance routines and they practiced under a vocal coach.[1]

In 1983, James proposed to Motown that McDuffie be offered a solo career but miscommunication caused the label to sign an all-girl group, which he determined would be the Mary Jane Girls.[2] James filled the positions behind McDuffie with Wells, Ghant and Wuletich. He also wrote all the original songs and produced all the recordings.

The Waters sisters and McDuffie sang all the parts on the first Mary Jane Girls album: Mary Jane Girls (1983). The album yielded their first R&B hits: "Candy Man", "All Night Long" (which was later included in the soundtrack of the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City), and "Boys". In live performances, the Mary Jane Girls were backed by the Stone City Band. The male band members also sang the background vocals to support McDuffie as lead vocalist. Cheri Wells left the group before the next album project was recorded. She was replaced by Yvette "Corvette" Marine.[3]

The name of the group referenced mary jane, slang for marijuana; a favored recreational drug of James. The group's image was styled as containing a street-wise girl (McDuffie), a supermodel (Ghant), a cheerleader/valley girl (Wells then Marine), and a dominatrix (Wuletich).[4]

The group released their second album Only Four You in 1985. McDuffie was featured on most of the songs, and the Waters sisters were hired to provide background vocals, since the other members were vocally limited.[3][5] The lead single "In My House" became the group's biggest hit, reaching number 3 on the R&B chart and then crossing over to the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it reached number 7 and spent 12 weeks in the Top 40. It also charted on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, peaking at number 1 for two weeks in April 1985. "Wild and Crazy Love" was the second single from this album and it also fared well on the R&B (number 10) and dance charts (number 3). It barely missed the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 42. The last single, "Break It Up", only reached number 79 on the R&B chart and did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

On the album Only For You, all of the hit singles were sung by McDuffie. Each of the other singers was given the position of lead vocalist for one song. David B. Wilson and John Alroy reviewed these other album tracks, saying that Marine and Wuletich "can't sing at all", but that Ghant "seems to be capable enough" as a singer, though her song "I Betcha" was not successful. None of these songs were released as singles.[5]

A third album was recorded by the group, the project called Conversation, but it was shelved[5] for decades, finally released in 2014 as part of a larger retrospective of James' work.[6] However, a single was released from the project in 1986, a cover of the Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons hit "Walk Like a Man" which was heard in the film A Fine Mess. This single charted at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single, "Shadow Lover", was also released in 1986, and the Mary Jane Girls appeared on Soul Train to lip-sync to it, but the single was not promoted by the label.[7] Ghant obtained other work in 1986 when James and Motown were in dispute, since the Mary Jane Girls had no label support.[4] The Mary Jane Girls officially disbanded in 1987.[8]

Legacy

Cheri Wells was recruited away from the Mary Jane Girls by Morris Day to be the lead singer for his all-girl band the Day Zs, which released one album and one single on Reprise in 1990. These releases did not chart.

In 1991, Marine sued Virgin Records, claiming that she had shared the lead vocals on the songs "Opposites Attract", "Knocked Out", and "I Need You" on Paula Abdul's debut album Forever Your Girl.[9] In 1993, a jury ruled against Marine.[10]

In 1995, the song "All Night Long" was remixed by Mike Gray and Jon Pearn subtitled "The Hustlers Convention Remixes", released on 12" vinyl and CD single. These remixes gained attention in dance clubs, and rose to number 51 in the UK. Also in 1995, McDuffie, Ghant and Wuletich performed on television on The Jenny Jones Show, billing themselves as MJG. They continued performing occasionally for a year or two.[4]

McDuffie recorded with James on his 1997 Urban Rhapsody album, on the torch song "Never Say You Love Me".

In 2003, the Mary Jane Girls were featured on VH1 in a "Where Are They Now?" episode. Ghant, Wells, Wuletich and Marine were interviewed together. McDuffie, coming off of a concert tour backing Barry White in Europe, performed solo.[4]

In 2013 the estate of Rick James sued Wuletich and Wells to stop them from performing under the name the Mary Jane Girls. The estate held that the group's name was owned by James, not the singers.[11]

The role of Julia and Maxine Waters as session singers was discussed in the documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom (2013).[12] Maxine and Julia have performed with their brothers Oren and Luther as "the Waters",[13] and they supported Paul Simon in 1991 on the Born at the Right Time Tour.[14] The Waters toured with Neil Diamond as backup singers starting in 2005.[15][16] Maxine Waters Willard and Julia Waters-Tillman have appeared separately and together as singers in a dozen films including The Lion King and Little Shop of Horrors'.[17][18]

Members timeline

Current members
  • Candice "Candi" Ghant – co–lead vocals (1979-1987), (2016-present)
  • Val Young – lead vocals (2016-present)
  • Farah Melanson – co–lead vocals (2016-present)
Former members
  • Joanne "JoJo" McDuffie – lead vocals (1979-1987)
  • Cheri Wells – co–lead vocals (1979-1984)
  • Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich – co–lead vocals (1979-1987)
  • Yvette "Corvette" Marine – co–lead vocals (1984-1987)

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)		 Record label
US
[19]		 US
R&B
[19]		 CAN
[20]		 NZ
[21]		 UK
[22]
1983 Mary Jane Girls 56 6 — — 51 Gordy
1985 Only Four You 18 5 67 28 —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

Singles

Year Title Peak chart positions Album
US
[19]		 US
R&B
[19]		 US
Dan
[19]		 AUS
[24]		 BEL
[25]		 CAN
[20]		 IRE
[26]		 NLD
[27]		 NZ
[21]		 UK
[22]
1983 "Candy Man" 101 23 8 — — — — — — 60 Mary Jane Girls
"All Night Long" 101 11 — — — 18 — — 13
"Boys" 102 29 — — — — — — 74
1984 "Jealousy" 106 84 — — — — — — — —
1985 "In My House" 7 3 1 19 8 6 — 6 6 77 Only Four You
"Wild and Crazy Love" 42 10 3 — 26 — — — — —
"Break It Up" — 79 33 — — — — — — —
1986 "Walk Like a Man" 41 91 — — 26 97 — — 48 — A Fine Mess
1995 "All Night Long (The Hustlers Convention Remixes)" — — — — — — — — — 51 Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

  1. ↑ Sager, Mike (2003). Scary Monsters and Super Freaks: Stories of Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll and Murder. Da Capo Press. p. 175. ISBN 9781560255635.
  2. ↑ Blakcitrus (November 4, 2012). "The Mary Jane Girls-Boys". Kickmag.net.
  3. 1 2 Tommyj (February 21, 2014). "Flashback Fridays with Rick James". The Image of Magazine.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Rhys Jones (September 5, 2008). "Mary Jane Girls Set Up House On The Charts ". RetroUniverse.
  5. 1 2 3 David B. Wilson and John Alroy. Rick James. Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews.
  6. ↑ Rick James' Catalog Re-Released in Digital Form on July 8, to Coincide with New Autobiography, 'Glow'. UME, Rhino. July 8, 2014.
  7. ↑ Betts, Graham (2014). Motown Encyclopedia. AC Publishing. p. 372. ISBN 9781311441546.
  8. ↑ Kyleigh (December 24, 2009). The Mary Jane Girls. Rare and Obscure Music.
  9. ↑ Singer Says Part of Voice on Hit Is Hers. New York Times, 1991-04-10. Accessed 2008-06-04.
  10. ↑ Paula Abdul did lead on 'Forever Your Girl': jury. Jet, 1993-08-30. Accessed 2013-10-09.
  11. ↑ Jonathan Hailey (November 20, 2013). "’80s Girl Group Mary Jane Girls Sued By Rick James’ Estate". The Urban Daily.
  12. ↑ http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/singer-maxine-waters-attends-a-q-a-session-at-a-screening-news-photo/450153723
  13. ↑ https://www.reverbnation.com/thewatersjuliamaxinelutherandoren
  14. ↑ http://www.paul-simon.info/PHP/musician.php?id_musician=25
  15. ↑ http://diamondville.com/NDRRT/Julia.html
  16. ↑ http://diamondville.com/NDRRT/Maxine.html
  17. ↑ Maxine Waters Willard. Internet Movie Database.
  18. ↑ Julia Waters. Internet Movie Database.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 "US Charts > Mary Jane Girls". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  20. 1 2 "CAN Charts > Mary Jane Girls". RPM. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  21. 1 2 "NZ Charts > Rose Royce". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  22. 1 2 "UK Charts > Mary Jane Girls". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  23. 1 2 "US Certifications > Mary Jane Girls". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  24. ↑ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  25. ↑ "BEL Charts > Mary Jane Girls". VRT Top 30. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  26. ↑ "IRE Charts Search > Mary Jane Girls". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  27. ↑ "NLD Charts > Mary Jane Girls". MegaCharts. Retrieved 2012-09-28.

External links

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