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The '''Mary Jane Girls''' were an American [[girl group]] formed in 1983, best known for their songs "[[In My House]]", "[[All Night Long (Mary Jane Girls song)|All Night Long]]", "Candy Man", Boys, and their cover version of "[[Walk Like a Man (The Four Seasons song)|Walk Like a Man]]". They were protégées of musician [[Rick James]] and disbanded in 1987.
The '''Mary Jane Girls''' were an American [[girl group]] formed in 1983, best known for their songs "[[In My House]]", "[[All Night Long (Mary Jane Girls song)|All Night Long]]", "Candy Man", and their cover version of "[[Walk Like a Man (The Four Seasons song)|Walk Like a Man]]". They were protégées of musician [[Rick James]] and disbanded in 1987.


Joanne "Jojo" McDuffie was the Around-The-Way Girl and lead singer, Cheryl "Cheri" Bailey aka Cheri Wells was the Valley Girl and 2nd lead vocalist, Kimberly "Maxi" Bond was the Dominatrix, and Candice "Candi" Ghant the Sophisticate/Diva. Together their vocal stylings created a unique and fresh sound and Rick would later deem them the Princesses of Punk Funk. The group released two albums in the 1980s, and recorded a third – which was shelved for decades until 2014 as part of a larger Rick James retrospective.
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 [[Backing vocalist|session vocalists]] rather than the other Mary Jane Girls. The group released two albums in the 1980s, and recorded a third – which was shelved for decades but finally released in 2014 as part of a larger Rick James retrospective.


The group was inducted into the [[Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame|Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame]] in 2019.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rbhalloffame.com/index.php/hall-of-fame/inductees|title=Inductees|website=National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020080929/https://www.rbhalloffame.com/index.php/hall-of-fame/inductees|archive-date=2019-10-20}}</ref> They are also featured alongside other legendary Motown artists in the Motown Museum in Detroit, Michigan.
The group was inducted into the [[Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame|Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame]] in 2019.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rbhalloffame.com/index.php/hall-of-fame/inductees|title=Inductees|website=National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020080929/https://www.rbhalloffame.com/index.php/hall-of-fame/inductees|archive-date=2019-10-20}}</ref>


==Background==
==Background==
[[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 among the musicians, McDuffie, Wells, Ghant, and Wuletich used the moniker Mary Jane Girls, a subgroup of James's backing band, the Stone City Band. The women learned choreographed dance routines and practiced under a vocal coach.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sager |first=Mike|title=Scary Monsters and Super Freaks: Stories of Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll and Murder|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3QBuyvqIq9sC&pg=PA175|page=175|publisher=Da Capo Press|year=2003|isbn=9781560255635}}</ref>
⚫
In 1983, [[Motown]] signed Rick's [[All-female band|all-female group]], the Mary Jane Girls, whose original members consisted of Joanne "JoJo" McDuffie, Cheryl "Cheri" Bailey aka Cheri Wells, Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich, and Candice "Candi" Ghant. James wrote and produced all recordings. Often compared to the protégées of his rival [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Vanity 6]], who debuted in 1982, James told [[Jet (magazine)|''Jet'']] that he had come up with the concept six years prior but shelved it for a lack of time.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Collier|first=Aldore|date=Sep 26, 1983|title=Rick James Talks About Life with Fast Women and Hot Cars|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AbMDAAAAMBAJ&dq=vanity+6+jet+1982&pg=PA61|journal=Jet|pages=61}}</ref> "I wanted there to be a Black female group in the industry that could express more reality with relationships to men. I wanted there to be Black girls who could really speak about love, the pain, money, power, hate and everything. Originally there were going to be three girls in negligees doing the punk thing."<ref name=":1" />


==Career==
The group's debut album, ''[[Mary Jane Girls (album)|Mary Jane Girls]]'', was released in April 1983. The album yielded their first [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] hits: "Candy Man", "[[All Night Long (Mary Jane Girls song)|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 Rick's band, the Stone City Band.
⚫
In 1983, James proposed to [[Motown]] that McDuffie be offered a solo career but miscommunication caused the label to sign an [[All-female band|all-female group]], which he determined would be the Mary Jane Girls.<ref>{{cite web|author=Blakcitrus|date=November 4, 2012|url=http://www.kickmag.net/2012/11/04/throwback-the-mary-jane-girls-boys/|title=The Mary Jane Girls-Boys|website=Kickmag.net}}</ref> James filled the positions behind McDuffie with Wells, Ghant, and Wuletich. He also wrote all the original songs and produced all the recordings. Often compared to the protégées of his rival [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Vanity 6]], who debuted in 1982, James told [[Jet (magazine)|''Jet'']] that he had come up with the concept six years prior but shelved it for a lack of time.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Collier|first=Aldore|date=Sep 26, 1983|title=Rick James Talks About Life with Fast Women and Hot Cars|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AbMDAAAAMBAJ&dq=vanity+6+jet+1982&pg=PA61|journal=Jet|pages=61}}</ref> "I wanted there to be a Black female group in the industry that could express more reality with relationships to men. I wanted there to be Black girls who could really speak about love, the pain, money, power, hate and everything. Originally there were going to be three girls in negligees doing the punk thing."<ref name=":1"/>


The Waters sisters and McDuffie sang all the parts on the group's debut album, ''[[Mary Jane Girls (album)|Mary Jane Girls]]'', released in April 1983. The album yielded their first [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] hits: "Candy Man", "[[All Night Long (Mary Jane Girls song)|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.<ref name=TIOM>{{cite web|author=Tommyj|date=February 21, 2014|url=http://imagecompaniesenterprises.com/flashback-fridays-rick-james-2/|title=Flashback Fridays with Rick James|work=The Image of Magazine}}</ref> Marine was the daughter of singer [[Pattie Brooks]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4_kbDQAAQBAJ&dq=pattie+brooks+yvette+marine&pg=PT221 | title=Super Freak: The Life of Rick James | isbn=978-1-61374-960-9 | last1=Benjaminson | first1=Peter | date=March 2017 | publisher=Chicago Review Press }}</ref>
The name of the group referenced ''mary jane'', slang for [[marijuana]]; a favored recreational drug of James. (James wrote a hit song titled "[[Mary Jane (Rick James song)|Mary Jane]]".) James, along with contributions from each member, created their individual characters: a Streetwise Girl (McDuffie), a [[valley girl|Valley Girl]] (Bailey aka Wells), a [[Dominatrix]] (Wuletich), and a Diva (Ghant). In 84' the Mary Jane Girls opened for Rick on his 96 city, Cold Blooded Tour, and were quickly becoming a household name. The Mary Jane Girls did guest appearances on Dick Clark's American Bandstand and Top of the Pops, Don Cornelius' Soul Train, Solid Gold, and Dance Fever. Their debut album sold more than 500,000 copies that year, achieving Gold Record status. Cheryl "Cheri" Bailey aka Cheri Wells later made the tough decision to leave the group, as James' drug addiction was spiraling out of control, and was replaced by Yvette "Corvette" Marine, daughter of singer [[Pattie Brooks]].


The name of the group referenced ''mary jane'', slang for [[marijuana]]; a favored recreational drug of James. (James wrote a hit song titled "[[Mary Jane (Rick James song)|Mary Jane]]".) 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).{{cn|date=February 2022}}
⚫
The group released their second album, ''[[Only Four You]]'', in February 1985. The lead single "[[In My House]]" became the group's biggest hit, reaching number 3 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]] chart and then crossing over to the [[Billboard Hot 100|''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, but it did hit number 39 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.


⚫
The group released their second album, ''[[Only Four You]]'', in February 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.<ref name=TIOM/> The lead single "[[In My House]]" became the group's biggest hit, reaching number 3 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|R&B]] chart and then crossing over to the [[Billboard Hot 100|''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, but it did hit number 39 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.
⚫
A third album was recorded by the group, the project called ''Conversation'', but it was shelved for decades, finally released in 2014 as part of a larger retrospective of James's work.<ref>[http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140708005411/en/Rick-James-Catalog-Re-Released-Digital-Form-July Rick James' Catalog Re-Released in Digital Form on July 8, to Coincide with New Autobiography, 'Glow']. UME, Rhino. July 8, 2014.</ref> However, a single was released from the project in 1986, a cover of [[The Four Seasons (band)|The Four Seasons]] hit "[[Walk Like a Man (The Four Seasons song)|Walk Like a Man]]", which was heard in the film ''[[A Fine Mess (film)|A Fine Mess]]''. It 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]]'' but the single was not promoted by the label.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RG_LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT372|page=372|title=Motown Encyclopedia|last=Betts|first=Graham|publisher=AC Publishing |year=2014|isbn=9781311441546}}</ref> Ghant, Wuletich, and Marine obtained other work in 1986 when James and Motown were in dispute, since the Mary Jane Girls had no label support; the Mary Jane Girls officially disbanded in 1987.{{cn|date=February 2022}}

⚫
A third album was recorded by the group, the project called ''Conversation'', but it was shelved for decades, finally released in 2014 as part of a larger retrospective of James's work.<ref>[http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140708005411/en/Rick-James-Catalog-Re-Released-Digital-Form-July Rick James' Catalog Re-Released in Digital Form on July 8, to Coincide with New Autobiography, 'Glow']. UME, Rhino. July 8, 2014.</ref> However, a single was released from the project in 1986, a cover of [[The Four Seasons (band)|The Four Seasons]] hit "[[Walk Like a Man (The Four Seasons song)|Walk Like a Man]]", which was heard in the film ''[[A Fine Mess (film)|A Fine Mess]]''. It 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]] it, but the single was not promoted by the label.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RG_LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT372|page=372|title=Motown Encyclopedia|last=Betts|first=Graham|publisher=AC Publishing |year=2014|isbn=9781311441546}}</ref> Ghant obtained other work in 1986 when James and Motown were in dispute, since the Mary Jane Girls had no label support. The Mary Jane Girls officially disbanded in 1987.{{cn|date=February 2022}}


==Legacy==
==Legacy==
Cheri Wells was recruited away from the Mary Jane Girls by [[Morris Day]] to be the lead singer for his all-female band the Day Zs, which released one album and one single on Reprise in 1990. These releases did not chart.
"Cheryl "Cheri" Bailey aka Cheri Wells' resume spans decades and includes credits in Film, Television, Theater, Commercials, and Modeling, in addition to being a Recording Artist. Most notably, a principal role as a child in the Broadway production, Maggie Flynn starring Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy, working alongside Irene Cara, and Stephanie Mills; appearances in the films: Jo Jo Dancer Your Life Is Calling with the late, great Richard Pryor, and Real Genius, produced by Brian Grazer; principal roles in commercials with Billy Dee Williams for Colt 45, and NBC with Fritz Coleman; and as the lead singer for the Day Zs, an all female band created by the legendary Morris Day, which was released on Warner-Reprise in 1990. All songs on the album were written and produced by Morris and Ricky "Freeze" Smith. In 2015, Cheryl "Cheri" Bailey aka Cheri Wells and Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich signed an agreement with Rick's Estate, and have been performing live as "Original Mary Jane Girls Maxi & Cheri," for a wide and diverse audience, which includes not only their fans from back in the day, but new Gen Z fans who grew up listening to their parents' favorite party jams!


In 1991, Marine sued [[Virgin Records]], claiming that she had shared lead vocals on the songs "[[Opposites Attract]]", "[[Knocked Out]]", and "I Need You", on [[Paula Abdul]]'s debut album ''[[Forever Your Girl]].''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE3D81531F933A25757C0A967958260|title=Singer Says Part of Voice on Hit Is Hers|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1991-04-10|accessdate=2008-06-04}}</ref> In 1993, a jury ruled against Marine.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OMEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA61|title=Paula Abdul did lead on 'Forever Your Girl': jury|magazine=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]|date=1993-08-30|accessdate=2013-10-09}}</ref>
In 1991, Marine sued [[Virgin Records]], claiming that she had shared lead vocals on the songs "[[Opposites Attract]]", "[[Knocked Out]]", and "I Need You", on [[Paula Abdul]]'s debut album ''[[Forever Your Girl]].''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE3D81531F933A25757C0A967958260|title=Singer Says Part of Voice on Hit Is Hers|work=[[New York Times]]|date=1991-04-10|accessdate=2008-06-04}}</ref> In 1993, a jury ruled against Marine.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OMEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA61|title=Paula Abdul did lead on 'Forever Your Girl': jury|magazine=[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]|date=1993-08-30|accessdate=2013-10-09}}</ref>
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In 2001, [[Mary J. Blige]] reported that she had purchased the rights to the name "Mary Jane Girls" for the purpose of putting together a girl group composed of one Asian American, one African American, one Latina, and one white singer. Blige said she wanted the name because her own name was Mary Jane Blige.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/77566/backstage-at-the-my-vh1-awards-matthews-jewel-creed-blige-sting|title=Backstage At The My VH1 Awards: Matthews, Jewel, Creed, Blige, Sting|date=December 3, 2001|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> Blige did not pursue the project.
In 2001, [[Mary J. Blige]] reported that she had purchased the rights to the name "Mary Jane Girls" for the purpose of putting together a girl group composed of one Asian American, one African American, one Latina, and one white singer. Blige said she wanted the name because her own name was Mary Jane Blige.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/77566/backstage-at-the-my-vh1-awards-matthews-jewel-creed-blige-sting|title=Backstage At The My VH1 Awards: Matthews, Jewel, Creed, Blige, Sting|date=December 3, 2001|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> Blige did not pursue the project.


In 2003, the Mary Jane Girls were featured on [[VH1]] in a "[[Where Are They Now? (American TV series)|Where Are They Now?]]" episode. Ghant, Bailey aka Wells, Wuletich, and Marine spent the day filming at Rick's house with their young children in tow, however, McDuffie, chose to appear in a separate interview.
In 2003, the Mary Jane Girls were featured on [[VH1]] in a "[[Where Are They Now? (American TV series)|Where Are They Now?]]" episode. Ghant, Wells, Wuletich, and Marine were interviewed together. McDuffie, coming off a concert tour backing [[Barry White]] in Europe, appeared in a separate interview.


In 2009, McDuffie's husband Robert Funderburg applied for control of the trademark "Mary Jane Girls", but the application was abandoned in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trademarkia.com/mary-jane-girls-77686882.html|title=Apply for a Trademark. Search a Trademark|website=trademarkia.com}}</ref> Later in 2010, Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich applied for the trademark "MJG Starring Maxi and Cheri of the Original Mary Jane Girls", which she uses for performing with Cheri Wells.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trademarkia.com/mjg-starring-maxi-and-cheri-of-the-original-mary-jane-girls-85068904.html|title=Apply for a Trademark. Search a Trademark|website=trademarkia.com}}</ref> However, in 2013 the estate of Rick James sued Wuletich and Wells to stop them from performing under the name Mary Jane Girls. The estate held that the group's name was owned by James, not the singers.<ref>{{cite news|first=Jonathan|last=Hailey|date=November 20, 2013|url=http://theurbandaily.com/2013/11/20/mary-jane-girls-sued-rick-james/|title=80s Girl Group Mary Jane Girls Sued By Rick James' Estate|work=The Urban Daily}}</ref> In 2014, the Mary Jane Girls (Candice Ghant, [[Val Young]], and Farah Melanson) received an honorary [[HAL Awards|HAL Award]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.umusicpub.com/us/News/2016/05/Motown-Legend-Salute-Ethiopia-Habtemariam-at-HAL-Awards.aspx|title=Motown Legend Salute Ethiopia Habtemariam at HAL Awards|publisher=Universal Music Publishing Group|accessdate=June 30, 2017}}</ref>
After the original members (JoJo, Cheri, Maxi, Candi, and Corvette) disbanded many iterations of the iconic group the Mary Jane Girls came into existence, which unfortunately, is a common occurrence in the music industry (the complexities of which are not for public consumption). Each version has received accolades of their own: in 2014, the version of the Mary Jane Girls consisting of one original member, Candice "Candi "Ghant, received an honorary [[HAL Awards|HAL Award]], and in 2023 Original Mary Jane Girls Maxi & Cheri received an award from the City of Bakersfield for their 40 years of outstanding and exemplary music and performances. These honors and achievements, although awarded separately, pay homage to the music of the "King of Punk Funk" Rick James, and the original members of the Mary Jane Girls, who were handpicked by James himself: Joanne "JoJo" McDuffie, Cheryl "Cheri" Bailey, Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich, Candice, "Candi" Ghant, and Yvette "Corvette" Marine.


==Discography==
==Discography==

Latest revision as of 23:15, 21 June 2024

Mary Jane Girls
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active1983–1987
LabelsGordy
Past members
  • Joanne "JoJo" McDuffie
  • Cheryl Ann "Cheri" Bailey
  • Candice "Candi" Ghant
  • Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich
  • Yvette "Corvette" Marine

The Mary Jane Girls were an American girl group formed in 1983, best known for their songs "In My House", "All Night Long", "Candy Man", and their cover version of "Walk Like a Man". They were protégées of musician Rick James and disbanded in 1987.

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 group released two albums in the 1980s, and recorded a third – which was shelved for decades but finally released in 2014 as part of a larger Rick James retrospective.

The group was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2019.[1]

Background

[edit]

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 among the musicians, McDuffie, Wells, Ghant, and Wuletich used the moniker Mary Jane Girls, a subgroup of James's backing band, the Stone City Band. The women learned choreographed dance routines and practiced under a vocal coach.[2]

Career

[edit]

In 1983, James proposed to Motown that McDuffie be offered a solo career but miscommunication caused the label to sign an all-female group, which he determined would be the Mary Jane Girls.[3] James filled the positions behind McDuffie with Wells, Ghant, and Wuletich. He also wrote all the original songs and produced all the recordings. Often compared to the protégées of his rival Prince, Vanity 6, who debuted in 1982, James told Jet that he had come up with the concept six years prior but shelved it for a lack of time.[4] "I wanted there to be a Black female group in the industry that could express more reality with relationships to men. I wanted there to be Black girls who could really speak about love, the pain, money, power, hate and everything. Originally there were going to be three girls in negligees doing the punk thing."[4]

The Waters sisters and McDuffie sang all the parts on the group's debut album, Mary Jane Girls, released in April 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.[5] Marine was the daughter of singer Pattie Brooks.[6]

The name of the group referenced mary jane, slang for marijuana; a favored recreational drug of James. (James wrote a hit song titled "Mary Jane".) 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).[citation needed]

The group released their second album, Only Four You, in February 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.[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, but it did hit number 39 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart.

A third album was recorded by the group, the project called Conversation, but it was shelved for decades, finally released in 2014 as part of a larger retrospective of James's work.[7] However, a single was released from the project in 1986, a cover of The Four Seasons hit "Walk Like a Man", which was heard in the film A Fine Mess. It 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 it, but the single was not promoted by the label.[8] Ghant obtained other work in 1986 when James and Motown were in dispute, since the Mary Jane Girls had no label support. The Mary Jane Girls officially disbanded in 1987.[citation needed]

Legacy

[edit]

Cheri Wells was recruited away from the Mary Jane Girls by Morris Day to be the lead singer for his all-female 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 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" and released on 12" vinyl and CD single. These remixes gained attention in dance clubs and rose to number 51 in the UK.[11] 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.

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

In 2001, Mary J. Blige reported that she had purchased the rights to the name "Mary Jane Girls" for the purpose of putting together a girl group composed of one Asian American, one African American, one Latina, and one white singer. Blige said she wanted the name because her own name was Mary Jane Blige.[12] Blige did not pursue the project.

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 a concert tour backing Barry White in Europe, appeared in a separate interview.

In 2009, McDuffie's husband Robert Funderburg applied for control of the trademark "Mary Jane Girls", but the application was abandoned in 2010.[13] Later in 2010, Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich applied for the trademark "MJG Starring Maxi and Cheri of the Original Mary Jane Girls", which she uses for performing with Cheri Wells.[14] However, in 2013 the estate of Rick James sued Wuletich and Wells to stop them from performing under the name Mary Jane Girls. The estate held that the group's name was owned by James, not the singers.[15] In 2014, the Mary Jane Girls (Candice Ghant, Val Young, and Farah Melanson) received an honorary HAL Award.[16]

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications Record label
US
[17] 		US
R&B
[17] 		CAN
[18] 		NZ
[19] 		UK
[11]
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

[edit]
  • In My House: The Very Best of the Mary Jane Girls (1994, Motown)
  • 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Mary Jane Girls (2001, Motown)

Singles

[edit]
Year Title Peak chart positions Album
US
[17] 		US
R&B
[17] 		US
Dan
[17] 		AUS
[21] 		BEL
[22] 		CAN
[18] 		IRE
[23] 		NLD
[24] 		NZ
[19] 		UK
[11]
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 — — — — 101
"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

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  1. ^ "Inductees". National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019.
  2. ^ Sager, Mike (2003). Scary Monsters and Super Freaks: Stories of Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll and Murder. Da Capo Press. p. 175. ISBN 9781560255635.
  3. ^ Blakcitrus (November 4, 2012). "The Mary Jane Girls-Boys". Kickmag.net.
  4. ^ a b Collier, Aldore (September 26, 1983). "Rick James Talks About Life with Fast Women and Hot Cars". Jet: 61.
  5. ^ a b Tommyj (February 21, 2014). "Flashback Fridays with Rick James". The Image of Magazine.
  6. ^ Benjaminson, Peter (March 2017). Super Freak: The Life of Rick James. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-61374-960-9.
  7. ^ Rick James' Catalog Re-Released in Digital Form on July 8, to Coincide with New Autobiography, 'Glow'. UME, Rhino. July 8, 2014.
  8. ^ Betts, Graham (2014). Motown Encyclopedia. AC Publishing. p. 372. ISBN 9781311441546.
  9. ^ "Singer Says Part of Voice on Hit Is Hers". New York Times. April 10, 1991. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
  10. ^ "Paula Abdul did lead on 'Forever Your Girl': jury". Jet. August 30, 1993. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  11. ^ a b c "UK Charts > Mary Jane Girls". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  12. ^ "Backstage At The My VH1 Awards: Matthews, Jewel, Creed, Blige, Sting". Billboard. December 3, 2001.
  13. ^ "Apply for a Trademark. Search a Trademark". trademarkia.com.
  14. ^ "Apply for a Trademark. Search a Trademark". trademarkia.com.
  15. ^ Hailey, Jonathan (November 20, 2013). "80s Girl Group Mary Jane Girls Sued By Rick James' Estate". The Urban Daily.
  16. ^ "Motown Legend Salute Ethiopia Habtemariam at HAL Awards". Universal Music Publishing Group. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Mary Jane Girls Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  18. ^ a b "CAN Charts > Mary Jane Girls". RPM. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  19. ^ a b "NZ Charts > Rose Royce". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  20. ^ "American certifications – Mary Jane Girls". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  21. ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  22. ^ "BEL Charts > Mary Jane Girls". VRT Top 30. Archived from the original on April 9, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  23. ^ "IRE Charts Search > Mary Jane Girls". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  24. ^ "NLD Charts > Mary Jane Girls". MegaCharts. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
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