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Mary Jane Girls

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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", "Candy Man", Boys, 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 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 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.

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

They are also featured alongside other legendary Motown artists in the Motown Museum in Detroit, Michigan.

Background

In 1983, Motown signed Rick's all-female group, the Mary Jane Girls, whose original members consisted of Joanne "JoJo" McDuffie, Cheryl "Cheri" Bailey aka Cheri Wells, Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich aka Kimberly Bond, and Candice "Candi" Ghant. James wrote and produced all 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.[2] "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."[2]

The group's debut album, Mary Jane Girls, was 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 Rick’s band, the Stone City Band.

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".) James, along with contributions from each member, created their individual characters: a Streetwise Girl (McDuffie), a 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 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 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.[4] 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 but the single was not promoted by the label.[5] 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. [citation needed]

Legacy

"Cheryl "Cheri" Bailey aka Cheri Wells' resume spans decades and includes credits in Film, Television, Theater, Commercials, 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 Kimberley "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.[6] In 1993, a jury ruled against Marine.[7]

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.[8] 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.[9] Blige did not pursue the project.

In 2003, the Mary Jane Girls were featured on VH1 in a "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.

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 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.

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

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Peak chart positions Certifications Record label
US
[1] 		US
R&B
[1] 		CAN
[2] 		NZ
[3] 		UK
[4]
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

  • 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

Year Title Peak chart positions Album
US
[1] 		US
R&B
[1] 		US
Dan
[1] 		AUS
[6] 		BEL
[7] 		CAN
[2] 		IRE
[8] 		NLD
[9] 		NZ
[3] 		UK
[4]
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

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b "CAN Charts > Mary Jane Girls". RPM. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "NZ Charts > Rose Royce". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  4. ^ a b "UK Charts > Mary Jane Girls". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  5. ^ "American certifications – Mary Jane Girls". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  6. ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ^ "BEL Charts > Mary Jane Girls". VRT Top 30. Archived from the original on April 9, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  8. ^ "IRE Charts Search > Mary Jane Girls". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  9. ^ "NLD Charts > Mary Jane Girls". MegaCharts. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
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