- Mary Jane Girls
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Mary Jane Girls 
Left to right: Candice "Candi" Ghant, Joanne "JoJo" McDuffie, Cheryl "Cheri" Bailey, Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich. Not shown: Yvette "Corvette" Marine.Background information Origin Los Angeles, California,
United StatesGenres R&B, soul, funk, disco, dance Years active 1979–1987 Labels Gordy Records Associated acts Rick James Past members Joanne "JoJo" McDuffie (1979-1987)
Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich (1979-1987)
Candice "Candi" Ghant (1979-1987)
Cheryl "Cheri" Bailey (1979-1985)
Yvette "Corvette" Marine (1985-1987)The Mary Jane Girls were an American R&B, soul, funk and disco group in the 1980s. They were protégées of singer Rick James. They are known for their hit songs "All Night Long", "Candyman" and "In My House".
Contents
Formation
The group consisted of Joanne "JoJo" McDuffie (lead vocals), Candice "Candi" Ghant, Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich, and Cheryl Bailey (who used stage name Cheri Wells). The Mary Jane Girls project was to be solo debut for JoJo, who had sung background for Rick James on tours and recordings. Rick James developed tracks with JoJo and session vocalists the Water Sisters, creating the Mary Jane Girls sound (see last released Motown compilation for verification).
Motown offered James a contract for what it believed was the girl group he wanted to produce and not wanting to lose the deal, James lied and told Motown that the Mary Jane Girls were a group and not JoJo's solo project. Rick got whoever he could to provide photographs to Motown. JoJo continued to sing both lead and background with the Water Sisters for all Mary Jane Girl recordings and Rick's band had to sing for the group with JoJo live on tour. The other members of the group were extremely limited vocally or could not sing at all.
The origin of the group's name is commonly believed to be an homage to James' affinity for marijuana, which is sometimes called "Mary Jane." The four group members took on distinctive character looks with matching personalities:
- Joanne "JoJo" McDuffie (lead vocalist) – Sexy and streetwise; a female version of James himself.
- Kimberly "Maxi" Wuletich – leather queen/dominatrix.
- Candice "Candi" Ghant - Vamp.
- Cheri Wells – Valley girl/cheerleader.
Cheri left the group shortly before the release of their second album, Only Four You in 1985 and was replaced by Yvette "Corvette" Marine who took on the role of the Valley Girl/Wild and Trendy Girl in the group.
Career
The group's self-titled debut album was released in 1983 and 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." The group released their second album Only Four You in 1985. That album's lead single "In My House" became the group's biggest hit, reaching #3 on the R&B chart and then crossing over to the Hot 100 chart, where it reached #7 and spent 12 weeks in the Top 40. To date, this is the Mary Jane Girls' only Top 40 hit in the U.S. It also charted on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, peaking at #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 (#10) and dance charts (#3). It barely missed the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #42. The last single, "Break It Up," only reached #79 on the R&B chart and did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The group covered the Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons hit "Walk Like a Man," which was included on the soundtrack of the 1986 film A Fine Mess. The song missed the U.S. Top 40 by one spot. The group's next single, "Shadow Lover," was released in the spring of 1986, but problems between Motown and Rick James resulted in little promotion for the single, although it was performed on Soul Train. That same year, the Mary Jane Girls were ready to record their third album titled Conversation. The album was never released and the group officially broke up in 1987.
After Ghant and Wuletich left the group, JoJo McDuffie carried on as a solo artist. She also recorded with Rick James on his 1997 Urban Rhapsody album on the track "Never Say You Love Me," which was originally written for Teena Marie. After leaving the Mary Jane Girls, Cheryl Bailey sang lead for Morris Day's studio group The DayZs. Yvette Marine went on to sue Virgin Records in 1991, 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.[1] In 1993, a jury eventually ruled against Marine.[2]
In 1995, McDuffie, Ghant, and Wuletich, under the name "MJG," appeared on the daytime talk show Jenny Jones as the show's first musical guests. By 1997 Ghant and Wuletich left the group once again.
Current
- Bailey continues to perform and is living in Portland, Oregon.
- McDuffie continues to perform as "JoJo" Original Lead Singer Mary Jane Girls. She is also a television/movie composer. JoJo has also released a solo project entitled "Slightly Dangerous," produced by Danny LeMelle. In the hourly intros to the 2009 VH1 special 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s, McDuffie says she is proud to be a one-hit wonder.
- Ghant is still in the music business.
- Marine is a married mother of two, and is the host of In The Mix with Yvette, a celebrity profile show.
- Wuletich is a successful celebrity chef who just published a cookbook and is developing a T.V. cooking show.
- The group appeared on VH1's Where Are They Now? in 2003. Bailey, Wuletich, Ghant, and Marine appeared in a separate segment from McDuffie, who had just returned from Europe touring with Barry White. JoJo was featured on VH1'S 100 HIT WONDERS discussing her new project "Slightly Dangerous" and showing a recent clip from a concert performance in 2009.
Cover versions
- "All Night Long" was recorded by British reggae act La Famille in 1983, released on the Sanity record label; and by British street soul act Jay Mondi and the Livin' Bass. Released in March 1990 on Ten Records, the track was a #63 UK hit.
- "In My House" was recorded by German singer Sarah Connor on her debut album, Green Eyed Soul. The song also appears on her A Night to Remember: Pop Meets Classic DVD. "In My House" was also recorded by American punk/indie rock band Big Black; the recording appeared on a special five-inch vinyl single included with the group's concert video Pigpile.
- "Hurting on the Inside" was was recorded by British reggae act Sammy Levi on the Passion label in 1989.
Sampling
- The Black Eyed Peas sampled "All Night Long" in their song "Audio Delite at Low Fidelity" from their album Monkey Business.
- Kylie Minogue sampled "Candy Man" in her song "Always Find the Time" from the 1990 album Rhythm of Love.
- LL Cool J sampled "All Night Long" in his song "Around the Way Girl" from the 1990 album Mama Said Knock You Out.
- Mary J. Blige sampled the group's "All Night Long" for her song "Mary Jane (All Night Long)" on her 1994 album My Life.
- Jay-Z sampled "All Night Long" on a song called "Only A Customer", which appeared on the 1998 soundtrack The Streets Is Watching.
- Big Daddy Kane sampled "All Night Long" on 1989's "Smooth Operator."
- Redman has sampled "All Night Long" three times, on the following songs:
- "Tonight's da Night"
- "Can't Wait," in whose video they also appeared
- "How to Roll a Blunt"
- Groove Theory sampled "All Night Long" for their song, "Tell Me."[3]
- In the late '90s, rapper Mack 10 featured Wuletich, Ghant, and McDuffie on his single, "On Them Thangs," on Priority Records. The three also appeared in the video for the song.
- Jeru the Damaja (via DJ Premier) sampled the drums of “All Night Long” (which were programmed on an Oberheim DMX on the song “Da Bitchez” from the album The Sun Rises in the East.
- AZ (rapper) sampled "Musical Love" on "The Essence" (feat. Nas), from his album Aziatic.
Discography
Studio albums
Year Album Chart positions
[4][5][6]US
certifications
[7]Record label US US
R&BUK 1983 Mary Jane Girls 56 6 51 Gold Gordy 1985 Only Four You 18 5 — Gold "—" denotes the album failed to chart Compilation albums
Year Album Chart positions Record label US US
R&B1994 In My House: The Very Best of the Mary Jane Girls — — Motown 2001 The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Mary Jane Girls — — "—" denotes the album failed to chart Singles
Year Single Chart positions
[5][6][8]Album US US
R&BUS
DanceUK 1983 "Candy Man" 101 23 8 60 Mary Jane Girls "All Night Long" 101 11 13 "Boys" 102 29 74 1984 "Jealousy" 106 84 — — 1985 "In My House" 7 3 1 77 Only Four You "Wild and Crazy Love" 42 10 3 — "Break It Up" — 79 33 — 1986 "Walk Like a Man" 41 91 — — A Fine Mess (Soundtrack) "—" denotes the single failed to chart References
- ^ Singer Says Part of Voice on Hit Is Hers. New York Times, 1991-04-10. Accessed 2008-06-04.
- ^ Paula Abdul did lead on 'Forever Your Girl': jury. Jet, 1993-08-30. Accessed 2008-06-04.
- ^ "The-Breaks.com". http://www.the-breaks.com/search.php?term=groove+theory&type=6. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
- ^ "Mary Jane Girls US albums chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4853. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
- ^ a b "Mary Jane Girls US chart history". billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/the-mary-jane-girls/chart-history/5151. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
- ^ a b "Mary Jane Girls UK chart history". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=3815. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
- ^ "Mary Jane Girls US certification history". riaa.com. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Mary%20Jane%20Girls&format=Album&go=Search&perPage=25. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
- ^ "Mary Jane Girls US singles chart history". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4853. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
External links
- Joanne "JoJo" McDuffie official website
- Mary Jane Girls at Allmusic
Categories:- Motown artists
- Musical quartets
- American pop music groups
- American disco musicians
- American funk musical groups
- American soul musical groups
- American rhythm and blues musical groups
- American girl groups
- Musical groups from Los Angeles, California
- Musical groups established in 1979
- Musical groups disestablished in 1987
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