"Too Many Fish in the Sea" is a 1964 hit song recorded by Motown singing group

The Marvelettes The Marvelettes were an American girl group that achieved popularity in the early to mid-1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart (now Cowart Motley), and Georgia Dobbins, who wa ...

. It was the group's first top 40 pop hit in almost a year, reaching #25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was one of the first hit singles written by

Norman Whitfield Norman Jesse Whitfield (May 12, 1940 – September 16, 2008) was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy's Motown labels during the 1960s. allmusic Biography/ref> He has been credited as one of the creators of the Mo ...

;

Eddie Holland Edward Holland Jr. (born October 30, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Holland was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Although he was an early Motown artist who recorded minor hit singles such as "Jamie", he ...

also had a hand in the writing. "Too Many Fish..." was also Whitfield's first produced single.

Background

This record is the only one where group members Georgeanna Tillman and

Katherine Anderson The Marvelettes were an American girl group that achieved popularity in the early to mid-1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart (now Cowart Motley), and Georgia Dobbins, who w ...

had a lead on the

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

. This is also the final A-side appearance for Tillman, who would leave the group, due to her illnesses, in very early 1965, before they recorded their next single, " I'll Keep Holding On". This would also be the last single in which

Gladys Horton The Marvelettes were an American girl group that achieved popularity in the early to mid-1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart (now Cowart Motley), and Georgia Dobbins, who wa ...

would lead on the

, as Wanda Young Rogers (who also led on this and the two previous singles) would be the group's sole lead on A-sides, relegating Horton to B-side leads. Norman Whitfield would later use similar vocal techniques with

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

on hit songs such as " I Can't Get Next To You" and " Cloud Nine".

Credits

*Lead and background vocals by

(verses and choruses),

Wanda Young Wanda LaFaye Young (August 9, 1943 – December 15, 2021), also known as Wanda Rogers, was an American singer, known for being a member of the Motown all-female singing group the Marvelettes, and after 1965, the lead singer. Early life Youn ...

(choruses), Georgeanna Tillman (choruses) and

(choruses) *Instrumentation by

The Funk Brothers The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Its members are considered among the most successful groups of stud ...

Chart performance

Later versions and usage

Mitch Ryder Mitch Ryder (born William Sherille Levise, Jr.; February 26, 1945) is an American musician who has recorded more than 25 albums over more than four decades. Career Ryder formed his first band, Tempest, when he was at Warren High School, and th ...

and the Detroit Wheels also charted "Too Many Fish" as a medley with "

Three Little Fishes "Three Little Fishies", also known as "Three Little Fishes", is a 1939 song with words by Josephine Carringer and Bernice Idins and music by Saxie Dowell. The song tells the story of three fishes, who defy their mother's command of swimming only ...

". It reached #24 in 1967. *Although

version of "Too Many Fish in the Sea" does not appear in the 1983 film '' The Big Chill'' it is included on both the

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Originality is the aspect of created or invented works that distinguish them from reproductions, clones, forgeries, or substantially derivative works. The modern idea of originality is according to some scholars tied to Romanticism, by a notion t ...

and More Songs from the Big Chill.

References

1964 singles The Marvelettes songs Mitch Ryder songs Soul songs Motown singles Songs written by Norman Whitfield Songs written by Eddie Holland Song recordings produced by Norman Whitfield 1964 songs {{1960s-single-stub