Song Clearance Sheet
6 sources citedPlease Mr. Postman
Soul1960s121BPM
D majKey
More around 120 BPM → · More in D major →
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM →, Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record, no dispute found — Motown’s first #1 pop hit. Georgia Dobbins’ story (she helped write and shape it, was made to leave the group by her father before it was recorded, yet kept her credit and royalties) is documented factually in Rights Status.
Quick Facts
Released1961
AlbumPlease Mr. Postman
GenreSoul, R&B, Motown
LabelTamla / Motown Records
ProducerBrian Holland & Robert Bateman
Recorded atHitsville U.S.A., Detroit
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland & Robert Bateman
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — Motown/Tamla; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Motown’s first #1 pop hit; famously covered by The Beatles and The Carpenters, and its melody inspired Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still” (2017).
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriters of record and no dispute found.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Same group (this batch)
Same recurring Motown B-side-becomes-hit pattern (this batch)
Same group (this batch)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland & Robert Bateman
Georgia Dobbins’ story, presented factuallyGeorgia Dobbins reshaped the song into its final form (from William Garrett’s original blues), drawing on her own experience waiting for a letter from a boyfriend in the Navy — but she left the group before it was even recorded: her father, worried about her performing in nightclubs, made her leave, and she was replaced by Wanda Young. Dobbins nonetheless kept her songwriting credit and royalties for one of Motown’s most enduring hits, despite never recording or performing it herself.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
A postman among the writers, and a modern echo
Co-writer Freddie Gorman, who helped polish the song, was himself an actual working postman in his day job. The melody directly inspired “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man (2017) — frontman John Gourley used it as a placeholder while writing, and it stuck. No lyrics reproduced.
uDiscover Music / Classic Motown · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
Motown’s first #1 pop hit
Covers
—
First flip
Big names who used itThe Beatles · The Carpenters
Who to Contact
PP
Dobbins, Garrett, Gorman, Holland & Bateman (Motown)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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References
Every source cited on this page — 6 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 17/18)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass