Mary Jane Girls - In My House: The Very Best of The Mary Jane Girls (1994)

Critics tended to dismiss the Mary Jane Girls as lightweight fluff and an example of style over substance, but in fact, much of the group's material was appealing and memorable. Like Martha & the Vandellas and the Honey Cone before them, the Mary Jane Girls combined sweetness with grit. JoJo was the only member who could really sing, and she definitely soars on hits ranging from the infectious "Candy Man" and the danceable "In My House" to the sexy "All Night Long." True, this was very much a manufactured group -- the manufacturer being Rick James, who envisioned a "girl group" with some soulful bite as well as sugary pop savvy. And this CD, which boasts material from the group's two albums, proves that he was true to his original vision. Unfortunately, things went sour with Motown, and the Mary Jane Girls never had a chance to record a third album. In a 1986 interview, member Candy Ghant asserted that she wanted to see the Mary Jane Girls get another deal with a label and work with producers/composers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, but the group broke up before either of those things came about.