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Along with the Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas defined the distaff side of the Motown sound in the 1960s; their biggest hits, including "Heat Wave," "Dancing in the Street," and "Nowhere to Run," remain among the most potent and enduring dance records of the era. The vocal group was led by Martha Reeves who, along with fellow Detroit natives Annette Sterling Beard, Gloria Williams, and Rosalind Ashford, founded the Del-Phis in 1960. After Reeves landed a secretarial position at the offices of Motown Records, the Del-Phis were tapped to record a one-off single for the label's Melody imprint, which they cut under the name the Vels.
The single fizzled, and Williams exited, reducing the group to a trio. After backing Marvin Gaye on the superb 1962 record "Stubborn Kind of Fellow," they were renamed Martha & the Vandellas, taking inspiration from Detroit's Van Dyke Street and Reeves' heroine Della Reese. When singer Mary Wells failed to show up for a recording date, musicians' union rules demanded that a vocalist be found to fulfill contractual obligations; as a result, Reeves was yanked from the secretarial pool and laid down what would become Martha & the Vandellas' first record, 1963's "I'll Have to Let Him Go."
The Top 30 success of the ballad "Come and Get These Memories" brought the group the attention of Motown's hit-making production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, who crafted their next smash, the galvanizing Top Five classic "Heat Wave," which perfected the mix of impassioned call-and-response vocals, pulsing rhythms, and full-bodied horns that became the trio's trademark. Following another Top Ten hit, "Quicksand," Beard retired, and was replaced by former Velvelette Betty Kelly. After singer Kim Weston turned down the Marvin Gaye/Ivy Jo Hunter/Mickey Stevenson composition "Dancing in the Street," the song was shuttled to Martha & the Vandellas; refashioned by Holland-Dozier-Holland to fit the group's formula, the anthem became their biggest hit and definitive statement, reaching number two in the summer of 1964. A year later, they returned with another smash, the savage "Nowhere to Run," followed by "I'm Ready for Love."
In 1967, Kelly exited, and was replaced by Reeves' younger sister Lois; on subsequent releases, the group was billed as Martha Reeves & the Vandellas. 1967's "Jimmy Mack" and "Honey Chile" were the last records overseen by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team before their defection from Motown, and were also the final significant Vandellas hits; in 1968, Martha Reeves fell seriously ill, and in 1969 Ashford departed, with another former Velvelette, Sandra Tilley, assuming her position. The trio continued unsuccessfully for a few more years before breaking up in the wake of a December, 1972, farewell performance at Detroit's Cobo Hall. After Motown relocated its corporate offices to Los Angeles (a move Reeves denied she was privy to), the singer, who had begun a solo career, sued to have her contract with the label annulled; in her 1994 autobiography, Dancing in the Street, she charged that the Vandellas' career, though highly successful in its own right, could have been even greater had Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. given their music the same obsessive attention he afforded to Diana Ross & the Supremes.
Reeves recorded her debut solo effort, Martha Reeves: Produced by Richard Perry, for MCA in 1974; though a few more LPs followed, including 1976's The Rest of My Life and 1978's We Meet Again, she received little notice on her own, and eventually suffered a pair of nervous breakdowns that led to a brief period of institutionalization. Lois Reeves, meanwhile, went on to work with Al Green, while Sandra Tilley retired from music; she died in 1982 following surgery on a brain tumor. In 1989, Martha Reeves, Annette Beard, and Rosalind Ashford successfully sued Motown for back royalties, and occasionally reunited for performances in the 1990s. Reeves also continued as a solo artist, and in addition performed with a Vandellas unit consisting of Lois and a third sister, Delphine.
--- Jason Ankeny of All Music Guide
01. (love is like a) Heat Wave 02. Then He Kissed Me 03. Hey There Lonely Boy 04. More 05. Danke Schoen 06. If I Had A Hammer |
07. Hello Stranger 08. Just One Look 09. Wait Till My Baby Gets Home 10. My Boyfriend's Back 11. Mockingbird |
01. Come And Get These Memories 02. Can't Get Used To Losing You 03. Moments (to remember) 04. This Is When I Need You Most 05. A Love Like Yours (don't come knocking everyday) 06. Tears On My Pillow |
07. To Think You Would Hurt Me 08. There He Is (at my door) 09. I'll Have To Let Him Go 10. Give Him Up 11. Jealous Lover 12. Old Love (let's try it again) |
01. Dancing In The Street 02. Dancing Slow 03. Wild One 04. Nowhere To Run 05. Nobody'll Care 06. There He Is (at my door) |
07. Mobile Lil The Dancing Witch 08. Dance Party 09. Motoring 10. The Jerk 11. Mickey's Monkey 12. Hitch Hike |
01. I'm Ready For Love 02. One Way Out 03. Jimmy Mack 04. Let This Day Be 05. Keep It Up 06. Happiness Is Guaranteed |
07. I'll Follow You 08. No More Tearstained Makeup 09. Go Ahead And Laugh 10. What Am I Going To Do Without Your Love 11. Tell Me I'll Never Be Alone 12. He Doesn't Love Her Anymore |
01. My Baby Loves Me 02. Come And Get These Memories 03. Love Is Like A Heat Wave 04. Dancing In The Street 05. Quicksand 06. Live Wire |
07. You've Been In Love Too Long 08. In My Lonely Room 09. Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things 10. A Love Like Yours (don't come knocking everyday) 11. Nowhere To Run 12. Wild One |
01. You'll Never Cherish A Love So True 02. There He Is (at my door) 03. I'll Have To Let Him Go 04. My Baby Won't Come Back 05. Come And Get These Memories 06. (love is like a) Heat Wave 07. Quicksand 08. Darling, I Hum Our Song 09. Live Wire 10. In My Lonely Room 11. A Tear For The Girl 12. Dancing In The Street 13. Wild One 14. Nowhere To Run 15. Motoring 16. You've Been In Love Too Long 17. Love (makes me do foolish things) 18. My Baby Loves Me 19. Never Leave Your Baby's Side 20. What Am I Going To Do Without Your Love 21. I'm Ready For Love 22. Third Finger, Left Hand |
23. Jimmy Mack 24. Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone 25. One Way Out 26. Honey Chile 27. Show Me The Way 28. I Promise To Wait My Love 29. Forget Me Not 30. I Can't Dance To That Music You're Playin' 31. I Tried 32. Sweet Darlin' 33. (we've got) Honey Love 34. Taking My Love (and leaving me) 35. I Should Be Proud 36. Love, Guess Who 37. I Gotta Let You Go 38. Bless You 39. In And Out Of My Life 40. Your Love Makes It All Worthwhile 41. Tear It On Down 42. I Won't Be The Fool I've Been Again 43. Baby (don't you leave me) |
01. I Promise To Wait My Love 02. Honey Chile 03. There's Always Something There To Remind Me 04. Leave It In The Hands Of Love 05. Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone 06. I'm In Love (and I know it) |
07. To Sir With Love 08. Forget Me Not 09. (we've got) Honey Love 10. I Say A Little Prayer 11. Show Me The Way |
01. Taking My Love (and leaving me) 02. Shoe Leather Expressway 03. You're The Loser Now 04. I'm A Winner 05. What Now My Love 06. Soul Appeal |
07. Loneliness Is A Lonely Feelin' 08. I Love The Man 09. It Ain't Like That 10. I Can't Get Along Without You 11. Heartless 12. I Hope That You Have Better Luck Than I Did |
01. Something 02. Easily Persuaded 03. Didn't We 04. I'm In Love (and I know it) 05. Love, Guess Who |
06. Everybody's Talkin' 07. Put A Little Love In Your Heart 08. The Hurt Is Over (since I've found you) 09. Take A Look Around 10. Won't It Be So Wonderful |
01. Dancing In The Street 02. Nowhere To Run 03. Jimmy Mack 04. My Baby Loves Me 05. In My Lonely Room 06. I'm Ready For Love |
07. Love Is Like A Heat Wave 08. Come And Get These Memories 09. Love (makes me do foolish things) 10. Quicksand 11. Honey Chile |